And thus it begins, I am in the office listening to Josh Groban croon as I try to grapple with the music of life. In less than two hours I’ll be in the first faculty meeting of the year with my colleagues. Thursday we’ll have new faces along with quite a few returning ones. I’ve already written my own goals for how I want to level up this year in my classroom - most of them having to do with work flow. My husband has already had me practice saying the word "no" to prepare for the year — something I seem to say far too little for my own good health. Meanwhile my children slumber in the back - two home from Georgia Tech and one hoping to get just a tad more rest before he’s back to school with the rest of his peers on Thursday. And thus it begins. And yet, I’m convinced as I start lucky year 13 - and yes it is going to be my lucky year — that the greatest days of teaching are rarely those you plan. Great teachers find it amidst the cacophony of noise and the maelstrom of all that school can be. Great Teachers Level Up Their Own Learning But here’s the thing… great teachers are always setting goals for improvement. They are always leveling up. There are only 2 kinds of people in this world: people who learn and grow and people who don’t. It can be frustrating for employers - whether they are principals or businessmen and women — the great employees are always learning and leveling up and those who don’t know anything often refuse to acknowledge their lack of knowledge and won’t learn a doggone thing. There’s a great chapter in Dr. Henry Cloud’s book Necessary Endings about how to determine if you can work with someone and help them improve in their job or when you really need to let that person go and it has to do with that very thing. The Wise: The wise person responds to correction. They take notes. They ask questions. They go out and work to improve. The Foolish: The foolish person blames others and won’t even accept the criticism so they can begin to correct it. I see this with my students too. Often the very best students are grappling with the few things they missed while some weaker students are just happy for the C without a glance to learn the things they missed so they can level up next time. This phenomenon is mentioned in Proverbs in the Bible but is also pointed at to in current neuroscience. Paying Attention to the Score or How to Do Better Next Time: It Makes a Difference In a fascinating chapter in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, researchers had affixed sensors on the heads of students as they got back tests. Those with a fixed mindset (these people think they are who they are and they can’t improve) - the thinking part of their brain lit up as they learned their score. Their thinking quieted and they stopped paying attention when they were told how to improve next time. By definition, those with a fixed mindset think that they are who they are and no matter what they do, they can’t become better. So, I guess it would make sense that they would pay attention when they received their score — as they think it defines who they are. And they disengage as they are coached to improve because deep down they think that is an impossibility. After all, they think smart is not something you can become but something you are. Then, there’s the growth mindset people. As they were hooked to the sensors, their brains did not light up as they were told their score but were off the charts as they were given instruction on what they missed and how to improve next time. These people were learning like crazy so they could level up.  Growth mindset teachers engage as they are coached to improve because deep down they know they can become better at teaching. They know that a great teacher is not something you "are" but something you become through struggle and work. Are you Leveling Up? All you can control is yourself and all I can control is me. While you and I can share this sort of thing with others - we can’t make someone learn any more than we can push a person up a 20 foot ladder. People ascend the ladder of learning by choice. At the end of the day, we can choose how we will learn. We can choose to be wise. Help Your Best Level Up And here’s the last tidbit. Some people don’t want to give feedback to their high performers because they compare to others favorably. This is a huge mistake with students and with others - high performers live for the thrill of being pushed. They want to improve and thus, they need to set goals. I’ve found top performers often complain that their teachers don’t push them. Give positive, constructive criticism and help every student improve. Certainly one could be paralyzed as one looks to improve but this is not a matter of paralysis but realistic analysis. None of us is perfect but when you’re green, you’re growing and when you’re ripe - you rot. So, if you stop trying to improve, you’re on the decline. Are You Ready to Learn? So, dear friends, examine yourselves as I look at my own life this morning and ask yourself if you’re growing and leveling up or if you’re satisfied and settling — which