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Ever feel like you need a magic wand to turn your mountain of paper worksheets into sleek, interactive digital lessons? Well, grab your wizarding hat because Canva and TeacherMade can be your charmed duo! Let’s dive into how these tools can transform your teaching game! Canva and TeacherMade Offer Free Access; Canva Pro Costs Money But Not for Educators Canva and TeacherMade have free unlimited use versions for anyone to access. Like TeacherMade, the Canva Pro version costs money for an annual subscription. But since 2019, Canva has made its Pro version available to educators for free!! And as of the Summer of 2024, there are hundreds of thousands of ready-to-go educational resources in Canva, too. This makes it much more useful for busy educators. The Canva Pro version is a versatile graphic design platform that allows you to create visually appealing materials effortlessly. PDFs and paper activities can be plain and boring, but with Canva, you can transform them into beautiful, engaging content, giving your materials a much-needed facelift. Here’s why Canva is an excellent choice for educators: Ease of Use: Canva’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for anyone to create stunning designs and its new AI capabilities make

Retro Report Ignites Gen Z Civic Engagement with New Initiatives  Retro Report, the Emmy Award-winning nonprofit newsroom (free access), is stepping up to address a critical gap in civic education among today’s youth. With the 2024 election on the horizon and only 22 percent of students nationwide proficient in civics, Retro Report is launching a comprehensive strategy designed to foster engaged and informed young citizens. This multi-faceted approach includes a compelling docuseries, a nationwide student challenge, and a wealth of resources for educators. Buckle up, educators – civic engagement is about to get a serious upgrade. Shaping the Future: A Civic Call to Action  Imagine a classroom where students aren’t just memorizing dates and facts but actively engaging in discussions that shape their communities and futures. Retro Report is making this a reality with its three-pronged plan to jazz up civic education: the PBS documentary series “Citizen Nation,” the inaugural #CivicEngagementChallenge, and an extensive library of free resources for civics teachers. These efforts come at a time when empowering young voices is more crucial than ever. The 22% Proficiency Crisis: We Need to Talk  To understand the urgency, we need to unpack what civics proficiency entails. Civics education covers a

Announced on May 21, 2024, the press release titled “Khan Academy and Microsoft partner to expand access to AI tools that personalize teaching and help make learning fun” by Sally Beatty discusses a new collaboration between Khan Academy and Microsoft to enhance educational tools through AI. The two companies are providing free access to AI-powered teaching assistant Khanmigo for Teachers to all K-12 educators in the U.S., using Microsoft’s Azure AI-optimized infrastructure.   Brief Overview of Khan Academy and Microsoft Announcement The article highlights how Khanmigo aids teachers by suggesting creative ways to teach abstract concepts using everyday items. Teachers can utilize Khanmigo to generate custom lesson plans, create student groupings, and adjust text difficulty for various learners, potentially saving teachers five hours a week.   Additionally, Microsoft and Khan Academy are exploring the development of small language models (SLMs) like Phi-3, which are more cost-effective and scalable for tasks such as math tutoring. This initiative is part of a broader effort to make teaching more sustainable and to bring personalized learning to more students.   The partnership also involves integrating Khan Academy content into Microsoft’s Copilot and Teams for Education apps, further extending the reach of these educational resources.