Secrets from a Top Title I School in Indiana with Principal Jayson Snyder How does an improving Title I school do it? What are the improvement secrets? Jayson Snyder, principal of Meadows Edge Elementary in Indiana, shares the secrets: formative assessment, intentional intervention, and how data-driven instruction should look. They work hard to train teachers and have a "yet" mindset. Listen to the Show Listen on iTunes Jayson’s emphasis on "the power of Yet" is transformational. Before the school started, the teachers learned about the growth mindset and Carol Dweck’s research. They listed areas that they hadn’t mastered "yet." The year started with teachers sharing their "not yet" items and then students set "not yet" goals. Improvement has become part of their culture with this shift. Jayson Snyder is principal at a top 3 Title 1 improving school in Indiana. Featured in ECM Show #148. There are so many things happening in Jayson’s school, but I love how he still has the heart of a teacher. Take a listen to the show and spend time on the takeaways from the show. I’ve embedded Carol Dweck’s Power of Yet TED Talk at the bottom. Top Takeaways from this Show @jaysonsnyder13  Meadow’s Edge Elementary Acuity - formative assessment used in the Indiana schools Exit Slips explained on ReadWriteThink Socrative - one of Vicki’s favorite 3 formative assessment tools Plickers - one of Vicki’s favorite 3 formative assessment tools Kahoot - one of Vicki’s favorite 3 formative assessment tools MUST READ BOOK for Every Parent and Educator: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Power of Yet [TED Video with Carol Dweck]  5 Fantastic, Fast, Formative Assessment Tools [Edutopia Blog Post by Vicki Davis] If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here. Thanks for listening to Every Classroom Matters. I appreciate your tweets, remarks, and comments on Facebook. Know other amazing educators who you think would make a great show? Please email my production coordinator, Lisa Durff at lisa@coolcatteacher.com. Keep students first. Level up a little every day. - Vicki The post ECM 148: What Every Teacher Can Learn from a Title I School appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Secrets to Living an Excellent Life In the end, you are not a renewable resource. You can burn yourself so far down, you have nothing left to burn. Do things that will renew you. Take a day. Take a week. But take a sabbatical. Everyone you know will thank you. Sabbatical comes from the term "sabbath." The Israelites were told in the fourth commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." On the seventh day of the week, they were to restrain from work of any kind. They were to stop their labor. Be still. Worship. Reflect. The Sabbath is becoming popular again. Many productive people in Silicon Valley are adopting the Internet Sabbath. (Some call it a digital sabbath.) "Black hole" resorts are becoming a fad. When you check into the hotel, you check your smartphone at the desk.  (Some even block all Internet signals) The dictionary defines sabbatical as: "A period of paid leave granted to a college teacher for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year."   A Heart Cry for Stillness Last summer was too busy. At the end of last summer, I looked at my son and realized that he had grown, and I hadn’t been there to see it. This summer, I’m taking a different approach. (See 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Plan Your Summer Calendar to see if you need a sabbatical too.) No matter your career, there are times you need to prepare yourself as a person. What if we have our mind, body, soul all healthy and ready to achieve? How Plan for a Sabbatical Sabbaticals don’t have to be a long period, but they can be. Here’s how I’ve approached mine. STEP 1: Plan Your Calendar in Pencil As you plan your summer, put everything on your calendar in pencil. Look at your plans. Notice your physical reaction to your schedule. When I’m upset, I feel it. Dread feels like little bumblebees flying just at the top of my stomach. I can handle the stress. But if I feel those "bumblebees" about mundane things, I scale back. What is your physical reaction to what you’ve planned? What is your physical response to what you’ve planned? STEP 2: Reevaluate, Reschedule, and Remove If you have realized you need sabbatical time, reevaluate everything. What can you reschedule? What can you remove? Can you back away from anything to give yourself some time? Erase and move things around. It is OK. What is not OK is canceling a commitment at the last minute. STEP 3: Plan "SD" Days I put the initials "SD" on my calendar on my "sabbatical days". These are days with no appointments. Nothing to do. These aren’t days that I just sit and watch past episodes of Blue Bloods. On SD’s, I: Read what I want. Write whatever I want. Spend time with family. Spend time thinking with pen in hand. Don’t check email. Get off social media. Put the phone in airplane mode. For me, SD days are not Netflix marathons. I do watch videos sometimes. This summer, I am re-watching a fantastic leadership series by my pastor, Michael Catt. But even just buying a new pen and a blank piece of paper can be restorative to me. I’ll doodle, sketch note, and ponder things. I’ll write about things shooting between my neurons. I’ll sit down at the piano and play music and sing. I might pull out Les Miserables and sing along as I wash dishes. Sabbatical days can look like anything, but they should be restorative. Use SD’s to restore. What things revive you? Reading, exercise, eating healthy foods, stillness, or thinking? Drinking lots of water? Family time? Singing? Working in the garden? Sewing? What heals your soul and helps your heart beat a little stronger the next day? STEP 4: Stop Talking About Work If you go on vacation and take your psycho-baggage with you, you’ve ruined your relaxation. You can’t leave yourself at home, but you can choose to leave behind your negative thoughts. If you go on a guilt trip, you have to pack your own bags. The same is true for ego-trips and stress-trips. Last week after I got out of school, I told my husband, "I just don’t know how I’m going to go back to school in the Fall." And Kip says to me, "Why don’t you wait and see, this is only your third day out! It would help if you would take a break from school in your mind - it is all you talk about." I have periods of time when I ask my family to help me stop talking about school. Now is the time. I do have a budget due next week, but I can handle that Monday. Meanwhile, I’m on a word budget about school. Kip and I agree how much I can bring it up — sometimes not at all. STEP 5: Be There are times to be and not do. Say: "OK, me, no pressure - you are off work today. Just be." Take Time to Be Kind…to Yourself Happy Summer Sabbatical, friends. I will miss you at ISTE and all the events this year, but while I miss you, I won’t miss me. And that, dear friends, is a person none of us can afford to lose. For as it says in the Bible, "What gaineth a man if he gaineth the world and loses his own soul." Question: Have you ever taken a sabbatical? What works for you? You can leave a comment by clicking here.   The post 5 Simple Steps to Plan a Summer Sabbatical appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Award Winning Science Teacher Amy Pace Shares How She Uses OER Textbooks Amy Pace is a Presidential Award winning science teacher. She is using "free" OER textbooks for all her courses. OER stands for Open Education Resources which are often curated by experts via grants and other means. Of course, nothing is free. These textbooks take time, curation, and customization. Visionary states, districts, and schools might find a money-saving resource with OERs. Listen to this show online Listen in iTunes Amy is on the textbook approval committee in Utah. The Utah Open Textbook project  teams up top teachers to curate and create OER textbooks. These textbooks meet state standards. You can print them for $5 a piece. Amy says, "Teachers across the state appreciate the work that was put in by the team of teachers to create a high quality product that is ready for them to use."  There are limitations, however. Those who like a "classroom in a box" or want every single ancillary created and done for them, may not find a good fit in OER. But for those of us who take the teacherpreneurship approach, OER can be perfect. Amy Pace is a nationally recognized science teacher who is getting excellent results from OER textbooks. Revision is the key success factor for standards, textbooks, and practices that will succeed in the 21st century. If you don’t revise, it dies. MY MESSAGE ON STANDARDS & TEXTBOOKS: If you don’t revise, it dies. Vicki DavisPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Notice how the State of Utah had the teachers create the textbook and then revise it just one year later. Teachers give feedback and it is fixed. A five to ten-year textbook revision cycle is no longer acceptable. Today’s show is an incredible collection of best practices and thoughts around Open Education Resources. Using OERs will help many struggling districts if they’ll take the time to understand and use them properly. If students are learning the information they need using OER, there’s no argument about quality. Amy PacePowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Take Aways from Today’s Show @apaceMHAcad CK12.org http://www.ck12.org/ - The nonprofit textbook organization that Amy uses to customize her textbooks OER Commons - Index of OER Resources OER Resource Roundup by Edutopia Utah’s Open Textbook Project - for states or district who want to follow this model Thanks for listening to Every Classroom Matters! We’re now running over 50,000 downloads per month! Thank you. You’ll notice a few changes in the next weeks as we’ve got sponsors who will be supporting the show. If you believe in the show and what we’re doing, contact errol@coolcatteacher.com for more information on how you can become a sponsor. Thanks for listening. Remember - level up a little every day! -Vicki The post ECM #149 OER: Teaching Without Traditional Textbooks appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Secrets to Living an Excellent Life I was whirling out of control. Up through the leaves, up towards the clouds, even into space towards the cottage cheese moon. My mind soared as my eyes looked skyward. The creek was bobbing with human flesh. The family lashed together on their rafts in front of me sang a spirited tune in Spanish. The Korean family upstream had two teenage boys sleeping in their daisy chain of plastic tubes. We were in a silent, still pool amidst the noise. My son, John, and I just reclined wordlessly. As I twirled in my tube, I looked up. The blue sky was that glacial blue you see when glacier cracks and the crevasse lets everything escape but THAT one blue. In a mimicry of those glaciers of the north, the white clouds blew overhead like snow drifts. And I wondered. I wondered at the beauty of the blue. I also wondered: how many people look up? I can’t remember the last time that I looked up and watched the cotton balls tumble through the air. I usually just look up when thunderheads loom. But there it was, as pretty a blue sky as you’ll ever see. It went completely unnoticed by almost everyone on that creek, including me. I was almost halfway down before I looked up and gasped at the glory. But that is what we humans do. We notice the thunderheads. We notice the lightning. We look at the rocks in the creek. But we rarely look up. The twenty-something days of the year that are dark and overcast get lots of furtive glances up. But when we have perfect weather, what do we do? We look at everything else. Here we are, celebrating a joy-dance amidst sun showers and everyone on this creek is completely ignoring the masterpiece hovering over our heads. Fair weather doesn’t deserve notice. Or does it? Why do we only notice the foul? We look up only when we have problems? The direction we stare is true on so many levels. For we look up at the sun and the sky to bemoan our troubles. We also look up to God when we have towers falling and cancer calling. Rarely do we lift up our eyes in gratitude for the blue-sky days that tumble through our lives like children down a brand new slide. When I was a child, I would oftentimes lay in the grass and watch the clouds. I saw the birds fly overhead. Sometimes a cricket would jump right over my forehead. As the tall grass blew around me, I’d smell the robust fragrance of the grass, honeysuckle, and sandy south Georgia soil. I might jump up in pain when a red ant meandered over my foot and stopped for a bite beside the freckle on my fourth toe. But, I would look at the clouds. I looked up. Those were happy times. Sure, I had the stress of school. I had the stress of being left out and bullied. But somehow, I had the sky. And if I had the sky and knew that the Creator of that massive sky knew me, then I was OK. And so, today. Life is looking up. I’m not sure why, but I think it has to do with the direction of my eyes. Nature can lift your mood and has a particularly powerful impact on children. Learn how nature can help us. A fantastic read on this topic is Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. As humans, getting into nature can help us handle grief, stress, and so much. I hope you’ll take time to get out in nature. While I haven’t cited research, the positive impact of nature is very real. The post Looking Up: How Nature Can Help Us appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

