Feedly helps you pull together many great sources of information around the web. RSS readers have been part of my curriculum for 10 years. It is time to learn to master this technique to make your life easier. In today’s tutorial video I’ll teach you how to set up Feedly (just the basics) and add 3 sources of information. You’ll learn how RSS works and why it makes your life easier. Video Tutorial: RSS and Feedly Learn the new way to stay updated: RSS. While RSS has been around for a while, few people understand the potential to stay on top of news and interesting things in a snap. Using it can be easy with Feedly. Essential Questions: What is RSS? Why can RSS be hard to find? How do you set up an RSS reader? (We used Feedly) What are 3 Ways to Find RSS Feeds? How Does RSS Fit into Your Learning? What is a PLN? How do you use RSS? How I Teach Feedly to Students I ask students to set up their own Feedly. We add content all three ways I teach in the video. Then I give them times to check their feedly and become familiar with how useful it is. If they have a device, I encourage them to install the app. Once students see it in action for a few days they start to understand. You can also do this with college students and research projects. If you like tutorials and want more, check out Cool Cat Teacher TV on YouTube. I upload quick tips and longer tutorials to help you learn today’s best tools. I like fast, practical ways that get to the point. The post RSS and Feedly: Stay Up to Date without the Hassle appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Oh, dear friends and fellow educators — you are in the throes of January. A teacher at church admitted to me just this past Sunday that this time of the year she lies awake at night figuring out how to better teach this or that. Brrr. The tests are coming. Such things dominate the minds and can cloud the hearts of great teachers who believe (rightly so) that too much testing obscures what we’re here to do. Dear teacher, have hope. There are things to do and precious children to love on and teach. Some of them are struggling, and the last thing on their mind is a test in April or March or whenever. They don’t care about those things because they are hurting. They need a kind word. They need someone to call them by name. They have strengths to discover, and that can’t wait until June when testing is over. You might feel like you can’t give hope to others. You need it too much yourself right now — but let me remind you of something, dear teacher: you are the hope. Suzanne Collins, the author of the Hunger Games,  has her character Katniss in the worst of situations — in an arena being forced to fight to the death. Survival is all these children think. Collins penned, "You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope." Some of these children are just fighting to survive. To these precious ones who need us most — you, my friends and teachers — you are someone’s last hope. They need you to whisper words like those written by Shel Silverstein — the author/artist who penned books like Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree, "Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." Famed neurosurgeon, Ben Carson tells a story of how his fifth-grade teacher noticed that he knew everything about rocks. For some reason, Ben was fascinated by them. So, the teacher pointed it out to the class and asked Ben to stay after school. He encouraged Ben to start a rock collection and said he’d help. That whisper of "Anything can be" to the poor child of a single mom struggling to make it — made all the difference in Ben’s life. Ben is now a neurosurgeon AND a best selling author. In all things it is better to hope than despair. GoethePowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This So the days may be dark, and you may be awake at night thinking about the test. But when you’re tempted to work yourself into a fury, let me remind you — think about THEM. Think about your students: what are their strengths? What are the things they do well? Last night we were at the school meeting with seniors to get their YouScience results. This amazing assessment (that I highly recommend, by the way- do those words go together — LOL), gives students a 50-page report on their aptitudes and abilities. These students are tired and in the midst of term paper season, basketball season, dance recitals and everything else — they came out with their parents to learn about themselves. Some learned they had aptitudes for some things and their eyes opened. It was joyful to see parents say "this so nailed my child - this is just like him/her". Why were they so excited about a test: because this assessment revealed their strengths and didn’t focus on their weaknesses. (Disclosure: My students are a pilot school doing research for YouScience.) So, you can’t do anything about that blasted test you have to administer. And you do have to teach all of this stuff. But I’m begging you not to forget the STRENGTHS. I’m begging you not to forget the gifts in your classroom. Learning can’t start without a connection of the heart.Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Learning can’t start without a connection of the heart. Hope without action is fantasy. Dreams become reality through hope accompanied by a consistent daily habit of moving towards your dream. You have a dream - at least I hope you do - of reaching each of these children and helping them be their best. Don’t make excuses - make possibilities. The author of the Little Prince and famed French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well. Antoine de Saint-ExuperyPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This You’ve got darkness and hate causing these little precious children to struggle. It is not their fault. It is, however, our fault if we let a test blot out all remembrance of what we are here to do. We cannot let our objectives make us lose sight of our primary objectives. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." penned Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are many who will tell you that you don’t have time to love… you’ve got to test. There will be others who will frown and say you have to teach and cannot find a child’s strength… you’ve got the test. I’ll tell you that you can’t have teaching without love and trying to find a child’s strengths. For within every great teacher I’ve ever known is the deep-seated desire to build a better future by educating the minds of today’s students. Every great teacher I’ve ever known taught me an incredible volume while also teaching me how to live life. I’ll quote a few lines from Edgar Guest’s great poem "It Couldn’t Be Done" to those people who say we can’t teach and test: Somebody said that it couldn’t be done, But he with a chuckle replied That ‘maybe it couldn’t’ but he would be one Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done and He did it. Here’s to all of you hope givers. Here’s to all of you exceptional people doing every day what others say can’t be done. Here’s to you, teacher, hope giver, hero of the next generation. Let’s don’t let the cold days of January and the hot tests of tomorrow dampen our passion for what we must be doing today. Teach on, noble teacher, have hope. You can do this. The post Hope for Teachers; Hope for Kids appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Troubleshooting is higher order thinking. Comparing new software with older software has students thinking at a high level too. So, when new software is released, I use it to teach. Three recent software releases give you a great way to teach technology: Announced this week —  Windows 10 is free (as a technical preview until October 1, 2015), for consumers. With it Microsoft releases a new web browser — SPARTAN to replace Internet Explorer The creator of Opera releases another web browser — VIVALDI - out for download. Here’s how to teach with these three new software programs (without having to install them). Windows 10: RAM, Consumer Upgrades, and Processors If you are a beginner or novice — the Windows 10 upgrade is NOT FOR YOU. BUT, you can still teach with it. BEGINNERS SHOULD SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH: Of most interest to me is the ability to have more RAM than the 4 GB that Windows 7 32-bit supports. I did see on the System Requirements that some older 64-bit processors aren’t supported. I am running 32-bit Windows on a 64-bit processor so I’ve been considering an upgrade for a while. I’ll need to dig deeper on this one and may do this early summer. I also have all of my files in Dropbox so if I lose things, I won’t really lose them. Remember that Windows 10 is still in early release, so beginners won’t be ready to install it now. Wait a little but not too long if this appeals to you - it expires on October 1, 2015. Looks like the charms bar is gone and that the tiles are less prominent. Desktop is back too! Teach Using the Windows 10 Release  Teach 32 vs 64 bit processors ( see my microprocessor pizza video and lesson.) Give students a scenario where someone has a 32 bit processor running Windows 7 and ask them to research and write recommendations if they should upgrade. Have students research and explain what an ISO is. Have students examine Windows 10 — or even better install it on a machine and ask them to test and write about it. What is a technical release? Why would Microsoft give away this operating system? Troubleshooting is higher order thinking. Vicki DavisPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Two New Web Browsers: Spartan and Vivaldi Windows has a new web browser: SPARTAN. Some are reporting big performance gains with this web browser. Others say that Spartan is Microsoft’s answer to Windows Chrome. Spartan will also support extensions - something Internet Explorer has not. Windows 10 Spartan can write on every web page, collaborate with others, and read items offline later. It is Microsoft’s answer to the Chrome web browser and some report speed gains. The coolest thing I’ve seen about Spartan is the ability to write directly on the page (think Skitch) and collaborate with others inside the browser. It looks like Diigo-type behavior but in real time. It also automatically downloads items in the web browser to read later. (think Pocket) Vivaldi is from the creator of the Opera web browser. It has a new innovation called stab stacks and lets you take notes inside the web browser. Vivaldi: a new web browser from the original creator of the Opera Web browser. With notes inside the web browser and a fresh innovation called "tab stacks" - whether you use this web browser or not Vivaldi will impact you. There are some new cool features in the technical preview (although extensions aren’t supported yet). This is designed for power users and will even have a mail client built into the browser. Teach Using the Release of Spartan and Vivaldi Interestingly, many students don’t know what a web browser is. All students should understand that there are various web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer (being replaced by Spartan). More advanced students can compare and contrast Opera, Safari, and Vivaldi with other web browsers. Have students test new web browsers and put them in Venn diagrams to compare them. Discuss and have students install extensions. (If you use Chrome, Extensity should be the first one you use as it is the extension to rule all extensions. Yes, I’ve blogged about Extensity and made a YouTube video.) Extensions are mentioned in both of the browser release press coverage — why are extensions such a big deal? Download Vivaldi on a machine and ask some students to test it. You can have them screenshot or screencast a guide to help others get started. Remember that innovation is an opportunity to teach.  When software is new, students have to use their brain and form opinions because there is so little they can look up online! I want my students on the leading bleeding edge all the time — not so they can bleed but so that through the struggle, they can learn to lead. I want my students on the leading bleeding edge, not so they can bleed- so they can lead.Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This   The post Teaching with Windows 10, Spartan, and Vivaldi appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Jeromie Heath engages students by dressing up. Some days he’s Super Mario or a Mad Scientist — other days he’s a pirate. He was even a finalist for People’ Magazine’s teacher of the year (see the video to believe his classroom — notice the standards on the wall - yes, they are still there.) He engages students by immersing them in experiences. On the show, he says, "I’m tapping into their childhood…" If a child feels you have a connection with them… then they start learning. Jeromie HeathPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Listen to Jerome Heathie In the show Jeromie points out that you don’t HAVE to dress up … you can do little things too. Note from Vicki: Jeromie has so much energy, but also a practical approach to what engages kids. Students don’t remember worksheets, but they’ll remember the MEMORIES. We all need these epic moments. Wow. I just love Jeromie! (I talk about the importance of celebration in Reinventing Writing. Every class at every age needs this.)  Add @TeachHeath to your PLN @TeachHeath Mr. Heath Teacher - his website has tons of teacher math, science, and engagement ideas. (You don’t HAVE to dress up - there are tons here for you.) He’s even made a "Common Core" central page to share with parents. Jeromie has a mega awesome YouTube channel with tons of Math and Science Songs including the Math Fractions Song and the Science Rules Song. Listen to Jeromie Heath   Teacher Jeromie Heath’s website has tons of resources for math and science teachers as well as engagement and Common Core. SHOW NOTES: Jeromie Heath - Show #84 - Making Learning Fun: Engaging Students with Imagination Jeromie Heath is an elementary teacher in Seattle, Washington where he makes learning fun. By incorporating imaginative play using songs, games, and costumes, he engages his students in learning. He also uses thematic teaching, games, and music; although he lacks research data, he feels his students perform well on standardized tests. Jeromie calls teaching an art where teachers build connections with students in order to further learning. While also using Understanding By Design and mastery learning principles, it is the zany dress up costumes that students will remember. Listen now to find out how this works in Mr. Heath’s classroom. Jeromie’s Super Mario Classroom We can be the most amazing prop in our classroom. Vicki DavisPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Listen to Jeromie Heath 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. Note from Vicki Davis: I added quite a bit of my thoughts to these notes as well - so this show outline is really a mashup of us both.  Need help listening to the show? Click "Play" on the BAM Radio Site, or subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial. The post Making Learning Fun: Engaging Students with Imagination with @teachheath appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

You don’t accidentally climb Mt. Everest. If you don’t plan to, you won’t. As you set your goals for your life, one of my top time management tips is to plan your ideal week.  Michael Hyatt  shared this tip back in 2011 on his blog and it has made a huge difference since I picked it up in 2012. You don’t accidentally climb Mt. Everest. If you don’t plan to, you won’t. Vicki DavisPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Why does planning your ideal week work so well? In The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg shares how making an appointment with yourself significantly increases the likelihood that you’ll do the item! I’ve found this true. When you plan your ideal week, you’re visualizing what it looks like. As you make choices of what you will (and won’t) do, you’re aligning your week with your goals. While I don’t always follow my "ideal" week, using this method, my ideal week follows me. As my Google calendar reminds me what I SHOULD be doing, I tend to keep up on grading, lesson plans, and videos. I also have worked out five days a week when I redid my calendar in January to include a workout first thing in the morning. You are what you do. What would you do with your time if you could plan your ideal week? Here’s how I do it. My ideal week includes time to exercise, read, write and plan. I also include essential tasks for teaching so that I can keep up. This one habit helps me plan my week and get more done. I color code my week by changing the default colors. Sometimes I can’t do all of these things but that is OK. Notice it isn’t on my main calendar so that I can turn it off and ignore it anytime plans are slightly different. Step 1: Create an Ideal Week Calendar First, create a special calendar on your Google Calendar or Outlook. (see above) You can also download an Excel template (link at end) and do it in there. I call mine "Routine of Excellence." You’ll want a separate calendar so you can turn it on and off. I turn it on as I plan my week. Step 2: Intentionally Schedule the Things You Want in Your Week There is an ironclad rule of farming. When Dad planted corn in the back field, he never… not once harvested soybeans. It doesn’t work that way. You plant what you want to harvest. Make Time to Exercise FIRST If you don’t plant physical exercise in your body — you won’t inherit a physically fit body that can climb to the top of a Mayan temple when you’re on vacation. If you plant all the physical worry of being a teacher and don’t plant something to help soothe your nerves and handle stress — you’ll harvest a shorter, less healthy, unhappier life. Psychologist  Dr. Charles Lowery calls exercise, "The silver bullet of psychology." He claims no medication invented today is better at handling depression and giving you better health than the one habit of exercise. But if you don’t schedule it, YOU WON’T DO IT! Charles Duhigg in the Power of Habit says: "Typically people who exercise, start eating better and becoming more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. Exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change." Schedule exercise FIRST. Plan it. Make time for it. Everything depends upon it - most of all your own happiness. Make a List of the Essential Things You Want to Do Every Week Second, make a list of the essential things you want to do every week. Here are some ideas: Exercise — How often? What times are idea? Going outside - When is a time and place that works for you? Read? Leaders are readers. Important routines (I’ll be sharing more about this but see my Pareto Saturday post) Reading and Learning - You’ll see "IRD" which means "Intentional R&D". I use Feedly for this quick time of reading and learning in field. Journaling? Quiet Time? Reading your Bible or other inspiration? Prayer? Meditation? How do you quiet down and focus on the values that are important in your life. You are what you think. Errands like Groceries or Dry Cleaning? How do you need to close out your day, so you have a list for tomorrow? Essential job tasks: Lesson Plans? Recording Videos? Grading? Email? Social media or writing tasks? Special projects? Rather than choose what project I’ll be working on, I note that special projects will happen at certain times. Pareto Power Zone activities like weekly review, planning menus, laying out clothes. The times when you prefer that you have appointments. Clustering appointments saves time! Spending time with key people: spouse, children, parents, siblings, friends. Include "messing around" time to make memories. Goofing off time is especially important with kids. They spell love T-I-M-E. You don’t have to BE doing something just be around them. Hobby time Time spend moving your goals forward (See Thomas Edison’s info below) Essential housework activities. Essential things that you attend: church, meetings, clubs, exercise classes. Step 3: Schedule Your Time and Set Clear Goals Using your special calendar from Step 1, plan your ideal week including the items in Step 2. If something is in a smaller chunk than 20 minutes, then consider making it a routine or ritual. (See info on the 30/30 app in my 18 Epic  Productivity Apps blog post.) You’re going to run out of room and have to make CHOICES. It is best to make the decision now. Make Time for Accomplishing Your Goals In a sermon series on Leadership, my pastor, Michael Catt, shared that Thomas Edison had a goal to create a major invention every six months. He had as a goal to create a minor invention every ten days! EVERY 10 DAYS. Edison wasn’t an accidental inventor - he was an intentional one. IF you are fortunate enough to know your calling - GO AFTER IT WITH ALL YOUR BEING. I love this quote by John Maxwell You can spend your life any way you want, but you can only spend it once. John Maxwell Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This I schedule time to write my books. Books don’t write themselves. I won’t have a new book unless I put my derrierre in the chair and WRITE. (Same with this blog!) Step 4: Plan Your REAL week this week Fourth. Once you have your calendar as you like it, then get ready to plan your week. If you’ve used an electronic calendar, then just copy the item over to your "real calendar".  If you need to move it around you can because of other appointments. I attached a sticky mailing label on top of an old magnet. After I wrote the places I want to share, I cut them apart. As I share in that place, I move it to the day where I shared it. This way I can keep up with the last time I’ve shared in each place. When I do my social media routine, I Just start with the oldest magnets and move them forward. The question for me is forward progress - not if I get to every place every day. Can people trust me to consistently share helpful things. Routines like this help me keep up with it.  Remember to Plan time for Routines For example, I’ve had a routine for years designed to help me be someone who is consistently sharing helpful stuff on social media. Now, I am spending more time writing books and want to finish this third one. So, I’m shifting my routine so that I schedule many blog posts and social media items ahead of time. Then, I take 15-20 minutes every afternoon to respond to current conversations on various social media. That way, I’m sharing good stuff and participating in the conversation but also carving out larger chunks of time to be able to write books. I use magnets (shown below) to track when I’ve shared and when to keep up with it. When I get to school, I have a beginning school routine that I do that makes my day flow so much better! (See 3 Little Tricks to Smooth Out Your Day) Good luck! Plan Your Ideal Week! So, good luck working on your personal routine. Consider your ideal week. To hit something, you must aim for it. If you aim for nothing, don’t be upset where your arrow flies. Life is too short just to let it go by, be intentional so you can be a leader but it starts by leading yourself! Leaders are repeaters — they repeat the routines and habits that help them consistently achieve greatness. When you want to achieve something - whether it is an awesome classroom, a book, or a family vacation — don’t let yourself get in way of your dreams. Schedule it. Plan it. Do it! BE IT! Helpful Links Michael Hyatt "How to Better Control Your Time By Planning an Ideal Week" (includes his Excel spreadsheet) VAD-my-ideal-week My Excel spreadsheet for an ideal week (I now use Google Calendar but started with this tool.) 3 Ways to Make 2015 Epic on my Edutopia blog QUESTIONDid you try this? How did it work for you? Do you do something similar. Please share in the comments! You can leave a comment by clicking here. The post My Top Time Management Tips: Plan Your Ideal Week appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

