10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

This podcast with Jennifer Seravallo is dedicated to helping reading teachers improve their teaching methods by providing practical tips and in-depth insights into differentiated reading strategies. If you're a reading teacher looking for ways to make your teaching more effective, you're in the right place. We know that every student is unique and has their own learning needs. That's why in this podcast, we'll explore various differentiated reading strategies that can be adapted to fit the needs of every student in your classroom. From process-based approaches to individualized instruction, we'll cover a range of strategies to help you teach better and, ultimately, help your students become better readers. Show Notes, Guest Bio, and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/803 Show Sponsor: Propello is a free online platform offering an amazing NGSS-aligned science curriculum for grades 6-8, with ELA lessons coming in the fall. With built-in student differentiation and support, every student gets a personalized learning experience designed for their unique needs. Propello's curriculum is focused on inquiry-driven instruction, with high-quality resources and embedded supports like language translations for English language learners. Even if you already have a science curriculum, Propello is an excellent classroom-ready supplement - with everything you need for a personal, fun learning experience for your students. So what are you waiting for? Head to Propello and create your account today!

This podcast with Andrea Gribble will help school administrators and principals create a school social media strategy to drive engagement, build community, and enhance their organization's online presence. Schools and districts are leveraging the power of social media social more and more because it engages them with parents, students, and the larger community. But with so many platforms and strategies, it can be challenging to know where to start. That's where this podcast comes in. In this episode, we'll explore successful social media strategies proven to work for schools and districts. We'll cover all you need to know so your school and district can understand how to effectively use social media and create a strategy that works. Show Notes, Guest Bio, and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e802 Show Sponsor: Propello is a free online platform offering an amazing NGSS-aligned science curriculum for grades 6-8, with ELA lessons coming in the fall. With built-in student differentiation and support, every student gets a personalized learning experience designed for their unique needs. Propello's curriculum is focused on inquiry-driven instruction, with high-quality resources and embedded supports like language translations for English language learners. Even if you already have a science curriculum, Propello is an excellent classroom-ready supplement - with everything you need for a personal, fun learning experience for your students. So what are you waiting for? Head to Propello and create your account today!

Today, we share a must-listen podcast for educators who want to help their students succeed financially. With April being financial literacy month, there's no better time to tune in and learn how to integrate financial literacy into your curriculum. This show's guest is financial literacy expert Brian Page. This podcast provides practical tips and strategies for teaching financial literacy to middle and high school students. From budgeting to investing, credit to debt management, you'll gain valuable insights and resources to help your students make informed financial decisions and achieve financial stability. Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e801 Sponsor: This is financial literacy month! I recently taught my students about budgets, and they were so grateful! Teach students the things that matter during financial literacy month and beyond! From budgets to banking to credit and savings, choose a topic and use it in your classroom with EVERFI's free financial literacy lesson plans. Here are some great courses I recommend: Here are some great EVERFI courses I recommend: EVERFI HS Financial Literacy (high school) FutureSmart/ SmartEconomics (middle school) Marketplaces (high school) Accounting Careers: Limitless Opportunities (high school) Data Science Foundations (high school) SaveUp: Saving Money for the Future (middle school) Check out EVERFI and its financial literacy resources today!

The conversation is about Artificial Intelligence. Is it helpful? Should it be welcomed in schools? Should it be blocked? Today's three guests are expert authors of the newly released The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education. We need to get practical, past the hype, and work to do that in this show. This is also episode 800. We always celebrate when arriving at such milestone episodes so I have my son, John, share the stats for the first eight hundred episodes and we have a little fun. I hope this extended episode serves as a helpful addition to the AI discussion. Also note, and ironically so, that due to the extended nature of this episode and that we have four speakers, the AI tools I use to write the transcript had a bit of a meltdown, and I've had to apply a significant amount of human intelligence to the transcript which delayed this episode to Thursday. This podcast does come out on Mondays and future episodes will be the ten minutes, but this conversation is so important. Show Notes, Full Transcript, and Bios : https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e800 Sponsor: This is financial literacy month! I recently taught my students about budgets, and they were so grateful! Teach students the things that matter during financial literacy month and beyond! From budgets to banking to credit and savings, choose a topic and use it in your classroom with EVERFI's free financial literacy lesson plans. Here are some great courses I recommend: Here are some great EVERFI courses I recommend: EVERFI HS Financial Literacy (high school) FutureSmart/ SmartEconomics (middle school) Marketplaces (high school) Accounting Careers: Limitless Opportunities (high school) Data Science Foundations (high school) SaveUp: Saving Money for the Future (middle school) Check out EVERFI and its financial literacy resources today!

Using your smartphone, you can now scan a human. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher podcast, I speak with AR expert Jaime Donally about practical ways to use augmented reality in the classroom. Jaime shares 12 top tips and resources for engaging learning with immersive tech, including 3D scanning, 3D printing, and more. She discusses the importance of spatial learning and how AR and VR can help students prepare for future careers. Teachers looking to make their lessons more engaging and interactive won't want to miss this conversation! Show Notes, Transcript, and Bio on https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e799 Sponsor: This is financial literacy month! I recently taught my students about budgets, and they were so grateful! Teach students the things that matter during financial literacy month and beyond! From budgets to banking to credit and savings, choose a topic and use it in your classroom with EVERFI's free financial literacy lesson plans. Here are some great courses I recommend: Here are some great EVERFI courses I recommend: EVERFI HS Financial Literacy (high school) FutureSmart/ SmartEconomics (middle school) Marketplaces (high school) Accounting Careers: Limitless Opportunities (high school) Data Science Foundations (high school) SaveUp: Saving Money for the Future (middle school) Check out EVERFI and its financial literacy resources today!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in schools around the country. As I kick off Season 12 of the 10 Minute Teacher (after a much-needed break), I'm sharing 21 uses of AI tools, 4 conversation starters (including eight concerns of negative uses of AI), and a lesson plan I used to teach AI. My focus is on both ChatGPT as well as Notion AI and the practical ways I'm using them in my everyday classroom activities. Welcome to an extended episode focusing on AI! Show Notes and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e798 Sponsor: This is financial literacy month! I recently taught my students about budgets, and they were so grateful! Teach students the things that matter during financial literacy month and beyond! From budgets to banking to credit and savings, choose a topic and use it in your classroom with EVERFI's free financial literacy lesson plans. Here are some great courses I recommend: Here are some great EVERFI courses I recommend: EVERFI HS Financial Literacy (high school) FutureSmart/ SmartEconomics (middle school) Marketplaces (high school) Accounting Careers: Limitless Opportunities (high school) Data Science Foundations (high school) SaveUp: Saving Money for the Future (middle school) Check out EVERFI and its financial literacy resources today! Check out the show notes for links to the lesson plan and the full transcript!

Mastery learning (also called competency-based learning) is being used in some classes and schools. Jon Bergmann, author of the Mastery Learning Handbook talks about how he uses mastery learning in his chemistry and physics classrooms. He discusses common mistakes when teachers implement mastery learning as well as the types of classes that work well with mastery learning. Learn about this method of curriculum development and teaching and see if it is right for you. Notes and Transcript https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e797 Sponsor: Dell Thank you, Dell, for sponsoring today's show. Access early black Friday deals from now through November 27, 2022. Limited quantities on desktops, gaming laptops, high quality monitors, thunderbolt docks, wireless mice and more. They have created a special link for readers of this blog and listeners of the 10 Minute Teacher podcast: www.dell.com/epp/coolcatteacher Did you know that Dell has a cost-free education discount program offered to educators and their friends and family all year long? Check the deals out today at www.dell.com/epp/coolcatteacher and enjoy some awesome new technology this holiday season! Jon Bergmann - Bio as Submitted Jon Bergmann is one of the pioneers of the Flipped Classroom. He has helped schools, universities, organizations, and governments all over the world introduce active and flipped learning into their contexts. He is a frequent keynote speaker who challenges and inspires audiences with stories and real-life examples from his classroom. He has taught at urban, suburban, rural, and private schools. He spent twenty-four years as a classroom teacher in Colorado before becoming a technology facilitator in the Chicago suburbs. When Flip Your Classroom became an international bestseller, he traveled the world for eight years, helping schools and universities move from passive to active learning. In 2019, he returned to the classroom to further develop Flipped and Mastery Learning. This has amplified Jon's voice with teachers and professors. They now see him as a fellow teacher working through the complexities and challenges of teaching today because his presentations include struggles and successes as he works every day with students. Jon believes the two most important things that make good teaching good are active learning and relationships. Too much education is received passively, and Jon knows from both research and experience that students learn best when they are active participants. Students don't care what you know until they know that you care, and Jon tries every day to connect with his students. Jon has written and co-authored ten books that have been translated into thirteen languages. In 2002, Jon received the Presidential Award for Excellence for Math and Science Teaching; and in 2010, he was a Semi-Finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year. He serves on the advisory board for TED Education. He teaches full-time science and assists with staff development at Houston Christian High School in Houston, Texas. Find out more about Jon at JonBergmann.com and find book resources at TheMasteryLearningHandbook.com. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

