10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Many of us are learning to traverse between online and in-person learning environments. Our guest Aaron Johnson, author of Online Teaching with Zoom, shares with us how to better engage students through Zoom, so we can all teach effectively at a distance. www.coolcatteacher.com/e713  Sponsor: GoGuardian The State of Engagement Report 2020 has valuable classroom research and information on distance learning best practices. This must-read report is funded by GoGuardian and includes a meta-analysis of best practices in engaging distance learning. We can improve engagement with our students - no matter where they are learning. Thank you GoGuardian for sponsoring this podcast and the report. Download the State of Engagement Report 2020 now! Aaron Johnson - Bio as Submitted Aaron Johnson is Associate Dean of Educational Technology at Denver Seminary, a graduate school in Littleton, Colorado. As a veteran online educator, Mr. Johnson's goal is to support teachers transitioning to the online classroom and those who want to improve their teaching skills. His books have become go-to resources for colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts. Their to-the-point style and practical ideas make them easy to read and immediately applicable. Readers describe the series as "useful," "helpful," "applicable," "reassuring," and "accessible." His background includes work as a junior high and high school teacher, instructional designer, and faculty developer. During the initial days of COVID, Mr. Johnson was a sought-after aid to institutions that needed help transitioning their faculty to online delivery. Books: Online Teaching with Zoom: A Guide for Teaching and Learning with Videoconference Platforms (Excellent Online Teching Book 2) Online Teaching: Effective Strategies for a Successful Semester Online Blog: excellentonlineteaching.com  Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." All opinions on this show are my own and those of my guests on the show and are not necessarily endorsed by the show's sponsor.  

Our focus on the frontlines of education is to keep students engaged. We can never get enough ideas on how to help our students stay excited, engaged, and learning. Our guest today Mariana Aguilar is going to share with us four key factors for student engagement that she has come across in her research. www.coolcatteacher.com/e712 Sponsor: GoGuardian The State of Engagement Report 2020 has valuable classroom research and information on distance learning best practices. This must-read report is funded by GoGuardian and includes a meta-analysis of best practices in engaging distance learning. We can improve engagement with our students - no matter where they are learning. Thank you GoGuardian for sponsoring this podcast and the report. Download the State of Engagement Report 2020 now. Mariana Aguilar - Bio as Submitted Mariana Aguilar leads the Research team at education technology company, GoGuardian. In her role, she seeks to understand the relationship between the digital learning experience and student outcomes. Mariana began her career in education as a Teach for America corps member teaching 3rd grade in South LA. Since then, she has worked with various education non-profits including Murmuration and Citizens of the World Los Angeles.  Twitter: @MarMarAguilar 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." All opinions on this show are my own and those of my guests on the show and are not necessarily endorsed by the show's sponsor.  

David "Creative Dave" Dubczak is a middle school teacher who sparks creativity. In today's show, he defines creativity and the two kinds of creative thinking to understand: divergent and convergent thinking. Then, he gives us three ways to activate "Genius Mode" and spark creativity in our students along with examples of what he's doing in his classes. We can spark creativity even at a distance! www.coolcatteacher.com/e711 David "Creative Dave" Dubczak - Bio as Submitted David Dubczak, a.k.a Creative Dave, loves helping people be more creative. He believes everyone has their own secret “Genius Mode,” and creative thinking is the key to unlocking it. David has been a teacher for the past 10 years at Indianola Middle School in Indianola, Iowa, teaching Computer Science. Away from school, he is a creativity coach and consultant, helping people and businesses increase their creativity. As an educator, his passion is teaching kids to fail. In research and development industries, the ability to fail and learn from failure is incredibly important. Schools today don't share that view, and he’s trying to change it. David is also an award-winning playwright, and his video productions have won several awards with organizations such as the Iowa Motion Picture Association, Broadway World, and the Festigious International Film Festival Los Angeles. David earned his Bachelor of Science in Education at Drake University and his Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology at Iowa State University. He loves to speak and workshop on creativity and productive failure. Book him at www.CreativeDave.net, and see his other productions at www.ConjunctionMedia.com.

