image credit: watipon via freedigitalphotos.net Years ago there was a man who was a writer.  He worked hard to make ends meet, he didn’t have much, and he lived in his car.  But this man believed in the stories he had to share.  He contacted publisher after publisher to see if they would publish his first children’s book.  Twenty-three publishers told him they weren’t interested and rejected his manuscript.  But the writer kept trying.  Finally, the twenty-fourth publisher he contacted accepted his book…and sold six million copies of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, by Dr. Suess! Dr. Suess succeeded because he had the Habitude of perseverance: the ability to sustain interest, effort, and commitment in any circumstance that life presents.  He persisted in his quest to get published even when it seemed like no one would ever tell him yes. Perseverance is the cornerstone of any successful endeavor, but it develops over time and with practice.  The following reflections are helpful for getting a better sense of this Habitude and how it affects our lives and our learning.  Try using this list with students to help them realize how they persevere and to discover how perseverance is essential to learning. - I am determined to understand… - I showed persistence today when I… - I believe persistence helps me to… - The hardest thing about persistence is… - When I get stuck on a problem, I try to solve it by… - One new strategy I used to solve a problem today was… - I have found the best way to stick with a challenge is… - When I persevere, I feel… What reflections would you add to get a sense of what perseverance looks like in your life and in the lives of your students?

  Having authored seven books printed in the traditional way, I’ve decided it’s time for me to explore the brave new world of e-publishing. I have created a lot of evergreen content over the course of my career and am excited to find new ways to freshen it up and share it with you again. I’ve curated some of my best content about passion, and why it matters, in a new e-book titled, appropriately, "Passion Matters." It’s available for a free download by signing up below: Get Your Free eBook: "Passion Matters" When you access the book, we’ll invite you to join my new email newsletter. Readers have asked me often to create a newsletter, and now that I’m writing regularly on several websites, the newsletter, which we plan to send once a week, will be a convenient way to access the content I’ve published that week. I’ll also be sharing content from my archives, on teaching literacy, professional development, and of course Classroom Habitudes. Please also connect with me on these other platforms. · Twitter @AngelaMaiers · LinkedIn angelamaiers · Google+ Angela Maiers I look forward to expanding our conversation! Angela

I recently had the pleasure of discussing the Habitude of curiosity, and its impact on education, with the wonderful Doug Rice.  Doug is an engaging writer and researcher who also records a podcast that explores learning and discovery across an array of disciplines.  You can listen to our conversation here. Doug also recently published The Curiosity Manifesto, an inspiring book about having the willingness to explore avenues and ideas that may make us uncomfortable but, in the end, will make us better. Doug pulls from a great amount of psychological research to show how we all tend to close our minds to learning. He then provides some tips on how we can break through those mind blocks and open ourselves up to everything the world has to teach us. Doug’s book fully embodies the essence of the Habitude of curiosity! Rather than just accepting that some things are uninteresting, Doug pushes us to be proactive in taking an interest in new things. He prompts us to ask questions of the world around us instead of simply accepting things as they are. He begs us to embrace learning as a way of life. Perhaps the best part of the book is the passion with which Doug writes. It practically bleeds through the page! You can see, as he tells each story and asks each question, that he desperately longs for his readers to become more passionate about learning.  And that’s something I can get behind!

Image credit: atibodyphoto via freedigitalphotos.net A simple yet powerful way to let students know they matter is by using what I call the 2-5-2 method on a daily basis: Ask all teachers to greet each student by name as they enter the class, and then make a positive remark about several students in the first two minutes of class. Commend at least five students in each class period for their contributions to the discussion. Finally, reserve two minutes at the end of each class to reflect on what everyone learned that day. As the inspiring late educator Rita Pierson said, "kids don’t learn from people they don’t like." Value your students. Demand they be the best they can be. Show them that you are willing to be a champion for them. You can read more about the ideas behind the 2-5-2 method in "Secure Their Hearts or You Don’t Have a Shot at Their Brains," my column in the Huffington Post.