George Couros says we need to stop trying to get back to 2019 and to create something new and better for every child. From trust to micromanagement to the importance of relationships, this motivational podcast will encourage teachers and administrators to move forward in hope. George gives some great advice here! Transcript and Links to Resources Mentioned: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e796 Sponsor: Dell Thank you, Dell, for sponsoring today's show. Access early black Friday deals from now through November 27, 2022. Limited quantities on desktops, gaming laptops, high quality monitors, thunderbolt docks, wireless mice and more. They have created a special link for readers of this blog and listeners of the 10 Minute Teacher podcast: www.dell.com/epp/coolcatteacher Did you know that Dell has a cost-free education discount program offered to educators and their friends and family all year long? Check the deals out today at www.dell.com/epp/coolcatteacher and enjoy some awesome new technology this holiday season! George Couros - Bio as Submitted George is currently an Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Consultant and speaker and the author of "The Innovator's Mindset" and "Innovate Inside the Box" and co-owner of IMPress Books. I have worked at all school levels, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and I am currently an Adjunct Instructor with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. I believe that creating a collaborative environment with all stakeholders will help to ensure that we meet the best needs of all children. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gcouros FaceBook - George Couros | Facebook Website - https://georgecouros.ca/ Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Jessica Adams, a teacher popular for sharing #TuesdayTechTips shares her journey of creating a personal website and her journey to create a personal brand. We discuss what website she used, how she picked her name, her colors, her logo, and fonts and her journey. With the holidays coming up, now is a great time for educators to work on their personal website and brand. She discusses the importance of not only student voice, but teacher voice and how it makes her feel to have a personal website. We also discussed the protection a personal website gives for you as a personal brand. Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e795 Sponsor: TARA TARA sponsored today's show. TARA stands for the Teacher Assistant for Resources & Administration which keeps tools, resources, lessons, IEP's, and meetings tracked in one place. It also includes vetted resources that you can download and use in your classroom immediately. As I reviewed this product, I've seen special education teachers and organizations raving about how TARA has helped them organize IEP progress, meetings, and result tracking. TARA is free for up to five people to work together as a team or just for you to use in your classroom to organize your lesson plans. Go to coolcatteacher.com/tara to sign up for your free account. Thank you TARA for sponsoring this show! Jessica Adams - Bio as Submitted Jessica Adams is a Local School Technology Coordinator in Hoschton, GA. During her 20+ years in education, she has taught science, math, PBL, STEM, and video production. She loves learning about technology and helping teachers integrate it into their classrooms. Website https://sites.google.com/view/all-the-tabs/home Twitter @jessicaradams Instagram @jessicaradams Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Properly evaluating education technology comes down to pedagogy and instructional design, asserts Dr. Liz Kolb, creator of the Triple E Framework. What is the Triple E Framework and how is it being used (and misused) in education today? How are people using it to evaluate the use of educational technology and how should it impact the evaluation of teachers? Get an overview of the framework everyone is discussing and understand how it impacts learning in your classroom on today's show. Show Notes https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e794 Sponsor: TARA TARA sponsored today's show. TARA stands for the Teacher Assistant for Resources & Administration which keeps tools, resources, lessons, IEP's, and meetings tracked in one place. It also includes vetted resources that you can download and use in your classroom immediately. As I reviewed this product, I've seen special education teachers and organizations raving about how TARA has helped them organize IEP progress, meetings, and result tracking. TARA is free for up to five people to work together as a team or just for you to use in your classroom to organize your lesson plans. Go to coolcatteacher.com/tara to sign up for your free account. Thank you TARA for sponsoring this show! Dr. Liz Kolb - Bio As Submitted Liz is a clinical associate professor of education technologies at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. She teaches courses in educational technology for the undergraduate elementary, undergraduate secondary, and Masters and Certification programs. She authored Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education, Cell Phones in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for the K-12 Educators, Help Your Child Learn With Their Cell Phone and Web 2.0, Learning First, Technology Second, and Learning First, Technology Second: In Practice. Website http://tripleeframework.com Twitter @lkolb Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Young children have many different ability levels with math concepts. Understandably, kindergarten and elementary teachers need to reach every student where they are on their learning journey, but it isn't always easy. Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, an expert on the topic, gives an overview of how to differentiate math instruction with younger students. See notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e793 Sponsor: Thank you, eSpark for sponsoring today's show. eSpark is a differentiation and intervention tool that helps teachers of kindergarten through grade five save time by providing ready-to-go, standards-based reading and math activities that students love. eSpark is free for teachers. Each Quest includes a pre-quiz, framing videos, instructional videos, practice activities, critical thinking challenges, a post-quiz, and an optional student recording. I love that for activities to remain in the eSpark catalog that it must have a high student engagement rating based on a student-chosen thumbs-up or thumbs-down. You can even import NWEA or STAR data to give students a more differentiated experience from the first log on. Oh and did I say it is free for teachers! So, go to go.eSpark.app/coolcatteacher. You'll be glad you did. Carol Ann Tomlinson - Bio as Submitted [caption id="attachment_28916" align="alignright" width="200"] Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson[/caption] Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development where she served as Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, and Co-Director of the University's Institutes on Academic Diversity. Prior to joining the faculty at UVa, she was a teacher in public schools for 21 years, during which she taught students in high school, preschool, and middle school and also administered programs for struggling and advanced learners. She was Virginia's Teacher of the Year in 1974. She was named Outstanding Professor at UVa's School of Education and Human Development in 2004 and received an All-University Teaching Award in 2008. In 2022, she was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings of the 200 "University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling," and as the #4 voice in Curriculum & Instruction. Carol is the author of over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials. Her two latest books are So Each May Soar: The Principles & Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms (2021) and Everybody's Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Learners (2022). Her books are available in 14 languages. She works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who seek to create classrooms that are effective in reaching diverse student populations. Twitter @cat3y Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Today's guest, Chris Chappotin, shares how he uses Notion to organize himself. He talks about how to get started and why people use it. This is a quick seven-minute overview podcast and I've also included many resources to get started with Notion on the blog post. Sponsor - Free Educator Wellness Toolkit:Educator wellness is now more important than ever. Go to coolcatteacher.com/wellness and download your free educator wellness toolkit from Advancement Courses. You'll get access to activities, strategies, and tools to improve the four domains of wellness. Also, you can save 20% off your next course by using the code CAT20. I love their courses because they are flexible, with up to 6 months to complete, and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code CAT20 to save 20%. Thank you, Advancement Courses, for sponsoring today's show. Show Notes and Resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e792 Chris Chappotin - Bio as Submitted Chris Chappotin has been serving as Assistant Superintendent for Boyd ISD in Boyd, TX since January 2020. Chris grew up in Farmington, IA, Irving & Keller, TX, and completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology at Abilene Christian University. After a 14-year career in student & worship ministry, public speaking, and starting churches, in 2011, Chris began working for Burleson ISD in Burleson, TX as a 4th and 5th Grade Math and Reading Special Education Teacher at J.W. Norwood Elementary School. Chris earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington, and was promoted into administration in Burleson ISD where he served as Academic Associate Principal at Centennial High School and Academic Associate Principal and Principal at STEAM Middle School. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctorate of Educational Leadership at Texas Tech University with an expected graduation date of May 2024. Chris is passionate about leading empowerment organizations, designing innovative instructional systems, and accomplishing both in the context of meaningful, team-oriented relationships. He has been featured on the Teach Better, Aspire Lead, Teachers On Fire, and Many Voices of Grit podcasts. Furthermore, he was the parody writer and voice of Burleson ISD's school year launch videos from 2016 to 2019. Chris and his wife, Heidi, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary on July 25, 2022. They have 5 children: Torie (21), Ryan (15), Hudson (12), Ava Grace (10), and Sam (7), and live in Boyd, TX with their 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 snakes, and 1 goat. Blog: https://linqapp.com/ChrisChappotin Twitter: @Chris_Chappotin Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Reading instruction can be challenging when a teacher has many different ability levels in her classroom. Furthermore, kindergarten and elementary grades are fundamental. Reading expert, Laura Robb breaks down excellent reading instruction from kindergarten through fifth grade. Dr. Robb has written more than 25 books on reading but also takes 3-4 months each school year as a classroom teacher. From how to form reading groups, how to reach individual children, and how to communicate with parents, Dr. Robb's advice is practical and extensive. This is an extended, 38-minute episode that covers everything about differentiating instruction with reading and is designed to be a complete overview to help every teacher working with young or struggling readers. This episode also includes a transcript on differentiating instruction. Show notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e791 sponsor: Thank you eSpark for sponsoring today's show. eSpark is a differentiation and intervention tool that helps teachers of kindergarten through grade five save time by providing ready-to-go, standards-based reading and math activities that students love. eSpark is free for teachers.Each Quest includes a pre-quiz, framing videos, instructional videos, practice activities, critical thinking challenges, a post-quiz, and an optional student recording. I love that for activities to remain in the eSpark catalog that it must have a high student engagement rating based on a student chosen thumbs-up or thumbs-down. You can even import NWEA or STAR data to give students a more differentiated experience from the first log on. Oh and did I say it is free for teachers! So, go to go.eSpark.app forward slash cool cat teacher - that's g-o dot e-spark dot a-p-p forward slash Cool Cat Teacher and sign up today for eSpark. You'll be glad you did. Laura Robb - Bio as Submitted Author, teacher, coach, and international speaker, Laura Robb has completed more than 43 years of teaching in grades 4-8, and she returns to teach striving readers each year. Robb received the Richard W. Halle Award for outstanding middle level educator from NCTE as well as the Friends of Literacy Award from the Nassau Reading Council. Laura Robb has written more than 30 books for teachers. Recently she has completed two books with her son Evan Robb, a middle school principal. TeamMakers: Positively Impacting the Lives of Children through District-Wide Dreaming, Collaborating, and Change, published by Dave Burgess Publishing was published in 2019. Schools Full of Readers: Tools for Teachers, Coaches and leaders to Support Students, is also from 2019. In 2016, two books were published: The Reading Intervention Toolkit, by Shell Education and Read Talk Write: 35 Lessons That Teach Students to Analyze Fiction and Nonfiction, published by Corwin Literacy. Corwin Literacy also published Robb's Vocabulary Is Comprehension: Getting to the Root of Complex Texts. Her newest for Heinemann is a First Hand Curriculum: Smart Writing: Practical Units For Teaching Middle School Writers, and a professional book, Teaching Middle School Writers: What Every English Teacher Needs to Know. For Scholastic, Robb has completed several best sellers including the first and second editions of Teaching Reading in Middle School, Differentiating Reading Instruction, Teaching Reading in Social Studies, Science, and Math, and her newest, Unlocking Complex Texts. Robb is a keynote and featured speaker at conferences and leads workshops all over the country and in Canada. She writes articles for education journals and blogs. She is a regular contributor to www.therobbreviewblog.com and has a series of podcasts with Evan Robb that you can access on https://therobbreviewpodcast.podbean.com. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Artificial intelligence (AI) experiments can open up discussion of the human aspect of training algorithms and help them improve. In this podcast episode, Roberta Freitas shares AI Experiments that any teacher can use with students. Additionally, we discuss the morals and ethics of Artificial intelligence and the responsibility of users to report issues of bias and concerns with AI and algorithms. Additionally, we discuss the practical needs of humans to be able to break out of the algorithms that can keep them chained to past behavior. Show Notes, Resources & Transcripts: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e790 Sponsor - Free Educator Wellness Toolkit:Educator wellness is now more important than ever. Go to coolcatteacher.com/wellness and download your free educator wellness toolkit from Advancement Courses. You'll get access to activities, strategies, and tools to improve the four domains of wellness. Also, you can save 20% off your next course by using the code CAT20. I love their courses because they are flexible, with up to 6 months to complete, and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code CAT20 to save 20%. Thank you, Advancement Courses, for sponsoring today's show. Roberta Freitas EdTech coordinator at Ibeu, an English Language School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. GEG Leader and Google Innovator. Maker enthusiast, passionate learner, edtech lover! Outside school - a singer, guitar player, fashionist, traveler, and life lover! Website: https://campsite.bio/betafreitas Twitter: @beta_freitas Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Graphic Design helps us present in more interesting ways, teach better, and communicate better. Not only do educators need to understand effective graphic design, we need to teach it. Sadie Lewis helps educators understand and teach graphic design in this quick, helpful show full of graphic design resources for educators. Make sure to scroll down to see the resources and the transcript of this show. Show Notes, Transcript, Links to Resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e789 Sponsor:Educator wellness is now more important than ever. Go to coolcatteacher.com/wellness and download your free educator wellness toolkit from Advancement Courses. You'll get access to activities, strategies, and tools to improve the four domains of wellness. Also, you can save 20% off your next course by using the code CAT20. I love their courses because they are flexible, with up to 6 months to complete, and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code CAT20 to save 20%. Thank you, Advancement Courses, for sponsoring today's show. Sadie Lewis - Bio as Submitted Sadie Lewis is the Director of Instructional Design + Personalized Learning in the Mehlville School District, where she works to develop programs and professional learning around instructional design, technology integration, engagement strategies and best practices. She works with teachers to plan innovative lessons and activities, and provides classroom support to foster authentic learning. Sadie is a Google Certified Innovator, and has presented at ISTE, ICE Indiana, MassCUE, FETC, METC, and regional conferences on design, instructional technology, and professional learning. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Where will edtech go in the future? How do we evaluate what to keep doing and what to change? What are the biggest mistakes with edtech that are causing undue technostress on teachers? Al Kingsley tackles these questions and more on this episode. Show Notes, Transcript & Resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e788/ Sponsor: Educator wellness is now more important than ever. Go to coolcatteacher.com/wellness and download your free educator wellness toolkit from Advancement Courses. You'll get access to activities, strategies, and tools to improve the four domains of wellness. Also, you can save 20% off your next course by using the code CAT20. I love their courses because they are flexible, with up to 6 months to complete, and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code CAT20 to save 20%. Thank you, Advancement Courses, for sponsoring today's show. Al Kingsley - Bio as Submitted Al Kingsley is CEO of the EdTech company NetSupport and is Chair of a Multi-Academy Trust. He is also a published Author and has almost 30 years' experience in education technology, digital strategy, and improving learning outcomes. Website = https://alkingsley.com/ Twitter = @AlKingsley_Edu Instagram =@ alkingsley

