10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Math teacher Lauren Harris had a problem. Students weren't remembering important concepts from the previous year that she knew she had taught. How could she help students remember? Her answer is that she includes meaningful projects in her curriculum. In today's show, Lauren gives us a quick overview, how-to, and ideas for planning your own projects that will help students learn and remember. www.coolcatteacher.com/e533 Sponsor: This post is sponsored by Times 10 publications, publisher of Sanée Bell's new book, Be Excellent On Purpose, Intentional Strategies for Impactful Leadership. All editorial content is my own. Download a free ebook with the Lead Forward authors and get inspired. Lauren Harris - Bio As Submitted Lauren is in her tenth year of teaching at the high school and collegiate level and is also currently an eleventh-grade dean and mathematics teacher at University Liggett School, in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. She previously was and currently is a lead speaker at the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference where she shares her passion about mathematics electives and her History of Mathematics course. Twitter: @harrishousemath

Back to school is here! We're starting up the year with principal Dr. Sanée Bell, author of the new book, Be Excellent On Purpose, Intentional Strategies for Impactful Leadership. Today, Sanée shares her eleven principles from the book and gets us motivated for an epic school year. (We've also included the transcript.) Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Sanée's publisher, Times 10 Education publisher of the Hack Learning series and the new Lead Forward Series of which Sanée's book is the first. See the full transcript at: www.coolcatteacher.com/e531 Dr. Sanée Bell - Bio as Submitted Dr. Sanée Bell is the principal of Morton Ranch Junior High in Katy, Texas. She has also served as an elementary principal, assistant principal, teacher, and coach. In 2015, Sanée was recognized as the Katy ISD Elementary Principal of the Year. She earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Houston Clear Lake. Sanée is passionate about authentic, purposeful learning for students and teachers, and she also has a strong passion for leadership and its impact on teacher engagement, student learning, and school culture. Sanée recognizes her impact as a leader and uses her role to inspire, motivate, and empower others. Sanée has presented at state, national and international conferences, and has contributed to several publications, including Brené Brown's Dare to Lead. She has also been a guest on several podcasts focused on leaders hip and its impact on students and teachers. Sanée is co-author and co-editor of the Education Write Now Series, and is the author of Be Excellent on Purpose: Intentional Strategies for Impactful Leadership. Sanée shares her thoughts on leadership on her blog saneebell.com.

Today Angela Watson teaches us how to maximize our summer. If you like her ideas, take this quiz to see if her 40-hour workweek program is right for you. Cool Cat Teacher Vault: This is one of the most popular shows of all time and perhaps can help you with the rest of your summer. We will be taking a break and will start back up with Season 6 the last week of July! Full transcript for this episode: www.coolcatteacher.com/e530 Angela Watson- Bio as Submitted Angela Watson is a National Board Certified Teacher currently working as an instructional coach and educational consultant based in Brooklyn, New York. She has published four books for teachers and has maintained The Cornerstone For Teachers blog since 2003. Angela is the creator of the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club, an online professional development program that has supported teachers with productivity in over 10,000 schools. Her Sunday podcast called Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers is entering its 6th season, providing motivation and encouragement to teachers on a weekly basis.

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath's book Stop Talking, Start Influencing:12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick is my book of the summer. His neuroscience insights shared in this podcast need deeper exploration and understanding as we design learning. Since John Medina's book Brain Rules, this book is my favorite neuroscience book out now. It is no surprise that with more than 7300 downloads and counting, this episode is the top episode of Season 5. Listen and discuss! www.coolcatteacher.com/e529 Sponsor: Angela Watson's 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club is designed to help you become a more organized, efficient, and balanced teacher. It helped me and can help you too. Go to www.coolcatteacher.com/savetime and learn more about the club which is closing enrollment on July 15th. Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath's Bio As Submitted Jared Cooney Horvath (Ph.D., MEd) is an expert in the field of Educational Neuroscience. He has conducted research and lectured at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, the University of Melbourne, and over 150 schools internationally. Jared's work has been featured in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, and NOVA. He currently serves as Director of LME Global: a team dedicated to bringing the latest brain and behavioral research to teachers, students, and parents. His latest book is Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick.

Classroom management is a challenge for many teachers. Stacey Corrigan talks about how she manages her classroom. From transitions to handling disruptions, Stacey talks about the 20+ year classroom journey. She even shares the mistakes she has made and how she tries to help teachers not make those same mistakes. We're counting down the top shows of Season 5 -- this is the number 2 show of the season! Sponsor: Today we're talking about classroom management. Becoming more efficient at grading and lesson planning has freed up more time for me to spend with my students. Check out Angela Watson's 40 hour workweek club at coolcatteacher.com/savetime. Registration for this cohort closes on July 15. Stacey Corrigan Stacey is a picture book author and second-grade teacher with 20+ years of experience. Her debut picture book, THE PENCIL EATER, will be released by MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing in the next few months. Stacey grew up in Elkton, MI and began writing as a columnist for a local newspaper in high school. She graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Elementary Education and Saginaw Valley State University with an MA in Early Childhood Education. Stacey is a member of SCBWI, a 12 x 12 participant, and a Storystorm 2018 and 2019 participant. Stacey lives in Michigan with her husband, two teenage sons, and an adorable beagle named Sadie. Twitter: @StaceyCorrigan3

Genuine appreciation that is timely and meaningful can go a long way in the classroom, between colleagues, and administrators and their teachers. So why don't we show more appreciation? It doesn't have to be hard as Dr. Brad Johnson explains in this simple but inspiring show about taking the time to build relationships. We can do this. Even more importantly, we must. This week, we are counting down the top shows of season 5 and this show with Dr. Brad Johnson comes in at number three! www.coolcatteacher.com/e527 Sponsor: Angela Watson's 40 Hour Workweek Club cohort enrollment closes on July 15th. I've used it and recommend it. Go to coolcatteacher.com/savetime to learn more. Dr. Brad Johnson Leadership Consultant and Author Dr. Johnson is a speaker in the fields of education and leadership. He is author of six books including, From School Administrator to School Leader, & Learning on Your Feet: Incorporating Physical Activity into the K-8 Classroom (Routledge). He teaches graduate-level leadership courses and other educational courses. Website Twitter

Tired teachers need strategies to stay refreshed and feel good. Today, we talk about battling burnout. This week we are counting down the top episodes of 2019. Today's show is 5 Ways to Battle Burnout with Mandy Froehlich and it is the number 4 episode of Season 5. Sponsor: Angela Watson's 40 Hour Workweek Club cohort enrollment closes on July 15th. I've used it and recommend it. Go to coolcatteacher.com/savetime to learn more. Mandy Froehlich - Bio as submitted Director of Innovation and Technology Mandy Froehlich is the Director of Innovation and Technology for the Ripon Area School District in Ripon, Wisconsin where she supports and encourages educators to create innovative change in their classrooms. Her passion lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as what is needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking. She consults with school districts and post-secondary institutions around the country in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, conducts workshops, and presents and keynotes nationally. Her first book, The Fire Within: Lessons from defeat that have ignited a passion for learning, discusses mental health awareness for teachers. Her book, Divergent EDU, is based on an organizational structure she developed to support teachers in innovative and divergent thinking.