How Webinars Work with Peggy George There are so many ways to learn. Webinars are an online learning tool that educators love. In her role as moderator of Classroom 2.0 webinars, Peggy George has experience leading some of the most popular webinars on the planet. As Peggy says, "it is important for educators and teachers to realize that education is something we create for ourselves, not that is done for us." Listen to the show online Listen on iTunes Here are some essential questions we discuss in this show: What makes a great webinar? How do you participate in webinars? How can you find free webinars? When do you chat? When do you ask questions? Is it OK to lurk? How do you pull off a great webinar when you’re planning one? (Including a peek into how Peggy plans those amazing Classroom 2.0 webinars.) Why is it important to enter a webinar room early? What can happen in "preshow"? Tips for engaging presenting when you’re the one presenting the webinar. What are the roles of moderators? (Facilitators, Backchannel moderators, Google jockeys) What resources should webinar creators share after the event? How can close captioning help? If you’ve never tried a free, online webinar - why not set a goal to try one this summer? Big Takeaways from This Session Follow @pgeorge on Twitter Peggy’s Livebinder on webinars, free webinars and free virtual conferences for teachers - http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=804872 Classroom 2.0 Live (close captioning available for non-English speakers) Presentation on backchannel netiquette Peggy’s point about making learning part of who we are is an important one. Whether you read blogs, listen to a show like this one, or participate in webinars: make time to learn. Level up a little bit every day. Thank you for the suggestions that have come flooding in this week for great guests on the show! We’re busy booking interviews for this summer, particularly those overseas that are hard to do during the school year. If you have any suggestions, email me at vicki@coolcatteacher.com - thank you for joining the ECM Education community! Remember, dear educators, wherever your classroom - your classroom MATTERS! - Vicki The post ECM150: Education Webinars: The Good, the Bad and the Fabulous appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Gary Dietz Helps Us Empathize: the Special Needs Episode We Should All Hear Gary Dietz is the father of a special needs child. After his child was born, Gary realized that Dads are often an ignored caregiver for helping special needs kids. He created and edited the book Dads of Disability: Stories for, by, and about fathers of children who experience disability (and the women who love them!). In today’s show, Gary tells some stories. He feels it is important to provide people with the vocabulary to discuss these topics. Listen now to hear his thoughts about raising a special needs child… Listen now to Gary DietzListen on iTunes Add @garymdietz to your PLN @garymdietz Dads of Disability Gary explores in his recent book, the empty-nest syndrome he experienced when his special needs child moved into another living arrangement. He found that there is too much sensitivity surrounding the vocabulary used to discuss those labeled with unique challenges. He noted that many people do not talk about these issues because they do not want to offend anyone with politically incorrect vocabulary. Gary found many stories in the general media are inspirational and upbeat, showing a postage stamp slice of time but not a child’s whole life. The majority of the time, those labeled and their caretakers must live 24/7 with labels, and those are the issues for which Gary wants to provide vocabulary. Listen now to find out more about Gary’s thoughts about raising his son. Production Coordinator Lisa Durff created this notes and did a great job. Here’s one important thing I’d like to emphasize. Let special needs kids create video! -Vicki Gary Dietz wrote Dad’s of Disability You can click "play" on the BAM Radio site to listen in any browser or mobile device. You can also subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial.  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. The post ECM 91: Understanding the Anxieties Around Educating Special Needs Kids appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

