Show Your Work Book Review by Austin Kleon (Workman Publishing Company, 2014) Austin Kleon has two great books you should pick up: Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative and Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered These are empowering books for writers and educators alike. They are so beautiful, though, you’ll want to buy the print version. I particularly love Show Your Work! for two reasons: Kleon shows that sharing your work should be part of what you do every single day. Many of us are paralyzed by perfectionism. We don’t want to "show" our work because our work isn’t perfect. Kleon convincingly shows how showing your work is part of a journey to better work. By sharing and showing, you get feedback. By getting feedback, you get better. When you get better and share more, you get more feedback. Thus, showing your work and learning from others as you do is the path to awesome. He puts into words what many of us who blog and share feel about our own journey. As I blog, I believe I learn far more than I share. The more I share, the more I learn. Crazy, isn’t it? Not convinced — buy the book. Be an Excellentist not a Perfectionist Since reading his book I"ve committed to shun my desire to be perfect. I am now a self-proclaimed excellentist not a perfectionist. Perfect is a lie. Excellence holds true. Perfection implies everyone has to love you. Perfectionism — for us mere humans — is unattainable. Excellence is a commitment to do your best and to achieve a high standard of excellence in your field. I aspire to be that. The term excellentist is one I coined as I was talking to two of my students who struggle with perfectionism.I had these two students wouldn’t hand in a project because it wasn’t perfect yet. Seth Godin talks about this also when he says to "ship it." (Someone else may say this word too, if they do, I don’t know it but it is a good term, so hey, I’m that.)  Perfectionism is a problem that keeps us from being creative. It can limit your life and your ability to thrive. Excellentism is a much more worthy habit as long as it is something worthy of being excellent in. I am happy to satisfice and pick any old pen to write with, however, I want posts on this blog to be excellent. Shun the Vampires He also talks about shunning the vampires in your life — those people who suck all the creativity and joy out of you. He uses the example of how sculptor Constantin Brancusi wouldn’t tolerate the life-sucking habits of Pablo Picasso. Before the years of Facebook, he "defriended" Picasso. Quite literally in real life. A chapter title from Steal like an artist, Austin Kleon’s first book. Sometimes the teacher’s lounge is a hangout for vampires. If so, don’t go there. Run away! Great Graphics and a Simple Read The other thing I love about both of Austin Kleon’s book is the graphic appeal of it. He uses graphics, text, and even poetry in ways that are appealing. I have both of his books on my coffee table and read them when I need to be inspired to keep going and sharing. Who Will Like This Book? Teachers and educators who advocate helping students publish their work. People who want to use social media but don’t get the point of why they should share. Perfectionists and creatives of all kinds will love these books. My favorite of the two is Show Your Work! but that is kind of like saying whether I like chocolate ice cream or Moose Tracks — both are pretty doggone good. The post Show Your Work Book Review [Book] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Does your organization need help being on time and on budget? There is an older video where Seth Godin talks about "shipping it". We can all do with re-watching this video. We need more successful innovation. So many teachers have great ideas. They don’t implement because they are afraid to ship. Sometimes teachers kick off a project and the first day or two don’t go like they were planned and just as the students get excited… they stop it. But there are big picture issues at work here too. Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain from 99U on Vimeo. Successful Innovation Secret: Thrash at the Beginning Now if I could get every school board, principal, superintendent and politician to listen to one concept from Seth Godin’s speech (above) it would be this: THRASH EARLY. Seth says that you should have early meetings. Have all people involved in the early meetings. He says that if key people don’t come to these meetings where you hash out what will be done — have them sign a paper that says that they will have nothing to say at any point later. He did this with a boss who kept coming in the day before shipping and interjecting ONE LITTLE SUGGESTION. It isn’t that the leader’s suggestions aren’t valid. It is when those suggestions are given that makes the difference between being on time and under budget or not. This happens all of the time! If you want to save money — get everyone there to thrash early. Overcoming the Fear that Keeps Us From Shipping In education, I would argue as Seth