Today is a recap of #ISTE19 from 4-time attendee Matt Miller and first-time attendees Angie Ridgeway and Nate Ridgeway. They share what people were talking about and their observations about what was missing. (Record Date: Thursday, June 27, 2019) These three educators co-authored Don't Ditch That Tech: Differentiated Instruction in a Digital World. www.coolcatteacher.com/e525 Matt Miller Matt Miller is an educator, blogger and the author of "Ditch That Textbook," a book about revolutionizing the classroom with innovative teaching, mindsets and curriculum. He has infused technology and innovative teaching methods in his classes for more than 10 years. Matt is a Google Certified Innovator, PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator and two-time Bammy! Awards nominee. He writes at the Ditch That Textbook blog about using technology and creative ideas in teaching. Reach him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @jmattmiller. Angie Ridgeway Angie Ridgway began her career in middle and high school Spanish teaching. She's now working with future secondary teachers and new faculty members at University of Indianapolis. Her passion lies in supporting new teachers' work in the implementation of original pedagogies that strive to meet all students' needs. She holds an M.Ed. and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with areas of emphasis in secondary education and Spanish. Nate Ridgeway Nate is a tech-loving history teacher in Indianapolis, Indiana. He specializes in lesson design and differentiation and also is licensed in Special Education Mild Interventions. He's taught in both middle school and high school settings, but currently is enjoying teaching World History & Dual Credit U.S. History. He is currently finishing a Masters degree in History at University of Indianapolis.

Mark Sparvell cites current research about what students really want in their classroom and how social-emotional learning relates to education technology. www.coolcatteacher.com/e524 Sponsor: Urkund Urkund is great as a plagiarism prevention tool and connects with most common Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom, Moodle, and Canvas or as a stand-alone web tool or by email. The Urkund system is highly accurate, cost-effective, and even better, doesn't sell licenses to students or others. Just teachers can use the power of Urkund. So, if you use another text similarity detection tool, or if you haven't used one yet, now is the time to start your free trial at www.coolcatteacher.com/detect and learn more about Urkund today. Mark Sparvell - Bio As Submitted Mark Sparvell is an experienced educator with over 25 years experience leading learning for schools, systems, higher-ed and professional associations. In his current role, he works directly with education leaders and organizations globally to identify innovative leading and teaching practice, building community and capacity by leveraging digital solutions. As Associate Director, Professional Learning with Principals Australia Institute, Mark designed and delivered professional learning for education systems across Australia and Asia Pacific. Mark has taught both pre-service and post-graduate studies. As Education Leader with Microsoft, Mark developed and implemented the Global Leader audience strategy and developed the global Showcase School program. In his current role Mark has led the Class of 2030 and Emotion and Cognition in the Age of AI global research initiatives. Mark is the host of the monthly What's New in Edu Youtube channel, the Teaching Happiness web-series and regular presenter at Executive Briefings, conferences and workshops. Education Leader Microsoft Education Microsoft Corporation, USA | [email protected]

Mary Howard's sixth-grade class is doing amazing things with augmented reality. This 10 minute episode highlights some of the things Mary is sharing right now at ISTE19 about her work with students in augmented reality! Enjoy! www.coolcatteacher.com/e523 Today's Promotion: Check out Jennifer Gonzalez's 2019 Teacher's Guide to Technology. It is a great teacher PD tool which includes videos and resources to help you learn new techniques and technologies for your classroom. Mary Howard - Bio as Submitted Mary Howard, a 6th-grade teacher from Grand Island, New York and an ISTE Certified Educator that has found success using digital tools that not only make learning fun for her students, but encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and create a life-long passion for learning. Whether the digital experience is related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or promotes literacy, Mary believes passionately in digital equity and the potential that technology has for reaching and engaging ALL learners. In pursuit of this passion, Mary has spent the past 10 years presenting at dozens of technology conferences across New York State and has become a globally recognized speaker on the topics of augmented reality and virtual reality in the classroom. Mary shares her strategies through her blog, http://www.yoursmarticles.blogspot.com and was featured as a NYSED New York State EdTech Innovator in October 2018. She has published numerous educational technology articles and has as provided webinars on Virtual Environments, Virtual Reality, 3D Design, QR codes and engagement strategies. Mary's accolades include recognition as the 2018 International Society for Technology in Education's Virtual Pioneer of the Year and a Silver Presidential Volunteer Service award. She was a New York State Teacher of the year finalist for 2018 and an M & T Touchdown for Teachers finalist that same year. When Mary isn't elbows deep in her technology initiatives, she is a mother of 3 boys and devotes her free time to refereeing youth hockey and volunteering within the hockey community. She is an avid runner and hiker and is just a few peaks away from becoming an Adirondack 46er.

Monica Burns @classtechtips talks about the hottest edtech topics right now (and those that aren't so hot) in this candid and wide-ranging conversation. www.coolcatteacher.com/e522 Sponsor: Go to Advancement Courses use the offer code COOL20 to get 20% off your professional development. That's just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. Take courses on helpful topics like social-emotional learning, classroom management, teacher wellness, special education classes and more. Monica Burns - Bio As Submitted Dr. Monica Burns is a curriculum and educational technology consultant, Apple Distinguished Educator and founder of ClassTechTips.com. As a classroom teacher, Monica used one-to-one technology to create engaging, standards-based lessons for students. Monica has presented to teachers, administrators and tech enthusiasts at numerous national and international conferences including SXSWedu, ISTE, and EduTECH. She is a webinar host for SimpleK12 and a regular contributor to Edutopia. Monica is the author of Deeper Learning with QR Codes and Augmented Reality: A Scannable Solution for Your Classroom (Corwin Press, 2016) and #FormativeTech: Meaningful, Sustainable, and Scannable Formative Assessment with Technology (Corwin Press, 2017). Monica visits schools across the country to work with PreK-20 teachers to make technology integration exciting and accessible. She also provides support to organizations using technology to reach children and families in need. Her mission is to help educators place tasks before apps and promote deeper learning with technology. You can find out more about working with Monica, and her books and resources by visiting ClassTechTips.com.

Stacey Roshan, author of Tech with Heart, talks about seven edtech topics that are sparking conversation this summer both online and at ISTE19. www.coolcatteacher.com/e521 Sponsor: Urkund Urkund is great as a plagiarism prevention tool and connects with most common Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom, Moodle, and Canvas or as a stand-alone web tool or by email. The Urkund system is highly accurate, cost-effective, and even better, doesn't sell licenses to students or others. Just teachers can use the power of Urkund. So, if you use another text similarity detection tool, or if you haven't used one yet, now is the time to start your free trial at www.coolcatteacher.com/detect and learn more about Urkund today. Stacey Roshan - Bio as Submitted Stacey Roshan @buddyxo is the Director of Innovation & Educational Technology at Bullis School and author of Tech with Heart: Leveraging Technology to Empower Student Voice, Ease Anxiety, & Create Compassionate Classrooms. She is passionate about discovering and bringing innovative tools into the classroom to create a safe learning environment for all students to find their voice and build confidence. Her work has been featured in major media outlets such as USA Today, The Washington Post, CNN and PBS Newshour. She has also been named Teacher of the Future by the National Association of Independent Schools. In addition to teaching high school students to love and understand math, Stacey works closely with faculty and staff to design tech-infused lessons aimed at providing the optimal learning environment for all students.

