Ditch That Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom

Are you ready for a change? You know potential exists for innovative, engaging, revolutionary education if you get the right ideas, right tools, and right people, all in the right order. If that sounds like you, then you're ready to DITCH old mindsets and methods and replace them with empowering, liberating ones. Author and teacher, Matt Miller shows you how to choose and incorporate teaching practices that are: Different from what students see daily. Innovative, drawing on new ideas or modifying others' ideas. Tech-laden with the use of digital sites, tools and devices. Creative, tapping into students' original ideas as well as your own. Hands-on, encouraging students to make and try things on their own. Packed with practical advice, specific recommendations for tools, and the encouragement you need to revolutionize your classes, Ditch That Textbook will inspire you to create relevant teaching that gets student buy-in so they'l enjoy learning. What people are saying about Ditch That Textbook: "Matt Miller's Ditch That Textbook is a book that delivers sound advice, relatable anecdotes and an actionable roadmap for educators." -- Adam Bellow, 2011 ISTE Outstanding Young Educator of the Year "In an age where many schools are still training students to work in a factory, Matt Miller moves past sweeping rhetoric and shows teachers how to move their classes into the future. This is a quick, energetic read that will leave you inspired to take the next step in your classroom!" -- Don Wettrick, Innovation Specialist and Author, Pure Genius

Education & Teaching

Miller, Matt

Schools & Teaching

Dave Burgess Consulting, Incorporated

One of the most frequent questions educators Alice Keeler and Libbi Miller hear from teachers is: "How can I effectively implement digital tools in my classroom when I don't fully understand them myself?" It can be challenging to add new technology to the classroom. Figuring out the equipment and software and deciding how to integrate technology into existing lesson plans are just a few of the learning curves teachers face. But adding technology to classrooms isn't optional; it's a must if students are going to be well-equipped for the future. In 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom, Keeler and Miller shorten the learning curve by providing a thorough overview of the Google Classroom App. Part of Google Apps for Education (GAfE), Google Classroom was specifically designed to help teachers save time by streamlining the process of going digital. Complete with screenshots, 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom provides ideas and step-by-step instruction to help teachers implement this powerful tool. Google Classroom helps teachers: • Encourage collaboration between students • Seamlessly use other google tools, such as Google Docs • Provide timely feedback to keep students engaged in the learning process • Organize assignments and create a paperless classroom Google Classroom makes it easy to facilitate a digital or blended-learning classroom. 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom shows you how to make the most of this valuable, free tool. You'll learn how to: • Set up and add students to your Google Classroom • Create a lesson • Share announcements and assignments with multiple classes • Reduce cheating • See who's really working on team projects • Offer virtual office hours • Personalize the learning experience • And much more!

50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom

Keeler, Alice

Miller, Libbi

Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-in World

Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-In World

Politics & Social Sciences

Smith, Julie

Social Sciences

The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity

Kids walk into schools full of wonder and questions. How you, as an educator, respond to students' natural curiosity can help further their own exploration and shape the way they learn today and in the future. The traditional system of education requires students to hold their questions and compliantly stick to the scheduled curriculum. But our job as educators is to provide new and better opportunities for our students. It's time to recognize that compliance doesn't foster innovation, encourage critical thinking, or inspire creativity--and those are the skills our students need to succeed. In The Innovator's Mindset, George Couros encourages teachers and administrators to empower their learners to wonder, to explore--and to become forward-thinking leaders. If we want innovative students, we need innovative educators. In other words, innovation begins with you. Ultimately, innovation is not about a skill set: it's about a mindset. The Innovator's Mindset is for you if: You are a superintendent, district administrator, or principal who wants to empower your staff to create a culture of innovation You are a school leader - at any level - and want to help students and educators become their personal best. You are a teacher who wants to create relevant learning experiences and help students develop the skills they need to be successful. You'll be inspired to: Connect with other innovative educators Support teachers and leaders as learners Tap into the strength of your learning community Create ongoing opportunities for innovation Seek more effective methods for measuring progress And, most importantly, embrace change and use it to do something amazing.

Couros, George

"Nothing"... How many times each week do your students respond to the question, "What happened at school today?" with that single, uninspiring, and untrue word? As school principals, Ryan McLane and Eric Lowe know that if schools rely on students to keep their parents informed, they risk parents believing that nothing special is happening at school - when quite the opposite is true. Great things are happening in your school every day! It's time to tell people! Your School Rocks... So Tell People! is a practical guide to using social media tools to keep your students' families and community connected, informed, and excited about what's going on in your school. Packed with tips and insights from educators who are effectively using social media, Your School Rocks... So Tell People! will inspire you to find the communication tools that work best for your school community. You'll learn: Where you'll find your "audience" online How video newsletters can help you save time (and paper) Why you don't have to be afraid of Facebook and blog comments How to engage students in learning activities outside normal school hours How simple images and words can inspire students How to save money using powerful and free social media tools And much more! With more than 70 immediately actionable tips, easy to follow instructions, and links to video tutorials, Your School Rocks... So Tell People! equips teachers and administrators to create communication strategies that are doable and effective.