My goal is to read books for an hour each night. In this episode, I wanted to share some of the books that have me thinking this summer. It is a wide assortment of books that I've linked to at the bottom of the show. From technology to interpersonal skills to ponderings from history, sometimes patterns emerge between random books in surprising ways. If you have books you'd like to suggest for my reading list, message me on Twitter or use the contact us form on my website. I'd love to hear what you're reading! Today's sponsor is Lum.io, an award-winning digital learning tool that will transform your lessons into active, collaborative learning experiences If you're looking for a collaborative learning tool to make it easy to level up your lesson materials you already have with assessments, game-based activities, collaborative spaces and lots more all in one place, Lumio is the perfect choice for you. Head to Lum.io for more information and to sign up for FREE. Editing note: I used the pretty awesome Descript AI app for editing the audio. I also programmed an AI voice to overdub a few places where I made a mistake (instead of recording a word here or there.) I did have to give it permission (in my voice) and permit it to create a Voice clone of me. So far, I'm pretty impressed. As a note, this summer I'm also learning about AI and testing many apps like Descript to see where AI tools and assistants can help me be a better teacher and continue to share what I'm learning with those who find it interesting and helpful. You'll see lots of info on past blog posts and in my newsletter. Notes - https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e787 I hope you'll listen to the show to see my thoughts on this assortment of books mentioned in this episode. To Access Your Kindle "notebook" if you take notes in your Kindle - read.amazon.com/notebook Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking by Sönke Ahrens The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson The Future is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies are Transforming Business, Industries and Our Lives by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler The Tech-Wise Family: Every Day Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon Deep Work by Cal Newport The Last Lion - Alone 1934-1940 - Part 1 - by William Manchester Author Vance Havner