ISTE 2019 is here but there's no reason for all of us edtech geeks who can't go this year to miss out on the learning. The #NotAtISTE19 hasthag is already hopping. Peggy George is one of the many leaders in the #NotAtISTE19 community and she tells everyone how they can join in even when they are not there. (And how those who are joining can share and help in this community.) www.coolcatteacher.com/e520 Today's Promotion: Check out Jennifer Gonzalez's 2019 Teacher's Guide to Technology. It is a great teacher PD tool which includes videos and resources to help you learn new techniques and technologies for your classroom. Peggy George - Bio as submitted I am a life-long educator, now officially retired, who is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of technology to support learning both in and out of schools. I live in Phoenix, AZ, and have been a professional educator for over 50 years with many roles including principal, special education director, elementary teacher, university pre-service teacher education instructor and Professional Development School (PDS) program coordinator with Arizona State University. I hosted the Classroom 2.0 LIVE weekly webinars for 9 years to support teachers with technology integration. I spend many hours weekly participating in online webinars and virtual conferences to continue my learning and collaborating/connecting with other educators around the world.

Teachers need personal professional development. In today's episode, we're sharing five real-world examples of teachers who used their summer to improve their classroom and earn professional development credit. From combatting student anxiety, helping special needs students, rewriting a physics curriculum, building student relationships, and reducing stress school-wide -- these teachers use their learning to improve real-world problems. The post and podcast episode are sponsored by Advancement Courses. This episode includes advertorial content as I am interviewing the sponsor of the show. This happens one episode a year during the week of ISTE. www.coolcatteacher.com/e519 5 Examples of Positive, Personal PD for Powerful Teacher Learning - Transcript Vicki: Today we're doing a special episode with Krysia Lazarewicz from Advancement Courses. Now, those of you who have been listening to my podcast for a while, you know, what I think about Advancement Courses, and they have so many incredible offerings, but today we want to talk about five examples of transformative PD. You know, in the summertime, sometimes we teachers have a difficult time figuring out, okay, what am I going to learn, and sometimes the stuff we learn, we feel like, is not relevant to what we're doing in the classroom. So, Krysia, you have some examples for us of relevant, impactful, learning. What's your first one? PD Example #1: Combatting Student Anxiety with a Class in Mindfulness Krysia: Sure, so our first one actually has to do with something that many of our educators are identifying as a big problem, which is student anxiety, and it may not be surprising to any of you, but our students are dealing with so many challenges these days: from safety drills, to weather drills, bomb threats, active shooter lockdowns, things that students don't always know how to process, and so we have a lot of educators who come to us saying: 'What can I do to make this better?' So, this particular story is about a 2nd-grade teacher, who decided that she was going to turn her summer PD into a productive use of time in her classroom and teach herself and her students to use specific mindfulness techniques that could then her students actually turn that anxiety into productive moments of resilience. Course mentioned in example #1: Staying Present: Mindfulness for Better Teaching and Learning (3 Grad Credits) Use the code COOLCAT to get a 20% discount. So, to do this, she created her own five-minute activity that refocuses students. So, thinking about: How do they reset their bodies? How do they focus on mindfulness rather than fear? How do they think about different ways that they can bring attention to what's happening internally, rather than focus on the fear and anxiety that happens outside? The other really cool thing that she did, is she brought parents into this. So, she welcomed parents into the classrooms to help students learn some of these new techniques, to bring some of those ideas home. She presented at Parents' Nights, she presented to other teachers in her building, to then, help spread some of these skills to other students, and what she found was that through doing this, her students were actually better able to manage those drills, but they were also better equipped to make it through other stressful factors like testing week, or in-class assessments, or many of the other social conflicts that we know kids experience on a day-to-day basis. So, this is a great story because it showed how one teacher can really turn some of these disruptive classroom moments into events for learning. Vicki: So, if teachers are struggling with, you know, helping kids calm or the stress, then mindfulness may be a great option? Krysia: Absolutely. Vicki: Okay, so you've given us one example of transformative PD: helping our kids with anxiety and us with anxiety by mindfulness. What's another example? PD Example #2: A PD Care Team for Special Needs Students Krysia: So, another example that really happens when our educators start coming together and collaborating around professional development that they can then bring together the community. This story is about what happens when a community of educators come together to help solve a particular issue that a particular grade level may experience. Course mentioned in Example #2. Strategies for Addressing Student Anxiety (3 Grad Credits) Use the code COOLCAT to get a 20% discount. So, for this one, we had a group of educators who had a classroom of high-needs students, and what they did is they came together in what they called a Care Team to then develop specific plans for each student as they developed through that particular grade. What's so inspiring about this approach is that we actually had a cohort of educators rallying around the specific need that their group of students had. In this cohort, what they did was they focused on developing a strategy to bring all the relevant people into a community around each s

Katie Martin, an ISTE 2018 keynote, talks about the importance of putting learners at the center of your innovation model. She starts with the questions we need to ask ourselves and our students and talks about what learner-center innovation looks like. Get inspired and motivated by listening to Katie. See her ISTE 2019 presentations at www.coolcatteacher.com/katie Sponsor: Advancement Courses Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the offer code COOL20 to get 20% off your professional development. That's just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can take courses on helpful topics like social-emotional learning, classroom management, teacher wellness, special education classes and more. You have over 240 graduate-level courses to choose from in 19 different subject areas. Special ISTE19 Episodes From Monday, June 17 to Thursday, June 27, the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast will be airing some episodes full of education technology learning from popular ISTE speakers. These are is created particularly so those educators who can't attend will have some special and exciting learning experiences - in just 10 minutes a day. About this episode This is an episode recorded previously with Katie Martin. Katie has four sessions this year at ISTE 2019 and you can find them at www.coolcatteacher.com/katie - she was a keynote from ISTE 2018. We recorded this after her keynote at ISTE 2018 and are sharing it to get you excited! Katie Martin's Bio as Submitted Dr. Katie Martin @KatieMartinEdu is the Head of Partnerships- West at AltSchool. Over the last 5 years, she has worked in diverse contexts to learn, research, and support deeper learning for all students. She has also served as a middle school English language arts teacher, instructional coach, and led the district new teacher mentoring program. Katie has a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in middle school education and her Ph.D. and in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on the support that impacts teacher efficacy and retention. Blog: katielmartin.com Book: Learner-Centered Innovation: Spark Curiosity, Ignite Passion, and Unleash Genius

Michael Cohen, aka the Tech Rabbi, and author of Education by Design talks about classroom design. We should design the classroom environment for learning. Special ISTE19 Episodes From Monday, June 17 to Thursday, June 27, the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast will be airing some episodes full of education technology learning from popular ISTE speakers. These are is created particularly so those educators who can't attend will have some special and exciting learning experiences - in just 10 minutes a day. Stay tuned, also, to the Cool Cat Teacher Blog for some other learning. Many of us (me included) cannot attend ISTE 19 but there's no reason for FOMO - let's instead flip it and Learn Online Together Always! About this episode This is an episode recorded previously with Michael Cohen. Michael has three sessions this year at ISTE 2019 and you can find them at www.coolcatteacher.com/cohen. Bio of Michael Cohen aka "The Tech Rabbi" As Submitted Michael Cohen, The Tech Rabbi, is a designer, educator and creativity instigator. He is the author of Educated By Design: Designing the Space to Experiment, Explore, and Extract Your Creative Potential. His mission is to help educators around the world reveal their own creative abilities so they can empower students to solve interesting problems and become positive contributors to our global society. When he isn't traveling the world sharing his message, he serves as the director of innovation for Yeshiva University of Los Angeles Boys School (YULA). Blog: www.thetechrabbi.com Twitter: @thetechrabbi

