Animal Habitats Matching Game

Canva is my go-to place for making all things beautiful: presentations, class signs, image creation, graphic organizers, and more. I've written about it time and again.

With the influx of AI and the integration of AI tools in so many educational platforms over the last two years, Canva has done a great job of keeping pace. They've added to their "magic tools" in many ways, and it has been fun exploring them--especially the Canva Code--to see what potential they have. It's been a good way to learn along the way how to make tools that could be useful in the classroom. (See these posts for other interactives I've created this summer using Canva Coding: Independence Day & The Declaration of Interdependence and Plastic Eating Microbes to the Rescue one.)

This Animal Habitats Matching game is my latest adventure. Geared to the 4th or 5th grade level, this game was created using their "Canva Coding" tool. It started with the prompt: "Design an interactive matching game for 4th or 5th graders about animal habitats, with images of animals and their natural environments. Provide immediate feedback for correct and incorrect answers." Of course, it took a lot of tweaking, at least 6 versions, and hundreds of line of code for this game to pop out. I'm pleased with the outcome! The beauty of this drag-and-drop game is that it does all of the following:

• teaches animal habitats in a hands-on, interactive fashion;
• provides instant feedback for both correct and incorrect answers--while also keeping score of correct matches and attempts;
• provides hints when needed and positive reinforcement for learning;
• saves teachers time in creation of materials.

Make sure to take time to play. To see a larger version for an easier play, click here.

Animal Habitats Matching Game Design by Vicki Dabrowka, using Canva.com's Canva Code element.

Image from https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/canva-create-2025-canva-code/

YouTube: A Teacher's Best Friend

As an educator, I'm always looking for go-to resources. I happened on this graphic about the bounty of teaching channels on YouTube at Educators Technology the other day. (Educators Technology is a resource in and of itself. I wrote about it in early June. I learn something from their Facebook page almost every day!) 

I love how this infographic divides the channels by subject area. Likewise, I love how many of my tried and true favorites are listed, which makes this a super one-stop-shopping teacher resource! Just in time for back-to-school! 

Click to enlarge or print.

Graphic from https://www.facebook.com/Edtechandmobilelearning/posts/pfbid0HFK1ybboprxHkdppMnVqoGn6X2wunxJ4qjqfAHfUxfECJHeGJpf21UrGn5K9WpD9l

Independence Day & The Declaration of Interdependence

The summer is clipping along and the 4th of July is here. Our nation's birthday. Next year on this date, it will be our country's 250th anniversary of our country's birth.

Where are you on your Civics education? When was the last time you read the Declaration of Independence, written July 4, 1776? If it's been awhile, you can read it here at the National Archives. 

The 4th of July brings with it all the celebration of a national holiday and a day off of work: parades, pools, barbeques, and fireworks. Bigger than that though, it brings with it the ideas central to our nation: freedom, autonomy, self-determination. 

But, in a world growing more complex by the year with digital advancements, AI, social media, innovation, technological growth, environmental issues, climate change, and more--perhaps we're also on the cusp of needing more. Yes, we're celebrating our independence, but maybe there's also a need to celebrate our interdependence. Ways that we are all connected to each other and our planet, requiring not only life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but perhaps also an approach and vision toward shared responsibility. 

In doing so, we take note on how local actions ripple outwardly to our global community. How our stewardship of the Earth is tied not only to our greater purpose but also our greater connection. A vision toward sustainability and how caring for our shared home will impact everyone with the cleanliness of the water, air, the soil that grows our food, and the energy that powers this planet of ours. 

Knowing and understanding this interdependence is what environmental literacy is all about. 

Maybe this holiday as we are thinking about flags, fireworks, and freedom, maybe its time to think about freedom not about standing alone, but standing together. Maybe its worth create your own Declaration of Interdependence by filling in the blanks below, in the style of the Declaration of Independence's Preamble:

Creating a Personal Declaration of Interdependence by Vicki Dabrowka at Canva.com using Canva Code; Top image created in canva.com

The Environmental Cost of AI

I have been embracing AI and trying out a multitude of platforms: ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, Claude, Google Gemini, Canva's "Magic Media Tools," and more. Increasingly, AI is integrated into existing platforms for teachers, students, everyone. I've used it for planning a trip to Spain, for the scrapbook commentary of my pics from that trip, for recipes, for lesson planning, for photo creation, for revising & summarizing, and  on and on more. Additionally, I'm planning a one-day teacher professional development workshop for one day this summer--so I've been living in it a lot!

Along my research travels, I ran across this infographic from Educators Technology that Med Kharbach, PhD. It describes the environmental impacts of AI. With us all on our computers all the time, we don't think that one more website might have as big of an impact as it does. But clearly, as it shows below, it's not just the website. There's the energy consumptions, carbon footprint, mineral mining & resource depletion, multiple levels of pollution, and transporation costs. It's a lot to consider here while technology's innovation solves many of our problems, it also creates new ones too... all of which highlights the importance of addressing environmental issues and making it a planetary priority!

