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Why We Still Need to Know Things in the Age of Google

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Justin Reich on episode 264 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

We hope that kids will learn critical thinking skills in one class and then apply it to another. However, MIT Teaching Systems Lab Director, Dr. Justin Reich, shares that this may not be so. Today we discuss current research that is shaking up how people think about learning.

why we still need to know things in the age of Google

This week I’ll be sharing the 7 Pedagogical Shifts That Make Interactive Displays a Key to a Student-Centered Classroom on the Cool Cat Teacher blog sponsored by SMART Technologies. Shift #1 is that Students are collaborators. My interactive display is the common workspace for the whole class. I use it as a digital workspace, to display any screen for the whole class to see, as a large multi-touch drawing and brainstorming space and so much more. My interactive display is a must-have device. I wouldn’t want to teach without one. Recent research shows that large interactive displays are vital to the classroom ecosystem.

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

Why We Still Need to Know Things in the Age of Google

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher/e264
Date: March 1, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking to my friend, Dr. Justin Reich @bjfr. It’s so nice to run into your friends at conferences.

Justin has actually come and seen my classroom at Westwood.

But we ran into each other recently in Dubai, and literally had this amazing conversation in the middle of the desert, sitting on cushions, eating with our hands in Dubai.

And I was sitting there thinking, “Man, why don’t I have my microphone?”

So Justin has since traveled to Malaysia and traveled back home, and I’m back home.

So we’re going to talk today about some of the latest research in education technology. We will link to these in the Shownotes.

Justin, what are some of the recent things out there that have sort of piqued your interest?

Justin: Well, it’s so nice to be talking with you, Vicki, and it was really fun to bump into you on the other side of the world.

One of the things that we were talking about was critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

I’ll use a very specific phrase, which is “domain independent problem-solving skills.” Those would be problem-solving skills that we hope would be universal, would be useful in lots of different places and in lots of different contexts.

It’s hard to learn “domain independent problem-solving skills”

One of the things that psychologists have studied for a long time, and actually have increasingly good evidence about is how hard it is for people to learn domain independent problem-solving skills, and how much of our learning really seems to be constrained to the areas in which we’re studying.

Vicki: Wow. So you’re meaning that — when you say “domain independent” — you’re saying math problem-solving skills, versus the problem solving required to write a research paper, or the problem solving required in chess. That’s what you’re meaning, right?

Justin: I think a lot of educators hope that we can nurture in students this thing called “critical thinking,” and then whatever students encounter, they’ll have this domain independent critical skill that they can bring to lots of different areas and lots of different domains.

And there’s all kinds of research to suggest that actually our problem-solving skills tend to be local to particular areas, particular places where we have domain expertise — where we know something about the topic that we’re studying.

Stanford: our problem-solving skills tend to be local to our domain expertise

Let me give you an amazing example from a research team led by Sam Weinberg at Stanford.

Sam wanted to know about how people determine whether or not things are true online or whether or not information is reputable online.

So he came up with this clever test, where he asked people to evaluate a and look at a website from a group called the American College of Pediatrics.

Now the American College of Pediatrics is not the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has tens of thousands of physicians who are members, and it’s kind of the most well-recognized group guiding pediatricians in clinical decision making.

The American College of Pediatrics is a virulently homophobic group, who tries to practice pediatrics from a strong anti-gay perspective. They just have a few hundred members. They’re a very small sort of splinter group.

So Sam was thinking, “What experts can I talk to, to be able get them to think aloud about how they parse information online? Can they tell that the American College of Pediatrics is a splinter group, not a mainstream group?”

So he does a series of tests on Stanford college students. Now these are theoretically really bright folks, very talented people that have gotten into this school, have done all sorts of research on other sorts of things. Actually, only a tiny fraction of them can correctly identify that the American College of Pediatrics is a splinter group.

So he tries another group that he’s hoping will be experts. He tries history professors at Stanford. So these are people, who nominally are the world’s best people at analyzing historical information, parsing through sources, making sense of things. And something like only 40% of them noticed or sort of figured out that this is just a splinter group and not a reputable source.

If there’s anyone who should have a sort of information literacy skills that would transfer across context, you would think it would be Stanford history professors. But they don’t! The skill sets that they develop are really, really powerful for making sense and solving information literacy problems in historical archives — it turns out that they don’t transfer well to solving problems on the internet.

Now the two groups that he did find were excellent at solving these sorts of problems were Wikipedia editors and magazine fact checkers. Those were the two groups that had real expertise around this.

You actually find these patterns in all sorts of places.

So chess experts are typically not any better at playing checkers than anyone else is. They don’t learn some domain independent sort of strategic thinking skill. The thing which seems to most distinguish chess players is that they have an encyclopedic knowledge of different kinds of positions that show up commonly in chess.

All kinds of evidence from reading — Dan Willingham has great stuff about this — says teaching reading comprehension skills is a thing. It actually helps your students, but it actually helps your students a little bit.

The main thing that predicts people’s reading fluency is how much they know in a domain.

The main thing predictor of reading fluency is domain knowledge

So if you have a kid who’s super passionate about soccer, and you get them to do some reading about soccer, you’ll find out they’re a pretty good reader.

If you take a kid who knows nothing about the desert and have them read passages about the desert, you’ll find out that they’re not a very good reader.

But, it’s not really whether they’re a good reader or not, it’s not really a question of domain independent reading comprehension skills, whether they know something specific about that domain.

So, I think this has a lot of consequences for how we think about the work that we do as educators.

Vicki: Yeah.

Justin: It’s totally natural to have this real hope that problem-solving skills or critical thinking skills would transfer really well from one domain to another, but it turns out that when we try to find really clever ways of testing that, it just doesn’t.

Problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills don’t transfer between domains

If you want to be a real expert in a domain, if you want to be a real critical thinker, a careful reader, a careful analyst — it seems like there’s no substitute for knowing an awful lot in that domain.

Vicki: Yeah.

And it would also point to the fact that — you know, some K-12 schools — they have one teacher who really is — they’re the teacher who teaches critical thinking. Right? Whether they’re a history teacher or a lit teacher of a math teacher.

And there is sometimes the thinking that, “As long as we have one of ‘those teachers who teaches critical thinking,’ everybody’s OK, because they’re learning it.”

But what you’re saying is that it really is imperative that every single subject area has an element of teaching critical thinking.

Every single subject area needs to be teaching critical thinking

Justin: Yeah, or… well… Critical thinking is connected to domains.

So people who are really good at problem-solving in math — they know a lot of math. There are probably some sort of math strategies that are domain independent that you could use across lots of different kinds of math domains, but most of them are domain specific.

Another way to think about it… Every single teacher absolutely should be giving students challenges that let them synthesize different materials, let them be creative, let them create and generate new information.

But another thing that’s really important is that the most creative and generative thinkers that we have also know a lot of stuff in their domain.

So there’s another sense that some people have is that, “Well, anything that you can Google — you don’t need to learn anymore.”

But for instance, every single chess position, basically is Google-able. But what distinguishes really expert chess players is that they don’t have to Google them, that they have an encyclopedic knowledge that they can kind of do a search across that space that a search algorithm can’t.

Expert thinkers first must have encyclopedic knowledge in their area

So as important as it is to have students that are solving really interesting complex generative problems in each subject area, it’s also important that people know a lot of stuff in those areas.

The way we become creative in a domain is by having a lot of knowledge in that domain.

Vicki: And then the other thing that it would point to is that the need for really understanding student interests.

Because if what you’re saying is true, for example, about reading… if you have that student who loves soccer, then aren’t you going to teach better reading if you allow that student to read about soccer? Or if you work math problems relating to soccer? Or if you’re working science problems relating to soccer?

I mean, I’m not saying that every single class has to be customized to every single student, but at least knowing their interests, can’t we take them further?

Justin: Yeah, I think that’s right.

Interest-driven learning can be really valuable.

I think it’s important to keep in mind that if students’ interests tend to overlap with the kinds of things that we study in academic areas, they’re going to look smarter to us than if their interests are in areas that are outside those academic areas.

So a lot of the things that we test, a lot of things that we evaluate, questions on standardized tests are about things within academic areas.

If students’ interests sort of align with that, they will appear to us smarter by those test scores and so forth than they will if their interests are in other kinds of domains, which might actually be just as important.

I mean, you know, one of the things about school is that there is far too much knowledge that’s been generated across the world for us to teach everything. And so we take a sample out of that. We choose some things that we think are important.

It’s important to recognize that there’s a ton of really great and really important things that we don’t teach, that students can be really passionate about.

The other side of the coin is that one of the best ways that we can serve students is to help them to learn, you know — I mean, there’s a little bit that we can do to help people develop domain independent problem solving skills.

Like one set of strategies that I think is really, really useful are design thinking skills. Design thinking is a great, kind of generic approach to solving problems.

But if we want students to be really good at solving problems in particular domains — if we want them to be really good history problem solvers, they’ve got to know a lot about history. They have to know facts, they have to know information, they have to know relationships, they have to know chronology.

You know, a sort of crucial piece of this is that as much as we might hope what they get towards is being able to do really generative creative work, a prerequisite for doing really generative creative work is knowing a lot of stuff in that particular domain.

And these are super hard questions that actually different disciplines take different approaches to how they think about what counts as the most important content.

Different disciplines take different approaches to prioritizing content

So I feel like, sort of, literary teachers a long time ago more or less gave up the idea of a canon, and said,

“Look, there are just way too many good books out there for anyone to ever read.”

And that’s fine. We just need to sort of selectively sample. We need to make some good choices about what we should have.

We’ll do some reading in the United States and beyond the United States.

We should have people do some reading that’s contemporary, and then past.

But even within those broad categories, there are a zillion different books that kids might read, and so we choose some things that we think are important for everyone.

We should give students a lot of choice to explore what their most passionate about.”

There are other subjects — you know, math is probably the one which is least flexible about saying, “Linear algebra is just as valuable as calculus is.”

But for whatever reason, we’ve decided that calculus is the really important endpoint in high school mathematics. And linear algebra, students don’t have to get to until they get to graduate school of something like that.

I could imagine a mathematics in the future that has more branches, has more pathways, and to some extent, lets us say, “Oh, you’re really interested in engineering? Like calculus is super important for that.”

Or, “You’re really interesting in computer programming and machine learning and artificial intelligence? Well, linear algebra is really important for that.”

All these things should be implicated in what kinds of choices we help students make about what they learned.

Vicki: So, teachers, there’s a lot that we can get out of this conversation.

I wish we had more, because he and I had a far-ranging conversation and my students were kind of listening there with their mouths open and their eyes wide.

But it comes down to why we still need to know things.

There are those who say, “Well, why teach anything? You can Google everything.”

Why teach anything, when you can Google everything?

Well, there’s no replacement for knowledge in between your ears, and truly thinking critically in a variety of subjects, harnessing student interests, and realizing that we do still need to really have deep domain knowledge — all of us in our area of expertise — I think really values the importance of education and what we’re teaching in the Google age.

So thanks for listening, and I hope this gives you a lot to think about. We will include all of this information in the Shownotes.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Justin Reich is an educational researcher interested in the future of learning in a networked world. He is an Assistant Professor in the Comparative Media Studies/Writing department at the Massachusett


ology, an instructor in the Scheller Teacher Education Program, a faculty associate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, and the director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab. The Teaching Systems Lab investigates the complex, technology-rich classrooms of the future and the systems that we need to help educators thrive in those settings. He is the co-founder of EdTechTeacher, a professional learning consultancy devoted to helping teachers leverage technology to create student-centered, inquiry-based learning environments. He was previously the Richard L. Menschel HarvardX Research Fellow, where he led the initiative to study large-scale open online learning through the HarvardX Initiative, and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He earned his doctorate from Harvard University, where he created the Distributed Collaborative Learning Communities project, a Hewlett Foundation funded initiative to examine how social media are used in K-12 classrooms. He writes the EdTechResearcher blog for Education Week, and his writings have appeared in Science, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Educational Researcher, the Washington PostInside Higher Ed, the Christian Science Monitor, and other publications. Justin started his career teaching wilderness medicine, and later taught high school world history and history electives, and coached wrestling and outdoor activities.

s Institute of Techn

Blog: http://www.edtechresearcher.com/

Twitter: @bjfr

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Why We Still Need to Know Things in the Age of Google appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!


Calibrate Your Talent Meter: Honest Self-Awareness is a Secret of Success

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Day 52 of 80 Days of Excellence

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Research has shown that there is part of our brain – the forward most region of the medial prefrontal cortex that helps us self-reflect. Using neuroimaging studies in 2007, research Arnaud D’Argembeu of Belgium found that this part of the brain

“helps a person reflect ton their traits and abilities versus those of others.”

But here’s the thing, when our talent meter is off, our thinking is off.

Two examples of Talent Meters Gone Wrong

We all know the person who can’t sing and doesn’t know it or the kid who thinks they are a sports star and doesn’t know it isn’t their strong suit.

Cornell researchers David Dunning and Justin Kruger examined college students who scored in the bottom 25% on an exam. When asked just after the exam how they did, these students firmly believed they outperformed everyone else in the class. When faced with lower than expected scores, many of them argued with the professor to try to convince the prof they were right.*

Students aren’t the only one with this problem. In five studies of effective and ineffective principals, every single principal had one thing in common: they all thought they were doing a good job. Only half of them were right.**

The other half were clueless that they were being studied because they were incompetent and doing a poor job.

The Double Whammy of Incompetence

Researchers call this the “double whammy of incompetence.”*** Kruger and Dunning say:

“If you don’t even realize you have gaps in your abilities, it may never occur to you to try to make improvements.”

Like the clueless person depicted in Beatle’s pop hit Strawberry Fields Forever,

“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.”

Some people choose to live with their eyes firmly closed to the reality that many of their problems are within their control.

“One challenge in any profession is the ability to self-reflect – accurately. Those who know how they are coming across to others, how their behavior is received, work more effectively,” says Todd Whitaker.****

In their book Winner’s Brain, Harvard Researchers Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske list the common characteristics of a winner’s brain and call them “Win Factors.”

What is Win Factor #1?

Self Awareness.

Self-awareness is the ability to know yourself and your limitations. It is the ability to plan for the future and have purpose and direction. It is the ability that lets you improve relationships, your job, and your life. IN fact the Greek philosophers said that self-awareness is the secret to human nature.

How can you become more self-aware and recalibrate the perception of you versus reality?

First. Go ahead and admit you need improvement.

We all need it. To feign perfection is to swallow the lie that will forever break your talent meter.

Second. Actively seek feedback.

I conduct student focus groups, do anonymous surveys, and ask students to evaluate individual units throughout the year. During this time of discussion, I’m admitting to my students and myself that I need to improve.

Third. Keep your ego in check.

Self-Awareness can be a challenge in the days of self-esteem and pride. However, if we’re going to be excellent, we have got to calibrate our talent meter. We’ve got to be able to live with our eyes wide open and with good feedback so we can improve our abilities. To ignore our own weaknesses is to misunderstand all we see.

We all have room for improvement.

RESEARCH

* Brown, Jeff and Mark Fenske. The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use To Achieve Success. (Boston: Harvard University, 2010), p. 62.

** Whitaker, Todd. What Great Principals Do Differently: 18 Things That Make a Difference, p 5.

*** Brown, p 40.

****Whitaker, p 5.

This post is day 52 of 80 days of excellence. I’ve created an email list below for those of you want to be emailed the full posts written as part of this series.

The post Calibrate Your Talent Meter: Honest Self-Awareness is a Secret of Success appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

5 Ideas to level up Elementary Math with Technology

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Kelly Gary on episode 265 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Elementary Math can be exciting. Check out these five ideas to use technology to make math exciting.

5 ideas for improving math kelly gary

 

This week I’ll be sharing the 7 Pedagogical Shifts That Make Interactive Displays a Key to a Student-Centered Classroom on the Cool Cat Teacher blog sponsored by SMART Technologies. Shift #1 is that Students are collaborators. My interactive display is the common workspace for the whole class. I use it as a digital workspace, to display any screen for the whole class to see, as a large multi-touch drawing and brainstorming space and so much more. My interactive display is a must-have device. I wouldn’t want to teach without one. Recent research shows that large interactive displays are vital to the classroom ecosystem.

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

5 Ideas to level up Elementary Math with Technology

Link to show:

Date: March 2, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Kelly Gary, a first-grade teacher in Pennsylvania, about five ideas for improving elementary math with technology.

So Kelly, what is your first idea?

Kelly: Gosh, there are so many to pick from!

I picked the ones that the kids really enjoy doing.

One of the simple tools is an ELMO, which projects everything onto a SMARTboard.

#1 – Using an ELMO with a SMARTboard

Having the children bring their work up to the ELMO and explain how they got to the answer is such an easy way to use technology when you’re first starting out.

That’s what I did. I just used an ELMO, a simple tool.

Then I got more comfortable with the SMARTboard, and I created my own lessons.

So number two would be using SMARTboard technology and creating activities and problems so that the kids take their names and put them into story problems. I have pictures moving, of things that they like to do, so it’s meaningful to them. They’re so excited to be the star math student of the day.

#2 SMARTboard Technology and Creating Story Problems with Students’ Names in Them

Vicki: Can you talk me through an example of a story problem that you’re doing with your interactive whiteboard that you’ve created?

Let’s just say that you’ve got a student named Tom. What would Tom experience in this interactive story?

