Fun Ways To Introduce New Topics To Students

I’ve been curious about flipping Bloom’s Taxonomy—today, I saw it in action, and the results were incredible. In Mr. Stangler’s 8th-grade career class, we introduced AI and Ethics in a way that put students in charge. After modeling a lesson on AI and Academic Integrity (covering effective prompting and proper citation), students were given an AI ethics topic to research using AI and teach their peers in a quick-fire activity. Topics covered: 🔹 AI & Academic Integrity 🔹 AI & Deepfakes 🔹 AI & Mental Health 🔹 AI & Bias 🔹 AI & Privacy With permission to use AI as a research tool (as long as they cited their sources), students took the challenge and ran with it. The speed rounds in the auditorium made learning fast-paced and interactive. And while this was just an introduction to AI ethics, I was blown away by how much they learned in a single class period—far more than I could have covered alone. The exit ticket feedback confirmed it—students appreciated the peer-teaching approach, and it was clear that teaching the topic gave them a much deeper understanding of AI’s ethical implications. It was so much fun working with Mr. Stangler and his students, and it has been the highlight of a very challenging year. How are you empowering students to take ownership of their learning—whether with AI, ethics, or beyond?

Teaching doesn’t have to stick to textbooks. Sometimes, it’s the unconventional ideas that leave the deepest impact. Imagine walking into a classroom to see an inflatable pool filled with water—and plastic bottles, wrappers, straws, and other trash floating on the surface. It’s not just a setup; it’s a vivid reminder of what our oceans face every single day. This creative approach to teaching ocean pollution allows students to see and feel the problem, making it real and urgent. Here’s why it works: 👉 Hands-On Learning: Students can interact with the setup—attempting to “clean up” the pool and realizing how challenging it is to remove every tiny piece of waste. 👉 Awareness Through Action: Seeing the pollution firsthand helps students connect emotionally, sparking curiosity and empathy for marine life. 👉 Critical Thinking: Discussions around the pool lead to questions like: “How does this happen?” and “What can we do to prevent it?” It encourages students to think of sustainable solutions. 👉 Empowering Change: By the end of the lesson, the goal isn’t just awareness—it’s action. Students leave inspired to reduce single-use plastics and advocate for cleaner oceans. Teaching creatively isn’t just about making lessons fun—it’s about making them unforgettable. And when we combine creativity with a purpose, the impact goes beyond the classroom. 💡 How can you add creativity to your teaching or work today? Let’s start inspiring change together. P.S. Small efforts can lead to big waves. What creative methods have you seen or used to teach important lessons? Follow for more insights from Ian Tenenbaum Press 🔔 for regular updates Video Credit: All rights belong to the respective owner. Please DM for credit or removal. #IanTenenbaum #founders #entrepreneur #ADHDcoach

Today, I saw a beautiful lesson about learning in the wild. I went to a coffee shop and saw a group of students studying. It caught my attention because they were acting very strange. One student was holding a notecard to her head and the other students were incessantly trying to describe what was on the flashcard to her without giving away what the card said. I had seen this before with the game "Heads Up!" played on my phone, but I had never considered this could be used as an incredible learning tool. I love this way of gamifying the learning process for a few reasons: 1) The students were having fun. We are more motivated to learn when it is fun to do. 2) Everyone was involved in a collaborative way. The student with the card on her forehead had to guess, while the others had to create descriptions. 3) It forced the students to be creative. The students giving descriptions had to think of many different ways to describe the same topic without using what was on the card. I have to imagine this engrains the knowledge far more than rote memorization (and is a lot more fun too!). I highly encourage you to try to gamify your learning or practice. If you're studying with a group, try giving this approach a try!