Images from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1092111519614816&set=a.558590699633570

Favorite Finds From FETC 2025

A few posts ago I wrote about my fabulous experience in January at FETC. 

I have been sorting through all of the amazing resources and wanted to share a list of the 25 new favorite websites and online resources--dialing in more than just my favorite sessions, but more into some of the websites I've been diving into since being at home. (I'm sure it won't surprise you the high number of AI-oriented websites. It's everywhere, including built into many teacher/school-oriented websites!)

Items with 🌟 are my personal favorites, and where I'd start if you are just toe-dipping in or looking for just a few tools to try! I most certainly haven't had the opportunity to play with them all, but am looking forward to giving them a go! (Might be a summer project!)

These are the tools I went in knowing about and have had some experience with, so they certainly get honorable mention! I get that they may not be known to everyone, hence why I included this list here!

• 🌟 Canva EDU & the Magic Media tools that are embedded in--I've written about this many times. Start here to learn more. Polls & Quizzes are new and there's an endless amount of cool tools here.

• 🌟 Chat GPT--We've been hearing a lot about this one for the last 2 years. Here's my first post on that subject. 

• Microsoft CoPilot--Think ChatGPT but the Microsoft's version.

• Curipod--Generate lessons & presentations with this classroom tool for teachers

• Khanmigo--click here to read my whole blog post on that.

🌟 Google Notebook LM

• Upload your own documents (ex: standards, operating manuals, your own notes) or website addresses and then you can use it similar to ChatGPT to ask questions off this uploaded data set--your own self-created ChatGPT
• Creates organized note summaries and adds tags for referencing
• Can generate timelines of dates listed in
• The program creates a podcast of the research and questions to assist in your own learning, so your notes literally are talking to you.
• Integrates with Google Tools
• 18 and up in terms of service so this is more of a teacher tool, but one I'm clearly very excited about!

Google Learn About

• Still experimental through Google Labs
• Brings in sources from many and includes exploration links
• Great for ready to use supplemental teaching resources on different topics

Napkin.AI

• Helps you create simple images for presentations through a drag-and-drop interface
• Works as a visual thinking tool for connecting ideas and concepts.
• The beauty of this tool is its simplicity--both in use and the images it creates.

🌟 Quizzizz

• Similar to the gamification of Kahoot but with greater capability and instant feedback
• Make quiz on anything, including pictures or websites
• Integrates with Google Classroom and other learning management systems.
• Allows for teacher reports and analytics to track student performance.
• In the free version, you can create 20 games and then delete and create more--the paid version allows for the creation of more quizzes.

Brisk Teaching

• An AI-powered lesson planning tool that aligns to curricular standards.
• Built-in tools for assessment as well as strategies to differentiate lessons.
• Integrates with Google tools and YouTube.

Gamma AI

• AI presentation and storytelling tool where you can create slides/visuals based on your prompt.
• Includes interactive elements like polls and quizzes to add in.

Magic School AI

• Tools for creating classroom materials like lesson plans, worksheets, activities, and assessments.
• Allows for differentiation and has built in interventions for students who are struggling.
• Has an AI chat integrated to assist students and help answer their questions during assignments.

School AI

• Though the name is similar to the one above, this is more of an AI integration tool for the teachers, their administrative tasks, and tracking student performance. 
• Shows insights into learning gaps or trends from the collected data.
• Free for teachers, paid subscriptions for student use

Suno

• AI music creator tool for generating original songs, narrating lessons, creating voice overs, or adding audible content.
• Has a text-to-speech generator with customizable voice options, including adding in different languages 
• The audio files can be exported for use in lesson plans or presentations.

🌟 WeWillWrite.com

• This is a social & collaborative writing game/tool--kind of like Kahoot with its gamification, but it makes writing more social and engaging.
• Students login with class code that the teacher creates.
• Point out literary elements, grammar, style, and tone in student writing. 
• Energizes writing when you need a boost

Snorkl

• An AI tool for differentiation and intervention for struggling learners
• Teachers can customize learning paths for students by the questions they upload, then set the parameter as to what type of feedback students get. 
• Depending on settings teachers create, students can go back and correct their answers.

🌟 FigJam

• With Google Jamboard gone, this is the next iteration of endless real-time collaboration whiteboard canvas for classrooms.
• It has the online sticky notes that Jamboard had, but also diagrams, templates, and other brainstorming sketch tools.

🌟 Quick, Draw! With Google

• This is great for teaching "machine learning" (the basis of how AI data sets are created), so you could argue it could go in the AI section. However, it does kind of go deeper than that. 
• It's an AI-based doodling game, making it fun to see if Google can guess your drawing.
• Gives instant feedback on drawings 
• Great way to introduce AI concepts & encourage creativity.