Kelly: So, if I had, let’s say, Tom and Sally…

I ask them what they like to do, and if they have any pets, or about any of their favorite toys.

With the SMARTboard technology, I’m able to create a story problem for them.

The whole class can find the SMARTboard Notebook on the iPad. I split them up into pairs.

They don’t know whose name is going to pop up every day. I surprise them with different activities and things that I see going on in the classroom.

As soon as they see their name, you can see those two students’ faces (the math stars of the week) brighten up. All the class is excited!

They get on the iPad, and if they like puppies and cats, one story problem might be:

Tom has 5 puppies. He walks 3, and 2 were sleeping.

Sally has 7 cats, and 2 were sleeping.

We can do lots of comparing with those problems. We can show them math facts, how to solve the math problem by adding or subtracting, comparing, etc. And all of the pictures move.

So I create a little picture that the kids can move on their own, instead of drawing. They move the dogs, and they move the cats. They compare, and the solve the problem on their own first. Then we come together and we check our answers and talk about the different ways that this problem can be solved.

So… what I call the “Math Star Problem of the Day” always involves students and a little bit about them.

Vicki: Fun!

OK, so they’re working on their iPads and you’re connecting (math to their daily lives).

So what’s your third, Kelly?

Kelly: My third is when I am teaching symmetry.

I create a Google Doc. I go searching. Eventually the kids go searching and I show them where they can do Safe Searches through Google. We find all these buildings from around the world, so we take math out of the classroom, and they get to look at buildings from Paris. We’ve done the Eiffel Tower. Down in Miami, the Breaker Hotel.

#3 – Teaching Symmetry with Buildings Around the World

We find all these different building, and we talk about symmetry. The kids really so… They’re traveling around the world. We map them on our SMARTboard, where these places are. We really enjoy having a great conversation about symmetry. They get to design their own building that is symmetrical.

Vicki: Now where do they design? What do they use to design their building?

Kelly: Oh!

I’m glad you said that. I have this app.

You can use any app. You can do a Story Creator or Little Bird or Be in the Story.

They can create their building with the iPad, using lines and circles, and just the regular…

If you’re starting off, and you’re not comfortable with technology, just the whiteboard, which is an app that you can get on the iPad, which is a great thing, because I always try to use apps that can be mailed to parents.

Every activity, I email the parents so they can see exactly what we’re doing that day, and it’s so much appreciated by the parents.

Vicki: Yeah. I’ve put in the Shownotes with of other shows that teachers use SeeSaw, which is another great way to share the portfolio with parents.

Kelly: Yes! Yes! There’s another great one. And the parents truly appreciate it.

Vicki: They do. They want to know what kids are doing. OK, what’s our fifth, Kelly?

Kelly: The fifth one is the interactive Hundreds Chart.

#5 – Hundreds Chart

You can project it on the SMARTboard, a very easy one when you’re starting off in using technology with math. It’s called the Hundreds Splat. It’s a huge board, and you can change colors and do counts of 2. You can change the color again and do counts of 5.

And as they’re doing it, they can come up, and it makes a cute little splat sound, and all the kids get so excited to come up the the SMARTboard.

Before, I used to use the Hundreds Chart at their seat, which I still do. But getting them involved and hearing the splat is so much fun. It becomes so much fun for the kids and interactive for them as they do it at their seats with their crayons.

They are able to see the patterns really big on the screen. We have a great conversation about how many different patterns. We see them diagonally, and all over the place.

Vicki: So, Kelly, you love technology and you love teaching math. How do you keep up on technology? Where do you find out about these apps and tools?

Kelly: I do my own searches all the time.

We have an amazing technology teacher here that — if she goes to conferences…

I was actually nominated for the keystone technology award for Pennsylvania because of my use of technology and being acknowledged by the state of Pennsylvania.

I was just always told, “Girls can’t do math.” That motivated me as a little girl, and I always want to show that math is so much fun. And it can be, you know, they don’t even realize they’re learning because they’re playing.

We’re such 21st Century learners with all these iPads and gadgets that it’s become such a huge hands-on. Of course you have to use it effectively. It’s not an all day activity, but used effectively and in a meaningful way, it makes such a big difference with motivation of these kids.

Vicki: As we finish up, give our elementary teachers a pep talk about making math exciting.

Kelly: Gosh. Math.

When you think about all the kids we have in the class. Think about the ways they learn — so many different ways — by listening, by pictures.

And that’s what my goal is.

If you come into my classroom, you know, all children learn different ways.

Because they’re so used to using the iPad and being on their phones all the time, giving it that interactive computer feel and right away getting that, “You’re correct,” or “Answer…” It just makes it more exciting for them, and they’re more engaged, and the conversations we’re having when they work together.

And of course you can do it with paper and pencil, but bringing it to life and having them see all these numbers move and brighten up and pictures and… It’s just become a different way of teaching for me. And I hope that I share that excitement with that with everyone who’s listening.

Vicki: So teachers, we can make math exciting, and technology is such a fantastic tool to use to make math more engaging and more exciting.

I hope you enjoy these five ideas, and also keep searching and getting out there and finding even more ways to make math come alive.

 

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

 

Bio as submitted


I am a first-grade teacher at Sewickley Academy, a private school in Pittsburgh, PA. I have been teaching first grade for 23 years. I Love using technology in the classroom in an effective and purposeful way in order to motivate students.

 

 

 

 

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post 5 Ideas to level up Elementary Math with Technology appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Active Learning in the Science Classroom

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Glen Westbroek on episode 271 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Thirty-three-year Presidential Award Winning science teacher Glen Westbroek believes in creating active learning experiences in his science classroom. Today we kick off science week on the 10-Minute Teacher talking about active learning, Next Generation Science Standards, and what an engaging science classroom looks like.

Legends of Learning has amazing game based science experiences for students in 3-8 aligning with Next Generation Science and select state standards. Go to coolcatteacher.com/science and sign up for your free account now.

Whether it is earth science, life science, or physical science you can reinforce, reteach, and take kids further as they play the science games at legendsoflearning.com. And thanks to Legends of Learning for sponsoring science week this week on the 10-Minute Teacher.

 

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

Active Learning in the Science Classroom

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e271
Date: March 12, 2018

Vicki: Happy Motivation Monday!

We’re kicking off Science Week with 33-year veteran science teacher, Glen Westbroek @gardenglen. He’s won the Utah Governor’s Award for Science and Technology, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, and many other awards.

Now, Glen, you are passionate about motivating active learning in the science classroom.

Why is active learning so important?

Why is active learning so important?

Glen: You know, Vicki, that’s a great question. I think that it boils down to, “Students who are actively doing science are the ones who love the subject. Those who are doing it passively — either watching a teacher do something or reading a book or watching a video — tend not to be as motivated to enjoy the subject.”

Vicki: OK. How would you define active learning? When they’re hands-on? When they’re into things? Or what?

How would you define active learning?

Glen: I think part of it involves the hands-on aspect. Doing science in any way that doesn’t involve hands-on can’t be as motivational for a child. They just don’t get that same enthusiasm as when their hands are actively helping their brain learn the concepts.

On the other hand, it doesn’t all just have to be hands-on. There are times that it’s more appropriate to use technology in the pedagogy so that you can reinforce concept that the child is learning.

Vicki: OK, Glen, if I came to your classroom, and you wanted to show me one of your best lessons that promote active learning, describe what I would see.

Do you have an example of active learning?

Glen: Oh my goodness.

Alright, I’m going to take you to the first day of seventh grade this year.

Are you ready to go back in time?

Vicki: (laughs) Oh, I’m ready!

Glen: OK, so literally this was the first day. The students came into the classroom.

I got to know them just briefly.

And then I said, “We’re going to do something today that I hope works. But I’m not positive. You’re going to help me figure this out.”

Their eyes got really big, and it’s kind of like, “Wait. You’re going to try something that you don’t know if it works?”

And I said, “I don’t know for sure!”

And so we got out some MacBooks, and we opened up LoggerPro which is a program for Vernier Software. We connected up some motion detectors to those computers.

The motion detector works a little bit like a radar detector. So as motion happens, it’s able to collect the data and bring it on to the computer screen.

So they played with those just for a few minutes to see what motion would bring up the graph of any type.

At that point, I said, “Alright, here’s a graph. I want you to try to match it on your computer. I’m going to throw all your screens up on the board here. Using this LanSchool teacher program, you’re going to see each other. We’re going to see who comes up with the way to do this correctly.”

Pretty soon, one group figured it out, and everybody else said, “Wait! How’d you do that?”

So they started asking each other questions. And once they had figured out how everybody could do it correctly, I said, “Alright. Here’s a new graph. Try to make this one. And they went through and were finding out ways to create about four or five different graphs. In one class period, they understood the relationship of time with motion, and they thought they were just having fun.

Vicki: Wow! And that was the first day? I mean, where do you go from there?

Glen: Yes.

Vicki: Now, you know, some people will plan an awesome first day, and the second day is like “womp”… So where’d you go?

How do you top that?

Glen: From there, we went into trying to understand how motion is related to the launching of rockets.

We made paper rockets, and we launched them by pushing on a bicycle pump. We had a launcher that we would release the pressure from, and their rockets would fly out.

And I said, “Alright, now your challenge is to make your rocket go farther tomorrow. What are you going to do different?”

And they had to figure out what they wanted to do on their own, now, without me telling them what’s going to make things go on.

From there, we went into, “What is it like in the space program as they try to make things move, and how is it that there’s a relationship between the force that’s involved and the motion that the rocket actually has?”

Vicki: Incredible.

So Glen, if you could go back in time, and talk to Glen Westbroek on the first day of your 33-year science career, and help you not make certain mistakes, what would you say to yourself?

What would you tell your younger self as a beginning teacher?

Glen: Number one, I’d say, “Put the book on the shelf.”

Vicki: Ohhhhh. OK! (laughs)

Glen: I know that sounds crazy, but… I use the books now as a reference tool.

I tell the students, “When we need that, we’re going to go over, and we’re going to grab it. We’re going to learn from that book, but then we’re going to put it back.”

Whereas, my training in teaching was, “Have the students read the chapter. Have them answer all the questions at the end of the chapter. I thought that was the way to teach. The more I did it, the more I disliked it.

And I wanted to see, “How can I do things differently?” And that was my motivation to change.

Vicki: When did the lightbulb go on? When did you realize, “OK, there’s more…”

It’s obvious that you love your students. It’s obvious that you love teaching, and you love science.

When did the light flip on, and you go, “Aha!”

Glen: I’d say it flipped on about two or three years into it. It didn’t take very long at all.

And then it was a matter of condensing the principles. I wanted to try something different.

Why are some people uncomfortable with your method of teaching?

I’ve been very blessed. I’ve been with six different principals now, and only one has been a little hesitant about trying different things.

The other ones have all been very good about allowing me to have autonomy, as long as I am following through with the scope and sequence that our PLC has developed and making sure that I prepare my students for the common assessments that we create.

Vicki: OK. So why does it make people uncomfortable? Is it because you’re so active, and you’re so creative. Is that what makes people uncomfortable?

Or is it the fact that you don’t bring that book out very much?

Glen: I think part of it is not bringing the book out so much. That’s very different than the way every professor that I had trained me.

Vicki: Yeah.

But is this a whole lot of work, to not use your book?

Isn’t your method an awful lot of work?

Glen: Well, I explain this to new teachers as I work with them.

You’ve got classroom management, and you’ve got classroom discipline.

Classroom management is everything I do before students walk through the doorway.

Discipline is what I do once students are in the classroom.

The more effort I put into my classroom management, the less effort I have to do with my classroom discipline.

Vicki: Ohhhhh.

Glen: So in the long run, it pays off.

Vicki: Oh, that’s awesome. I love that.

So you’re spending your time organizing your classroom, organizing the flow, organizing stations, organizing experiences… so they’re busy the moment they walk in?

Glen: That’s my goal. Within a minute of the bell ringing, I’d like to have them actively doing something. It may take a little bit of introduction from me, or I may show a video clip. For example, before we did the rockets, I showed a video clip of a launch. Next year, I think we’ll be showing Elon Musks’s little launch that happened this year because that was so impressive.

Vicki: Ohhhh. It was! And when they landed the boosters again, that was incredible, wasn’t it?

Glen: It really was. That took a lot of good technology and a lot of engineering. We’re working a lot with STEM. Throughout the United States, every state that has adopted or has modified Next Generation Science Standards, is looking at how to involve students in doing more of the technology and engineering aspects of science.

Vicki: So how have the Next Generation Science Standards transformed your classroom? Or have they?

Have the Next Generation Science Standards changed your classroom?

Glen: I don’t know that they have changed them a lot. In terms of the experiences that I try to provide students, I don’t think it has been a huge difference.

What I have found different, though, is trying to infuse the engineering aspect so that students have multi days to try and accomplish something, as opposed to, “Here. Try this for 5 minutes and let’s talk about it. Now let’s go on to something else.”

Vicki: Are the multi days exciting for you?

Glen: Oh my goodness!

The last one we did? We were learning about how structures are designed to survive earthquakes.

I showed a short video clip from some Japanese station that I had no idea what they were saying. But we could see the buildings wavering in the background as they talked about it.

I had a teacher friend who was helping me that said, “They said something about ‘earthquake.’ I recognize that word.”

And I said, “OK. We’ll go with that video clip.” So we showed this little video clip, and then I pulled out some spaghetti pasta…

Vicki: (laughs)

Glen: … and some of the mini marshmallows.

Vicki: Ohhh.

Glen: And I said, “Your goal is to make a building that will survive an earthquake. And what we’re going to use — “

We had these trays that we had put sand into. They had to build within those trays. And I showed them how I was going to shake the trays to model the earthquake.

And they got so excited to see who could design a structure that would survive an earthquake that had a strength of 6 or a strength or 7.

I said, “Somebody’s is going to crash big, because I’m going to do a 10 on theirs.”

Vicki: (laughs)

Glen: They got all excited because, you know, “I’ve got to make mine survive.”

That was their goal. They loved it!

And the second day, as they came in, “OK, we’ve got ideas. Can we change it now?”

And I said, “Go for it. Soon as you’re ready, let me know.”

Vicki: (laughs) And then you destroyed their buildings!

Glen: Yes, Ma’am! Multiple times.

Vicki: Don’t they love it?

Glen: They did! And they wanted to build another one.

Failure is a critical piece in learning.

Vicki: You know, if you listen to Jane Mcgonigal, who talks about gaming, you know, somewhere around 50% is kind of the failure rate for engagement and excitement.

 

I know that it sounds kind of harsh to take something they’ve created and put it to the test, but it’s really an authentic experience, isn’t it?

Glen: It really is. And the other thing I remind them of is that, FAIL means it’s your First Attempt In Learning.

Vicki: Hmmmm.

Glen: That gives you an opportunity to SAIL, which is your Second Attempt In Learning.

And if it’s really hard, you’re going to go to MAIL, which is Multiple Attempts in Learning.

Vicki: (laughs) Oh, I love that! I wish we could just talk forever!

So this is Science Week. What a great motivation Monday for active learning in the science classroom.

And actually, we can apply the FAIL-SAIL-MAIL to all classrooms.

I love that, Glen. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us and getting us excited about science and about learning!

Glen: You’re very welcome. It’s been a pleasure. I think science and learning is an opportunity for students to grow and be prepared for their future.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted – Glen Westbroek



Glen Westbroek and his wife have three children. Glen has taught science for 33 years and received these awards: Utah Governor’s Award for Science and Technology, Alpine District Teacher of the Year, Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, and Utah Science Teachers Association Dick Peterson Lifetime Achievement award.

Twitter: @gardenglen

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Active Learning in the Science Classroom appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Flipping Awesome Science

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Marc Seigel on episode 273 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Marc Seigel, a contributing author to Flipping 2.0, talks about an innovative flipped science classroom. How do lessons flow? What are common mistakes? How do students make progress? Learn all this and more in this quick, 10-minute show.

273 Mark Seigel flipped classroom science

Legends of Learning has amazing game based science experiences for students in 3-8 aligning with Next Generation Science and select state standards. Go to coolcatteacher.com/science and sign up for your free account now.

Whether it is earth science, life science, or physical science you can reinforce, reteach, and take kids further as they play the science games at legendsoflearning.com. And thanks to Legends of Learning for sponsoring science week this week on the 10-Minute Teacher.

Listen Now

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Enhanced Transcript

Flipping Awesome Science

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e273
Date: March 14, 2018

Vicki: Hey, let’s do some flipping awesome science with Marc Seigel @DaretoChem

So, Marc, first of all, in your bio, you talk about being Johnny Crayons.

Marc: Yeah…

Vicki: What is that?

Who is Johnny Crayons?

Marc: So Johnny Crayons came a couple years ago.

A friend of mine, we were teaching together. We’re both very nontraditional teachers.

And across the hall from us was a very traditional teacher, one of those guys who — I mean, a phenomenal educator — but he stood behind a podium. That’s where the bell rang. That’s where he was the whole block.

And one day, he walks over across the hall to my friend, and says to him, “I don’t know what’s going on with all this Johnny Crayons noise stuff, but you gotta keep it down around here.”

And we just laughed hysterically.

We kind of take this — the Johnny Crayons — the nontraditional, the energetic, the full energy in the classroom.

I kind of describe it like this. There was a meme a couple of years ago about this little elementary kid. And he’s got this crayon gripped in his fist. He’s scribbling furiously at this picture. His eyes are wide. His teeth are clenched.

