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.

Mashable has a touching story of the correspondence between Charles Schulz, author of the Peanut comic strip, and LA Schoolteacher Harriet Glickman. Glickman was upset that Peanuts, Schulz’s comic strip wasn’t integrated. The letters they wrote and the dialog show the signs of the times. In her first letter, Glickman poured out her heart. "I believe it will be another generation before the kind of open friendship, trust and mobility will be an accepted part of our lives." At first Schulz responded "… it would look like we were patronizing our Negro friends. I don’t know what the solution is." But by the summer and after more correspondence, Glickman got just the response she wanted "I have drawn an episode which I think will please you." and asked Glickman to check the July 29 paper. On July 31 Franklin joined Charlie Brown’s crowd of friends. It was just one but it was a start. Just four months after her first letter, a new Peanuts character was born. Another teacher who made history not because of her works, but who she influenced. We do it every day. Our world needs us to keep impacting it in positive ways. A Thought I hope you’ll take time today to contemplate this story and read the full article on Mashable which includes videos, letters, full comic strips, and more. It would make a great study. As for where we are today, I have only one thing to say… When we are divided, look at how far we’ve come. When we see how far we have to go, take one step in the right direction.   The post The School Teacher who Helped Charles Schulz See the Light appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

So, today as you’re thankful, here’s a precious video you’ll love. This beautiful little 7 week old baby boy named Lachlan had severe hearing loss. Watch his reaction when he gets his first hearing aids and he can hear. Your hearing, your sight, everything around you- this life is such a gift. Be so thankful today! Happy Thanksgiving! The post Lachlan hears for the first time [Video] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

What is Mystery Skype? 7 Steps to get Started Craig Kemp November 16, 2014 Level up a little every day. You can do it! Mystery Skype (or Mystery Hangout) is a quick high-impact way to get people talking positively about technology and your classroom. It is one of the easiest ways to connect globally and start on your journey of collaborating globally on a massive scale. It is simple enough that every single teacher can do it. Craig Kemp has written a super simple guide to get started. Remember you can use Google Hangout, Facetime and other methods. Video is great! You can do this! Innovate like a turtle! The post What is Mystery Skype? 7 Steps to get Started [Link] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

A few weeks a go I spent time with Craig Kemp for a quick 15 minute talk about  teaching and more. This interview was at the end of a  very long day but I found Craig to be a great interviewer. (Kinda interesting after doing all the shows I do now being on the other side of the questions!) I hope you’ll follow Craig’s blog and get to know him on Twitter. He is part of the powerful #whatisschool chat on Twitter. The post Interviewed by Craig Kemp #whatisschool cofounder [Video] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

I visually organize my office and my tasks. Recently, I created this video to give you some tips on how I organize my office visually, and in particular, my social media activities. I hope this helps those of you who struggle with routine. If you’re visual (like me), you might forget to check that box in your app. You will not forget things that are in your face. Let me know if you have a visual method of organizing your office that you’d like to share! The post Visually Organize Your Office appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

"New research suggests the amount of education a woman has along with having children later in life are key predictor’s of a child’s success in adulthood." "These results provide compelling evidence that having a child during adolescence has enduring negative consequences for the achievement of the next generation." Rick Nauert Sandra Tang, Ph.D - University of Michigan (Mother’s Education Key to Child’s Academic Success: Psych Central News, November 11, 2014), What is the definition of "later in life" in this study? Why, after high school or older than 18. Having children "later in life" makes that much difference! The post Mother’s Education Key to Child’s Success [Quote] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Tinashe Blanchet engages students in math content using videos. She and her students have created winning math videos for the Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators video contest. Listen to Tinashe Blanchet Add @mrsblanchetnet to your PLN @mrsblanchetnet mrsblanchet.net Tinashe Blanchet- Show #106 - Math Can Be Fun: Teaching Math with Creative and Engaging Videos Tinashe works in the largest school district in Louisiana as the Digital Engagement Specialist for Jefferson Parish Schools. She created a name for herself when she and her secondary math students created award winning math videos for Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators. She finds that if a student is given a camera and a clearly written rubric, they will produce amazing video artifacts. Tinashe talks about using technology in the classroom and using tech tools in order to accomplish the curriculum and not to become over whelmed. Listen now to find out what Tinashe would recommend for use in the math classroom now. Listen to Tinashe Blanchet 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 Teaching Math with Videos appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