Self-care is a word thrown around a lot these days in education. In the real world of teaching, answers aren't always easy. In fact, as I release this episode, "self-care" is the reason I did not go to #ISTELive that is this week. I need to focus on my health. So, it is fitting that today I discuss the reality of teaching with another teaching veteran. We share how we have navigated the stresses and struggles of teaching as we seek to live a balanced life and do what matters. In addition to the podcast, I've included some inspiring poems, quotes, and a video from the day I learned to walk this past May. I, Vicki Davis (the show host) have made some mistakes in self-care in the past year, and open up about what I've learned from those mistakes and how I'm moving forward to teach better and take better care of myself. My hope is by being open about my own struggles and by bringing in the research that this show and blog post will help all of us teachers take better care of ourselves. Right now, this topic is more important than any education technology I could be talking about. So, take care of yourselves, teachers, this one's for you. Sponsor: In today's show, you learned more about taking care of yourself. You also learned about many courses from Advancement Courses, which has over 280 online graduate-level PD courses in not only self-care but topics for every grade level and subject area. Plus, their courses are self-paced with up to six months to complete. Go to www.advancementcourses.com/coolcat and get your 20% discount by entering the code CAT20 and sign up for your summer PD now. This time last summer I was taking a course in Computer Science that helped me implement a new course and curriculum at our school. Show Notes and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e786 Bio As Submitted: Stephanie Dorsey is an educator service consultant for Advancement Courses specializing in supporting teachers in the recertification and lane advancement process and advises teachers on courses that best match their professional growth needs. As a former special education teacher from Illinois, she worked in both elementary and middle school public and charter school settings for over 18 years. She received her M.Ed from the University of Colorado Denver in special education. Over the course of her career, she has been particularly interested in training other educators on effective curriculum, RTI, and universal design. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Today, Million+ follower, TikTok teacher, and creator of #TeacherTipTuesday, Megan Mayer, shares her thoughts about TikTok, how to prevent profanity on TikTok and why it is a valuable tool for teachers. Megan talks openly about what she's learned about her videos that have gone viral, how to pick hashtags, and secrets for making videos that will help teachers. We end the podcast by discussing the controversial things teachers sometimes see doing on TikTok that we wish they wouldn't. I've joined TikTok and am learning. This interview with Megan introduced me to TikTok as I embark on a learning journey on a new platform. Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last summer I took my professional development with Advancement Courses and I am so glad that I did! On my blog, I recently shared 10 Ways to Rejuvenate and Learn This Summer. All of the course ideas come from the advancement courses catalog to go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 Learn about some courses you might want to take and some things that you need to do this summer. Your current needs should impact your professional development. Advancement Courses makes it so easy to complete your PD with courses that are online and self-paced so you can take them anywhere any time with up to six months to complete. And right now you can use the code COOL15 to get 15% off your course today. So go to www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 and begin deciding what you want to learn this summer. Show Notes and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e785 Meghan Mayer (@thecrazycreativeteacher) Sarasota County Schools, Florida Followers: 1.2 million Meghan Mayer joined TikTok in February 2020 as @thecrazycreativeteacher and had nearly 500,000 followers when she was featured on CBS' The Greatest #AtHome Videos. The episode Mayer appeared in portrayed the struggles of teaching from home during the covid lockdown and included situations like Zooming into class from her bathroom and doing a parent-teacher conference in her closet. Untraditional? Sure. But during the pandemic, teachers did everything they could to be there for students and families. And, anyway, the view of Mayer captured in the CBS show would have been familiar to anyone who watched with her popular ongoing TikTok series "Teacher Tip Tuesday." Two years later, a lot more people have checked in with the series—Mayer now has more than 1.2 million followers. Mayer's TikToks offer unique insights into the life of a teacher. Another is projects from her middle-school language arts classroom, which often feature the use of a Cricut print-and-cut machine. Those videos got the attention of the company, which offered her a sponsorship. (Cricut is part of a growing number of brands interested in working with Mayer.) The money from that relationship circulates back into the classroom. As a Florida Gulf Coast University profile noted, "Like many educators, [Mayer] ends up spending her own money on classroom amenities like parties, prizes and décor to enhance the learning environment for her exceptional-education students." Source of Bio: https://elective.collegeboard.org/tiktok-famous-teachers-everyone-should-follow Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Can we have joy in schools? How about on social media? With so many difficulties, it seems beyond impossible sometimes to find joy but it can be done. Today, Dean Shareski, the author of Embracing a Culture of Joy brings his perspective to the challenges of modern living and learning. While his message has been around for a while, it is perhaps even more important today. In today's show we'll discuss: How Dean brings joy and humor to Zoom meetings (and podcasts) including some cool hardware and software The ambient irritability that seems to be prevalent today Why we still need joy How small kindnesses can make a big difference and some examples in schools Keeping perspective as we face problems How we can embrace multiple emotions at once Having concern for the world's problems and still finding joy in your day The importance of reflection How Vicki gets information from her students at the end of the school year to become a better teacher Some interesting laughs along the way! Show notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e784 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last summer I took my professional development with Advancement Courses and I am so glad that I did! On my blog, I recently shared 10 Ways to Rejuvenate and Learn This Summer. All of the course ideas come from the advancement courses catalog to go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 Learn about some courses you might want to take and some things that you need to do this summer. Your current needs should impact your professional development. Advancement Courses makes it so easy to complete your PD with courses that are online and self-paced so you can take them anywhere any time with up to six months to complete. And right now you can use the code COOL15 to get 15% off your course today. So go to www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 and begin deciding what you want to learn this summer. Dean Shareski - Bio as Submitted Dean Shareski is a Senior Partnership Consultant for Advanced Learning Partnerships supporting districts and schools throughout North America in digital transformation. He taught grades 1-8 for 14 years and spent nine as a digital learning consultant for a Canadian school district. His blog consistently ranks among the top educational blogs. In 2010 he won the ISTE Award for Outstanding Leader of the Year. Dean has had the opportunity to speak to various education audiences both nationally and internationally. He has recently authored "Embracing a Culture of Joy" and co-authored "Different Schools for a Different World." His passion remains to help teachers explore the affordances of technology for learning. Dean believes humor and humility go a long way in supporting and advocating transformational practices in teaching and learning. Blog http://shareski.ca Twitter @shareski Instagram @dshareski Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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 end of the school year can be so exciting and give us ideas for great teaching. Jillian DuBois talks about her end of the school year and from the conversation we have twelve inspiring ideas for classrooms everywhere including: how to use the element of surprise in learning vocabulary building ideas watching bald eagles and teaching ideas about them how eagles fly higher on turbulent winds how to know children in even a very large class and more. Show notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e783 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last summer I took my professional development with Advancement Courses and I am so glad that I did! On my blog, I recently shared 10 Ways to Rejuvenate and Learn This Summer. All of the course ideas come from the advancement courses catalog to go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 Learn about some courses you might want to take and some things that you need to do this summer. Your current needs should impact your professional development. Advancement Courses makes it so easy to complete your PD with courses that are online and self-paced so you can take them anywhere any time with up to six months to complete. And right now you can use the code COOL15 to get 15% off your course today. So go to www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 and begin deciding what you want to learn this summer. Jillian DuBois - Bio as Submitted Jillian is a repurposed elementary educator from Clearwater, FL, and currently serves as a Professional Learning Guide for Forward Edge/Edge•U in Ohio. Her passion is to infuse joy to those in educational leadership by focusing efforts on listening, serving, and growing. She uses her voice to foster hope by celebrating equity and empathy. She is a children's book author and illustrator of Liv's Seashells, Road to Awesome: A Journey for Kids, and Look at YOU, Piper Lou!, and Destiny's Amazingly Different Dreams. She is the founder + Chief Optimistic Originator of Imparted Joy, LLC, which provides services to help others 'spark their stories' with confidence. Each day is a FRESH opportunity to listen, be slow to criticize, and be quick to empathize. Keep dancing and dreaming with JOY. Twitter: @JillDuBois22 Instagram: jilliande FB: jilliandee TikTok: JillDuBois22 www.linkedin.com/in/jill-dubois Web: www.impartedjoy.com Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Awesome teachers connect with their students. KeKe Powell teaches second grade and has lots of ideas for ending the year and also just connecting with kids. She also shares some of her story of deciding to share what she does with a wider audience as she is becoming an education influencer. If you're considering if you want to share or if you just want great teaching ideas, this is a great listen for you. Scroll down for the show notes and transcript. Notes and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e782 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last summer I took my professional development with Advancement Courses and I am so glad that I did! On my blog, I recently shared 10 Ways to Rejuvenate and Learn This Summer. All of the course ideas come from the advancement courses catalog to go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 Learn about some courses you might want to take and some things that you need to do this summer. Your current needs should impact your professional development. Advancement Courses makes it so easy to complete your PD with courses that are online and self-paced so you can take them anywhere any time with up to six months to complete. And right now you can use the code COOL15 to get 15% off your course today. So go to www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 and begin deciding what you want to learn this summer. Keke Powell - Bio as Submitted Just a teacher learning and spreading my aloha with others! I relocated from Hawaii to the great state of Texas! I enjoy learning new things and exploring the outdoors. Blog = www.mspowellteaches.com Twitter = @mspowellteaches Instagram = @mspowellteaches TikTok = @mspowellteaches_ Linked in - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspowellteaches/ I have created my platform to showcase ways I implement new things in my classroom. I have learned so many new things from other educators and I enjoy to continue to pay it forward! As educators, we are all doing great things inside our classroom and I believe we should highlight each others success! Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