Godin argues for businesses - our problem is not a lack of solutions. There are tons of solutions. There are many ways that will work. We don’t lack creativity. What we have is a lack of implementation. We have people who won’t ship. We have organizations in fear who are afraid it won’t work so they don’t really commit. They start something and never really finish. We have busy leaders who wait until the day before something ships and decide to give feedback or pull the plug. What Happens in Most Implementations of New Innovations in Schools What often happens in technology or new initiative implementation: we thrash last and waste money. How many times have you seen this in schools? Getting Leaders Involved Early For example, if I have a ship leaving out of the port of Los Angeles. One tiny turn of the rudder as that ship comes out of the harbor determines whether the ship ends up in Russia, Japan, or Australia. One tiny turn. If I get off course at the beginning, it will take many miles, much time, an a whole lot more wasted resources to change direction. It isn’t that those leaders are spineless. It isn’t that those leaders lack vision. It is clearly that leaders are soooo busy that they think the best use of their time is to come in at the last minute. This is faulty reasoning for one simple reason. Direction set early impacts where you end up. More people should be involved at the beginning to thrash. It saves money to thrash at the beginning. Perfection Paralysis is Just Empowered Fear of Failure And sometimes the product is good and because it isn’t "perfect" leaders will halt it. As many creatives say — even the tiniest creative process is on the continuum of creative. IF you lauch a rocket, you can tweak the navigation and change course as the rocket is flying through the air. If you launch, you can change direction as long as you’re headed in the general direction it needs to go. We need leaders involved early in the creative process. We need to keep fear at bay that keeps us from putting our work out there. We need leadership and we need to launch. Thrash early. It pays off in the end. The post The Secret to Successful Innovation: Thrash Early appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

"Why tweet children’s learning? This tweet says it all. Why tweet children’s #learning? Loved this thinking by @tambotaylor - so I remixed it. #SLTchat #ukedchat #feltag pic.twitter.com/slwt4UUmUk — Bryan Mathers (@BryanMMathers) November 7, 2014 " @BryanMMathers November 7, 2014 The post Why tweet children’s learning? This tweet says it all. Why tweet children’s #learning? Loved this thinking by @tambotaylor - so I remixed it. #SLTchat #ukedchat #feltag pic.twitter.com/slwt4UUmUk — Bryan Mathers (@BryanMMathers) November 7, 2014 [Tweet] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Scott and Tim Bedley discuss with Vicki their secrets to teaching. These brothers are at different schools but both were voted Teachers of the Year! They challenge themselves daily and use ‘fail’ as a verb not a noun. Listen to The Bedley Brothers Add @bedleybros to your PLN @bedleybros The Bedley Bros. EdChat Tim and Scott Bedley - Show #60 - Taking Risks to Engage Students The Bedley brothers share how their father is a passionate educator and author. They find having a mentor for using technology in the classroom helps to inspire educators. They dream of impacting education by inspiring other educators to build relationships with students first and foremost. Their passion lies in touching the lives of their students and be the best educators they can be. Listen now to hear Tim and Scott talk about passionate teaching. Listen to The Bedley Brothers Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly Radio Show by Vicki Davis on BAM Radio network with best practices for busy teachers.  Subscribe. Show notes prepared by Lisa Durff, Production Coordinator for Every Classroom Matters. Need help listening to the show? If you’re clicking "Play" on the BAM Radio Site, this often works best in Internet Explorer. Or subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial.     The post Taking Risks to Engage Students with the @BedleyBros appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

I’d rather stand alone for the right thing … than be popular for the wrong one. I’d rather be wise than smart. I’d rather find a child’s strength than point out her weakness. I’d rather find a child crying than let him cry alone. I’d rather encourage a colleague with a great idea than spread gossip. I’d rather show a child a great way to live than give a great lecture. I’d rather help kids answer questions of their own instead of answering mine. I’d rather give kids hope than steal their dreams. I’d rather be forgotten for kindness than remembered for cruelty. I’d rather give the kindness someone does not deserve than the meanness that they do. I’d rather be vocal about things that matter than have those in power happy to see me. I’d rather empower my students than assemble a classroom of automatons. I’d rather