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Setting Up Your Classroom to Win From Day One From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter As a teacher, I want to have a great relationship with my students and their parents. But there are things I can unknowingly do to sabotage (or improve) that relationship. In today’s show, we’re talking with Mike Hall about how to have the best start of the school year ever with our parents. Parents and teachers should be partners in student progress. At the end of the day it comes back to communication. Communicate early. Communicate often. Communicate in ways that are convenient for parents. Give the parents and students respect that you also want to receive from them. Listen to this show on: BAM Radio Network | iTunes | Stitcher Today’s Sponsor: Bloomz Upgrade to Bloomz (It is free!) Bloomz is a powerful, easy to use (AND FREE) parent-teacher communication app. It gives parents a choice of how they want to receive communications: email, notif...

Research on classroom design with Peter Barrett From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Peter Barrett gives us an overview of his classroom design research in today’s show. Peter and his co-authors found a 16% impact of classroom design on the learning of 3766 primary school students in the UK. Peter breaks down the study into individual factors like light, air quality, and nature. But, perhaps the most astounding impact is the power of personalization and helping students “own” the classroom on learning. This personalization aspect impacts all teachers! Listen to this show on: BAM Radio Network | iTunes | Stitcher Today’s Sponsor: Carson Dellosa As you design your classroom, use the fantastic resources by today’s sponsor  Carson-Dellosa . As can be seen by the points made in today’s show, we should all check out these tools and resource s at Carson-Dellosa. Additionally, they have great tips on decluttering their classroom and a fi...

Join me, August 25 at 7pm EDT From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Writing has been reinvented. Learn about the tools, techniques and writing tips that are changing everything. Thursday, August 25, 7pm EDT Register Now The webinar is live and free. As with the other webinars, I’ll be recording and posting this on the store. Check out my book Reinventing Writing . Reinventing WRiting teaches you about the 9 tools that are changing writing, learning and living forever and how to teach with them.   The post FREE WEBINAR: 9 Ways Writing Has Been Reinvented in the Classroom appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow! From http://ift.tt/2bdnJtB via Vicki Davis at coolcatteacher.com . Please also check out my show for busy teachers, Every Classroom Matters and my Free teaching tutorials on YouTube .

A best selling neurologist shares how the brain really works From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter How do exercise, sleep, and the unique composition of the human brain impact learning? Today’s guest, neuroscientist John Medina , shares his views on where schools are falling short. Today’s show is a thought-provoking and edgy discussion sure to evoke a lively discussion in your PLC. If you love Brain Rules , listen to today’s show.   Listen to this show on BAM Radio Network | iTunes | Stitcher Plan an Exciting Student Trip with Rustic Pathways See Rustic Pathways Student Trips Today’s Sponsor: Rustic Pathways .  The most memorable experiences in my teaching career happened on trips with students. Today’s sponsor Rustic Pathways can help plan your trip and make learning meaningful. Take time now to plan an incredible trip with your students. Go to  http://ift.tt/1YA5UVh to learn more about the exciting trips you can pla...

Advice about Tablets and Young Children: What Works and Warnings from an Expert. From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter You’ve seen it. Young children engrossed in tablet devices. But how much is too much? Today’s expert, Diane Levin, gives technology guidance to the parents and teachers of young children. Check out Tiggly Parents and teachers need to interact with students. Kids need the real world.  Hands-on manipulatives help them learn, as well. Today’s guest helps us with balancing the physical world and the virtual tablet-based world many young children inhabit. Listen to this show on BAM Radio Network | iTunes | Stitcher Hands on Manipulatives and iPad Games with Today’s Sponsor, Tiggly Check out Tiggly . Informed educators and parents are looking for better ways for their children to interact with technology. Tiggly combines the best of physical play with their apps. Tiggly combines hands-on manipulatives with ...

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter You are invited to attend my free live webinar, Differentiating Instruction with Technology. This is one of my most popular sessions that I share at conferences. Register Now 01 Days 00 Hours 22 Minutes 52 Seconds Webinar is past! Learn how to build a classroom framework of tech tools so you can reach every child. […] The post FREE WEBINAR: Differentiating Instruction with Technology appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow! From http://ift.tt/2bvvpIU via Vicki Davis at coolcatteacher.com . Please also check out my show for busy teachers, Every Classroom Matters and my Free teaching tutorials on YouTube .

Global Teacher Prize Finalist Mike Soskil Shares His Secrets From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter You can unleash a student intrinsic motivation from the first day of school. First, you start the school year with authentic connections. Second, you create a culture of learning.  In today’s episode, Mike Soskil, award-winning science teacher and Global Teacher prize finalist, shares his ideas for starting school. Additionally, he shares secrets for creating a culture that unleashes student intrinsic motivation. While Mike is an elementary science teacher, I learned many techniques that apply to my middle and high school classrooms. Listen to this show on: BAM Radio Network | iTunes | Stitcher Today’s Sponsor: Freshgrade This episode is sponsored by Fresh Grade . Freshgrade has  a free tool that lets you create student portfolios . To make them even more powerful, these portfolios can include video, sound, various kin...