Because it's Monday and you probably need a good laugh...
Monday, March 11, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Monday morning memo ~ 23
The Art of Possibility - Rosamund and Benjamin Zander
- The Zanders really do a great job of pushing you to think "outside of the box." They emphasize the importance of "possibility," and that through traditional thinking we are unfortunately limiting ourselves. An interesting and thought provoking read here.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni
- This book hits on some of the most common problems we face when it comes to teams and working together. The message is woven into a story and does an excellent job of providing solutions and alternatives when working with a team of people.
Winning with People - John Maxwell
- This is a fantastic book about building and establishing strong relationships. This book was well received because it not only has professional advice, but also had personal advice. Strong relationships are the keys to so many doors.
Tribes - Seth Godin
- Godin describes a world in which nothing is possible without "tribes." Tribes have throughout time pushed and helped our society to evolve, therefore their importance can't be ignored. An interesting read when it comes to establishing groups, teams and followers.
The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell does an excellent job of describing how something becomes "something." Once an idea or concept reaches "the tipping point," the idea or concept is really able to take off. This book has some valid points in the educational setting, and will most certainly get you thinking.
Brain Rules - John Medina
- The brain is a hot topic right now in society, and as educators it has great value to understand more about how the brain works to better meet the needs of our students. Medina addresses some common myths and misconceptions as it pertains to the brain.
How Full is your Bucket? - Tom Rath
- An inspirational book about filling the buckets of others. When you are negative you end up taking from somebody's bucket; when you are positive, encouraging, and solution oriented, you are able to add to someone's bucket.
The Fred Factor - Mark Sanborn
- This is the extraordinary tale of a postman named Fred. Fred takes all aspects of his life to the next level. No matter what he is doing he makes sure to do his best. Great inspirational book applicable to all educators.
Drive - Daniel Pink- An extremely popular book right now. Pink outlines the three main factors of motivation: mastery, purpose and autonomy. This book really questions what it means to be either extrinsically motivated or intrinsically motivated.
The Energy Bus - Jon Gordon
- A great story about harnessing and taking advantage of positive energy. This book is applicable to educators of all levels and backgrounds. Check out Jon Gordon's website.
What Great Teachers do Differently - Todd Whitaker
- This book illustrates 14 traits and characteristics that make a great teacher. Simple and straight forward read that is enjoyed by many teachers.
The Radical Leap - Steve Farber
- Awesome book on extreme leadership. Farber explains why we need a new form of extreme leadership, as well as ways one can accomplish this. This book is a simple read full of great ideas and motivational moments.
Mindset - Carol Dweck- Great book about the "fixed" mindset vs. the "growth" mindset. The fixed mindset is static and unable to change, while the growth mindset focuses on the journey and the process. It's a shift from what isn't known, to what isn't known "yet..."
Quiet - Susan Cain- Fantastic read about the undervalued power of the introverts in our society. Typically, we listen to and respond to the extroverts, while the introverts are pushed aside. A great insight into the role introverts play in our society, and one of the hottest books on the market right now.
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 - Travis Bradberry
- Bradberry argues that one's emotional intelligence could actually be more influential than one's IQ. Once you are better able to understand and respond to your emotions you will have found a new way of approaching life. This is an interesting read that debunks most traditional thinking of IQ versus EQ.
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Monday morning memo ~ 22
The knowing vs. doing gap...
We all know we should probably eat healthier and exercise more often, but what we know and what we do are sometimes two different things...
The same thing goes for our students.
Our students know a lot, however can they do something to demonstrate & validate their "knowing...?"
Think about the types of activities your students are completing. Are they simply regurgitating information in isolated chunks, or are they applying information on a larger scale as part of a more complex process with essential skills embedded?
The value of content is descending... while the value of filtering, finding & sharing content is ascending. It's not what kids "know" that's important, it's how they can apply, demonstrate, explain and transfer the "known" that's important...
Watch this 6 minute video about the value of information:
Tip of the week: Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/)
Looking for a quick way to get formative feedback from your students? Looking for a great way to start class with a warm up question/activity? Looking for a way to engage the students who don't always feel comfortable talking in front of their peers? Looking for a way to integrate technology into your classroom?