7 Awesome Ways to Be a Teacherpreneur and Inspire your Students to Be Exceptional Edutopia June 10, 2015 It has been some time since I first coined the word "teacherpreneur" here as it relates to the classroom teacher, but the word is becoming commonplace. ISTE sponsored a series on teacherpreneurship over on Edutopia. (Look on the left side of the post.) I think there are 7 ways that any teacher can be a teacherpreneur that are guaranteed to help students be more awesome. Teacherpreneurs: We’re Here to Inspire "This week, my ninth and tenth grade students had shark tank app presentations. As the culmination of a six-month effort that started with more than 30 ideas, the final seven apps were presented to a panel of "sharks." We initially had funding to put one app live on the Apple and Google Play stores. (Now we can afford two.) Each team had five minutes to present their apps, websites, and app trailers in a last-ditch effort for the rights to "go live." Now, some would think that choosing only one was hurtful to the other teams. It wasn’t. Each team was incredible in a unique way, and the feedback from real-world judges made the whole experience more meaningful than ever. 7 Ways to Inspire As a teacherpreneur, I work to create unique experiences for students that supercharge learning and increase engagement. Let’s dive into what teacherpreneurship looks like in the classroom and how you can show the craftsmanship of teaching every day. Tip #1: Foster Social Connections and Appreciation for Each Other’s Unique Strengths Continue Reading this Article on Edutopia The post 7 Awesome Ways to Be a Teacherpreneur and Inspire your Students to Be Exceptional [Link] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

ECM151: Eric Walters and his students Isabella and Tylor tell all The first online student technology conference was held this past January 2015 led by Eric Walters and his students. They are furiously planning the 2016 event (you can join in). In this episode of ECM, Eric and two of his students tell all about social media, learning, and their plans for next year. If you want to know all of the details, see this blog post shared back in January. Listen to the show Listen on iTunes The students clearly said what many are shouting: students want to learn anyplace, anywhere, anytime. It isn’t enough to just teach face to face. Students want to connect with teachers online too! Student empowerment was a theme, but see for yourself. You can listen to the recordings from the conference. (I especially recommend Isabella Fitzgerald’s@ifitzgerald15 keynote "Say it with Social Media". ) But Eric Walters@EWaltersScience and his students aren’t done! Here are their plans: Expand and add more types of online student conferences. Include college students in future conferences. Tackle new topics instead of just technology and include current events. Students want to delve into the differences and similarities between STEM and STEAM and think more art should be included. The next conference will be January 30, 2016. Their goal is to have representation from every continent as part of the planning.