Adam Carroll is a longtime friend and colleague from Des Moines who is dedicated to teaching people to be more financially literate. He has a campaign on Indiegogo to raise funds to finalize his documentary about the student debt loan epidemic in America called Broke, Busted & Disgusted. Please consider donating! Financial literacy is an important topic for students I meet at Choose2Matter LIVE events. A group of students from East Greenwich High School is working to make financial literacy part of the core curriculum in RI. I met with Adam recently and, given the critical importance of this topic, I asked him to submit this guest post. ***** I spend a good part of my year speaking on college campuses, teaching students the virtue of living below their means, only borrowing what they absolutely need, and going after scholarships like it’s their job. My passion is helping young professionals succeed faster by finding their passion, and having the wherewithal to go after it. Yet, year after year, I see colleges and universities graduate students who have no real clue what they aspire to, and to boot are tens of thousands of dollars in debt. The payments on the debt require many of them to take jobs they wouldn’t otherwise have taken, and within a few years they seem lost in their own reality. Many of them ignoring or at the very least keeping their unique gifts in reserve. What if we could liberate their genius through their finances? I maintain that we each possess an "inner knower" that innately knows our God-given talents, our special gifts, and our unique calling. As a speaker I once heard said, "we are on this earth, not to be employed, but to be deployed." Yet it’s the lucky few who actually realize what their deployment is. The rest of humanity seems to be going to work because it ‘just seems like the thing to do’ and we’ve got bills to pay. In America, we graduate from high school feeling very proud of ourselves. If we follow the oft-given advice of going to college, we are ascribing to the notion that you need a degree to succeed. In the process of getting a degree, we rack up a large amount of debt - the average of which for most graduates is $29,200 but can be as much as $80-90,000 for some. Once we land the job (either in our field of major or more often not), we then begin to "lifestyle up". We acquire stuff to fill homes because in large part it’s expected, and it makes us happier (for awhile). We see our neighbors and family who are buying new things and we legitimize that we should probably be doing the same. And as we follow the heavily beaten path, our debt grows and grows. It is a firm belief of mine that we have Four Legacies to leave future generations. It starts with financial freedom, which leads to time freedom, which leads to relationship freedom, which leads to service freedom. What our inner-knower knows is that we were put here to be of service to someone or something. However, the debt begins to cloud our ability to see "the genius". We start working to live instead of living to share our genius with the world. For many, something is missing, but they’re not exactly sure what. Real freedom comes from doing what you love and being content doing it. Content with your time, with your money, with your relationships, and content with the fact that you are leveraging the service you were put here for. Financial freedom is something most Americans will never achieve, and as a result, may never be able to pursue their passions at the level to which they’d like. Let’s make a drastic correction with the next generation. My children’s financial education is one of the most important things I can impart on them as a parent. Though we’re allegedly living "better lives" than generations past, I would argue that we’re simply living "better lifestyles." My grandparents had significantly fewer niceties, but they had enormously more freedom. Isn’t it time we tried trading a bigger lifestyle for a bigger LIFE? The questions my wife and I are pondering as we look at financing college for our 3 children is will college be worth it? And is college the answer for them? The growth in tuition is skyrocketing, and by the time they are ready to go may cost upwards of $250,000 per child (for a state school no less). That kind of investment could buy an apartment complex that would take care of all of us financially for the rest of forever. And most importantly, allow our children the freedom to pursue their genius. My challenge to you is teach your children every facet of money you wish your parents would have told you. Liberate their genius from the bondage of debt. Focus on providing them the tools to become more, not the toys that make them want more. And while I have no doubt you’ll get push back, and comments about all the other kids getting this or that, imagine a future society full of liberated geniuses free from financial pressures. Your children will be walking out the God-given gift their inner-knower told them about - the ultimate service freedom. ***** Adam Carroll is the co-author of the book Winning The Money Game, the co-founder of Succeed Faster Seminars, and the Chief Education Officer of National Financial Educators. To find out more about Adam, check out http://AdamSpeaks.com.

Tomorrow, Choose2Matter LIVE visits Estherville, Iowa. We are spending the day with all 1,400 students in the entire district! It will be unpredictable, nerve-wracking, chaotically beautiful, and utterly, gloriously life-changing for everyone present. Pictures, videos and other content will be shared by participants on Twitter and other social media channels using the hashtags #Choose2Matter #ELCCSD  PLEASE TWEET A MESSAGE OF INSPIRATION TO THE STUDENTS NOW! Updates about the Choose2Matter LIVE experience will be posted regularly to the ELC Facebook page at www.facebook.com/405038082884748 throughout the event. A year ago, we conducted our first Choose2Matter event, with a class of 350 sophomores at Dowingtown STEM Academy. Since then, we’ve visited Bettendorf (IA) Middle School; Gibson Elementary in Palmdale, CA; Hutto ISD in Texas; and East Greenwich High School in Rhode Island. Students at each of these schools have been pursuing world-changing initiatives ever since. We begin these events by asking students a simple question: "What matters most to you, and why?" Unlike most questions that students around the world are asked, this one has no "right" or easy answer. The process of answering this question is the first step in unlocking the unique genius in each student, by focusing them on their values and purpose, and fostering self-awareness. Students have learned that each of them has a unique genius to contribute to the world, teachers have remembered why they chose education as a profession, and everyone who has witnessed one of these experiences has been utterly transformed. The Choose2Matter team is led by Angela Maiers, a nationally renowned speaker and veteran educator; Mark Moran, a corporate lawyer and online research expert; and Ginny Washburne, an education technology expert and veteran educator. Also expected to attend are local business leaders, elected leaders, and members of the Iowa education community. A lineup of special guests will appear via videoconference, including General John Michel, the Commanding General of the NATO Air Training Command in Kabul, Afghanistan, who will discuss courage and bravery with the students. The Choose2Matter team and guests will work with ELC students, staff and community members on the concept behind Choose2Matter when someone believes that they matter and that their actions have an impact on the world, they approach their life and work with renewed passion. ELC students and staff will begin work on their call to action, develop an action plan, collaborate with experts, and begin to implement their plans. The goal is to create an authentic, social entrepreneurship learning experience for students, in which they learn skills that are relevant to the modern world, a world that belongs to our students. ELC Superintendent Tara Paul said, "ELC is embedded in a community that prides itself as a great place to Live, Work, and Play. As an integral part of the community, we want to put action to those words, and make Estherville proud of its students as they display their genius. Choose2Matter will change the hearts and minds of many."

This week I will present two sessions at the 2014 Nebraska Educational Technology Association Annual Conference (hashtag #NETA14). My morning keynote is titled, "Liberating Genius." Liberating Genius is an over-arching term for our Choose2Matter movement and related work that we are doing and planning. Students aren’t the only ones who need to matter; so do teachers, administrators, organizations, companies, communities and, well, let me say it: every other person or entity on earth. We’ve worked with schools and a church group so far, and we plan to offer it to communities, companies, and faith-based organizations later this year. Click here to access my full range of resources on Liberating Genius. I will then have a breakout session on living up to and into your genius. This will begin as a Q&A, and we’ll see where it goes from there! Finally, I will present a session on Digital Literacy. Here is a Slide Deck on this topic. Here also is a Google Doc of digital resources that I recommend. I can’t wait to meet all of you!

