

10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Vicki Davis
A teacher podcast for busy educators—about 10 minutes, every week. Stay current on artificial intelligence in education (plain English), edtech, and what matters in the classroom: culture, instruction, assessment, digital health and wellness, and more. Simple ideas you can use right away.
Hosted by AP Computer Science teacher Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher)—author and longtime edtech blogger—this teaching podcast features best-selling teachers, researchers, and in-the-classroom administrators sharing practical strategies that connect with today's students.
Follow the 10 Minute Teacher—the podcast for teachers and school leaders—for weekly, classroom-ready tips.
Show notes & resources: https://coolcatteacher.com/podcast
Hosted by AP Computer Science teacher Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher)—author and longtime edtech blogger—this teaching podcast features best-selling teachers, researchers, and in-the-classroom administrators sharing practical strategies that connect with today's students.
Follow the 10 Minute Teacher—the podcast for teachers and school leaders—for weekly, classroom-ready tips.
Show notes & resources: https://coolcatteacher.com/podcast
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 23, 2024 • 15min
4 Entrepreneurial Secrets Every Teacher Needs to Empower Learning
The entrepreneurial spirit isn't confined to the world of business – it can thrive in every classroom, every day. It aligns seamlessly with dynamic project-based learning and captivates students through engaging classroom projects. In this episode, we're joined by Stephen Carter, author of 'Teaching the Entrepreneurial Mindset.' Stephen delves into the four pivotal aspects of an entrepreneurial mindset that are essential for educators at all levels. He shares insights from his extensive experience as the Director of Entrepreneurship and Sustainability at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, where he's not only taught for 18 years but has also revolutionized their entrepreneurship program. Join us as Stephen Carter gives an approach for every educator to empower their students with entrepreneurial thinking. Show Sponsor: Edge U Badges - Edge U Badges from Forward Edge is a fantastic micro credentialing program for teachers, administrators, and school staff. In this program, you can earn contact hours or graduate credit. With the ISTE Seal of Alignment, this program is approved by many districts as a flexible, personalized way for teachers to learn and grow. They will work with you to help your district accept your transcript for licensure renewal hours. Edge U Badges has former teachers review every single badge within 1-3 business days of submission, and no badge is ever denied without very specific feedback on what you can do to resubmit successfully or positive feedback on successful submissions. This is a program that I'm reviewing for my own renewal that comes up this year and I'm excited about their micro-credentialing system, which is why I'm recommending it to you! Use the code COOLCAT for $20 off a premium account. 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."

Jan 16, 2024 • 13min
The Rise of Esports in Education: Breaking New Ground
If you want to know how to start an eSports program in your school. Or if you want to know why so many schools are getting eSports programs, this episode is a must-listen for you. Welcome to another episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, where today we're diving into the game-changing world of scholastic esports. Our guest, Danielle Johnson, Executive Director of the Texas Scholastic Esports Federation, shares how esports is not just about gaming but about boosting student engagement, improving academic performance, and building a more inclusive school community. Esports are rapidly growing in schools across the country. The reasons are not only that they are fun but they are making a positive impact on a generation of students whose favorite sport is video games. If you're skeptical, we'll speak to your concerns as well. Tune in to discover why esports might just be the missing piece in your educational toolkit and how you can start a program at your school. Show Sponsor: Edge U Badges - Edge U Badges from Forward Edge is a fantastic micro credentialing program for teachers, administrators, and school staff. In this program, you can earn contact hours or graduate credit. With the ISTE Seal of Alignment, this program is approved by many districts as a flexible, personalized way for teachers to learn and grow. They will work with you to help your district accept your transcript for licensure renewal hours. Edge U Badges has former teachers review every single badge within 1-3 business days of submission, and no badge is ever denied without very specific feedback on what you can do to resubmit successfully or positive feedback on successful submissions. This is a program that I'm reviewing for my own renewal that comes up this year and I'm excited about their micro-credentialing system, which is why I'm recommending it to you! Use the code COOLCAT for $20 off a premium account. 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."

25 snips
Jan 8, 2024 • 22min
28 Questions to Ask Yourself As You Plan Your Year
Discover how to plan your year with a customizable approach. Reflect on the past year, evaluate attitudes, identify problems, and make changes. Explore the importance of seeking the truth, evaluating progress, and accessing downloadable resources for assistance.