means you’re starting to rot. Make choices to improve something today and never settle. Rejoice at the victories but don’t stay at the victory party too long lest you forget that a new battle awaits you. Look at best practices (I get lots of ideas from the incredible educators interviewed on Every Classroom Matters)  and look at the things that frustrated you  last year. You can improve. And remember that your first few days of school are when you get those procedures down rock solid and start teaching. I always try to make their heads spin the first few days - it sets the pace for the whole year. I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand is in what direction we are moving. What direction are you moving in this new year? Ready to Go And such is a post for the new school year - I’ll head to my classroom in a moment to begin 2014-2015 — I’ll begin my thirteenth year as a teacher with the goal of being the best I’ve ever been thus far. I’ve got lots to learn and so do my students - I’m ready to start. Are you? Best wishes, my dear friends. You can do this. You can level up and learn and that sets the stage for engaging all of the other learners who will enter your classroom this year. Let’s do this! The post Ready, Set, Teach: Thoughts on Beginning the School Year Well appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

In the essay Helicopter Parent in the collection Dads of Disability I recount the events surrounding my then third-grade son Alexander’s experience dressing up as Igor Sikorsky, the father of the modern helicopter, and giving a presentation to his class. Alexander has a number of developmental, sensory, physical, and behavioral challenges. At the end of the story, I ended up with a sore nose from Alexander’s knocking his noggin into my face. Gary Dietz is author Dads of Disability: Stories for, by, and about fathers of children who experience disability (and the women who love them!) and wrote this blog post. Gary shares stories of parenting his own special needs son, Alexander and other Dads and Moms share their stories as well. His book is moving and a helpful, inspiring read for any teacher or parent of a child with disabilities. I found that reading the book helped me become more empathetic to the struggles that so many parents face. This inspiring book is a must read for any teacher working with special needs kids just because it will help you relate to parents. It would make an excellent book club study book. We ended up videotaping his presentation at home and then having him successfully share it with his class on video rather than at the podium. And Alexander’s team learned (and had reinforced) a number important classroom and parenting lessons. Helicopter Parent really seemed to resonate with Vicki Davis. (She let me know this a number of times.) Her interest in this essay even came up in her interview with me for Every Classroom Matters. I pondered why this particular piece seems so impactful to Vicki as a teacher. With that, here are my thoughts on this topic summarized into five recommendations. In Dads of Disability, Gary tells the moving story of how his son Alexander struggled to present face to face but thrived as he presented via video. Letting students present in diverse ways is part of helping include students in learning. -Vicki Davis 1. Meet a student "where the student lives" The lesson was handed to me (Dad) on a platter. Or actually, on an ice pack. I knew this lesson well, but it took a knock to my nose in front of a classroom of kids and parents to make me really embrace it. As many of you believe, I too believe in pushing a child—any child—a certain percentage past their comfort zone. This is how people grow. But, when you push too far past that zone, it can have less than optimal results. In my case, I ignored direct communication from Alexander in a number of ways that this podium presentation would be too much for him from a sensory perspective. I didn’t listen to him in my eagerness to have him included and have him show his peers and teachers (and the parents) that Alexander could do something they may not think he could do. Listening, like teaching, is an art as much as a science. Listen to your gut and reach out to the child’s team, specialists, parents—and most importantly reach out to the child and meet them where they need to be. Be just as careful not to push too hard as you are in not pushing hard enough. Yes, it’s an art. 2. Presume Competence The presumption of competence is an important phrase in the special needs community. Never assume a student can’t do something. The scenarios around this assumption needn’t be as dramatic as the situation documented in "Carly’s Voice" (when folks assumed Carly’s intellectual level was much lower than it actually was) or in the Ted X talk by Dan Habib about a young man whose "first" words after receiving an adaptive communication device were harsh expletives toward the staff who has been providing infantile treatment to him, a high school aged young adult. (Editor’s Note: This powerful video shared below - while the speaker starts