Two weeks ago we took Choose2Matter LIVE to the Estherville Lincoln Central School District in northwest Iowa. It was an incredible two days in a very special place, with remarkable, brave leaders and students who astounded me in so many ways. Here is a reflection on the two days from Technology Integration Specialist Jenny Nichtals, who played an indispensable role in making the event a grand success. ***** First and foremost I have to thank the leader of our district, Tara Paul for making this all a possibility. When Angela Maiers first came to ELC in January, she spoke of Choose2Matter and many thought this would not be possible in Estherville. BUT Mrs. Paul believed in our students and community and pursued the opportunity! I am honored to be a part of her staff and believe that we are headed in the right direction!It is really hard to put into words what took place over those 2 days. It was awesome to observe 1500+ students, staff and community members working on passion projects TOGETHER!As Angela was opening the day with her keynote talk, I looked around wondering, "Is this really happening here at ELC?" What a special and powerful day our students get to be a part of. I believe it is very important that we give our students the opportunity to work on these types of passion projects, whether it be through an event like this or a genius hour. As I look back to this WONDERFUL day, here are some of my thoughts: The day really wasn’t about the projects although we had/have great ideas and things our students are continuing to work on after the fact. It was about Being Brave - tears come to my eyes at the bravery of some of our students! WOW! #YouMatter - Each one of our kids by the end of the day had a t-shirt with their genius on the back. Each student hopefully left the day knowing they matter and they can make a difference. Their contributions to our world make it better! Our students have the power to change the world. Together we can make the difference, by using each other’s genius. Collaboration Creation Communication As I sat in a very special place one Sunday, the speaker said, "Turn to your neighbor and tell them they are a masterpiece." I barely kept it together! #Choose2Matter emphatically echoes those words. We have many students that do not believe they matter and it breaks my heart! Somewhere along the years they have stopped believing. As teachers, we can play a big part in keeping the fire burning. Our kids here at ELC are amazing and they all matter. They can and will make a difference.

"Collaboration" has become a buzz word that we attach to any process that involves people working together. This is because we often use collaboration as a synonym for other buzz words that start with C: Cooperation, Communication and Coordination. In doing so, we miss the most critical element - value creation. Collaboration describes a process of value creation that our traditional structures of communication and teamwork can’t achieve. Let’s break it down further and clarify what it really is: Collaboration has three parts: TEAM, PROCESS, PURPOSE Two or more people (Team). Working together (Processes). Towards shared goals (Purpose). A group of people using social software together doesn’t, by itself, translate into collaboration. Technology certainly raises the bar of what is possible, but merely using them does not create value. I say that because I see schools and organizations struggling to understand fit social technologies into their culture. Widespread  platform or tool adaption is not enough. There needs to be a unified plan, an understanding of what these tools can and can’t do, and more importantly how people are going to work together. Great tools available can facilitate such collaboration, but even the best tools cannot guarantee that success. Collaboration: Must be embedded in the culture, where standard and expectation ethic of contribution. People in the classroom or community must recognize they are smarter together. People must work "out loud" - sharing is constant. People collectively solve problems. Together, everyone discovers more innovative ways to be successful. Now this sounds high-tech, but it happens elegantly every day in kindergarten classrooms, where we call it "Show and Tell." We learned how to collaborate in the sandbox with friend and strangers alike-now we get to expand the size of the sandbox and extend the invitation for creation to anyone, living anyplace, any time, anywhere This is where and how disruption happens-when you invite people into the room and assure them that their contribution will be honored, they choose to contribution. They choose collaboration. Tap into of crowd if you believe the most valuable person is the crowd. You must innately believe that smartest person in the room -is the room-and that the more diverse room, the smarter it gets. Collaboration requires unrelenting determination and commitment from those who now understand that the desired result can only be achieved together. People at any level can make an impact, be a leader, break barrier. No only can they ; they must. We are smarter together.

Choose2Matter is proud to announce that it will once again have the honor of selecting a worthy student to receive the Bammy Award for Student Initiative at the Third Annual Bammy Awards this fall. The student chosen will be recognized at the black-tie, red-carpet Bammy Awards event in Washington DC on September 27, 2014. Choose2Matter will assist the award recipient with fundraising efforts to pay travel expenses. Other deserving students not selected for the Bammy Award will receive recognition on our websites, in the many publications to which we contribute, and in other venues and forums. Choose2Matter intends to select a student with the fortitude to take courageous action to create social change, for good. We invite all educators to nominate an individual student who exemplifies the habitudes of a social entrepreneur: Relentless passion Fierce devotion to a cause Courage and fortitude Visionary innovation The Student Initiative Bammy Award will be presented to one student who (i) is nominated by an educator, and (ii) has joined the Chose2Matter movement and shared his or her social entrepreneurship project on Choose2Matter’s community platform on Yoursphere. Click here to learn more about the Choose2Matter Community on Yoursphere. The 2013 Bammy Award for Student Initiative was presented to 13 year-old Mallory Fundora, founder of Project Yesu. To nominate a deserving student, please complete this nomination form. To be eligible, the nominated student must join the Choose2Matter community on Yoursphere, our community platform, and share his or her social entrepreneurship project there. To be eligible for the Bammy Award for Student Initiative, nominations must be submitted by July 8, 2014. For questions, please contact Mark Moran, co-founder of Choose2Matter, at Choose2Matter@GMail.com About the Bammy Awards The Bammy Awards were created by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences, in response to the relentless national criticism of America’s public schools while all that is right in American education is largely ignored. Modeled on the broad scope of the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys, the Bammy Awards are presented by the Academy’s Council of Peers and Board of Governors. The Academy accepts nominations in dozens of disparate categories, selects honorees, and brings together constituents from the entire education community to recognize the honorees. See www.BammyAwards.org

