# student engagement (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 7 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover student engagement. Page: Feed: --- ## [Build the comment bank now, or type the same note forty times in October](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/build-the-comment-bank-now-or-type) _2026-08-20 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ Build a feedback bank before it's too late ## [🎥 New Video Coming Soon: Watch me build a game from scratch!](https://www.7generationgames.com/%f0%9f%8e%a5-new-video-coming-soon-watch-me-build-a-game-from-scratch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=%25f0%259f%258e%25a5-new-video-coming-soon-watch-me-build-a-game-from-scratch) _2026-08-19 · Julia De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ See How a Complete Educational Game is Built in Minutes! If you’ve been curious about how our 7 Gen Blocks game builder works and how a concept in your head becomes a fully functional, playable video game- you’re just in time! This Friday, we are releasing a brand-new, asynchronous pre-recorded webinar where I walk you \[…\] ## [Hire the One Staff Member Who Works While You Are Asleep (part 5 of 6)](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/hire-the-one-staff-member-who-works) _2026-08-17 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ Claude Code runs multi-step teaching workflows end to end without you babysitting prompts ## [SECRETS IN THE SPINE, Conservation of a Bantry Rental Ledger](https://theriverside.ucc.ie/secrets-in-the-spine-conservation-of-a-bantry-rental-ledger/) _2026-08-16 · Louise O'Connor · The River-side_ Luca de Cilladi, Conservation Intern (2025-26), UCC Library When I first encountered Ledger 440, I thought what a plain repetitive book of names and numbers. But this seemingly plain volume had a significant problem. The ledger barely opened, limiting access for readers and placing... The post SECRETS IN THE SPINE, Conservation of a Bantry Rental Ledger first appeared on The River-side . ## [Stop trying to prove they used AI](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/stop-trying-to-prove-they-used-ai) _2026-08-12 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ You will lose that argument every time. Build the conversation that does not need proof, in August, while you are still calm. ## [Your TA Company Is Trapped in a Browser Tab. Time to Let Them Out (part 4 of 6)](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/your-ta-company-is-trapped-in-a-browser) _2026-08-11 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ Cowork moves Claude onto your computer so it can grade your actual files, not copies of them ## [The Next Compact](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/the-next-compact) _2026-08-10 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ America rewrites its deal with college roughly once a generation. The last rewrite was fifty years ago. Everyone is now fighting over the corpse of the old one — and nobody is drafting the new one. ## [The Divide Was Already There](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/the-divide-was-already-there) _2026-08-09 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ AI didn’t fracture the campus. It found the fractures. Whether it widens them or heals them is the most consequential choice higher education will make this decade. ## [Students Never Left](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/students-never-left) _2026-08-08 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ The question isn’t how to reconnect students with learning. It’s how to stop standing between them. ## [Can Colleges Rebuild Trust?](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/can-colleges-rebuild-trust) _2026-08-07 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ Yes. But not the trust they lost, and not the way they’re trying. ## [Sync bookmarks across every browser (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/J9CgIZ2piJ00) _2026-08-07 · **Sponsored**_ Two-way sync across Chrome, Firefox and Safari; built-in ad and tracker blocker. ## [Your Department Head Is Good. Your Specialists Are Why They Look Brilliant (part 3 of 6)](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/your-department-head-is-good-your) _2026-08-03 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ Build reusable Skills so the same job gets done the same way every time ## [Learning needs friction](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/learning-needs-friction) _2026-08-01 · Doan Winkel · How to Teach With AI_ Custom-built conversational simulations for students to practice any skill ## [Burning the Lifeboat for Warmth](https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/p/burning-the-lifeboat-for-warmth) _2026-07-30 · How to Teach With AI_ Why the colleges best positioned to survive the AI era are the ones cutting the exact thing that would save them. ## [I do my marketing thinking out loud](https://www.7generationgames.com/i-do-my-marketing-thinking-out-loud/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=i-do-my-marketing-thinking-out-loud) _2026-07-18 