And I said,”That’s the Johnny Crayons. When you attack a project, when you attack an assignment so voraciously that you’re putting all of your energy and passion into it? That’s a Johnny Crayons, and I want nothing but them in my classroom.”

What does your science classroom look like on a great day?

Vicki: OK. What does a classroom day look like when you have an awesome engaging day. Describe what that would look like in your science classroom.

Marc: So I run a flipped classroom. My students work asynchronously.

So I give them all of the information and materials they need for an entire unit, and then I let them run and play with the different activities, depending upon where they are, their abilities, and how well they’re grabbing onto the concepts.

Kind of think of it like a whole bunch of stations all over the classroom, where some kids are working independently, some kids are working collaboratively with someone else that they’re friends with or they’re working well with.

Some kids are doing labs.

Some kids are working one-on-one or in small group settings with me as a teacher.

And when I’m not working with one kid, I’m floating around like a butterfly all over the classroom, trying to get to every group, trying to check in with students at all times.

So it’s kind of like a chaos of like a whirlwind of learning going on in my classroom at any given moment.

Can you give us an example?

Vicki: So give a science concept that you’d be teaching. And what the different kids would be doing, so we would kind of have a way to envision this.

It does sound like chaos! (laughs)

Marc: Absolutely. Yeah.

So, for example, I was a chemistry teacher and I taught a section on gas laws.

Gas laws talk about how gases behave and then different things happen to them. You change the pressure, you change the temperature, whatever it’s going to be.

And some cases, I might have, you know, a couple students working off on the side with some digital probes. They’re moving syringes in and out into a pressure center. And all of that information is being graphed onto a computer as an inquiry part of the assignment, too.

So as they pull out the syringe or push on the syringe, they’re changing the volume of that gas, and then the computer is measuring all the pressure.

So I’ve got a Chromebook set up. Kids are graphing all the information with Google Sheet.

On another section, I’ll have students on personalized whiteboards, and those whiteboards ar 16”x24” and wrapped in neon duct tape. So I’ll have students working on quiz questions or homework questions that I’ve got placed at my desk.

I don’t give traditional homework. Anything the students work on at home typically is like lab questions that they didn’t complete during class.

So these kids are working here in my classroom because when they struggle, I want me to be around to help them through whatever struggles they’re having.

I might have another group of students working off on the side watching some instructional videos off my YouTube channel.

So, it depends on where you are in the classroom, depending on what’s going on.

I might have kids sitting on a lab bench over on one side. I used to have a girl who used to like to hide under the lab bench.

Vicki: (laughs)

Marc: She kind of made her own little cubbyhole. She was a little bit of an introvert, and the chaos of the room didn’t lend itself for her to be focused. So she would tuck herself underneath, and that’s where she would stay for the whole block.

How difficult is this to organize?

Vicki: So Marc, how hard is this to plan and set up?

Marc: This takes years. Of doing it…

Vicki: Ohhh. But no. Now nobody’s going to want to do it! (laughs)

Marc: No, actually I was just talking with a group of teachers this week at a conference. I said,”What a lot of people forget when they read about a flipped classroom, they’re seeing it from people who have been doing it for several years. And they get overwhelmed.”

And they say, “Well, I can’t do that!”

And I’m like, “No, you can’t. Because I’ve done this over seven years. So the best thing to do is start small. Start with something you know and you are confident with.

My very first flipped lesson was in the easiest unit of the entire year. I planned it all out.

I actually storyboard everything at home. I have a big whiteboard at home.

I lay out all the topics, and I link them to where my videos are going to go with arrows, and then I connect the assignments into them.

By making it visual in front of me, it helped give me a nice, neat plan for my students. I give them an assignment chart which helps keep them organized throughout the entire unit as well.

Vicki: So you’re one of the authors of Flipping 2.0. You have a chapter in there.

Now, so are you more of the end-flip? So when they’re watching your videos, it’s in class? It’s not at home?

Which kind of flipped classroom do you run?

Marc: Mine is both. I leave it up to the students as to how they want to do it. So there are some students who are very active in athletics, they have a part-time job, they’re doing a ton of things at home, or maybe even internet access is limited. So I never wanted to force my students to always do the videos at home. So I leave them the option.

One year I had these five boys who used to get together on the weekend and watch all the videos for the entire unit in one afternoon. And they’d come to class on Monday with all their questions ready. They’d pound out all the assignments over the course of five days. They’d take the test on Friday, or maybe on the following Monday. And they were done. And that’s the way they liked it.

I had other students who would come to class, walk in, pull out their device, watch the first video, do a quiz or do the homework assigned to that video. And watch the second video, and they had that kind of routine.

So I let the kids be flexible in how THEY structure the class.

Vicki: OK, if you could spare beginning science flippers one mistake, what would it be?

What mistakes do people make when they begin?

Marc: Oh, relying on the video too much.

My very first massive fail was that I gave an assignment to watch the video for homework. And then my lesson was entirely based on the students’ notes from that video.

There were 21 kids in the class. But only 5 kids actually watched the video.

And I went, “Oh my gosh! What do I do now?”

So now that’s like Rookie Mistake #1 about flipping. That’s what you do your first year teaching. It’s like you put all of your emphasis is on the kids doing the homework — and then they didn’t do the homework.

Vicki: Yeah.

Marc: So I ended up having to reteach the entire lesson that I had put in the video via lecture. Because that’s the best way that I could get the information across.

So those 5 kids who did the video? Now sat bored for 30 minutes, while I’m going through a lesson.

Vicki: Hmmmm.

Marc: My video was only 10 minutes. But it takes that much longer in a lecture.

So the best thing you can do is — to learn from my failure — the next time I did that? When the same thing happened to me?

What I did was I brought the five kids up who did their assignment. I brought them up to the front of the room.

I sent the other 16 kids to the back to watch the video.

I then gave special extra reinforcement to those kids — sort of as a reward to those kids for watching the video.

So I hit them with extra problems, extra questions, and they got small group learning with me.

At that point everyone was done with the video, and then we came together as a whole group and did a large group activity.

So the kids who didn’t do their homework still got the information that they were supposed to get. But they didn’t get the extra reinforcement that they would have, had they done the homework. And that really changed how my class functioned.

Vicki: OK, if you could have one thing that every teacher could do RIGHT, right out of the gate, what would it be?

Marc: With a flipped classroom?

Vicki: Yeah.

What advice do you have?

Marc: Remember that it’s about maximizing your face-to-face time with your students.

So it doesn’t matter if you use videos or document-based questions, or reading passages or anything. It doesn’t matter what you use.

It’s about — when you sit down and think about that lesson — are you maximizing more face-to-face time with your students?

If the most effective thing you are doing is hands-on learning and small group work, then make sure your lessons look like that in the classroom.

If you’re a phenomenal educator and you can stand up and lecture, and kids are engaged and it’s amazing and they get it?

Then do THAT.

Like you have to make your class your space.

Don’t look at articles from Jon Bergman or Aaron Sams or anyone else.

Or don’t even look at the book, and say, “Oh, I have to copy Marc.”

Do what works best in YOUR class.

Vicki: Yeah! And I use the in-flip, I’ll use videos sometimes.

Today I was talking to somebody about the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 and Web 3.0

We had a fascinating Socratic discussion and that’s the way we did it.

So it doesn’t have to always be the same.

Use those videos in a way that really accents your learning.

So, science teachers out there, and all teachers — we’ve got some flipping awesome science ideas. Follow Marc on Twitter.

Get out there and be Johnny Crayons.

I want to be Johnny Crayons.

I don’t think I want to be behind the podium! (laughs)

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted



In the past eighteen years, Marc Seigel has taught a wide variety of STEM stuff, including classes in Chemistry and design, and has recently embarked on serving as a high school educational technology integration specialist. Presenting at state and national conferences has developed Marc’s love for collaboration with teachers and administrators of all levels and disciplines. A Google Certified Innovator & Educator as well as a Raspberry Pi Certified Educator, Marc is a self-proclaimed Positive Deviant and “Johnny Crayons,” and has reinvigorated his teaching practice through the use of Flipped Classroom, a topic about which he has presented all over the Northeast. Find Marc on the internet at (www.marcseigel.com) and on Twitter/Instagram (@DaretoChem).

Blog: www.marcseigel.com

Twitter: @DaretoChem

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Flipping Awesome Science appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

5 Ideas for Writing with Technology

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Jacqui Murray on episode 235 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Jacqui Murray shares how we can encourage an improvement in writing using technology. These creative ways will help you think about how to help children, particularly those who struggle with handwriting and typing.

Sponsor: The STLinATL Conference will be at Woodward Academy in Atlanta July 26-27, 2018. I’ll be speaking with other amazing educators like Suzy Boss, Janet Zadina, Jay McTighe, Dr. Brendan Ozawa de Silva, Scott Sanchez, Dr. Ayanna M Howard and more. For $295, this all-inclusive event (except for hotel and travel) is an amazing opportunity to learn. www.stlinatl.com

For full notes to this encore episode, see: www.coolcatteacher.com/e235

The post 5 Ideas for Writing with Technology appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Awesome Atlanta Education Conference: STLinATL – July 26-27, 2018

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Join me and other education speakers at Woodward Academy in Atlanta this summer

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

STLinATL is an exciting education conference hosted at Woodward Academy in Atlanta this summer July 26-27. I’ll be speaking along with Jay McTighe, Dr. Janet Zanida, Suzie Boss and more at this affordable conference ($295 including meals and conference attendance.)

THE STLinATL CONFERENCE WILL FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

  • Whole Child (e.g., mindfulness, brain-based learning, project-based learning, design thinking, social-emotional, equity and inclusion)
  • STEM/STEAM Integration
  • Assessment for Learning
  • Contemporary Literacy
  • Excellence in Physical Education, Coaching, and Athletic Development

You are invited to submit a proposal and to register for STLinATL. Proposals are due by 12 noon EDT on March 30, 2018. All accepted proposals will be notified on or before April 15, 2018. For more information, visit stlinatl.com.

This intimate conference will have southern hospitality and charm as well as 21st-century education leadership.

Speakers Include:

Jay McTighe – Internationally recognized thought leader on curriculum mapping, assessment, and instructional strategies. Co-authored the best-selling Understanding by Design series with Grant Wiggins.

Dr. Janet Zadina – Renowned neuroscientist, speaker, and author of Multiple Pathways to the Student Brain. Extraordinary ability to address anxiety, stress, and trauma, which affects up to 50% of our students.

Suzie Boss – Inspiring speaker, consultant, and author of several popular books including All Together Now: How to Engage Your Stakeholders in Reimaging School and Reinventing Project-Based Learning.

Vicki Davis – The  Cool Cat Teacher® is a full-time teacher and IT Director at a small school in Georgia. Best teacher blog winner, *Speaker*author* @Mashable Top Teacher on Twitter*Top #edtech Twitterer. Host – the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast an author of Reinventing Writing and Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds.

Please reserve the date and contact Connie White with questions. School groups of five or more will receive a discount. Conference enrollment will be capped at 400.

Included in the STLinATL Conference 


The cost is extremely affordable at $295.00 which is an all-inclusive event that includes:

  • Small, intimate workshops and sessions with nationally known speakers.
  • Topics that are relevant to the needs of today’s teachers as they work to prepare our students for the future.
  • Conference includes a continental breakfast each day
  • An incredible lunch each day made by our renowned chef
  • A networking social that includes hors d’oeuvres, a live band and 2 drinks of your choice.
  • An amazing dinner that was the talk of the conference last year.
  • Free transportation from the hotel to the conference through each day
  • A negotiated rate of $129 per night for a room at the luxurious Hilton (multiple restaurants and exquisite amenities)
  • A conference gift bag with a homemade praline, snacks, a notebook and more
  • Fabulous networking opportunities with subject area teachers.
  • An interactive makerspace designed by Georgia Tech.
  • A limited number of transformative vendors sharing some of the latest applications of trends for the future such as 1)  Lexplore makes it possible to identify children with reading difficulties early on through artificial intelligence and eye tracking. 2) Georgia Speciality highlighting classroom furniture, makerspace furniture and science furniture of the future. 3) Virtual reality applications for today classrooms and more….

I’m excited about speaking at this conference and will be there both days. This is going to be a fantastic event! Join us!

The post Awesome Atlanta Education Conference: STLinATL – July 26-27, 2018 appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Teaching isn’t Rocket Science – It’s Way More Complex

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Dr. Doug Green on episode 284 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Dr. Doug Green challenges our thinking about school, how we should teach, and the flaws with the testing programs we have in education today.

Sponsor: The STLinATL Conference will be at Woodward Academy in Atlanta July 26-27, 2018. I’ll be speaking with other amazing educators like Suzy Boss, Janet Zadina, Jay McTighe, Dr. Brendan Ozawa de Silva, Scott Sanchez, Dr. Ayanna M Howard and more. For $295, this all-inclusive event (except for hotel and travel) is an amazing opportunity to learn. www.stlinatl.com

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

Teaching isn’t Rocket Science – It’s Way More Complex

Link to show:
Date: April 5, 2018

Vicki: Author Dr. Doug Green @DrDougGreen is with us today, talking about “Teaching Isn’t Rocket Science. It’s Way More Complex.”

Now, Doug, you argue that we’ve kind of gone off track in education.

How have we gone off track?

Doug: Well, there are two problems.

There are two problems with the way we teach today

One is the historical practice of one-size-fits-all teaching that we adopted back in the 1800s sometime.

And even though teachers have tried to differentiate to more personalized instruction, the federal mandated testing has forced teachers to prepare every kid in their cohort for the same tests every year.

So that has led to more one-size-fits-all instruction and testing, and the same target for 99% of the kids, which is really fighting the innovators in our business.

Vicki: So, Doug, you say that we have one-size-fits-all teaching.

But, I mean, isn’t that what standards are about? You think standards have brought us here?

How is standardized teaching different from a one-size-fits-all teaching?

Doug: Well, standards and standardized testing. Who wants to be standard?

If every student learned as fast as they possibly could, they’d all move at different paces, and accomplish things as quickly as they can.

And if that happened, what would happen to the achievement gaps that people are all hot and bothered about is that they’d increase. The only way to close that gaps is just to slow down the fast learners. And that’s what you do when you are preparing every kid for the same test at the same time.

Vicki: And you also argue that there’s really no choice for teachers but to be dishonest?

Doug: No, not at all. What I think teachers and their leaders should do is try to focus on personalizing and self-pacing instruction. And if they still have to give these tests, in May or April or whenever they roll them out. Fine. Give them.

If you provide good, engaging instruction that the students can deal at, at their own pace and their own ability, they’ll probably be doing better on their tests anyway. Even if you don’t do any test prep — which is just usually bad teaching.

Vicki: So what are the solutions?

What do you think? Where do we need to go?

What are the solutions?

Doug: Well, if every kid has their own computer, then they can watch the direct instruction on their own, anytime, anywhere. And then when they’re in class with the teacher, the teacher can work with one student or a group of students or even the whole class — depending upon what they’re trying to get at — to help them better internalize the direct instruction they’ve been watching. You know, go over it from a different direction.

And then, when it comes to testing… students should take tests when they are ready for them.

“I’m ready for the Unit 1Test.”

“Fine. Take it. Did you master it? Great. Go on to Unit 2.

“Did you not master it? Well, let me sit down and see if we can figure out what you need to do to master Unit 1.”

So students can kind of move at their own pace.

It’s a bit like the flipped instruction model…

Vicki: (agrees)

…if you’re familiar with that, or better yet — flipped mastery.

Vicki: So we need to personalize learning.

Doug: Yeah.

Vicki: But you know, everybody in their grade levels.

Doug: Yeah.

Vicki: So, you know, I’ve had people on the show who said, “You know, somebody might need to be in 11th-grade Chemistry and 8th grade reading.”

Doug: Yeah. Fine. Why not?

Vicki: So how do we do that?

Doug: Well get rid of grade levels.

I mean, why do we harvest kids like crops?

Agricultural Model: Why do we harvest kids like crops?

We’re still doing some of the things that we were done originally back in the 1800s just because they were convenient for adults.

In Chemistry, I should be able to finish Chemistry in April or next October, depending on how fast I go through it.

And if I’m slower at one thing, give me more time.

And also, you can take failure out of the system, because nobody ever fails anything that they haven’t finished yet.

Vicki: So, for you…

The essential element is one-to-one computing.

So one-to-one computing is the answer?

Doug: Yeah.

That can free up the teacher to spend more individual time with students in small groups, facilitating the learning at that level. There’s no point in kids listening to lectures. You can get those online.

Vicki: You can. But you know, I found that I create so many of my videos, my curriculum, everything that I have. I have to create it myself. And it just sounds overwhelming.

Doug: Yeah.

Vicki: I mean, I try to personalize as much as I can, but it does sound overwhelming, Doug.

Doug: Well, the people that started this back in about 2007… They just started recording their lessons.

And then the kids who had missed class…. Watched the lessons.

And then an exchange student came in, maybe halfway through the year, and they said, “Oh, Geez…

Let’s start watching the September videos.

And it wasn’t long before they were refining and refining and refining their videos.

And the other thing is

A lot of teachers…

You know, if I taught math, I’d be harvesting videos from the Khan Academy or places like that, rather than creating my own.

I think the kids like it when the teacher does their own. I mean, that’s cool from the kid’s point of view. But they don’t all have to be your own videos.