When you lose, it hurts. Don’t ever look at someone and think they don’t lose. Don’t think that others don’t fall. They do. We all fail at some time. I failed today. It hurts. In Steven King’s book On Writing, he talks about the many rejection letters he had nailed to the wall in the attic at his home. You lose 100% of the shots you don’t take. We all fail. We all fall. I’ve been struggling with failure and falling this week. At the midpoint of a mega-app programming project with 60 of my students, I’m exhausted and pondered quitting. This morning I got a rejection notice for something I had pitched. I gave it everything I had and believed I was the best candidate. I wasn’t chosen. It nearly broke my heart. In self-pity, I considered letting it take me down. But it didn’t. I won’t let it. Yesterday, Michael Hyatt‘s podcast on "Don’t Quit Before the Whistle Blows" was one I needed to hear. He mentioned Heather Dorniden’s 600 meter race . In the middle of this 600 meter, Heather falls FLAT ON HER FACE. Instead of limping off the track, she comes back in a Secretariat like move - WINS. You lose every race you QUIT. Every single one. You never know - sometimes when you fail and fall down - you end up winning the race you thought you had lost. So, as I called my husband at work on the early side of 6 am to tell him my disappointment, I said, "Well, I guess I’ll have to keep on moving ahead by working hard every single day. There’s no such thing as a ‘big break’ for me only working every single day." In his wisdom, Kip said, "Welcome to life. Usually there’s no such thing as a big break or an easy win. Only very very hard work that pays off in the end." We all want to achieve things. For me, I have a weakness. I guess you could call it that. I love amazing people. In many ways, I’ve always attracted these amazingly busy people as my friends. I love people who overcome. I love people who defy the odds. I love people who are exceptional achievers. I want to sit at their feet and learn from them. I adore amazing. Not (usually) famous, mind you. But people who work hard every day and live exceptional lives. Like my 87-year-old learning lab director, Grace Adkins, who rides 120 miles A DAY on her stationary bike. Or my curriculum director, Betty Shiver, who convinced me to get into teaching. Or people like my new friend Cathy Rubin, who thinks big and dreams bigger. Or my friend Angela Maiers, who pushes hard to help people know they matter after the heartbreak of losing a brother who didn’t know it. Or my friend Kevin Honeycutt, who releases new music on iTunes that he cuts in his basement with friends (in between amazing keynotes). Yet, Kevin takes the time to draw a picture of my son on a napkin to make him feel amazing. My son, John, keeps that napkin in his room and looks at it every day. Or my friend Lee Kolbert, who always bravely says what needs to be said in hard situations. One time the sharks were circling me, and Lee was the only one who spoke and brought reason to the insanity. Or my friends at Edutopia who incessantly push to be more — Betty Ray, Kristin Franklin, and my editor Alan Lipton. I learn just from our email exchanges and Facebook group. Or my friend Lisa Durff, who tirelessly helps me with my inundated email box, so when I come home I can work on the main thing. When I’m exhausted, she helps me rachet down and get some rest. I’m a better person with her helping me. Or my friend Errol Smith, who tirelessly brings radio quality to the Internet and mentors me or his wife, Jeannette, who just knows what to say every time I talk to her. Or my friend Steve Dembo, who showed me Twitter all those years ago and encourages me with his life. Or my friend Alicia Roberts, who hosted me in her home with the most beautiful office I’ve ever seen and a gorgeous view of the Arizona desert. Or my dear pastor Michael Catt, who has encouraged me to keep writing as I rise from the scars of a terrible situation with another man I will not call a pastor but who had that job. He is brave and cares more about telling the truth than being popular. He brings people like Andy Andrews, Dr. Charles Lowery, and Jon Acuff to our church to inspire us. If he sees or reads someone awesome, he picks up the phone so he can introduce his church members to awesome too. How could I consider myself a loser with friends like this (and at least 100 more that I don’t have time to write about and still make it to school this morning)? Or you — I find all these amazing people when I go to conferences and just fall in love with them. Or you — I find all these amazing people when I go to conferences and just fall in love with them. (I’ve found that the people who RUN conferences tend to be AMAZING people by nature. They give so much and work so hard.)  These epic people who live awesome lives without being on everyone’s lips or having more dollars in the bank than they have breaths to take in their life. But the one common thing is that all of them keep going. How can I be an epic person when I let losing make me quit? How can I be like them when I hang my head and walk out of the race when I fall? Come to think of it, how can I teach these precious students who fail every day at something if I don’t embrace my own. The question is never, "Do I quit after this no?" It is always, "Will I keep telling myself ‘yes’?" The question is never, "Do I quit after this no?" It is always, "Will I keep telling myself ‘yes’?"Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This This morning as I worked out to my Daily Burn, the "True Beginner" Coach, Justin, said No challenge. No change. Justin RubinPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This He’s right. When you lose, you only have one option. Take the challenge and change. Get up and move forward so you can win. Falling down doesn’t have to be your permanent position if you get up and keep running. Getting told "no" is just one more "no" that you have behind you as you move to "yes!" As for me, I will not quit. I will not stop. I will keep moving ahead in my calling to write, encourage, and inspire. I’ll keep moving forward into my calling to teach, encourage, and help these precious students in my care. Though I hurt, I will not blame. I will pick myself up - learn - and move ahead. I will not quit. I will not give up. I will survive, and I will thrive. Fail forward. You can do this. The post What to Do When You Fail appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

I’ve never seen anything like this book for teachers. But that is a good thing. In this day and age of crazy busy-ness, this may just be the perfect book for quick inspiration! P is for PIRATE: Inspirational ABC’s for Educators looks like a children’s book but reads like an inspirational kick in the pants for teachers who want to be awesome. I could see a whole school create a 26 week PD for teachers around each letter of the alphabet. My head was nodding yes. I wanted to underline, but the book is just too beautiful. I’m going to keep this by my desk and read a letter and focus on one each day. I just love it! (As I was thinking about it, someone on Twitter reminded me about my Planning to Teach from A to Z  that I blogged some time back. Using the alphabet is such a powerful way to ponder our profession.) Dave and Shelley Burgess have truly leveled it up. They’ve taken this idea into bite sized pieces to remind us who we are. I highly recommend this book for every single school’s teaching library but, I’d call up Dave and get a bulk book deal and get it for every teacher in your school. It is that inspirational. I believe not only do they have another best seller on their hands but that we’ll be seeing great things from these two authors for many years to come. They’ll have us all saying arggg (in good ways) before finishing. Great book for teachers. Buy it now. (It is worth buying in Hard cover!) I received a review copy of this book but have not been compensated in any way for this endorsement. The post Book Review: P is for Pirate appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

"Before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience," says Atticus Finch, the stalwart character in To Kill a Mockingbird. Today, I reflect upon three decisions that have made my life — and can make yours — more epic.   (This is an extension of 3 Steps to Make 2015 Epic, I dedicate this to a dear person in my life working to find herself.) As leadership author John Maxwell says in his book How Successful People Think, "you can spend your life any way you want but you can only spend it once." Spend your life well. Be a better you. "You can spend your life any way you want but you can only spend it once." John Maxwell Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This 1. BE YOU The conference ended, and I’d been talking to some awesome educators in Memphis. The people were so engrossing that I was running late to the airport! As I’m doing the TSA shuffle, I’m not making eye contact. The line is as slow as  a one legged hound dog on tranquilizers. There seems to be something slowing the line down just on the other side of the metal detector.  But all of a sudden, as I rush through the metal detector and pick up my bags, I hear this Elvis Presley voice behind me, "Thank you, thank you very much…" I turned to the voice of Elvis. There he was, buttons busting at the waist — a TSA agent who looked just like Elvis. Same pompadour, same glasses. He even had the snarly grin down. When he saw my glance, he and gave me that superstar smile and pointed his ring encrusted fingers at me. I slowed the line down as I stared in wonder. What would possess a TSA agent to dress like Elvis every day? He was an imitation Elvis. As I hustled off in disbelief, I started thinking about all of the people who make their lives as an imitation Elvis. Indeed, the best of them can make some big bucks in Vegas from what I’ve heard. But some of these men (and women) have stellar voices. What would have happened if they decided to be "ME" instead of "HIM"?  We’ve already had an Elvis, but we haven’t had YOU! Elvis Presley laughed about his intended career, "I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line." Elvis could have been a second rate electrician or a first-rate Elvis. Don’t be Elvis — be you!  Find your purpose. Read great books. Try lots of new things. Look to others for inspiration but be YOU. The picture above is my "new office". We’ve moved my desk from a tiny corner of our workout room to my youngest son’s old room. (I have two of three in college now! Wow!) I love this wall because it is MINE. When we first moved in, someone else helped me decorate. I didn’t love my house as much as I do now because now my house is ME! Shakespeare says "No legacy is so rich as honesty." Be honest with yourself about your strengths, gifts, and your own calling. When you are honest with yourself you can start truly building your legacy. Make a determination today that you will determine to be yourself. Ask yourself questions about yourself. Am I being true to my talents and calling? Do I surround myself with things that represent me? Do I put thoughts and books in my mind that help me be a better me? Who am I trying to imitate? Can I break out and do something that is more uniquely me? You have a unique purpose — find it! BE YOU! 2. BE ETHICAL There’s a funny story where a little girl begs her teacher to tie her shoe. The teacher replies, "You’ll have to do it yourself, dear," to which the girl replies, "Oh dear! I don’t know what I’d do without myself!" So, YOU have this one life for YOU to live. The most winning basketball coach of all time, John Wooden,  had his 7-point creed that I keep beside my desk between my two computer monitors. I read it every day. (pictured below) John Wooden’s 7 point Creed. 1. Be true to yourself. 2. Make each day your masterpiece. 3. Help others. 