Eric Curts @ericcurts teaches us twenty-three ways to use Gsuite tools in our classroom. With ideas for Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drawings for all subjects and ages, you'll want to scroll down and follow the links in our enhanced show notes. www.coolcatteacher.com/e516 Special ISTE19 Episodes From Monday, June 17 to Thursday, June 27, the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast will be airing some episodes full of education technology learning from popular ISTE speakers. Thes are is created particularly so those educators who can't attend will have some special and exciting learning experiences - in just 10 minutes a day. Stay tuned, also, to the Cool Cat Teacher Blog for some other learning. Many of us (me included) cannot attend ISTE 19 but there's no reason for FOMO - let's instead flip it and Learn Online Together Always! About this episode This is an episode recorded previously with Eric Curts and with a full transcription (with hyperlinks) at www.coolcatteacher.com/e516 - all of his ideas are still relevant and super cool! I've taken all of the seven presentations Eric will be giving this year at ISTE and linked them for you at www.coolcatteacher.com/eric. Eric Curts - Bio as Submitted Eric has been in education for 27 years and is currently serving as a Technology Integration Specialist for the Stark Portage Area Computer Consortium in Canton, Ohio where he oversees Google Apps for Education implementation, training, and support, as well as online learning and other technology integration initiatives. Eric is an authorized Google Education Trainer and a Google Certified Innovator and provides Google Apps training to schools, organizations, and conferences throughout Ohio and across the country. He is a co-leader of the Ohio Google Educator Group (GEG) at tiny.cc/geg-ohio and runs the award-winning blog www.ControlAltAchieve.com where all of his Google Apps and edtech resources can be found. Eric is married with four children.

Many of you this summer are going to be working on your personal brand. Now, whether you think you have a brand or not, you do. And I know it's kind of frustrating because some people just don't want to have a brand. And if that's you, that's okay. But at some point, you're going to want to change careers, or somebody is going to look at your body of work. And I think that we all need a professional body of work online. So there are five different things I'd like to encourage you as you think about your personal brand. Full Transcript: www.coolcatteacher.com/e515 Today's Promotion: Check out Jennifer Gonzalez's 2019 Teacher's Guide to Technology. It is a great teacher PD tool which includes videos and resources to help you learn new techniques and technologies for your classroom.

Summer is an important time for educators. While some people debate what educators should or shouldn't do over the summer, ultimately it is YOUR summer and YOUR plans. Here are five things to consider as you plan your summer. Full Transcript: www.coolcatteacher.com/e514 Today's Promotion: Check out Jennifer Gonzalez's 2019 Teacher's Guide to Technology. It is a great teacher PD tool which includes videos and resources to help you learn new techniques and technologies for your classroom. From the 10 Minute Teacher Vault: We are sharing the best and most popular shows of all time. Today's show is a popular show with a full blog post/transcript to share along with an infographic.

Today Dan Meyer @ddmeyer gives us tips and advice for helping kids who hate math learn to love it. He explains the 3-Act method of teaching. www.coolcatteacher.com/e513 Today's Promotion: Check out Jennifer Gonzalez's 2019 Teacher's Guide to Technology. It is a great teacher PD tool which includes videos and resources to help you learn new techniques and technologies for your classroom. From The 10 Minute Teacher Vault As we finish season 5, we have been airing the most popular shows of all time. Since Apple Podcasts only holds 297 episodes, many of these popular shows are worth a re-listen. Enjoy! Dan Meyer Dan Meyer @ddmeyer taught high school math to students who didn't like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is the Chief Academic Officer at Desmos where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. He has worked with teachers internationally and in all fifty United States. He was named one of Tech & Learning's 30 Leaders of the Future. He lives in Oakland, CA. http://blog.mrmeyer.com Disclosure of Material Connection: This episode includes some affiliate links. This means that if you choose to buy I will be paid a commission on the affiliate program. However, this is at no additional cost to you. 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.

Karen Lirenman (@KLirenman) and Kristen Wideen (@mrswideen) have written the definitive book on using iPads in the elementary classroom, Innovate with iPad: Lessons to Transform Learning in the Classroom. (This episode is from our vault of most popular shows of all time - and it was the first show! Kristen and Karen share timeless principles of excellent teaching with 1:1 and iPads in the kindergarten classroom. It deserves a relisten for everyone who hasn't heard this show!) www.coolcatteacher.com/e512 Today's Show Promotion: Check out Jennifer Gonzalez's 2019 Teacher's Guide to Technology. It is a great teacher PD tool which includes videos and resources to help you learn new techniques and technologies for your classroom. Full Bios of our Guests Kristen Wideen Kristen has spent her career teaching and engaging primary school children in the United States and Canada.Through her innovative, student-driven projects, she teaches classes to take chances and develop the skills necessary to succeed in the twenty-first century. Kristen encourages her students to create, collaborate, and be open to try new things in her classroom every day. She earned her bachelor's degree in education through the University of Windsor, completed her master's in the art of teaching at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, and was recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator. She frequently writes about her educational journey at www.mrswideen.com, and enjoys inspiring educators to use technology in innovative ways by speaking at conferences. Karen Lirenman Karen Lirenman is a multi-age Grade 1-3 teacher in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, who loves to provide her students with choice in how they learn, show, and share their knowledge. She engages them globally through video conferencing, Twitter, and blogging and uses technology as seamlessly as possibly to make this all happen. http://www.klirenman.com/ Disclosure of Material Connection: This episode includes some affiliate link. This means that if you choose to buy I will be paid a commission on the affiliate program. However, this is at no additional cost to you. 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.

So many kids struggle, especially in summer school. Popular author, Dr. Barbara Blackburn, gives us some tips to start summer school or any school year in a way to help struggling learners set goals. This must-listen episode will give you ideas for having a great summer as well. www.coolcatteacher.com/e511 Need a summer PD learning experience. I'm recommending Jennifer Gonzalez's 2019 Teachers Guide to Technology. This awesome guide not only writes about each app, it includes video and helpful resources. Check it out at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/guide. From the Vault This summer as we finish season 5, we're airing some of the top shows of all time from the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast. Today's show is from Barbara Blackburn and is a great listen for those teachers working summer school this summer Barbara Blackburn's Bio as Submitted Barbara R. Blackburn, an international speaker, was named one of the top 30 Global Gurus in Education in 2016 and 2017. She is the author of 18 books, including 4 for administrators. She regularly collaborates with schools and districts to provide support in the areas of leadership, instructional rigor, and evidence-based instructional strategies. She can be reached atwww.barbarablackburnonline.com Blog: www.barbarablackburnonline.com Twitter: @barbblackburn

Want to help students learn and be more refreshed? Students need breaks too. That is why brain breaks are becoming so popular. Teacher Rob Donatelli @DTown_MrD talks about the brain breaks phenomenon. Then, Rob gives teachers five ideas he uses in his classroom for brain breaks. Take a brain break today! Urkund: Today's Sponsor Urkund is great as a plagiarism prevention tool and connects with most common Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom, Moodle, and Canvas or as a stand-alone web tool or by email. Students just turn in work. Then, the teacher has the paper analyzed by Urkund. The Urkund system is highly accurate, cost-effective, and even better, doesn't sell licenses to students or others. Just teachers can use the power of Urkund. So, if you use another text similarity detection tool, or if you haven't used one yet, now is the time to start your free trial at www.coolcatteacher.com/detect and learn more about Urkund today. From the 10-Minute Teacher Vault Rob Donatelli shared these brain breaks in one of the most popular 10 Minute Teacher Podcast episodes of all time. This is another from 2017, the year we launched, but the principles are timeless. If you want to search the 100+ episodes from the show, go to our podcast vault. Brain breaks one of those techniques you should add to your classroom toolkit. Rob Donatelli - Bio As Submitted Rob Donatelli is a business & computer science teacher at Dallastown Area High School. He is also the founder of the Donatelli EdZone. His passions include school leadership, education technology, presenting, entrepreneurship, and coaching. Follow him on YouTube at the Donatelli EdZone or on Twitter @DTown_MrD.