Vicki: Yeah. I mean, I guess they don’t.

I mean, it’s just so hard to find exactly what is in there that’s you want. There are just so many challenges to this.

So, Doug, have you seen any schools or organizations that are doing this right?

Doug: Yes.

Who is doing this right?

Vicki: Give us some examples.

Doug: Well, the Science Learning Academy in Philadelphia is one where I visited.

Vicki: (agrees)

Doug: Kids walk in there.They hand them a Mac laptop. There’s a great deal of self-paced learning. You know, a lot of one-to-one time with the teachers, lots of peer instruction, and the kids go at their own pace, and they’re not going to fail. Because they have, you know, chances to retake tests if they don’t master a unit.

The other thing I think we need to look at, you know. We want to prepare kids for careers?

Well, who in a career, when they don’t know something, doesn’t just go online and find it out? Who in a career ever does any computations? We need to teach students WHEN to divide, not how to divide. You know, we’re not giving the kids the tools in school along with opportunities to collaborate, that they need on the job, that the companies are asking for.

Vicki: Yeah, unless you’re an engineer like my husband. He computes all the time. But I guess that it depends on the field, huh?

Doug: But not with paper and pencil, he doesn’t.

Vicki: Ohhhhh… well. (laughs)

We won’t talk about that.

He uses Excel, but he does use paper and pencil a lot, depending on what it is…

So, Science Leadership Academy, of course, Chris Lehmann’s…

Doug: Yes, Chris Lehmann…

Vicki: …who was there for a while, and is now superintendent, I believe.

And so are there some other places that you think are exemplars in this?

Doug: There’s a woman called Starr Sackstein. She has a blog on Education Week.

Vicki: (agrees)

Doug: She’s doing some amazing things with her kids in Queens. Where the kids.. Ideally…

You’re familiar with Genius Hour?

Vicki: Of course. Yes.

Doug: I mean, you know, the kids are going to do a lot more profound learning if they’re engaged in something they’re interested in.

While you might not be able to do that all the time, but you should be able to do it some of the time.

If they’re not interested in anything, well, then it’s the teacher’s job to try to expose to stuff that might become interested in.

Vicki: (agrees)

So, teachers, we are talking about the fact that teaching is not rocket science. It’s way more complex. And it is.

And we do have the capability to personalize learning so much more.

There are many great people that we will add to our PLN. We’ll, of course, include this in the Shownotes.

Doug, as we finish up, could you give us a 30-second pep talk about personalizing learning for the students in our classroom today?

So, in summary, why is personalized learning essential?

Doug: Well, letting kids proceed at their own level, and not expecting all at the same place at the same time.

The worst thing you can do is give a kid in the 2-percentile level the same test that everyone else is taking.

You want to make sure that your formative assessments are based on where the student is at, not some kind of standard that every student in your classroom has to jump through.

Instead of raising the bar, we should be giving every student their own bar.

Vicki: Well, this is a challenge for all of us…

Doug: It is…

Vicki: Think about it for Thought Leader Thursday, about how we can personalize learning for our students.

Thanks, Doug!

Doug: Thank you!

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


I have been an educator since 1970. After teaching chemistry, physics, and computer science, I became an administrator for the next 30 years with experience at the secondary, central office, and elementary levels. I have also taught a number of leadership courses for The State University of New York at Cortland and Binghamton University and authored over 300 articles in computer magazines and educational journals. In 2006 I gave up my job as an elementary principal to care for my wife who had Lou Gehrig’s disease. After her death in March of 2009 I decided to see how I could use my expertise to help busy educators and parents hone their skills and knowledge.

DrDougGreen.Com is all about Bite-Sized daily Self-Development. It focuses on book summaries that present the main concepts of important books in about 15 paragraphs. I am active on Twitter, and when I find an interesting link or tweet, I post it in my Dr. Doug Mines the Net section. I post things I find myself, which includes free access to New York Times articles thanks to my subscription. On occasion, I post my own work and ideas and look forward to reader comments. Working educators and parents don’t always have time to read a lot, but I do. So this is my gift to our common mission to help all children learn. If you think I can help you or your district in any specific way please contact me so we can discuss the matter.

Blog: http://DrDougGreen.Com

Twitter: @DrDougGreen

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Teaching isn’t Rocket Science – It’s Way More Complex appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!


Mathivating Kids to Get Excited About Math

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Kim Thomas on episode 286 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Get Mathivated with Kim Thomas. She literally speaks math and has exciting things to do each day of the week for her students. (She also has quite an interesting way to handle difficult behavior including profanity.)

Listen Now

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Enhanced Transcript

Mathivating Kids to Get Excited About Math

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e286
Date: April 9, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Kim Thomas  @kimthomasILSTOY, 2016 Illinois Teacher of the Year. She’s been teaching for 25 years, and currently, she’s in Peoria County Alternative School for kids who have been expelled, teaching at the middle school level.

So, Kim, you love math. What’s your philosophy behind helping kids get excited about math?

Kim: Well, I “math-ivate” them, and I try to be the best fraction of their day.

You know, math class… A lot of kids walk in my room with negative parabolas on their face, and I’m like, “No! Give me a sixtieth of a minute, and I will rotate that to a positive parabola.”

So by mathivating them, and making the class fun X fun + fun.

Like, you bring that fun and passion into the classroom, and kids are just gonna be like, “What did she say?”

And I’m like, “HEY! It’s time to get Mathlicious!”

They’re like, “What is that?”

If I would just say math, most of them would want to rotate 180 degrees and run.

So I came up with this Mathlicious way to do mathivate them, that really puts a positive parabola on everyone’s face.

I do… “Live + Laugh + Love = Learn” in my classroom.

Change the days of the week

So we LIVE it up every day. They know that they’re going to do something fun every day when they come in the room, so I name the days of the week. Now I change these names according to my kids and their interests.

Monday

So Monday is Math-oggle Monday and You Matter Monday. So we talk about things over the weekend and how much I missed them, and then we do a Math-oggle game I created. It’s like Boggle but it’s numbers, and so you have to pick adjacent numbers or diagonal ones that equal a certain number. And I let the kids pick the target numbers. So they have a lot of fun doing that. And it always works. It’s so Mathazing. No matter what number, no matter what is in that Math-oggle board, it works!

Tuesday

Now, TNGO Tuesday. I changed it this year to Tweakin’ TNGO Tuesday, because the kids have work called “tweaking” — not Twerking, I don’t Twerk on a Tuesday —

Vicki: (laughs)

Kim: But so, like, if you think today is Wednesday, “Mrs. Thomas, it’s Wednesday! You’re tweaking! It’s Monday!”

So I call it Tweakin’ Tuesday, and they just love it because, throughout the week, they’ll be like, “Mrs. Thomas, it’s not Tuesday, and you’re tweaking.”

So we all make mistakes as teachers, and I love it when the kids figure the mistake out, and they’ll be like, “Mrs. Thomas, you were tweaking.” So we call it Tweaking TNGO Tuesday.|

I use tangrams for the kids to create a picture. And they LOVE it. To just observe them problem-solving and listening to their Mathlicious dialog… it just gives me mathbumps to watch them go, “Hey, if we just put this piece here ,” and all of the problem-solving. But they love trying to figure out this puzzle. How excited they get when they figure it out. And then you can have kids create their own. Just putting the pieces together and you know, take a picture of it, and then the kids draw the outline, but then have them draw the solution. They love X love to pass out their own Tweaking TNGO puzzle on Tuesday.

Wednesday

Wednesday is Wuzzle Wednesday. So we do math puzzles. Kids are getting so good at these that they like to create their own. So we keep continuing to look up “fun puzzles to do” that really help us with our thinking skills, and also can be like a riddle or a joke.They love stuff like that as well. That’s Wuzzle Wednesday.

Thursday

And then there’s Thirsty Thursday! And what are we thirsty for? Math! Best subject ever! (laughs)

Well, they’re all my favorite days. But Thirsty Thursday I created an activity called Equation-anza. So they come up to the board and they roll a dice. Now usually it’s a 10-sided dice. They love it. And they have to guess, so if they’re in groups, they get to guess what number they think their group is going to roll.

And it really helps with kids getting along. I teach at an alternative school where kids have been expelled, so we’re really working on not only Mathlicious and math, but also skills on getting along and what you’re going to need in the real world to get along with each other. And deciding who gets to pick which number what day.

So they pick a number. And if they get it right, you know, we have a gotcha box or a treat, and THEN…

We love this. We use the date as the target number every Thirsty Thursday. And then my kids — after we get the square of 25 numbers (so five numbers from the dice) — they have to use those.

On the first line they have to use two of them, if they can, to get the date, if it’s possible.

Then the next line, three. And then four, and then all five. They add, subtract, multiply or divide.

It is SO math-abulous! It works for every date! My kids have not come up with a date that has never worked!

Vicki: Wow.

Kim: So, you know, just telling them. I get all these mathbumps, and I tell them, “I didn’t know what you were going to roll!” And “We didn’t know what the date was going to be!” And it works every single day.

Vicki: Awesome.

Kim: So, that’s Thirsty Thursday.

Friday

Now, on Friday we have two things we do.

For Math-head Friday, we wear numbers like the headbands game, and they have to ask each other questions to see who gets it right first.

And THEN… We came up with Fri-Dab Friday! (laughs)

Vicki: (laughs)

Kim: It’s like… when you “dab”… You “dab” after something good.

Vicki: Yeah.

Kim: So I saw a lot of dabbing in my classroom, and I love to dab, and I dropped the smartboard marker, like the microphone? (laughs)

Vicki: Yeah.

Kim: They have to create a 2 X 2 line poem, we started with, on a math concept. And then we rap it out. I have kids who just LOVE to beat on the desk.

And so instead of telling them, “No, stop that.”

NO! I go ahead and let them beat on that desk. I just teach to the rhythm. And most of them get sick of listening to me trying to rap, so they stop. (laughs)

Vicki: (laughs) How funny.

Kim: I just love it. So I call it even, “Rap It Up” at the end of the class.

And we try to freestyle what we learned, and then somebody does the beat on the desk.

So every day coming up — I figured out that naming my days has really helped my kids be excited.

Now there’s so many other things we do with the Mathlicious projects that I have that I’m just so excited about. I finally got a book done of everything I’ve been doing for the past 10 x 2 + 5 years

There’s a book with all of these ideas in it!

Vicki: Wow.

Kim: … to share with others. That’s like a dream come true for me. But just taking interests of kids. My days do change. Like dabbing wasn’t around, how many years ago. So now it is, so I try to take their interests and turn it into my math class, so you know, they will be interested in what we’re doing.

Vicki: Now, we will put a link to the math book, and what you’re doing, because there’s a lot to dig into here.

Now, we’re almost finished with the show, but Kim, tell us a story about a kid. You know, you work with kids who struggle, and a lot of times teachers when they’re in schools like yours — where the kids struggle, the teachers struggle. But it’s like you’re thriving and surviving and so excited.

Tell us a story about what this excited approach to math can do with kids.

Kim: It is! And it’s just like every day they know… in fact, every hour. You know, kids have to start fresh. You have to give them that fresh start. I believe in these spirit of four chances. To me, it’s 70 x 7. And once I got my Teacher of the Year title, I knew it was like God saying, “Get that book done!”

A story about just one student

So the story. I had a girl come in, and she sat in the back of the room, and she put her head down. And I was like, “Oh no, we don’t put heads down in our room.”

So I never tell kids what NOT to do. I just go talk to them about why we shouldn’t. So I went back and said, “Hey, let’s talk about why shouldn’t we put our head down during class, and so we kind of talked about it, and she put her head up. And she yelled, “I hate math!”

And you know, I had my hands over my ears, ‘“Ahhhh!”

So I had her come up you know, off to the side, and I put my hands on her shoulders, and I said, “You know how moms love you, but they have to correct you, right? Well, I’m your math mom, and I’m going to have to correct you, but I love you, even though I correct you. And I would never put you down. For anything ever. Not your past test scores or grades. Nothing. I’m here to build you up. So please don’t hate on my math class. Give me that one-sixtieth of a minute to show you how Mathlicious math is.”

And she goes, “Well, I can’t even do my times tables.”

And I said, “So what? I will help you.”

She goes, “You mean, you don’t care about…”

And I go, “No. I care about what I can help you with.”

“Well I need to count on my fingers.”

“That’s OK. So do I!”

“What?”

“I’d rather count on them and get it right, then try to think about it and get it wrong.”

She’s just looking at me.

And I go, “Honey, you don’t know what you can do, until you really give me that chance to help you. Because I’m here to help you.”

And she just looked at me like, “OK…” And she sat down, and she started working on her Math Muscles. That’s another thing we do in the beginning in the room. Math Muscles. And all of a sudden, as the weeks went by, she would be the one going, “Nobody blurt it out! Let me see if I can figure it out.”

So came our next testing, and it tests for growth, and she gained 11 x 2 points.

Vicki: Wow!

Kim: She was elated!

And was she at grade level yet? No, she wasn’t at grade level yet, but that’s OK.

She grew.

To me, the Mathlicious thing, and the Math-azing thing is, she’s not afraid of math class anymore.

She came up to me, and she goes, “You know, Mrs. Thomas, on my cab ride home the other day, the cab driver said, ‘What’s your favorite class?’ I said, ‘Math. Can you believe it? I never thought I’d say that. I’ve always hated math class!’”

And she goes, “Well, I just want to thank you for not giving up on me.”

And I said, “Well, how can you thank me?”

And she goes, “Stay in school and stay parallel to boys.”

Thank you! Because … popular… can get you into trouble.

Vicki: (laughs)

Kim: I keep it 10 squared, keep it 100 with my middle school kids.

But it was so cute. And you know, she wasn’t afraid. And that’s… you know, I could have taken her as being… You know, I always try to take their habits… Some of them come in my room and say curse words, so we turn it into math cursing. And we turn it into… you know, instead of telling kids to stop, I try to rotate it into something good.

This can help kids with cursing?

Vicki: How would you help them with cursing?

Kim: Oh my gosh, this is my favorite. So I did an article on… I call it “Math Cursing.” It’s from Curio Learning, “Teach Like a Rebel.”

And so, my kids… When they come in and I hear a curse word, I’m like, “OK, let’s talk about why we don’t cuss.” And so then I tell them how, “Well, I don’t use those words because the Bible says no filthy things should come from your mouth. So you guys, I know there’s somebody in your family that you cannot cuss in front of. So give me their names. So they all go around and they give me the name, and I say, “Put me on the list.”

I go, “We can math curse in here, because most people want to curse when they walk into a math class, anyway. So whatever they want to say, they have to replace it with a math word that starts with that letter.

Vicki: (laughs)

Kim: So, “Sit your fraction axis in the seat!” or “What the…? This shape is driving me nuts!”

Or one kid said, “Mrs. Thomas, what’s the “h” word?”

And I’m like, “height.”

And he’s like, “What the height are we gonna do today?”

Vicki: (laughs)

Kim: Seriously. When they start talking to each other, I just love it. They’re looking on the wall, they’re trying to think of other words, and eventually, the cursing just really dies down.

But every once in a while, my kids just have to let it out, and they can choose a math word instead.

But I take that habit, and instead of saying, “Don’t, don’t, don’t…” Let’s face it, my kids have been told that so many times before they come to me. So a true blessing in my life is to be able to say, “Yes,” so these students can feel that, what it feels like to be told, “Yes.” You know, to be included in things instead of excluded.

And I tell them, “This thing of being expelled is not an ending. It is a new beginning in your life. What are you going to do with it?”

Vicki: Oh, I love that.

Well, Kim, you’re somebody that I know that all of our remarkable teachers are going to want to learn more about. This is one of those that you definitely want to check the Shownotes to see what all Kim is doing.

Kim, I’m just proud of you and your attitude.

What a remarkable job you’re doing with these kids.

Here’s the thing. When you love children, they will just… they will more than go the extra mile. They’ll actually learn, which is what we want.

So, thank you, Kim. And I’m Math-ivated!

Kim: (laughs) Yay!

Well, thank you times thank you.

This has been a pleasure plus an honor to be on your show and meet you, and to speak to all those Math-abulous educators out there, those 3D superheros going the length, width, and height for our kids.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Kim is the 1000 x 2 + 4^2 Illinois Teacher of the Year. She is an inductee into the Illinois State University College of Education Hall Of Fame. Kim is currently in her 10 x 2 + 5 year teaching in Peoria, Illinois. She teaches middle school students mathlicious math at the Peoria County Alternative School for kids who have been expelled. Kim is the author of Mathivate, the mathlicious method that puts a positive parabola on everyone’s face!!!

Blog: https://kimthomasilstoy.com/

Twitter: @kimthomasilstoy

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Mathivating Kids to Get Excited About Math appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Open Badges in Elementary School

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Amy Cooper on episode 292 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Some elementary classrooms are using self-directed badges for competency acquisition by students. In today’s show, Amy Cooper talks about how this is done, the advantages, and insights on student motivation.

open badges in elementary school (1)

On April 26, celebrate PowerofEcon on Twitter with Discovery Education, CME Group, and their Econ Essentials Program. We’ll have free resources available for downloading. To join the celebration, tune into the Twitter chat with me, fellow teachers, and the CME Group’s chief economist on April 26th at noon Eastern Time, using #PowerofEcon.

Visit www.coolcatteacher.com/econ for more information and remember to tweet out your pics about how you teach your students using #PowerofEcon.