fight for a world class education for my students than accept second rate in peace. I would rather be hated by a colleague than let one demean a child. I’d rather be misunderstood by everyone than break the confidentiality of a child. I’d rather  get in trouble for the right things than praised for the wrong ones. I’d rather be excellent at one worthwhile endeavor than mediocre at everything I do. I’d rather follow my dreams than waste away in my reality. I’d rather courageously seek to change lives than quietly scripted into irrelevance. I’d rather be called a rebel than soldier on for the wrong cause. I’d rather be an epic teacher than free from criticism. I’d rather share what I learn than leave other teachers to learn it the hard way. I’d rather spend my time doing good to good people than doing evil to evil ones. I’d rather miss the latest trend on social media than my son’s birthday. I’d rather have a life of "oh well’s" than full of "what if’s" I’d rather stand for my rathers, than fall for what I’d rather not. Written and dedicated to my husband, Kip Davis for his birthday. Because I’d rather have one day in your arms than a lifetime alone. The oh well’s and what if’s quote is shown as an unknown source and is on many tshirts and quote pages. I cannot find the source but credit that I did not come up with that one verse. The post Rather Stand appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

If you’re struggling to figure out how to make assessment part of your data driven instruction, there are two great companies who, in my opinion (and that of many others) exemplify this model.  I think that teachers are hungry for what really works and to know how other teachers are doing it. Register for the free webinar No matter what platform(s) you’re using, you’ll want to join us as we discuss best practices in data driven instruction. The examples I and other educators will discuss are TenMarks (math) and Lightsail (ELA). Both have both been picked by reviewers on Common Sense Media (Graphite) as the best of 2014. During this webinar, I’ll interview educators using this method of instruction  to teach. You’ll peek behind the curtain to see the nuts of bolts of how data driven instruction works using these two programs as examples. For example, close questions can be in the text. Math can adapt and teachers can know in real time what kids know. This session will be ideal for administrators, principals, curriculum directors and teachers who know they need data driven but want the best ways to move forward in ELA and Math. Data-Driven Instruction Webinar Topics: What does data-driven instruction look like in the classroom? How can technology change formative assessment methods? What types of digital ELA and Math programs support CCSS implementation? Attend this webinar live or get a link. Information on Webinar Sponsors: LightSail Literacy accelerator featuring top tradebooks with in-text assessments, delivering instant data to teachers. Mindful Data award winner, EdSurge and Digital Promise DILAs. CommonSense Media ELA Top Pick What I think is great about LightSail is that close reading questions are delivered right inside text. Teachers can track student engagement in real time. It takes something that every school wants to do - engage students with great reading — and adds tools to help teachers in powerful ways. It is the way ebooks can evolve to help students and teachers partner to help kids learn. Learn about LightSail TenMarks Math platform powers a new generation of math learners with practice, instruction,assessments and real-time interventions. NSBA Technology Innovation Showcase winner. Common Sense Media Math Top Pick I love TenMarks. The basic account with all of the problems for your students is FREE. You can purchase a subscription to give you more access to data and powerful tools to take your math instruction further. This is a wildly popular site for math teachers everywhere. Learn about TenMarks Why the webinar? If you’ve listened to my show, Every Classroom Matters, you’ll know that I love to talk to great educators. I want you to have practical examples about what works. When I find things that work, I want you to know about them. So, mark your calendars! On December 3, let’s get together and talk data driven instruction. Not pie in the sky but how it really works. Register for the free webinar Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored webinar." 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 Meet Schools Where Data Driven Instruction Drives Achievement appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Things are tight for educators everywhere. Not many educators are getting raises and many jobs are being cut back. I think Chevrolet’s new Educator Discount program can help many of you who are looking to buy a new vehicle. This program is open not just to teachers but to any educators in public, private or higher-ed.  