With 2020 and everything going on, there are countless reasons why being kind is important right now, both in and out of the classroom. In this episode, I sit down with fellow kindness advocate Houston Kraft, public speaker, curriculum developer, and co-founder of CharacterStrong. Houston will talk with us about the value of kindness, 5 ways to be kind right now, and where to start. www.coolcatteacher.com/e710  Houston Kraft - Bio as Submitted Houston is a speaker, curriculum developer, and kindness advocate who has spoken at over 600 schools or events internationally. In 2016, he co-founded CharacterStrong - curriculum and trainings that transform the way schools teach social-emotional learning, character education, and Kindness. To date, they have worked with over 2500 schools globally serving over 1 million students. In 2019, his face was featured on Lays BBQ chip bags as someone who helps "spread smiles.” In 2020, his first book, Deep Kindness was released. His mom is his hero and her best life lesson is to “hug like you mean it.” 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." All opinions on this show are my own and those of my guests on the show and are not necessarily endorsed by the show's sponsor.

Teaching online is challenging for many teachers. In this show, we talk about best practices to re-engage students, the common mistakes districts are making, and teachers' importance right now. You'll find this show encouraging, challenging, and relevant to right now - and you'll get some new ideas! www.coolcatteacher.com/e709 Sponsor: Hāpara Google Classroom is great, but as education standards evolve, there are a few things lacking. Admin teams require better analytics. Students need a one-shot view of their tasks and want everything on one page. And as you know, teachers desperately need better monitoring capabilities. All of this is possible with the Hāpara Instructional Suite that organizes teaching and learning workflows in G Suite and Google Classroom seamlessly. Go to www.hapara.com/coolcatteacher to learn more about how Hāpara can help your school. Resources Mentioned on the Show 10 Google Classroom Tips for Remote Learning - Shake Up Learning

Today, I'm giving you another peek into my classroom, this time, to share tips for getting the most out of your Google Classroom. In this episode, you'll hear 15 better practices when using Google Classroom, from habits to technical tools. The full transcript is available on the show's blog post at: www.coolcatteacher.com/e708 Sponsor - Hāpara Google Classroom is great, but as education standards evolve, there are a few things lacking. Admin teams require better analytics. Students need a one-shot view of their tasks and want everything on one page. And as you know, teachers desperately need better monitoring capabilities. All of this is possible with the Hāpara Instructional Suite that organizes teaching and learning workflows in G Suite and Google Classroom seamlessly. Go to www.hapara.com/coolcatteacher to learn more about how Hāpara can help your school. Resources Mentioned the Show: Harry Wong's The First Days of School Alice Keeler Planboard Text Expander Quizziz IXL Google Classroom Duo Bootcamp with Alice Keeler Vicki Davis - Bio Vicki Davis is a classroom teacher and an Instructional Technology Director. She blogs at the Cool Cat Teacher Blog and hosts this podcast. See www.coolcatteacher.com/bio for her full bio. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

We've updated the popular show from the spring with current research in October 2020 with Dr. Eric Rossen, the Director of professional development and standards for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) which has created a recent COVID19 Resource Center. In today's show, Dr. Rossen helps us understand how we can help children wherever they are learning and wherever we are teaching. www.coolcatteacher.com/e707 Sponsor: Impero Teachers are often a first line of defense when it comes to looking out for students’ wellbeing.  I’ve discovered an amazing FREE tool from Impero Software that can help.  Impero back:drop is a free, cloud-based solution that helps schools manage and record student health information such as mental health, behavioral or health issues (including COVID-19 symptoms) or other concerns. Impero back:drop eliminates the need for paper-based reporting, plus provides a safe and secure place to record and store information about student safety concerns. I love Impero back:drop because it really helps inform educators about a student’s health, from first aid, to sickness, to more complex mental health issues they may be experiencing. It’s FERPA, COPPA and HIPAA compliant, plus information can only be shared with permitted staff members. I hope you’ll check out Impero back:drop. You can sign up at imperosoftware.com/us/coolcatteacher. Resources Mentioned on the Show 10 Trauma-Informed Principles for Educators Now with Dr. Eric Rossen March 2020 Show COVID19 Resource Center Dr. Eric Rossen - Bio as Submitted Dr. Eric Rossen is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, a licensed psychologist in Maryland, and a credentialed National Register Health Service psychologist. Dr. Rossen is currently the Director of Professional Development and Standards with the National Association of School Psychologists which has created a recent COVID19 Resource Center. He has worked in public schools and in independent practice and has served as a college instructor and adjunct faculty at the University of Missouri and Prince George’s Community College. He has presented across the US and internationally, and published dozens of articles and book chapters related to school psychology, school safety, and trauma. He is most recently the editor of Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students: A Guide for School-Based Professionals, 2nd Edition, and coauthor of the book Applying a Trauma-Informed Framework to The IEP Process: From Referral to Development. You can learn more about Dr. Rossen on his website: www.ericrossen.com; and follow him on Twitter: @E_Rossen Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