School leadership is more challenging than ever. Assistant superintendent Chris Chappotin shares ideas for making yourself available, the importance of taking things off teachers' plates (and not adding to them), and questions you can ask when encouraging leaders. Practical, encouraging ideas are shared throughout this show for principals, administrators, and anyone working to encourage school leaders. Transcript and Resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e781 Sponsor: Readlee is an amazing literacy tool that enables teachers to go from collecting reading data a couple times a year to getting data each week (or day!) in just 5-10 minutes. Developed in collaboration with researchers at the Harvard School of Education, students read aloud and the tool collects data on fluency and accountability (think words correct per minute and total time read, among others) and a recording and transcript of their reading. You can provide feedback to your students on any text (print or digital) and they can hear you read as well.This is a perfect tool for summer school, reading tutors and anyone teaching reading. Go to Readlee.com today to set up your free account and get started. Chris Chappotin - Bio As submitted Chris Chappotin has been serving as Assistant Superintendent for Boyd ISD in Boyd, TX since January 2020. Chris grew up in Farmington, IA, Irving & Keller, TX, and completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology at Abilene Christian University. After a 14-year career in student & worship ministry, public speaking, and starting churches, in 2011, Chris began working for Burleson ISD in Burleson, TX as a 4th and 5th Grade Math and Reading Special Education Teacher at J.W. Norwood Elementary School. Chris earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington, and was promoted into administration in Burleson ISD where he served as Academic Associate Principal at Centennial High School and Academic Associate Principal and Principal at STEAM Middle School. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctorate of Educational Leadership at Texas Tech University with an expected graduation date of May 2024. Chris is passionate about leading empowerment organizations, designing innovative instructional systems, and accomplishing both in the context of meaningful, team-oriented relationships. He has been featured on the Teach Better, Aspire Lead, Teachers On Fire, and Many Voices of Grit podcasts. Furthermore, he was the parody writer and voice of Burleson ISD's school year launch videos from 2016 to 2019. Chris and his wife, Heidi, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary on July 25, 2022. They have 5 children: Torie (21), Ryan (15), Hudson (12), Ava Grace (10), and Sam (7), and live in Boyd, TX with their 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 snakes, and 1 goat. Blog: https://linqapp.com/ChrisChappotin Twitter: @Chris_Chappotin Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Did you know you can use a live translator app in PTA meetings, parent teacher conferences, and presentations -- that actually works? Did you know there is a tool that will translate your parent newsletters? How about one that parents can use to translate homework so they can help their children? Well, all of these exist! You'll learn about these and more on a special extended episode of the podcast with Teresa Magpayo Castro and Ricardo Recinos. You'll learn to empathize with students who struggle with English as a second language as Teresa and Ricardo tell their own stories. If you have students in your school who do not have English as their primary language, this is a must-listen-to episode. (Or read the transcript at the end of this post.) Help every student become included in learning and become empowered. We can do this! Transcript and Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e780 Sponsor: Readlee is an amazing literacy tool that enables teachers to go from collecting reading data a couple of times a year to getting data each week (or day!) in just 5-10 minutes. Developed in collaboration with researchers at the Harvard School of Education, students read aloud and the tool collects data on fluency and accountability (think words correct per minute and total time read, among others) and a recording and transcript of their reading. You can provide feedback to your students on any text (print or digital) and they can hear you read as well.This is a perfect tool for summer school, reading tutors and anyone teaching reading. Go to Readlee.com today to set up your free account and get started. Bios as Submitted Teresa Magpayo Castro​ Teresa Magpayo Castro is a Technology TOSA for the Unified School District of Hacienda La Puente USD. Her tech team conducts professional development for teachers and admin levels Prek-12. She is also part of the Transformational Technology team who provides weekly PDs to educators all over the globe. Blog: https://www.bit.ly/transformationaltech Twitter: @CastroCorner Note from Teresa: We conduct weekly PDs across 5 platforms, including our YouTube Channel https://www.bit.ly/transformationaltech on topics requested by our teachers! We also create tutorials on our District YouTube Channel https://www.bit.ly/hlpyoutube. Our Newsletter provides important info and highlights our teachers https://sites.google.com/hlpusd.k12.ca.us/tech/edtech-focus-newsletter?authuser=0 . Ricardo Recinos​ Ricardo Recinos is a proud Technology TOSA in Hacienda La Puente USD and a supervising instructor for John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. His role includes training teachers and administrators on all things related to technology and district initiatives. He is a part of the Transformational Tech team and a lead for Region 3 ILC for CTA. He is also a College Board ETS Table Leader and College Board Consultant. Blog: https://sites.google.com/hlpusd.k12.ca.us/tech/edtech-focus-newsletter?authuser=0 Twitter: @TechTosas Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Years ago when I discussed strategy with a Disney Cruise leader, they told me that people tend to remember how an experience starts and how it ends. Therefore, they designed events with intentionality, particularly on the first day and the last night. So, I adopted this approach in my own classroom and so has today's guest fourth-grade teacher, Alana Stanton. Over the last seventeen years, Alana has created some traditions in her classroom and today she shares them. Get ready to end the school year in a memorable and fun way for your students (and you!) Transcript and Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e779 Advancement Courses - Show Sponsor Advancement Courses is who I chose for my professional development. I love their courses because they are flexible with up to 6 months to complete and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. I recently shared 21 Top PD Topics for Teachers. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code COOL15 to save 15% off when you sign up at Advancement Courses. I highly recommend Advancement Courses for your professional PD. Alana Stanton Bio As Submitted Alana Stanton is a kindergarten teacher at Mulberry Elementary in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She has taught several grades over her 14-year career including K-3 literacy special, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, and technology special. Alana believes that relationships always come first in the classroom and the classroom should be a place where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. She currently writes for her blog, More Than A Lesson where she shares the stories of her classroom and her heart. Blog: http://morethanalessonst.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @stantonalana Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Nicole Biscotti had children, and she was a teacher. She thought she understood everything about children. That was until her fourth son, Jason, was born. As Jason grew, Nicole knew he was different. Nicole shares how eventually she discovered Jason had ADHD and how she changed her high school classroom to reach all of the children. Kids with ADHD are different and need accommodations, but it can be challenging for already stressed teachers to figure out how to reach every child. Nicole shares her solution and some surprising things she learned as she has helped Jason grow and succeed in the classroom and at home. This show is a must-listen episode for parents of kids with ADHD and the teachers working to reach these precious children. Show Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e778 Advancement Courses: Show sponsor Advancement Courses is who I chose for my professional development. I love their courses because they are flexible with up to 6 months to complete and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. I recently shared 21 Top PD Topics for Teachers. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code COOL15 to save 15% off when you sign up at Advancement Courses. I highly recommend Advancement Courses for your professional PD Nicole Biscotti - Bio As Submitted Nicole is proud to be an educator and believes that everyone should have access to a quality education that connects them with their purpose. She seeks to bridge understanding, spark conversations, and inspire through her speaking, consulting, and writing. She wrote I Can Learn When I'm Moving: Going to School with ADHD with her 9 year old son about ADHD from the unique perspectives of a child and a mother who is also a teacher. She has seen both personally and professionally how children struggle to be understood and how adults are often at a loss with how to handle the difficult behaviors associated with ADHD and believes that by sharing her and her son's story, along with researched-based strategies, she can bridge understanding for kids who desperately need our support. Blog NicoleBiscotti.com Twitter @BiscottiNicole Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

World language teachers can have challenges with teaching students. Particularly when many want to use technology translators instead of learning the language. However, Rachelle Dene Poth has experience engaging and exciting students in her Spanish classroom From building relationships to using technology, she shares how Spanish teachers can engage students in learning. She uses augmented reality and virtual reality along with basic teaching concepts that apply to any world language classroom. Transcript and Show Notes: CoolCatTeacher.com/e777 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last year, when I needed to take a college CEU course, I chose Advancement Courses and learned so much about teaching computer science in the classroom. I recently wrote about this on my blog called Seven Reasons Advancement Courses has Excellent Teacher Professional Development. Signup for a new course at Advancement Courses and use the code COOL15 to receive 15% off your Advancement Courses purchase. Thank you, Advancement Courses for awesome PD and for sponsoring today's episode. Rachelle Dene Poth - Bio As Submitted Rachelle Dene Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle teaches Spanish and STEAM: What's nExT in Emerging Technology at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master's in Instructional Technology. She is a Consultant and Speaker, owner of ThriveinEDU LLC Consulting. She serves as the past president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and serves on the Leadership team of the Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She is also a Buncee Ambassador, Nearpod PioNear and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Rachelle is the author of four books, 'In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking," "Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU" (EduMatch) and "The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead," In 2020, Rachelle Dene published with ISTE "Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow's World." She recently published Your World Language Classroom: Strategies for In-Person and Digital Instruction. Rachelle is a blogger for Getting Smart, Defined Learning, District Administration, NEO LMS, and the STEM Informer with Newsweek. Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915 ThriveinEDU is also a weekly show on Learningrevolution.com on Wednesdays.