4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible. 5. Make friendship a fine art. 6. Build a shelter for a rainy day. 7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day. John Boyle O’Reilly was an outspoken poet, journalist and fiction writer advocating freedom for the Irish People. In his poem "Rules of the Road" he says: "Be silent and safe - silence never betrays you; Be true to your word and your work and your friend; Put least trust in him who is foremost to praise you, nor judge of a road till it draw to the end." O’Reilly and Wooden and many great men and women of history knew their beliefs. They knew what to do with themselves. William Shakespeare says, "Mine honor is my life; both grow in one; take honor from me and my life is done." Part of living an epic life is knowing not only who to live for but how to live. "How to Live" is actually the title of one of my favorite songs from "Point of Grace." I play this song as I make decisions and ponder life. Turn up the music Turn it up loud Take a few chances And let it all out Cause you won’t regret it Lookin back from where you have been Cause it’s not who you knew And it’s not what you did It’s how you lived Twelve years a go, I realized that the best days of my life were those I started on my knees in prayer and reading my Bible. I also realized that the only time of the day that was mine was the morning before everyone else woke up. So, if I wanted to live the best life I could, I was going to change my morning routine and get up an hour before the rest of my family. I set my alarm clock for five a.m. Beginning my day grounded doesn’t make me a perfect. (Far from it!)  But it makes me wiser. It gives me strength for the hard moments that come  like a tornado out of a blue sky. Be intentional about your morning. Where do you draw strength? Ask yourself these questions. How do you want to live? What are the things you believe? What are the best days of your life? How do they begin? Can you change your days so they start well? How can you be more grounded in your personal ethics? 3. FOCUS ON THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME "Sometimes you have to let go to the small things so your hand will have room to grasp the bigger things," Said my pastor, Michael Catt as part of his sermon on leadership. He should know. He’s the man who said yes to two of his pastors who wanted to make movies and not only changed our church but made an impact on the world of entertainment (and many lives.) Here’s how he told the story to our church a few weeks ago. The staff of the church had been at Disney studying excellence. They had just finished a backstage tour. Each minister was spending time with Michael to share their vision for the next five years.  It was Alex’s turn. He said Alex looked at him and said, "No church would let a minister be on staff and make movies would they? I really want to make movies." Pastor Catt said he thought a moment and then said, "I don’t see why not." Alex and his brother Stephen Kendrick have now gone on to make Flywheel (2003), Facing the Giants (2006), Fireproof (2008), Courageous (2011), and are finishing up post production Movie Five. (See all their projects.) On the Christian film database website review of Movie Five (to be released in 2015) and their first film independent of Sherwood pictures, you can see the continuing story unfold: "Sherwood is still our church home, and we’re here talking to you now only because Michael Catt, our pastor, took a risk, supported us and let us make a movie," Alex Kendrick said. So, in order to grasp something bigger, the Kendrick brothers had to let go of smaller things. Notice, I didn’t say unimportant things. There are lots of important things to do in their church ministry. But to grasp at a big huge vision, they had to let go of smaller things. Our small hands can’t hold everything. We choose what we hold onto. Thomas Fuller, chaplain to Charles the Second of England says, "He that is everywhere is nowhere." I can think of two big examples in my own life. I had to let go of my 250 question exam to create the Flat Classroom Project, often claimed as one of the first projects that showed the true potential of global collaboration. Then, just a year and a half a go, I had to let go of the Flat Classroom Project and the 7 projects that went along with it so I could focus on the purpose for my life. My work on Every Classroom Matters and increase in writing on sites like Edutopia and work on my third book are part of those bigger things. Not to mention, living life with no regrets as I enjoyed and savored my oldest son and middle daughter’s senior year of high school. You can’t do it all. You have to often make choices between good, better, and BEST. Bad is not the enemy of best. Good is. We have all these little tiny good things that we won’t let go of to grab at the best, epic things. And when you finally grab that epic thing, magic awaits! Sir Winston Churchill, the doggedly determined Prime Minister who led Great Britain through World War 2 said, "To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour." If you’re a successful person — that tap on the shoulder usually happens WHILE YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE. When I’ve had great opportunities happen, the greatest of them happened when I was very very busy and I had to choose to let go of something good to grasp at great. Jason Cohen @asmartbear says "Only ever work on the thing that will have the biggest impact." Warren Buffet says "The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything." To be a better person, you must make choices. Sometimes you must let go of a lesser thing to move onto greater things. Sometimes you must say "I don’t see why not?" Consider the things you have to do. Take an inventory of how you’re spending your time. Is there something great you feel called to pursue? What are things that might be good but are holding you back from pursing your purpose? Seek wise advice and visionary leaders to advise you. (These decisions shouldn’t be made rashly.) Seize your purpose and let that be your finest hour. Live a Better Life - Live an Epic Life Live an epic year this year.  I do not share as one who has arrived but as a fellow journeyman on the highway of life. I want to live an epic life. How about you? The post 3 Ways to Be a Better You appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

What will be the most significant classroom innovation in the next 10 years? "The caged bird sings with a fearful trill, of things unknown, but longed for still, and his tune is heard on the distant hill, for the caged bird sings of freedom." ― Maya Angelou, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" The story is well known now that Stephen Hawking, who many consider the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Albert Einstein, has been able to continue his illustrious career despite a debilitating diagnosis in 1963, due to technology that has assisted his communication. This post is series of questions that Cathy Rubin is asking several education bloggers. I’ll be sharing the link to her post that collects all of the responses. I appreciate being part of this group of edubloggers. Like Hawking, many students are trapped in the prison of a body that does not unleash their capability. Unlike Hawking, they don’t have access to the technology that will do that. Thousands of caged birds sit quietly in today’s classrooms. Their wings flit, eager for a voice to share the song in their heart. Now that it is more affordable, shouldn’t more people have access to the technology that has helped Stephen Hawking live more fully? Recently I interviewed Karole Pearce, the mother of such a student, Lanie. Lanie’s classmates raised $5,000 so Lanie could regain her ability to speak after her mobile eye-tracking device broke. While excited about the device and her child’s ability to speak, Karole shocked me with her offhand comment that Lanie was sometimes "lazy" and could do more. Are we letting the disability of those like Lanie make us unable to see their ability? In the 1980’s and before, we typed into computers using the command line interface (CLI). And then transitioned to the mouse and the graphical user interface (GUI). Now, with Siri and gesture-based computing we are using the Natural User Interface (NUI). But a new age is upon us and it is not just smart watches that measure your heartbeat. Just take a look at the tear-inducing YouTube videos of those receiving cochlear implants. Neil Harbisson (called the "world’s first human cyborg") is painting with sound. The biologic user interface (BUI) is here. While Matrix-like implications will raise ethical dilemmas we cannot understand perhaps our biggest ethical dilemma is this: Can we justify caging the birds when it is within our power to open the gate and let them sing? If we unleash the potential of the BUI, then a generation of disenfranchised people will find their voice. BUIs will unleash an exciting age for those with special needs. I say "exciting" with tempered joy because those with special needs and their families have many struggles few others can understand. As I hear mothers like Karole excited about talking with their child for the first time, it is joy I hear. "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings In the next ten years, I hope we work to give all children a voice and listen to them sing. We have the technology. Do we have the will?   The post Let the Caged Birds Sing! Giving Special Needs Kids a Voice appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Vicki will present a FREE Webinar entitled, "Empower students with collaborative writing tools" February 26, 2015 at 4:00 pm EST / 9:00 pm UTC on the WizIQ platform as part of the Featured Teachers Webinar Series. The host for this event is Jason R. Levine @FluencyMC, the rapping educator who blogs at "It’s FLUENCY MC!" Who should attend? All writing teachers grades 4 and up, curriculum directors, and school long-term planning and policymakers. The Webinar is free and you can join at ->+Join Free Webinar Vicki Davis is a full time classroom teacher and IT director in Camilla, Georgia. She won the 2014 BAMMY as "Best Talk Show Host in Education" for Every Classroom Matters, a BAM Radio Network show highlighting inspirational teachers in the trenches. She is the author of Reinventing Writing and coauthored the guidebook on global collaboration in education, Flattening Classrooms Engaging Minds. Vicki also blogs for Edutopia. Learn 9 ways to reinvent writing with @coolcatteacher in a free webinar. Enroll Now Here: http://goo.gl/FnOaxs Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This The post Free Webinar: Empower students with collaborative writing tools — Feb 26, 2015 appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Bob Greenberg, a veteran educator, inspires other educators through his Brainwaves channel. Bob hosts exciting guests in education . Bob passionately says "Students  are our legacy." Bob GreenbergPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Bob hasn’t retired, he has sent himself into overdrive as he records and shares a snapshot of history and educational thought at this moment on his YouTube Channel. What a great story! Listen now to Bob Greenberg Add @bobgreenberg to your PLN @bobgreenberg The Brainwaves Channel Bob Greenberg - Show #85 - Capturing the Best Teaching Practices and Leaving a Legacy Bob Greenberg was a teacher for 15 years, then a magician for 15 years, then returned to teaching for 15 years. Now in "retirement," he hosts a successful series to inspire teachers in the trenches. Bob travels around the world to interview educators for his Brainwaves YouTube interview series. "Brainwaves" was the name of his class while he was teaching, so when he retired he took the name with him. He has interviewed 50+ people around the world. Listen now to find out more about this amazing educator who is using his retirement to inspire other educators everywhere. During the interview, Vicki remarked that,  "Living life all out, pursuing your passions, helping the profession you love: these qualities exemplify Bob Greenberg."Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This During Bob’s 100th Brainwaves episode, he featured thought leaders in education from around the globe, including Ken Robinson, Yong  Zhao, and Jerome Brunner. Vicki was honored to be on his show a while back, speaking about teaching, writing, and transliteracy.   The saying, "Once you’re an educator, you are always an educator" is really true with Bob, as he continues to teach with passion even after he has "retired". We take our hats off to Bob and every other "retired" educator who continue to passionately support our noble profession. Well done, Bob! Listen now to Bob Greenberg A Few of Our Favorite Brainwaves Videos (Check out the Whole Channel) Dr. Yong Zhao: "World Class Learners" Sir Ken Robinson: "Can Creativity Be Taught?" Carol Dweck: "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" Lisa Nielsen: "The Innovative Educator" Andy Hargreaves: "Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School" Alan November: "Who Owns the Learning? Preparing Students for Success in the Digital Age" Vicki Davis: "Reinventing Writing" Angela Maiers: "You Matter" Jerome Bruner: How Does Teaching Influence Learning? Jose Luis Wilson: "This is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class and Education" Michael Fullan: "The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact" Jeff Gomez: "Responding to New Technology" Robert Sternberg: "Successful Intelligence" Catlin Tucker: "Blended Learning" Listen now to Bob Greenberg 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? Play the show on the BAM Radio site or subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial. The post Bob Greenberg and Brainwaves: Capturing the Best Teaching Practices and Leaving a Legacy appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