In this episode, I give you a peek into my classroom. I take a topic that isn't super simple -- databases -- and show how I teach it with 2 simple projects, some game based learning, concrete examples, and how my students all master the topic in five days. While you might not be interested in Big Data or Databases, it is part of your student's future and so it is good to be introduced to the topic. Of interest to most of you, however, will be how I plan lessons. I design ahead for common mistakes, use concrete examples, use formative assessment and don't test but have mastery from all my students. This may sound impossible but it can be done. I hope this helps and encourages you and it also helps show how I reach kids who are at home as well. www.coolcatteacher.com/e706 Sponsor: Planboard & Chalk As we prepare to teach in a blended or distance learning environment, a rock-solid lesson planner is a must. I use a free program called Planboard for my lesson planning. My school uses Planboard with Chalk.com’s curriculum planning tool. This powerful tool links with standards -- and gives us the ability to do some timesaving, efficient reporting and tracking. The best thing about Planboard is I can plan my lessons anywhere - on my Mac, PC or iPad. Wherever I work, my lesson plans are with me. And as I said, Planboard is FREE for teachers. I hope you’ll check out Planboard now! Vicki Davis - Bio Vicki Davis is a classroom teacher and an Instructional Technology Director. She blogs at the Cool Cat Teacher Blog and hosts this podcast. See www.coolcatteacher.com/bio for her full bio. 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."

Rachelle Dene Poth shares 9 of her favorite EdTech ideas that you can easily use now, no matter what your classroom environment requirements are. Teachers are looking for easy and helpful resources, and right now with so much going on searching for the best solutions can be overwhelming, and Rachelle is a great resource to tap into for all things EdTech. www.coolcatteacher.com/e705  Sponsor: Planboard & Chalk As we prepare to teach in a blended or distance learning environment, a rock-solid lesson planner is a must. I use a free program called Planboard for my lesson planning. My school uses Planboard with Chalk.com’s curriculum planning tool. This powerful tool links with standards -- and gives us the ability to do some timesaving, efficient reporting and tracking. The best thing about Planboard is I can plan my lessons anywhere - on my Mac, PC or iPad. Wherever I work, my lesson plans are with me. And as I said, Planboard is FREE for teachers. I hope you’ll check out Planboard now! Resources from the Podcast: Buncee Zigazoo Nearpod Edpuzzle Formative Wakelet Gosynth Gimkit Quizziz  Rachelle Dene Poth - Bio as Submitted Rachelle Dene Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle teaches Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. She is a Consultant and Speaker, owner of ThriveinEDU LLC Consulting. She serves as the past-president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and serves on the Leadership team of the Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She is also a Buncee Ambassador, Nearpod PioNear and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Rachelle is the author of four books, ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU” (EduMatch) and “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” Rachelle Dene’s latest book is with ISTE “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World." Rachelle is a blogger for Getting  Smart, Defined Learning, District Administration, NEO LMS, and the  STEM Informer with Newsweek.  Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915 Her books are available at bit.ly/Pothbooks She has a weekly show on LearningRevolution.com, ThriveinEDU 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."

Erica Boomsma is in South Dakota where they have been teaching in face to face school for the last four weeks. She talks about the fears she had in going back, the protocols they are using and the positive experiences they are having amidst the masks and shields. Face to face school may be a better alternative than many imagine - even those who struggle with worry. Listen to Erica's experience and figure out how you can prepare yourself and your students for the day you walk back into your classroom. www.coolcatteacher.com/e704  Sponsor: Planboard & Chalk As we prepare to teach in a blended or distance learning environment, a rock-solid lesson planner is a must. I use a free program called Planboard for my lesson planning. My school uses Planboard with Chalk.com’s curriculum planning tool. This powerful tool links with standards -- and gives us the ability to do some timesaving, efficient reporting and tracking. The best thing about Planboard is I can plan my lessons anywhere - on my Mac, PC or iPad. Wherever I work, my lesson plans are with me. And as I said, Planboard is FREE for teachers. I hope you’ll check out Planboard now! Erica Boomsma - Bio as Submitted Erica Boomsma is a dedicated 4th Grade Teacher with 18 years of experience teaching a culturally diverse student population in Huron, South Dakota. Striving to meet the needs of her students, she absolutely loves her job because for her it is her dream come true - she is a teacher! Twitter: @ericaboomsma  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."