On June 16 and 17, Downingtown STEM Academy will host a two-day Choose2Matter LIVE event. We invite business, education and government leaders from around Pennsylvania and indeed around the country, to actively participate. Please email MarkMoranMES@GMail.com if you would like to attend, so that we may put your name on the guest list. SCHEDULE: Monday June 16 7:30 am: Introduction by Angela Maiers and Mark Moran; video appearance by USAF General John Michel from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Daniel O’Neil, of the Center of Innovation at The Mayo Clinic. 8:45 am: Personal stories and heartbreak mapping 11:00 am: Development of action plan and declaration of intent 1:30 - 2:30 Day 1 Closing Tuesday June 17 7:30: Day 2 Opening 8:30 - 1:15 Action Plan Development 1:30 - 2:30 Day 2 Closing Background In June 2013, Choose2Matter LIVE launched at Downingtown STEM Academy. We told students that they were geniuses, and that the world needed their contribution. A group of innovation experts visited via videoconference to provide a "real world" perspective. We then asked students to gather in groups so that each student could answer the question "What matters most to you - and why?" The answers to this question steered students in the direction of their "heartbreaks," and challenged them to develop plans of action to solve it. Students formed more than a dozen nascent social enterprises to tackle problems. These ranged from providing an EMS service in third—world countries to curing Type 1 Diabetes to improving the ways that schools address suicide to encouraging teens to be positive role models. Teacher Justin Staub wrote about some of these ventures. The students Tweeted extraordinary messages, such as these: "It’s amazing, wonderful and overwhelming how quickly this came together, and I’m grateful to be part of it." "I have never been prouder to be a student at STEM than I have these past two days." "It’s unbelievable how much a group of teenagers can do." Downingtown students created this video capturing the experience, as well as this video describing how the event impacted them. Additionally, a group of six DASD STEM students presented the results of the experience at the prestigious Business Innovation Factory Summit in Providence, RI in October. Watch the video. Since the event at Downingtown, Choose2Matter LIVE has visited five other school districts across the country. The team reports that the experience has gotten even better each time, and everyone who has witnessed Choose2Matter LIVE has been utterly transformed. Third-party reports confirm this: ·      "Choose2Matter Should Be an Every Day Event" - Estherville Daily News ·      "A Nice Day for a Revolution" - reflections from a RI HS student. Choose2Matter has also met with prestigious companies and top universities. Each emphatically stated that, for students to "break out of the pack" when applying for college seats or employment, they must have a record of exploring their passions, authentic problem-solving, service to others and innovative thinking.  

In 2008, a new era began - the Social Age. That’s the message of Ted Coine and Mark Babbitt, the authors of an upcoming book, "A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive." I recently spoke with Ted and Mark about how they define this new age and what it means for individuals and organizations. Here are some of the takeaways from their conversation: * The Social Age is not the Technology Age. New technologies, though powerful, are merely the tools that allow us to connect and be productive. Instead, our changing interactions are the defining piece of this new shift. * The landscape for careers, and the educators who prepare students for them, has fundamentally changed. * Engaging in social is no longer an add-on—it is a necessity. * Social innovation offers more than better learning outcomes for students or higher profits for companies. * Everyone has a voice and can connect in the Social Age.   Watch the full conversation below to hear Ted and Mark expand on the ideas behind A World Gone Social.

  I was recently interviewed by Anita Stout, author of Life Isn’t Broken, a blog that celebrates "all that’s good in life." Anita was kind enough to include me in her "Moments of Creation" series, which asks entrepreneurs how they conceived of the idea for their business and how they’ve developed it. We spoke about how the start-up life is frightening and exhilarating; challenges and rewards; my vision for Choose2Matter, and what’s it’s like to avidly pursue your passion. Read the full article here. Click on the image below to learn about Mattering IS the Agenda, our toolkit to transform school culture. Click the image to learn more!

The You Matter message is resonating with educators more than ever before. Interest has been strong in "Mattering IS the Agenda - a Toolkit for Transformation," which helps schools create a #YouMatter culture in school. Nearly every keynote I’ve given in the past 30 days has been on #YouMatter. I asked a school district to have 50+ educators vote on which of three keynotes I would present at Convocation. You Matter won by unanimous decision. A #YouMatter panel at ISTE had an overflow crowd and blew up Twitter. With this in mind, we are excited to launch a "You Matter" class on Remind. My #YouMatter class on Remind will launch on August 25. Remind is typically used by teachers to connect with students and parents. Teachers are invited to join my "You Matter" class on Remind to receive #YouMatter messages 3x a week to help them introduce a culture of mattering in their schools and communities. Things to know about Remind: Remind helps teachers connect instantly with students and parents. By making communication simpler and more efficient through mobile, Remind improves how teachers, students and parents connect with one another. Remind is free and easy: Sign up in 15 seconds. Personal phone numbers are always kept private, and messages are broadcast-only. Remind is simple: Teachers can use Remind to send or schedule reminders, documents or motivational messages directly to students’ and parents’ phones, with no reply-back. To join "You Matter" on Remind, follow these instructions: Download the Remind app for iOS (iPhone) or Android as a student or a parent. On the app, you can subscribe to multiple classes and keep messages in one place. Search for our class by tapping the "+" next to "My classes." Enter @YouMat and sign up. No smartphone? From the US or Canada phones text @YouMat to 516-321-4580 and follow instructions. You can also visit www.remind.com/join/youmat and enter in your phone number to sign up. Note: We will never see your personal contact information and it will be kept secure. You can learn more about Remind and different ways to use it on their site.