If you can’t see this slideshow in your RSS reader or email, then click here. This past month as part of the Grand Canyon University Global Mastermind Workshop, I updated my 50+ favorite tools for schools presentation. Since today is my blog birthday (9 years and counting), I just want to say thank you to all of you who read my blog and teach me so much! I’m very grateful for your support. It is pretty amazing that I get to stay in the classroom and share with you. Pictures like those below fill my heart with gratitude that my dream of being a writer can peacefully coexist (most of the time) with my love of teaching. Thank you to all of you who tell your friends for truly, I am a product of all of you out there who tell your friends, email them my posts (it astounds me how many of you do that), and share things  you learned here in your staff meetings. Thank you for an amazing nine years and teaching me so much. Your comments, tweets, and stories inspire me to be a better teacher. An amazing audience for the project based experience - the Grand Canyon University Global Mastermind Workshop in Phoenix Arizona this past November 18, 2014. What an incredible experience! The post 50+ of my Favorite Tools for Schools [Slide] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

This older video is making the rounds on Facebook. You can use it to teach so many things. Zone of Proximal Development (H/T Dr. Cheri Toledo), the anxiety of learning new things, and just the encouragement we need to try one more time. Look! At one point the little fella tries to quit but goes again when his older companion helps him return to the task at hand. Listen to the puppy whimper! Sounds like some of us when approaching math. If you want something to have your students write about this - this video would be a great one. You can talk about the process of learning as you write. Just think — you and I as teachers get to be the bigger puppy every day. But guess what — if we’ll admit it, we are often the little guy sniffing around a new technology or pedagogy not really sure if we can do it. If we are true to our craft, we are both. We need mentors and to be mentors. We need to teach and be taught. For both are sides of the same coin. I always say innovate like a turtle. Today I’ll ask you to innovate like this puppy. You can do it! Level up a little every day! You’ll be glad you did! The post Puppies Teach About Teaching [Video] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

When the subject of the flipped class comes up, many educators see how it applies to academic subjects like math and science education, but don’t realize that the methodology has applications in a wide array of other classes. According to a survey of 2358 teachers by the Flipped Learning Network and Sophia Learning (PDF, 1.2MB), 33 percent of those teachers who are flipping their classes are math teachers, 38 percent are science teachers, and 23 percent teach English language arts and social studies. But can you flip the other subjects? Can you flip an elementary classroom? The answer is a resounding yes. Aaron Sams, Jon Bergmann Flipped-Learning Toolkit: Flipping the Non-Flippable Classes (Edutopia, 2014), Can you flip classes like PE, dance, and elementary education? This article from Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams shows you how. For example, I have some girls who want to flip cheerleading practice and are designing an app to do just that. Instead of learning dances at practice, why not upload the videos and music and have the girls learn it before practice? We’re currently going to build this into the app for the school. We call this in-flipping and it is an awesome way to teach! The post Can you flip non-flippable classes? [Quote] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

If you can’t see this slideshow in your RSS reader or email, then click here. App Smashing has become the conversation rage of late. The best explanation I can give you was already given by Jon Corippo in his "App Smashing FALL CUE" presentation. Jon quotes Greg Kulowiec to define app smashing as: Created content with one app Created content with another app or apps Merge content together (smashing) Publish the content to the web. I do this when I look up quotes online (Safari) and then pull them into Quoter, then send them to Instagram to share them. Each app does a different part of the workflow. I love the linear flow and hyperlinks in Jon’s presentation so I hope you’ll take time to flip through it. (H/T Darren Kuropatwa for liking this on Slideshare which then popped this up to my slideshare homepage.) If this interests you: Follow Greg Kulowiec who seems to be quoted everywhere you hear people talk about App Smashing. (Rightly so, he coined the term) Richard Wells (@ipadwells) also has an excellent overview of why you should app smash. (Hear Richard talk about iPads and the SAMR Model) Richard has some fantastic graphics such as the one shown below explaining his smashes. Consider having your students smash and create a similar chart. An App Smash graphic from Richard Wells, he has tons of them. TIP: If you want to find amazing things just follow people like John and Darren on Slideshare. (Here’s mine.) He has so many great presentations as do many others. Inspiration is just a click away on slideshare. (Plus, now you can even create slides on Slideshare using Haiku Deck - how crazy is that? The post App Smashing from Jon Corripo [Slide] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