with his son’s story, he moves on to share a powerful story about inclusion. He makes a powerful case that when special needs are included that the performance of all students improves.) The presumption of competence should be informed by these dramatic lessons but can also be observed and implemented in little ways every day. One time, Alexander raised his hand to answer a quite challenging question about jellyfish that no other child in the class knew. That one act changed forever the way his teacher, the aides, and just as importantly his peers viewed him. 3. Be creative in your use of ‘adaptive’ technology "Adaptive" technologies are getting more powerful and easier to use (and cheaper) each year. But don’t limit your approach to adaptive technologies to assistive communication or mobility devices. They can be simpler than that. In Helicopter Parent, using a video camera and simple editing software we were able to have Alexander participate in the exercise of dressing up as Igor Sikorsky and show the class his presentation. Another idea to try with some students is to use real-time communication software (like Skype or Facetime or many others) within a building. This could allow a student who may be overwhelmed by an auditorium or classroom to present, sing, or act for the rest of the class or school from another location in the same building. This could be an inexpensive and creative way to use technology that you already own to include a student in an activity in which they may otherwise not be able to participate. 4. Listen to parents and help them listen to the child A key part of presuming competence and ensuring you have the hard data and "soft" interpretation to meet the student where they need to be met is to listen. Listen to the students verbal and nonverbal communication and cues (like you would with any student). Listen to the specialists. Listen to the parents. Listen to your gut. Listen. Extra effort on this end of the process can help improve outcomes. How much harder (and less effective) would it be not to listen well and implement programs and curriculum that are ineffective, or even counter-productive? 5. Give "overlooked" children the same chance to shine as the superstars I really believe that all students have something to offer. I’ve seen this with my own eyes and mind and heart with my son and many other children. And it isn’t just "feel good" stuff some may see as a way to make parents and teacher’s "feel better" about challenged students. I believe that every student has something to offer, even academically, to others in the community. Even when it isn’t expected. Especially when it isn’t expected. Gary Dietz is author of Dads of Disability: Stories for, by, and about fathers of children who experience disability (and the mothers who love them). Seewww.dadsofdisability.com for his blog and information on how to purchase his book. Visit Gary at www.facebook.com/dadsofdisability and listen for his upcoming show on Every Classroom Matters.  The post 5 practical lessons for elementary classroom inclusion appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

I’ll come back and add the video and more information, but the Ice Bucket Challenge gives us a great opportunity to teach digital citizenship and all kinds of great information. I’ll talk more about this later, but here is my bellringer for today in this teachable moment. My Ice Bucket Challenge Bellringer You have permission to copy and paste this for your classroom and distribute it to your teachers. You don’t have permission to sell it or put it in a book without my permission. Ice Bucket Challenge - NAME: ______________________________ Bell Ringer The ice water challenge is a fundraising program that has gone viral on the Internet in support of ALS. As with any campaign there are good and bad things happening with it. To be wise digital citizens, we need to be able to act with wisdom and know how we need to respond. Look on the web and answer these questions. What is ALS? What does ALS do? What is the Ice Bucket Challenge? What are the rules? Some have criticized this fundraiser for promoting slactivism? What is that? It is fun but where are the funds? Are they actually raising money? What impact has this challenge had on ALS Fundraising? What is one of the biggest criticism of the celebrity videos made on this? What is the ice bucket challenge fail What is a pop culture phenomenon? Are there ways that something like this could be used to promote a cause that is not worthy? What should you do to make up your mind as to whether you will participate in something like this?   5 Essential Points When You Have a Social Media Fundraising Challenge Encourage research and education when a challenge is issued. Encourage donation — funds not just fun when you have a serious disease like this that an organization is fighting. Use this as an opportunity to teach and educate about digital citizenship. When you record a video be clear about: the cause and what you’re asking your friends to do. If in doubt, opt out. Remind everyone that they always have a choice to opt out and not participate. We’re encouraging giving into peer pressure when we don’t make up our minds and decide what we’re doing. The type of society we inherit tomorrow will be determined by how we discuss this sort of thing today. While I think this is a great cause, there will be a time that someone creates a funny viral challenge for a ridiculous or harmful program. If in doubt, opt out. I’ll tell you more about what I’m doing later and what I did and I’ll embed it in this post (including a video should I make one this afternoon. The post Ice Bucket Challenge Bellringer appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