Dec 22, 2023 • 12min
How to Make Teaching A Long-Term Career: What Works
Explore strategies for teacher well-being and sustainable education practices in this episode. Learn how to balance self-care and student support, accept students as they are, and set high standards for learning alliances. Gain practical tips for flourishing in a demanding profession.

Dec 19, 2023 • 13min
Charting New Territories in PD: The Witsby Story with ASCD
A conversation about the Witsby platform, a new PD option for educators. They discuss the advantages of a mobile learning platform, including high-quality content and collaboration. They also explore how teachers can earn professional development credit through reflection and AI coaching, emphasizing the importance of ethics and integrity.

Dec 5, 2023 • 46min
Cool Cat Teacher's AI Insight: 10 Ways I'm Using AI Today
Welcome to today's episode, where I will bridge the gap between AI in my classroom and your ears! If you've been following my blog, you know I want to bring practical, innovative teaching strategies to life. But today, I'm doing things a bit differently on the show for an extended episode with me, your host, Vicki Davis. Sponsor: Modern Classrooms Project will help you bring engaging, exciting teaching to your classroom with their free online course and community. Go to coolcatteacher.com/modern right now to sign up for the Modern Classrooms essential course for free where you will learn about the strategies, research, and resources that can drive student-centered, self-directed learning in your classroom. They can show you have to use technology to unlock deeper student relationships with your students. So many people ask me how to respond to Artificial Intelligence and my response is always, that we need to shift our pedagogical practices into the classroom to the time-tested research-based best practices. You get that with Modern Classrooms, so go to coolcatteacher.com/modern today and sign up. You'll be glad you did. I'll guide you through how I use AI in my classes. I teach eighth grade through an AP Class with seniors, and we're finding amazing ways to use AI, from advising us on a trip project to providing feedback on logos and user interfaces for our app-building project to testing AI tutors. It's all real and all right now. There is no theory here, just lots of learning and some bumps along the way. (Recently, a custom GPT I created started calling me Melissa, sigh. Someone explain that to me!) And for a bit of fun, meet CAT GPT, my very own Content AI Taskhelper - a personal assistant I've created with a blend of my own educational beliefs and research-backed best practices. I have it interview me on the way to school (and sometimes back), and it helps me create content for you. I always link to it, so I'll share how I do that too. And, since I've given two weeks off to my son, John, so he can ace his finals, I understand the frustration with AI-generated transcripts (thanks, southern accent!), so while there's o polished transcript available just yet, you can check out the auto-captions on the Cool Cat Teacher YouTube channel for a pretty good transcript. And if you need a more accurate version, don't hesitate to reach out via email -- I'm committed to making my content accessible to all. This episode is more than just a podcast; it's a glimpse into the future of education with AI. So whether you're a seasoned educator or just AI-curious, tune in, laugh along, and prepare to form your own opinions about AI. Let's continue this AI adventure together as we work to improve our classrooms and educate a successful generation for tomorrow. This extended episode sponsored by Modern Classrooms will help me share about the pedagogical changes that can happen in schools that want to advance learning in an AGE of AI.

Nov 18, 2023 • 11min
A Very Useful Guide to Virtual Classroom Collaboration
In this episode, we welcome Billy Krakower, a nationally recognized educator with 16 years of experience and a passion for bringing technology and creativity into the classroom. As a current STEM teacher in North New Jersey and a Google Certified Trainer, Billy focuses on implementing cutting-edge instructional design and co-authors "Connecting Your Students with the Virtual World." We'll uncover practical, engaging strategies for integrating the four Cs -- Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication -- into your teaching. From engaging mystery location calls to the innovative use of Google Art and Culture for creative exploration and the impactful use of AI in education, Billy shares actionable techniques to transform your classroom into a hub of global learning and collaboration. Sponsor: This show is sponsored by Microsoft. Check out their new AI Course. All opinions are my own.