We’ve been creating a steady stream of new products for educator and students. An e-book titled "Passion Matters" Our toolkit for transforming school culture, "Mattering IS the Agenda" A "class" on Remind.com that enables you to regularly receive "You Matter" messages. Coming soon will be more ways to experience our content, such as slide decks, videos and e-courses. Our email newsletter keeps you abreast of our new products, as well as: My most recent posts. My calendar looking forward, with conferences I’ll be at and where. Content from my archives, on teaching literacy, #You Matter and professional development Sign-up below for our newsletter and get your free eBook "Passion Matters." Of course, you’ll be able to easily unsubscribe at any time. I look forward to expanding our conversation! Angela

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On September 7, I was the guest for a Twitter Chat titled, "When People Know They Matter It Changes Everything," live from the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation’s Transform 2014 Conference. It was so affirming to be invited to attend this conference. Nearly all of the speakers who preceded the Twitter chat referenced how vital it is to a person’s well being to have a sense of mattering or purpose. During the chat, we discussed some of the research on the health benefits of knowing that #YouMatter. Find the conversation on Twitter via #TXFMCHAT Here is a link to all of the Tweets that I sent or that responded to something I wrote. Here are the resources that we shared: Video: Angela Maiers Explains #YouMatter 33 Tweets That Tell How #YouMatter is Transforming Schools and Changing Lives. Excerpt from "Mattering IS the Agenda." "12 Things Kids Want From Their Teachers." "People Know They Matter When…." A scholarly article on the history of research on mattering. Our post on "The Science of Mattering." Article: "A Sense of Purpose Strengthens the Immune System." "Experts who examine these troubling youth trends say…adults have undermined the normal, healthy process of youthful exploration, engagement, risk-taking and idealism through overprotective, over-involved parenting, teach-to-the test schools, and a hyper-competitive, commercialized college admissions process…youth who feel pressured to adopt unfulfilling, short-horizon goals and meet ever-greater expectations along a narrowly defined path to success, without due regard to their own inclinations, health or well-being." Driven to Succeed: How We’re Depriving Teens of a Sense of Purpose. "Teenagers who are given responsibilities relevant to their world have fewer behavioral problems than those who did not." The Truth About Teenagers. "There is ever-increasing data that show that when we care for others and feel close to them, we improve our own health and even our longevity. We are designed to care and to connect. By helping others we help ourselves." - The Science of Compassion "When the impossibility of replacing a person is realized, it allows the responsibility which a man has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all its magnitude. A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the "why" for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any "how." - Victor Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning; excerpted in There’s More to Life than Being Happy, The Atlantic. In a survey of young people in the UK, 9% agreed with the statement: "I have nothing to live for." - Study: Young people ‘feel they have nothing to live for’ "When individuals adopt what we call a meaning mind-set — that is, they seek connections, give to others, and orient themselves to a larger purpose — clear benefits can result, including improved psychological well-being, more creativity, and enhanced work performance. Workers who find their jobs meaningful are more engaged and less likely to leave their current positions." -  Millennial Searchers  ****** Do you want to know more about how to use words to encourage, inspire and challenge, to change and save lives? See below for information on our toolkit that curates the best of Angela Maiers’ #YouMatter work. As a young teacher, Angela Maiers had an epiphany: people need to matter. They need to be noticed, valued, and honored. Ever since, the "You Matter" message has been changing hearts, minds, and lives. This toolkit curates the best of Angela’s "You Matter" content. It offers a low-cost, high-energy professional development day or retreat, and can be used every day, all year long. It includes an invitation to an exclusive webinar on creating a You Matter culture in your organization. Purchase "Mattering IS the Agenda - A Toolkit for Transformation" below. It includes: Videos of three You Matter-themed keynote presentations by Angela Maiers. A collection of articles on the topic. Links to outstanding writing by other leading voices. Field-tested workshop activities. Digital files for creating reproducible materials such as t-shirts, posters and cards. Examples of "You Matter" activities that have been held at schools and companies. Sample agendas for a professional development day. An invitation to a 90-minute live Webinar, including an extended Q&A, hosted by Angela Maiers and others. Please email MarkMoranMES@Gmail.com with questions about volume pricing or using a purchase order. Individual License - $39.00 School License (for use by one school) - $139.00 Organizational License (for use at a single location) - $249.00          

Do you know someone who is exceptionally innovative in their approach to education? Is there an organization or product that is having a substantial impact on the way technology supports learning? Then it’s time to give them proper recognition! The EdTech Digest Awards recognize the people and products reshaping the way we learn. The awards are divided into three categories: Cool Tool Awards Trendsetter Awards Leadership Awards Subcategories further recognize specific accomplishments, including everything from the best edtech blogger to the breakout mobile app for middle school students, and much more. Visit EdTech Digest’s Awards Program for more information and to submit your nomination. Submissions are due by Sept. 30, so don’t wait to nominate!  