As many teachers go back to school, it is easy to bemoan what is past. You could hit that alarm and moan and wish for another day. But I think the best strategy - at least the one that works for me - is to get up and run into the day. Get up early. Get to school early. Drink Your Coffee. Whatever it takes to hit this excitement head on. I’ve had a fantastic start to the school year with my students. We’re learning so much and I love our new LMS - Haiku Learning. We’ve got other exciting things planned this year including robotics and app building. You’ve got exciting things in store too. Better Every Year Never ever consider teaching the same year 30 times - that would be sad. Instead, if you and I are lucky enough to teach 30 years - we should become better every year. We should level up and move forward. This is an awesome profession that changes lives. It is exciting to start school and to have THEM back. THEM Those precious, wonderful kids who have all these talents and don’t know it yet. Oh, but I love those who are down. Those who remind me of myself at that age, I guess - they’re the ones left out - the ones who are struggling to learn - the ones who don’t feel like they fit in. As a teacher, you and I are a powerful force for good. We can be the light we wish to see in the world - shining spotlights upon the strengths of these children and helping them work through their weaknesses so the weaknesses don’t become debilitating influences upon their lives. You Get What You Expect But all of this starts with what we expect. You get what you think you’ll get. Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right." So, hit this day with all you’ve got! You’re on your way!! YYYYYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I get to teach another day. And that, my friends, is a very sweet thing that makes every day like a bite of chocolate. So sweet and delicious but always leave you wanting more. Teach well. Be noble. You’ve got this. The post Hey Teacher - You Can Do This! appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Extensity is one extension to rule them all. Extensity  will turn on and off other chrome extensions and keep your browser running lightning fast. So, this week in Indiana it was no surprise when I shared it as #1 of my essential tips for Chromebooks. One way to slow down your lightning fast Chrome browser is installing TOO MANY EXTENSIONS!! My #1 tip for EVERYONE USING CHROME: Install Extensity and only turn on the extensions you need for the current task. Extensity lets you turn on and off other extensions with one click. Let’s look. Extensity 1 Minute Tutorial Video If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here. Here’s a 1 minute Cool Cat Teacher Tip from the Cool Cat Teacher  YouTube Channel where I show you how I use extensity. (You can also see a sneak peak of the Chrome extensions that I use.) Have a great day! Hat tip to my friends on the teacher voxer group - they share great ideas!   The post Extensity: The Essential Chrome Extension Everyone Needs appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

I’m not here to just to mark papers. I’m not here to leave a mark in a negative way. I’m in this classroom to forever make a mark on the lives of the students within my care and trust. But to get to the learning, I need to create a positive classroom environment. I have just a few rules but have quite a few established procedures so we can flow, learn, and level up together. Sure there are lots of things not central to this theme of making a mark: grading, procedures, classroom management. All of these things may seem unimportant. However, as I’m a better classroom manager, we can move issues like people asking for computers, people wanting to go to the bathroom, etc. out of the way and get on to teaching. The way I see it, the less time we have to talk about side issues like going to the bathroom or saying "Mrs. Vicki, I need help" the more time we have for the real stuff. So the routines and procedures I have in place are set up to use as few spoken words as possible. Essential Routines As you start school some of the most essential routines are: How do you enter the room? How do you leave the room? How do we conduct class conversations? How do I quickly, quietly get the attention of the class? (I use give me 5 - it works!) How do students request to leave the room without disrupting things? (My students flip their cards to away, grab the hall log