♣️ Help your students ace their state tests
We’re just past the middle of April. Here in the United States, it means a few things …
The end-of-school “light at the end of the tunnel” is in sight.
It’s prom season.
The winter thaw is in full effect.
State tests (and end-of-course exams) are getting VERY close.
In today’s 💡 Big Idea, we’ll look at research-backed, brain science-informed strategies to help your students ace their big end-of-year exams. (Read the post here.)
Image: Samantha Woodard
PS: Related to prom … my wife is the prom sponsor at our school and I came along to chaperone. (My HS senior daughter was there, too!) Our yearbook sponsor caught this photo of me as we got things ready before prom started. She said: “You look like you were talking to the president or something.” 😂😂
👥 The new (free) DTT Community
It’s a place to connect with other educators, read what they’re doing, get new ideas, and get a little encouragement. We now have +1,000 members! More details below (including popular conversations and ideas shared). You can join for free here.
🎉 WINNERS! 🎉
Congrats to our Reader Appreciation Week drawing/giveaway winners!
Swag pack winners: Jennalee Ziegler, Cathy Doerksen, Lauren Tompkins, Brooke Decker, and Sara Jorgensen (2 books, merch, and stickers)
The big $100 Amazon gift card: Ariel McElwee
🎁 If you didn’t get your virtual gift basket for Reader Appreciation Week last week, you can still open it right here!
Inside:
📗 What they’re saying about AI Literacy in Any Class
👀 DTT Digest: 4 resources worth checking out
👥 DTT Community: Google Sheets, DNA, NotebookLM, and more
💡 The Big Idea: 8 easy brain boosts for state testing
😄 Smile of the day: One more time, now …
👋 How we can help
📗 What they’re saying about AI Literacy in Any Class
Artificial intelligence is already here — in our world, our classrooms, and our students’ pockets. The question is: are they ready for it?
My new book, AI Literacy for Any Class, is a practical guide for K–12 teachers who want to prepare students for an AI-shaped future without adding more to their plates.
It’s teacher-focused — and a GREAT choice for a teacher book study. (Bulk order inquiries: [email protected])
“Matt Miller has written … a practical, human-centered guide to preparing students for a world already saturated with AI.” — Holly Clark, author of The AI-Infused Classroom
“Matt shows how to weave AI literacy into the teaching you’re already doing, using the skills you already have.” — Matt Karabinos, emerging tech/project specialist
“Once again, Matt Miller has managed to take a complex topic and make it completely engaging and accessible for every classroom teacher and school administrator.” — Rachel Lemansky, elementary library coordinator
Available in paperback and Kindle ebook!
👀 DTT Digest
4 teaching resources worth checking out today
🌎 Earth Day Every Day HyperDoc — Dive into the magic of Earth Day with this engaging, interactive digital lesson that will captivate your students and inspire them to become true guardians of our planet.
♻️ Earth Day Resources Wakelet Collection — Celebrate Earth Day with these fun activities. This collection of resources is broken up by grade level so it’s easy to find something that fits your class.
🧘 30 Days of Mindfulness in the Classroom with Calm — Bring mindfulness to your classrooms with ease. From breathing exercises to meditations to relaxation activities, each day is a new mindful exploration complete with a lesson plan.
🎨 Canva AI 2.0 launches Learn Grid feature — Create multiple tiered versions of a single lesson instantly to support differentiated instruction without extra planning cycles.
👥 DTT COMMUNITY 👥
🫱🏻🫲🏾 Trending tips, ideas, and discussions from the new community
We launched our new community on Thursday … and like a rocket launch, it has really taken off! 🚀
In this community, hosted on the Circle platform, we now have a total of …
1,140 members
219 posts
914 conversations
It’s not too late to join! Hit the button below to sign up. Check out all of the discussions and resources. Access it on your computer — or get the Circle mobile app for iOS/Apple or Android/Google.
FYI: All links below require you to be logged in as a member. (Again, yes, it’s free.)
Here’s what’s going on right now …
First, here are two ways to participate this week:
Today is our regular “Walking in like …” Monday photo post. Jump in and share a photo showing how you’re walking into work today. (Mine featured a prom photo from over the weekend!)
On Wednesday, we’re having our first live event — a community launch party! You can register here to come hang out and meet everyone.
Great teaching ideas and resources shared recently:
Using Google Sheets to make an interactive DNA activity (Vicki Heupel)
An “Is This Source Reliable?” checklist (Tim Belmont)
How to make stop motion animation on PowerPoint (Kelly Davis)
There are also great conversations starting (or ongoing!) about the science of reading for high school, how you use flashcards in class, and how you use NotebookLM.
Haven’t signed up for the community yet? What are you waiting for?!? Hit that button below!
💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡
🧠 8 easy brain boosts for state testing
Image created with Google Gemini
Small changes to test prep — and the day of the big test — can reap HUGE rewards.
Brain science and research tell us a lot about what our brains prefer as we get ready to take a test.
These eight ideas come from our post — 8 easy brain boosts for state testing time.
1. Use retrieval to lock learning in 🔒
Most students "study" by re-reading notes. Research says that is basically a WASTE of time. Instead, use retrieval practice. Ask students to put everything away and just write down what they remember.
Try this: Change "Do you have questions?" to "What do you remember about [topic]?"
Resource: Check out RetrievalPractice.org for more.
2. Mix it up with Interleaving 🔀
Don't just practice 10 math problems of the same type. In a real game, a pitcher doesn't tell you a fastball is coming! Mix different types of questions together. This forces the brain to identify the problem type, not just robotically repeat a step.
Resource: The Learning Scientists have amazing posters on this.
3. Space it out (No cramming!) 🗓️
Five hours of study spread over two weeks is WAY better than five hours in one night. Encourage students to study a little bit, wait a day, and then come back to it.
The Golden Rule: If you feel like you're starting to forget it, that's actually the BEST time to study it again.
Resource: The Learning Scientists have similar resources for spaced practice as above!
4. Happiness is a superpower 😊
Science shows that doctors in a positive mood are 3x smarter and more creative than those in a neutral mood. If we want students to perform, we need to lower the stress and boost the joy.
Resource: Watch Shawn Achor’s TED Talk for the science of the "Happiness Advantage."
5. Timing is everything ⏰
Are your students Larks (morning people), Owls (night folks), or Third Birds?
Larks (Young kids): Best to test first thing in the morning.
Owls (Teens): They aren't lazy; their brains literally don't wake up until later. If you can, let them test after lunch!
Resource: Dan Pink's "When" explains the science of timing.
6. Soak up the sun ☀️
Sunlight triggers the brain to stop producing sleep hormones and start producing alertness hormones. If the weather is nice, take a quick 5-minute "sunlight break" before the test begins.
7. Breaks are NOT "lazy" ⏸️
A study in Denmark showed that a 20-30 minute break before a test led to scores equivalent to three extra weeks of classroom instruction.
Pro Tip: Give them time to eat, play, and chat. It’s the best ROI you’ll get all day.
8. Move, move, MOVE! 💃
Sitting is the new smoking. Standing up and walking for just 5 minutes every hour can boost motivation, concentration, and creativity.
😄 Smile of the day
🎙️ One more time for those (not listening) in the back
Source: Teachergoals on Instagram
👋 How we can help
There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:
Read one of my seven books about meaningful teaching with tech.
Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.
Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!
