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Episode 112 - The 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Eric Curts @ ericcurts   teaches us twenty-three ways to use Gsuite tools in our classroom. With ideas for Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drawings for all subjects and ages, you’ll want to scroll down and follow the links in our enhanced show notes. Podcast Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Staples. Staples is my go-to back to school shopping source. Check out  http://ift.tt/2vQXj8m  for 10 Ways to tackle back to school like a pro. And remember to sign up for Staples Teacher rewards for free shipping on orders over $14.99 and 5% back. Staples has everything we need in stock all season long and ready to go for school. Go to  http://ift.tt/1LCWpjn  for more information and great deals! Check out back to school tips for teachers Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher You can right click and download a copy Below is...

Episode 111 - The 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Eric Sheninger @ E_Sheninger  motivates us to transform learning this school year. We’re starting Season 2 with a bang and a big book Giveaway, Learning Transformed  by Eric Sheninger and Thomas C. Murray! Enjoy! Podcast Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Staples. Staples is my go-to back to school shopping source. Check out  http://ift.tt/2vQXj8m  for my 10 Ways to tackle back to school like a pro. And remember to sign up for Staples Teacher rewards for free shipping on orders over $14.99 and 5% back. Staples has everything we need in stock all season long and ready to go for school. Go to  http://ift.tt/1LCWpjn  for more information and great deals! Listen to the Show Listen to the show on iTunes or  Stitcher , You can also right click and download a copy Enter the book giveaway contest Below is a transcript m...

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter A common cry from teachers across the world is for relevant professional development. A 2014 Gates Foundation study shows only 29% of teachers satisfied with current teacher PD. Another 2015 study shows that only 30% of teachers improve substantially with PD. So, what we have doesn’t seem to be working. So, what can we do to improve teacher professional development? This is a contribution to Cathy Rubin’s Global Search for Education Top Global Teacher Blogger’s Column . This month’s question is about how to improve teacher professional development. 1 – Model What is Being Taught In my own experience, I remember sitting through a class on differentiated instruction. The “teacher” had more than 200 slides. She read them to us. To further make this point, let’s discuss what differentiation is. Think of it this way — Some students learn by seeing. Others learn by hearing. Others learn by doing. But...

Episode 108 with Bill Selak From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Bill Selak @ billselak  shares how he’s using Amazon’s Alexa via the  Echo and Dot  in the classroom. He shares the ideal grades (in his opinion) and how the Echo is an “assistant” of sorts for his teachers. He also talks about how his school made an app for the Echo and about the biggest mistake they made in implementation. Stream by  clicking here . Download the transcript or scroll down to read an organized transcript on this page. Click the button for iTunes or Stitcher to subscribe to this show     Bio as Submitted by Guest Bill Selak is the Director of Technology at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, California. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator, ISTE 2014 Kay L. Bitter Vision Award recipient, ISTE 2013 Emerging Leader, and a Google Certified Innovator. Bill is currently obsessed with sharing his professional learning on Sna...