“My alma mater was books, a good library…I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.” -Malcom X I love books. To me, they are among the most wonderful communication devices we have. They allow us to learn, in a handful of hours, what might have taken the author decades to learn. They let us peer inside someone else’s experience, and learn the lessons that have taken a lifetime to learn. I published my first book last week. It was so much more vulnerable than I expected it to be. I’ve been writing and sharing ideas…
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There’s a moment at the beginning of every school year when something almost unheard of happens…everyone shows up. The families that we spend the rest of the year trying to catch through emails, SignUpGenius links, newsletters, volunteer requests, fundraising appeals, and increasingly desperate reminders are all standing in the same building, eager for the new year. Back-to-School Night. Most of us use this night to transfer information: the schedule, where to drop off, everything your child needs, how we’ll communicate, the rules, the calendar, and don’t forget to label the water bottle! At Anastasis, we discovered that this night held the…
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Hi Friends! If you’re still following iLearn Technology, first, an apology for being MIA for so long! Starting a school comes with a strange gravity that pulls you into its orbit and makes all other projects take a back seat. Second, thanks for still inviting me to your RSS feed or inbox! I’ve been working on some new projects that might be of interest, including publishing a few books, launching some technology of my own, and learner-centered ecosystem work. I have all my working projects on my digital common place book: KT’s Place A teaser for some of what you’ll…
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Your content and communication partner What it is: Tress Learning is a content and communications partner built specifically for schools. Instead of adding another platform or tool, Tress works within the channels your community already uses, including email, Instagram, Facebook, blogs, websites, print materials, etc. Tress is medium‑agnostic by design. Their work begins with getting to know your school: your values, culture, differentiators, voice, and communication goals. From there, they repurpose existing assets (photos, stories, newsletters, announcements, events, classroom moments) into cohesive, strategic communication that feels aligned and intentional. The result is consistent, thoughtful parent communication that keeps families actively…
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What it is: This is part research project, part game where students take on the role of a fake news monger who drops all ethics to build a media empire. This game is intended to help students better identify the tricks used to manipulate thinking. In the game, players earn badges corresponding to the tactics used in the production of fake news, like polarization, conspiracy theories, discrediting, trolling, and invoking strong emotion. Through taking on the persona of someone building a fake news empire, students learn how to spot the manipulation tactics. The game is built around the psychological concept…
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What it is: Citizen University is an experiential approach to cultivating civic identity. What I love about Citizen University is they immediately address the challenges and barriers faced when addressing civic education in the classroom; there can be cultural and codified barriers, making it feel charged, insufficient, or impossible to do. Building citizenship is about more than where we come from or knowing the tenants of our country; it’s about our everyday choices, mindsets, and how we see ourselves as contributing members of society implicated in caring about the problems around us. Our communities are depending on us to engage…
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Analyze - Anastasis Academy - Character Education - collaboration - Create - Evaluate - Foreign Language - Geography - Government - History - Inquiry - Language Arts - Math - Middle/High School - Music - PE - Primary Elementary - professional development - Science - Secondary Elementary - Social Studies - Teacher Resources - Technology - web tools - Web2.0 - WebsitesShort Answer- Build better k12 writers through social, engaging writing activities
I love technology built by teachers—it’s just different. You can feel the truth and passion behind it. It has features that you know were intentionally considered by someone who has been in the classroom. Short Answer is a fantastic writing tool that was obviously built by teachers solving real problems for real students. The best! With so many tech companies racing to put AI into classrooms in ways that don’t center learners, it’s nice to see companies like Short Answer who are starting with students. (Big congratulations to the Short Answer team, who was just named as a YASS Prize…
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What it is: BombBomb is an email service that lets you record and embed video directly in your email. That is a totally oversimplified explanation because BombBomb does SO much more. This is one of those pieces of technology that has been life-saving for me during the pandemic and one that I will continue using forevermore! In addition to easily adding video to your email, you can add images, button-type navigation, build and send forms right in BombBomb, and even create automations. BombBomb shows you who opened your email and what they clicked/engaged/watched while they were there. How to integrate…
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It’s been a minute (or thousands) since I’ve blogged new technology finds. This year has us utilizing technology in new ways and in need of tools that support learning in new ways. I thought I’d drop back into the tech-tool blogging world with some of the technology that has kept us sane this year, but are also SO good that we’ll continue to use them even in non-COVID years. What it is: Mindstamp is one of my favorite finds this year. This interactive video creation platform is a major upgrade to remote learning, but we’ve come up with about a…
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“Do you…want to form an alliance…with me? “ It was January 3, 2010, that I first created a blog post of this title. It was initially inspired by a blog post that I came across on Problogger titled, “Let Me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance.” Of course, any time I heard the word “alliance,” this moment from The Office immediately came to mind (clearly a blog title too good to ignore). I had no idea that those words, penned a decade ago, would absolutely and forever change me and the trajectory of my life. It was in 2010…