Category: Education

I am terrible at forgiving myself. Never good enough. Should’ve said this earlier or have…

by Terry Heick In our recent post, Education’s Curious Fascination With Uniformity, reader James Foss…

As many Literature/ELA teachers know, T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is…

12 Teacher Productivity Tools That Actually Save Time Time is the scarcest resource in a…

by TeachThought Staff I’ve written many times about Wendell Berry and the effect he has…

Originally published in 2012 Like thinking, reading in the 21st century is different than in…

by Terry Heick Every few months, I see an article making the rounds that critical…

“We are what we have done, which includes our promises, includes our hopes, but promises…

by Terry Heick What did John Dewey believe? While known by teachers for his work…

by TeachThought Staff Critical thinking isn’t a skill, nor is it content knowledge or even…

by TeachThought Staff There are many ways to encourage a child, but for students of…

by Terry Heick Humility is an interesting starting point for learning. In an era of…

A critical thinking strategy is simply a ‘way’ to encourage or facilitate the cognitive act…

See also The Real You Is All Of Us In the last ten years, too…

12 Articles About Critical Thinking In The Classroom by TeachThought Staff Critical thinking remains one…

Costa’s Levels of Questioning — designed by educational researcher Art Costa — feature three tiers…

contributed by Angela Peery Picture a classroom full of youngsters. They could be darling, chubby-cheeked…

Knowledge is limited. Knowledge deficits are unlimited. Knowing something–all of the things you don’t know…

0 “Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure.” (Albert Bandura)…

1 by TeachThought Staff At the end of the day, teaching is about learning and…

Views 0 by Terry Heick The influence of Berry on my life–and thus inseparably…

Educators and students at all levels are using design thinking to create solutions for real-world…

The New Periodic Table Song In Order (To Make You And Your Students Crazy) by…

It boils down to purpose. In 50 Ways To Measure Understanding, I talked about the…

In 2013, I wrote a post for edutopia exploring the difference between students and learners….

by Terry Heick This is a sponsored post. You can read more about our sponsored…

by TeachThought Staff In 13 Brilliant Outcomes Of Project-Based Learning, we gave a quick example…

Beyond the Hype: Practical Big Data for Educators The term ‘big data’ can sound abstract,…

  What Is Cognitive Dissonance? A Definition For Teaching Understanding Cognitive Dissonance: A Psychological Framework…

Standing for Critical Thinking and Progress by Terrell Heick At TeachThought, we have always focused…

Selected Timeline of Educational Technology (2000–2025) 2000–2003 Digital tools begin to enter classrooms, led by…

Teaching Is Human Work. Systems Aren’t Built for That. Teaching Is Human Work. Systems Aren’t…

by Terry Heick This post has been updated from a version published in 2013 Good…

by Terry Heick Learning is a culture. It starts there—with the students first as human…

Teaching Is Human Work. Systems Aren’t Built for That. Teaching Is Human Work. Systems Aren’t…

In addition to my work at TeachThought, I also write creative nonfiction, essays, and—more recently—poetry….

by Terry Heick Looking for the best source of education research? The one with authentic…

by Terry Heick With so much else to do and a subsequent loss of academic…

26 Of The Best Free Artificial Intelligence Tools by TeachThought Staff This is obviously a…

by Terry Heick Understanding where curiosity comes from is the holy grail of education. Education,…

by Terry Heick This article was originally written in 2011 and most recently updated in…

by Terry Heick In his essay Two Minds, Wendell Berry, unsurprisingly enough, offers up two…

If correctly prepared for, a Socratic seminar can be a powerful catalyst for social learning….

1. Brian Johnson: How to teach ‘for’ students, not ‘at’ them Big Idea: Educators should…

by TeachThought Staff The activities below are designed to be simple, flexible, and fun, making…

by TeachThought Staff There is a difference between gamification and game-based learning, and this post…

by Terry Heick It’s not the thinking behind an idea that should bother us, but…

by Terry Heick Note: This has been updates from a 2018 version Just a quick…

A Conversion Chart For Reading Level Measurement Tools by TeachThought Staff If you’ve used AR…