This time of year, the pace picks up at school. There are times my shoulders are neck feel so tight that if you put you hand on them, they’d crack like thin ice on the top of a frozen lake. It is easy to get overwhelmed with all you have to do. Can you come to grips with the fact that you are not a robot? You can’t schedule every single moment and drive yourself until you get it done. We’re all tired sometimes. How to Relax Your Mind This one simple practice helps me get it back together when I feel like I’m about to crack into a thousand tiny shards of who I used to be. My basketball coach in middle school taught us this relaxation technique and I’ve used it through my whole life (often before a test). I was sitting here thankful that my coach had taught me this. It has been very useful in my life, particularly in moments when I needed a level head and a calm mind. All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone. Blaise PascalPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Step 1: Listen to Nature I like to put on my Naturespace app and listen to a river flow. You can listen to any type of nature sound you wish. When you close your eyes, your mind doesn’t really know that you"re physically not at that place, so pick a relaxing place. I have a thing for mountain rivers but I know some people who savor beach sounds. Step 2: Breathe Deeply and Focus on Your Breath So, as I listen to the sounds, I breathe in through my nose very deeply and out through my mouth. I slowly breathe in and out just focusing on the place where my breath goes in and the feeling of the air going out. My goal is to focus on my breath until I get to 20 (30 if I have time.) I don’t feel much in this between 0 and 10 but after 10, if I can keep bringing my stressed thoughts back to breathing, I’ll start relaxing. Sometimes I’ll pray as I breathe, but usually I just focus on the in and the out. Step 3: Relax Your Body as You Breathe As I feel myself relax, I’ll drop my shoulders (and yes, they usually crack quite a bit). When I’m done, I feel more focused and refreshed and able to make it through the day. Learning How to Relax Your Mind Will Help You Focus While I’m certainly no meditation or mindfulness coach, this is just my simple way of relaxing that helps me remember that I’m not just a human doing but I’m a human being. As teachers we must be careful. We are so busy serving others that we can easily neglect ourselves. When will the cook take time to eat? We don’t want to be the starving baker, we need to take small moments to nourish our own well-being so that we can thrive amidst the chaos that is our classroom. Teach Students How to Relax Their Minds Too By the way, have you thought of teaching relaxation techniques to your students? Resources: Applying Mindfulness to Mundane Classroom Tasks Energy and Calm: Brain Breaks and Focused-Attention Practices the 5 Finger Relaxation Technique Stress Reduction Activities for Students [PDF with many exercises] Sometimes, we just have to learn to relax. The post How to Relax Your Mind: A 2-minute Stress Busting Technique appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Jon Bergmann talks with Vicki about flipped learning by which he means moving direct instruction to the individual space so the classroom space can be freed up for collaborative projects. Listen now to find out more about this pedagogical method. The real sweet sauce happens when a teacher moves from the flipped classroom to flipped learning. @jonbergmann Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Click here to listen to Jon Bergmann Add @jonbergmann to your PLN @jonbergmann Turning Learning on its Head Listen now to Jon Bergmann Jon Bergmann - Show #90 - Preparing Your Students for Flipped Learning Jon Bergmann, a BAM Radio host of "The Flip Side with Jon Bergmann", talks with Vicki about how to watch and learn from videos as well as flipping learning. He explains the difference between flipped classrooms and flipped learning, which is more in depth pedagogical method. Jon explains how to flip learning in areas without connectivity, how this system improves learning, and raises grades. The biggest mistake teachers make is that teachers don’t teach the kids how to watch the videos. @jonbergmannPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This The best tool Jon recommends for flipping learning is the one that will be used. He is a fan of video creation tools but also mentions screencasting tools. He recommends four to six minute long videos per grade level and the importance of what happens in the classroom after students have watched the videos. Listen now to hear Jon’s advice to teachers about how to flip their classrooms. Jon also talks about the powerful method (which I’m using in my own classroom) - the "in-flip" method of teaching. Jon shares a story of a teacher getting fantastic results on his student achievement using this method. He recommends 1 to 1.5 minutes per grade level for the length of the video. He says it is about what happens in the classroom because of the videos NOT the videos. Click here to listen to this show Flipped Classroom Video Tools Screencastomatic Powerpoint Office Mix Camtasia (Jon also mentions TechSmith Relay) Zaption Places You Can Embed Your Flips Haiku Learning (my current LMS) Instructure Canvas Sophia A YouTube Video Showing How I Teach My Students to Take Notes on Videos 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? You can click "play" on the BAM Radio site or subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial.     The post Jon Bergmann: Preparing Your Students for Flipped Learning #flipclass appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

We know that when students are tested in environments similar to those they learn in, that they recall the information better. (This makes us wonder why students are taken out of the classroom and put in a gym or computer lab and expected to recall the material.) We also know that chewing gum or even certain smells can improve test scores. (Anyone starting to see the preposterousness of this?) We work hard to differentiate in the classroom but we don’t differentiate our test giving at all — no videos, audio, or anything unique even for those with special needs. (As someone ranted to me yesterday on Twitter (see below).) @coolcatteacher Special needs students taking the SAME standardized test as everyone else. Why? We differentiate..so should the tests. — Ruth Hrebinka (@RHrebinka) March 4, 2015 I even found this other research study that shows that distractions don’t necessarily hurt learning. In fact, if you’re equally distracted when you learn as when you recall, you have better recall. (See the bottom of this post for the research summary. And why are we trying to make everything quiet during testing?) All of this to say, we are gum chewing, environment manipulating and all kinds of gyrating to do what we can for even a miniscule jump in a test score. Test scores rule the day!!! OK. Does anyone see the insanity of this approach? What about life? What about living? What about nurturing? Education seems to be frantically pursuing right answers to the wrong questions. There is no doubt, we are asking the wrong questions in education. It doesn’t matter if you have right answers. The right answers to wrong questions never make wrong questions right. For example, the Nazi generals during World War 2 asked for more efficient ways to kill prisoners. They may have gotten some "right" answers to that wrong question but the question itself is repugnant and should never have been asked. Wrong questions are WRONG. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! You’re not going to get the right results until you get rid of the WRONG questions! Wrong questions get wrong results NO MATTER WHAT. What is our central question now in education? How can we improve test scores? WRONG! Wrong Question. One of the right questions is: How can we improve the lives of our students both now and in the future? There are other right questions we can be asking: How can we help students find their strengths? How can we empower and nurture those strengths? So many of our problems in education stem from the wrong questions being asked. It is time for brave educators, parents, and politicians to question the questions.          Summary of New Research on Distractions and Learning Distracted to Learn? | Psych Central News Surprising new research may rewrite learning theory as Brown University scientists contend that distractions do not necessarily impede the learning process of a motor task. Investigators discovered that if attention was as divided during recall of a motor task as it was during learning the task, people performed as if there were no distractions at either stage. Thus, the real issue is that inconsistent distraction can impair our recollection of the task. As long as our attention is as divided when we have to recall a motor skill as it was when we learned it, we’ll do just fine, say the researchers. tags:research distraction education bestpractices It was as if those who were denied the same degree of distraction during testing as they experienced during learning suffered a disadvantage. In the end, it didn’t seem to matter what the distraction was during recall, as long as subjects had had a distraction during learning. Everybody who had been distracted in both learning and recall performed better than those who were distracted while learning but undistracted during recall. There just had to be the same degree of distraction at both times. Another task is to figure out what might be going on in the brain to allow divided attention to be a boost for recall, rather than a hindrance for learning Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here. The post QUESTIONS: What is Wrong with Education appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

