CLS Teacher Support

Tips and Tools for Cleaning Your Keyboard One item in my home that I touch every day, without fail, is my keyboard. Whether for work or leisure, I’m constantly typing away on my laptop or desktop. That means I’m transferring whatever is on my hands to the top of the keys as crumbs and dust accumulate underneath.  You know to keep your bathroom and kitchen tidy, but it’s also necessary to be extra-attentive to cleaning and disinfecting a keyboard.  Note:  The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

  Music can reduce pain. Legendary reggae musician Bob Marley  once said , “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Turns out, science backs him up. According to a 2023 study by scientists at McGill University in Montreal, listening to your favorite music reduces pain by  one point on a 10-point scale . Scientists  asked a series of questions  after 63 participants experienced pain while listening to either their favorite songs, relaxing songs picked for them, scrambled music, or silence. Once each seven-minute round was over, subjects rated the music’s pleasantness and  how many “chills”  — that goosebump feeling you get when listening to moving music — they experienced. Listening to preferred music, especially  moving  music, far outranked other scenarios, and participants ranked the pain as less intense and less unpleasant.  Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more...

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s three-time Emmy®-nominated and award-winning children’s literacy website, Storyline Online®, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Connie Britton, Terry Crews, Viola Davis, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Garner, John Lithgow, Chris Pine, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey and dozens more. Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading. Teachers use Storyline Online in their classrooms, and doctors and nurses play Storyline Online in children’s hospitals. Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day for children, parents, caregivers and educators worldwide. Each book includes supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-la...

  The Kid Should See This There’s just so much science, nature, music, art, technology, storytelling and assorted good stuff out there that my kids (and maybe your kids) haven’t seen. It’s most likely not stuff that was made for them… The Kid Should See This is a Webby Award-winning collection of 7,000+ kid-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. And thanks to  our members , it’s free and available for everyone. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more. But we don’t underestimate kids around here

  About Education World   Carefully curated  news  briefs on topics that matter to educators; Lesson plans ,  printables ,  worksheets  and thousands of other  classroom-ready resources ; EdTech tips  and ideas as well as  reviews  of apps, websites and tech products; and A huge library of  professional development  articles and columns. Education World is a complete online resource that teachers, administrators and school staff can visit each day to find high-quality and in-depth original content. We update the site daily, offering: The  Education World team , including a network of skilled content providers, have maintained this free resource for educators since 1996. In order to keep the site free, Education World is funded by corporate sponsors and advertisers. The site is also part of  The Educator's Network , which simplifies educator-targeted media buying and offers efficient, optimized campaigns acro...

  Original photo by Sharomka/ Shutterstock Children grow faster in the spring. If you think the son/niece/grandchild in your life is sprouting before your eyes now that the winter clothing has been shed, you're probably not imagining things. Researchers have long studied the connection between seasonal changes and youth growth patterns, with substantial evidence pointing to higher rates of growth among children in the Northern Hemisphere during the spring and summer months. While we might question results drawn from, say, a  1930 publication , newer research has validated these older findings: A  2015 study  of 760 Danish students aged 8 to 11 revealed the most growth recorded around April and May, while a  2022 paper , which tracked the development of thousands of Texas kids from kindergarten to fifth grade, confirmed strong growth rates in spring and early summer. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

   Are Social Media Settings Intentionally Confusing? Here’s the Truth Ah, social media—the place to check in on old friends without the awkward small talk. But have you ever tried changing a privacy setting? It’s like trying to navigate a labyrinth of menus and submenus. What if I told you that this is intentional? Everything Has a Footprint Privacy is both a necessity and a mystery the moment you start sharing your life online. Most of us are glued to our phones, whether we’re posting or just browsing. Almost everything we do—whether it’s posting vacation photos or something as mundane as liking a post—leaves behind a  digital footprint . That footprint can be collected, analyzed, and used in ways most of us don’t even realize. If you're serious about your online privacy, you can even  delete your digital footprint . Social Media Design Makes Navigating Privacy Hard In today’s world, we have the ability to connect with pretty much anyone across the globe and in an ...

  For science, math, engineering, and technology, teachers can't go wrong with the University of Colorado, Boulder's  PhET , which creates very accessible free interactive math and science simulations. These simulations are based on extensive research, and they engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment so they can have fun learning through exploration and discovery. Another very comprehensive site, PhET lessons are very engaging and easy to integrate into your classroom activities. Note:  The above comes directly from the WGU website.  Click here to read more.