Teachable Machine

• A good follow up to Quick, Draw! with Google for exploring machine learning.
• Shows users how to train machine learning models through a user-friendly interface without coding but through images, sounds, or personal poses.
• Allows for real-time training and testing of their models within the browser.
• For all you tech/engineering teachers out there--you can take it to the next tech level and add a computer science component by adding arduinos or Raspberry Pi controllers.

🌟 Code.org's Ocean AI

• Coding lessons combining AI, STEM, ocean preservation, and environmental education! Go green!
• Tutorials using drag-and-drop coding make it great for beginners to see real world problem solving.

🌟 Padlet 

• Padlet has been around for awhile as a way to create collaborative visual boards as a way to share ideas, videos, and links in real time.
• Variety of board formats to choose from: grid, timeline, map.
• It now has AI components built in that include building Padlets by prompt, "I Can't Draw" AI image generators, and multimedia generators based on text prompts to help build out what you want to create.
• The paid version gets you more features and the ability to create more boards.

🌟 Helperbird Google Chrome Extension

• Use this chrome extension accessibility tool to help support anyone with dyslexia, trouble focusing, or other learning challenges. 
• Adapt fonts for readability on websites. 
• Has text-to-speech tools, tools for summarizing text, and immersive reading mode
• There is a paid version, but the free version is incredibly robust for reading and writing support.

🌟 The Achievery

• Free digital learning platform created by AT&T for K-12 covering these subjects: math, digital literacy, English language arts, social emotional learning, technology and engineering, digital arts, and science.
• Features clips from popular WarnerMedia films and TV shows, pairing lessons with standard-aligned activities.
• There are some really great lessons tied to digital literacy, AI ethics, and more.

Elementari

• Like a "chose your own adventure" for coding with kids to connect creativity with digital storytelling.
• Templates for creating interactive digital stories along with student-friendly tools for adding illustrations, animations, and narration
• Library of pre-made stories for inspiration or direct use.
• Free and paid levels are both available.

Header images from my computer! Logos from each website.

I ❤️ FETC 2025

January 14th--17th I attended FETC 2025 in Orlando--the Future of Education Technology Conference.

FETC could really stand for "Freaking Excellent Tech Conference!" I'm still swirling about all I learned in those 4 days in my mind. It took the traditionally "feels-twice-as-long month" of January and made it magical for me this year.       (It didn't hurt that we went to Universal and Hogwarts afterwards either. 😊)

Even though it was over 2 weeks ago, I'm still mentally there every day. 

My Biggest Takeaway:

This 4 day conference and the immersion with like-minded people completely renewed my energy for teaching in a way I haven't had since before Covid and the perils of pandemic teaching. (Interestingly enough, I attended FETC in 2017 & 2018, also pre-Covid!) 

So many fresh, new, inspirational, innovative ideas in education. No surprise: half the offerings were on some version of AI. I learned SO much, and it is the gift that keeps giving as I am still learning from that experience. I am loving this energetic spark!  I have so many new websites and tools I want to check out. I've been compiling the wealth of session notes from the ones I attended (and finding slide decks on the digital FETC program of amazing ones that were held when I couldn't attend because I haven't yet figured out how to clone myself). I have a growing master document that I know is going to become like my own personal edtech handbook.

My Favs:

1. Anything with Eric Curts, creator of Ctrl-Alt-Achieve. On his website he includes links to all that he shared at FETC. So. Much. Good. Learning!!!!

2. Christie Thompson-Cloud & Heather Brown's presentation "A Ravenclaw's Guide to the Latest & Greatest in EdTech" was completely engaging. Harry Potter's Ravenclaws love to learn, so what could be more perfect than a Ravenclaw-centric session in Orlando?! They followed thru the theme beautifully and I really need to go back and spend some time with all I learned from them.

3. Themes played out in other ways. 

• I attended a great Ted Lasso session called "Don't Stop Believing: Teaching Like Ted Lasso" by Janice Wintermyer, and it was by far not the only appearance in the session list by Ted Lasso.
• Another favorite thematic one was a take on the 1980s & John Hughes' films & the Brat Pack. So much in that alone to love! Ainsley Hill did a great job of blending the Brat Pack & PD in such an imaginative way with her "The T.E.C.H. Pack: Powering Up Professional Development". 
• Taylor Swift themes abounded too, like Dr. Rayna Friedman's "Be Fearless: Using AI in the Elementary Classroom." Though I'm not a total Swiftie (but I do like her music), it was a creative way to present her many, many good ideas.

4. Keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki was a true inspiration. I came home with his book Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life & Make A Difference. I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but it is at the top of my stack. He had 12 tips on "How to Help People Be Remarkable," starting with fostering a growth mindset and providing a growth environment. It truly was a "remarkable" talk and I adored his humor, expertise, and optimism! He has a podcast called "Remarkable People" that I also want to check out now too.