On Student Engagement: How To Be As Interesting As A Video Game Terry Heick Agreeing…

by TeachThought Staff At TeachThought, we’re interested supporters of any learning taxonomy. (We even created…

by TeachThought Staff At TeachThought, we’ve described Bloom’s Taxonomy as “a hierarchical ordering of cognitive…

by TeachThought Staff Bloom’s Taxonomy’s verbs–also known as power verbs or thinking verbs–are extraordinarily powerful…

by TeachThought Staff At TeachThought, we’re enthusiastic supporters of any learning taxonomy. (We even created…

by TeachThought Staff At TeachThought, we’ve described Bloom’s Taxonomy as “a hierarchical ordering of cognitive…

by Terry Heick Agreeing on how to best establish what a learner understands isn’t simple…

by Terry Heick Are there questions students can ask themselves while you’re teaching? Questions that…

Learning–real, informal, authentic, and lifelong learning–can ‘begin’ with just about anything. In that way, this…

1. Brian Johnson: How to teach ‘for’ students, not ‘at’ them Big Idea: Educators should…

by TeachThought Staff The activities below are designed to be simple, flexible, and fun, making…

by TeachThought Staff In The Difference Between Between Gamification and Game-Based Learning, we learned the…

by TeachThought Staff There is a difference between gamification and game-based learning, and this post…

by Terry Heick It’s not the thinking behind an idea that should bother us, but…

by TeachThought Staff What makes up a classroom? Is it the space? A room, for…

If correctly prepared for, a Socratic seminar can be a powerful catalyst for social learning….

Teach Students To Think Irrationally by Terry Heick Formal learning is a humbling thing. As…

by TeachThought Staff While the scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Investigating Healthy…

What Is The Library Of Congress? by TeachThought Staff The recent dismissal of Dr. Carla…

contributed by Kathy Glass We often ask students to use context clues to figure out…

by TeachThought Staff So you’re considering taking a teaching job? Or at least interviewing? What…

12 Articles About Critical Thinking In The Classroom by TeachThought Staff Critical thinking remains one…

The concept of teaching creativity has been around for quite some time. See also What…

1. Master the Search Bar: Your Time-Saving Powerhouse Don’t waste time scrolling through endless files….

by TeachThought Staff Creativity is often associated with elementary students who are encouraged to draw…

In a world full of stimuli, sensory rooms are becoming an essential tool for schools…

by TeachThought Staff Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space (University of Arizona) Comprehensive introduction to the…

The Foundational 4 Cs of Critical Thinking in K-12 Education by TeachThought Staff What Are…

by TeachThought Staff We’ve looked at icebreakers for kids–elementary school students, for example. How about…

Teaching Strategies For Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs by TeachThought Staff Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, developed…

by TeachThought Staff Today’s product Pick Of The Day is a childhood classic on almost…

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to learn faster. Whether you’re working with a maths tutor…

Standing for Critical Thinking and Progress by Terrell Heick At TeachThought, we have always focused…

by TeachThought Staff Self-Directed Learning is not a new concept, but it’s often misunderstood—especially in the…

  What Is Cognitive Dissonance? A Definition For Teaching Understanding Cognitive Dissonance: A Psychological Framework…

What is social learning? Social learning theory is a behavioral theory that posits that new…

A List Of Free MOOCs For Teachers & Students contributed by TeachThought Staff While the…

by TeachThought Staff Understanding how the brain actually learns has been a a scientific challenge…

by TeachThought Staff Reading is simply a sequence of symbol interpretation. By understanding that letters…

by TeachThought Staff In the always-changing–recently even more so–landscape of education, the cultivation of creativity…

A critical thinking strategy is simply a ‘way’ to encourage or facilitate the cognitive act…

Good training data is key for AI models. Mistakes in data labeling can cause wrong…

by Terry Heick How can you tell if a student really understands something? They learn…

Social media content creators make anywhere from $500 to $50,000+ monthly. Learning to edit videos…

contributed by Irena Nayfeld, TeachThought PD Inquiry Workshop Facilitator Those of us who spend our…

by Terry Heick What does ‘critical thinking’ mean? Well, that depends on who you ask….