As teachers, we have many ways to open class. Bell ringers, conversation starters, and even special handshakes can open class. But what if the answer is a question that helps create social connections? Dr. Leigh Zeitz from the University of Northern Iowa surveys his students. The result has helped him (and us) better engage students. (He also will share why his students said they turned off their cameras in zoom.) The results might surprise you! Show Notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e776 Show Sponsor: Advancement Courses is my preferred professional development provider. Last year when I needed to take a college CEU course, I chose Advancement Courses and learned so much about teaching computer science in the classroom. I recently wrote about this on my blog called 7 Reasons Advancement Courses Has Excellent Teacher Professional Development. Go to Advancement Courses and use the code COOL15 to receive 15% off your Advancement Courses purchase. Thank you Advancement Courses for awesome PD and for sponsoring today's episode! Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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 best Instructional Technology Coaches are partners, culture leaders, encouragers, and easy to work with, says Dr. Katie Ritter. She covers ten essential points for being a successful education technology coach based on her research and her personal coaching of instructional technology coaches and teachers. This blog post includes a full transcript, a pinnable (or printable) graphic, and the podcast episode. Show Notes, Resources and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e775 Today's sponsor is Lum.io, an award-winning digital learning tool that will transform your lessons into active, collaborative learning experiences If you're looking for a collaborative learning tool to make it easy to level up your lesson materials you already have with assessments, game-based activities, collaborative spaces and lots more all in one place, Lumio is the perfect choice for you. Head to Lum.io for more information and to sign up for FREE. Dr. Katie Ritter - Bio As Submitted Katie serves as the Director for Curriculum & Technology Integration at Forward Edge in Cincinnati, Ohio, working closely with district leaders to help them identify needs of their staff, develop and implement plans for improvement, and oversees the Curriculum & Integration Department. In the C&I department, Katie supervises a team of 15+ instructional design coaches that serve about 20 school districts, oversees a national coach mentorship program, and also created and oversees Edge•U Badges, an anytime anywhere professional learning program for educators. Before joining Forward Edge in 2015, she worked in adult education, supervised students in an alternative school, taught computer science, and was an instructional technology coach at both the building and K-12 district levels. Katie finished her Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University in December 2021, where her research focused on instructional coaching in K-12 schools. She served on the leadership team for the EdTech Coaches Network of ISTE from 2015-2020, was a Future Ready Schools Instructional Coaches Thought Leader from 2017-2020, is a cohost of the Restart Recharge Podcast for coaches, and is a Google Certified Innovator, Coach, and Trainer. Through her Innovator project, she developed Classroom Bridges, a site to connect educators to other educators around the world to develop global collaboration experiences for students. Katie is driven to empower others to realize their full potential so that they can make a positive difference on those around them! For contact information, please see visit http://linktr.ee/katiemritter. Blog: http://talktechwithme.com Twitter: @Katie_M_Ritter Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Surprise can increase learning and change the lives of our students in positive ways. Today's guest researcher, Dr. Michael Rousell, studies the neuroscience of surprise and has some interesting points for educators and presenters. The Johns Hopkins' article, The Element of Surprise Helps Babies Learn Significantly Better, points to a phenomenon that impacts all ages. For example, if you've played peekaboo with a baby, you know the surprise is what makes them laugh. Interestingly, researchers found that once babies saw something that surprised them, their engagement with the object peaked their learning behavior which improved significantly compared to a baby who was not surprised. So they found that babies who were shown surprising events were able to learn faster and more efficiently afterward than those who were not. Today we will discuss how surprise applies to learning. Show Notes and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e774 Sponsor: Today's sponsor is Lum.io, an award-winning digital learning tool that will transform your lessons into active, collaborative learning experiences If you're looking for a collaborative learning tool to make it easy to level up your lesson materials you already have with assessments, game-based activities, collaborative spaces and lots more all in one place, Lumio is the perfect choice for you. Head to Lum.io for more information and to sign up for FREE. Dr. Michael Rousell - Bio as Submitted I'm a teacher, associate professor, psychologist, and author. I taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. As an academic, I study formative moments, those events that instantly change what you believe about yourself. My next book is titled, The Power of Surprise: How Our Brain Secretly Changes Our Beliefs, (not yet published). My slogan: Whoever learns the most wins. You can see my recent TEDxSalem talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5O6mFWpgZo Blog: michaelrousell.com Twitter: @rousellm

Classroom culture defines your classroom. You can feel a classroom culture, but what is a classroom culture? How do you build a positive classroom culture? In this show, Andrew Sharos, author of Finding Lifelifes: A Practical Tale about Teacher and Mentors, shares how to create a thriving classroom culture. He also talks about creating positive classroom habits. Furthermore, you'll learn how he measures the success of his classroom culture. See transcript and additional resources in the show notes at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e773 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Voting is now open in the Advancement Courses' Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge. Would you rather teach Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter or Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Ferris Bueller or Bart Simpson? From now until March 30, you'll have a chance to vote for which character you want to see advance through each round and see the winners announced on March 31. So, go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament to get your votes in and start playing. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

You can have the first day back to school activities any day of the year. We all need classroom management tips and first-day back stations are one of those you can use any time of the year. Right now, this is more important than ever as classrooms return from quarantine, teachers handoff substitute teachers, students come back to school from spring break, or a classroom may get off track and need a fresh start. First-day back stations are a teaching tactic to add to your tool belt so you can help reestablish the procedures that give the order that students need and crave. See the full blog post, podcast, and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e772 Sponsor: Voting is now open in Advancement Courses' Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge. Would you rather teach Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter or Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Ferris Bueller or Bart Simpson? From now until March 30, you'll have a chance to vote for which character you want to see advance through each round and see the winners announced on March 31. Go to www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament to get your votes in and start playing. Angelina Murphy is a secondary English language arts teacher based in Los Angeles. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and has a master's degree in education from UCLA, where her focus was on trauma-informed teaching, ethnic studies, and community-grounded praxis. Twitter: @magicalmsmurphy Instagram @magicalmsmurphy Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/profile/angelina-murphy Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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 harsh reality of classroom life is that students and teachers both report lower motivation and morale right now. We must reengage students! Games can help us! SEL games can help you teach social-emotional learning skills and life skills. Today's expert, Dr. Matthew Farber, gives us an interesting twist on games by integrating them with SEL. He has practical ideas for understanding and using game-based learning in the classroom. Games make a great addition to every teacher's toolkit. From board games, in-class games, or video games, students love them! So, let me encourage you to take some time to learn about SEL games today in this podcast. 8 Actions Teachers Can Take After Reading this Post and Listening to This Podcast Understand that parents do not typically like the term social-emotional learning and prefer the term "life skills" but as you teach life skills, they want to partner with teachers in the process. Understand games can be a powerful way to teach life skills Find some games to try with students in class Understand the concept of asymmetrical game design and how it can teach teamwork. Educators should look for games with asymmetrical design as they test games for the classroom. Understand the concept of situational game design and how it can open up conversation in the classroom. Understand that the Nintendo switch can be hooked to a projector and passed around the room to create conversations about situational games. Check out 16 links for game-based learning resources. Look at practical classroom resources to dig deeper into game-based learning and SEL Resources Transcript and Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e771 Thank You Advancement Courses: Thank you Advancement Courses for sponsoring today's show. This month, Advancement Courses is kicking off their annual Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge where educators can win up to $2,000 in prizes. This year's "Mischief-Makers Edition'' features some of the most incorrigible students from literature and film, including Draco Malfoy, Veruca Salt, Bart Simpson, and Ferris Bueller. From now until March 20, choose which mischief-maker you'd rather teach and submit your bracket in order to play. Then from March 21-30, you'll have a chance to come back and vote for your favorites to advance. Enter now and you could win prizes like a $1,000 Amazon gift card and more. Visit www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament/ to learn more and submit your brackets!

How do we accelerate learning? The US Department of Education Roadmap for Reopening Safely says that "accelerated learning provides opportunities for students to learn at grade level rather than through tracking or remediation…." Simply put, acceleration "builds on what students know as a way to access new learning." (Roadmap p 18) Sponsor: Advancement Courses Thank you Advancement Courses for sponsoring today's show. This month, Advancement Courses is kicking off their annual Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge where educators can win up to $2,000 in prizes. This year's "Mischief-Makers Edition'' features some of the most incorrigible students from literature and film, including Draco Malfoy, Veruca Salt, Bart Simpson, and Ferris Bueller. From now until March 20, choose which mischief-maker you'd rather teach and submit your bracket in order to play. Then from March 21-30, you'll have a chance to come back and vote for your favorites to advance. Enter now and you could win prizes like a $1,000 Amazon gift card and more. Visit www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament/ to learn more and submit your brackets! This report also says that the pandemic negatively impacted math and widened achievement gaps. There is little doubt that many amazing kids are struggling to reengage with their learning progress. We cannot be content to let a generation of kids fall by the wayside. This is our watch and our duty and we have to work to do what is best. So, while some advocate acceleration for gifted kids, we need acceleration for all kids. It isn't about "catching up" right now education is about reaching every child's potential. We would love to see this generation transcend and rise above the many challenges of our world. To get there, we must reengage. Acceleration research says it is a way to do that. Dr. Nancy Frey has researched Acceleration Research along with Douglas Fisher and shared their results in Rebound: A Playbook for Rebuilding Agency, Accelerating Learning Recovery, and Rethinking Schools. This episode is a companion to podcast episode 768 with Douglas Fisher about schools that rebound. This episode focuses specifically on acceleration research. See the transcript and full show notes at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e770

Reading stamina matters. Prior to the pandemic, nearly two-thirds of students in the US were not at or above grade reading level for grade 4,8, and 12 (NAEP). If that isn't bad enough, UNESCO found that more than half of children and adolescents were not even learning worldwide. Furthermore, in September 2020, UNICEF reported that 1 billion children worldwide aren't learning at all. With these big picture stats and stories coming from the classroom, teachers need advice on helping students develop reading stamina. In episode 769 and this blog post, we're going to dig into reading stamina, why it is important, and practical ways we can help our students progress with reading stamina. My goal is to create a useful resource that teachers everywhere can use to get started with building reading stamina. Today's guest is Lisa Hollihan Allen. Sponsor: Today's sponsor, Literal is an app to help students in grades 6-12 engage with reading. The books literally are broken into text message-sized chunks making reading easier, plus Literal has classroom management features for teachers. Go to https://www.literalapp.com and use the promo code "coolcat" to get a free Educator account to try Literal in your classroom. Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e769

