10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

African Step, based on the African Gumboot Dance, has an American version with a competition. Junior Bernadin @JBernadin is one of the STEP coaches at 3-time national champion winning Ron Clark Academy. Learn about this marvelous type of song/ dance and its role in African American culture. Also, hear about Junior's commitment to excellence and what students learn from competing in this dance competition. In today's Wonderful Wednesday, Junior shares:  The origins of step  How step came to Ron Clark Academy  What students learn from step competition  His students' story from beginning step to winning the national championship  What students learn from step and the competition Junior Bernadin is a Dean of Students and IT Director at the highly-acclaimed Ron Clark Academy (RCA). In addition to his daily roles at RCA, he currently serves as one of the coaches of the current 3-time National Step League Middle School Champions, the Essentials Step Team.  A full transcript of this show and the show notes are available at www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast as well as details on entering this month’s giveaway contests.

Richard Byrne @rmbyrne discusses the edtech tools he's most excited about today. From video tools, creation tools, to app creation, you'll hear about the tools and ideas that Richard is most excited about in edtech today. In today's show, Richard shares:  Live video streaming tools and why he's moving to YouTube Live  Blogging and creation tools  Why app creation will soon be in the reach of every student  Dealing with naysayers and blocking  Why he's not as excited about quizzing tools and heading towards creation tools  Richard Byrne is a former high school social studies teacher best known for developing the award-winning blog Free Technology for Teachers. He has been invited to speak at events on six continents and would gladly speak in Antarctica too.  Richard’s work is focused on sharing free resources that educators can use to enhance their students’ learning experiences. Richard is a five-time winner of the Edublogs Award for Best Resource Sharing Blog. Richard became a Google Certified Teacher in 2009. 2012 saw Richard receive a Merlot Classics Award from chancellor’s office of California State University.  In 2010 he was a finalist for ACTEM’s (Association of Computer Teachers and Educators in Maine) educator of the year award. Tech & Learning Magazine named Richard one of their “people to watch” in their 30th Anniversary celebration. On a daily basis, Richard’s blog Free Technology for Teachers reaches more than 100,000 educators. In addition to writing Free Technology for Teachers, Richard also maintains iPadApps4School.com and PracticalEdTech.com.  Richard’s print work includes a monthly column for School Library Journal, contributing author to What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media, and contributions to Teacher Librarian.  Richard lives in Maine with his daughter Isla and loyal dogs Max and Mason.  A full transcript of this show and the show notes are available at www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast as well as details on entering this month’s giveaway contests.

Empowering special needs students with technologies is one of the greatest ways to motivate and ignite their learning. Jennifer Cronk @jenniferacronk shares two tearful but joyful stories of people with special needs unleashed (including her own.) Let's start this Monday motivation remembering the joyful opportunity we have to help every child with technology!  In today's show, Jennifer shares  How to empower special needs students to champion themselves  Examples of alternative assessment and contribution for those with special needs  How Jennifer motivates students and teachers to unleash learning  A breakthrough story of Jennifer's son who wanted to honor his teacher  The moving thing that happened last week to Jennifer with a special needs teacher Jennifer Cronk is an Assistant Manager of Emerging Technologies for the Southern Westchester BOCES in New York. She currently oversees and strategically plans the Google Apps transformations of several school districts in Westchester County.  Jennifer began her career in 1996 as a computer teacher and passionately pursued the ed tech field for twenty years. Jennifer presents nationally at instructional technology conferences, and workshops on integrating Google Apps and other emerging technologies into learning. She is a Google Certified Innovator and Google Education Trainer.  In addition, Jennifer is also certified: administrator, English teacher, elementary teacher, and educational technology specialist. Jennifer also blogs about “digital parenting,” professional development and educational technology at www.transparentlyteaching.com and is a co-host of the blab.im show “Positively Special Ed.”  A full transcript of this show and the show notes are available at www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast as well as details on entering this month’s giveaway contests.

Digital citizenship is a challenge. In today's episode, Alice Chen shares five things every student should know about digital citizenship. A full transcript of this show and the show notes are available at www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast as well as details on entering this month’s giveaway contests.

Classroom management can be a challenge in any classroom. In this episode, I share my secrets and tips for managing my computer lab classroom. I hope it helps.

Karen McCallum is a special ed elementary teacher in Alberta, Canda. She has specialized in special education and behavior support programming. Today she tells a heartwarming but powerful story about how two puppets are helping transform the social emotional learning of elementary special needs kids. Karen will share:  How she decided to use puppets to reach a nonverbal student  Modeling appropriate and inappropriate behaviors How 15 minutes a day with the puppets can transform behavior Calming special needs kids using puppets Some funny and powerful stories of using Matts and Penny to help kids learn appropriate behaviors Karen McCallum's Bio  I am a elementary vice principal and kindergarten teacher in Okotoks Alberta. I am in my 33rd year of teaching. My entire career has been in the primary area. I have my Master's degree in Special Education and have spent half of my career working in special education and behavior support programming.