While studying convergence, my students "invent" a new technology. They are to predict what technologies will converge to make new ones. I’m always in awe of what they invent. I want to share this one with you for several reasons: Eyeshot, R’s product, is a contact lens that takes pictures. While likely more than 5 years away for contacts, it is already here with Google Glass. This was shot entirely on an iPhone. For those of you who discount mobile devices, don’t. This student sees the world so differently. If I want to appreciate the grandeur of nature or simple surroundings, I rewatch the video so I can better appreciate life itself. This student didn’t know her talent until I gave her the chance to show it. Does your school let students invent and create their own movies? My students are a gift to me. They teach me far more than I teach them. Sometimes I just get to sit back and say, Wow. This movie is one of those moments. The post Eyeshot advertisement [Video] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Robots are everywhere, they open our garage doors, vacuum our floors and if you are lucky they even park your car.  Until recently there weren’t many robots in the classroom and now I couldn’t imagine approaching STEM without them.  Using the Sphero robots in my after school programming club has opened my eyes to both what can be taught using simple robots and how to do it.  I want to share with you some tools and tips for teaching with robots. This post is authored by guest blogger, Sam Patterson. In addition to being a fun, create guy — Sam is a K-5 Technology Teacher who blogs at www.mypaperlessclassroom.com and shares puppet videos at www.edupuppets.com. You can find him on Twitter at @SamPatue. I love the Sphero and have one in my classroom. We’ll be giving away one of them in the comments on this post. Just reply how you’re teaching computer science or STEM and how you’d use a sphero and Sam and I will pick one of you! Sphero did not sponsor this post. They did, however, give me one last year and I fell in love with it. They gave me one to give away to a lucky reader (see below.) Happy Hour of Code week! 4 Tips to Start Teaching with Sphero Robots 1. Start simple. While I have a class set of Lego NXT robots, it is challenging to put together a good lesson I can do with several classes with these robots due to their complexity.  Both Sphero Robots and Bee Bots are very simple robots and make content integration accessible to all teachers. As a tech integration specialist for grade K-5 I want a robot that a math teacher is comfortable using.  Sphero has several programming interfaces that make meaningful content area application easy without a steep learning curve. 2. Follow a guide. While Sphero is a connected toy, the Orbotix company has free curriculum that models meaningful content use.  The lesson published as part of their SPRK education program are excellent models for meaningful in class use.  My favorite lesson is the Rate Time and Distance lesson. Instead of learning a formula and plugging in values from a series of word problems about Dr. Patterson on his bicycle, now my students program a robot, observe the results, change the program, and observe the changes.  The math activity runs much more like a science experiment.  The students are guided in a process of discovery about the relationship between rate time and distance. Question: Win your own sphero by commenting on this post about how you’re teaching Computer Science or STEM now and how you’d use a Sphero with your students. In case of a tie, we’ll pick the one who responded first. You can leave a comment by clicking here. 3. Support play. When my students begin using Sphero, I give them time to explore what the robot can do, and they have fun.  I don’t have them begin by all doing the same thing.  I show them about one-third of the controls and then I give them some challenges.  Discovery is an important part of learning, and if I didn’t give them the time to explore they would be playing while I wanted them to explore rate time and distance. 4. Invent your own lesson. I appreciate the lessons Orbotix has written because they clearly illustrate how these robots can be used in lessons that support common core standards in math and science.  These lessons can provide any teacher with a great starting point for designing their own robot augmented lessons. Sphero is one way to do hour of code. This school ordered Tshirts. Remember that while the "official" hour of code is in December, you can do Hour of Code any time you want. You can have an hour of code once a month or a week. You decide. Great program and lots of resources! 4 Top Tools for Robot Augmented Instruction 1. Tape. Masking tape or blue tape can be really helpful to organize a small herd of robots in a class.  I use tape to mark the start and finish lines for robot races, and to designate the goal for a game of robot boccie ball.  Tape goers down quick and comes up easily (as long as you don’t leave it there too long.) 2. YouTube. There are so many great ideas about how to use a Sphero robot on Youtube.  This video inspired me to give my students a design challenge to build and race Sphero chariots. 3. A label maker. Once I had 12 Spheros for my classes, I labeled each one with a number and then I associated each Sphero with only one iPad.  This made it easy to start class, I activated Bluetooth on iPads 1-12 and woke up the robots, within a minute they were all associated and ready to roll. Pedagogy Pro Tip The Sphero programming interface MacroLab enables a teacher to email a program to a student.  this means as I assemble my lesson I can create scaffolding for my diverse learners by writing starter programs for my students. This makes the lesson accessible to all the kids in my class and allows me to deliver extra support discretely, keeping those students involved in the learning without asking them to single themselves out for more help. As you explore how robots can ad to the learning experiences in your classroom, I hope you share your journey with us here.  