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"Before students are able to directly tackle the challenges outlined in the 17 Global Goals, they need to build content and skill-related knowledge. Whether you are working to create a global focus in your curriculum or designing a specific PBL or IBL activity for your students, Curriculum Pathways provides both academic content and the skill-based resources you need. Think of the 17 Global Goals as scaffolding to help students find greater relevance and meaningful applications for their learning. Challenge students to examine scientific concepts, patterns of human injustice, or data analysis skills in a global context. Global goals provide the opportunity to extend the challenges and successes experienced in a local project to similar components found in global issues. Check out the free Curriculum Pathways resources that provide academic connections to Global Goals for science, math, English, Spanish, and social studies."

"Makerspaces and maker projects can be amazing catalysts for connecting your students with others. The Imagination Foundation's Global Cardboard Challenge is one of my favorite maker activities to help my students feel connected to the world and see the power of making. Combine that with a Skype call with another school and you create amazing opportunities for global connections."

"Summer reading has been a topic of discussion by educators for decades. "Summer slide," where students lose the gains they made during the previous school year, is a topic of conversation this time of year. This learning loss has a cumulative effect and impacts students as they continue to move through school. There does not seem to be one solution for this problem, but educators can agree that we have to keep trying (McLaughlin, Smink, 2010)."

"A free Printable LEGO challenge calendar to use anytime during the year. Print it out, hang it up, give it to your kids. Feel inspired and taking your LEGO building time in a new direction. I have written out 31 Days of fun LEGO ideas using the bricks you have  and hopefully thinking of new ways to use some of those specialty pieces that don't see much action. We love kid's LEGO activities!"

"Who doesn't want to improve the tone of the whole day in 5 minutes or less? What better commitment to make in the new year than to positively impact your own life, the lives of those around you, and your school's culture? The science of character strengths and social emotional learning (SEL) is well-documented and quite actionable. All that is needed is a bit of intentional leadership. Click here to download the 5 to Thrive Toolkit! Mayerson Academy, a non-profit professional learning organization, launched the "5 to Thrive Challenge" to encourage education leaders to dedicate five minutes each day over the next month to engage in simple activities that will reframe their thinking and improve the culture in their school. To help get started and frame your thinking, Mayerson Academy provides a free "5 to Thrive Toolkit" that will get you started."

"Get into the holiday spirit the Destination Imagination way-with a little creativity! For this year's Great Graham Cracker Challenge, we want you to design and create a graham cracker structure inspired by your favorite book. Your structure must incorporate at least two special features. Special features must be physical things that are attached to or associated with your graham cracker structure (e.g., extra floors, a magical cape, etc.)."

"This year I have been focusing on design challenges and design thinking with my gifted elementary students, grades 2nd through 6th. Last semester I introduced a series of activities to have them explore, learn about, and interact with design thinking principles and strategies. For a description of those activities, see https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/introducing-design-thinking-to-elementary-learners/ To re-introduce design thinking again for this spring semester, this week I asked them to do the Extraordinaire Design Studio:"

"Aah February; a month of love, of reading, of waiting for spring if you in the Northern Hemisphere.  While February may  be the shortest month of the year sometimes in teaching it can feel like the longest of them all.  While I love this month for the work I can do with my students, I find that sometimes the dark nights and cold Wisconsin winters can be positively slump inducing.  Rather than dread the slump, why not do something pro-active? So this year I plan on doing my very own unslumping challenge and you are more than welcome to join me.  Every day for the month of February, I plan on doing something to either reinvigorate myself or make a difference to others.  It will not cost me much money but will hopefully instead lead to a deeper level of gratitude for the incredible job I have, the amazing students I get to teach, and the wonderful people in my life. Here is what I plan on doing"

"Could you really run a makerspace that is fun, dynamic, engaging, thought-provoking and inexpensive?  Take the twice a month "5 In a Bag" challenge using only household and easily obtainable items.  Add pics and videos of your creations on the padlet, and particpate in the Twitter chat using #5inabag.  Who knows what you will come up with!"

"When app-smashing on iPad, students and teachers use multiple apps to create individual pieces of content that are then merged or smashed together into one culminating product. Applying this concept dramatically increases creative potential, and the rate at which apps are developing allows for new, unique, and dynamic creations to consistently challenge what seemed possible only a few months or weeks ago. The final product involved in app-smashing often lends itself to video, so to kick off the school year, here are a few app-smashing video projects."

"Growing as a teacher is all about challenging yourself-moving out of our comfort zone, trying something new. Here are 50 ideas to consider."

"Life is filled with difficulties. How we confront our challenges is precisely what makes us great. Nobody ever reached greatness on a silver platter. This is true in any aspect of life, including running a business. In the midst of challenges, be inspired by these words of wisdom to help transform for the better:"

"Inspired by the short film, 'Caine's Arcade', the Global Cardboard Challenge is an annual event presented by the Imagination Foundation that celebrates child creativity and the role communities can play in fostering it. This September, kids of all ages are invited to build anything they can dream up using cardboard, recycled materials and imagination. Then on Saturday, October 10th, 2015, communities will come together to play!"

Are you new to using an interactive whiteboard (IWB)? Have you used one for ages but want some other ideas? Are you using an IWB regularly but know you could use it better? Then you are invited to join the Whiteboard Challenge! The aim of this challenge: To improve the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom and to stimulate more discussion about how they can best be used.

"Asus To Challenge iPad 2 With 'Secret Weapon'"

Learn how to use Google Earth, Skitch and Tellagami for some amazing results in this app smashing challenge!

"As 2014 draws to a close and we look forward to what 2015 will bring, I'd like to share a simple and fun classroom challenge with you: STEM Curiosity Links. For the past two semesters, I've made a point of sharing several STEM "curiosity links" with my students at least once per week. On days I share curiosity links with students, I try to limit myself to just using 10 minutes of class time. I need to set this time limit, because (depending on the class) we can really get into good discussions with lots of questions, and we could take MUCH more time exploring the ideas the week's curiosity links inspire. While I'd love engaging in long discussions like this with students, and I know they have value, I also understand that my students learn the most when they are actually DOING STEM activities rather than just talking about them or STEM ideas. My students who are working and playing in our STEM "Maker's Studio" are always especially eager to "get to work.""

"TinyTap is a fantastic free iPad app and Android app for building fun and interactive review games. With the app you can create games based on pictures, diagrams, videos, and icons. The latest update to the app enables you to include a challenge mode in your games."