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

Open Badges in Elementary School

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e292
Date: April 17, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Amy Cooper, who’s at an elementary school in Minnesota.

And Amy, you’re working with digital badges or open badges in elementary school. Help us understand. What are open badges, and how does this work with elementary kids?

What is a digital badge and how do students earn one?

Amy: Yes! So a digital badge is a visual representation, such as you would see a Girl or Boy Scout badge, except it carries metadata with it. So you would see who issued the badge, the date the badge was achieved, artifacts related to the badge — that might be a student’s visual representation, voice interaction (the student could talk about their achievements), or pictures to show a hard or soft skill learned in school.

Vicki: So how do they earn these badges?

Amy: Badges can be earned as a complement to what’s currently happening in the classroom, or to replace grading, so there are a variety of ways to use badges in the classroom.

What are you finding out about using badges?

My research focuses on how badges can be used to attain foundational skills, such as in reading, and how the badges can move the students forward intrinsically.

The teacher will look at the goals or standards they have for their state or their school, and they’ll partner with the student to see where the student is and where they’d like to go. The teacher uses the badges according to where the student is.

Let’s say in kindergarten, the student was trying to learn Letter Sounds. The student and teacher would meet and work to gain the skills on the letter sounds and then could show their knowledge with that metadata that’s attached to the badge.

It really serves as a very motivating, transparent goal path. The student is able to see what they’ve achieved, what they’ve mastered, and where they’re going and what they’d like to achieve.

Vicki: I guess the part that intrigues me — of course extrinsic motivation is a motivation that comes from outside of you, and intrinsic is the holy grail of motivation because that comes from within us — but a badge is obviously an extrinsic reward. It’s something they are given by someone else.

Extrinsic or intrinsic motivation?

Are you saying that if you use badges for a while, eventually they can go away, and they’re more motivated to still read, even when the badges go away, or not?

Amy: Yeah, well we look at badges from kind of the seminal work of Dweck and people like Vygotsky and Piaget, in how we look at learning. We look at badges as not just a sticker, or a representation of something. It’s more about, “How can we use the badges to scaffold learning, to have the student self-regulate their learning, and self-guage where they are, where they need to go, and what they’d like to learn.” So the badge kind of helps push that in and implement that continuum of learning for the student.

Vicki: OK. So it’s helping them learn, but are you noticing a change in intrinsic motivation as a result?

Amy: Yes. We’re noticing that the students are saying, “Oh! This is my goal. This is what I want to go after. I want to learn…” The students will explain, “I want to level up. I want to move to the next level.”

They’re able to just get a grasp on that, rather than your typical grading and assessment that happens where the teacher says, “Well, you need to get here.”

The student is able to say, “I’m here. And now I want to reach this goal.”

That does become what we have seen is very intrinsically motivating fo the student.

Vicki: So choosing the different goals they want to meet next, out of say, twenty or thirty opportunities to level up.

Amy: Yes.

Can you provide an example?

Vicki: So give me an example of what they might choose. I mean, are they, like the kindergarten kids. “OK, I’ve got the letter A badge, and now I want the letter B badge.” Is that kind of what they’re doing?

Amy: They might go for a greater goal, or they might say, “Now I know these sight words. I would like to be able to read this book.”

Or they’re choosing specific letter sounds. Or maybe for them, that doesn’t feel right, right now, and they want — perhaps they just go for a cooperating with their peers badge, if that’s where they’re at. And how can they use cooperation or different aspects to pull that into reading.

So, it’s kind of a more of a holistic view, but taking whatever it is that they are working on or feel strong enough about to reach those foundational skills.

Vicki: So what tool are you using to assign and track the awards?

What tool are you using?

Amy: Credly Online creates an option to create badges and attach all of the data to those badges that they’re earning.

So a teacher can easily say, “This is your letter sound badge, along with that, here’s a picture of…” The student was working on this specific task, or the student to show their learning through a video enhancement. Or maybe it is some sort of a graphic organizer or some type of picture they want to display on there.

But that can all be created through programs like Credly or Mozilla. There are a number of free programs online that teachers are able to access to do that.

Vicki: OK. So you’re tracking on Credly.

Can you think of, Amy, an example of a student — of course no names — that this has really changed and improved their ability to read?

Has this made an impact on any particular student?

Amy: Mmm-hmm. I have one student in particular that struggled with comprehending in second grade nonfiction text. So, it just… wasn’t very motivating to the student.

So we began pulling in… I said, “Well, is there a specific badge you would like to use, based on a fictional character, because that’s the genre that you’re really interested in right now?”

And so the character was based on a series of bears. At one point, we said, “Well, is there any part of this where you badge on top of the fiction books and create a nonfiction meaning.”

So the child began making that selection and was able to really strengthen their area in nonfiction reading because they wanted to move to the next level. They had mastered fictional reading opportunities, and wanted to move to nonfiction.

Where might a teacher begin?

Vicki: Hmm. OK. So Amy, if a school or teacher is looking at using badges, how do they start?

Amy: They might start by just saying, “This is one skill I’d love for my students to master. I’m going to focus on this one specific skill,” whatever that might be.

And then they can go on Credly. It’s a free signup. And you would go in there and say, “OK, we’re working on this skill.”

Let’s say you’re doing an animal project. The student would choose a specific animal or area the student is interested in, and the teacher could assign begin creating badges that meet each student’s specific need for that project or whatever skill of mastery or opportunity they feel they would like to open for their class.

Vicki: Amy, are there any resources that will help a teacher kind of understand the 1-2-3s of getting started?

Amy: Sure. Mozilla has a great amount of resources on there. You could just do a Google search for “open badging in Mozilla” and it will bring up how to start issuing a badge, how earners receive a badge.

  • Open Badging: https://openbadges.org/

Mozilla takes the teacher through a very sequential process of how to go about starting the badge process.

Vicki: Excellent. We’ll put those in the Shownotes.

Teacher, open badges and using badges in the classroom are something that a lot of teachers are really getting some interesting and awesome results with. You need to take a look at some of the best practices that are out there –it has been around for a little while — of the right way to do this.

Amy, thank you for sharing with us. We will include some information in the Shownotes so that our listeners can learn more.

Thanks!

Amy: Great. Thank you so much.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Amy Cooper received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota. She earned her Master’s degree in Language Arts from the University of Minnesota. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Professional Leadership Inquiry at Concordia University, Portland, Oregon.

Her dissertation seeks to understand how digital badges positively impact intrinsic motivation in the area of reading at the elementary level. Amy has fourteen years of experience working as an elementary educator.

Twitter: @amycooper100

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Open Badges in Elementary School appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Flipping Awesome Physics with an Asynchronous Flipped Gameful Mastery Learning Classroom

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Jonathan Thomas-Palmer on episode 298 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Jonathan Thomas-Palmer teaches physics. Students start with a zero and level up as they use videos, one on one help, and game-based mastery to master physics.

Advancement Courses has more than 200 graduate level online PD courses for K-12 teachers. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the code COOL20 at checkout for 20% off any course.

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***

Enhanced Transcript

Flipping Awesome Physics with an Asynchronous Flipped Gameful Mastery Learning Classroom

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e298
Date: April 25, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Jon Thomas-Palmer from Michigan about physics.

Now, Jon, you have recently implemented an asynchronous, flipped, gameful, mastery learning classroom.

OK. Let’s break it down.

Jon: (laughs)

Vicki: That is a really long set of five words there.

Jon: Yes it is.

Vicki: Help us understand. What is it?

What is asynchronous, flipped, gameful, mastery learning?

Jon: OK. So I flipped my classes starting in 2013.

The basic concept there is you’re taking the lectures and you’re putting those at home, and the stuff that is normally done at home is now done in class. That’s the basic idea of a flipped classroom.

One of the things I was searching for with a flipped classroom was how that was eventually going to change my classes. It took me a long time to find it.

I found it in the idea of gameful learning, so we’ll start with that piece… which is… (sigh)… (laughs)…

Gameful learning…

School is already a game. It’s basically admitting that school is a game and making it very clear to the students what the rules of the game are.

So at the start of second semester, I laid out the five or six rules of the game.

The first one is that everybody starts out with a zero… which is an entirely different way of looking at grading.

So everybody starts with a zero, and you add points. Rather than getting percentages on assignments, you get points on assignments.

Your grade never goes down. Your grade only goes up.

This necessitates knowing every assignment that is going to be assigned for the entire semester, and providing the students with all of those assignments right at the beginning… which was one of the major challenges of this.

(laughs)

Vicki: Yeah! And how do you give parents a progress report…

Jon: Yeah, right so well when…

Vicki: … when you’re halfway through, and they’re only at a 50 or whatever?

Jon: Yeah, we’ll get there.

So basically they know how many points they need, in order to get what particular grade.

They have mandatory assignments, and then there are optional assignments.

There’s a recommended order to go through all the assignments in, and there are different levels. So there’s the “Work and Energy” level, the “Power and Work Due to Friction” level, the “Momentum and Impulse” level as you can imagine.

The asynchronous part…

So students go through the level, and they then decide what assignment they’re going to do every day. So that’s the asynchronous part. We’re no longer all doing the same thing at the same time. The students come in, and they decide what they’re going to do.

It was interesting. For the first two weeks, I would still have students ask me, “What are we doing next time?” Or, “Is it OK if I do this?”

And my answer was always, “I don’t know. What do you think, because you are now in charge of your own learning.”

(laughs)

This has been a challenge for some students, but really, I think, “freeing” for a lot of students, but it’s taken a little bit of time for them to understand that concept.

Vicki: OK, so Jon, I would think this would not only blow the minds of the students, but also your colleagues and maybe your administrators. Is that true?

How did your administrators and colleagues react to this?

Jon: I was very careful to go to my administration before… actually even before I started really working on it. I did some research about it and really learned about it and knew that I wanted to do it, but I made sure that administration was on board before I began actually working on it.

I’ve had some conversations with colleagues, and for the most part, people are very excited about it, because it’s a very different way of looking at education.

And it’s freeing for students as well, because there are no due dates. So students get to decide when an assignment is done, and turn it in.

Vicki: But would you still have certain expectations that they have to meet.

Jon: Oh, yeah! Yeah!

Vicki: You’re keeping them on track, though, right?

How do you monitor student progress?

Jon: Oh yeah! So every day I check in — as you can imagine, I have now more time in class to talk individually with every student. So I check in with every student every day, seeing what they’re doing, and where they are, and whether they’re “on target” for where they need to be.

(laughs)

I had one student last week who was like, “Can you just tell me when things are due?” (laughs)

And I said, “No. But how about you and I sit down with all of the assignments and come up with a schedule for you?”

So we sat down. We printed out all of the assignments for the next, you know, couple levels… and decided, “OK, by Spring Break, you want to be to this point… So let’s figure out what you have to do.”

And he just needed somebody to help him figure out what his schedule was going to be.

I had other students who sat down at the very beginning when I first gave the assignment, they printed out every assignment and decided what to do and when for the entire semester. That was the first thing they did.

Vicki: Do you feel like they’re learning physics better?

Jon: Flat out, yes. I’ll start there. I’ll give one example.

We haven’t done the asynchronous. Let’s just do the flipped.

I’ll get back to your question in just a second.

So the flipped portion is now all the lectures are available, and they can do them wherever they would like. So sometimes they do them at home, but sometimes they do them in class. So it’s interesting how it’s actually brought some of the lectures back in class.

I use EdPuzzle for all of my lessons…

Vicki: Oh! Love it.

Jon: … so I know who has watched what and when, which is awesome..

How do you track mastery?

So the mastery part is one of my favorite parts, which is that they have to get an 80% on the quiz, which comes at the end of every level in order to level up and be able to move on to the next level.

And I’ve always struggled with those students who do OK in class, but they struggle with the quizzes because… that’s just something they struggle with. They struggle with being able to show that they know what they’re doing.

So I have a couple of kids that fit in that category. All through first semester — because I switched at second semester — they were struggling.

So it’s been an, “OK. You got a ‘D’ on the first quiz.”

But it’s no longer an issue of, “That’s a bad thing.”

It’s NOT a bad thing! You know what that means?

“You get to sit with me now during the next class, and I’m going to help you make sure you understand everything that you did there.’”

And after you do quiz corrections — which they work on with me, and I make sure that they understand everything that they’re doing — if you have above an 80%, they can earn back half the points with the quiz corrections.

If you get above an 80%, you get to graduate that level and move on to the next level.

If not, you retake the quiz, and once you get above 80%, you’re good. You can move on.

So… it’s actually been really helpful because it’s targeted those students who are really struggling,and given me more time to work with them.

It’s been really… (laughs)… It’s been really fun!

Vicki: So Jon, do you have some students, though, who like to work together? And do you think they’re — you know, they’re — honest as they do that?

What do you do about students who prefer to work together?

Jon: OK, so one of the great things is that the majority of the work that they do is working together in class. So I’m with them, and constantly checking in with them, and they’re asking me questions.

They’re working together, but… OK, they’re working side by side, I’ll say. But they’re each working individually on their assignments.

Basically, because a lot of the time that they spend working on it is in class with me, I can basically make sure that they’re doing it.

Vicki: So, Jon, what’s the most shocking result of this transformation?

What’s the most shocking result of this?

Jon: (sighs)

Most shocking…

Ahhhh. I would say how freeing it is for the students with their busy schedules.

For example, I have a student who had to be gone for three weeks to do auditions for colleges for music. He’s going to college for flute performance. He had to go to eight different colleges and do auditions. He was gone for three weeks. And so… he’s not behind.

Vicki: Hmm!

Jon: He was able to do a lot of this stuff on his own. And, even though he’s not quite with the rest of the class, he’s not behind because there is no schedule. He’s just catching up right now.

Vicki: Hmm.

Jon: I have another example of a student who (laughs) — actually it was a couple of students who knew they were going to be absent on a particular day. So they actually worked ahead so that they could, on a particular day, do the lab before they left. So that they could work on it while they were gone.

Like that was shocking to me that the kids would have the foresight to say, “OK. We know we’re going to be gone. So let’s work ahead on our own, come in, ask a few questions, and then do the lab.”

Vicki: Wow.

Jon: That’s just awesome.

Vicki: As we finish up…

If you were stuck in an elevator with a teacher who was considering this method of starting at zero and you know, gameful learning, mastery learning…

What would be your 30-second elevator pitch for why this is a great way to run your classroom?

Do you have an elevator pitch for moving to this method?

Jon: It is a great way to run your classroom because it transfers the ownership of the student’s learning to the student. Once the student realizes and comes to term with the fact that they are in control of their own learning, they are much more invested in their own learning and interested in learning.

Vicki: SO!!! This is quite a mouthful.

Asynchronous flipped gameful mastery learning.

Jon: (laughs)

Vicki: It is a fascinating concept, and it is truly a Wonderful Classroom Wednesday today.

I hope that we all think about it. It’s certainly something I’m fascinated with, Jon.

Thanks for sharing it with us!

Jon: Thank you, Vicki. This was a lot of fun.

Vicki: OK!

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Non-matching sock wearing proud father of 15 and 13 year old daughters. Maker and wearer of tie-dyes. Part-time high school physics teacher. Owner of Flipping Physics®, a one employee business dedicated to providing the world with free, real, quality, entertaining educational physics videos. Devoted husband of incredible, social worker wife. Teetotaler and drug free. Heck, I don’t even drink coffee. Peace.

Blog: http://flippingphysics.com

Twitter: @FlippingPhysics

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Flipping Awesome Physics with an Asynchronous Flipped Gameful Mastery Learning Classroom appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Bethany Petty: Using Edtech to Enhance Learning

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Bethany Petty on episode 302 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Education technology must enhance learning. If it doesn’t, why use it? Today’s guest, Bethany Petty gives us pointers and shares a common pitfall of those implementing new technology in the classroom.

bethany petty using technology to enhance learning

Thursday, May 10 at 5pm ET, join me for the 9 Key P’s of Digital Citizenship sponsored by NetRef AND get a free pilot of NetRef’s internet management and monitoring solution. Sign up at www.coolcatteacher.com/netref

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***

Enhanced Transcript

Using Edtech to Enhance Learning

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e302
Date: May 1, 2018

Vicki: Using technology to enhance learning.

Today we’re talking to Bethany Petty, the author of http://usingeducationaltechnology.com/ and her upcoming book, Illuminate: Technology Enhanced Learning.

So Bethany, where do we start with finding technology that actually improves learning — and that we’re not just using because it’s new and it’s cool?

Bethany: You know, I think that’s one of the things that kind of scares some teachers a little bit when it comes to integrating technology tools in their classroom.

Sometimes they might be afraid of using a new tool because maybe they don’t see how it’s really going to enhance the learning of their students and that can kind of almost make some teachers shut down.

But I think it is really important whenever we’re looking at all of these — this wealth of technology tools we have in our twenty-first century lives — that we really ask ourselves if the focus of the tool is to enhance student learning or are we  just using the tool because it’s new and trendy and flashy, just so we can say that we use it.

Is the focus of the tool to enhance student learning?

So, in my book, I go through a few different ways that teachers can use technology. So, we use technology to engage our students? How do we use technology to do that? What kind of tools can we use to engage students in content?

What kind of tools can we use to encourage our students to collaborate, and to communicate, and basically just how we can use all of this great information that we have available to us as teachers — how we can use that to really benefit and enhance the learning experience for our students.