Tom Loud dropped out of high school because he didn't connect with his teachers. Somehow, he connected with books though and became a high school and college graduate. Now, Tom is a 10-year classroom veteran who is working to make his classroom (and help others) connect with kids in new ways. Today we'll talk about unleashing the potential in every child. And yes, you'll hear birds chirping, but that is ok! www.coolcatteacher.com/e509 Urkund: Today's Sponsor Urkund is great as a plagiarism prevention tool and connects with most common Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom, Moodle, and Canvas or as a stand-alone web tool or by email. Students just turn in work. Then, the teacher has the paper analyzed by Urkund. The Urkund system is highly accurate, cost-effective, and even better, doesn't sell licenses to students or others. Just teachers can use the power of Urkund. So, if you use another text similarity detection tool, or if you haven't used one yet, now is the time to start your free trial at www.coolcatteacher.com/detect and learn more about Urkund today. From the 10-Minute Teacher Vault This is another one of the all-time-top shows of the 10 Minute Teacher. This show with Tom Loud aired in September 2017 but because iTunes only keeps 297 of the most recent shows, we wanted to take the summer opportunity to share the most inspirational shows from the 10 Minute Teacher podcast. I hope you enjoy! Tom Loud - Bio As Submitted Tom Loud is a first-grade teacher at Middlesettlements Elementary in Tennessee. He also serves as a Technology Teacher Leader at Middlesettlements and was recently recognized as Technology Teacher of the year along with Innovative Teacher of the Year by his district. In addition, Loud was one of 50 Teachers in Tennessee selected to participate in an Educator Fellowship through SCORE, (The State Collaborative on Reforming Education), an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan advocacy and research institution that drives collaboration on policy and practice to ensure student success across Tennessee. Loud's passions are technology integration in the elementary grades, along with teacher motivation. Twitter: @loudlearning

oday Angela Stockman @AngelaStockman challenges teachers and students to create a summer writing notebook with the #flaneur challenge. This is going to be fun! Let's do this. Full Transcript: www.coolcatteacher.com/e508 Today's sponsor is Urkund. Urkund is a remarkable plagiarism prevention tool and connects with most common Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom, Moodle, and Canvas or as a stand-alone web tool or by email. Students just turn in work. Then, the teacher has the paper analyzed by Urkund. The Urkund system is highly accurate, cost-effective, and even better, doesn't sell licenses to students or others. Just teachers can use the power of Urkund. So, if you use another text similarity detection tool, or if you haven't used one yet, now is the time to start your free trial at www.coolcatteacher.com/detect and learn more about Urkund today. From "The Vault" of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast Angela Stockman recorded this show for summer 2017 but it can apply to this summer. If you're looking for writing ideas for summer or encouragement for your creativity, these are fantastic ideas. This is one of the top shows of the 10-Minute Teacher of all time. Since iTunes keeps only 297 of the 500 shows, we wanted to take some of the very best of the show this summer and re-share it with our growing community of remarkable educators. Enjoy! Angela Stockman - Bio As Submitted Angela Stockman facilitates professional learning experiences for K-12 literacy teachers within and beyond her home state of New York. The author of Make Writing, Angela is passionate about creating writing workshop experiences that are relevant to today's learners and accessible to even the most resistant writers.

Lisa Scumpieru, 10th-grade Literature Teacher, gives us a crash course in Hyperdocs. She shares lesson plans, ideas, and tips for getting started quickly without hassle. Full Transcript: www.coolcatteacher.com/e507 Today's sponsor is Urkund. Urkund is a remarkable plagiarism prevention tool and connects with most common Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom, Moodle, and Canvas or as a stand-alone web tool or by email. Students just turn in work. Then, the teacher has the paper analyzed by Urkund. The Urkund system is highly accurate, cost-effective, and even better, doesn't sell licenses to students or others. Just teachers can use the power of Urkund. So, if you use another text similarity detection tool, or if you haven't used one yet, now is the time to start your free trial at www.coolcatteacher.com/detect and learn more about Urkund today. From "The Vault" of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast Lisa Scumpieru's show aired in 2017 and remains a highly shared resource on hyperdocs. Simply put, this is a show you can share with teachers to help them get started that explains simply how it works. If a teacher is using Google Classroom, they need to use hyperdocs. This is one of the top shows of the 10-Minute Teacher of all time. Since iTunes keeps only 295 of the 500 shows, we wanted to take some of the very best of the show this summer and re-share it with our growing community of remarkable educators. Enjoy! Lisa Scumpieru - Bio As Submitted I have taught for 23 years at North Hagerstown High School in Hagerstown, Md. I am originally from north of Pittsburgh. I have always looked at myself as a life-long learner and Twitter has helped me strengthen my PLN and my teaching. I am a Google Certified Trainer, Flipgrid Ambassador, Formative Educator, and CommonLit Advisory Board Member. Our school is 1:1 with I-pads and I am incorporating a lot of project-based learning, hyperdocs, and diverse seating. I am a fan of not teaching the entire book, but giving students the meat of the text and reading Shakespeare from the middle. My inspirations are: Matt Miller's "Ditch the Textbook", Dave Burgess' "Teach Like a Pirate", and Joy Kirr's "Shift This". I love to share my work and help others improve their teaching.

How do kids learn and remember? Teacher Andrew Stadel, @mr_stadel founder of the popular site estimation180.com, talks about this pursuit of learning in the classroom. This topic is his summer research topic. As you ponder the classroom, look at what you'll research to become a better teacher. www.coolcatteacher.com/506 Today's sponsor is Urkund. Urkund is a remarkable plagiarism prevention tool and connects with most common Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom, Moodle, and Canvas or as a stand-alone web tool or by email. Students just turn in work. Then, the teacher has the paper analyzed by Urkund. The Urkund system is highly accurate, cost-effective, and even better, doesn't sell licenses to students or others. Just teachers can use the power of Urkund. So, if you use another text similarity detection tool, or if you haven't used one yet, now is the time to start your free trial at www.coolcatteacher.com/detect and learn more about Urkund today. From "The Vault" of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast Andrew Stadel's show aired in 2017 and was the top show of 2017 how to help kids really learn. This is one of the top shows of the 10-Minute Teacher of all time. Since iTunes keeps only 295 of the 500 shows, we wanted to take some of the very best of the show this summer and re-share it with our growing community of remarkable educators. Enjoy! Andrew Stadel - Bio As Submitted Andrew Stadel is a Digital Learning Coach for Tustin Unified School District in California, working with secondary math teachers to use and implement technology in meaningful ways to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics. Andrew is the creator of Estimation 180, www.estimation180.com, a website designed to provide students and teachers with daily challenges to help improve their number sense. Blog: http://www.estimation180.com/ Twitter: @mr_stadel

