Vicki A. Davis's Blog, page 37
November 11, 2020
3 Ways to Activate Genius Mode & Creativity (Even at a Distance) with David Dubczak
Episode 711 of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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3 Ways to Activate Genius Mode & Creativity (Even at a Distance) with David “Creative Dave” Dubczak
David “Creative Dave” Dubczak is a middle school teacher who sparks creativity. In today’s show, he defines creativity and the two kinds of creative thinking to understand: divergent and convergent thinking. Then, he gives us three ways to activate “Genius Mode” and spark c...
November 10, 2020
5 Ways to Be Kind Right Now with Houston Kraft
We can be kind now in the classroom and online
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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How to Be Kind Right Now and Where to Start with Houston Kraft
With 2020 and everything going on, there are countless reasons why being kind is important right now, both in and out of the classroom. In this episode, I sit down with fellow kindness advocate Houston Kraft, public speaker, curriculum developer, and co-founder of CharacterStrong. Houston will talk with us a...
November 3, 2020
5 Ways to Teach Gratitude in your Classroom #creativitymatters
Lesson Plans that Teach Gratitude
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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Whatever your activities for November and Thanksgiving, I’ve got some ideas to inspire gratitude in your classroom. Use it to inspire art or just a change of heart as we help children become more grateful, joyful people.
Teach about gratitude and encourage students to say thank you with activities and projects this November. Here are 5 ideas to inspire gratitude.
5 Ways to Encourage Gra...November 2, 2020
How to Improve Google Classroom & Remote Learning Experiences with Kasey Bell
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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Teaching online is challenging for many teachers. In this show, we talk about best practices to re-engage students, the common mistakes districts are making, and teachers’ importance right now. You’ll find this show encouraging, challenging, and relevant to right now – and you’ll get some new ideas!
Sponsor: Hāpara Google Classroom is great, bu...October 29, 2020
Save Time Digitizing Your Worksheets with TeacherMade
The fast, free tool to help you with distance or hybrid learning
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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One of the biggest challenges we teachers have faced this year has been maintaining our quality of instruction in the midst of change. There are some simple answers, though. This post will share how teachers can quickly digitize handouts, check-ins, worksheets, quizzes, lab reports, and paper of all kinds that support classroom activities. TeacherMade can...
15 Ways to Make Google Classroom Better for Everyone
by Vicki Davis
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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Today, I’m giving you another peek into my classroom, this time, to share tips for getting the most out of your Google Classroom. In this episode, you’ll hear 15 better practices when using Google Classroom, from habits to technical tools. I’ve also had this show transcribed for your reference.
Sponsor – Hāpara Google Classroom is great, but as education standards evol...October 27, 2020
Hāpara: The Essential Tool for Every Google Classroom School
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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I’ve seen one tool improve student engagement in Google Classroom significantly — Hāpara. While Google Classroom is can be taught, there are some problems with Google Classroom regarding engagement and simplicity. Google Classroom isn’t always simple to use for students who struggle. Now, it is.
In this post, I’ll talk about typical problems with Google Classroom and how I’ve seen Hāpara help my students know what need...
October 25, 2020
Current Research and 4 Trauma-Informed Principles to Help Students Now
Dr. Eric Rossen from NASP shares
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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Students experiencing the coronavirus crisis are experiencing trauma. So are teachers and parents. In today’s show, learn the ten principles to help us encourage and help others as we work through this crisis together with Dr. Eric Rossen, the Director of professional development and standards for t...
October 24, 2020
How I Teach About Big Data and Lesson Plan
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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In this episode, I give you a peek into my classroom. I take a topic that isn’t super simple — databases — and show how I teach it with 2 simple projects, some game-based learning, concrete examples, and how my students all master the topic in five days.
While you might not be interested in Big Data or databases, it is part of your student’s future and so it is ...
October 21, 2020
How I Plan My Lessons Digitally with Planboard
Why I Use Chalk and Planboard for Planning Now
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis
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It’s no surprise that the pandemic has caused a lot of headaches for educators. I bet you’re having your share as well, from adapting to hybrid learning, to planning curriculum and lessons, to keeping sane throughout all of this. It’s not been easy, but some good has come out of these difficult times.
Our school, our teachers, an...