Vicki: Dare I ask you what some of your favorite tools are?

Bethany: Oh my goodness, I have a list.

Favorite tools

In my classroom, I am a high school social studies teacher. I teach American Government and then I also teach Dual-Credit Social Studies.

So in my American Government class, I run an in-class clip so we are constantly — my students are engaging in instructional videos. They’re completing formative assessments. They’re working together. They’re collaborating.

They’re trying to figure things out, and it is just a busy hub of excitement and work.

So some of my favorites are obviously Google Classroom — I mean, when Google came out with Classroom, they really knocked it out of the park. That has really been one of those tools that really has made my life easier as a teacher trying to keep track of student work and provide timely feedback.

We also use EdPuzzle in my class all the time.

Vicki: Oh, I do too, I love it.

Bethany: Wow, EdPuzzle is just fabulous because you know you can embed that formative assessment right there in the video. The students get to rewatch it.

My kids say that sometimes when I get really excited about stuff I talk really fast. That’s one of the perks of the in-class clip and with using EdPuzzle. They can rewind and pause Mrs. Petty, which is great.

So I really love that too, so I can provide them with that great feedback and then also monitor their progress and see, you know, how I can help them on an individual level.

Also, I don’t know where we would be without Kahoot and Quizziz and Quizlet Live. In the classroom the formative assessment is extremely important, and those tools just make it fun.

Whenever your students walk in and say, “Are we going to Kahoot today?” They are asking about whether or not they are going to be assessed, basically, and that’s so great that they get excited about sharing what they know.

So those are just a few of my favorites.

Vicki: So, now when you are using these tools, it is obviously how you use the tools, right?

Bethany: Absolutely.

It’s about how you are using the tools302 bethany petty 10-minute teacher podcast technology to enhance e learning

Vicki: Because, I mean, just because EdPuzzle does not mean you are using it right. And just because you are using Kahoot does not mean you are using it right.

Right?

Bethany: Exactly. Yes, it is kind of like talk about my book we are using these tools not just because they’re the latest buzzword. It’s because they are truly going to enhance the learning environment for our students.

So whenever I use tools like Kahoot and Quizziz and EdPuzzle, they provide us with that awesome data we can look at.

Use the tools as formative assessments and use that data

We can say, “This is where my students are really knocking it out of the park. This is where they — maybe we need to go back and revisit this. Maybe this is something that I can create collaborative groups, or we can use some scaffolding or some of those other great strategies.

The technology that we use really helps clear up all of that data for us.

Previously, in years past, teachers may have had to use ScanTrons, or they may have had to rely on paper-pencil tests.

How do you provide great feedback — efficient and quick feedback — with those kind of things, and how are you truly measuring what your students know?

Tools like those great formative assessment tools really help give teachers and students clear picture of the learning that’s going on.

Vicki: So what is the most remarkable thing you have learned how to do with technology as it relates to learning in the last three years?

Bethany: Oh my goodness, the last three years…

Well, things have changed so much in my classroom. This is my tenth year teaching, but about four years ago, my building went one-to-one with Google Chromebooks.

You know, I do not ever really suggest that people just dive head-first into something new — but, oh my gosh, that is what I did.

I was like, “I have got these ChromeBooks. I am going to use them!” And that first year I flipped my classroom, I created a YouTube channel, I was like, “We are going to do it all right away!” and fortunately, it was well-received.

Vicki: (laughs)

Bethany: But I mean, looking back, I am thinking, “Oh, Bethany… What were we thinking?”

But I would say probably the ability to connect with my students using technology has really just been transformative for me. We are in these, we are digital natives, we are teaching these digital natives.

Using technology to connect with my students has been transformative

And they are living in this technology-rich environment, but, so often, they focus less on how it can be used in the classroom, and focus more on well, let us use SnapChat and everything or FaceTime to connect with people.

Well, we were fortunate enough a couple of years ago, to have a Google hangout with our United States Congressman, which was absolutely awesome, because he was in his office in Washington, DC and my students got to – using our ChromeBooks – and we were able to talk to him.

We were able to see his office. We plugged it in with my projector my students asked me if they could take a selfie with our Congressman, and I was immediately just like, “Oh my gosh, did they seriously just ask to take a picture – a selfie – with a sitting Congressman?”

Vicki: (laughs)

Bethany: And it was awesome, and we have been able to do things like that since then. My dual-credit students work with classes in other countries. We do global collaborations. Right now a class in Belgium — we are preparing them to have a Google hangout with them.

So really the ability to kind of break down barriers, traditional classroom learning barriers, has just been amazing for me and my students.

Vicki: So when you implemented ChromeBooks, you said you tried to do everything at once.

What is the thing that you did the most right? What was, when you think about it, why did it work for you? What was the one right thing that did that you think “Okay, this really made a difference?”

What is the thing that you did the most right?

Bethany: Well, I think that, not necessarily just one specific tool that I use, but I think the way I approached this with my students and also the way, that I still approach this, is anytime something new, or try a new tool, or a new strategy, I always just say, “We are going to try something different today, and here is why. And I think that it is going to benefit you, I think it is going to create a more engaging learning experience for you.”

And I have juniors and seniors, so when I say that to them, they say, “Okay, Mrs. Petty.” They are going to give the benefit of the doubt most of the time.

So I think the big thing that I did at the beginning was always trying to make sure they knew what the “why” was behind what we were doing because if you don’t have your students buy in and you don’t communicate that the reason the we are using this.

Making sure my students knew the “why”

The reason is not just because we have to use technology.

The reason is because this will enhance your learning.

I think that that was really what I did that was beneficial… and then also solicit student feedback, because, you know, they are the customers.

They are the reason that we are doing what we are doing, so I think that just as it’s important for teachers to formatively assess their students based on what their students are learning. What is also is important is that we ask them, “Is this working for you?” I’m making a fool of myself on YouTube, but is this working for you?”

Vicki: (laughs)

Bethany: “And if it is not working for you, then we need to fix it!”

I mean, I started rapping on YouTube a few years ago because that’s what is going to help my kids, and that’s what I’m going to do. So just that helping them know the why and then soliciting their feedback I think as we go has been really great.

Vicki: Bethany, could you give us a quick pep-talk on really using technology to improve learning, as we finish up?

Pep talk on using technology to improve learning

Bethany: Absolutely.

So, it is important – and I say this in my book – try not to be overwhelmed.

You know, when I started using technology I, like I said, did all the things right away… and you don’t have to do that.

You can pick a couple of different tools or a couple of different strategies that you can use to enhance your students’ learning and that’s great, and that’s awesome.

Because what we are doing is — we have the best job, and the most important job, in the world. We are creating these — designing these learning experiences for our students, and our students are going to go out into the world and run the world and be amazing people.

And if we can do something, if we can plant those seeds in our classroom to enhance an environment to get them more engaged — technology can help us do that, and that’s awesome.

Vicki: So many great ideas.

We will be doing a book give away. The name of the book is Using Technology to Enhance Learning by Bethany Petty. Check the Shownotes for ways to connect with Bethany, and to read her blog, and find out all about what she is doing.

I am inspired to just remember to ask my students to get feedback. These are things that are really helping teachers use technology where it’s not really about the technology, it’s really about the relationship. And when you have that great relationship, you can really do lots of things with your students and with technology.

Bethany: Absolutely, yes. It is not about the tech, it is how you use it.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Bethany Petty is a Christian, mother, wife, full-time high school Social Studies teacher, educational technology enthusiast, reader, runner, blogger, and more! Bethany regularly blogs at Teaching with Technology (http://usingeducationaltechnology.com) where she shares resources, ideas, edtech tools, tips, and tricks, as well as reflections from her blended/flipped/gamified high school Social Studies classroom.

Bethany’s blog has been listed as one of EdTech Magazine’s 50 K-12 IT Blogs to Read (2016 and 2017). She has published posts on Edutopia, Fractus Learning, Sophia Learning, and Whoo’s Reading, and has presented at multiple technology conferences, including METC. Bethany is a Google Certified Teacher, Google Certified Trainer, Apple Teacher, Nearpod PioNear, EDpuzzle Pioneer, Remind Connected Educator, and a Flipped Learning Global Ambassador.

Bethany also conducts professional development sessions in her school district and the surrounding area. Her first book will be published by EdTechTeam in 2018.

Blog: http://usingeducationaltechnology.com

Twitter: @Bethany_Petty

 

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Bethany Petty: Using Edtech to Enhance Learning appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Sown to Grow: Nurturing a Growth Mindset Through Reflection

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How Student Goal Setting and Reflection Can Be Game-Changing in the Classroom

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Sown to Grow is a student-driven platform where students set goals and reflect on their learning. This tool is designed to help them own their learning and understand their progress while providing teachers with valuable feedback about how students feel about the process of learning. Sown to Grow nurtures a growth mindset.
sown to grow growth mindset reflection software
As students reflect and track their own progress, they also receive feedback from teachers and insights from the software. As a result, students get better at learning, build a growth mindset, and achieve stronger academic outcomes.

Sponsored by Sown to Grow, which offers a two-week pilot. If you pilot before the end of the school year, they’ll extend your free trial through December 2018!

How Do Teachers Use the Software?

Teachers can see student progress and provide feedback to students who are reflecting on their success. The advantage of this method is that we’re looking past the score to see the behavior that causes students to earn that particular score. Students also reveal the why’s behind their achievement (or lack of it) to help teachers understand their frustrations and challenges.

Sown to Grow student growth mindset software

This means teachers can see how their class is feeling. This social-emotional feedback is important in encouraging students to learn and bring their best. It also helps teachers know when they need to help students with an underlying issue before moving on.

As I often say, you must relate before you educate, and this software helps build that important student-teacher relationship around learning.

Overview of Sown to Grow

Key Features of Sown to Grow

  • Builds self-tracking, reflection, and learning skills that help build a growth mindset, student agency, and academic success
  • Guides students with evidence-based learning strategies
  • Students take ownership of grades as they enter them and track their progress
  • Integrates with Google Classroom. Rosters and assignments sync directly with Sown to Grow
  • Positively impacts student mindset and academic outcomes
  • A fantastic tool to help with student-led parent-teacher conferences

What Does the Research Say About Sown to Grow?

Evidence of Positive Impact on Academic Outcomes. In a ’17-’18 study conducted by an independent researcher at UCLA, middle school students using Sown To Grow earned significantly higher academic GPAs compared to a control group.  The sixth-grade teacher implemented a routine of goal setting and reflection in which students spent only ten minutes per week tracking their grades in each class and reflecting on their progress.  

See the chart below for a quick summary of the differences in performance and check out Sown To Grow’s impact page for more info on how this practice is positively shifting mindsets and academic outcomes.

Sown to Grow student growth mindset strategy

What Do Students Say?

Try Sown to Grow Today

Two Weeks Are All You Need! Sown to Grow has a great resource to help you try out this practice in your classroom before the end of the school year.  That way, you can see how it works and start thinking more deeply about how to integrate it into your routines for next year.

Using their two-week pilot guide, you can try Sown to Grow, empower students to reflect on their learning, and uncover immediate insights.  For those who pilot before the end of this school year, they’ll extend your free trial through December 2018!

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored blog post.” The company that 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 that I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies that I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Sown to Grow: Nurturing a Growth Mindset Through Reflection appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Carrie Pierce: Discovery and Inquiry-Based Learning in Math

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Carrie Pierce on episode 313 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Eighth-grade teacher Carrie Pierce uses discovery and inquiry-based learning in her classroom (and no textbooks.) Dig into how she makes math marvelous!

Listen Now

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Enhanced Transcript

Discovery and Inquiry-Based Learning in Math

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e313
Date: May 16, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Carrie Pierce, 20-year middle school math teacher, about discovery and inquiry-based learning in math.

Carrie is just up the road from me. She lives in Edison. She’s at Lee County, just one county over. Two counties over from me here in Mitchell County in Georgia.

So Carrie, let’s talk about how we can have discovery and inquiry-based learning in the math classroom. How do we do it?

Carrie: Well, it is a challenge.

One of the things that I try to do as I plan my lessons is to start at the end.

Start with the end in mind

I always have to think of what is it that I want the kids to know, what do I want them to learn, and how can I get them there using what they already know.

I think it’s really important to build on that prior knowledge whenever you can, but then tweak it just a little bit, to ask, “What if we did THIS instead? How would that number change this equation, or change the situation?” And try to get them asking the questions and get them excited about what they want to know.

Vicki: Carrie, this is more than just a math textbook, right?

Carrie: Absolutely. I don’t really use a math book. I have not touched one in probably fifteen years.

I teach from the standards, teach lessons that I have compiled and created and borrowed and adapted and tweaked throughout the years. And of course that changes with each group of kids. Everything runs differently the longer you do it.

Vicki: Okay, so “Discovery in the Math Classroom” Help us understand what you mean by that, because discovery and math don’t usually go together, right?

 

Carrie: Right, right.

When I was growing up and learning, we had our topic. I guess these days it would be the essential question (EQ) that you put on the board. The EQ was on the board.

The teacher says “Today, boys and girls, we are going to learn about functions,” and then launches into the lesson. “Here’s what it is, and here’s what it isn’t. Now work some problems.”

A common catchphrase that I hear teachers say often is “I do, we do, you do” and in my opinion, that’s not the best way. I like for the kids to wonder.

I like for the kids to wonder

I want them to get excited about math. I want them to see the real world connections that math has.

So instead of introducing the lesson with how things work, I might have a mini-lesson or perhaps a “Do Now” on the board to get them to ask the question, to get them to wonder. I might say, “Hey! What happens if… “ and then let them fill in that blank.

Vicki: So does this blow kids’ minds when they come into your classroom? Maybe they haven’t experienced this before?

Carrie: Absolutely.

I think it’s a period of adjustment. It usually takes them about three to four weeks to get used to each other and to get used to my teaching style.

One of the things that I do often is we’ll practice the problem for a little while, and I get them working.

We don’t start with notes. We don’t start with examples. That comes at kind of the middle of the lesson. Once they’ve tried it and kind of gotten their feet wet a little bit, then we’ll put our notes into our active notebook. Mainly that’s something for them to refer to if, you know, they have to take some practice home or to look back later in the year if they need that for a reference.

So definitely there’s an adjustment period.

There’s an adjustment period

Vicki: How do you start the class? You start with inquiry? Discovery? Very beginning of class?

 

Carrie: Well, usually the way I run my classroom, we do have our EQ on the board. They have their Do Now question, their bellringer, warm-up, whatever you want to call it.

And they come in, they kind of get settled. Now the Do Now could be a review of last night’s homework, but usually when I’m starting a new lesson, I’m trying to think of something that’s going to build on some prior knowledge. I try to think of what have we done yesterday, or in a previous lesson, that I can put up here and use, and often it just launches into my mini-lesson.

Vicki: Okay, so it launches into your mini-lesson, and then you’re always asking questions, trying to get them to inquire. Do you ever have your students come up and just ask you a question out of the blue, that leads to some math discussion?

Carrie: Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I have a really hard time planning.

My administrators want me to have my lesson plans a week in advance.

And it’s not realistic because kids do wonder and they do ask, and often the lesson or the class takes a different direction. We still get our same standards done, and we still have great discussions.

Often the lesson takes a different direction

But maybe we wanted to do a different activity than what was planned or was already copied. It’s really amazing to hear how they think.

I think, as teachers – especially math teachers – one of our biggest (things) is that it’s not about formulas, it’s not about always doing it my way, but try to hear what they’re thinking.

And I’m always amazed at sometimes how children will approach a concept that I would have never considered because I’m trying to do it a certain way.

Try to hear what they’re thinking

And so as teachers I think we tend to teach in the way we’re taught, how we were trained to think about things, but to allow a child to discover a concept on their own and put it into their words is so powerful.

Vicki: Carrie, what’s a mistake you’ve made with inquiry-based learning that you would like the listeners not to make?

 

Carrie: It’s not easy. It’s not going to work every day, not going to work for every lesson. It takes practice. It takes experience. Sometimes you’re going to just fall flat on your face.

You have to be comfortable enough as a teacher, to be afraid to fail, so to speak, in front of the kids. Sometimes you think what you’ve planned is an amazing lesson for them to do, and it just bombs. They’re just not ready for it, they don’t make the connections that you hoped that they would make, for whatever reason.

And you have to be confident enough to say “Guys, I’m sorry, we’re going to try this again another day. You all weren’t ready for this,” or whatever. You have to be confident enough to fail, if that makes sense.

You have to be confident enough to fail

Vicki: What does it look like when inquiry-based learning and discovery in the math classroom goes right?

Carrie: It’s amazing. It’s fun.

They are teaching themselves. All I have to do is walk around and ask a few questions, and try to get them talking and communicating with each other and having those discussions.

What it looks like is the kids have taken ownership of their learning, and whether or not I was there, it would still happen.

Vicki: Do you ever have kids who used to hate math change your mind?

 

Carrie: I do. And I had a child who, yesterday, we were doing a complex — this was one of my algebra classes so it was a higher, higher level and it had a lot of plugging in and crunching numbers and (inaudible- FOILing?) and multiplying. We got to the end of the problem — it was just algorithms and one thing after another — and we got to the end, he said, “Huh. That is so satisfying.”

Vicki: (laughs)

Carrie: It was so funny. It was like he put the puzzle together. I thought, Oh my gosh. I love that. He sees that, and he’s got it.” It was just so cool to watch that.