5. Another great keynote speaker was Dr. Sabba Quidwai, who talk was titled "From Classroom to Creator: Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow." Speaking on ways to thinks smarter, not harder, her talk centered on innovation, empathy, and the culture of your organization. It was phenomenal seeing a young female leader showing how innovate as an educator and tech dynamo.

6. Several sessions had tie-ins to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I still firmly believe that innovation and technology are what we need to solve our environmental issues. I love that this was part of an edtech conference--and wish this was a larger conversation in the world. I imagine this is still something about which not near enough people know.

7. The annual ending is always a session called TECHShare Live with Leslie Fisher, Adam Bellows, and Dr. Adam Phyall III. They are hilarious and have great chemistry with each other. It was a fast action shout out on all sorts of amazing things tech out there. That right there could have been well worth the price of admission!!!

8. I was able to soak up ideas for STEAM, coding, robotics 3D printing, circuits, design thinking, maker ideas, and more to add to my K-5 Tech classes in the variety of sessions I attended. But my favorite part is that even though it's a tech conference, it's an education conference first. I think many people would be apt to think FETC wasn't for them because they as teachers, administrators, PD developers, educational leaders, or more don't "do" edtech. But WE ALL do edtech any more. In today's day and age--in 2025--we all use technology, therefore this conference would be engaging for everyone. 

As for my favorite new edtech tools.... More on that in a later post!!

UN Sustainable Goals image from https://sdgs.un.org/goals, Control-Alt-Achieve logo from https://www.controlaltachieve.com/p/edtech-links-of-week.html, and all other images from my camera from FETC, Jan 14-17, 2025

Online Advent Calendars For This Season

Advent calendars are fun way to celebrate the season during the month of December. Here are two wonderful ones I ran across for 2024, both accessible by way of the wonderful world of Facebook.

#OneGreenThing Advent Game

Author Heather White (who has written Eco-Anxiety and One Green Thing) has created a digital daily advent calendar where she is posting new small, bite-sized eco-actions you can do every day. Posting daily to her Heather White, Author Facebook Page, you can find her daily inspirations. Given she's a week in already, some ideas include: using little libraries for your next read, going outside for a winter walk and connecting with nature, reducing your plastic footprint and more. Great daily doses of little things to make your day and help the planet!

The 25 Days of CANVAmas for Teachers

Created by Canva Education Creator LaNedra Johnson, this private Facebook group is an amazing collection of Canva creations. LaNedra Johnson has a public FB page, then she created the CANVAmas group for special for this advent season. Some special treats she has in there for teachers are a teacher planner page for 2025, lesson plan template, substitute teacher guid template, and more. Additionally she has another private group entitled "Canva Creators for Teachers" (with 40,000+ members). She's a great resource for teachers on how to maximize Canva creations for your classroom!

Title header created at Canva.com; Screenshot from https://www.facebook.com/heatherwhiteofficial and https://www.facebook.com/groups/1219727522639849

Brave New Words: Sal Khan's Take on AI

Like I mentioned a few posts back, I'm knee deep in books lately. Here's another one that really got my teacher brain thinking.

Salman Khan, creator of Khan Academy, released "Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (And Why That's a Good Thing)" at the start of this year. I really enjoyed this one as an audiobook given that it was read by author Sal Khan. In a lot of ways, it was like listening to him detail one of his Khan Academy videos.

I've read a number of books and articles on artificial intelligence as well as attended several webinars since the release of ChatGP--exactly 2 years ago on November 30th, 2022. Not to mention, I've used AI quite a bit and written about it a number of times (see here and here). Similarly, I love the "Magic Tools" of Canva. I've also played around a bit with Khanmigo, (which is free to teachers), and which Sal Khan discusses quite a bit in Brave New Words. The Khanmigo for Educators tutorial to learn how to maximize Khanmigo as a digital teacher assistant is excellent.

It's no question that AI is here to stay, and I've heard it said that the AI of today is the slowest you will ever experience. Anyone who has used artificial intelligence in the last 2 years would probably NOT use the word "slow" to describe it.

In Brave New Words, Sal Khan continues the conversation that Richard Culotta had in his book Digital For Good: we can maximize technology in so many ways. Khan discusses the importance of using AI for personal learning that's available 24-7 for people. Through Khanmigo, the AI has been set up to ask questions along the way to build engagement and deepen the learning through the chat--where the chat asks questions as a way to have the user grow on their own knowledge. Yes, AI has limitations in that there are risk biases built into the data sets, and it can create over-reliance on a machine (which lacks emotional intelligence) versus human connection. Then there is the thought that many students have learned how to use it to shortcut their learning and thinking process because they essentially are using it to cheat. 