Dr. Tim Green, Instructional Design Expert, talks today about augmented reality. Specifically he shares his favorite Augmented Reality (AR) instructional tool, Aurasma. Tim also shares a vision for the future of where augmented reality is probably taking us in education.  Today, Tim shares:  How teachers and students are using Aurasma  His wildest dreams for the future of augmented reality in education  Applying technology like IBM Watson and natural language to augmented reality  Simple principles for where we should be going in education with AR  Dr. Tim Green's Submitted Bio  I am a former K12 teacher who has been a professor of educational technology and teacher educator at California State University, Fullerton since 1999. Five of these years I served as the Director of Distance Education at CSUF.  I currently run an online MS program in Educational Technology. I am the author of numerous articles and books, as well as a presenter, on the integration of educational technology, instructional design, and online distance education.  Some of the more recent books include the award-winning The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice (Brown & Green, Routledge), The Educator’s Guide to Producing New Media and Open Educational Resources (Routledge), and Securing the Connected Classroom (ISTE Press). I co-produce (with Dr. Abbie Brown) the award-winning podcast Trends and Issues in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, and Learning Sciences.  I am passionate about working with schools and districts on visioning and implementing technology initiatives. I regularly consult with and provide professional develop to schools and districts. I received my Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University.

Will Parker @williamdp has seen kindness go viral on his campus. Learn how his faculty and student council worked together to create a nurturing environment. And how one Post-It Note moved the school to go viral. Will shares how:  His student council created a nurturing environment for kindness to grow  What happened in the girls' bathroom that changed everything  How the faculty noticed and encouraged the movement of kindness  The impact the kindness movement has had on the school  How you can encourage kindness in your classroom  William D. Parker Biography   William D. Parker is principal of Skiatook High School, just north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.A. As a high school teacher, he taught Language Arts, creative writing, and Advanced Placement English.  An Oklahoma educator since 1993, he was named Broken Arrow Public School’s South Intermediate High School Teacher of the Year in 1998. He became an assistant principal in 2004 and was named the 2011 Oklahoma Assistant Principal of the Year.  As principal of a Title I school, his school’s innovative approaches to collaboration, remediation and mentoring have resulted in marked improvements in student performance. He is regularly asked to speak to principal associations, school leadership conferences, and graduate classes on effective leadership practices, organizational behavior, and digital tools for enhancing school communication.  In 2014 he released his first book, Principal Matters: The Motivation, Action, Courage, and Teamwork Needed for School Leaders. His second book, Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Student, Motivate Teachers, and Communicate with Parents is scheduled for publication August 2017 with Solution Tree Publishing.  Parker hosts a weekly podcast called Principal Matters and writes a weekly blog that he shares on his website www.williamdparker.com.  He is also a contributing author on ConnectedPrincipals.com, and a guest blogger for the National Association of Secondary Principals. Most recently, he has been hosting monthly webinars so that his state’s principal association members can connect and share innovative ideas for growing in school leadership.  Mr. Parker earned his bachelor’s degree in English Education from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and his master’s degree in education leadership from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.  He has been married for twenty-three years to his wife Missy, and they are the proud parents of four children: 3 girls and 1 boy. When he is not supervising school events or shuttling his children to practices, he also enjoys running, hiking, and playing guitar or piano.

Today I'll tell some crazy stories about the lengths I'll go to get a laugh in my classroom.We're celebrating 50 episodes of the 10-Minute Teacher! Thanks for your support and sharing the show!!! These 5 ways are how I introduce a little laughter into my classroom and still get a lot done.  Some ideas I'll share:  Dress up and drama activities  Humor on my flipped videos  Using stories  Changing the environment How to be in the moment with your students I'm Vicki Davis, the host of this show. I decided to do something kinda different for episode 50. Let me know what you think. I'm a full time Computer Science/ Business and Digital Film teacher in Georgia. See my full bio here at http://www.coolcatteacher.com/bio A full transcript of this show and the show notes are available at www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast as well as details on entering this month’s giveaway contests.

Sylvia Martinez, @smartinez, co-author of Invent to Learn, talks about tinkering today. Some teachers have a misconception that kids just pick up and play with materials and learn, but it is a little bit more nuanced than that. Sylvia does an amazing job of helping us understand the drawbacks, possibilities, and essential nature of tinkering.  Today, Sylvia teaches us: How to make time for tinkering Assessing making and tinkering The risks of using reflection as your only tool of assessing making Three of the biggest mistakes teachers make when tinkering When to let students struggle and when to step in  When to let students struggle and when to step in Sylvia Libow Martinez is co-author of Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering the Classroom helping teachers bring the exciting tools and technology of the Maker Movement to classrooms worldwide. Previously, Sylvia was President of Generation YES, evangelizing student leadership through modern technology. Sylvia also headed product development for consumer software, video games, and educational games at several software publishing companies. Martinez started her career designing high-frequency receiver systems and navigation software for GPS satellites.She holds a masters in educational technology from Pepperdine, and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UCLA. A full transcript of this show and the show notes are available at www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast as well as details on entering this month’s giveaway contests.