One of the best ways to teach children to understand the feelings and thoughts of others is by using picture books in the classroom. 

The weekend is almost here! It's time to kick back and relax. But we think that the weekend is also the perfect time to get your professional growth on. We're not talking about parking yourself in front of a computer or sticking your nose in a scholarly journal. Instead, we're giving you a weekend playlist for professional growth. So plop down on the couch and turn on your TV, or tune in while you're in your car, or listen on your phone while you go for a walk—and get ready to grow professionally!

Check your Facebook News Feed. Are you missing anything?

Teaching students the skills and importance of asking good questions provides a solid foundation for learning. Learn which INFOhio tools you can use to help students learn to ask good questions. This is the second in a series of several posts about the inquiry process and the Dimensions of Inquiry.

Today's digital natives are primarily "tech comfy." Teens may need to show adults how to use SnapChat, but age and experience help adults know more about how to evaluate the content on this platform and other digital spaces.

In order to create critical thinkers who are able to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate digital content, educators must be intentional in preparing  students for 21st century learning. That includes reading content on the screen from a variety of sources—blogs, social media posts, databases, articles, and forums.

INFOhio is pleased to announce the release of the INFOhio Early Learning Portal. This resource is a collection of quality websites and apps for children ages three through five. While the resources were chosen and evaluated specifically for early learners, the INFOhio Early Learning Portal is designed for educators and parents to use with children.

As you watch the webinar, Inquiry in the Social Studies Classroom and Beyond: Leading the Next-Generation Digital Citizens to Multiple Perspectives and Reliable Resources, we thought you might want a refresher on inquiry—what it is and how several INFOhio tools have used the Dimensions of Inquiry as their foundation. This is the first in a series of several posts about the inquiry process and the Dimensions of Inquiry.

Are you a "Yeah, But..." Educator? Take this short quiz to find out.

1. Have you been in the field for five or more years?
2. Do you attend at least three meetings a week - TBT, BLT, OTES, IEP, EOC, OIP, DLT, AYP, ELL, RTI?
3. Have you read at least two required professional books in the past three years and found best practices you wanted to try, but never found the time?
4. Have you been so busy you can't remember the last time you went to the bathroom?

Did you hear a speaker within the last year who shared inspiring stories of greatness in the classroom? And did you return to your classroom, determined to try their tips, but saw the pile of papers to grade, IEPs to finish, discipline referrals to sign, or list of parents to call and felt overwhelmed?

If you answered "yes" to three or more of these questions, you are at risk of becoming a “Yeah, But…” Educator, or YBE. Admitting that you might be a YBE is the first step to recovery.

The weekend is almost here! It's time to kick back and relax. But we think that the weekend is also the perfect time to get your professional growth on. We're not talking about parking yourself in front of a computer or sticking your nose in a scholarly journal. Instead, we're giving you a weekend playlist for professional growth. So plop down on the couch and turn on your TV, or tune in while you're in your car, or listen on your phone while you go for a walk—and get ready to grow professionally!

As School Library Month comes to an end, it’s natural for library staff to ask: how can we increase awareness and keep the momentum going? INFOhio staff have had several meaningful interactions with library staff, INFOhio Providers, and administrators that have given us a few ideas on how school library staff can continue to demonstrate the value of their school library all year long. Whether your job title is Teacher Librarian, Library Paraprofessional, Library Aide, School Library Media Specialist, or Library Support Staff, make it your goal to demonstrate your school library’s value and finish the school year strong.

It's spring and many educators are beginning to wonder what they can do to further their efficacy, effort, and influence in the classroom for the next school year. They will think back about this year, and ask, "How can I engage my students more?" What approach might work better for teaching this concept?" "Should I consider restructuring my reading program?" That's right—the end of the school year often means it's time for some serious professional development. "Summer is the perfect time to recharge," according this to this article from Educational Leadership about ways that being a better student will lead to being a better teacher. Often districts will have prescribed summer PD, but that doesn't mean there aren't easy options for developing your own PD plan—one that will answer your personal questions and build a better educator based on your needs and expectations. INFOhio can help with that. We like to think of it as Summer Reading—Teacher Style. It's free and all you need is time, some mindfulness, and a device with an Internet connection. 

As we mentioned in a previous post, social-emotional learning is trending lately. That may be related to language in the Every Student Succeeds Act that makes provisions for schools to count social and emotional growth toward their improvement strategies. To see how  this topic is making the news, try a search on your favorite social media platform for one of these:

• #SocialEmotionalLearning
• #SEL
• #mindfulness

Make your data speak

Numbers in a vacuum are rarely impressive. Now that you’ve got some organized data, there are lots of free applications that let you get really jazzy with your numbers. What should you do? Use your data to tell your story.

• In the first quarter of the 2016-2017 school year, INFOhio Staff, ICoaches, and DBICoaches delivered 175 presentations to 4,701 students, educators, and administrators.
• In the first quarter of the 2016-2017 school year, the INFOhio main website had 1,143,692 page views.
• In the first quarter of the 2016-2017 school year, students in all 88 counties in Ohio logged into the INFOhio website.
• During the 2015-2016 school year, Ohio 4^th graders read 2,927,497 pages in Storia.

How does that grab you?​ It probably doesn’t.

Do you use Scholastic News in your classroom? What about Scholastic Scope or Scholastic Science? These subscriptions are a popular teaching tool in many schools. Full of informational text and critical thinking activities, Scholastic's classroom magazines offer teachers a wealth of resources that feature popular topics and engaging graphics. You can learn more about these resources, their grade levels, and content at Scholastic's Classroom Magazines site.