Billions upon billions of people in the world have been connected by the internet, which…

contributed by Owen M. Wilson, University of Texas El Paso A logical fallacy is an…

by Terry Heick What’s the 3-2-1 strategy? The 3-2-1 strategy is simply a format that…

Protecting Student Data In The AI Classroom With A VPN AI is transforming education, but…

The world is changing fast, and traditional education often fails to keep up. While students…

by Terry Heick The long-term output of any school should be not just proficient students,…

In this blog, we’re diving into 10 game-changing ways a simple video clipper can save…

College students face rising costs for education every year, causing many to juggle work, studies,…

I. Human beings are capable of extraordinary joy and extraordinary suffering. II. Suffering is inherent…

by Terry Heick This is a quick post that just occurred to me while writing…

contributed by Rob Steller Engagement isn’t an on and off switch. There are levels to student…

Cybersecurity 101: Essential Tips for Students & Teachers The rise of digital learning has transformed…

Why People Play Video Games Why We Play Video Games: How Our Desire For Games…

Critical thinking is a skill we’re told to cultivate, like reading literature or maintaining eye…

by Terry Heick Simple premise, as titled: what sorts of ‘things’ make teaching unsustainable, and…

Whether you’re using formative assessment for data to personalize learning within a unit, or more…

by Terry Heick As a follow-up to our 9 Characteristics of 21st Century Learning we…

The Precious First Few Minutes Of Class The traditional scene is familiar: Students drift into…

To grow, teachers must be able to reflect critically on their own performance. Education is…

In today’s digital landscape, social media platforms have become crucial for educational engagement, especially in…

In the digital age, branding has evolved into an art and a science, requiring businesses…

Everyone loves Instagram Reels. Content creators are facing high competition to gain the attention of…

Use Classroom Management Platforms and Other Tools to Overcome Barriers in Learning a Language contributed…

College planning often feels overwhelming for families. Parents juggle excitement about their child’s future with…

The massive T-Mobile data breach in 2023, which exposed 37 million customers’ data, was a…

Harnessing Kairos: Balancing Structured Time and Learning Velocity in K-12 Classrooms Time in education is…

by Terry Heick Reflection is a fundamental tenet of learning; it is also, therefore, a…

by Terry Heick What are the different types of questions? Turns out, it’s pretty limitless….

by TeachThought Staff In a world filled with noise, division, and endless demands on our…

by Grant Wiggins & The TeachThought Staff Admit it–you only read the list of the six…

The Best Science Podcasts by TeachThought Staff Today, there is a wealth of content out…

Tone As A Cause And Effect Of Learning by Terrell Heick In 20 Words That…

by Terry Heick I first encountered the 40/40/40 rule years ago while skimming one of…

This post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2024 by Terrell Heick 1….

by Terry Heick In a profession increasingly full of angst and positioning and corrective policy,…

Gamification is used in many fields and industries. It is meant to promote customer loyalty…

There are many obstacles to navigate when running a business. Challenges are around every corner,…

by TeachThought Staff The internet loves many things. It loves cats, for example. Memes, too….

50 Inspirational And Motivational Quotes by TeachThought Staff What are some of the most inspirational…

by TeachThought Staff What is learned helplessness? Definition Learned helplessness is a psychological condition in…

We make lasting connections through play, but the role of play in learning is an…

by TeachThought Staff AI-Driven Climate Modeling Researchers use advanced AI models to predict climate changes…

by Terry Heick I was speaking (tweeting) with Mark Barnes tonight, and he mentioned the…

Transform Education By Building A Legacy Of Teacher-Principal Partnership contributed by Joe Griffin, PhD Abstract…

by TeachThought Staff There are many ways to encourage a child, but for students of…

by TeachThought Staff Definition: Duolingo is a popular language-learning platform that provides free online courses…

For better or for worse, visual information is the new internet, and infographics are pioneers…

Information and Communication Overloading (ICO) and “Mindful Media” contributed by Dr. Domenico Meschino In today’s…

by Terry Heick While I often talk about ‘scale’ as one of the primary challenges in…

by Terry Heick Grading problems are one of the most urgent bugaboos of good teaching….