Acceleration research can teach us how to accelerate learning. Dr. Douglas Fisher, co-author of the best-selling book Rebound, Grades K-12: A Playbook for Rebuilding Agency, Accelerating Learning Recovery, and Rethinking Schools. Instead of learning loss, Dr. Fisher is advocating how we can accelerate learning. He reflects on what we have learned and how we can move forward together as we work to emerge (hopefully) from the pandemic. Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e768 Today's episode is sponsored by Tract. Tract will empower your students to develop 21st-Century Ready skills through project-based peer-to-peer learning. For a limited time, you can pilot Tract's on-demand project-based classes and clubs free in your classroom. I am a project-based learning classroom and have joined the pilot. Request free access today at teach.tract.app with the access code COOLCATTEACHER. If you have students aged 8 or older, you'll want to bring students into this self-directed project-based platform that will rock your classroom and their world. See my review, 10 Ways to Personalize Project Based Learning with Tract. Try out Tract today! Related Episodes A 4 Part Distance Learning Framework that Works with Dr. Douglas Fisher Successful Distance Learning for Young Kids with Nancy Frey Dr. Douglas Fisher - Bio as Submitted Doug Fisher is professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High in San Diego, CA. He is the co-author of The Distance Learning Playbook, along with several other books. Blog: www.fisherandfrey.com Twitter: @DFISHERSDSU Youtube Channel: Fisher and Frey - YouTube Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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." This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

"Really, we have to write?" say some students. No more! If you're working to engage your student in writing that is engaging and exciting, Dr. Sarah Levine from Stanford University has some practical ideas for you and your students. In this episode, you'll learn ways to engage students in writing using digital media. You'll also learn about an incredible idea "audio gifts" which you could use to support writing and gift giving for the upcoming holiday season. She also gives us the language for how to help students strengthen their writing with strong verbs and concrete language as they create their audio gifts. Sponsor: Defined Learning has engaging project-based lessons for your students., Take a look at the PBL tools & resources on Defined Learning with an online library of engaging hands-on projects, inspiring career-focused videos, research resources & more to help you create deeper learning opportunities for your students. Listeners of this podcast can get free 60-day access to all of Defined Learning's PBL resources by going to definedlearning.com/coolcat. Show Notes: www.coolcatteacher.com/e767 About Dr. Sarah Levine - Bio As Submitted Sarah Levine is an Assistant Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Dr. Levine's primary goal as an academic is to help shape the teaching and learning of secondary English teachers and contribute to research that will help students — especially those in urban and under-resourced schools — become independent readers and writers. Twitter: @s_r_levine Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Digital portfolios are an essential part of the modern student's creation process. In this show Tisha Poncio shares her tips on digital portfolios and classroom teaching. Learn how to plan ahead to allow for project based learning and digital portfolios and best practices for implementing them in the classroom. Transcript posted on the show page: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e766 Today's episode is sponsored by Tract. Tract will empower your students to develop 21st-Century Ready skills through project-based peer-to peer learning. For a limited time you can pilot Tract's on-demand project-based classes and clubs free in your classroom. I am a project based learning classroom and have joined the pilot. Request free access today at teach.tract.app with the access code COOLCATTEACHER. If you have students aged 8 or older, you'll want to bring students into this self-directed project based platform that will rock your classroom and their world. Try out Tract today! Tisha Poncio - Bio As Submitted Tisha Poncio, M.S. Learning Technologies/Instructional Design, has served in education for the last 21 years. She has led students in the classroom teaching English, Web Design, Graphic Design, Business Computers, Programming, and Broadcast Journalism. She has also coached educators, students, and administrators as a digital learning specialist for 12 years. She is a Google Certified Trainer, and a Flipgrid, Wakelet, and Buncee Ambassador. Her biggest accomplishment to date has been the creation of a student-led technology leadership group that helps her present globally on student voice, digital citizenship, and the #studentsCANlead movement.

Thomas Arnett from the Christensen Institute Shares What the Insitute has learned from administrators and teachers about best practices for teaching during the pandemic. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e765 Sponsor: Screencastify. This year, I introduced the free screencasting tool, Screencastify, the first week of school to all of my students so they could record screencasts. Screencastify isn't just a screen recorder. You can record, edit, and submit to students quickly as they can to you. The new version of Screencastify has analytics so you can know who is watching and when and more. Head over to screencastify.com today. Thomas Arnett - Bio as Submitted Thomas Arnett is a senior research fellow for the Clayton Christensen Institute. His work focuses on using the Theory of Disruptive Innovation to study innovative instructional models and their potential to scale student-centered learning in K–12 education. Thomas began his work in education as a middle school math teacher in Kansas City Public Schools through Teach For America and as an Education Pioneers fellow with the Achievement First Public Charter Schools. He has also served as an elected trustee and board president for the Morgan Hill Unified School District in Morgan Hill, California, and currently serves as the chair of the board of Compass Charter Schools in California. https://www.christenseninstitute.org/results/?authors=toma Potential unfulfilled: COVID-19, the rapid adoption of online learning, and what could be unlocked this year (https://www.christenseninstitute.org/publications/online-learning-potential/?authors=toma) Carpe Diem: Convert pandemic struggles into student-centered learning - https://www.christenseninstitute.org/publications/blended-learning-2021/?authors=toma Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

These are challenging times, but what if you're trying to find some normalcy amidst the challenges? Today's guest, Michelle Blanchet, co-author of the Startup Teacher Playbook talks about a method she teaches teachers to help determine the specific issues of concern so that improvements can be made and the teacher can have a sense of forward progress. Social Emotional Learning isn't just for students, this episode focuses on teachers. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e764 Today's sponsor is NaliniKIDS, creator of wordworkouts.org, a fantastic free SEL resource that will bring reflection and movement to your classroom. At wordworkouts.org you can select a word as the focus to help students get in the right mindset for a day of learning while making connections between academics and daily life. Wordworkouts.org is great for morning meetings, brain breaks, class transitions or advisory and is a wonderful relationship-building tool for your classroom community. Michelle Blanchet - Bio as Submitted Michelle is an educator striving to improve how we treat, train, and value our teachers. After ten years of experience working with young people, she founded the Educators' Lab, which supports teacher-driven solutions to educational challenges. Michelle earned a master's in international relations from Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. She has taught social studies in Switzerland and the U.S. and has presented at numerous events, including SXSWedu and TEDxLausanne. Michelle is a part of the Global Shaper Community of the World Economic Forum. She has worked with organizations like PBS Education, the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, Ashoka, and the Center for Curriculum Redesign. The Startup Teacher Playbook through Times 10 Publications is her first book. She occasionally blogs for Edutopia.