Poll Everywhere is for you!
Create a poll for free, and then have your students "text" their answers. The responses the kids text in can be just on your computer, or they can be displayed on your SmartBoard for the entire class to see. All answers are anonymous, and kids who don't have their own device can pair up with a partner to ensure all are involved.
Just an FYI... because we know how snow days can disrupt the learning process for students, and more importantly, teachers miss seeing their students so much during those snow days, the district is taking a few steps to ensure we don't miss any more days due to snow.
The value of content is descending... while the value of filtering, finding & sharing content is ascending. It's not what kids "know" that's important, it's how they can apply, demonstrate, explain and transfer the "known" that's important...
Watch this 6 minute video about the value of information:
Tip of the week: Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/)
Looking for a quick way to get formative feedback from your students? Looking for a great way to start class with a warm up question/activity? Looking for a way to engage the students who don't always feel comfortable talking in front of their peers? Looking for a way to integrate technology into your classroom?
Poll Everywhere is for you!
Create a poll for free, and then have your students "text" their answers. The responses the kids text in can be just on your computer, or they can be displayed on your SmartBoard for the entire class to see. All answers are anonymous, and kids who don't have their own device can pair up with a partner to ensure all are involved.
Just an FYI... because we know how snow days can disrupt the learning process for students, and more importantly, teachers miss seeing their students so much during those snow days, the district is taking a few steps to ensure we don't miss any more days due to snow.
(a poor attempt at making a joke...)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The Monday morning memo ~ 21
What if you could bounce ideas off educators not just in your hallway... school... district... state... or even your country...? What if you could open up learning for your students... what if the great many opportunities of the world were at your and your students' fingertips? The truth is, you can, and it's happening all the time!
Have up to 10 educators or students in a "Google Hangout" discussing and working collaboratively via Google Plus:
Amplify your voice and broaden your pool of knowledge by asking questions and sharing ideas while getting instant feedback via Twitter. At the secondary level, create a hashtag (#mathMrSmith) for your classroom so kids can communicate and share information about the class.
Bonus, check out Hootsuite to set up a schedule of your tweets which will allow you to write your tweets in advance and have them sent out later automatically!
Start a blog to share your educational learning experiences; create a platform for discussion via the comment section on your blog. Have your students start a blog so they can share their work with an audience of more than just you, their teacher:
Skype with another classroom on the other side of the United States; Skype with other educators to discuss best instructional practices:
Start pinning with Pinterest:
Have your students use their iPods, iPads, or iPhones to create their own videos via iMovie. Bonus, as a teacher, create your own short videos to archive important concepts or lessons and share with kids who were absent... explore flipped teaching!
Being a networked educator is all about not working alone. It's all about tapping into the vast world that is quickly becoming smaller and smaller.
Leave a comment below to share how you are or could become a "networked educator."
Welcome to the Networked Teacher:
Have up to 10 educators or students in a "Google Hangout" discussing and working collaboratively via Google Plus:
Amplify your voice and broaden your pool of knowledge by asking questions and sharing ideas while getting instant feedback via Twitter. At the secondary level, create a hashtag (#mathMrSmith) for your classroom so kids can communicate and share information about the class.Bonus, check out Hootsuite to set up a schedule of your tweets which will allow you to write your tweets in advance and have them sent out later automatically!
Skype with another classroom on the other side of the United States; Skype with other educators to discuss best instructional practices:
Start pinning with Pinterest: 
Have your students use their iPods, iPads, or iPhones to create their own videos via iMovie. Bonus, as a teacher, create your own short videos to archive important concepts or lessons and share with kids who were absent... explore flipped teaching!Being a networked educator is all about not working alone. It's all about tapping into the vast world that is quickly becoming smaller and smaller.
Leave a comment below to share how you are or could become a "networked educator."
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Monday morning memo ~ 20
Assessments... formative... summative... increasing rigor... homework... grades... extra credit... student mastery...
~ a few things to ponder on this Monday morning!
An assessment is only formative when you actually take action and modify your instruction based on what you've learned from the results of the task...
~ just a few things to consider...
**View the entire presentation from the Powerful Learning Conference below:
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