I received a demo unit of the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 Scanner. Honestly, I thought it was going to be just another scanner, and I haven’t had much luck with them. I have to scan so many things for the school website; it was worth trying it out. (The scanner on our copier always breaks.) Plus, now I’m using Haiku Learning and scan many of the things I used to hand out. As I was unpackaging it, I had a great sign. The CEO of the IT company that we hire to do our contract computer repair was in my room for a meeting. He said, "That is the ScanSnap, I got rid of every other scanner and bought five of them. It is the only thing we use and is the best scanner I’ve ever used." And he’s picky. So am I. I’ve included the video from the company below because this is one of the rare cases that the video DOES do justice for the device. <iframe width="560″ height="315″ src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1jTY_vazup8″ frameborder="0″ allowfullscreen></iframe> So, why is the Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner so incredible? Here’s why: The scanner is crazy fast, and it intelligently detects if it is single or double sided (if you leave that setting on). If there is a problem, it will ask you what to do and let you rescan. (I’ve had to scan my drivers license before and even got it to do that!) You can scan to their iPad or iPhone app directly. I have it set up on wi-fi if students need to scan something for a project directly to their phone (how cool is that) - This uses the ScanSnap mobile connect software. The software is awesome. (More on that in a moment) It scans in color, gray or black and white up to 1500 rez It has the software (ABBYY Fine Reader) to scan to Microsoft Word with the text typed in Word (This is called OCR - Optical Character Recognition). It does the same for Excel. It will scan to Powerpoint, and it turns the paper slides into PowerPoint slides. I will admit this area was less than perfect as most of the images and text insert as graphics. That said, it is very functional. You can edit the scan before you save or work with it using the ScanSnap Organizer. It also flips the pages for you and auto-detects that side faces up!! It will ignore blank pages. It will scan up to 50 pages at a time. It connects via wi-fi to mobiles and computers. It has never jammed or misfed paper on me since I’ve been using it in October. Set up the Scansnap Software I have my Scansnap set up to do some very cool things. It scans to Evernote as either a document (all the pages in one note as a PDF) or a note (one page per note). It scans to Dropbox and Pocket. I even have it set up with ifttt to scan important items into Pocket (I scan it to a Dropbox folder which IFTTT puts into Pocket.) I scan all of my "to read" straight to Pocket and read it on the weekends. If I had never had another scanner, it wouldn’t be such a big deal. But I have had the NEAT, several flatbed scanners, and even fight with the scanner on our copier at school (which I have to wait for.) I don’t use anything but the Scansnap and am saving to get one at home. I have it right beside my computer. Now, you might wonder with the photography what it is on the iPhone and mobile devices why you would need a scanner. SPEED. Plain and simple. I take pictures of my journal pages and put them in Evernote (because they are bound pages and won’t go on the scanner.) However, my Scansnap can scan full documents quickly. I scan everything. So, for example, you can see in the video below where I show you how to make a table of contents for notes pages, how I’ve scanned the rubrics. I scan everything I return. I’m done making paper copies. It is entirely pointless. I scan each child’s rubric as its own note and tag it with the name of the student. I’m able to assemble quickly and search all of the work for each student if I need it for a conference or reference.   About Product Reviews on Cool Cat Teacher Frequent readers will know that I rarely review items on my blog. This is because I take so few items for consideration because they have to be something I NEED. When I review them, I have a policy to do no harm. If I don’t like it or have issues recommending it, I’ll communicate that to the manufacturer and give them suggestions. I have returned products that just didn’t work out. If I have reviewed it long enough to see that it is trustworthy, then I tell you. There is a reason this scanner is being recommended for anyone and everyone. It is fantastic. I love it. It makes Evernote more powerful, my website updating faster, and makes me more productive. I highly recommend the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 Scanner. Great Scanner! Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.  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 The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 Scanner: The Best Scanner I Have Ever Used appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Vicki and her student reporters will be covering the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai this week. You can see the live stream on the GESF website and follow the #gesf  hashtag on Twitter. You’ll be seeing her students write their opinion on the future of education right here on this blog. The $1 Million Dollar Global Teacher Prize to be announced Sunday Ten finalists have been named in the Global Teacher Prize contest, having been voted as the best by teachers around the world.  This contest awards  $1 million to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession.   The Global Teacher Prize highlights incredible stories of teacher inspiration from around the world.  Teachers in K-12 or ages 5 to 18 were eligible for this prize.  More information is available at http://www.globalteacherprize.org/ These are the finalists - please peruse their videos: Aziz - http://youtu.be/AJuv2zO_1YM Guy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRseiDy_8_A> Jacque - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoA0ko8unaU Kiran - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkOlfkXXtXk Madenjit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGpLZvc0wi4 Nancie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usy3ixT0QpA Naomi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhw89YdJWJ0 Phalla - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy15ugTf8eM Richard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuTyX4NKBRA Stephen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEn_Rp2Tcp4Check out the amazing work that the Top 10 Finalists for the Global Teacher Prize are doing: http://bit.ly/1Dzu5cI #GESF Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This The post Who Will Win the $1 Million Teacher Prize? #gesf appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Coming from a small, traditional farming community in the southern United States, it’s a bit of a shock to suddenly find yourself immersed in such a diverse array of ethnicities and cultures-ancient and modern-young and old. New ideas and ways of thinking mix with the traditional views and cultures of people around the globe as people from a myriad of backgrounds come together at the Global Education and Skills Forum held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is so diverse that it is almost like a smoothie with a little bit of everything in it. Authored by Elizabeth G and Rebekah B, student reporters from Westwood Schools attending the Global Education and Skills forum in Dubai with their teacher, Vicki Davis. There are people from every corner of the globe here and it is just amazing to see how all these people come together with a common goal of furthering education around the world and making the world a better place. The collaborative atmosphere of the people here at the conference is really incredible and it is truly an eye opening experience to be able to talk with other people from around the globe with different viewpoints and learn to see things from a different perspective. It seems like everyone here is completely dedicated to the task at hand and has a heart and passion for education. So, even though the delegates of the conference all come from different walks of life, they are able to blend their cultures together and bridge the gap to make lasting relationships as they pursue a common goal of education, equity, and employment for all. A note from teacher, Vicki Davis. I believe that conferences about education should include students. I’m excited that the organizers of the Global Education and Skills conference do as well. This is a very important conference because it brings together policy makers, politicians, principals, teachers, and world leaders to envision and push forward education in the world. You’ll be seeing the voice of students shared on my blog as they experience the conference and share their thoughts. Related articles Maine teacher wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize in Dubai The post The Global Education and Skills Conference is a Cultural Smoothie #gesf appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

At the Global Education Skill Forum in Dubai, one of the things that I noticed was the overwhelming devotion of teachers to their profession and their students. I have encountered many wonderful and caring teachers throughout my career as a student, but I was overwhelmed with the passion for teaching that many of these teachers exhibited during the conference. These teachers also display this passion even in times of significant adversity. Many of the top ten finalists for the Global Teacher Prize taught their students in challenging times; some of them even risking their lives in the name of education. This post is by Mark G, a student reporter from Westwood Schools at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai. When we have education conferences, we must include student voice. An education conference without students in attendance is missing out on the reason we pursue this profession. I hope you’ll find Mark’s views about teachers as uplifting as I do. Please comment if you do. Thank you, teachers. You matter! — Vicki Davis Mr. Azizullah Royesh, a teacher from Afghanistan and a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, started facing adversity at 12. He was forced to leave Afghanistan when the Soviet Union invaded. The last words his father told him were "I wish that you stay alive." After fleeing to Pakistan, he started teaching at the age of 16 so that he could share his literacy with the other refugees. Throughout his career as a teacher, he also was faced with stressful situations. In one situation, many of his female students were protesting a controversial law passed by the clerics. The clerics, who drafted the law, stormed his school, tried to burn it, and called for his execution. He later moved back to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime. Mrs. Phalla Neang, a teacher from Cambodia and a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, opened up a school for the blind and deaf. In Cambodia, people with disabilities are regarded as having sinned in a former life, and are persecuted and shunned by society. Many of them receive no quality education. Mrs. Neang has opened up five schools across Cambodia to give blind and deaf people the opportunity to have an education, and also to educate the people of Cambodia of the worth of people with disabilities in society. She works ceaselessly to give her students a quality education, and when students don’t show up, she visits them to check on them. Great Teachers All great teachers share a common characteristic: A devotion to their profession and their students. This devotion was prevalent among all teachers attending the GESF conference. In a panel discussion at the conference, one question was, "what makes for an effective teacher?" The most common answer was that for a teacher to be effective, they need to be passionate and devoted to their job, and dedicated to their students. The Winner of the Global Teacher Prize: Nancie Atwell Nancie Atwell, the winner of the Global Teacher Prize, said that in her classroom, she allows her students to make decisions about what they want to read. She enables them to pursue their passions in literature. She is very committed to her pupils, allowing their voices to be heard in the curriculum and letting them have more control over their education. Mrs. Nancy is one of those teachers who is not content with a paycheck, she wants