15 Alternatives To Report Cards In The K-12 Classroom by TeachThought Staff Like lunchboxes (or…

contributed by Dr. Kymm Ballard, Executive Director for SPARK Think about any time you’ve seen “army boot…

Bertrand Russell’s 10 Essential Rules Of Critical Thinking by Terry Heick For a field of…

Labeling a book “great” is a matter of opinion, but when you pile together the…

How To Filter Your Email using Search Operators by TeachThought Staff It’s almost 2025, and…

What Are Google Search Operators? by TeachThought Staff Google search operators are special characters and…

Using Goal Setting and Data Tracking to Enhance Student Agency and Achievement contributed by Samantha…

What Is Life About? The Best Quotes We Could Find by TeachThought Staff What Is…

contributed by Samantha Saumell, I Have, Not I Am All teachers want to help students become…

Critical thinking is the ongoing application of unbiased analysis in pursuit of objective truth. Although…

Education has gone beyond acquiring knowledge to acquiring skills using EdTech tools; students learn digital…

Address Common Project-Based Learning Challenges Through Culture-Building contributed by Sara Segar, Experit Learning Depot I…

by TeachThought Staff In ‘Shifts For The Classroom of the Future,’ Terrell Heick said, “It’s…

by TeachThought Staff As learning becomes increasingly digital, access becomes increasingly important. The Flipped Classroom,…

by Terrell Heick It isn’t clear what the original goal of social media was. No…

by TeachThought Staff Team-building activities are great–especially for the first day of school or early…

by TeachThought Staff Welcome to a new school year! While most teachers and students have…

by Terry Heick Education is a series of learning experiences informed by policy, and actuated…

by TeachThought Staff Life can be crushingly busy–especially if you’re an educator or any other…

Strategies for Teaching AI Concepts Without Technology by TeachThought Staff Preface: This post is primarily…

by Terry Heick My wife is a schoolteacher, and recently I’ve been listening to her…

by Terry Heick It’s possible that there is no time in the history of education…

AI is quickly becoming a powerful change in online language learning (i.e., through eLearning), and…

by Terrell Heick Will robots replace teachers? I was asked this in an interview a…

by TeachThought Staff Paulo Freire’s “The Pedagogy of the Oppressed” is a foundational text in…

In the vast ocean of academic tasks, writing is a challenging and crucial skill for…

Technology has transformed how you interact with your educational materials. From AI tutors that provide…

Setting specific goals isn’t just about ticking off checkboxes; it’s about charting a path toward…

by TeachThought Staff In just the last decade, the image of technology in the classroom…

by Terry Heick Phonemic awareness is knowing that certain letters make certain sounds. Phonemic awareness…

“Let’s get out our [independent/book club/whole class] books and open to page __!” At least…

by Terry Heick Quality—you know what it is, yet you don’t know what it is….

The Difference Between Constructivism And Constructionism by Terry Heick While working on the learning theory…

by TeachThought Staff The field of healthcare is experiencing rapid growth globally as people live…

by Terry Heick Having gone on for decades now, discussions around the idea of ed…

by Terry Heick If the ultimate goal of education is for students to be able…

by TeachThought Staff What are the types of assessment for learning? And more importantly, when…

by Terry Heick A few years ago, I wrote about Types of Learning Journals and…

Title: Embracing Statistics: A Pillar of Modern STEM Education In today’s rapidly evolving landscape of…

by Terry Heick Reflection is a natural part of learning. We all think about new…

Once it’s begun, it’s difficult to fully separate the person from the task.  When the…

Embracing the Future of Social Work Through Online Education by TeachThought Staff The social work…

contributed by Beth Rush, Managing Edition at Body + Mind The image of your 5-year-old…

50 Of The Best Quotes About Reading by TeachThought Staff Literacy—the ability to read and…

How to Transform Your Study Sessions: Notes, Help, and Hacks for the Modern Student by…

contributed by Edelyn Bontuyan What makes traditional learning click?  In-person learning.  As a teacher, your…

contributed by Michael Mirra Abstract Diversity has been at the forefront of educational discussions over…

Richard Feynman On Knowing Versus Understanding by TeachThought Staff Who is Richard Feynman? Richard Feynman,…

contributed by Barbara R. Blackburn Differentiation is a popular concept in today’s schools. After all,…

contributed by TeachThought Staff Language is a wonderful thing. It is the common thread that…

contributed by Dr. Kara Stern, SchoolStatus Head of Education Solutions  Recognizing school/home communication’s profound impact…

contributed by Dr. Zak Cohen In 2009, President Obama spoke to a group of students…

by TeachThought Staff Thinking in the 21st century is just different. That doesn’t mean we’re…

by TeachThought Staff Do not limit a child to your own learning, for they were…

Language is a wonderful thing. It is the common thread that binds entire societies, allowing…