The new school year is in full swing, and the jitters of the first couple weeks are subsiding. Students know which classes to go to when, and teachers are calling on students without glancing at the class roster (at least not too often). With procedures and protocols out of the way, I am reminded of one of the most essential jobs we have as educators: helping each child become all he or she can be.  It’s an exciting and challenging task—and a terrifically rewarding one. My challenge to my fourth graders from the beginning of the year: What is your genius? What is your contribution to the world?  How will you help others feel like "They Matter"? As each year starts, students and I have the opportunity of many "firsts." Each student is creating his/her own "verse" on a daily basis.  The first few weeks of school have set the tone for the entire year. Continuing to build a relationship with each child is so important as teachers embark upon a journey of a new year. Our team started off by watching Angela Maier’s video from this summer You Matter!  They sat silent and glued to the screen as she shared her passion. After watching the video students had lots of questions and comments. Madison - "What does contribution mean?" Brie - "I am not a genius. I don’t know what I can share." Eme - "Can I share more than one genius?" Peyton - "Can my genius be in sports?" Jaxon - "Will we be bragging?" Our fourth grade team decided it would be wonderful to share their genius with others. Ava thought we might be able to inspire others.  They each wanted to create and share their genius with the world.  So I kept my mouth closed and let them create. Before they began, we watched another video that is a commercial for the iPad.  It has become one of my favorites.  Even though it is really for the iPad Air itself, I love the idea of what "verse" the students will create.  What Will Your Verse Be? They began creating, collaborating, and sharing.  It is simply amazing what each of them contributed.  Each student used Notability to create his/her genius.  What they created was added to our classroom movie that we made (see video at the bottom of the page). Then our fourth grade team came up with a brilliant idea!  They worked in small groups and created Movie Trailers sharing the significance of "You Matter"!   They also wrote Bio-Poems. Below is an example of what two fourth graders wrote.   Our fourth graders collectively created a movie that represents our belief in making a difference in the world.  It is an awesome theme for our school year. How can we make a difference? There are myriad ways students can make their passion for change a reality, as shown by the many projects from these students at a school in California:  2014 #20Time Projects in 4 Minutes.  Our fourth grade team will continue to share throughout the year on Twitter and on my blog.  I hope our work will inspire change in your classroom, and will inspire you to share your students’ "verses" with the world. Monica Evon is a fourth grade teacher at Bellevue Elementary in Bellevue, NE. To keep up with her class, you can follow her blog here, and she is on Twitter at @mrsevon1.

Schools have a standardized system and protocols in place for every aspect of student learning — except one: Schools have no system at all in place to teach students how to bring about change in the world. Few, if any, schools offer a set of lessons and practices that guides students through the process of how to approach a problem, insist that change can happen and make it so. If we believe that today’s students are society’s change agents, creators of innovations that will disrupt the status quo and transform our world, then we need our classrooms to be a place where they experience the changemaking process. Over the past year, at 8 Choose2Matter LIVE events throughout the country, I have had the honor and privilege of helping 15,000 change-makers realize their potential and extend their reach and ability to make an impact in the world. I now know unequivocally that all children can be inspired, equipped and mobilized to make a difference in the world, if they understand and are taught the following lessons: 1. You Must Own and Share Your Genius When we spoke these following words to students: "YOU ARE A GENIUS and the WORLD NEEDS YOUR CONTRIBUTION," we were not just saying it to make them feel good. Each and every one of us has an opportunity and an obligation to take this message to heart. Our talents and skills are not intended only to be used for our own good. They’re meant to be shared as an offering to the world. A gift in the truest sense of the word. Answering the question, "What is my genius?" holds out the promise of achieving both power and impact. 2. Vulnerability is Power. At every Choose2Matter LIVE event, every student, teacher, mentor and speaker had the opportunity to tell their story. We listened to story after story of failure, of fear, of humility, of embarrassment, of projects gone wrong, of an idea not turning out as planned or desired. Yet, time after time, these so-called "failures" were in fact life-defining lessons, teachings that led to a transformative experience, a new life purpose and hard-earned success. It’s only when we expose our darkest fears and our greatest mistakes that true growth occurs. 3. Don’t Follow Your Heart — Follow Your Heart Break Rather than stressing about finding our elusive "passion," we embraced an attitude of compassion. Operating much like its close cousin, compassion opens us up to feeling others suffering so we can make ourselves useful to them in their moment of need. Perhaps it should not be surprising that the word compassion derives from the Latin root com and passio, as well as the Greek word patheia. Taken together, this literally translates as "[to] suffer with affection." In a process we call "HeartBreaking Mapping," we strategically and empathetically explored the suffering happening in the world and worked together to discover ways we could use our talents and genius to be useful to those in need. See this post and also this post for more information. 4. Passion Matters The world is not changed by people who sort of care. The world is not changed by learners who sort of learn. The world is not changed by leaders who sort of lead. Sort of caring will get you run over by someone who actually does care. Sort of learning is the path to ignorance-a road that starts comfortably enough, but soon leads to disengagement and despair. Who changes the world? People who are fiercely passionate The world is changed by people who are fully and completely, relentlessly sometimes, unreasonably committed to something they love. People with the focus and excitement to bound through the inconveniences and over obstacles. When you’re passionate about your work and about the people you are doing your work with and for, there are no limits to what is possible. Nothing in this world has ever or will ever be accomplished without passion. Download my free e-book, "Passion Matters," with all of my best free content about passion in the classroom. Also see the landing page for my book, The Passion Driven Classroom. 5. Take Your Ideas Seriously — We Do If students have an idea, however big or small or crazy or epic or ridiculous, we asked that they write it down, pursue it and most importantly, share it with others. Sharing your idea and asking for help can change everything. We practiced sharing our needs and gives and used every new and emerging technology to ensure this happened. 6. You can’t do this alone. (Seriously, you CAN’T do this alone). We are smarter together. Anyone that’s built a thriving business or led a successful project knows this already. You need to surround yourself with people who make you fulfilled, that make you smarter, that support you when you succeed and love you when you fail, that constantly push you to be the best you can be. Collaboration is disruptive - it’s replacing competition as the new way to work. To demonstrate the power of community, we invited our network to join us. Business Innovation Factory and other partners have provided a community of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, teachers, mentors and friends, united in the pursuit of self-potential and social impact. When students understood that their community had their back, everything changed. 7. Dwell in Possibility Realize the impact you could have. Embrace the possibility, the insane possibility that you can make a difference in the world. These are powerful possibilities that are difficult for the average citizen, let alone the average high school student, to take seriously. The moment students began to dwell in the possibilities, they were capable of so much more than they had given themselves credit for. This was the moment creativity was unleashed. This new belief becomes contagious. And that’s when responsibility set in. Students started to realize their ideas, those possibilities are not just there to casually dream. They had responsibility to work collaboratively, honor all contributions and not let one idea or dream be held back. 8. Once you make an impact, you can’t go back.  I cannot tell you the joy I experienced watching these young learners and leaders working together as a community of intention, engagement, passion and love; with the mission of becoming their best selves, living the lives they were meant to live and creating positive social change. I cannot explain the feeling of gratitude and pride I felt knowing that the work we did in this past year directly impacted the way students (and myself, and other mentors and staff) see their lives and what they are capable of achieving in this world. And now that I’ve felt that, and having known 100 percent what it feels like day after day to NOT be making a direct impact in anyone’s life, I know we cannot go back to teaching and learning without meaning. We refuse to. Until we can ensure these lessons are taught in every classroom, we will not rest or waste my time doing anything less impactful. Which brings me to our last and final lesson. 9. Do Not Waste Time The most dangerous word in the English language is tomorrow. The time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, IS NOW. You already have permission You have permission to create, to speak up and stand up. You have permission to be generous, to fail and to be vulnerable. You have permission to own your words, to matter and to help. Do Something Epic — NOW! The world is ready. The world is waiting. When we asked students, which of these lessons was most valuable, they responded in this way. It is my hope in sharing this with you that we may we hold our world to this new standard we know it’s capable of. More than anything, that is what these events were about; to liberate the genius you have sitting in your classrooms now and leverage their collective abilities as changemakers to create differences in their lives and the world. A Plus’s for all!     Learn how to create a #YouMatter culture in your school with our toolkit, "Mattering IS the Agenda."  

