10 Hits and 10 Misses for 2020

Since we at Ask a Tech Teacher started this blog nine years ago, we’ve had almost 5.3 million views from visitors (about 10,000 follow us) to the 2,444 articles on integrating technology into the classroom. This includes tech tips, website/app reviews, tech-in-ed pedagogy, how-tos, videos, and more. We have regular features like:

If you’ve just arrived at Ask a Tech Teacher, start here.

It always surprises us what readers find to be the most and least provocative. The latter is as likely to be a post one of us on the crew put heart and soul into, sure we were sharing Very Important Information, as the former. Talk about humility.

Here they are–my top 10 of 2020 (though I’ve skipped any that have to do with website reviews and tech tips because they’re covered in separate posts):

Top Ten Hits

  1. 16 Great Research Websites for Kids
  2. An Open Letter to Teachers About Online Classes
  3. 12 Websites to Teach Mouse Skills
  4. 4 Great Alternatives to Google Classroom
  5. Quick Review of 7 Popular Math Programs
  6. Remote Learning: Tips for Thriving in This Ecosystem
  7. How to Use Google Sheets in the K-12 Classroom
  8. Resources You Need During COVID-19
  9. Snow Day? 7 Ways to Keep Teaching
  10. Teaching Online During COVID-19

There’s a clear theme for teachers seeking resources for teaching online. Almost all of the top ten either addressed that topic specifically or tangentially.

Here are the Top Ten Misses of 2020–posts I thought were great, but you-all didn’t visit as much. One reason why resource lists (curating themed lists of websites) excel over pedagogy is that the former are used by students as well as teachers. I’ve had days where I get 1000 hits in an hour because teachers posted the list for students. Most of the sites on the Top Ten Misses are consumed individually, over coffee and a carrot. I’m not sure how to adjust for that…

Top Ten Misses

  1. 7 Tech Tools for PE Teachers
  2. 15 Websites to Teach Financial Literacy
  3. Teacher-Authors–Do You Write Fiction?
  4. 13 Tips for Email Etiquette
  5. Math Webtools to Support Any Curriculum
  6. 33 Digital Exit Tickets That Fit Most Subjects
  7. 3 Lesson Plans to Teach Architecture in First Grade
  8. How to go Paperless in Your Classroom
  9. The Case for Positive Reinforcement in Classrooms
  10. How to Teach With Videos

Oh–would you mind adding me to your social media links? Here’s where you can find me:

Twitter:   @AskaTechTeacher

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Jacqui.Murray1 

Instagram: @AskaTechTeacher

Thanks!


Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

 

Author: Jacqui
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.