Vicki A. Davis's Blog, page 142
December 17, 2015
3 Simple Steps to Help Students Become a Global Citizen
Teacherpreneurs Connect Their Students
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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Like squirrels in a sack, we can choose to coexist or we can make life miserable for one another. We are all a global citizen whether we realize it or not. Parents and teachers are building the bridges today that tomorrow will walk across.
Let’s be clear about something. Because of the way students form their opinions, if you’re not building a bridge, you’re building a wall...
December 10, 2015
Modern Professional Learning: Connecting PLCs With PLNs
A Post written for Edutopia
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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Modern professional learning links the Professional Learning Community (PLC) with the Professional Learning Network (PLN). Help teachers improve teaching by using both together in powerful ways.
In this post on Edutopia, I work hard to connect the research on two methods that have been shown to improve a teacher’s teaching ability: the PLC and the PLN. But there are some unique ways the...
December 9, 2015
Love Song to My Readers: Cool Cat Teacher’s 10th blog birthday
Cool Cat Teacher, established December 9, 2005
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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After 10 years of blogging, this blog birthday has me grateful for the several million teachers who have dropped by and given my work a read. On this day in 2005, I started blogging. It took me a week to write my first post. On this day ten years a go, I found the strength to hit publish. (I’ll admit that the post was ready a few days earlier, I was just afraid.)That...
December 8, 2015
Smartphone Photography Tips and Apps
Every Classroom Matters episode 197
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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Smartphones are everywhere. Our students have them. We have them. Teachers are starting to use smartphones for photography, video and art. Meri Walker, the iPhone Art Girl, gives us the essential smartphone photography tips and smartphone photography apps that we need.
Mobile artist communities are growing. (Meri has displayed her mobile art in some of the most prestigious art...
December 3, 2015
9 Super Apps For Stargazers
Get into Nature to Nurture
“The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the most beautiful things about living in the country is being able to see all the stars.You can enjoy the sky even more when you ‘ve got the right apps.
9 Super Apps for Stargazers Augmented StargazingAugmented Stargazing is looking at the stars through a cell phone as the phone overlays constellations, stars, planets, satellites and more. Most require GPS and cellular data to work and many ar...
December 1, 2015
The Power of One Conversation
Sue and Mrs. Scruggs
Sue’s lunch pail slung back and forth as she waited for the bus. She fingered a rip in her homemade skirt and thought it was time for another patch. Another patch?
Sue looked longingly over at two of the most popular girls in her class. They were dressed stylishly as they threw their bags in the convertible and jumped in for a ride home with their boyfriends. Wishing for the life of a popular girl was a waste of time. Sue knew that. She turned her attention back to waitin...
Top Education Tweets of November 2015
Trends and topics on Twitter
November was a busy month. Out of 758 tweets, these are the top 10 based on your retweets, shares, and click-throughs on Twitter Analytics. If you haven’t checked out Twitter analytics yet, head on over to http://analytics.twitter.com
Top Education Tweets: November 2015 1. A graphic created by @ASTsupportAAli to help kids reflect on their learningSome people love this plenary review grid and are using this with classes. Although, I was tweeted by an educator yes...
November 30, 2015
8 Ways to Become a Better Educator Every Day
Great teachers self-assess. Poor teachers change nothing.
Test yourself. Is your teaching solid? Don’t take for granted that students are learning. Give yourself a regular check up. Great teachers learn. They learn about their pupils. They understand their classroom. Theymake it better. Great teachers become a better educator every day.
I can tell a great teacher with one question.
“What is the next thing you want to do in your classroom?”
The great ones will immediately talk about the lesson...
November 29, 2015
Top Blog Posts on the Cool Cat Teacher Blog
November 2015
November has been a busy month. Not only are teachers using new tools, but they are struggling with burnout and old-fashioned interpersonal skills. We are needing inspiration and simple edtech advice as shown by the top blog posts here on the Cool Cat Teacher Blog and shows this month.
Top 10 Blog Posts of November 2015: The Cool Cat Teacher Blog 10 Ways to Flip a Kid and Turn Their Day Around Note Taking Skills for 21st Century Students Why Teachers Need to Keep Going Even Whe...
November 24, 2015
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY about Talking to Children About Terrorism
Every Classroom Matters Episode 193
How should we be talking to children about terrorism? Did you know children under six shouldn’t be watching the news? Do you know the biggest worries of high schoolers when they hear of terrorism? Child trauma expert Dr. Steven Berkowitz helps parents and teachers understand how we talk to kids of various ages about terrorism.
Now is the time to listen to and sharethis show before Thanksgiving family dinner conversations.
Important Takeways: What the Expert...