  Technology transforms the world in which we live. It can make the impossible possible and is the key to doing more with less. Yet many school leaders are apprehensive about bringing technology into their school, much the way the fellow in this clip fears one of his first sightings of snow: Those who fear technology don’t realize that it’s not the technology that matters—it’s how you USE it and more importantly WHO we become because of that experience. Students are not motivated by technology. They are motivated and transformed when they get to use the technology to connect, create, collaborate and contribute to a world outside of their classroom. Technology CAN make all of that possible — but only if it helps the learner achieve these things. The following presentation and framework help reframe and refocus our attention on what matters most; the learner and the learning. In order to get "TECHNOLOGY right", we must first get "LEARNING right" and see the technology we use through these lens: Opportunity, not Obligation Impact, not Integration Compelling, not Cool Epic, not Engaged Significant, not Sufficient Today, I had the honor of having this conversation in person with education leaders in Seattle. The following resources were shared as a way to help them and other school leaders through the process of effectively deploying technology in a way that not only engages the learner but transforms them in the process. Flip through this deck of my presentation on Getting Tech R.I.G.H.T. Getting technology r.i.g.h.t from Angela Maiers Next, watch this video for a demonstration of how we should properly react to the prospect of introducing new technology, and new ways of doing things, in school.   Additional Resources:  An Open Letter to School Leaders, about using social technologies. This Google Doc for links to the resources referenced in my keynote, and more of my advice to educators, as leaders & learners. The Passion Gap 9 Essential Lessons for Changing the World Secure Students’ Hearts, or You Don’t Have a Shot at Their Brains Reframing, Rebranding and Re-Energizing the STEM Conversation STEM in Words: Let’s Make What We Say Count