  Kids' Zone:  "Create a Graph" Graphs and charts are great because they communicate information visually. For this reason, graphs are often used in newspapers, magazines and businesses around the world. NCES constantly uses graphs and charts in our publications and on the web. Sometimes, complicated information is difficult to understand and needs an illustration. Graphs or charts can help impress people by getting your point across quickly and visually. Here you will find five different graphs and charts for you to consider. Not sure about which graph to use? Confused between bar graphs and pie charts?  Note:  The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

  Every Teacher Deserves an Assistant. Teachers are expected to wear many hats. More often than not, there’s not enough time in the day to wear them all. We’re here to help teachers get back their time and focus on what they do best: teaching! Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  Lesson Plans from Our Master Teachers The Master Teacher Project is committed to building a body of knowledge around authentic instructional practice. We recruit and select high-performing teachers across the country to share their rich, comprehensive lessons and effective strategies with teachers across the globe. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

AdLit is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. We are an education service of  WETA , the flagship public broadcasting station in our nation’s capital. Our Mission According to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s   2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress   known as NAEP (or “the Nation’s Report Card”), only   34 percent of 8th graders read and write at a proficient level   (that is, at a level deemed to be appropriate for their year in school). And for low-income students, students of color, and students with disabilities, the statistics are even more alarming:  just 20% of low-income students (eligible for the National School Lunch Program), 15% of Black students, 22% of Hispanic students, and 9% of students with disabilities were found to be proficient in reading. Hundreds of school districts have introduced new programs design...

  CrashCourse Bring Fun and Instructive Videos to Your Curriculum CrashCourse is a YouTube channel created by John Green -- renowned author of The Fault in Our Stars -- and his brother Hank. It’s a fun way for older students to learn important topics ranging from history to psychology, and a great resource for teachers to use as a cursory piece in their assignments. Videos are generally 10-15 minutes long, and are organized on the YouTube page by subject. The individuals teaching in the videos use humor and animation to reach students, and each video is as informative as it is funny. Note: The above comes directly from the MindSpark website. Click here to read more.

  WHY: We believe that thoughtful local reporting and the interdisciplinary work of video production are powerful ways for young people to learn, civically engage, and find their power.  Including the youth perspective in news coverage (behind and in front of the camera) is critical. We work to amplify student voices so that their perspectives are represented and respected. The journalism and broader media landscape needs more young, diverse journalists; we prepare young people to enter the professional world with confidence and agency. (And we know it’s important—c heck out  this research  from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center) HOW: Student Reporting Labs offers young people the tools and training to report stories, lead conversations about the issues that affect their future, and recognize their power as journalists and as members of their local communities. Student Reporting Labs is a learning community for both educators and students — get connected by registering wit...

  Rethinking the Use of Technology for Our Children Technology is all around us. Children are taught at a young age to use devices for entertainment, education, boredom, and regulation. Opinions are divided on whether the use of iPads or cell phones is an acceptable form of reward or break-time for all children, especially the ones with developmental delays. Hand held devices, such as iPads and cell phones, make it especially challenging to regulate usage. In order to understand the issue these devices create, one must look at the effects they can have a child’s brain. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

Tried and tested in real classrooms Over 3,000 students in over 100 classrooms tested LEGO® Education Science – the most well-researched and tested learning solution in the history of LEGO® Education. Our tests showed high student collaboration and engagement, while teachers reported that students successfully met science learning objectives. We are thrilled to offer a supplemental science solution that is backed by real-world tests and feedback – one that is fit-for-purpose, engaging, and intentionally designed with the needs of both students and educators in mind. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to learn more.

  Engaging Activities Looking for engaging, real-world learning activities? Our Activity Library features over 150 hands-on, ready-to-use lessons that spark curiosity and make learning exciting for your students.  Start with  Bell Ringer Activities  like:    Creativity Minute :  Spark innovation by challenging students to brainstorm creative solutions to fun prompts in one minute.    7 Engaging Energizers :  Boost energy and focus with quick, interactive, movement-based activities.    Also, explore our  AI Activity Creator  to design experiential activities that align with your learning outcomes. Each activity follows the signature Empowered lesson format, just like those in our library. Get started right away - and save time with lesson planning! Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  What an Elementary Age Boys Need Most from Their Parents As most of you know, I love my teen boys, and the glimpses of manhood mixed with occasional remnants of boyhood that I see in them.  The teens years are what I call my reward for all of the hard work that came in the younger years. So, what about those younger years?  Many people have commented and emailed asking  “What are some things you suggest we do BEFORE they are teens?” A good question indeed. Because really, if you haven’t built a relationship of love and respect with your son when he is young, everything will be much harder when they hit their teenage years. So, let’s dive in to the earlier years… One stage at a time. Today we look at the Elementary years. *** For the sake of non-US citizens and us home school families who never know what grade we are in:    “elementary years”  refer to the ages of  approximately 5 to 11 years old. :)*** The Elementary yea...