But Sal Khan's conversations in the book focuses on how to use AI as a tool. It is our role as educators to teach our students to use it in a way that can have real meaning. It can serve valuable purposes in automating repetitive tasks and upping one's productivity. AI can also be used to accelerate certain skills like brainstorming which in turn helps people deepen their own learning. In his book, Khan details several exchanges with AI in Khanmigo where the user can have interactive conversations when the AI assumes a role as a historic figure such as Harriet Tubman or Abraham Lincoln, or literary character Jay Gatsby. The AI is programmed to continually remind the user that it is, in fact, generative AI. Yet it also creates a power of engagement and enhancement for the learner. His book is excellent for leading teachers to think about ways to innovate in the classroom and re-think education and our role in it.

Check out Sal Khan's article "What Khan Academy’s Founder Thinks About AI in Education" in Next Big Ideas Club to learn more about his book. 

Or, see what Bill Gates has to say in his article "Sal Khan is Pioneering Innovation in Education…Again: 'Brave New Words' Paints an Inspiring Picture of AI in the Classroom" in Gates Notes. 

Or watch his 15 minute TED Talk here.

Image from https://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-Words-Revolutionize-Education-ebook/dp/B0CFPJ2FB1/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZL4f2k-1SGJYHfHGBQCC8Z8ItW_iE0UX2NuoMU62WIp93s378Jxhu27cQz-gee1pFSsJj1FBeGR0EGCL4kTP2T1NSe1AYdmjVVl56QElfLtKzhDA1oBckIkp-Ls2HR8rtAaNtF6RhSo-XpLeoAR_uWigEtWrlFeMbtNcPHfgGyVz2RdNF9WfOR2G_qQ6m1jxmMlN9u26iLxRT0wjwzo2nRAeJzNif3VFXTtlAWYo_mE.3jD5ENMNIk2ZMJMIE9D67H2fz8_z_x4Q4I_G0RnONxA&dib_tag=se&keywords=Salman+Khan&qid=1732370616&sr=8-1 and https://excelined.org/2023/09/20/sal-khan-returns-to-eie23-artificial-intelligence-the-future-of-education/video from https://youtu.be/hJP5GqnTrNo?si=VNecyD_CMwLq2NSF

"Digital For Good" When It Comes to Digital Decision Making

This year, I've been devouring books. Mostly on my Kindle app on my phone. (I know, it's crazy, my husband makes fun of me.) This year, though, I have also started consuming a lot of audiobooks--especially while I'm driving. Always one to soak up knowledge, I seemed to have replaced my podcast-listening during my car radio time the last 6 months or so with e-books.

Nonfiction books are good ones for me to listen to in the car. (That and mysteries, not sure why.) I think it's my podcast Pavlovian response: I'm in the car, I must be an info-junkie. Regardless, I happened on a really good one recently that ties into school, written by Richard Culotta--the CEO of ASCD* and ISTE.* His book: Digital for Good: Raising Kids Thriving in an Online World.

Digital For Good is indeed a good book, and it makes for excellent reading for all educators in today's world. Parents too. The title is spot on, and matches his theme about how we need to be using digital for good in today's world. I found the book also paralleled many of the concepts I teach at school through The Social Institute (a digital decision making curriculum platform created by Laura Tierney). The focus is on the positives, on making high character choices, and "the do's" versus "the don'ts" of digital citizenship. You can see the parallels in Digital for Good's 5 themes versus the 7 standards of "The Social Institute" in the images below. (Additionally, there's a lot of overlap between both of them with Google's Digital Citizenship Curriculum: "Be Internet Awesome.)

I found it interesting too, listening to many of Richard Culotta's points about digital democracy and the urgency toward building a civil digital world--especially so in the aftermath of the 2024 election. His emphasis on the importance of improving lives is striking: through digital government commitments in order to build a sustainable virtual world that is focused on humanity, democracy, and civility over profits from platforms and the spread of misinformation.

Looking at the publication date, I saw that Digital For Good came out July 21, 2021. This places us a year after the height of the pandemic, yet before former-president Donald Trump's Truth Social posted it's first post on February 16, 2022 and also before Twitter (now X) was acquired in October 2022 by Elon Musk.

It made me wonder "What would Richard Culotta Think About where we are today?" How would he write this book differently, addressing where we are, a mere 3 years later? 

Richard Culotta is still a strident defender of digital democracy for all here in 2024. In his current role as ASCD and ISTE CEO, he still emphasizes the importance of:

• Teaching self-control and accountability for balanced and healthy tech use;
• Building skills to identify the difference between true and misleading information;
• Being inclusive to all by way of respect, empathy, compassion, kindness, and equality in digital spaces;
• Using tech in a way that builds and enhances family, community, and relational connections;
• Operating with caution and privacy in mind to stay alert in order to keep ourselves and our information safe.