Linda Kardamis talks about how we can make the most of our summer. Get ready to rock summertime with these five ideas. www.coolcatteacher.com/e505 Blog Post/ Podcast Sponsor: Advancement Courses Now is the time to plan your summer! Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the offer code COOL20 to get 20% off your summer PD courses. That's just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can take courses on helpful topics like social-emotional learning, classroom management, teacher wellness, special education classes and more. You have over 240 graduate-level courses to choose from in 19 different subject areas. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat today and use the offer code COOL20. Tell your friends and plan your PD today! Linda Kardamis - Bio as Submitted Linda Kardamis provides practical advice and Biblical encouragement for Christian teachers on her website Teach 4 the Heart (http://teach4theheart.com/). She is also the author of Create Your Dream Classroom (http://teach4theheart.com/dreamclassroom) and the creator of Classroom Management 101 (http://teach4theheart.com/cm101) and Teach Uplifted (http://teachuplifted.com). Blog: http://teach4theheart.com/ Twitter: @LindaKardamis

Today I want to challenge your thinking about your summer. So, I've collected twenty of the best ways to make this summer one of learning. This is a blog post / podcast simulpost. You'll find the same content in slightly different form so you can read or listen to this content. Enjoy! www.coolcatteacher.com/e504 Blog Post/ Podcast Sponsor: Advancement Courses Now is the time to plan your summer! Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the offer code COOL20 to get 20% off your summer PD courses. That's just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can take courses on helpful topics like social-emotional learning, classroom management, teacher wellness, special education classes and more. You have over 240 graduate-level courses to choose from in 19 different subject areas. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat today and use the offer code COOL20. Tell your friends and plan your PD today!

First grade teacher Danielle Moore has worked with early elementary and kindergarten students as she helps them amplify their voice. Yes, young children have something to say to the world! Danielle shows us how. www.coolcatteacher.com/503 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Now is the time to plan your summer! Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the offer code COOL20 to get 20% off your summer PD courses. That's just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can take courses on helpful topics like social-emotional learning, classroom management, teacher wellness, special education classes and more. You have over 240 graduate-level courses to choose from in 19 different subject areas. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat today and use the offer code COOL20. Tell your friends and plan your PD today! Danielle Moore - Bio As Submitted Danielle has been an elementary teacher who has taught kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. She currently teaches in Midlothian ISD in Midlothian, Texas. She is a fearless trailblazer for innovation and collaboration. Danielle loves being an advocate for her students in amplifying their voice! Technology is not just a tool used in her classroom to pass the time but it is used to transform learning and experiences beyond what pencil and paper can do.

Tech Coach Penny Rayhill shares ten tips for awesome digital citizenship. If you're looking for some sites to explore - here they are! www.coolcatteacher.com/e502 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Now is the time to plan your summer! Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the offer code COOL20 to get 20% off your summer PD courses. That's just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can take courses on helpful topics like social-emotional learning, classroom management, teacher wellness, special education classes and more. You have over 240 graduate-level courses to choose from in 19 different subject areas. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat today and use the offer code COOL20. Tell your friends and plan your PD today! Penny Rayhill - Bio As Submitted Penny Rayhill is a Technology Coach at Pinch Elementary School in Elkview, WV. She is a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified Educator, Seesaw Ambassador, Apple Teacher, and Kanawha County Schools Apple Vanguard Coach. Twitter: @PennyRayhill

Jon Barth, author of the 1% Journal: 366 Challenges for Your Journey to Success encourages us teachers to write our own story. As we reflect this summer upon our past school year, now is a great time to adopt some of these principles. www.coolcatteacher.com/e501 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Now is the time to plan your summer! Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the offer code COOL20 to get 20% off your summer PD courses. That's just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can take courses on helpful topics like social-emotional learning, classroom management, teacher wellness, special education classes and more. You have over 240 graduate-level courses to choose from in 19 different subject areas. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat today and use the offer code COOL20. Tell your friends and plan your PD today! Jon Barth - Bio As Submitted My name is Jon Barth and I'm a mentor, coach, and writer who loves to write stories and create resources to help you Write Your Own Story. I believe success is the process of striving to achieve excellence, which is living up to our full potential so we can make a positive impact on the world. This journey involves giving it our best shot each day to improve in body, mind, and soul. I have developed The 12 Fundamentals of Success to help people develop the proper mindset and inspire them to take action to Write Their Own Story.

Many people are destroyed by bullying, teasing, and the challenges of youth. Over the years, I've often contemplated why my story was so different. Why did I overcome? Why wasn't I broken beyond repair? Today, we celebrate 500 episodes. And I've been asked these questions many times when I share a peek of the story to friends and acquaintances. So, in a spirit of authenticity, I share the story as it happened. www.coolcatteacher.com/e500

Want to start working with Teachers Pay Teachers this summer? Pam Olivieri from Rockin' Resources tells us how to get started. www.coolcatteacher.com/e499 Pam Olivieri - Bio As Submitted Pam Olivieri is dedicated to creating a standards-based curriculum that follows her vision to MOTIVATE, EDUCATE, DIFFERENTIATE. With her 26 years of classroom experience, a Master's Degree, and a National Board Certification, she is trusted by thousands of teachers for advice on language arts instruction. Pam also offers her services as a writing coach and professional development. Why Rockin Resources for a business name? She loves 80's rock music! Connect with her via https://rockinresources.com/ or social media! You won't be disappointed! Blog: https://rockinresources.com/ Twitter: @rockinresources A message from Pam... I developed a writing curriculum 6 years ago for Grades 1-8. It is trademarked as Step-by-Step Writing Program. I am now launching a professional development training on how to teach writing for Grades 3-5. It is called Reluctant Writers to Rockstar Writers. It takes teachers through the writing process, sentence structure, paragraph writing, narrative writing, opinion writing, informative writing, revising, editing, and progress monitoring. I offer a free webinar for teachers on writing strategies and my secret to writing success. Here is a link that will take your audience to the webinar, special offers for the writing course, and for a freebie: https://rockinresources.com/coolcat

Dr. Regina Giraldo-García shares her research on what makes effective blended learning. www.coolcatteacher.com/e498 Dr. Regina Giraldo-García Bio as submitted Dr. Regina Giraldo-García is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow and an Adjunct Professor of Educational Research, Evaluation, and Psychological Foundations of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Foundations at Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio. Her research interest includes, but is not limited to, minority students' academic achievement, the role of mentors, parental involvement, critical thinking, and social justice in education. Blog: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-giraldo-garc%C3%ADa-ph-d-0a46b830/

The four shifts is a new education technology paradigm shared in the book Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning by Scott McLeod and Julie Graber. On today's show, Julie discusses these four shifts and how it compares to other models such as SAMR. She gives examples of effective design using technology and where many programs are falling short. www.coolcatteacher.com/e497 Julie Graber's Bio as Submitted Julie Graber is an instructional technology consultant on a technology innovation team for Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency in Iowa where she supports educators with effective teaching, learning, leading, and technology practices. She is a passionate educator who is most interested in seeing teachers and administrators improve authentic learning experiences for students. Her many areas of expertise include deeper thinking with technology, authentic learning, curriculum design, and performance tasks and assessments. She spent thirteen years as a technology coordinator and business and computer teacher. Julie is an Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) coach and has coached elementary, middle, and high school teams of teachers on how to use the framework in order to increase the level of intellectual demand as well as the authenticity of the work that students are asked to do. She has served on several state leadership teams, including the North Central Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Hub Advisory Board and the Design Team for the Iowa Competency-Based Education Collaborative, and has provided guidance for schools to increase STEM education in their classrooms and move them toward competency-based and personalized learning. Julie is a Defined STEM, a K–12 curriculum resource curriculum with engaging project-based lessons that are based on real-world scenarios. She is also a consultant for Jay McTighe's consulting group, McTighe and Associates, where she conducts workshops for educators using the Understanding by Design curriculum framework. Julie is the co-creator of the 4 Shifts discussion protocol and a regular local, state, and national presenter focusing on authentic work and student-centered, personalized and project-based learning.