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ Crowd-sourcing my marketing plan I call it crowd-sourcing. Maria calls it asking random people on the internet. I’m going to run down my such-as-it-is marketing plan. Feel free to comment. Please do not contact me about your services as a marketing specialist at $800 an hour. ## [But…When Do I Actually Teach? Addressing One of The Most Common Questions About Mastery Learning](https://teachbetter.com/blog/when-do-i-actually-teach-in-mastery-learning/) _2026-07-13 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary One of the biggest misconceptions about The Grid Method is that teachers stop teaching whole-group lessons. This post explains how whole-group instruction fits into mastery learning, why self-paced learning does not mean self-taught learning, and what teachers actually do during Grid time. You’ll see how The Grid Method creates more opportunities for targeted instruction while… ## [My Selfie with Paulo Freire; or, Honest Work](https://www.seanmichaelmorris.com/my-selfie-with-paulo-freire-or-honest-work/) _2026-06-11 · Sean Michael Morris · Sean Michael Morris_ Education spins on the axis of reputation which spins on the axis of influence...so much so that the desire to simply help people learn can get very, very lost in the mix. ## [Google AI Educator Series: Free AI Lessons for Teachers](https://www.litandtech.com/2026/06/google-ai-educator-series-free-ai.html) _2026-06-09 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ At this time last week I was at Google, enjoying a lovely meal on the patio of Charlie's cafe with educator colleagues from all over the country. We were there for a two day convening to learn more about the Google AI Educator Series , or GES as they call it. Full disclosure, Google paid for my travel to the event. Which is remarkable in that for the 15+ years I've been involved in Google events,… ## [Boosting Student Engagement: Put Yourself in the Game!](https://www.7generationgames.com/boosting-student-engagement-put-yourself-in-the-game/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=boosting-student-engagement-put-yourself-in-the-game) _2026-06-04 · Julia De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ Level up your teaching using our game builder and AI tools to clone your classroom, your students’ favorite teacher (hopefully yourself!), and anything else you think will drive student engagement. Personalizing your games makes your students feel like the experience was built just for them. It’s also a great way to inject some fun into the lesson- especially if you include inside jokes, like that… ## [How learning can still happen on the crazy days](https://www.7generationgames.com/how-learning-can-still-happen-on-the-crazy-days/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-learning-can-still-happen-on-the-crazy-days) _2026-06-03 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ No matter how great of a teacher you are, whether you teach third-grade or the third quarter of Calculus, you are going to have days when you think it's going to require a miracle for any learning to take place. Here is an idea that worked for me. ## [Speaking for a State: The Speeches of Jack Lynch](https://theriverside.ucc.ie/speaking-for-a-state-the-speeches-of-jack-lynch/) _2026-05-15 · John Rooney · The River-side_ Featured image: Jack Lynch at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cork City, 1965. Photograph by Liam Kennedy. © University College Cork. Few figures in... The post Speaking for a State: The Speeches of Jack Lynch first appeared on The River-side . ## [Code Faster with Clear Tutorials (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/KlRHKLby4Ozt) _2026-05-15 · **Sponsored**_ Short, step-by-step coding videos you can follow along ## [The Biggest Misunderstanding About Mastery Learning](https://teachbetter.com/blog/the-biggest-misunderstanding-about-mastery-learning/) _2026-04-14 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Mastery learning isn’t about endless retakes. It’s about clarity. This post breaks down the biggest misconception about mastery learning and explains what it actually requires to work. By focusing on clear expectations, visible learning progression, and aligned systems, teachers can move beyond confusion and create classrooms where students take ownership and learning becomes the… ## [Powwow Stands: Finally a game for younger students](https://www.7generationgames.com/powwow-stands-finally-a-game-for-younger-students/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=powwow-stands-finally-a-game-for-younger-students) _2026-04-14 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ Absolutely by far the number one request we get at 7 Generation Games is for games for lower levels of mathematics, "Couldn't you do something with addition or subtraction?" So, I made Powwow Stands ## [Creating a Fear-Free Classroom: 3 Strategies to Empower Your Students](https://teachbetter.com/blog/creating-a-fear-free-classroom-3-strategies-to-empower-your-students/) _2026-03-19 