to see real results in her craftsmanship. She shapes and molds her students with her immersive literature curriculum, and makes a lasting impact on all of her students. Thank You Teachers for Your Devotion In order to change lives and change the world, teachers must be devoted to their profession. As an attendant of the GESF conference, I can testify that all teachers present do not only have a devotion to their job, but have a passion for it that defines them as human beings. Because teachers are devoted to their job, world leaders are created, doctors are made, and the world becomes a better place. Thank you, teachers of the world, for your devotion to me and all my fellow students. The post Thankful for Teacher Devotion: A Message from a Student #gesf appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Matthew Kohut claims people make a decision with a tenth of a second about a person’s warmth. Projecting a sense of warmth is imperative for teachers. Matthew and co-author John Neffinger, said in Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential that character is how one chooses to be not the way one is born. Listen now to Matthew Kohut Add @besmonte to your PLN @besmonte Compelling People Listen now to Matthew Kohut Matthew Kohut- Show #81 - The Two Hidden Qualities of Effective Educators Based upon research in social science, Matthew Kohut claims there are universal metaphors that cue our bodies via hormonal boosts to trust people. Humans can influence their public speaking abilities by body pose and influence others with non-verbal communication. Matthew reminds us to align the visual, the vocal, and the verbal when speaking to others. These are three channels that are most effective when they work together. Matthew reminds us effective educators also project a sense of strength and warmth. Listen now to find out more on this research about the qualities on which our social judgements hinge. This show centers upon something called "embodied cognition." The position of your body impacts how you think and feel in powerful ways. I highly recommend Matthew Cohut’s book Compelling People as a way to understand this concept. — Vicki Davis 5 Useful Things to Gain from Listening to this Show The ideal pose to take before you speak Warmth and Strength and how they impact you as a teacher (and are different for men and women) What is embodied cognition? How do we decide what people we will trust and like? What is some interesting research to help me understand how my body impacts how others view me? Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly Radio Show by Vicki Davis on BAM Radio network with best practices for busy teachers. Subscribe. 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 The Hidden Qualities of Effective Educators appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Over the last couple days, we have been attending the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF). GESF is a global conference with people from all cultures and backgrounds attending. Being students from a small private school in the small town of Camilla, Georgia, we were eager to attend a session on the role of private schools in the education system. Titled "Is there a place for "private" in education?", the discussion was controversial and enlightening. Mark G is a student reporter covering the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai. In this post, he has chosen to recap the views of a controversial panel on the role of private education in society. While I typically work to remain apolitical and focus on what unites us in education, Mark has been given full liberty to share on this controversial topic. I also want to note that learning how to hyperlink effectively is an important part of blogging and Mark has done this very well, in my opinion. Mark includes the video of the session so you can view it. — Vicki Davis, Teacher There was a distinguished panel that discussed this controversial topic. Jay Kimmelman, CEO of Bridge International Academies, Kenya, John Bangs, Senior Consultant to the General Secretary, Education International UK, Geoffrey Canada, President, Harlem Children’s Zone, and Sir James Mancham, former President of Seychelles. Each one of the panel members was asked their position on this issue. There was a variety of views on this question. Sir James Mancham said that private schools are crucial to the education system of a country. He mentioned that in his country of Seychelles, their Constitution includes a provision for the preservation of the private school system. Private schools create competition between other private schools and public schools to create a need for constant improvement. He went on to say that private schools are more focused on hiring the best teachers and teaching an important and effective curriculum. He raised an important question about public schools, asking if it was public education or public indoctrination. Geoffrey Canada remarked that private education is invaluable to the education system, but only middle class and affluent families could afford it for their kids. He said that every parent wants the best possible education for his or her child, and that parents should be able to have the choice to send their children to better schools if they have the money. Mr. Geoffrey was a big proponent of charter schools, saying that they allowed poor students to get a better education than they would receive at public schools. He said that private schools are critical to the education system because they give students a choice in their child’s schooling. John Bangs and Jay Kimmelman had a slightly different opinion on the topic. Both of them agreed that it is important for parents to have a choice of various schools for their children to attend. John Bangs stated that parents do not only choose between a private and public school, they choose the best possible school for their children, that they can afford. Bangs said that state has a profound role in education, because education is the glue of society. Because education is crucial to the success of a country, he believes that it is the responsibility of the government to educate the people. Jay Kimmelman believes that all students have a right to a quality education. Jay works in Kenya, and has seen much inequality in the education system. He believes that it is immoral for privileged students to have a world class education, while many poor students are left behind in low performing schools. Jay was against private education that caters to a particular class of people, he believes that private schools must cater to all students, regardless of race or income. All panel members were in agreement that private schools played a role in education; the only discrepancy was the extent of that role. Some members were in favor of private education as the dominant system, others believed that it should play the role of a backup to the public school system. Another opinion was that the private school system and the public school system should be balanced, both contributing ideas and innovation to improve both systems. As students attending a private school in Georgia, and by attending this session with these esteemed panelists, we can conclude that there is a role of "private" in education. If You Comment:I encourage you to comment, but please remember that this post is written by a student as a summary of a session. I do moderate comments and hope that you’ll model effective discourse as you share your thoughts and opinions on this topic. I reserve the right to moderate all comments. Thank you for being part of this experience as I encourage my students to develop their voice and use their blogging skills for a wider audience. You can leave a comment by clicking here. The post The Role of Private Education #gesf Session Summary appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

If you see technology controlling students, then you’ve got a classroom using 21st century technology for 20th century teaching. If you see students creating and programming the technology, then you’ve got a more modern classroom approach. As part of Cathy Rubin’s series on the Global Search for Education, this month’s question is "What is the biggest mistake classroom teachers make when integrating technology into the classroom?" Too many classrooms cover Lesson 52 today and Lesson 53 tomorrow and the next day, guess what they’ll do…. 54. These same classrooms will make a fatal mistake when using technology. Falling short of the potential of technology, they’ll program our children to just learn multiplication facts or grammar—not that technology doesn’t teach these things more rapidly… it will. But we need to unleash creativity, not just find a faster way to learn facts. Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon talked about the tendency for "dumb technology" uses more than 40 years ago, "The phrase ‘technology and education’ usually means inventing new gadgets to teach the same old stuff in a thinly disguised version of the same old way. Moreover, if the gadgets are computers, the same old teaching becomes incredibly more expensive and biased towards its dumbest parts, namely the kind of rote learning in which measurable results can be obtained by treating the children like pigeons in a Skinner box." There is a model for technology integration called SAMR. The first stage of implementing technology in the classroom is "substitution" where you just substitute technology for what you can do already. Teachers who just use technology to teach facts and routine items are stuck in substitution. To successfully implement new technology, we must get to the R stage of "redefinition." Redefining the classroom with technology can be seen in the Maker Movement, app smashing, and genius hour. All of these unleash student creativity. Teachers become coaches. In my classroom, I teach the principle of convergence. For example, when your GPS and smartphone merged, that is called convergence. I used to have students just learn what had converged in the past. But now, I have students invent how they think technology will converge in the future. This year, when I taught this lesson, Rebekah, a tenth grader envisions smartphones converging with contacts. She made the following video.  We learned about the term convergence but instead of memorizing examples, students created something new. John Seely Brown says "To fully utilize a new teaching technology you often need to invent new teaching practices as well." When journalist David Carr was asked to give advice to students, he said, "You have to make stuff. No one is going to give a damn about your resume, they want to see what you have made with your own little fingers." But to create, we must give students permission. We must make classrooms places where they can experiment and fail. For without failure, there is no success. Without permission, there is no creativity. "Studies of creativity suggest that the biggest single variable of whether or not employees will be creative is whether they perceive they have permission." says management expert, David Hills. We need to give students permission to create and innovate. Our classrooms are not prisons of the mind. We should not stifle students in rows and chairs, rotely entering numbers into an iPad, when their fingers long to create a movie. Math facts may be significant, but the simple fact is that timidly using technology to program students is a waste of technology, a waste of time, and more importantly, a waste of mind. It is time to bravely redefine what a classroom can be. REFERENCES Brown, J.S. New Learning Environments for the 21st Century, 2005. Retrieved from www.johnseelybrown.com/newlearning.pdf April 12, 2012, p. 5. Kleon, Austin. Show Your Work, p. 41. David Hills as quoted in Maxwell, John. How Successful People Think, p. 33 Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon, "Twenty Things to Do With a Computer," Artificial Intelligence Memo #248. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1971). 