Just as with voting, it's up to us. We need to use our voice as educators, as parents, as citizens to speak up to create the world we want for ourselves and our children. Using our digital impact for good is a great place to start. So is reading this book!

*ASCD stands for Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and ISTE for International Society for Technology in Education.

Image from https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Good-Raising-Thrive-Online-ebook/dp/B08CGWJZR1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36BEXRZTWKTJA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sVoOtIHTD0AaXDP3n5DPr0xnZ-RQUA7v12PLJm93aynGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.c8k9IUzEyVM1ObefAnFKrH4YyDZngsUnR24hjA-KFnU&dib_tag=se&keywords=digital+for+good+richard+culatta&qid=1732293174&sprefix=digital+for+good%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-1, https://thesocialinstitute.com/blog/the-social-institute-launches-student-led-social-emotional-remote-program-to-address-challenges-facing-schools-and-students/, and 5 standards from the book created by me at canva.com using their Magic Media tools.

25 years

I recently celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary. Here's a condensed version of what I shared among friends regarding this milestone...

25: What a weird number when you start looking at it in the context of your life. Mainly--How are we "that" old? How have we been with ONE person "that" long? I mean, seriously, we don't feel that old! 

25: That's XXV in Roman Numerals, 5 squared, two & a half dozen, the sum of the first five consecutive odd natural numbers: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9, & a quarter of a century. (Back to that weird number thing.)

Looking back... 
...We have seen a hurricane reroute our wedding in 24-hour window, followed up by a flight-induced sinus infection which sidetracked our honeymoon. A layover, an ER trip, and steroids got us back on track to our desired honeymoon destination.

....We wrestled the roller coaster ride of having a premature baby 8 weeks early at 32 weeks versus the typical 40. During my 2-week hospital hangout prior to our wee one's arrival, I attended my brother's wedding by phone, long before Zoom days. Then 6 days later we welcomed a very tiny baby at a whopping 3 lb 1.3 oz. I came home first, then our wee one stayed in the NICU for 5 weeks, but grew solid, strong, and healthy, and we all never looked back.

....We welcomed Baby #2 into our family 3 years later, who always kept us on our toes when young. Now, that one is on the cusp of adulthood, tackling college, serious-minded, working hard, and pointed toward their own goals.

In these 25 years, we...

• have lived in 2 different states with at least 6 addresses to call home;
• have had 6-7 jobs between us, owned a handful of cars, & had 3 crazy canines;
• survived surgeries and replacement parts and are both officially "new and improved;"
• made lifelong friendships, lost loved ones, and grown stronger together in so many ways;
• endured all the parts of parenting: taking family vacations, watching countless soccer/sport games/kid concerts/more, tackling intensive homework projects, teaching kids to drive, getting wisdom teeth out, watching our kids walk high school graduation stages, and the list goes on.

9,131 days is a lot of days!

In thinking about 25 years of "my" days, I mentally shifted to what else has changed in these 25 years of days. Newsworthy events which will make the history books. We've seen...

• 
  The Y2K roll over to 2000 and all lived to tell the tale.

• The election of the first African-American President in 2008: Barack Obama.

• The legalization of same sex marriage in 2015.

• The NASA confirmation of water on Mars in 2015.

• The #MeToo movement of 2017 and the #BlackLivesMatter movement of 2020 to strengthen both women's rights when it comes to sexual harassment and abuse and greater equality and justice for Black Americans.

• The rise of technology in so many ways--from the development of the first iPhone in 2007 by Steve Jobs which catapulted tech innovation to include the pros and cons of such things as social media, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence to new levels.

• The COVD-19 Pandemic, a year of shutdown (including 2020 Zoom-style graduations & weddings & at home, online learning, though luckily with the swift move of science and modern medicine we were able to create vaccines and come out from behind our medical masks.

• The shifts in the British Royal Family with the death of Queen Mother in 2002 at age 101, the marriage of Prince William & Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Henry & Meghan Markle 2018,  the lengthy 70 reign of Queen Elizabeth II with her death 2022 which led to the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

And environmentally, we've seen many major environmental strides these past 25 years with...

• The Paris Climate Agreement was adopted in 2015 where only nearly every country in the world (minus Syria & Nicaragua) united to fight climate change. Likewise that same year, the UN Sustainable Development Goals were created.

• A rise in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power as well as electric vehicles.

• Conservation strides such as growth in Marine Protected areas, the Trillion Tree Initiative to aid in reforestation, and endangered species recovery, downgrading their status from endangered to vulnerable for the giant panda and the American eagle, among others. 

• Shifts and advances in sustainable agriculture which have helped biodiversity and grown organic farming.

• Efforts to ban single use plastics and create more biodegradable materials while also increasing efforts on a company level for circular economy practices.

• Forward movement with green technology such as carbon capture and greater energy-efficient home appliances. 