Everytime I show teachers what I am doing with these simple robots they give me more amazing ideas about how Sphero can support lessons in geometry, math and even color theory. Want to win your own sphero? Just share with us in the comments what you’re doing now and what you want to do with sphero. Sam and I will pick one of you to win your own sphero for your classroom or club. Good luck! (We’ll pick the winner around December 15. In case of a tie, we’ll pick the person who responded first.)   The post Top Tips for Teaching with Robots (using Sphero) appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Picasso was known to be the kind of person who literally sucked the energy out of everyone who spent time with him. Austin Kleon shares this story in his book Show Your Work! (see the book review). Kleon says: "Picasso’s granddaughter Marina claimed that he [Picasso] squeezed people like one of his tubes of oil paint." In what some might call the pre-Facebook version of "unfriending," Romanian Sculptor Constantin Brancusi said he would no longer be around Picasso. After a day in Picasso’s presence, Brancusi said he had nothing left with which he could create his own works. Meanwhile, Picasso would paint late into the night while everyone he interacted with that day was exhausted. Picasso was a human vampire: he sucked the life out of others.  (He was also a creative genius, so interpret this as you will.) I think it is helpful to reflect if we have vampires in our own lives. Do you have someone who is squeezing the life out of you? Here are some questions I ask myself as I reflect upon my relationships. 7 Ways to Know if Someone is Squeezing the Life Out of You How do you feel after you hang out with someone — energized or listless? Do you find yourself upset and unable to concentrate after spending time with them? Does this person constantly tell you upsetting gossip or other things that make it hard to do your job or function? Does this person listen to you? When they do are they encouraging and positive or do they prod you to go deeper into your negativity? Does this person ever have anything positive or invigorating to say? Are you a better person for having this person in your life? Do you look forward to talking to this person or find yourself dreading them? Aren’t We All Vampires Sometimes? OK, I know what some of you are thinking — you can’t avoid colleagues who are vampires and if your boss is one — then watch out. But I hope you’ll consider this in addition to how you already think about your relationships. Some people thrive on drama. Others thrive on taking their baggage and asking you to carry it around. Others are just negative Nellie’s who forget that you seem to find what you look for in the world. We’re all mistake makers but some people stew in the mistakes of others. At the risk of mixing metaphors - let me mix up some sulphuric acid. Listening to some people for very long is like drinking sulphuric acid - it will eat you from the inside out. We all get negative sometimes. I totally do it too. But some people major in minor annoyances. If whining deserved a gold medal, they’d be Michael Phelps. They live it. Stew in it. Wear it between their eyebrows and on their face. If you love that person and can help them turn around, then great. But if they are vampires — look out!!! They will suck the life out of you -(and likely your love of teaching with it). The Case for Necessary Endings I really do believe as Henry Cloud says in his book Necessary Endings  that there are times we must make necessary endings in relationships. Surely, there are relationships you cannot easily sever. I don’t want you to use this post as an excuse to walk away from parents, spouses, or siblings. Those are typically relationships worth nurturing and improving. But there are some vampires you can leave. While it is excruciatingly hard and can be ridiculously expensive if you’ve intertwined yourself financially with someone, life is  too short to have close relationships with vampires. You can work with them. You can be around them — but do you want to have them as one of your closest friends? What Do You Do with Vampires? First, acknowledge there’s a problem. Can you go for 24 or 48 hours without interacting with this person? Is your life better or worse? If this is a person who you have to work with — how can you guard yourself? If you think this is a person you need to get away from read Necessary Endings - Dr. Henry Cloud gives great advice in this book. If you think you’re the vampire (who hasn’t been at some point) then acknowledge that you want to change. There are books, videos, and  resources to help you with your thinking. Because thinking leads to what you say and how you live. If the classic book The Power of Positive Thinking is too Pollyanna for you, then try The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success by Andy Andrews. Lessons Learned on the USS Petri Dish One last example I’ll give you is a cruise my family went on this past year. We were so excited to be on the cruise - but by the third day of the cruise everyone (but me) was in their stateroom sick. In two cabins we had cases of strep, flu, pink eye, and mono — and my husband had three of them at once! This cruise ship is just like a toxic person or work environment. Can you live in it ? Yes. Can you possibly stay healthy in it? Yes. Is it hard to stay healthy when surrounded by disease? Absolutely! You are more likely to get negative yourself if you are around the disease of negativity all the time. Anything can go viral: vision, joy, and especially hopelessness. You can be a colleague but you don’t have to be a best friend. If I have a wish for you in 2015, it would be to avoid the vampires. They’ll suck the life out of you. There will be nothing left for you to live on yourself. And if the vampire is you — you can change that too! The post 7 Ways to Keep Others from Squeezing the Life Out of You appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.