Nov 10, 2023 • 15min
The Cycle of Experimentation: A New Approach to Educational Innovation
In today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Justin Reich, an associate professor at MIT and the author of 'Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools.' We dive deep into teachers' crucial role in driving innovation and improvement in education. Suppose you've ever wondered how to bring meaningful change to your school or classroom. In that case, this episode offers actionable insights into teacher leadership, classroom experimentation, and the power of doing less to achieve more. Sponsor: Modern Classrooms is sponsoring a free webinar with Dr. Justin Reich, today's guest, on November 14, 2023. Don't worry, you can also listen to the recording. In this webinar, guests will dive deep into the strategies that drive meaningful change in instructional approaches and student learning, and learn the hallmarks of top-notch professional development experiences that support educators along the path toward classroom innovation. Join our experts, DC-based principal coach Maya Stewart and author and associate professor at MIT, Dr. Justin Reich to discuss how we support teacher leaders and innovation within our learning communities. Link: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/modernwebinar Show notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e821

Nov 3, 2023 • 19min
Practical, Awesome AI: Unlocking the Power of Bing Chat Enterprise
In today's show, I talk with Mark Sparvell about a tool that has become essential to my lesson planning and work in my AP Computer Science Principles course: Bing Chat Enterprise. If your school has Microsoft Office 365 A3 or A5 licenses, you can activate this feature. It's an amazing tool that saves time and stands out with its robust privacy features, ensuring the security of student data while offering powerful AI functionalities to streamline tasks for teachers and administrators. This show is sponsored and includes some advertorial content. It's only my second podcast this year featuring such content, which I choose to do only when the product is one I personally use, and when it's both newsworthy and beneficial for educators. The show is unscripted, and all opinions are my own. Enjoy! ✏️Note from Vicki: I'm back! For those of you who noticed a slight absence, I had corrective 👁️ eye surgery and now can see so clearly. However, the journey to get here was one where I had to significantly limit my time on electronics which meant the podcast and newsletter took a short break when I couldn't look at my devices. I can't stress the importance of all of us teachers taking care of themselves if I wouldn't pause and do it myself! Right? But I'm back and will be posting awesome content weekly from here on out with a short break at Christmas. Thanks to those of you who emailed me to check on me. I'm great now even if playing a bit of catch up! 😀 -- Vicki Davis Sponsor: This show is sponsored by Microsoft. Check out their new AI Course. All opinions are my own. Show notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/bing-chat-enterprise

Oct 1, 2023 • 11min
Breaking Down Barriers: How to Make Math Accessible for All Students
Dr. Lydia Gonzalez, author of "Bad at Math: Dismantling Harmful Beliefs That Hinder Equitable Mathematics Education," talks about the societal norms that make it acceptable to be "bad at math" and how these beliefs can be detrimental to learning. Dr. Gonzalez emphasizes the importance of broadening our understanding of math and its relevance in everyday life. We also discuss the critical role of relationships and a growth mindset in effective teaching, particularly in math subjects that many find intimidating. Let's explore how to dismantle harmful beliefs in math education and create a more equitable learning environment. Snow notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e819 Sponsor: This show is sponsored by Microsoft. Check out their new AI Course. All opinions are my own. Once a year, I have a newsworthy topic that I accept that has advertorial content. This is the show for 2023 with Microsoft. 00:00:00 - 00:00:33: Introduction John D. introduces the host, Vicki Davis, and today's sponsor, Microsoft Education. Vicki introduces Dr. Lidia Gonzalez, the author of "Bad at Math: Dismantling Harmful Beliefs That Hinder Equitable Mathematics Education." 00:00:33 - 00:01:32: The Problem with Saying "I'm Bad at Math" Dr. Lidia Gonzalez discusses the societal acceptance of being "bad at math" and how it hinders students from excelling in the subject. 00:01:32 - 00:02:42: Broadening the Definition of Math Dr. Lidia Gonzalez talks about how math is more than just numbers and equations; it's a study of patterns that applies to everyday life. 00:02:42 - 00:03:46: The Importance of Relationships in Education Dr. Lidia Gonzalez emphasizes the importance of building relationships with students to foster a conducive learning environment. 00:03:46 - 00:05:45: Real-world Examples and Mindset Dr. Lidia Gonzalez and Vicki Davis discuss the importance of a growth mindset and using real-world examples to make math relatable. 00:05:45 - 00:09:44: Math is Not Neutral Dr. Lidia Gonzalez talks about the importance of inclusive and equitable math education, touching on issues of access and representation. 00:09:44 - 00:10:12: Closing Remarks Vicki Davis thanks Dr. Lidia Gonzalez for her insights and mentions the Microsoft Education AI course for educators.