• Steps toward greater environmental justice and awareness with movements working toward Indigenous land rights and louder voices from youth activists such as Greta Thunberg.

All of this goes to show us that even though sometimes while we feel like "the more things change, the more they stay the same," we actually CAN see and feel the forward movement. 

This level of awareness makes 25 years definitely worth celebrating!

Images created at Canva.com

Election Connection

T-40-some-odd days from now, here in the US, we have an election ahead. As has been the case over the last decade or so, politics, partisanship, & noise go hand in hand. As with anything these days, social media is a little something that has only made the noise, opinions, & emotions stronger (if not worse). 

But, civics and civil discourse and the importance of voting are all elements that should be taught. If you are looking for some ways to have these conversations in class in a non-candidate, non partisan way, here are some resources that may come in handy for you. No doubt, there is something here for everyone.

Pre-Created Units/Collections Online:

Scholastic.com’s Election 2024

• Topics include:
• How America Votes
• The Road to the White House
• What is the Electoral College
• Race to 270: Interactive game
• This Year’s Other Big Races (beyond presidency)
• Online Quiz: Election Words to Know
• Newsie’s Challenge Videos: Earn dog Newsie a treat with these game show style videos on:
• What It Takes to Be President
• The Job of the US President

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government

• This online resource has several topics concerning the U.S. Government, including the elections process. Age bands: 4-8, 9-13, 14_
• For all ages, the topics vary in depth, but largely include: 
• Federally Recognized Tribes of US
• Federal versus State Government
• Branches of Government
• How Laws are Made: The Language of the Law
• Election Process: The History and Process of Voting 
• General, not specific to candidates/campaigns or political parties
• Symbols, Songs, & Structure (Buildings & Monuments) of US Government
• Historical Documents that shaped the US
• The Declaration of Independence: 1776
• The Articles of Confederation: 1777 - 1789
• The U.S. Constitution: 1789
• The Bill of Rights: 1789 - 91
• The Emancipation Proclamation: 1863
• The Gettysburg Address: 1863

iCivics Election Headquarters

• This link includes a variety of lessons, online thematic games, videos all about the election process
• Activities Grade leveled: K-5, 6-8, 9-12 – most are grade 6 and up–with exception of videos

PBS Election Central

• Collection of grade level lessons: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
• Broken into following topics:
• Civics & Democracy
• Election Basics
• How Voting Works
• Voting Rights
• News & Current Issues
• Media & Elections
• Civic Participation

• Also affiliated with PBS:
• Your Vote Counts: Understanding the Voting Process–downloadable/printable packet for grades 4-6 to go with this 12 minute video
• Graphic on last page of packet is a good infographic on “How to Become the President”
• Also can be found here as a one page document

BrainPop (This is a subscription site.)

• Topics included:
• Presidential Election
• Primaries and Caucuses
• Political Beliefs
• Democracy
• Political Parties
• Women's Suffrage
• Voting Rights
• Presidential Powers
• Branches of Government
• Voting
• Political Party Origins
• Barack Obama
• Parliamentary System

Individual Websites/Activities:

Electoral College: 

• TED-ED video: “Does Your Vote Count? The Electoral College Explained” (2012)
• PBS’s Electoral Decoder – Interactive timeline to see past presidential elections by electoral college votes and you can do different scenarios by clicking on states to get to the necessary 270 votes
• 270 to Win website: Interactive map
• Ducksters’ Electoral College page
• Kids Discover Free Download

Infographic for 3 Branches of Government from Kid.Gov

We Are Teachers: 26 Books about Elections for Future Voters

Image from https://www.rawpixel.com/image/6266241/png-vintage-public-domain

International Democracy Day & Better World Info Database

During an election year, especially here in the US with the last decade being a politically polar mindset, "Democracy" (with the capital D) has been in the news a lot! No doubt, as the next few months go on, the political noise will only continue to rise during this very unique election year.

Might be a good time to celebrate September 15th International Day of Democracy. The idea started in 1997 with its conception as the Inter-Parliamentary Union adopting a Universal Declaration on Democracy. Six international conferences on new and restored democracies were held from 1998 to 2006, with the first being in the Philippines and the 6th in Qatar. From there, in 2007 the United Nations General Assembly resolved what we now honor on September 15th: the International Day of Democracy. The purpose is to honor, uphold, and promote democracy while also raising awareness that democracy can come in many forms, but it is based on the values universal to all: free-expression of people's ideas and all aspects of life. Democracy happens at the voting box and is the basis of peace, humanity, equality, and a country's constitution of protective rights. Additionally, it involves civility--and hopefully open dialogue.

You can learn more at the UN's page on International Democracy Day.