So, as you shop, make sure you go to the Chevrolet website and fill out the form to get your discount. On top of the discounts that Chevrolet regularly runs, they have a new Educator Discount program. This includes paraprofessionals, administrators — anyone working in education. You just have to register for it on their site and claim it. And it is pretty significant. Go to Chevrolet’s Educator Discount Page I asked my husband — proud owner of a Chevrolet truck — about the discounts and he scratched his chin and said "you may be buying the next one." As you budget and plan this year, those of you planning to get a vehicle — definitely factor this discount into your plans and tell your friends who need new transportation. The discount is there — we need to use it. (Available until September 2015.) Learn more I think it is great that Chevrolet is doing something specifically for educators. I’m sure we all appreciate any high quality company who gives significant discounts to educators. Every little bit helps. Happy Holidays and happy shopping. Enjoy! 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 New Chevrolet Educator Discount #sponsored #thankateacher appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

What are #AcWriMo #DigiWriMo #NanoGenMo #NaNoWriMo ? Prof Hacker: The Chronicle of Higher Education November 12, 2014 The discipline it takes to put your derriere in the chair and write has become a cooperative effort every November. Learn about the current group efforts. If you’re on Twitter or Instagram or anywhere that uses hashtags, you might be curious about all this Mo stuff going on! Beginning with #NaNoWriMo - "National Novel Writing Month" it seems like everyone is writing in November. Anastasia Salter has a fantastic explanation of all of the Writing activities in November. Mark your calendar and plan this for you and your students next November. (If you’re like me, you mark your calendar WAY in advance.) The post What are #AcWriMo #DigiWriMo #NanoGenMo #NaNoWriMo ? [Link] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Remembering who I am I am not an avatar nor am I an id I am not my Twitter nor my online identity I am not my LinkedIn and my blog isn’t me I’m a mom and a teacher in all simplicity. Tis easy to get caught up in "being something" more when what I am to be is often the two feet on my floor. No one else can hug my kids nor wipe a wet tear love the unlovely or calm the raw fear. The pressure from "somewhere" to be some kind of star is deceiving and distracting from helping us be who we are. Balance, perspective, focus, and time offline will become successful habits of the overachieving mind. Reject the invisible hand that pushes you to stress think what you want and how time should be spent best. Choose your life’s course, don’t just flow with the stream, you can be more…but it should fit with your dream. by Vicki Davis ### Take the Thanksgiving Day Dare: Be There I came across this old post from 2008 and thought the poem "Remembering who I am" needed a fresh remix. It still speaks to my heart. As many of you have moved into social media, it will speak to you too! Remember who you are teacher. You teach with your life every day. And right now you’re a family member or friend. Remember those precious babies and adults and parents across the table from you tomorrow. They need you THERE! Let’s give a present on Thanksgiving by being PRESENT. Be intentional. Be there! There will be people who have their day ruined tomorrow by a text message or a tweet or a Facebook update. Why not put the cell phones up and just enjoy being present? Have a basket by the door and deposit elsewhere there in the form of your cell phone. Be there - REALLY THERE. Make some memories. Eat some pie. But don’t be the person texting on their cell phone the whole time — that person is going to be the turkey. Hide your cell phone from yourself tomorrow. I dare ya! The post I Dare You To Be There: Remember Who You Are! appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

CoolCatTeacher’s Top Tech Gifts, Tips, and Hacks Edutopia November 21, 2014 So you want to give a tech gift? Technology can be tricky but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are tips, tricks, and hacks to give great tech gifts. In this article I wrote for Edutopia, I will help you figure out: How to Share Apps, Movies, and More on iTunes Get Free family shipping from Amazon Gift actual books, music, and movies from your favorite service (and one that won’t let you.) The gadgets I recommend to enhance Microsoft Surface Pro, MacBook Pro, iPads, and any Smartphone (particularly if you’re filming) as well as iPhones Get ideas for giving personal technology gifts What if you’re out of town? Schedule an email to be sent on the day of your choice. My favorite subscription services to give. My favorite headphones I spent a long time collecting this together, so I thought you might want to know before black Friday. (I stay in my comfy chair and shop at home - always!) CoolCatTeacher’s Top Tech Gifts, Tips and Hacks The post CoolCatTeacher’s Top Tech Gifts, Tips, and Hacks [Link] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.