I honestly proclaim that everything I have learned about social media, I learned from children. Children have no ulterior motives; they play authentically and transparently. In doing so, they place profound lessons in front of us. How do I know this? From the many times I was privileged to visit with children in their most sacred of habitats: the sandbox. It was there I recognized the sandbox as one of the most fitting analogies for the web and the world we find ourselves a part of now. As a teacher, I’ve seen extraordinary things happen in the sandbox. From friendships being formed to brilliant dreams explored, the sandbox was the place where we created, shared ideas, and learned to love, trust, and depend on one another. Somewhere between grade school and grad school, we moved away from the sandbox, forgetting the lessons that serve us best. As past "Sandboxers," we knew the value of play and the value of the people we had the opportunity to play with. We understood the sandbox was more than just fun and games; it was a privilege, as it was the space that brought extraordinary individuals in our lives together. We learned that everybody had a lot more fun when you played fair. Like the sandbox of our childhood, the web provides us with endless opportunities. It is a space where imagination, ingenuity, innovation, connection and discovery collide, and play is the exultation of the possible. We are entering the most marvelous of ages; an age where influence, power and success will no longer be determined by how hard we work, but rather how well we play together in this space. Our play here has rules, and often the rules mock all ideology and seriousness of work outside the sandbox. The Sandbox Manifesto is both a declaration and an invitation to keep the experience of the sandbox alive and to recognize and honor the wisdom we acquired through our experiences on the inside. As you read these ten tenets, think about these simple truths of leading and influencing others, managing failure, strategic thinking, and resolving conflicts and apply them to the global sandbox we now live and play in. What can we uncover, re-discover and create to make the time we have with one another the best possible experience for everyone involved? Even more importantly, what must we do to ensure that what we create and share has the possibility and potential to make our lives and the world a better place? Play isn’t something we do as a part of our life — it is life. Think of how much you discovered about yourself on the playground, how many friends you made, how sad you were when play was time was over. The Sandbox is a place where anything can happen. The Sandbox Manifesto1. Sharing is Caring. Those who share more, care more, and give with their full heart, find success. 2. Messy is Good. Befriend it. Embrace the opportunity to get dirty, to lose yourself. There is freedom and beauty in messiness. 3. Imagination is your greatest asset. Dream big and dream bold. Anything is possible, but you have to be brave enough to believe this is true. 4. Sand is for filling buckets. It is not for throwing. Throwing sand not only hurts people, it also wastes your playtime. 5. Hugs help and smile always matter. Never underestimate the power of these simple acts of human kindness. They define you. Love is the killer app. 6.Take it to the community. Even when having fun, one must prepare for problems to arise. When they do, turn to your community. There will always be someone in your midst that will help you through it, see it in a new way, and find a way to make it work. 7. The community means both friends and strangers. Strangers are friends you haven’t yet had enough time to play with. Remember what Aristotle said: one hour of play tells you more about an individual than many hours of intellectual conversation. Find a stranger, play with him or her, and see a new friend emerge. 8. You have one job — be remarkable. Nothing less. Do what you love, do it well, do it in the way no one else can or has the courage to do. You are your own genius, and the world needs your contribution. The future belongs to the awesome. 9. You are the master of the fate and the captain of your soul. Whether you’re new or a seasoned professional, the chance of success is equal. Your habits and character matter, and the only limitations are the ones you set for yourself. To win, you need only defeat your doubt. 10. Play is the work. If we honor the tools and the rules, and most importantly, honor one another, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. I invite and challenge you to play on purpose. Consider each of these tenets. Live the manifesto as these kids in the sandbox do. Play is the work. We work better, we play stronger, and we dream bigger when we know we this. The success of our students, communities, and organizations is waiting at the edge of the sandbox.      

Spreading the message of mattering Credit: Barrett Stinson What happens when you ask genius to show up? It usually does, right on time. Two weeks ago, it showed up in droves. 2,300 high school students heard the Choose2Matter message that the world needs their genius. The leadership at Grand Island Senior High believes that students should see themselves as much more than the sum of their test scores and extracurricular achievements. They want their students to believe they can change the world—not next year or after graduation, but today. I was joined by John Michel, a US Air Force General. Just a few months ago, he was serving in Afghanistan, overseeing a 14-nation effort to help Afghanistan build its own air force. Having served through several battles over nearly 3 decades, John knows that the world’s problems can be solved only if everyone contributes. Now back on home soil, John is pursuing his next mission: guiding young leaders. The no. 1 rule of Choose2Matter is "Be Brave." For the students, John puts a very credible face on our call to bravery. John Michel speaks to Grand Island students Credit: Barrett Stinson Barrett Stinson Our approach with the students of Grand Island is different than the one we employed in the past. We are giving students strategic control. We introduced Choose2Matter in a morning assembly and asked students to return later in the afternoon to be part of the leadership team that will help create a culture of mattering in Grand Island for generations to come. We hoped that 100 students would volunteer; we were blown away when nearly 400 did so! What will it look like in two weeks? In two months? No one knows, and that is incredibly exciting. These students are ready to have an impact right now, and it’s a privilege to witness their genius play out. Click these links for local news coverage of the event: Speakers tell GISH students they can make an impact on the world GISH Students Join Choose 2 Matter Movement

This is a guest post from Debbie Stephens, a sixth grade teacher of reading and social studies at Woodward Academy, North campus, in College Park, GA.  People have always asked how in the world I could find the time to include Angela Maiers’ Classroom Habitudes in my lesson plans. I ask, "How can I not include the most valuable lessons for my children?" I realized years ago that ancient civilizations sounded like a tough sell for sixth graders, but I thought, what if we could really get to know the people of those distant times? I looked at my to-do list of civilizations and realized I could easily fold in the Classroom Habitudes. Without curiosity, how would mankind have exploded from hunter-gathers into an agricultural revolution? I let my students use their own curiosity and imagination to explore and ask questions rather than the read-and-take-notes pattern of many social studies classrooms. As we began examining the Neolithic people and the effects of the agricultural revolution, my students were creating a cause and effect chain across my boards. I was facing our Classroom Habitudes bulletin board. The minute they reached the idea of specialization, I asked one question: What Classroom Habitudes would these people have as they began to meet the needs of a Neolithic village? The ideas exploded and the next thing I knew we were creating advertisements for the new "careers" that would be needed! One student remarked, "How could you do any of this without passion?" Here are some pictures of their creations: A student identifies the classroom habitudes a neolithic builder would need. Credit: Debbie Stephens Neolithic farmers would need Imagination, Curiosity, Perseverance, and of course Passion! Credit: Debbie Stephens