Your School Rocks: Passionately Pitch and Promote the Positives Happening on Your Campus

Lowe, Eric

McLane, Ryan

Maybe you're a teacher looking for an engaging lesson idea. Or maybe, you're a school principal in search of ideas to improve your school culture. Or perhaps you're a superintendent wanting to inform stakeholders of district happenings. Whatever questions you have about education or about how you can be even better at your job, you'll find ideas, resources, and a vibrant network of professionals ready to help you on Twitter. In 140 Twitter Tips for Educators, #Satchat hosts and founders of Evolving Educators, Brad Currie, Billy Krakower, and Scott Rocco offer step-by-step instructions to help you master the basics of Twitter, build an online following, and become a Twitter rock star. From this easy-to-follow guide, you'll learn: How and why to create a personal and classroom or school profile. Whom to follow and how to find the resources you need. How to get noticed on Twitter (And help others!) with your Tweets. What a Twitter chat is and how to join one. How hashtags work - and why you need one for your classroom and/or school. How other educators are using Twitter to learn and teach. And much more! Get connected today and discover how Twitter can help you grow your Professional Learning Network and reinvigorate your career!

140 Twitter Tips for Educators: Get Connected, Grow Your Professional Learning Network, and Reinvigorate Your Career

Currie, Brad

Rocco, Scott

Krakower, William

Based on Dave Burgess's popular "Teach Like a PIRATE" seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator. You'll learn how to: • Tap into and dramatically increase your passion as a teacher • Develop outrageously engaging lessons that draw students in like a magnet • Establish rapport and a sense of camaraderie in your classroom • Transform your class into a life-changing experience for your students This groundbreaking inspirational manifesto contains over 30 hooks specially designed to captivate your class and 170 brainstorming questions that will skyrocket your creativity. Once you learn the Teach Like a PIRATE system, you'll never look at your role as an educator the same again.

Teach Like a PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator

Burgess, Dave

Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level Because innovation deserves more than one hour a week. You've heard the complaints too many times: When am I ever going to use this in the real world? Why are we learning this? When are we going to learn about something interesting? But what if your students came to class excited? What if they were passionate about their projects? What if they grasped the connection between today's work and tomorrow's careers? In classrooms across the nation, innovative teachers are employing passion-based, open-source learning to improve their student's education. In Pure Genius, Don Wettrick encourages teachers and administrators to collaborate--with experts, students, and one another--to create interesting, and even life-changing opportunities for learning. You'll discover: Innovation brings a fresh approach to solving real problems Creative ways to work within the constraints your current budget and system Courses that offer relevant content can inspire students to learn beyond the classroom Collaborating with experts and mentors improves the learning experience for students and teachers Students must be taught and entrusted to appropriately use social media Social media is an incredible resource for inspiration and professional development Innovation is the key to equipping today's students for tomorrow's marketplace. By incorporating the concepts Don explains in Pure Genius, you can empower the next generation to be free thinkers who can create new concepts and products that can change the way we live.

Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level

Wettrick, Don

Learn Like a PIRATE: Empower Your Students to Collaborate, Lead, and Succeed

Collaboration. Empowerment. Student Leadership. These buzz words get a lot of press, but what do they really mean for today's students? Can students really handle the responsibility of leading the class? Can they actually learn what they need to if they are working together so often? Won't all this freedom cause chaos in the classroom? Not if you're teaching them to learn like PIRATES! Peer Collaboration builds community and supports teamwork and cooperation. Improvement-focused learning challenges students to constantly strive to be their best. Responsibility for daily tasks builds ownership in the classroom. Active learning turns boring lessons into fun and memorable experiences. Twenty-first century skills engage students now and prepare them for their futures. Empowerment allows students to become confident risk-takers who make bold decisions. In Learn Like a PIRATE, teachers will discover practical strategies for creating a student-led classroom in which students are inspired and empowered to take charge of their learning experience. You'll learn strategies for: - Crafting active, relevant, and interesting lessons - Creating opportunities for student leadership - Providing effective and beneficial feedback - Instilling confidence so students can take risks - Increasing curiosity and passion for learning Incorporate the techniques and strategies Paul Solarz uses in his student-led classroom and watch your students transform into confident, collaborative leaders.

Learn Like a Pirate: Empower Your Students to Collaborate, Lead, and Succeed

Solarz, Paul

"I just don't get math." If you're a math teacher, you probably can't count the number of times you've heard students, parents, and even fellow teachers make a disparaging statement about your subject. As math teachers and instructional coaches, John Stevens and Matt Vaudrey know how discouraging it feels to look out into a classroom full of disinterested and confused students. But they also know how amazing it feels to see comprehension dawn in their students' eyes - when a concept suddenly makes sense and math becomes meaningful. In The Classroom Chef, John and Matt share their secret recipes, ingredients, and tips for serving up lessons that engage students and help them "get" math. You can use these ideas and methods as-is, or better yet, tweak them and create your own enticing educational meals. The message the authors want to convey is that, with imagination and preparation, every teacher can be a Classroom Chef. Far from bland or boring, the lessons and ideas in The Classroom Chef spark curiosity-and occasionally bewilderment and awe (yes, in math class). After all, mullets, ziplines, and sharks aren't standard topics for typical math classes. But maybe they should be.

The Classroom Chef: Sharpen Your Lessons, Season Your Classes, Make Math Meaningful

John Stevens

Vaudrey, Matt

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Books by Dave Burgess Consulting, Incorporated