ECM 153: Noble Kelly and Education Beyond Borders show how working together changes things. Imagine being the only teacher in a village. You’re alone. You go home on the weekend. You don’t get paid on time. Your students miss school. But one day, another teacher comes to help. You don’t feel alone anymore. Education Beyond Borders  does this now. "Isolated educators don’t have a lack of knowledge, but a lack of access to best practices, resources, and each other," says Noble Kelly. Listen on iTunes Listen to this show online: (11 min 45 sec) Today’s guest, Noble Kelly, started Education Beyond Borders.  After a teacher signs up, they raise money. They travel to help other teachers in South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. But chances are everywhere for us to help other teachers. Sharon Brown-Peters, one of the first people I "met" online, first told me about Education Beyond Borders. I admire her work in Mozambique. I admire her questions. (Sharon is now at ASB in Mumbai, India. ASB is a fantastic school.) According to Education Beyond Borders , with 59 million of us, teachers are the largest group of trained professionals in the world. However, we need 30 million more trained teachers to reach every child. When we educate teachers, we help kids. When we encourage teachers, we help kids. As teachers, we believe in the power of our profession. If we’re going to help it improve, that responsibility is on our shoulders. Not every place in the world has money to train teachers. Sometimes, they get whoever they can to "teach". Other times, teachers struggle with the isolation. Teachers are an incredible resource for each other. Embedded in this show are some great truths we can all learn as we work to help our colleagues who work in isolated places. It starts with respect and working together - not arrogance or pity or self-righteous ‘helpfulness.’ Important Take Aways from Episode 153 Follow Noble Kelly @noblekelly Noble gives some essential points for service learning projects. If you plan such projects, you should listen to his advice. Because so many non-working "junk" computers are "gifted" to poor schools, the cell phone is being seen as a key to improving education in remote areas. (See the 2014 GESF Panel where we discussed mobile phones in rural areas for ideas.) As a teacher, there are organizations that need your expertise. Volunteer your time to help other teachers and learn with them. As teachers, we need each other. We need ideas. We need encouragement. We need to feel that we are not alone. Because of discouragement, Noble says teacher absenteeism is a big problem in many remote places. (As USA Today reports, this is a growing problem in the US as well.) Take the time to volunteer your time. As I searched, I found one example of Mission Trip finders for teachers. Many charitable organizations have unique needs for teachers. So if you want to help - tell your favorite charitable service organization that you’re a teacher and let them know your skillset. For my North American friends, take the time to call this summer so you can plan for next year. I just got the stats! Every Classroom Matters is running 65,000 downloads a month now (up from 50,000!) I appreciate those of you sharing the show. A huge thanks goes to the amazing guests who so freely share their best practices, enthusiasm, and talents with all of us. BAM Radio, Errol St. Clair Smith and Jeannette rock the production of this show as does our trusty production coordinator, Lisa Durff. But without listeners, the show can’t go on. I want to give a shout out to Kaitee Monkey on iTunes for the kind review. Sorry I haven’t thanked you sooner! TIP: When you review your favorite podcasts, iTunes uses this as feedback to determine which shows they will feature and recommend to others. I appreciate those who take time to review and rate my show. If you give me your twitter handle in the review, I’ll share that out too! Thanks!   The post Progress Happens when Educators stop looking down their nose at education in Africa and start learning with them. appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

ECM 154: How 30-Year-Teacher James Sturtevant figured out how to relate to most students. Kids don’t get teachers. Teachers don’t get kids. Times change. Life can be hard for some kids. How do we connect when we’re so different? We need trust. We need respect. We need learning to happen. Here’s how. James has taught for thirty years. Although he’s been trained on many tools, James believes most teacher education training misses the point. Teaching is about relationships. Listen on iTunes Listen to James Sturtevant online. When we lose sight of the fact that education is a people business, we get in trouble. @jamessturtevant #edreformPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This Don’t believe him? Then, believe the American Psychological Association. Here’s what they say on their website, "Positive teacher-student relationships — evidenced by teachers’ reports of low conflict, a high degree of closeness and support, and little dependency — have been shown to support students’ adjustment to school, contribute to their social skills, promote academic performance and foster students’ resiliency in academic performance (Battistich, Schaps, & Wilson, 2004; Birch & Ladd, 1997; Curby, Rimm-Kaufman, & Ponitz, 2009; Ewing & Taylor, 2009; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Rudasill, Reio, Stipanovic, & Taylor, 2010). Teachers who experience close relationships with students reported that their students were less likely to avoid school, appeared more self-directed, more cooperative and more engaged in learning (Birch & Ladd, 1997; Decker, Dona, & Christenson, 2007; Klem & Connell, 2004)." We need positive relationships with our students. How do we do it? Important Take Aways About Relating to Students Add teacher James Sturdevant to your PLN @jamessturtevant James’ book that was discussed in the show: You’ve Gotta Connect: Building Relationships That Lead to Engaged Students, Productive Classrooms, and Higher Achievement Do you accept your students AS THEY ARE? James says teachers must have "radical acceptance." "We must accept kids wherever they are." Was your first year a disaster  too? James’ first September as a teacher was awful. "They wanted nothing to do with me. That was the longest September of my life. At the end of that month, I felt like a failure." Can you let go of the "good old days" and focus on now? Can you listen to your students so you can relate? Alberty Einstein said "If a is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut." There are times we need to listen to our students. This year, I’m going to be putting a timer on myself and limit my talking. As James said, "Something in me told me ot shut up and listen to their conversatin and I would learn something." Kids need us. Students need us. They need us to be adults. We need to put on our listening ears and not just expect it from them. James’ wisdom from thirty years of teaching speaks to us all. The post Some teachers get frustrated trying to reach kids. This teacher has the answer. appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

The books and best practices that change everything in your classroom Teachers who are leaders change the world one student at a time. Leaders are readers. Leaders are learners.  But where do we start? What do we read? What do we learn? Be a multiplier. According to the book, Multipliers, there are two kinds of leaders: multipliers and diminishers. Some leaders help a person operate at more than they are capable of doing. Then there are those sad souls who diminish others. Poor teacher leaders have students wallowing the squalor of low performance. Teacher Leader Tip #1: Leadership is often neglected in teacher education courses. Educating yourself on what teacher  leadership looks like comes first. Read books like Multipliers and What Great Teachers Do Differently. Understand the characteristics of great leaders. Listen to and Act Upon Feedback from Your Students. In Todd Whitaker’s 1993 research on what makes excellent principals, he found they "routinely consult teacher leaders for input before making a decision." (What Great Teachers Do Differently, p 92) We should do the same with students. College professor Dean Shareski asks after every assignment, "How can this assignment be better?"  For example, in a flipped classroom assignment, one student asked, "why not have us create a flipped classroom lesson?" Dean said that suggestion was an obvious improvement. Teacher Leader Tip #2: Ask after each assignment or unit: How can this assignment be better? Take the time to listen to your students via anonymous surveys or focus groups. Help Students See Their Value and Worth. Booker T. Washington said, "Most leaders spend time trying to get others to think more highly of them when instead, they should try to get their people to think more highly of themselves." When a student is underperforming, I’ve found that it is often an internal struggle. Before students can succeed, they must try. Before students try, they must have hope. Hope comes from knowing that you either have the strength or someone will help you. Teacher Leader Tip #3: Help students find their individual strengths. Teachers should be hope-inspiring coaches on the learning journey. Unleash the Power of Yet. In Carol Dweck’s TED Talk, she shares how  people with a growth mindset will say, "I’m not good at ____ yet." In her research, she calls people who think they have fixed abilities: "fixed mindset." These people rarely level up and are grossly incorrect when they self-assess their talents. Fixed mindset people resist learning. Those who adopt a "growth mindset" believe that they can improve and level up. Growth mindset people see their abilities as separate from their worth as a person. Growth mindset people learn. Incredibly, a growth mindset makes all the difference, AND IT CAN BE TAUGHT. A growing body of knowledge on metacognition helps us teach the growth mindset. Teacher Leader Tip #4: Understand what a growth mindset is by reading Mindset and other research. Learn the metacognitive techniques that will help your students overcome problems and develop grit. Admit your own "not yet" items to your students as you journey to learn too. When faced with mediocrity or injustice, leaders stand up and say "It is not going to be this way."  Leaders are visionaries who see a brighter future just past the problem. Most importantly, leadership can be learned and taught. We need teachers to rise up and lead. We need open minds and a willingness to help students (and ourselves) achieve more. For when a teacher leads, they are teaching far more than content knowledge, but spawn the leaders of tomorrow. The post 4 Tips to Develop Great Teacher Leaders appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