Vicki: Carrie, if you could travel back in time and talk to Carrie Pierce on her first year of teaching, what would you tell her?

 

Carrie: I don’t know that we have time to address all that.

Vicki: (laughs)

Carrie: You learn and you grow, and every year is different.

Your life experiences change the way that you see children. I know that, as my daughter grew up and got to be the age of the child that is in my classroom, my perspectives changed and my focus changed. We constantly evolve and grow.

I think I would tell myself to give them a break. Sometimes they are just kids, and a lot of times, I think perhaps new teachers maybe expect too much. I know I did, coming straight out of college.

And you have your own classroom for the first time, and I was ready to go, and it was all about the content, content, let’s get it drilled in.

There’s so much more to kids than that. And there’s so much more to math than that.

Eighth grade, ninth grade, high school, they’re just beginning to see the “whys” of all this deeper-level content — see it apply to science, or analyze a graph in social studies.

I would tell myself to take it easy and to let them be kids and try to grow. Instead of me giving it to them, let them seek it themselves.

Vicki: Yep, you’ve got to relate before you educate, as I very often say, and it is about the relationship.

I’m so glad for people who were kind and patient with me when I was a beginning teacher. (laughs)

I know you are too, and so we always have to remember that.

But even when we’re beginning, we do have to remember that it does get better and when you start having those relationships, that’s really what keeps you teaching, in my opinion.

So, teachers, we’ve got lots of interesting things to think about with discovery and inquiry-based learning in math. We can really use that in every classroom, because we want students to inquire. We want them to discover. We want them to ask questions.

Thank you, Carrie!

 

Carrie: Absolutely. You’re welcome.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Carrie is a veteran middle school teacher with over 20 years of experience, who incorporates discovery and inquiry based learning into her 8th grade math classes.

Twitter: @CarriePie

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Carrie Pierce: Discovery and Inquiry-Based Learning in Math appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Hyperdocs Literacy Task Boards and Flipgrid Reading Circles

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Laura Dennis on episode 317 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Hyperdocs literacy task boards and Flipgrid are two favorite tools of Laura Dennis, third grade teacher. Learn more about how Laura’s classroom has become more modern and simplified with these valuable tools.

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

Laura Dennis: Hyperdocs Literacy Task Boards

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e317
Date: May 22, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Laura Dennis, a third-grade teacher from Ontario, Canada about hyperdocs literacy task boards.

Now, Laura, let’s break it down so some of our listeners will know what hyperdocs are. We’ve had a show on it before, but simply explain hyperdocs for us.

Laura: Hyperdocs are basically links that we provide for children to access different websites and articles that we want them to read.

Vicki: So it’s a Google Doc, and they can make a copy of the doc, review it read only, right?

Laura: Yes. Correct.

Vicki: Okay, do your students typically make copies of these hyperdocs, or do they just view it as Read-Only and follow the links?

 

Laura: I usually create it and then make a copy for the students. Then I actually have Google Classroom, which is where I put it so it’s a little bit easier for them to access.

Vicki: Excellent. Okay, so how do literacy task boards work in hyperdocs?

How do literacy task boards work in hyperdocs?

Laura: So I used to do literacy task boards on paper, which is basically — while I meet quickly a group for guided reading, this is what the rest of the students are doing — so there a lot of different choices on the choice board.

Recently, I discovered hyperdocs and just love it so I transitioned to that. So while I’m working with a guided reading group, the rest of the students in my class will log on to their accounts, open up their hyperdocs task board, and choose an activity to do independently.

Vicki: So when they do these activities, are they turning them back in, in Google Classroom? Are you discussing them later? How does that work?

 

Laura: Yeah, they basically try to do at least one little section each day. I’ve kind of modeled off of Stephanie Harvey’s Strategies That Work, so there are different sections. For instance, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring… so they’ll choose to work on one of those during the period. Once they finish it, there’s another Google Doc that they’ll go to, to type their responses. It’s a great thing for differentiation because some of the kids will only finish one task per day, which is fantastic, and as soon as they’ve finished it, they can go on, which is great for kids who quickly and efficiently. They can complete up to two to three tasks per day.

It’s a great thing for differentiation

Vicki: How does this compare to when you did task boards on paper?

Laura: Wow, I feel very modern now doing this.

Vicki: (laughs)

Laura: It’s great. The kids have always loved the task board because not everyone wants to read at the same time. Not everyone wants to write in their journal at the same time on a Tuesday. Task boards have always allowed for kids to have choice and to be doing different things when they feel like it.

Task boards have always allowed for kids to have choice

But going for this digital task board or the hyperdoc task board has just created a lot of excitement in the class. They love that it’s just connected to an article right away, so they don’t have to type out and do a Google search for an article, so it’s very hands-on and easy to use for the students.

Vicki: That’s the thing about hyperdocs, it’s just so fast. It’s like finally — you feel like paperless is finally here, like it really works and it’s not just a pain, you know, because if it’s not simpler, why have it?

Now, you’re also using Flipgrid with this? How?

 

Laura: I am. I love Flipgrid.

How are you using Flipgrid with this?

As an example, I’m doing early settlers this week as one of our units for social studies. I had the students read an article having to do with early settlers, and take a few jot notes about the article, and when they’re ready, just click on the link to Flipgrid, which is basically a video opportunity for kids to record themselves making a video, thirty seconds to ninety seconds.

Once they’ve gathered their thoughts and taken their jot notes, they click on the flip grid link for our class code and then recorded their connection the article. Then the other kids can just go on watch and listen. It’s been a fantastic tool to use in the classroom.

Vicki: As I’m looking at it, you’ve got flipgrid, you’ve got it easy to have conversations using digital tools. You’ve also got the task boards. What I think is cool is that your kids are actually taking a copy of the task board for themselves, they’re coloring in each box as they do something, right?

Laura: Yes, and it’s been great for tracking. When they complete a task, they color it in so they can kind of keep track. They also make a plan for the next day of what they need to do. It’s all about the students and the choice is with them. It’s been tremendous. It’s really allowed me to feel good that they’re doing rich activities in the classroom while I’m working with another group doing guided reading. It’s a win-win for the students and myself, really.

It’s been great for tracking

Vicki: We can talk about the obvious. So many times, some students can keep up with their task board if they have a copy, and others can’t, so now it’s always there, isn’t it?

 

Laura: Absolutely.

Vicki: They don’t lose it! (laughs)

Laura: That’s right. (laughs)

It’s really wonderful. Really, it’s been great. I’ve been sharing the task board with other teachers, and other teachers have been hopping on board sharing what they’ve done, so it’s definitely kind of catching fire in our school, I see them kind of using it on Twitter and other different places, so it’s very exciting.

Vicki: So you’re in third grade. Did you ever imagine that third grade would have as simple-to-use tools as you have now?

Laura: Not at all. Honestly, I look around my class when I look up from my guided reading table and I see kids using Flipgrid, kids making Venn diagrams using the drawing tool in Google Docs, kids making a word cloud using ABC Jot. You know, there are so many different things on the computer and iPads. It’s fantastic! It’s really quite inspiring.

Vicki: Well, we know that they’re more literate now in the technology. Do you feel like they’re more literate in their reading and in the things you’re trying to teach them to do in class?

 

Laura: I do for sure. I mean, I think that we as teachers are teaching a lot more intentionally as we did before when I first started teaching, definitely. And I think, also, it really captures their interest. If they can read an article online or watch a video about something and then take notes from that, then I think that that’s really broadened the scope of enthusiasm in the class.

It’s really broadened the scope of enthusiasm in the class

Vicki: So, Laura, as you’re giving advice to teachers, are there any mistakes you’ve made using hyperdocs?

Laura: The technical things were difficult, just kind of linking things and figuring out how they would respond to the task.

So I guess my best advice would be just to start simple. Create a template that just works for you and then just try that template week by week and just kind of make small adjustments.

Start simple. Create a template that just works for you.

A lot of teachers, I think, have the students respond in different ways. I just create one doc that has different subheadings for all of the things — representing visualizing, questioning — that then the students find that space to record their answer in.

Vicki: And, of course, they can follow on the show notes and look at your templates and make a copy if they want to, can’t they?

 

Laura: That’s very true. Hopefully they will. (laughs)

Vicki: Well, hat’s the beautiful thing about hyperdocs, it’s kind of like we just give them out to each other. I mean, I have digital citizenship hyperdocs, and people just snag them and make a copy and tweak it and make it their own. It’s just incredible.

Laura: It’s a fantastic way to share. We’re just getting different ideas from different teachers and being able to share back with teachers who are interested in tech ideas.

Vicki: So, Laura, what have you done right with this method? You’re like, “Okay, this really works.”

 

Laura: I love the idea of trying to infuse a new tech idea each week in my class. So that’s been very well. I try not to overwhelm myself, but just try to find new thing that I can use in my program.

I also like that the kids track it by coloring in the blocks — that’s an easy thing for them to track themselves and to plan ahead for the week.

I guess just inspiring the enthusiasm in the students. They’re really excited about coming back in the next day and getting on the computer and continuing on with their tasks.

Vicki: I love your method of innovation. I have the same method where I may not try to do one a week, but I like innovate like a turtle..

Laura: (laughs)

Vicki: …which means I’m always adding adding, taking one tiny step forward slowly, whether it’s every few days, or every two weeks, or something. But try something new, experiment with something, and then eventually back “Wow! Look how far I’ve come!”

I just think that makes so much more progress than somebody who goes to conference once a year, and then innovates a lot, but then doesn’t do anything the rest of the year. Would you agree with that?

Laura: Absolutely. I think baby steps are the best way. I don’t want to jump into something and have it backfire so badly. Just doing these small things each week have really helped me hone my skills a bit and just be open to trying new things, and it’s been great.

Vicki: So no matter what you teach. Check out hyperdocs, take a look at those, we’ll also link in the show notes someone who has talked about hyperdocs as well as Flipgrid. These are two fantastic tools that teachers are just raving about everywhere.

I’m not a big fan of the trendy, I’m a big fan of stuff that just works and is simple. I know when I started using hyperdocs, I was like “Yes! This is so easy!” So do try it out, and thank you, Laura, for all your fantastic ideas for what you’re doing with your third graders.

 

Laura: Thank you so much! I’m so excited to be on your show!

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Laura Dennis has been a teacher, mentor, and Literacy Consultant with the Toronto District School Board for over 20 years. She is a Reading AQ instructor and curriculum developer for The University of Toronto (OISE). She is enthusiastic about infusing technology into her Grade 3 program.

Twitter: @laura_dennis_

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Hyperdocs Literacy Task Boards and Flipgrid Reading Circles appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!


Kasey Bell’s 8 Great Ways to Use Google Slides

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Kasey Bell on episode 322 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Kasey Bell teaches us eight great ways to use Google Slides. From stop motion to video controls and cool add-ins for formative assessment and graphics, learn about this Swiss Army Knife of Google tools – Google Slides.

kasey bell 8 tips google slides

Kasey Bell’s Google Certification courses are open for enrollment from May 28 until June 10, 2018. Just go to coolcatteacher.com/shake to learn more.

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

Kasey Bell’s 8 Great Ways to Use Google Slides

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e322
Date: May 29, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with my friend Kasey Bell from “Shake Up Learning” and author of Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic.

Kasey, today we’re going to talk about all of the cool things that we can do with Google Slides that we might not know that we could do!

So what’s your first thing that you see teachers get really excited about what they can do on Google Slides?

What tricks do teachers get really excited about in Google Slides?

8 great ways to use google slides google slides tips

Kasey: Honestly, I find myself referencing Google Slides all the time.

When a teacher asks me, “Hey, what app should I choose to do this?” Pretty much it’s the Swiss Army knife. It can do so many things.

One of the first things that is really easy to do is to create an interactive Table of Contents.

Google Slide Tip #1: Create an interactive Table of Contents

You can do that at the beginning of your slide deck. This might be a Table of Contents for an interactive lesson that you’re creating for students, or you could be having a collaborative slide deck.

Each of those links on the Table of Contents could actually link back to the students’ individual slides so they don’t end up using the wrong slide. They stay in their own little space.

 

Vicki: Oh, see, I love this, because we’re getting ready to use Google Slides for our app presentation for Shark Tank. This way I could actually merge all the kids’ slides together, and then have each one as a link so I could go straight to the students’ slides. Is that what I can do?

Kasey: Yes, exactly. It’s just like a regular link. I use the keyboard shortcut Command+K, and then you just drop down slides in this presentation, and you choose a slide. So you link to the slide instead of an external link.

Vicki: Oh, I love that. But now, can you link inside — like within and link to other slides also?

Kasey: That’s exactly what I meant. When you insert the link, you’ll be able to see the options to slides in this presentation. You can choose which slide you want to link to.

Vicki: Oh! Okay, simple!

Okay, so what’s another one? Some people are using Google Slides for more than just slides, aren’t they?

Kasey: Absolutely.

One of the ways that I think is one of my favorites is creating an eBook inside Google Slides.

Google Slide Tip #2: Create an eBook

I have created several eBooks now inside Google Slides because when I try to do it in Google Docs, I pull my hair out.

That’s because I have so many images and screenshots and things like that. So that if you’ve ever caught yourself about to lose it because you can’t get images exactly where you want in Docs, you can in Slides.

So, if you think about it, you can put anything anywhere on a slide. That makes it easy to create images, illustrations, and do all of that.

But it gets better because you can resize slides into absolutely any size you want.

If you go to File → Page Setup, and then choose the little drop-down, go to Custom, you can make anything in inches, centimeters, points, or pixels.

So I can create an 8.5”x11” page size, so if I want it to look like a real book or possibly print it as a real book, and then you just go to Download As… and you can download it as a PDF. If you want to publish it as a PDF, publish it on the web, embed it on your website.

I’ve seen lots of teachers picking this up and having their students publish their books, whether those are collaborative or individual or class books, and then they put those online.

 

Vicki: Very cool.

You know, eBooks are just such a powerful way for kids to share. It also gives them an authentic audience if you’re adding it to their portfolio or sharing it with parents.

Now, you have lots of tips for some cool things we can do inside of Google Slides. Give us some of those.

Kasey: There are also some new things called “add-ons” that we now have in Slides that we used to only have inside Sheets and Forms and some of the other apps, so this is a little bit newer.

If you go to the menu, you can go to Add-Ons → Get Add-Ons.

This continues to grow, but I have some favorites.

One of those is Pair Deck. Are you a fan of Pair Deck?

Google Slide Tip #3: Use the Pear Deck Add-On

Vicki: You know, I have a lot of friends who love it. Let’s look at it.

Kasey: Pear Deck is a formative assessment tool.

What they’ve now done is integrated their Dashboard and their tool inside Slides. When you add the add-on, you get a sidebar that pops up.

They have an entire template gallery of formative assessments you can use at the beginning of the lesson, in the middle of the lesson, and at the end of the lesson.

These might be Thumbs-Up/Thumbs-Down. These might be having students Draw to Respond. You might be asking them questions, and they’re completely editable.

 

Then you can present that, and students can respond from any device. So they’re really handy, and everything I just mentioned — with the exception of the drawing, I think that’s in the upgrade — the rest of it is all in the free version.

I haven’t ever paid for Pear Deck, but I love it. I think it’s a great little tool to mash up with Google Slides.

Vicki: Yes. Adding those formative assessments in and preparing for those. We should be checking for understanding pretty frequently. I think it’s great to just have it built in.

Are there some other add-ons you like?

Kasey: Yes. Icons by Noun Project is another favorite.

Google Slide Tip #4: Use Icons by Noun Project

You may have seen Icons. It’s just its own website where you can get some really nice graphics for creating things like infographics or whatever it is that you’re working on.

You can get these icons, and they’re usually Creative Commons License, so you have permission — you do have to cite them, they have a very specific way they need to be cited — but they’re great, so now you can pull those into your slide projects that much easier. That was a favorite.

Google Slide Tip #5: Use UnSplash Photos Add-On

I also like UnSplash Photos — those high-resolution stock photography types of photos that we can pull in — and those are actually fully usable and reusable within Google Slides. Students can pull those and not have to worry about filtering for licensing and all of those types of things.

Vicki: Now, for add-ons to be available, does the Google Apps admin for your school have to go in and add it, or is this something teachers can just add on their own?

Kasey: They should be able to add on their own. I don’t think add-ons are controlled by the panel, but I don’t remember. I’m sure somebody listening will correct me if I’m wrong.

Vicki: For some reason, I think they’re not, but there are some certain things that happened in the past. It’s just a little tricky, I just didn’t know if you know.

Kasey: Yeah.

Vicki: If you have teachers, then do check with your admin, and ask them to enable or add that. I had to ask myself since I’m on my own admin to enable Gmail features because last week I wanted them.

Check with your admin about Google features

Okay, what are some other things that are pretty cool?

A lot of people like to use video in their presentations. Do you have some tips for using video?

Kasey: Yes. Last year, we got some pretty cool features added to videos inside Google Slides.

Google Slide Tip #6: Adjust Your Videos in Google Slides

It’s still a YouTube or a video that exists inside Google Drive, but you can do a few things once you get it in there as well.

If you right-click on the video and go to Video Options, or you can also see that in the contextual toolbar, but you’ll see more options to do some adjustments to that video.

For instance, you can customize the video start time and end time. If you want to use a clip, you don’t have to download it and open it in some fancy software to edit it down to what you just want to use. You can actually get down to the second — exactly what you want to use inside that slide.