and write where they go and wordlessly hand me the log for sign off or clarification - they grab a pass and go and sign in when they return. Nothing said and business is handled. Plus I have a log seeing how long they are out and if the frequency is too much.) How do I keep track of disciplinary issues so I don’t interrupt teaching but can handle and improve the behavior later? How will paperwork and grading flow between me and the students so it is current and provides proper feedback for ongoing improvement? How will I encourage students to help one another? How will we quickly transition? How can students ask for help without a word? (My students flip their computer station cards from green to red - I can see at a glance who needs help and constantly rotate the room and work to help people.) These are simple but important things to consider and they can be overwhelming. This summer I took hours to plan out my classroom procedures, talk them over with teachers and advisors, and determine how I’d help students know how to use these. My classroom is a cleaner (See the pic taken last Friday seconds after my last class), more pleasant, more focused place because of it. We’re getting more done and I’m spending more one on one time helping students who really need me. Part of this, of course, is also the LMS I’m using (Haiku Learning) and the in-flip method of teaching (hear the Every Classroom Matters show I recorded with Jon Bergmann on that.) Any Day Can Be The First Day And remember this - you may have already started school but if your classroom flow is not what you like. If you’re frustrated and not getting their attention… If students aren’t coming in the room and getting down to business - don’t wallow in it. Learn and get things together. Start over. Any day can be the first day. If something isn’t working, reboot (as fellow teacher Tom Bennett from the UK says.) I love Harry Wong’s book, The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 4th Edition as my guidebook in this process but Fred Jones Tools for Teaching also has some great info on behavior management. As you get your classroom going, think through these things and tackle the problems you had last year with procedures so you can actually do something about them! Plus I can tell you that this doesn’t make your job harder - it actually makes it easier and will help you be less stressed! I didn’t believe it either but yes, better procedures works. Make every single year a better year! Level up! You can do this! If you’re interested in knowing my procedures, let me know which ones in the comments. They took quite some time to develop but are working so well! Share your problems and then work to create procedures. You can also give tips to other teachers! We can do this together. Let’s help each other! The post Make a Mark By Establishing Classroom Procedures appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Every email message from a parent or colleague is an opportunity to create a powerful impression. As Kevan Lee says in How to Send Better Email, great email gets across the intended message with the desired emotion. You have to do both. But you’re so busy, how do you find time to craft the perfect email? Use these tips to plan ahead! You don’t accidentally send awesome email any more than you accidentally climb Mt. Everest. It takes practice and planning. This year I’m working to send better email. Here are the key phrases, tips, and ideas I’ve uncovered in my quest. Better communication = better relationships. 8 Email Etiquette Tips for Educators & Everybody 1. Use Their Name Cows who are named give more milk. Aa living beings, we are wired to respond positively to our names. (Maybe with the exception of our full names for those of us whose Moms only used it when we were in trouble.) Use the name of the person sending you the email. While you can have certain things that you repeat in common emails, typing their name means that you’re paying attention and it matters. Do you know people who are struggling to get along and send each other terse emails? You might need to help them start communicating face to face - their negative views of one another might be making a big deal about things that weren’t meant that way.   2. Emote in Your Open Emoting is showing emotion. Emote at the opening so your recipient knows you really do care. Here are some of my favorites: Thank you! You’re right! I’m really sorry ___ happened to you. Thanks for sharing your idea. I know this is really frustrating for you - let’s get this solved. Definitely strange! (I use this when something has happened that I’ve never seen before that will take me time to research.) Awesome! (If they’re telling me something good.) 3. Repeat and Relate to Requests If they are asking for something, repeat their idea. Then try to relate to it. (This comes from Chase Clemons’ Support Ops Email Guide). So, for example, in my role as IT director a teacher contacted me upset that wifi wasn’t working properly in the back of her room. I started off by acknowledging how frustrating it is and my own personal experience with wifi struggles. Then, we move on to tackle the problem. Repeating makes sure you understand their point. Relating helps them know you empathize and also helps you consciously empathize in your own mind so you remember what it feels like to have this problem. 