Tiffany Wycoff, the co-author of the bestselling book, Blended Learning in Action, talks about the state of blended learning today. She shares how some teachers are battling blended learning burnout but that it is necessary for learning today and how we move forward. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e763 Sponsor: Screencastify. This year, I introduced the free screencasting tool, Screencastify, the first week of school to all of my students so they could record screencasts. Screencastify isn't just a screen recorder. You can record, edit, and submit to students quickly as they can to you. The new version of Screencastify has analytics so you can know who is watching and when and more. Head over to screencastify.com today. Tiffany Wycoff - Bio as Submitted After spending many years in the classroom teaching and several as a school principal, Tiffany co-founded LINC and now serves as Chief Operating Officer at LINC. She is the co-author of the bestselling book, Blended Learning in Action, and a prominent speaker on innovative learning and leadership. blinaction.com @TeachOnTheEdge Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and lead developer of RULER, a systemic, evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning reflects on where students are now and how to reach them. This Social Emotional Learning (SEL) focused episode is relevant for Fall 2021 as students and teachers return to school. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e762 Today's sponsor is NaliniKIDS, creator of wordworkouts.org, a fantastic free SEL resource that will bring reflection and movement to your classroom. At wordworkouts.org you can select a word as the focus to help students get in the right mindset for a day of learning while making connections between academics and daily life. Wordworkouts.org is great for morning meetings, brain breaks, class transitions or advisory and is a wonderful relationship-building tool for your classroom community. Dr. Marc Brackett - Bio as Submitted Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine at Yale University. His grant-funded research focuses on: (1) the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationship quality, and mental health; (2) the measurement of emotional intelligence; and (3) the influences of emotional intelligence training on children's and adults' health, performance, and workplace performance and climate. Marc has published 125 scholarly articles and has received numerous awards, including the Joseph E. Zins Award for his research on social and emotional learning and an honorary doctorate from Manhattanville College. He also is a distinguished scientist on the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development and on the board of directors for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Marc is the lead developer of RULER, a systemic, evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by over 2,000 public, charter, and private pre-school through high schools across the United States and in other countries, including Australia, China, England, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. RULER infuses social and emotion learning into the immune system of schools by enhancing how school administrators lead, educators teach, students learn, and families parent. Research shows that RULER boosts academic performance, decreases school problems like bullying, enriches classroom climates, reduces teacher stress and burnout, and enhances teacher instructional practices. Marc is the author of Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive (Celadon/Macmillan), which will be released in September of 2019. Marc regularly consults with large companies on best practices for integrating the principles of emotional intelligence into training and product design. He is co-founder of Oji Life Lab, a corporate learning firm that develops innovative digital learning systems for emotional intelligence. With Facebook, Marc has developed a number of products, including: social resolution tools to help adults and youth resolve online conflict; a bullying prevention hub to support educators, families, and teens; and InspirED, an open-source resource center to support high school students in leading positive change in their schools. Marc also holds a 5th degree black belt in Hapkido, a Korean martial art. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Financial literacy is a must-teach topic for students, a topic Kailen Stover has been teaching for years. In this show, she shares what every student needs to know and how to teach them. Money matters. Let's talk about how. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e761 Sponsor: Everfi sponsored this episode. If you need standards-aligned, digital resources to teach real-world topics like financial literacy, communication skills, leadership, and SEL, social-emotional learning, then EVERFI has a course for you. This past school year, EVERFI had over 72,000 active courses with 4.8 million student enrollments. These digital resources are free to K-12 schools, so every teacher has access to them, no matter your classroom setting. From sports to banking, you will find a topic with a real-world angle that your students will love. So go to get.EVERFI.com/coolcat. And when you do, sign up to get a virtual swag bag full of free goodies and check out the show notes for links. Kailen Stover - Bio as Submitted Kailen Stover is a High School Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Teacher in Colorado. Family and Consumer Sciences falls within the realm of Career and Technical Education (CTE). Although Kailen teaches many pathways inside of FCS CTE the majority of her time is spent on classes that teach how to "adult". She is dedicated to preparing students for life after high school by focusing on 21st-century workplace readiness and Social-Emotional Learning. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Some awesome changes have happened with Google Apps over summer 2021. In today's show, Eric Curts talks about Google Classroom, Google Docs, and other Google apps and what has happened that is new and cool and how these changes will help classrooms improve this school year. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e760 Sponsor: Today's podcast is sponsored by Google and their Applied Digital Skills Curriculum. All opinions my own and that of my guest. Eric Curts - Bio As Submitted Eric has been in education for 30 years, and currently serves as a Technology Integration Specialist for SPARCC in Canton, Ohio where he oversees G Suite for Education implementation, training, and support, as well as other technology integration initiatives. Eric is an authorized Google Education Trainer and Innovator, and provides training to schools, organizations, and conferences throughout Ohio and across the country. He is a co-leader of the Ohio Google Educator Group at https://bit.ly/gegohio. Eric runs the award-winning blog https://www.ControlAltAchieve.com where all of his edtech resources can be found, and is the author of the book "Control Alt Achieve: Rebooting Your Classroom with Creative Google Projects". Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

In today's show, we are working to develop empathy for some of our most struggling students - students who are refugees. Looking at Syrian Refugee students in Lebanon, we are spotlighting students who need our encouragement and help. This is not an easy topic, but we should all consider. Take the time to talk to students in your school who are refugees and help others develop empathy and reach out to help them. We all need someone to help us. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e759 Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorsChoose projects from August 18 – September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Ibrahim M. Karkouti - Bio as Submitted Ibrahim M. Karkouti is an independent thinker, a young scholar, and a life-long learner who recently defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Hartford, CT - USA. Ten years of professional experience in Lebanon, Qatar, and the United States have taught Ibrahim that learning has no boundaries and that education matters the most when it is used to remedy the deleterious effects of segregation, racism, sectarianism, and other forms of discriminatory practices that prevent historically excluded populations from attaining their basic rights to education, healthcare, and prosperity. Karkouti's research focuses on diversity issues in higher education, the elements that aid in the facilitation of the use of technology in the classroom and the types of social support K-12 teachers need to embrace and implement reform. Twitter: @ibrahimkarkouti Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-m-karkouti-30938696/ Restoring Hope for Syrian Refugees: Social Support Students Need to Excel at School https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/imig.12642 Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Nancy Barile has an incredible story of how she uses the show The Walking Dead to engage learners in writing skills and more. Her administration has let her recraft the curriculum around this show with pretty astounding results. Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorsChoose projects from August 18 – September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Nancy Barile - Bio as Submitted Nancy Barile has been a public high school English Language Arts teacher working with kids in Massachusetts for over twenty-seven years. In 2007, she was named a member of the USA Today All-Teacher Team, and in 2011 she was awarded the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award in Creative Leadership. She is a 2013 recipient of the Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award. In 2013 she was named Boston Red Sox Most Valuable Educator. She was a 2015 Top 50 Finalist for the Varkey Global Teacher Prize. Nancy is also an adjunct professor in the undergraduate and graduate schools of education of a Boston-area college. Her writing has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Guardian, Ozy, Education Week, the College Board, and Hey Teach. Nancy is the author of I'm Not Holding Your Coat: My Bruises and All Memoir of Punk Rock Rebellion, which was published by Bazillion Points in 2021. Available at bazillionpoints.com or on Amazon. Nancy lives outside Boston with her husband Al Barile and Flippy the Beagle.

Students are coming back to school and many of them are struggling with reading. While this has always been a challenge, this year it may be even more so. In this episode, literacy expert Pam Allyn gives advice to teachers in specifically in grades 6-12 when they have students struggling to read. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e757/ Sponsor: Today's sponsor, Literal is an app to help students in grades 6-12 engage with reading. The books literally are broken into text message-sized chunks making reading easier, plus Literal has classroom management features for teachers. Go to https://www.literalapp.com and use the promo code "coolcat" to get a free Educator account to try Literal in your classroom. Pam Allyn - Bio As Submitted Pam Allyn is an award-winning education innovator, author of books for families and educators, public speaker and experienced business executive in the area of educational products and sales. She is the founder of the award-winning global nonprofit organization LitWorld, and co-founder of the family engagement platform Dewey. pamallyn.com @pamallyn

Google's Applied Digital Skills Curriculum is a fantastic free resource of lesson plans, videos, and learning experiences for students everywhere. Today's guest Coach Victor Hicks talks about how he's used the curriculum for grades kindergarten and up. Sponsor: Today's podcast includes sponsored content from Google and their Applied Digital Skills Curriculum. All opinions are my own. coolcatteacher.com/skills The "If-Then Adventure Story" that Victor recommends as a starting point is an excellent resource and beginning lesson plan for teachers. www.coolcatteacher.com/if www.coolcatteacher.com/e756 Coach Victor Hicks - Bio As Submitted "Coach" Victor Hicks is the founder of Coding with Culture; a computer science instructional company that combines computer science, digital literacy and the history and culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Victor is also an educator in Atlanta, Georgia. Overall, Coach Hicks has over 20 years experience in education positively impacting the lives of young people in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia. Coach Hicks' work is featured on the Google Applied Digital Skills website and he was blessed with the opportunity to present on behalf of the Tynker Corporation at the ISTE convention in Chicago. His work was featured in Forbes Magazine and he received the Educator of the Year award from InspireEDU among others. In his time outside of school and Coding with Culture, Coach Hicks is a Code.org professional development facilitator and the proud Coach of the Psi Phi Beta "HBCU Ready" Step Team! Blog: http://www.coachhicks.com Twitter: @codingwculture Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Paolo Tolomeo gets kids excited about learning math and language arts by sailing the 7 seas. Learn how it does it, how he keeps on track with lessons, and how to avoid common mistakes when adding gamification to your classroom. Show Notes with Links: www.coolcatteacher.com/e755 Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorsChoose projects from August 18 - September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Paolo Tolomeo - Bio As Submitted I am a 4th grade teacher preparing to enter my 16th year teaching. I am constantly looking for ways to further engage my students, creating epic storylines for us all to navigate each year in my gamified classroom. Twitter: @MrTSVedu Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."

Karen Janowski and her coauthors have written a book Inclusive Learning 365: Edtech Strategies for Every Day of the Year. Today she talks about a mindset of including students who learn differently and better reaching the children you have in the classroom. She also shares some practical examples and edtech tools in the process and how you can work to innovate every day of the year in a way that is not overwhelming. Show Notes: www.coolcatteacher.com/e754 Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorChoose projects from August 18 - September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Karen Janowski - Bio as Submitted Karen is an Inclusive Technology Consultant and President of EdTech Solutions, Inc serving school districts in the Greater Boston area. She is a nationally recognized speaker and is passionate about removing the obstacles to learning to ensure that all learners achieve independence and success. Blog: https://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @karenjan Inclusive Learning 365 https://inclusive365.com/ Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. 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."