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Fear is one of the biggest barriers to student learning. This post explores how fear of failure, judgment, and inadequacy shows up in classrooms and offers three practical strategies teachers can use to create a fear-free learning environment. By using self-paced learning, multiple opportunities for mastery, and increased student ownership, educators can empower students to engage… ## [Not Everything Needs to Be Aligned. But These Things Do.](https://teachbetter.com/blog/not-everything-needs-to-be-aligned-but-these-things-do/) _2026-03-17 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional alignment doesn’t mean every classroom has to look the same. This post explains the difference between alignment and uniformity and outlines the key elements schools should align, such as mastery definitions, learning progression, feedback language, and instructional structures, while still protecting teacher autonomy and creativity. Alignment often causes anxiety… ## [Sustained Silent Reading (SSR): A Clear, Research-Driven Guide for Teachers](https://teachbetter.com/blog/sustained-silent-reading-ssr-a-clear-research-driven-guide-for-teachers/) _2026-03-13 · Suzanne Rogers · Teach Better_ Article Summary Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) remains a powerful literacy practice when implemented intentionally.This research-driven guide explains what SSR is, why it works, and how teachers can structure it effectively through student choice, consistent routines, teacher modeling, and balanced instruction. When supported by strong literacy practices, SSR builds vocabulary, fluency,… ## [What Instructional Alignment Requires From Teachers and School Leaders](https://teachbetter.com/blog/what-instructional-alignment-requires-from-teachers-and-school-leaders/) _2026-03-03 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional alignment isn’t a leadership rollout or a teacher-only responsibility. It’s shared work. This post explores what instructional alignment actually requires from both teachers and school leaders. It outlines the distinct but connected roles each group plays, why alignment breaks down, and how co-designed systems create clarity without sacrificing autonomy. Instructional… ## [A no-code educational game builder using YOUR intelligence: Why it took so long](https://www.7generationgames.com/a-no-code-educational-game-builder-using-your-intelligence-why-it-took-so-long/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-no-code-educational-game-builder-using-your-intelligence-why-it-took-so-long) _2026-02-28 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ TL; DR; To survive long-term, your company needs to make a profit. The work you are doing that pays money today is not developing a new product you aren't selling yet. So, there is a trade-off and innovation takes longer but your company is more likely to survive. I have a lot more to say but I need to get back to development. If you want to meet me in person, check out the bottom of this post. ## [Guiding Teachers Toward Effective Research-Based Practices: Why District Support Matters More Than Ever](https://teachbetter.com/blog/guiding-teachers-toward-effective-research-based-practices-why-district-support-matters-more-than-ever/) _2026-02-27 · Suzanne Rogers · Teach Better_ Article Summary Research-based practices don’t implement themselves—district systems make or break them.This post explores why guiding teachers toward effective research-based practices requires more than access to research. It examines the research-to-practice gap, the systemic barriers teachers face, and the district-level structures—like coaching, PLCs, aligned standards, and embedded… ## [What Instructional Coherence Actually Looks Like in the Classroom](https://teachbetter.com/blog/what-instructional-coherence-actually-looks-like-in-the-classroom/) _2026-02-24 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional coherence isn’t about control. It’s about clarity teachers shouldn’t have to invent on their own.This post explains what instructional coherence actually looks like from a teacher’s perspective, why misalignment leads to exhaustion, and how shared frameworks and leadership design reduce decision fatigue and make teaching feel lighter instead of heavier. Teachers feel… ## [The Thing Most People Get Wrong About The Grid Method](https://teachbetter.com/blog/the-thing-most-people-get-wrong-about-the-grid-method/) _2026-02-20 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read The Grid Method is often misunderstood as a curriculum when it’s actually a mastery-based framework.This post explains what The Grid Method is and what it is not, why it was created, and how it helps teachers organize existing curriculum to support mastery learning, differentiation, and student ownership without adding more work or burning out. The ... Read More The… ## [Refer a Friend, Earn Rewards (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/o10lMAbQnD0v) _2026-02-20 · **Sponsored**_ Earn rewards when a friend signs up for the Graphite Business Card ## [Problem-solving strategies have to be taught](https://www.7generationgames.com/problem-solving-strategies-have-to-be-taught/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=problem-solving-strategies-have-to-be-taught) _2026-02-19 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ Problem-solving strategies give students a mechanism for identifying elements of a problem, determining a course of action, and checking the answer. However, sometimes students don’t have a wide enough array of strategies and we can't assume they'll discover these on their own. Fortunately, we have videos, games and lessons to help you teach a variety of strategies. ## [What Students Experience When Instruction Lacks Coherence](https://teachbetter.com/blog/what-students-experience-when-instruction-lacks-coherence/) _2026-02-17 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional misalignment is most deeply felt by students, not adults. This post explores what school feels like to students when instruction lacks coherence across classrooms. It explains why inconsistent expectations create cognitive overload, how fragmentation gets mistaken for personalization, and why leadership-driven instructional frameworks are essential for creating… ## [UCC Special Collections and Archives: Using special collections and databases to illuminate postwar healthcare treatment](https://theriverside.ucc.ie/https-theriverside-ucc-ie-2026-01-26-ucc-special-collections-and-archives-using-special-collections-and-databases-to-illuminate-postwar-healthcare-treatment/) _2026-01-26 · Barbara Diener · The River-side_ Written by Dr Aisling Shalvey, Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow Short bio about the author Aisling Shalvey is a MSCA fellow in UCC, working on her project... The post UCC Special Collections and Archives: Using special collections and databases to illuminate postwar healthcare treatment first appeared on The River-side . ## [How AI makes me a 1.15x developer](https://www.7generationgames.com/how-ai-makes-me-a-1-5x-developer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-ai-makes-me-a-1-5x-developer) _2026-01-02 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ I stick by what I said in my last post that I am skeptical of claims that AI is making hordes of people 5x developers. If that is the case, you probably sucked in the first place. Actually, that might be exactly it, because as I think of the areas that AI has helped me immensely, these are mostly in which I am not very good or knowledgable. ## [Yet another post on the emperor’s new AI](https://www.7generationgames.com/yet-another-post-on-the-emperors-new-ai/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yet-another-post-on-the-emperors-new-ai) _2025-12-29 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ We're expected to believe AI is making us 5x as productive even while it persist in giving wrong answers. ## [How in the world did you get on our newsletter list?](https://www.7generationgames.com/how-in-the-world-did-you-get-on-our-newsletter-list/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-in-the-world-did-you-get-on-our-newsletter-list) _2025-12-23 · AnnMaria De Mars · 7 Generation Games_ We have a newsletter on the behind the scenes of running a start-up - and no one knows how to sign up for the list - until now. ## [Inside Special Collections: Working with Photographs and Older Printed Books](https://theriverside.ucc.ie/inside-special-collection-working-with-photographs-and-older-printed-books/) _2025-12-08 · John Rooney · The River-side_ The River-side welcomes a guest post by Coraline Brun on her work placement in Special Collections & Archives during the past year. Coraline is a... The post Inside Special Collections: Working with Photographs and Older Printed Books first appeared on The River-side . ## [Using Brisk Boost for Reading: Formative Assessment That Actually Helps Students Learn](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/11/using-brisk-boost-for-reading-formative.html) _2025-11-15 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ If there ever was a post that belonged perfectly on this blog, it is this one about Brisk Boost for Reading. You may know the Chrome Extension Brisk as a great way to give feedback, create materials, or inspect a text to authenticate it. (It also works with Microsoft Edge now too.) If you don't have the Brisk extension I highly recommend it for all those reasons. This post though, is about Brisk… ## [I Let AI Redesign My Canvas Pages (And You Should Too)](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/09/canvas-ai-html-makeover.html) _2025-09-20 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ My latest favorite way of using AI in my classroom is to vastly improve the look of my Canvas course pages and assignments. Update: I've built a custom tool in Magic School called HTML Improver . You can make a copy of it for yourself and use it to quickly improve the HTML of any Canvas page. It's easier than working with Claude or ChatGPT. Once you make a copy of the tool, click generate. Then… ## [Reimagining Engagement: Highlights from our Library Games Week](https://theriverside.ucc.ie/reimagining-engagement-highlights-from-our-library-games-week/) _2025-08-05 · Aoife Coffey · The River-side_ Why? Games aren’t just for play, they can be powerful tools for learning and engagement. To further investigate and showcase the potential of these approaches,... The post Reimagining Engagement: Highlights from our Library Games Week first appeared on The River-side . ## [See who is in there with you](https://www.seanmichaelmorris.com/see-who-is-in-there-with-you/) _2025-07-28 · Sean Michael Morris · Sean Michael Morris_ I have always understood teaching as a utopian work. ## [Converting the text in an image to a Google Doc with a lot of help from AI](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/07/converting-text-in-image-to-google-doc.html) _2025-07-09 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ The photo, circa 2018? Years ago, in a different classroom, I had a glorious long whiteboard. It stretched for nearly the full length of one side wall of my classroom. One of my favorite things to use it for was listing sentence frames my 9th graders could use to help them craft body paragraphs of an essay. To take a picture of it I had to use the pano option on my phone, but I am so glad I took… ## [The Pedagogy We Practice](https://www.seanmichaelmorris.com/the-pedagogy-we-practice/) _2025-05-20 · Sean Michael Morris · Sean Michael Morris_ On May 20, 2025, I was invited to keynote the Spring Pedagogy Institute at Plymouth State University. The text of that keynote is below, followed by the slide presentation. It’s been awhile since I’ve presented a keynote. And even longer since I presented in person. And ## [Learn with Me: Upcoming Workshops & Conferences for Educators](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/04/learn-with-me-upcoming-workshops.html) _2025-04-02 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ Looking to expand your knowledge on writing instruction, AI in education, and innovative teaching strategies? Here are some fantastic upcoming opportunities to learn with me! Upcoming: Write to Joy: K-12 Writing Conference 2025 📅 October 11, 2025 (Previously scheduled for 6/14) 🕘 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM 📍 OCDE Kalmus Drive | Building D, Costa Mesa, CA 💰 $150 (Pre-Service Teachers: $50) 🔗 Register:… ## [Remember who you are](https://www.seanmichaelmorris.com/remember-who-you-are/) _2025-03-25 · Sean Michael Morris · Sean Michael Morris_ Agency is inevitable, and in the empty space of layoff, we can begin building again. ## [Grouping Students: Cast a Wider Net with Grouper.school for Better Classroom Collaboration](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/03/grouping-students-cast-wider-net-with.html) _2025-03-17 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ Creating effective student groups has always been a challenge. Ten+ years ago I created a spreadsheet to help me group my students based on my observational and academic data, so that I could quickly create both heterogeneous and homogeneous groups. I've learned a few things from over a decade of regularly using flexible student groups. Reel Results: First, students don't like this. Changing seats… ## [Alicia Boole (1860-1940): The Woman from Cork who ‘Saw the Fourth Dimension’](https://theriverside.ucc.ie/alicia-boole-1860-1940-the-woman-from-cork-who-saw-the-fourth-dimension/) _2025-03-14 · Barbara Diener · The River-side_ Written by Dr. Andrew Flynn, School of Mathematical Sciences There is no doubt that ‘Boole’ is in the air when walking through UCC’s main campus.... The post Alicia Boole (1860-1940): The Woman from Cork who ‘Saw the Fourth Dimension’ first appeared on The River-side . ## [Advice about AI to Pre-Service Teachers](https://www.litandtech.com/2024/12/advice-about-ai-to-pre-service-teachers.html) _2024-12-18 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ In October I had the privilege of speaking to a group of pre-service teachers in their first semester of credential preparation. I met their instructor while she was the university supervisor for my previous student teacher. She wanted me to tell her students about AI in education. We only had 90 minutes together, so after our class meeting she invited them to share additional questions. Some of… ## [Ungrading, AI, and Feedback as Scholarly Work](https://www.seanmichaelmorris.com/ungrading-ai-and-feedback-as-scholarly-work/) _2024-12-17 · Sean Michael Morris · Sean Michael Morris_ When we take the time to write feedback, we connect our own thinking to a student’s thinking, thereby opening up the possibility for new knowledge and insight to develop. ## [AI, Humans & the Future of Education: an Interview](https://www.seanmichaelmorris.com/ai-humans-and-the-future-of-education/) _2024-12-15 · Sean Michael Morris · Sean Michael Morris_ The most important opportunity AI presents: The opportunity to recognise that we made AI, it didn’t make us. It learned from us, not the other way around. It’s trying to imitate us, to be more like us, because what we’ve got going on is pretty remarkable.