Eric Sheninger has rewritten his popular book Digital Leadership. In this show, learn what he added and what has changed. With over half the book being rewritten and changed, you'll want insight into what trends are important if you're going to be a digital leader in schools. www.coolcatteacher.com/e496 Get Version two of his book now - https://amzn.to/2VNSldT Eric Sheninger's Bio as Submitted Eric is a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership & Learning with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). Prior to this, he was the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership, his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement. Blog: ericsheninger.com Twitter: @E_Sheninger Instagram: esheninger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EricCSheninger YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/NMHSPrincipal

To create a classroom culture of inquiry, we can follow these five techniques. Connie Hamilton, author of Hacking Questions: 11 Answers That Create a Culture of Inquiry in Your Classroom. www.coolcatteacher.com/e495 SmartBrief Keeping up with the news is challenging. Today's sponsor, SmartBrief, has some email newsletters that will help you stay current. Whether you want to follow education technology, special education, math, or just teaching best practices, SmartBrief has an email newsletter for you. Check them out at coolcatteacher.com/smartbrief and sign up today. Connie Hamilton - Bio as Submitted Connie Hamilton Ed.S. has 25 years in education as teacher, instructional coach, elementary/secondary principal and K-12 district administrator. She is currently the curriculum director in Saranac Community Schools, is an international educational consultant and presenter, and the author of two books, including her latest, Hacking Questions. Teachers describe her workshops as meaningful and engaging as she models quality instructional methods that can be used in the classroom tomorrow. She applies her deep understanding of pedagogy in workshops such as Questioning, Gradual Release of Responsibility, Student Engagement, Feedback, and more. Connie spends most of her year facilitating classroom observations in a collaborative setting so teachers can learn from one another as they implement new strategies with students. She brings these experiences to her workshops to help teachers put research into practice in ways that make sense. Visit Connie's webpage at https://conniehamilton.net/ or find her on Twitter @conniehamilton.

Jaime Casap, Google's Education Evangelist, grew up in poverty. Today, he shares his story and encouragement to help teachers reach children from a variety of backgrounds. You'll want to listen to this encouraging show! www.coolcatteacher.com/e494 Today's Sponsor: SmartBrief Keeping up with the news is challenging. Today's sponsor, SmartBrief, has some email newsletters that will help you stay current. Whether you want to follow education technology, special education, math, or just teaching best practices, SmartBrief has an email newsletter for you. Check them out at coolcatteacher.com/smartbrief and sign up today. Jaime Casap - Bio As Submitted Jaime Casap is the Chief Education Evangelist at Google. Jaime evangelizes the potential of digitalization as an enabling capability in pursuit of promoting inquiry-based learning models. Jaime collaborates with school systems, educational organizations, and leaders focused on building innovation into our education policies and practices. In addition to his role at Google, Jaime serves as an advisor to dozens of organizations focused on learning, skill development, and the future of work. He is the coauthor of "Our First Talk About Poverty," as a way to talk to children about poverty. Jaime helped launch the Phoenix Coding Academy, a public high school in Phoenix, AZ, focused on computer science as part of an inquiry-based learning model. He teaches a 10th-grade communication class at the school. He also guest lectures at Arizona State University. He speaks on education, digitalization, innovation, generation z, and the future of work at events around the world. You can follow and reach him on Twitter at @jcasap and watch his YouTube career advice videos at www.youtube.com/jaimecasap

While we have to finish well, those of us who are returning to another year as an educator have to look forward to plan. Today, media specialist Amanda Johnson talks about the massive success of some new sections she added to the library last summer and how she's going to improve her library even more this summer. The goal is to encourage students to read and what Amanda is discovering might surprise you. Today's Sponsor: SmartBrief Keeping up with the news is challenging. Today's sponsor, SmartBrief, has some email newsletters that will help you stay current. Whether you want to follow education technology, special education, math, or just teaching best practices, SmartBrief has an email newsletter for you. Check them out at coolcatteacher.com/smartbrief and sign up today. Amanda Johnson - Bio As Submitted Amanda Johnson is the media specialist at Meadow View Elementary in Henry County, Virginia. As a first year librarian, Amanda has hit the ground running with her students, setting up the library in Henry County's new elementary school. A 2015 graduate of Mary Baldwin College with a degree in English with minors in education, coaching & exercise leadership, and history, Amanda went on to receive a Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Louisiana State University in 2018. Amanda strives to be an innovative educator in a 1:1 iPad school, embracing the wide array of technology available in the media center. Wanting the library to be an enhancement and extension of the classroom, Amanda has tried to incorporate and further classroom lessons in the library through virtual reality, circuitry experiments, coding, green screen video production, and more. As a lifelong learner, every day is an adventure for Amanda and her 670 elementary school students!

The first person to walk on Mars has already been born and is in our classrooms today, so the experts tell us. He or she could be in your classroom or mine. The question is if we're equipping that child and the others to go behind them with the knowledge and intuitive exploration of making things work together for success through rich making and STEM spaces. Today we talk to Rachael Mann, author of The Martians in Your Classroom: STEM in Every Learning Space. Today's Sponsor: SmartBrief Keeping up with the news is challenging. Today's sponsor, SmartBrief, has some email newsletters that will help you stay current. Whether you want to follow education technology, special education, math, or just teaching best practices, SmartBrief has an email newsletter for you. Check them out at coolcatteacher.com/smartbrief and sign up today. Related Resources The Martians in Your Classroom: STEM in Every Learning Space "The Spaces You Will Go" by Rachel Mann How Does STEM Bring the Real World Into the Classroom? Other Podcasts with Rachael Mann I will curate a Wakelet collection to go along with the podcast: https://wakelet.com/@RachaelEdu Rachael Mann - Bio as Submitted Rachael Mann is the founder of #TeachlikeTED and coauthor of The Martians in Your Classroom. She speaks and writes about the future of education and helps educators rethink the learning spaces of today. Prior to #TeachlikeTED, Rachael was the Network to Transform Teaching and STEM Professional Learning Director for Northern Arizona University's AZK12 Center and State Director for Educators Rising Arizona. A former high school Career and Technical Education teacher and hailing from a family of educators, she has 14 years of classroom teaching experience. Rachael is a Google Certified Educator with a master's degree in Educational Leadership. She is a founding member of the Council on the Future of Education, President-Elect for the NCLA Executive Board, and serves on the Region V Policy Committee. Blog: https://rachaelmann.co/ Twitter: @RachaelEdu

Schools are being targeted with "spearfishing" attacks - a new form of phishing that is quite deceptive. Citizenship encompasses digital citizenship and the importance of lateral reading are three of the motivating topics tackled today with education thought-leader Dr. Alec Couros. Sponsor: SmartBrief Keeping up with the news is challenging. Today's sponsor, SmartBrief, has some email newsletters that will help you stay current. Whether you want to follow education technology, special education, math, or just teaching best practices, SmartBrief has an email newsletter for you. Check them out at coolcatteacher.com/smartbrief and sign up today. Dr. Alec Couros - Bio as Submitted Alec Couros is a professor of educational technology and media at the Faculty of Education, University of Regina, in Saskatchewan, Canada. An award-winning educator, Alec helps his undergraduate and graduate students take up the incredible affordances of our connected world through the integration of educational technology in teaching and learning. Alec is also a well-recognized scholar and researcher who has given hundreds of keynotes and workshops around the globe on diverse topics such as connected/networked learning, digital citizenship, social media in education, and critical media literacy, providing educators, students, and parents with the knowledge necessary to take advantage of and thrive in our new digital reality. Finally, Alec is a passionate advocate of openness in education and demonstrates this commitment through his open access publications, considerable digital presence and contributions, and highly successful MOOCs and open boundary courses. Blog: http://couros.ca/ Twitter:@courosa