4. See Your Email Their Way Read How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie to master this one. Always frame your email in terms of what THEY feel and THEY think. It sounds harsh, but typically, when having a problem, they can care less about YOUR inconvenience or your struggle. So, I’m not saying give into every single request and stop what you’re doing. Just reread to see where you’re using "I" too much and where you can use "we." 5- Short but Not Snippy Take out the word "but" and put a period to shorten sentences. (Hat tip to Carolyn Kopprasch from Buffer) Use shorter sentences. Add white space. If it is too long, many won’t read. I remember getting weekly update emails from a teacher that were 12 printed pages. WHAT? Others are so short there is no room to emote or have follow up. These can come off as rude. Brevity is a challenge for me. Write and reduce until the essentials are included. 6 - Use Power Phrases Here are some phrases I like. I’ve laminated a page with them so I can pull them out in the stress of the day and use them. Thanks for being open and honest about your experience so we can learn from it. I know this is a huge disruption to your day and I’m working to get this fixed. I’d love to help you with this. I can fix this for you. Let me look into this for you. I’ll keep you updated. You’re right, we could definitely do this better. Can you try …. If it’s still a no go, can you… That will help me …. I know this might sound scary but I’ll walk you through it. Here’s the steps: I’m so sorry you’re not finding ___ helpful. What do you like and not like about it? I’ll be more than happy to see how we can help you? (This is when someone has complained but it is too short and I honestly don’t know how to help.) 7 - End Well End with a personal message or an uplift. Always end on a positive note about working together or what they can expect. Awesome! Glad we got it fixed! If that doesn’t work or you have more questions, just let me know and I’ll be happy to help! If you have any other questions, please reply to this email. Does this help you? Have a fantastic ___. (Friday, weekend, trip, vacation - or anything personal that will relate us as human beings not just human doings.) And remember, I’m always an email away if you need help. Does this help you? Did that answer your question? And does it make sense? Anything else I can help you with today? If this isn’t resolved to your satisfaction by ___ let’s talk then, OK? 8 - Plan Common Responses & No’s Create Snippets or Templates for Common Requests Remember the importance of classroom procedures? Help students be self advocates. For example, if a parent is asking at home about a grade and it isn’t the day I enter them in Powerschool, I have a procedure where students flip their card to red and ask me about the grade. If I don’t have other teaching tasks, the student and I will review the item, handle anything missing and I can update the grade immediately. If a parent asks, I help them understand the procedure that is in place and work to get their answer. This helps me get questions answered faster but also keeps me from being distracted. When there are common issues happening in anything I support, I’ll work on a common response that I can use as part of the larger, customized email. This saves time. Keep them in Google canned responses or a document (or use something like Phrase Express (PC) or Text Expander  (MAC) if you don’t use Gmail or Thunderbird.) Just remember to customize every email just a bit. Plan to How Say No As I read the powerful book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, I’m learning that to say yes to everything is not only unrealistic, it keeps me from focusing on the essentials. Learning to say no is essential! Here are some of the resources for phrases about how to say no that you can use. My husband and I laugh as he has me do "no practice" when I’m saying "yes" too much. But there’s truth to practicing saying no, particularly if you’re a woman. Start rehearsing ways to say no that leave a positive impression. No’s For Women: Use the Relational Account Method Research shows that saying "no" can harm the views people have of us . If we’re women people will think we are cold and selfish. While that isn’t fair, it is the world we live in. Women in particular need to know how to say no in a way that let’s us continue to be perceived in a positive light. I Wharton prof Adam Grant’s  7 sentences he uses to say no shares the "relational account" tip. It is THE approach for women to learn, in particular, when they say no. Grant says:  Studies by Hannah Riley Bowles and Linda Babcock reveal that when we offer relational accounts for going against the norm, we’re viewed more favorably, as we preserve our image as giving and caring. Here are some of my relational accounts: Mentoring requests: "Students are my top priority professionally, and since I teach more than 300 students per year, I don’t have the bandwidth to take on additional mentoring." Speaking requests: "With more than two dozen speaking invitations rolling in per week, my wife and I have set a limit for speaking engagements, and at this point, I’m maxed out." Introduction requests: "I’d become a taker if I kept asking this person for favors" or "I don’t know this person well enough to impose." This means that when you say no, relate it to a human aspect of your life so the others can see why you’re saying no. This happened to me by accident. I get so many requests to speak and often some people want me to drastically reduce my prices for speaking. During the school year I have just a few days to speak and when I get those requests, I can honestly say: "I have two children in college and just 10 days a school year to speak. My husband and I agreed that I can only speak at my full rate during the school year so we can pay for college." This is the truth and it is something people understand. If you have a true relation then use it - don’t make stuff up. Elizabeth Grace Saunders also has some lovely ways to say no on her post on 99U.  Here are a few that I’ve tweaked for myself. I’m happy to do that, let’s move ___ to next week, then. (This forces them to make a choice if they have given me too many things on my list.) Boy, I wish I could help you but that isn’t my area of expertise. It might take longer for me to figure it out and I might not give you the right answer. I’m copying -_ on this email who does this every day. Let’s see if he/she can help you before I get involved. (This hands it off to someone but lets the person know that if they don’t get the answer they want, they can reach back to you.) Wow! That sounds awesome. I wish I had the time right now to explore this more but with my full time teaching job, it just isn’t possible right now. If I know someone who might appreciate this opportunity then I’ll add this. I’m blind copying my friend ___ who might be interested in this opportunity and I’ll let him/her get back to you if it fits with their current areas of interest. Good luck and thank you for reaching out! You get the picture. Also notice how I use blind copy for introductions, particularly for the high level people who are now in my inbox. I want to protect and keep that relationship preserved. Email Is Important: So Answer Well While this is not comprehensive, it is meant to start conversations about how to respond to email. Every email is a chance to leave parents, colleagues, and community members with a wildly positive impression. When you answer consider these tips and remember this — spammers and junk mailers might not deserve one but sometimes it is hard to tell. If in doubt, crank it out. You can do this! Remember that awesome relationships are built upon awesome communications. Be an awesome communicator - it will help your career more than you can fathom!   The post 8 Great Email Etiquette Tips for Educators & Everybody appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

The Maker Movement is everywhere. What is it? How do you "do" it? What is the difference between "maker space" "creation station" "genius hour" and all of these other terms? How can you decide what to do in your own classroom? Here are a few essential resources for you: Reading About the Movement My research is summarized in these two articles I wrote for Edutopia: How the Maker Movement is Moving Into Classrooms - This piece gives you an overview of the maker movement including some of the research behind it. It also defines the jargon that has many confused about WHAT it is. Then, it gives you some of my favorite books and ends with the impact on libraries. I also include a video I shot at the FabLab at Kentucky Country Day School this summer that is a must watch! (Inserted below.) Read How the Maker Movement is Moving Into Classrooms on Edutopia If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here. The DIY World of Maker Tools and Their Uses - TheIn this article, we dive into the many tools that are being used: 3D printers, Vinyl cutters, laser cutters, woodshop influences. Then we dive into many of the technological faves including the Hummingbird Robotics Kit, Arduino Boards, Raspberry Pi, Legos, Minecraft, and more. This is full of videos that I shot at ISTE as I explored. Read The DIY World of Maker Tools and Their Uses  Listening to Stories About the Maker Movement There are several outstanding shows on the Maker movement for your listening. Learning by Doing: Inside the Maker Movement (Sylvia Martinez, coauthor of Invent to Learn) Why Playful Learning is Vital to Developing 21st Century Skills by Stephan Turnipseed, Chairman - Partnership for 21st Century Skills How Classrooms Change When Genius Drives Learning #geniushour - the four founders of genius hour talk about the movement - Joy Kirr @joykirr,, Hugh McDonald @hughtheteacher,, Gallit Zvi gallit_z,, Denise Krebs @mrsdkrebs Teaching Girls STEAM in Middle School with Vinnie Vrotney  How 3D Printers Open New Possibilities for Project Based-Learning with Kelly Hines Share Your Story I’m making a makerspace in my own classroom. I hope you’ll share your links, pics, and videos in the comments. I’d love to learn from you! Picture Attribution - By Dave Jenson (We’re working on it!) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons   The post Essential Information on Maker Movement appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Do you have Chromebooks? These handy devices can do so many things in the classroom. Intel has put together a community for Chromebook users at intel.com/ChromeEdu. There are already some powerful resource guides including the Ultimate Resource (by Naomi Harm), Chromebooks 101 (I wrote that one), Using Chromebooks in the Primary Grades (Erin Klein) and 12 Ways Chromebooks Remove Roadblocks to Tech Integration (Lisa Nielsen). They also have a way you can win a Chromebook posted as well, so you could win one. Why I Enjoy Using My Chromebook My Chromebook loads in 7 seconds. I have found that when I’m traveling, I use it for responding to email and drafting Google Docs (mine came preloaded with 22 GoGo In Flight Passes.) It is also handy for this blog and more. There are some things you should know though, and my 101 post will help you set yours up right the first time. These handy devices have a rapidly developing community of best practice. Getting connected will be an essential step for anyone using or supporting Chromebooks. Hope you enjoy Intel’s ChromebookEDU resource center and community. Let’s learn! Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to edit and post it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.) The post Chromebook Resource Center by Intel appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Do the text message abbreviations your children and grandchildren send leave you confused as a cow on astroturf? No more! While we shouldn’t use this in academic writing, learn to speak the IM (instant messaging) language to communicate with your kids. Common Text Message Abbreviations LOL - Laughing out loud (Recently a woman texted her daughter - "want you to know, Grandma just died. LOL." Her daughter was taken aback and found out that her Mom thought LOL meant ‘Lots of Love" - it doesn’t usually mean that.) WYD - What are you doing? ROFL - Roll on the floor laughing IDK - I don’t know BTW - By the way ILY - I love you - 143 means the same thing (popularized by Mr. Rogers) J/K - Just kidding NP -  No problem TTYL - Talk to you later SMH - Shaking my head BRB - Be right back Read Numbers and Letters As Words When kids use numbers, sound out the word. So 2moro means "tomorrow." L8r turns into "Later" and Gr8 is "great." B4N is Bye for now. Say the letter "c" as "see" (CUL8R.) "N" is "in." An Important Abbreviation for Responsible Adults: NSFW Not Safe for Work (NSFW) classifies websites you should avoid at work or school because they contain unsuitable pics and words. Know this term and beware. If a tweet or Facebook post says NSFW don’t click on it at school. If you post adult content, mark it with NSFW or people will unfollow and unfriend you for not warning them. If you see NSFW beside something — you’ll have adult content when you click. This is Not Safe for Work and definitely not something you should ever click on at school. Texting Abbreviations for the Older Generation You know our kids have to laugh at us sometimes! It can take a while to get used to this texting thing. While some moan at having to learn "another language" I am taken back to the old movie airplane where Barbara Billingsly "speaks jive." (See video below for a little throwback moment.) Really, all the kids probably us as intruders in their own language too. But he, we can develop our own IM language. You might sometimes feel like typing OMG to mean "Oh My Grandchildren" (or the much worse choice "Oh My Groin.") BG - Bringing Grandma/Grandpa or My favorite - GGG - Go Get Grandma. When NOT to Use IM Speak I’m told that saying IM speak out loud is a "no no." (Very uncool - you’ll make your kids LOL or maybe even ROFL.) It is always in bad taste to use these in formal written language, letters and essays. (And we do have our kids to be "the cool police" don’t we when we mess up. Does the pic below look familiar?) Aren’t you glad we have all of our kids to be "the cool police?" Here’s your challenge. Practice. Get out your phone. Send a text message to a kid or grandkid and use as many abbreviations as you can.  Let’s shake up these kids and show them that we can speak their language and create our own. Leave your favorite funny ones in the comments! Note: This is part of a series of columns I’ve written for some local newspapers and has been enhanced for the web by adding hyperlinks and resources. To read more of my past newspaper columns go to my "Tech Tips Newspaper Column" to read past columns or to contact me about having these columns in your local paper. The post Text Message Abbreviations Field Guide (IM Speak for Adults) appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.