ECM 155: EdGaming expert Kae Novak tells us how to find good learning games for kids. Stop telling kids that every game is fun. They’re not. Some stink. Some rock. The word "game" doesn’t make learning great. Games shouldn’t be worksheets with points. There’s research behind good games. Learn to tell the difference. Your students will thank you. Listen to Kae Novak talk gaming on iTunes Listen to Kae Novak online Where are we going wrong with games in the classroom? As Kae Novak @kzenovka shares in the show, too many games have a "chocolate on broccoli" approach. She should know, she’s the chair of the ISTE Games and Simulations network. She teaches us all how to use games in the classroom. Kae says, Pedagogy first, then technology. @kzenovka Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This What is chocolate on broccoli? I asked teachers on the ECM Awesome Educator Network. They say: "Where the students are "told"  - eat this [game name omitted] game. It’s good for you." Ann Oro @njtechteacher "Pretty much all of the drill and practice ‘games’ are like that. They seemed to work 20 years ago when computers were new and novel. Kids are far beyond that today." Alfred Thompson @alfredtwo Dr. Lee Graham@ak_leeg says the teachers she instructs, "call those games ‘computerized worksheets.’" When I taught my children math facts, flashcards got boring. They preferred Math Baseball. It helped. Memorizing happens. But if it is the only thing happening, you’re not educating. What can good games do for us?  Ernie Easter, 35-year retired teacher from Maine, says, I have seen the results [of Minecraft] with my three granddaughters, ages 6, 8 & 10, at home. Our 8-year old’s reading blossomed when she started playing Minecraft and watching the videos. Her language expression also just exploded. In a good game, learning is part of the fun. Let’s find good games. Let’s teach with them. 6 Ways to Find Good Games for Learning Understand what makes a good game. Jim Gee has researched what makes a good game: identity, interaction, production, risk taking, customization, and agency. The first step in understanding a "good game" is reading Gee’s paper "Good Video Games and Good Learning." It explains good games simply. Become a game master. Kae says to read The Multiplayer Classroom by Lee Sheldon. It will help you create exciting good game learning experiences. Find Good Games. Kae likes the Games for Change website. They focus on the "good games model." She says you should still check every game before using them with kids. (After learning what a good game is, you can find them yourself on sites like  Graphite, Appolicious, and Gamifi-ed.) Learn Best Practices. Join the ISTE Games and Simulations Network. Connect with other teachers using games. Kae has two ways: 1) MetaGame Book Club and the 2) Inevitable Betrayal Educator Guild. Consider how games can teach more. In addition to learning things, some games can impact attitudes, motivation, and successful habits. (Note for educators: Kae says games can also impact the affective domain, not just the cognitive domain.) Before I write a show’s blog post, teachers are talking about the show. We do this on the Every Classroom Matters Awesome Educator Network. It is a closed group on Facebook. You’re invited if you’re an educator. 8 Every Classroom Matters Shows with Gaming/Gamification Experts Listen and learn more about gaming. Game-Based Learning: What Great Games Have That Bad Games Don’t with @kzenovka The Elements of a Great Educational Game with @MatthewFarber author of Gamify Your Classroom Lesson Plan: Enabling Students to Game Their Way to Literacy with @TiffanyPickrell @rockislandgirl @ak_leeg - A Minecraft Project aligned with literature and the Common Core. Zombie Based Learning: Yes, It’s Real and Meets Common Core Standards. Interview with Geography teacher David Hunter, inventor of @zombiebased  learning. Should You Gamify Your Class? Consider These Points? Shawn Young with @Classcraftgame Serious Games: Rethinking Gamification in Education with @catflippen, researcher. How Simulation Games Can Teach Complex Subjects with @stanzj , Professor at University of Michigan and inventor of Arab-Israeli Conflict Simulation and other collaborative games for students Gamifi-ed: Studying Serious Games when high school and masters students studied the current state of serious games in education. @verenanz  @akleeg @costerhout

How to Actually Use Your 3D Printer: 17 Tips I learned my first year Vicki Davis’ Edutopia Blog June 29, 2015 I named my 3D printer Bob Marley. He just jammed and smoked at first. But after persistence, we jammed in a good way. In this blog post, I share 17 tips for using a 3D printer. I learned these tips the hard way. If you read this post, you can save time. Read: Year One with a 3D Printer: 17 Tips 3d Printer The post How to Actually Use Your 3D Printer: 17 Tips I learned my first year [Link] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