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"Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it I wash my mouth out with chocolate." ― Charles M. Schulz I’ve previously shared about cooking, let’s get physical. 1. Lose It https://www.loseit.com/ Track calories, weight, and exercise. People who faithfully track calories in this app really do lose it. 2. Fit Bit http://www.fitbit.com/ Lots of us around town are wearing Fit Bits or Fuel Band (by Nike) to track steps. It will even wake you up when you’re sleeping your lightest. (Don’t do like Big Hoss did on Pawn Stars and tie yours to a paint shaker, that isn’t honest.) 3. Fitocracy https://www.fitocracy.com/ Fitocracy is THE social network for fitness where you encourage and level up with your friends. Great way if your closest friends don’t live nearby.   4. Weight Watchers http://www.coolcatteacher.com/weightwatchers Yes, you have to join the online Weight Watchers to use the app. It helps you stay on the program and tracks everything. 5. FitStar http://fitstar.com/ My student Reid Ford showed me this app full of fitness videos and exercises. You can pick the type of space that you have and the time you have and it will give you videos (some free and others cost money). 6. Fitness Buddy http://www.fitnessbuddyapp.com/ My student Mary Kate Dallas loves this app because it gets you on a fitness routine. You can make a schedule and know your workout routine for every day. It pulls from 1000+ exercises that you can do at home or in a gym. 7. YouTube Do you know that most of your favorite fitness professionals have free videos on YouTube? Before buying another video, look them up there and try it out. (Like this video from Jillian Michaels  coolcatteacher.com/jillian )   8. Nike+ Running https://secure-nikeplus.nike.com/plus/ When I ran, I LOVED this app. Sometimes I alternated this with Runkeeper (http://runkeeper.com/) - they are both great apps for tracking your run. Nike even links with Facebook and you’ll hear a cheer when someone likes your run. 9. Withings http://www.withings.com/ The withings scale tracks your body weight and BMI and will send it to an app to track your weight every day via wifi. 10. Zombies Run! https://www.zombiesrungame.com/ This is a crazy app and yes, I’ve used it. I don’t recommend this for kids as it scared me and I’m… ahem… older. So, in this app you’re listening to a story and there are certain times you have to run to save people on an epic quest as zombies snarl at your heels. It is a fun way to run. Many of these apps link together and even more importantly can link you to a support group to help you achieve your fitness goals. Apps can help us get fit but ultimately we’re the ones who have to sweat. The post 10 Health and Fitness Apps To Make Getting Fit Fun appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Your bank data, your accounts, your email, and your life are all wrapped up in your ability to create secure passwords and remember them. This wordcloud shows the most commonly used passwords. If you see one that you use, stop now and immediately change yours! 1 - Never Tape It On Your Desk Most password theft happens because of "social engineering." Most people keep their password taped under their keyboard or in the right or left hand drawer or wallet. Get an app like Password Caddy (http://j.mp/pcaddy)  on your phone and store your password there, not out where the world can see it. (Or use Last Pass!) 2 - Switch to a passphrase Just using a phrase Use a phrase instead with uppercase, lowercase, and numbers included. Ilovetofishat6:00am! is an example. 3 - Don’t be obvious If you look at the worst passwords of 2013 (http://j.mp/worstpass) 123456 and password top the list. (Sunshine and letmein are also in the top.) Don’t use your spouse’s name, kids, grandkids, birthdays, phone numbers or a keyboard row of any kind. 4- Never save your passwords in your web browser If you have to, use a tool like LastPass to keep it safe but if you save it in your web browser, you are an easy target. 5 - Have a unique password for your bank and email account NOW When you sign up for a site that asks for your email and password - DON’T ENTER YOUR PASSWORD TO YOUR EMAIL. It is asking you to set up a NEW password for that particular site. No one will ever ask for your email password. No one. Your email password and your banking password should be unique and NEVER USED AS THE PASSWORD ON ANY OTHER SITE. 6 - TRICK: substitute numbers and letters Pick certain numbers to replace letters - like a code — you could always use the number 7 instead of T’s for example. 7 - TRICK: Use the site name somehow in the password You can have a system for passwords but make them unique by using the site name you’re logging into somehow. 8  - Use a password manager Many experts are recommending password managers after the recent Heartbleed bug (http://j.mp/pwdmgr) Remember that if you mess up and forget your master password you’re locked out of everything permanently. LastPass or Dashlane are 2 good ones. (PC Magazine recently reviewed some, so you can take a look at their 2015 Password Manager Recommendations) 9 - Use a fingerprint reader Biometrics or the using of your fingerprint or some other unique identifier related to your biology is definitely the way things are going. I love the fingerprint unlock on my iPhone 5s. (NYMI has a heartbeat sign in tool coming soon.) 10 - Lock your screen and log out If you step away from your computer or mobile, set it to lock or log out. This is particularly important if you have anything secure on your computer. Having a method to remember highly secure passwords will keep you and your loved ones safe. Spread the word. The post 10 Things Everyone Should Know About Passwords appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

In today’s featured show, Chandler Bolt talks about breaking out of the mold and getting life done. Breaking Out Of A Broken System, was written by Chandler and his brother Seth. The money goes to fund some of their work in Africa and it is a fantastic book for students to read and discuss. Listen now to find out what the brothers meant when they said "rebellion is a good thing". Knowing some of you out there who listen to the show and read this blog, you might just agree. This is one of those shows I listened to with students. The book itself is quite edgy and they did things with it graphically that "aren’t supposed to be done." Their unique perspectives on debt, education, and life — whether you agree with them or not — will foster great discussion. And the cool factor of these hip brothers is one that will appeal to your teenagers. As you look for something different this spring to talk about with students — this is it! — Vicki Davis Listen now to Chandler Bolt Add the Bolt Brothers to your PLN Chandler Bolt Seth Bolt Bolt Brothers Website Listen now to Chandler Bolt Chandler Bolt - Show #83 - Learning For Life Versus Learning For Grades, College, or Career Seth and Chandler have written a book, Breaking Out Of A Broken System, about creating a life instead of letting life happen. With this book, they hope to get people to act on their dreams instead of settling for the status quo. For example, the brothers viewed accruing debt, not as the status quo but as a mold that cannot be broken. Chandler is a very successful entrepreneur, and Seth is a very successful musician. Chandler refers to innovators as heroes. Listen now to find out why. Listen now to Chandler Bolt  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? Click play on the BAM Radio site or subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial. The post Learning For Life Versus Learning For Grades, College, or Career appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.