Play belongs in every classroom. Today, Jill Vialet shows us how. www.coolcatteacher.com/e490 Bio as submitted Jill Vialet is the Founder and CEO of Playworks, the leading nonprofit leveraging the power of play to transform children's social and emotional health. For more information, visit: www.playworks.org. Blog: https://www.playworks.org/about/staff/meet-ceo-founder/ Twitter: @jillvialet

Music education helps students engage with learning and has many positive benefits. Today's guest, Tiffany Kerns, Executive Director of the CMA Foundation talks about remarkable music teaching and their quest to recognize the top music teachers in the United States. www.coolcatteacher.com/e489 Related Resources Music education gives students an exciting and creative reason to be in the classroom. Student engagement in music class creates better attendance, which translates to higher test scores and graduation rates. There is significant data proving the positive impact music has on a student's ability to retain, learn, and articulate information. This is seen especially in reading – without an improvement in literacy alone, our country will not be able to properly support this generation. Some of the benefits of music education include higher graduation rates, a greater chance of post-secondary success, social and emotional development, and shaping the next generation to be collaborative, creative and forward-thinking leaders. Previous Shows Relating to This Topic Seesaw in the Elementary Music Classroom with Amy Burns K-6 Educational Music Videos: Selecting the Right Videos for Learning Making Music with iPads and #edtech Tiffany Kerns - Bio as submitted A common thread throughout Tiffany Kerns' career has been her dedication to creating meaningful change and advocacy for nonprofit organizations. Paired with a steadfast focus on improving the philanthropic model of giving, Kerns has lead the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation in their mission of enriching music education programs across the United States, working to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in music. Established as the philanthropic arm to the Country Music Association (CMA), the CMA Foundation has invested over $25 million into music education programs across all 50 states. As executive director, Kerns is responsible for the growth, development, and execution of the nonprofit's charitable investments by creating strategic partnerships, working with policy leaders and implementing an impact-driven grant process. Kerns works with each and every grantee organization to provide strategic planning, compliance, project management, and community impact. She oversees advocacy efforts for the CMA Foundation at the state and federal level, which includes working with more than a dozen community partners to elevate the cause. Kerns also oversees the CMA's collegiate program CMA EDU, which currently has 25 collegiate chapters nationwide and works to educate students on the music industry by providing opportunities to hear from industry professionals and participate in a hands-on work experience alongside marketing and tour production. Before joining the CMA Foundation, Kerns was the director of development at The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For over six years, Kerns filled various roles in special events and development. Driven by her passion to grow the organization and fueled by her exceptional leadership skills, single-handedly, Kerns implemented new fundraising initiatives and opportunities across the Southeast and Pacific Northwest regions. After expanding her footprint in nonprofit management and learning the biotech industry in San Francisco, Kerns moved to Nashville to develop and strengthen the donor portfolio for CFF which ultimately led her to CMA. Kerns is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where she received a BA in Political Science and a minor in Business Administration. Blog: https://www.cmaworld.com/foundation/ Twitter: @cmafoundation

When I shared a USA Today Article on PBIS on my Facebook page, teachers started responding and yelled volumes about mis-implementation mis-understandings and mis-use of discipline -- specifically PBIS -- in their schools. So, Melissa Man, special education teacher with her Master's in Counseling agreed to come on the show and talk about the topic. What do you think? Melissa Mann's Bio as Submitted Melissa Mann is a special education teacher with the Madison County School System. She has taught both self-contained and collaborative students in grades Kindergarten through 6th grade. Melissa is dual certified in Elementary Education and Special Education. She also has a Master's in School Counseling and is a certified school counselor. Melissa presented at ISTE in 2015, and she has presented for the past eight years at Alabama's state technology conference and at various local conferences. Melissa is also a trainer with Simple K-12. Her portfolio can be found at: www.bit.ly/TechTreasures Blog: https://techtipsforthek-6classroom.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @mnmann

Matt Timmons-Brown is the "Raspberry Pi Guy" on Youtube. If you don't know what the Raspberry Pi is, it is an amazing small computer from which you can make amazing things. Matt is the author of Learn Robotics with Raspberry Pi. This 19-year old student at the University of Edinburg talks about how he interested himself in Computer Science and shares his insight on how to engage his generation in a powerful career. www.coolcatteacher.com/e487 Matt Timmons-Brown - Bio as Submitted Matt, The Raspberry Pi Guy YouTube channel, author of Learn Robotics with Raspberry Pi, available now: http://mybook.to/raspirobots, BEng Computer Science & Electronics Undergraduate at The University of Edinburgh

Students need to trust their teachers. The result is better relationships, better learning, and a better quality of experience for everyone -- teachers and students included! Today's featured educator is CJ Reynolds, a teacher in West Philadelphia. CJ shares how to build relationships with students in some unconventional and cool ways. He also talks about why his YouTube channel has become so popular and how teachers can get motivated every day (not just Mondays.) www.coolcatteacher.com/e486 CJ Reynolds - Bio As Submitted CJ Reynolds teaches high school literature and The History of Hip-Hop in West Philadelphia. He is also the creator of the YouTube channel, Real Rap with Reynolds which aims at helping new and burned out teachers be the teacher they always wanted to be. Blog: https://www.realrapwithreynolds.com/ Twitter: @realrapreynolds

This time of year is a challenging one for educators. It is easy to feel overwhelmed. Today's show will encourage and help you to overcome that overwhelmed feeling with 21-year educator Jon Harper. www.coolcatteacher.com/e485 Bio as Submitted Jon is the author of My Bad: 24 Educators Who Messed Up, Fessed Up and Grew, the host of My Bad and the co-host of Teachers' Aid. During his 21 years in education, Jon was a nationally board certified teacher, a math coach and is currently an assistant principal at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Dorchester County. Twitter: @Jonharper70bd

Dr. Sarah Fine, co-author of In Search of Deeper Learning, The Quest to Remake the American High School talks about her research into remarkable high school experiences. Also, check the show notes for a transcript. www.coolcatteacher.com/e484 Dr. Sarah Fine, Bio as Submitted Dr. Sarah Fine is an educator, ethnographer, and the co-author of In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School. She currently directs the High Tech High Graduate School of Education's Teaching Apprenticeship Program and also serves as a Lecturer in Education Studies at the University of California San Diego. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Education Week, and a range of academic journals. Twitter: @sarahmfine

Teachers spend hours giving effective feedback only to have students not respond or use it to improve. In this case, one could argue that the teacher isn't giving effective feedback because it is not being used to learn. Twelve-year English teacher turned principal Jordan Catapano helps us have more effective feedback that actually works to improve learning. www.coolcatteacher.com/483 Jordan Catapano - Bio As Submitted Jordan Catapano taught English for twelve years in a Chicago suburban high school, where he is now an Assistant Principal. In addition to being National Board Certificated and head of his school's Instructional Development Committee, he also has worked with the Illinois Association of Teachers of English and has experience as a school board member for a private school. You can follow him on Twitter at @BuffEnglish. Twitter: @BuffEnglish