ECM 156: Alan November shares 3 essential elements for excellent education Students who self-assess are the best? That’s what Alan November says. Research shows that students who self-assess their work become top students. What does this mean? Any school can improve with these three things. Listen on iTunes Listen to the show online. 1. We need to check how rapidly students get feedback, especially in math. Alan tells the story of the student who was struggling in math. After she failed the first test, the math teacher insisted that a man’s daughter move to the lower level math class. The dad refused. Instead, he taught his little girl to use Wolfram Alpha. She worked a homework problem. She checked it on Wolfram Alpha. The step-by-step instructions helped her learn math. Her score on the next test skyrocketed. She ended the year at the top of the class. The immediate feedback helped her teach herself. A students should be able to work a problem, then quickly get the answer. Alan says, Feedback time for math problems should be as close to zero as possible. @globalearner #mathchatPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This How do we give instant feedback on math problems? Should we expect teachers to do what a computer could do? Should we teach kids Wolfram Alpha? Many math teachers may view Wolfram Alpha as a threat. In fact, many teachers of young children still see calculators in this way. We should reconsider math. Read more the Wolfram Alpha teacher portal and the SEDL Calculators in Schools research summary. Every single math teacher should look at Wolfram Alpha Pro and what it can do for them! Research by James H. McMillan and Jessica Hearn helps us understand self-assessment and student success. 2. We need to encourage student self-assessment. Alan November says the most successful students have a clear means of self-assessment. In their 2008 report, James H. McMillan and Jessica Hearn say, "In the current era of standards-based education, student self-assessment stands alone in its promise of improved student motivation and engagement, and learning." (emphasis mine) What is self-assessment? McMillan and Hearn go on to define self-assessment as: "a process by which students 1) monitor and evaluate the quality of their thinking and behavior when learning and 2) identify strategies that improve their understanding and skills." Ann Oro  took this comment further on the Every Classroom Matters Awesome Educator Network Facebook Group. She says we need "to have a clear system for self-assessment for teachers." We all need a means of self-assessment. Teachers should become masters of metacognition. Read the research. 3. Focus on having an excellent first five days of school. Finally, Alan mentions the First Five Days of School. This program is fantastic. The First Five Days builds on what we already know from programs like Harry Wong‘s The First Days of School: the first days of school are important. Start strong. Finish strong. Teach every day all year long. Reminders for All Awesome Educators If you focus on learning, learning happens. The test results show it.  Guest after guest on Every Classroom Matters say it. When we focus on the test, nothing happens. (The test results show that too.) In fact, I would say not only does nothing happen, but frustration builds and students and teachers are less engaged. We’re not focusing on the main thing. The main thing happening in good schools is learning. A good education gives students a strong start to a good life. We all should be learning. Want to be awesome? Examine yourself.  Level up a little bit every day. This episode is a great show to share with your staff. Are you self-reflecting? Are you providing rapid feedback? Are you starting the school year strong? These three areas of can make a massive difference in every school. The post Why Wolfram Alpha has a place in math and two more game-changing ideas for schools. appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

A new Every Classroom Matters Episode In this episode, Dr. Brad Johnson joins Vicki to talk about improving teacher talents, proven ways to engage students and student leadership. Brad says if we follow this approach we can help teachers be six times more engaged in teaching and have a three times better quality of life. Important Takeaways Brad shares what you have to have from teachers before you can get students engaged. Students need a reason to want to come to school. ECM Awesome Educators - this is why YOU are so important in your classroom. YOU make all the difference in the lives of your students, but we need to know how to look at them differently, as Brad shares. I love Brad’s formula for student success! (I made it into a pinnable image for you at the bottom of the show notes.) Educator Resources Brad’s book What Schools Don’t Teach: 20 Ways to Help Students Excel in School and Life includes the compelling research he cites on the show. Gallup Poll About Student Engagement. This poll of more than 300,00 students included the statistic on student engagement that I shared in the show. Richard Spencer is the dancing science teacher I mentioned in our teacher strengths discussion. Interview Links @drbradjohnson Sponsor Staples. Staples has everything a teacher needs for Back to School. Remember to check out the Teacher Rewards Program. Join the Teacher Rewards program and check out my Top 10 School Supplies to buy at Staples. See Staples Back to School Deals What Teachers Say A listener from Maryland, Jeanne Mayo posted on Facebook about finding the strengths of teachers too: Great show… Not only will I try to discover the strengths of each student but staff member too. This can certainly apply to professional development. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or elsewhere, get the RSS feed, or listen via the media player above. Join the Every Classroom Matters Awesome Educators Network on Facebook Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. The sponsor does not influence or endorse the content of the show. 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 What Schools Do Not Teach: 20 Ways to Help Students Excel appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

A Great Way to Fund Your Makerspace or Student Projects Students can change the future. You can be part of it.  Today, Staples pledged $10 million to Think It Up. Think It Up is a nonprofit supported by the Entertainment Industry, Donorschoose.org, and Staples. We can help our students create, invent, and share their projects — AND RECEIVE FUNDING! I’m so excited! If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here. According to the press release, Through Think It Up, students will be able to work with their teachers to identify passion projects for their classrooms. Through this collaborative learning process, student-powered, teacher-led projects will be crowdfunded on Thinkitup.org. Even cooler, the representative for Think It Up is Nick Jonas. He will be sharing the story of Think It Up in a series of public service announcements. Passion projects are going mainstream. This mechanism to help kids fund their projects is now in place. It has the support of many great organizations. This emphasis on students is exactly why I’m representing Staples as their Back to School Ambassador. Now, we need your support. There are two ways teachers can help. Plan to help your students create and propose their own passion projects to do in your classroom this fall. Put Think It Up in your lesson plans and passion projects for this year. You can donate at your local Staples store I love this promotion because it puts students in the driver’s seat of their own passion projects. This is where they belong. So, parents, friends, everyone you know, start talking to kids about their passions. Help them create projects. And let’s get these projects funded. Who knows what they’ll dream up? Want to know more? We’re hosting a Twitter party this Thursday 7/9/2015 at 7pm using the #StaplesForStudents RSVP at this link: http://vite.io/staplesforstudents Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to edit and post it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.) The post Think It Up: New Site to Fund Student Passion Projects, Receives $10 million pledge from Staples appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