You also can land on 3 dozen links about International Democracy Day on Better World Info's Database. Additionally, their Democracy page has a wealth of information and resources (over 1700) for teachers, students, & citizens alike on a variety of topics. These include social justice, fundamental human rights, & sustainability in global relations, peace, the economy, & more. Likewise, it includes some of the many challenges to democracy--including political apathy and fake news. There are also excellent resources on civic education & information about checking your bias when it comes to your political leaning, & how to approach that in a more neutral way.

Being new to Better World Info's Database, I did some digging around to learn more about this website. The Better World Info FAQ page had a lot of information! With their tagline of "A unique resource & powerful tool for people who want to make this world a better place," their mission is to provide neutral, unbiased, quality & carefully-curated links while not being paid by contributors. This keeps the links non-partial, non-partisan, not prejudicial, and not religiously affiliated. Along those lines, they are purposely free from advertisers and data mining. They want to be sources to be fact based, providing a "one-stop-shop" experience. Created by a German physician with a multitude of international volunteers and teammates, the authors have listed the most important and current lists top of the list per subject. Their mission is to help people think critically by way of providing fact-based, reliable information. All of this is not always a Google search, a social medial post, or a Wikipedia page away. The website is named to center around their vision of a "better world!" Their plan is to unite through information, not polarize into a filtered silo based on algorithms. 

Additionally, I like this quote in their final FAQ:

"By supporting Better World Info you are supporting truth, honesty, freedom, liberty, kindness, compassion, tolerance, and positivity."

image of Day of Democracy from https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/why-is-september-15-observed-as-international-day-of-democracy-history-and-significance-5952997.html, Rigoberta Menchu Tum from https://www.facebook.com/venicepeaceproject/posts/pfbid036KNveq2JY7FjzPZbshA33iY5HyjJPShM6DXfTpGu9yYHEz5qDkZn4EhzdZeXLs6dl, George Washington quote from https://steemit.com/quote/@kephawalks/quote-of-the-day-president-george-washington-if-freedom-of-speech, Better World Info screenshot from https://www.betterworld.info/

Old Maps Online

I'm always a fan of a great edtech tool--especially at the start of the school year, and especially when it is a tool you can use multiple times throughout the year. 

Richard Byrne, formerly of Free Technology for Teachers (he sold it to Teachermade when he traded his teacher hat for that of law student last fall) created this video on A Cool Historical Maps and Timeline Combination. In it, he describes how Old Maps Online works. 

This website could be the perfect pairing for tons of social studies and history units ahead this year! One of my favorite parts is the ability to zoom in and out, anywhere in the world over a multitude of times in history! Great way to find the pairing of space and place.

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zyDrFeTijM, image from https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/project

Canva Design School: Teacher Essentials

A new school year is a-coming, fast and furious! Ready or not, here it comes!

Given that factor, it's always good to start the year fresh--fresh in your classroom design and fresh with new skills.

Canva, one of my go-to favorites when it comes to digital design, has a brand new Canva Design School module called "Teacher Essentials." You can really up your game with your presentations, bulletin boards, forms and classroom printables with their 7 lesson design course, made just for teachers. Even better, Canva knows how busy teachers are, so you can work through the lessons and even build in some Canva practice and play time, and bump up your skills in less than an hour.

Check it out here:  Canva Design School: Teacher Essentials.

Also, if you are a teacher and haven't joined Canva for Education, make time to check out my post on that. It opens up a wealth of additional tools in Canva for you--always free for teachers.

And as you are trekking down the rabbit hole of amazing things over at Canva for teachers, be sure to check out this amazing collection of Graphic Organizers for classroom use, designed by Canva creators and curated by the San Antonio Independent School District. Tons of amazing graphic organizers on all of the following, pictured here.

Screenshot from https://www.canva.com/designschool/courses/teacher-essentials/?lesson=boost-creativity-magic-studio and https://www.canva.com/design/DAFMyLVL8e0/VFXNoPFq27ppbHjVlnRYtg/view?website#4:menu

Maker Mindset for Collisionable Inspiration

I was at a class last week upping my game on my 3D printing skills as well as learning some other tech innovations we have available on our Upper School campus with laser cutters and CNC machines. Given I spent most of my career in education in the elementary homeroom classroom, I continually am up-leveling my skills now that I teach K-5 Technology.

In the class, we watched this 2018 TED Talk "A Makerspace for Everyone" by Robin Hooker about the maker mindset. Innovation and embracing the design process in a maker space environment makes the world "collisionable"--where people come together with their ideas, culture, tools, and technology, forming a community. It is here where these ideas "collide" and where sparks come alive and innovation happens.

I've long said, it is innovation and technology that will fuse to form the solutions to today's problems! Makerspaces can be places where this happens!

Video from https://youtu.be/9lSZgCaMS20?si=3NnJQ05BEwYIeCIQ, image from https://spencerauthor.com/classroom-makerspace/maker-mindset-001-2/