Vicki: That is so awesome.

Google Slide Tip #7: Mute the Video As You Run Google slides

Now, one feature that I love to do is, a lot of times when I’m presenting, I like the videos to play, but I don’t actually want the noise. I just want it as background. Can you do anything with that?

Kasey: Yes. That is one of the other features you’ll see.

There’s a little checkbox in the video options. If you want it to auto-play as soon as you switch slides or if you want to mute the audio — and at first when I saw the mute, I wondered, “When am I going to use that?” and I swear I used it the next week because it’s something cool, I wanted the effect.

I wanted to be the narrator of the video in a live setting, so it’s pretty handy.

Vicki: Do you have any other features that teachers go “Wow!” over?

Google Slide Tip #8: Stop Motion Animation

Kasey: One of the really popular things right now — for the super-users of Google Slides and the ones who are really willing to step out and get uncomfortable — is stop-motion animation.

Some of that requires a lot fancy equipment if you really get into it, and it could get complicated, but it’s really easy to do inside Slides.

It could be animation just with graphics inside your Slide.

Since I have a video where I’m demonstrating this, I just downloaded a graphic of a raven. I put in one corner of my slides. I duplicated the slide – which, by the way, is Command+D for shortcut to duplicate — and then I move the crow a little bit, Command+D, duplicate – move the crow a little bit, Command+D, move the crow a little bit, and then you publish to the web.

And you have it change slides every second, and it looks like the crow is flying across the slides.

Vicki: Oh, cute!

I guess you can even do a little video capture in there as you go.

Kasey: That could be students taking pictures. They could actually be acting something out with LEGOs, or claymation, or whatever, and taking pictures and moving those into the slides and having it animate that way as well. So it can go from simple to pretty complex.

Vicki: As we finish up, Kasey, I know that you’ve really — and you just mentioned it earlier — in your book, you really talk about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

As these features keep rolling out, things keep changing. Some folks with Google or getting familiar with Google Classroom or Google, they get a little bit nervous.

Could you give us a thirty-second pep talk about how to progress and advance using Google with our kids?

How can educators progress and advance using Google with our kids?

Kasey: Yes. First of all, support.google.com is your best friend. If you ever need help, you can find just about any kind of answer there.

The other thing is just not to be afraid to just click around and try.

I also am a huge right-click fan. That helps me find things as well.

If you expect to learn something, say, in a training, step-by-step directions and that would be it for the next year or two years? Those days are over.

One of the best skills that we can teach ourselves and teach our students is how to LEARN, and how teach ourselves on the go — whether it’s finding videos on YouTube and tutorials. J

Just sort of accepting the fact that things are going to change so fast that you can’t keep up, but you can embrace it.

It’s totally okay if you don’t know where something is, because usually in Google — what I love is — it’s usually not too hard to find.

That’s why I kind of refer to Google as being this gateway tool because it’s so easy to use that it can lead you to have more confidence in using technology and maybe trying some other stuff.

Vicki: So, educators, we can do this. We can keep learning more.

There are so many awesome features out there, and Kasey’s given a lot of them with Google Slides.

Do check out her resources and check out the Shownotes because I’m going to have lots of great things and great ways to interact with Kasey to learn more about Google.

She’s kind of my Miss Google, and I follow everything she does.

Thanks, Kasey!

Kasey: Thank you so much, Vicki.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Kasey Bell is part sparkling smile, part witty personality and a whole heap of passion as big as a Texas–go big or go home, y’all! She is a disruptor of the boring. An engaging, innovative, from the heart sharer who inspires educators while transforming their teaching with original, timely and use-tomorrow ideas for student choice, differentiation, and technology integration. Whether it is learning from home through online courses, professional development, conference workshops or as a keynote speaker Kasey is a relentless innovator of ideas and a devoted transformer of classrooms and teaching. Through teacher empowering publications and award-winning educational resources at ShakeUpLearning.com, learner-driven workshops and presentations and co-hosting Google Teacher Tribe weekly podcast, Kasey proves why we should never settle for the boring when it comes to bringing out the very best in our students, and we should always strive to Shake Up Learning!

  • Co-host of The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast
  • Author of The Teacher’s Guide to Google Classroom
  • Google Certified Innovator
  • Google Certified Trainer
  • Amazon Education Thought Leader
  • Digital Innovation in Learning Award Winner in “Sharing is Caring”
  • One of 20 TrustED Educational Thought Leaders
  • #3 EdTech Blog
  • #3 EdTech and E-Learning Influencer on Twitter
  • Must Read EdTech Blog
  • Edublog Awards Finalist

ShakeUpLearning.com provides teachers and educators with easy to understand, use tomorrow resources for Google and G Suite for Education, mobile learning and classroom technology integration through digital learning resources, technology tips and tricks, in-depth e-courses, books, resources, cheat sheets, blog publications. and podcasts.

Blog: http://www.shakeuplearning.com

Twitter: @ShakeUpLearning

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Kasey Bell’s 8 Great Ways to Use Google Slides appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

Using the Real World Classrooms Model When Teaching Finance

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Brian Bean on episode 323 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

The Real-World Classroom model of teaching finance is part simulation part game. Invented by Brian Bean, this model of teaching is transforming Texas classrooms and beyond.

real world classroom teaching model

SMART’s Give Greatness contest is today’s sponsor. SMART wants to recognize educators across the globe who inspire greatness in their students, peers or community. Nominate your favorite educator at coolcatteacher.com/greatness.

Listen Now

***

Enhanced Transcript

Real World Classrooms When Teaching Finance

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e323
Date: May 30, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Brian Bean, 14-year Texas educator, about real-world classrooms.

Now, Brian, your story to reach real-world classrooms, actually has a bit of a challenging beginning. Tell us about your beginning that was so difficult.

Brian: Somewhat of a challenge, if you want to put it that way.

Vicki: Yeah, I could say that! (laughs)

You could say that.

My family and I were the victims of a fairly-elaborate Ponzi scheme back in 2008.

I started this as a victim of a Ponzi scheme

They were targeting middle-income people with good credit, like teachers, and then they were leveraging our credit to pull equity out of real estate and business loans and then use that in their fund.

I was pretty naive at the time in personal finance. I was teaching science, and i just thought it all sounded great.

After about a year or so, some sketchy things started happening. We took a little bit closer look at what was going on and discovered we were in debt to the tune of about 1.2 million dollars.

Vicki: Wow.

Brian: We had to declare bankruptcy and kind of had to start over from scratch at the time.

It was hard, but, you know, you learn a lot through a situation like that. One of the things I learned was that there were pretty glaring holes in the education system when it came to personal financing.

I mean, I was supposedly an educated man. I didn’t know any of the… in hindsight, things that would have been MAJOR red flags.

I went back to school, got certified to teach banking and finance, got a Master’s Degree in teaching methodology and set to trying to fix it.

It’s kind of how the real-world classroom teaching model started.

Vicki: Ok, so what is the real-world classroom teaching model?

teaching finance with real world classrooms

Brian: Some people like to compare it to a simulation, because there’s a component of it that’s a simulation.

But really, it’s a model that gamifies and puts the personal in personal finance — where what we do is we take the students in class, real life experience, and we blend it with an online simulator experience where decisions that students make in either arena impact the privileges they have in either arena.

This model gamifies and puts the “personal” in personal finance

Let me use some basic examples.

In the simulation, students get paid a virtual salary, but that salary gets impacted by their in-class academic performance. If they pass a test, they get a raise! If they fail that test, they actually get a deduction in their salary in the simulation.

Then they have to budget that money and manage it to pay bills, to do different things like that, buy assets, they get a credit score, etc. They have to qualify for interest rates and whatnot.

But then they can use those funds to purchase privileges in class.

You want to use a hall pass? You have to buy it. If you’re late for class, you have to pay a fine.

Desks? They don’t sit in a desk assigned to them because their desk represents their homes. So they actually have to buy their desk.

Vicki: Oh my goodness! So are these finance classes, or are these other classes besides finance?

Brian: The majority of my teachers use them in personal finance classes. I do have a couple that are using it in an accounting class or an economics class, but most of them are personal finance classes.

Vicki: So they literally have to buy the desk that they want to sit in.

Brian: Yes.

Students literally have to buy the desk that they want to sit in

What the teachers will do is they will apply privileges to some desks that others don’t have.

So if a student wants that privilege, for example, you get to use open notes on a test, well then you have to own that desk, you have to have that privilege.

It creates a marketplace in class, and that’s one of the first major decisions students have to make. “Can I afford this more expensive desk I really want? What sacrifices am I going to have to make to be able to afford that, or do I want to go conservative?”

When all is said and done, the thing that really makes this model different — that really makes all these decisions carry weight, it takes it from just a game an actual accountability — is the decision grade they’re going to get, for what I call a life lab.

For doing that life lab, they don’t get that grade because they answered a bunch of questions right on an online quiz, or wrote a report. They get the grade because we actually sell them the grade.

Vicki: So they have to have enough money to buy an A.

Brian: Exactly. If they write me a check, they get an A.

If they don’t, they get whatever they can afford.

So the decision of what house I bought might come back to haunt me — or it might come back to be beneficial because I’m doing well on my tests, because I get to use my notes.

Then I get a higher salary, and then I can budget that.

We’ve tried to bring in as many real-world scenarios as we can — to have credit cards, bank accounts, checking and savings.

We’ve tried to bring in as many real-world scenarios as we can

They have a credit score they’ve developed. They have an in-class stock market they can invest in. We even have a random factor called “life happens” where regularly they would play a game where a it picks a student at random and then a random scenario occurs, and the kid has to deal with it.

Some of them are good, they get some money. Most of them are bad…

Vicki: (laughs)

Brian: Some permanently change their budget. “You just had a baby. Now you’ve got to have your budget changed.” So you’ve got to compensate and adjust.

A lot of real-world finance is “How well are you prepared for the unexpected? How well did you plan for things you can’t control?”

“How well did you plan for things you can’t control?”

Vicki: So what are teachers saying about this particular approach, as they take their accounting and finance classes, and they gamify it — or “real world it” with the simulation on top of what they’re already teaching?

Brian: So far, teachers love it.

Students love it.

We’ve had a lot of phenomenal response from parents.

We’ve had a lot of phenomenal response from parents

Because what it does for the teacher, is:

1) it covers so many of our core standards, just built into the model that actually frees up a lot of time for teachers to do more in-depth things for certain units that they might want to cover.

2) The other thing is that it’s constant reinforcement, and it really teaches the students how these things are interconnected.

It takes what typically, in subjects like finance, we teach the different topics modulated.

“We’re going to cover THIS and get that done, and go to the next one.”

But this, and with real life, they’re all interconnected. The student pays his bills on time, he’s going to get a better credit score. If he gets a better credit score, he’s going to get a better loan interest rate. If he gets a better loan interest rate, he’s going to have a lower payment. If he has a lower payment, he can more easily pay his bills.

All these things the kids have to deal with regularly, just like we do as adults. The difference is they get their first exposure to it in a safe environment of the classroom.

Vicki: What is the feedback you’re getting from parents as they talk to their kids about this experience?

Brian: One, parents love it, because they finally get to look at kids and be like, “See? This is what it takes to provide this life! You didn’t know!”

Parents say: “This is what it takes to provide this life! You didn’t know!”

And so they love it.

We’ve had a phenomenal experience at my school, for example. Phenomenal experience. Parents were bringing in… Like the class I teach are all seniors. And parents are bringing their kids in — their freshman and sophomore years, and signing them up for summer school so they can free up a slot their senior year to take the course.

We started using this model in the classroom about three years ago, we had three sections.

And now it’s the #1 requested program at my school. We’ve got eight sections and two teachers teaching it.

I actually looked up the statistics last year in Texas, I teach a class called Financial Math. It’s a new course, and a third of all the students in all of Texas took financial math from classes in schools that used my model.

Vicki: Wow.

Brian: It’s just really helped grow that program in Texas, and it’s been a phenomenal thing, more successful than I thought it would be. I didn’t create it to make a business. It just kind of happened.

Vicki: Yeah.

So, Rick, I’m excited for you. You’ve been enjoying teaching and you’re getting ready to head out of the classroom because of the growth that you’ve had.

We’ve talked about financial literacy on the show before, and how important it is to teach financial literacy.

Brian: Oh yeah.

Vicki: This is what kids have to know. We don’t have a choice. I’m fascinated by this. Now, do you have a website or link they can go to to find more about this model?

Brian: Absolutely.

We have a company. The company is called Free Market Educational Services, and that’s a really long URL, so we got the domain fmes.us.

On that, people can see samples of the curriculum that we wrote that goes with the model.

They can get more information about how the model itself actually works. I’ve given you about the smallest tip of the iceberg that I can.

They can see demos of our technology, download samples of the curriculum like I said, contact us with questions, see pricing, and things like that.

Vicki: Awesome. Thank you, Brian.

Educators, I hope that you will take a look at this gamified, real-world approach to teaching financial literacy.

This is the sort of thing we talk a lot about on the show — keeping things real, keeping things authentic.

Check it out. Thank you, Brian!

Brian: Thank you, and I appreciate your time.

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted


Brian currently teaches Financial Mathematics in a high school just outside of Houston, Texas and is the creator of the Real-World Classroom (RWC) teaching model. He has over 13 years of teaching experience, a Master’s Degree in teaching methodology, and received multiple awards in education. The RWC is the result of Brian’s personal hardships turned opportunity. In 2008 he was the victim of an elaborate Ponzi scheme and used this experience as motivation to make a change in the way personal financial literacy is taught. His story is an inspiration to teachers and students and his passion to make a difference has lead to the development of a model that is disrupting education.

Blog: http://www.fmes.us/the-real-world-classroom/

Twitter: @brianbean

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.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Using the Real World Classrooms Model When Teaching Finance appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

5 Ideas for Writing with Technology (#4 episode of Season 3)

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Jacqui Murray in the #4 episode of the year so far

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Jacqui Murray shares how we can encourage an improvement in writing using technology. These creative ways will help you think about how to help children, particularly those who struggle with handwriting and typing. We’re counting them down! This is the #4 Episode of Season 3 of the 10-Minute Teacher.

Sponsor: Advancement Courses has more than 200 graduate level online professional development courses for K-12 teachers. You can take these courses for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification. They are practical courses that have teachers developing tangible resources to use in their classrooms immediately. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the code COOL20 at checkout to get 20% off any course. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course is only $359.


The #4 Show of Season 3 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

This week we’re counting down the top shows of the season! Enjoy!

Want to know how to make your own podcast? Check out Podcasting Equipment Setup and Software I use on the 10-Minute Teacher for help!

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 post 5 Ideas for Writing with Technology (#4 episode of Season 3) appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

5 Free Tech Tools to Try in Your Social Studies Lessons (#3 Episode of Season 3)

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Richard Byrne from Free Technology for Teachers

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Richard Byrne, author of Free Technology for Teachers, was a history teacher. It shows. In today’s show, he talks about top free tech tools to try in social studies lessons. This is one to share with your history department. We’re counting them down! This is the #3 Episode of Season 3 of the 10-Minute Teacher.

333 richard byrne tech lessons social studies (1)

Sponsor: Advancement Courses has more than 200 graduate level online professional development courses for K-12 teachers. You can take these courses for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification. They are practical courses that have teachers developing tangible resources to use in their classrooms immediately.

Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and use the code COOL20 at checkout to get 20% off any course. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course is only $359.


The #3 Show of Season 3 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

This week we’re counting down the top shows of the season! Enjoy!

Want to know how to make your own podcast? Check out Podcasting Equipment Setup and Software I use on the 10-Minute Teacher for help!

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 post 5 Free Tech Tools to Try in Your Social Studies Lessons (#3 Episode of Season 3) appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

20 Tech Tips to Shake Up Learning

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Episode 337 with Kasey Bell

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Kasey Bell shares her tech tips for helping teachers make progress with technology. She also shares the biggest mistake she’s made as a teacher relating to edtech.

20-Tech-Tips-for-Teachers-2

Kasey Bell’s Bio

Kasey Bell is part sparkling smile, part witty personality and a whole heap of passion as big as a Texas–go big or go home, y’all! She is a disruptor of the boring. An engaging, innovative, from the heart sharer who inspires educators while transforming their teaching with original, timely and use-tomorrow ideas for student choice, differentiation, and technology integration. 

Whether it is learning from home through online courses, professional development, conference workshops or as a keynote speaker Kasey is a relentless innovator of ideas and a devoted transformer of classrooms and teaching.

Through teacher empowering publications and award-winning educational resources at ShakeUpLearning.com, learner-driven workshops and presentations and co-hosting Google Teacher Tribe weekly podcast, Kasey proves why we should never settle for the boring when it comes to bringing out the very best in our students, and we should always strive to Shake Up Learning!

Co-host of The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast
Author of Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic
Google Certified Innovator
Google Certified Trainer
Digital Innovation in Learning Award Winner in “Sharing is Caring”
One of 20 TrustED Educational Thought Leaders
Award-winning blogger and social media influencer
Must Read EdTech Blog
Edublog Awards Finalist

ShakeUpLearning.com provides teachers and educators with easy to understand, use tomorrow resources for Google and G Suite for Education, mobile learning and classroom technology integration through digital learning resources, technology tips and tricks, in-depth e-courses, books, resources, cheat sheets, blog publications. and podcasts.

The post 20 Tech Tips to Shake Up Learning appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

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