A New Every Classroom Matters Episode In this episode, Minecraft EDU creator Joel Levin talks with Vicki about Minecraft in schools. Want your school to use Minecraft? This is THE episode to share! Get those kids excited about learning! You can use Minecraft! Important Takeaways for Listeners Minecraft makes great student-centered student-led projects. Joel gives examples. How do you talk to kids about Minecraft in the classroom? What are the differences in Minecraft EDU in the classroom and the traditional Minecraft? How you can lead even when students know more about Minecraft than you do. Joel rants a bit. How machinima is changing. How to turn students from consumers into creators. If you listen to one show on Minecraft, this is it. Scroll down for 2 quotes for you listeners out there who love to pin them! ;-)  Educator Resources Minecraft Educator Summit - The first Minecraft educator summit was held in early 2015. Joel gives us the skinny on what happened. Minecraft EDU - Joel shares: ways teachers configure Minecraft, resources, and one group every Minecraft teacher should join. Minecraft Educator Portal -Microsoft bought Minecraft and unveiled this teacher portal. Minecraft Builder Bowl - Joel mentions the emergence of live gaming events. Here’s a Minecraft competition happening summer 2015. Interview Links @MinecraftTeachr Results come from fostering a great relationship with your students @MinecraftTeachrPowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This What Teachers Say The conversation exploded about this show on the ECM Awesome Educators Network on Facebook. Some highlights. Listener Joli Barker Erwin says, "I use minecraft edu as an assessment tool and a project tool. I’ve used it for measurement, as a virtual lab, as a digital diorama for books, as environmental science exploration…sooo much. Students even created games for a global empathy project." See Theheartcode.wikispaces.com Listener Michelle Baldwin says, "My kids ask to use it to demonstrate something they’re curious about. One year, we were talking about how people organize themselves into different types of governments. One group wanted to learn about oligarchies and said they could share what they were learning by building a capital city in Minecraft. They could articulate a LOT about what they had learned as they shared their city (these were grade 3-5 kids): http://architectsofwonder.edublogs.org/…/our-capital…/" Teachers shared Zoe Branigan-Pipe‘s blog post "Proud to Be a Minecraft Teacher." Minecraft transformed Zoe’s classroom. Some people labeled her, though. (I wonder if people do that to excuse themselves from giving it a whirl?) You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or elsewhere, get the RSS feed, or listen via the media player above. Want to talk about Minecraft If you want to talk about the show, join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook. You’re invited! Join the Every Classroom Matters Awesome Educators Network on Facebook. The post 3 Ways Monsters and Minecraft Can Drive Great Teaching and Learning appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

July 16-20, 2015 (Live and Video Recordings Available) Join the best PD experience of the summer! Teachers Leading Teachers Conference begins on Thursday. I will present Differentiating Instruction with Technology, at 9:30 am EDT Friday. Many amazing educators will be presenting: Kathy Cassidy, Jackie Gerstein, Pernille Ripp, Beth Hammett, Trevor Muir, Diana Gettman Flores, Erin Klein, Nick Provenzano, Starr Stackstein, Michelle Baldwin, and more!! (See schedule below.) Do you want to MOTIVATE and ENGAGE students? Are you trying to get ready for school  and wish someone would just give you step-by-step how-tos? Are you tired of hearing presenters who haven’t been in the classroom and you just want practical advice that you can use immediately? The Teachers Leading Teachers Summit will share strategies and play-by-play advice to start your classroom right from day one. If you’re willing to do the work, this online conference will be a GAME CHANGER for you and your classroom. You can start the school year with momentum and get better results. Register now to save your place. Who is speaking? These live events will be recorded so you can view them later. (Times shown in EDT.) Thursday, July 16 1-4 pm Registration and Opening Friday, July 17, 2015 8:30 am - 9:30 am Pernille Ripp — Creating Passionate Readers Workshop 9:30 am - 10:30 am Vicki Davis - Differentiating Instruction with Technology 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Beth Hammett - The Future of Education: Adaptive Learning in the 21st Century Classroom 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Royan Lee - Sketchnoting Like It’s 2015 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Trevor Muir - School in the Real World: Authentic Ed and PBL 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Diana Gettman Flores - Using Rubik’s Cubes as Math Manipulatives and Motivators in the Classroom Saturday, July 18, 2015 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Michele Daniel-Shenk & Diana Hewitt - Science Sparks Design Challenge 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Tim Twynn - Lights, Camera, Broadcast: Lessons Learned from a Student Run News Broadcast 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Dr. Jackie Gerstein - Are You an Educator With a Growth Mindset? 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Rebecca Leech - Personalized Learning to Improve Graduation Outcomes for Students with Disabilities Sunday, July 19, 2015 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm - Jessica Alessio - 1,2,3 Magic: Getting Rid of Gimmicks and Getting Back to Instruction 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Amanda Dykes - STEM Across the Curriculum 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Diana Hale - Creating and Environment conducive to Creativity 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Shira Loewenstein & Melanie Eisen - Growing as a Teacher Leader 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm Erin Klein - Personalize Instruction for All Learners and Create a Brain-Friendly, Blended Learning Space that is Student Centric 10:00 pm - 11:00 pm Nick Provenzano - Creating a Genius Every Hour: 20 Time in Education Monday, July 20, 2015 9:00 am - 10:00 am Elisa Waingort - Engaging Readers not Leveling Lives 10:00 am - 11:00 am Kathy Cassidy - The World Really is Watching: The Importance of Audience in Learning 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Starr Stackstein - Getting Rid of Grades for Better Student Learning 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Meenoo Rami - Teacher Practice in a Connected World 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Michelle Baldwin - The Connected Classroom: Amplifying Student Voice What does it cost? $149.00 plus a processing fee of $9.19. How do I sign up? Click here to register. Here’s a Rundown of What You’ll Be Learning Creating Passionate Reading Environments How to Differentiate and Reach Every Learner Using Adaptive Learning Environments to Promote Student Success Sketchnoting Your Thinking to Explain Concepts Concrete Tools and Tips for Dynamic Project Based Learning that Engage Learners Creating Engineering Design Challenges with Literature Mastering Your Growth Mindset Personalizing Learning to Improve Graduation Outcomes for Students with Disabilities How to Decrease Undesirable Behaviors, Rules and Routines without Gimmicks How to Create Membership Loops and an Innovative Classroom Architecture A Game Plan for Integrating STEM Across the Curriculum Creating a Classroom Community that will Supercharge Creativity 4 Powerful Pathways for Teacher-Leaders Unleashing Brain-Friendly Blended Learning Spaces Creating a Student-Centric Classroom A Slam Dunk Way to Engage Reluctant Readers without Leveling Creating a Worldwide Audience for Student Work Helping Students Become Effective Digital Citizens How to Connect Students and Supercharge Student Voice Sign me up! No travel required. Just sign up and join online. It is going to be a fantastic conference. Hat tip to John Spencer and AJ Juliani for putting this stellar cast together. Disclosure of Material Connection: 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. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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 DON’T MISS IT: Teachers Leading Teachers Online Conference Starts Thursday appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Four and a half years I lived bullying. I cried every day after school when I made it to the respite of my room at home. I often ask myself what I would have done if my bedroom weren’t my solitude? What if I couldn’t get away? Even if bullying "goes away" the scars don’t. How can I be in my forties and still be feeling the aftershock of when I was 14? "What are several real ways you’ve seen bullying reduced?" This month’s question as part of Cathy Rubin’s Global Search for Education is hard. I’ll share three things that worked with a disclaimer. I am sharing what I’ve seen WORK. Consult with a counselor (like I have) if you’re helping your children through bullying. Every situation is different. If your child is depressed or suicidal GET HELP IMMEDIATELY. Bullying is serious. Don’t ignore it. These are three things I’ve seen work. They may not work in your situation. In today’s challenge, Cathy Rubin has asked for several real ways I’ve seen bullying reduced. 1 - Learn to Defend Yourself When bullied between fifth and ninth grades, no one came to my rescue. I came to my rescue. I remember the day it happened. I bounded into homeroom in ninth grade. "Miss Mean Girl" made a cutting remark about my outfit as she did every day. I looked at her and said, "You know what - I don’t care. I honestly don’t care what you think anymore." And I didn’t. And that was it - I was free. I don’t know where the ability to no longer care appeared. Was it the self-confidence my parents instilled in me? Was it prayer? Was it maturity?  When dealing with mean taunts - bullies often select people who care what they think. When you stop caring, they may stop bullying you. For me, it stopped when I stopped caring. We let my son take Tae Kwon Do lessons. His bullying ended the day he stood up for himself. Again, this is controversial and doesn’t work for everyone but it helped him. They stopped hitting him when he hit back one time. 2 - Empower Bystanders The research-based Olweus Method relies on empowering bystanders. Sadly, telling adults about the bullying often makes it worse. Once a boy was physically hurting his classmates. He pretended to be joking, but he wouldn’t stop. He left bruises. The girls talked to adults. The adults told them the behavior was unacceptable. The girls took it to heart. It happened again. Three of the girls went to the principal and told him what happened. They stood up for their friend. The bullying stopped. Another time, a student saw bullying on Facebook against a classmate. She took a screenshot.  It was stopped. Empowering bystanders is hard. Because the person being bullied isn’t the one telling, it can help. 3 - Set Expectations I remember an anti-bullying rally held by a school counselor. It opened up conversations about how children should expect to be treated. Several issues came to light that had been going on that could then be handled. Often rallies, assemblies, or conversations about the treating each other with respect- helps. In this case, a rally started conversations that stopped several instances of bullying before they escalated. Bullying is Never OK But even as I share these three things I’ve seen work, scars remain. Even if bullying is "handled" doesn’t make it ok. Bullying is one of those things that hurts everyone involved. The "victim" must forgive and move on. Those who bully, if not helped, often become criminals. Every single person matters and deserves respect. That respect starts with having conversations about things that matter. Eradicating bullying matters. Creating a positive school culture free of fear matters. Just because something is hard to handle doesn’t mean we have an excuse to stop making progress. The post 3 Ways I’ve Seen Bullying Stopped appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Staples Back to School Council Students should be involved in their education. They can also change their world. I’m excited about filling my son’s locker with items from Staples because they are PRACTICAL. (The Designed by Students locker shelf below is so unique, I was like — why didn’t some adult think of that?) Staples worked with Ron Clark’s students (pictured above) and others around the country during this past school year. The result is a new line of back-to-school products designed by kids. It is great to see companies empower students to think and contribute to the world. Two of my favorite items are the floating locker shelves and the Big Pen Pencil Case. (Both are pictured at the bottom of this post.) Watch the Students Pitch Their Products The video from launch day is inspirational. (Embedded below.) Some of the key points he mentioned: The proposal and prototyping process. This is an essential part of design. The authentic audience. How can we help students work with local companies in this way to bring designs to the marketplace. When Staples did this, they are showing other businesses and leading with their actions that students can be partners in the design process. Talk about empowering students! When you take your ideas to local or large companies - share this. The pitch. In the video, you’ll see students pitching the products they designed. The art of the "elevator pitch" and proposing the awesome lap desk, the Big Pen, binders without rings, the cool locker shelf, and a redesigned backpack. (Watch the video!) If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here. The Floating Locker Shelves These floating locker shelves are going in my 8th graders locker. The Big Pen Pencil Case You can get all kinds of pens to go in this pencil case, but here’s the thing - the pencil case IS a pen and IS a pencil sharpener. For the kids who forget things, this is a HUGE step forward. Another must-have for my son. Check out the whole Staples Back to School Line at: www.staples.com/backtoschool See my favorite office supplies and how I use them in my classroom at: Top 10 Cool Things to Buy at Staples Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to edit and post it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.)  The post Students Help Design School Supplies for Staples: Let’s Get Students Involved appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

May, 2015 In response to requests from some of our readers here in EdTech & mLearning, we have curated this list featuring 10 Android apps for taking notes.  The titles included here are... ....read more

May 9, 2015 Google Goggles is one of the best Android apps for image search. Google Goggles allows you to conduct an extensive search on any physical item you point your mobile phone camera at... ....read more

May 10, 2015 Google’s advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology allows Drive users to easily convert text in images and PDF documents into searchable documents with the ability to... ....read more

May 10, 2015 Chrome store is teeming with all kinds  of educational apps to use on your Chromebook. However, searching for relevant apps can be a real arduous and time-consuming task. For those... ....read more