Ditch That Textbook Podcast :: Education, teaching, edtech :: #DitchPod

Don't just teach a lesson. Create an experience! When I read that line in Dave Burgess's book, Teach Like a Pirate, it changed the way that I would teach. I started thinking about ways to teach that way with technology and the list grew and grew. This spring, I will release my newest book, Tech Like a Pirate, with tons of ideas you can use in class tomorrow!

Is your Google classroom a mess? Wish it could be more organized? there are a couple simple strategies you can use to take control! Your students will thank you when they can find what they need quickly.

do you ever stop to think about your big wins? You know, the things that have gone really well over the last day, week, or month? or the last semester? Or your entire career? It's so easy to get wrapped up in our to do list and think about what we haven't accomplished instead of what we have.

in a presentation during the Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit, Toney Jackson talked about using rap, poetry, and hip hop in his classes. He encourages his students to have a creative outlet, and he does that purposefully through the culture he is creating in his classroom. Have you thought about the kind of culture that you are creating in your own classroom?

You may have noticed at the beginning of every episode that I mention that I'm a member of the Education Podcast Network. The EPN is a great resource full of great educational podcasts to check out. there's a huge variety of topics, and I'm sure there's something that will be right for you. In today's episode, I talk about some of the great shows in the network.

I learned so much from listening to podcasts. I can listen to them while I'm working out, while I'm on the road, or while I'm mowing the grass. There are so many great educational podcasts out there! I wanted to share a handful of my favorites in case you wanted to subscribe and listen to them as well.

Sometimes, teachers who are reluctant to use technology don't know where to start. We know that we don't want to Substitute what we used to do with a digital version of the exact same thing. Learning doesn't improve that way. However, we can take an activity those teachers are comfortable with and do a tech upgrade. In this episode, I talk about an example of a tech upgrade -- multimedia interacti...

I'm a big fan of taking notes on paper notebooks. I have used a variety of digital note-taking apps. However, this one app is changing my mind about how I take notes and keep them organized. That app is OneNote (OneNote.com). It's available for free. Plus, the ability to draw freehand with a stylus or pen is fantastic.

The Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit is a free online conference for teachers. Watch inspiring, practical videos. Get certificates for PD credit. In this episode, you'll get to know the speakers in the summit! Register: ditchsummit.com

When you're a student, it's tough to things at once -- like listen to a teacher and take notes. You can't give your full attention to either one. with the practice of retrieve taking, students give their undivided attention to listening and then give their full attention to taking notes. It's an idea from the book Powerful Teaching that will be featured in the Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit. R...

Sometimes, it's nice for students to be able to without an internet connection. when they are at home or on the bus or somewhere else that doesn't have Wi-Fi, this is where offline access is really valuable. This is especially timely in Indiana, where I live, because of e-learning days for snow cancellations. Here about some options for offline access in this episode!

Google Earth calls itself the world's most detailed globe. It lets you look digitally at 3D maps, zooming in and out and gathering information. To this point, it has been largely a consumption tool. However, with the new creation tools, students can now create with Google Earth. You'll hear all the details and how you can use them in class in today's episode!

It's an online conference for teachers, Netflix style! The Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit brings you dozens of fascinating video presentations. Earn professional development credits for watching them. And do it all from the comfort of your couch in your pajamas! December 21st through January 9th. Register: ditchsummit.com

Coding and computer science are skills that are in demand in the workforce now. Want to encourage your students to learn more about them? The Hour of Code is an excellent opportunity! It takes place December 9th through the 15th, 2019.

It's been more than a year since I published an episode to this podcast. I'm excited to say that I am back! The podcast will feature short daily episodes with tips, tricks, ideas and more.

Minute by minute, you can buy back time for what matters most with keyboard shortcuts. In this episode, I share some of my favorites that you can use to make yourself more efficient!

There's a story in everything. Our brains are wired for story. How can we incorporate elements of storytelling into teaching and learning?

We used to use cassette tapes to record our favorite songs on "mixtapes" that we'd listen to over and over again. (At least I did.) Instructional coach Stephanie DeMichele suggests that we "mixtape" our instruction! She offers a framework for doing it, too.

Drive the same route to school for a while and you'll do it on autopilot. Why? It's easier on your brain that way. It can ignore what it's doing. That's "repetition suppression": you ignore what you do repeatedly. This isn't a good thing in the classroom. We don't want students to ignore. This makes the case for novelty!

Until Sept. 21, 2018, eight FANTASTIC video presentations are available at DitchSummit.com! You'll get practical ideas and inspiration from all of the presenters. But don't worry if you miss it. There's a Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit every December. Head to DitchSummit.com to sign up for updates so you don't miss it!

When we're teaching or presenting, we get in a state of speaking flow. The ideas are coming and we're spitting them out. But many times, we're moving faster than our listeners can process. A pause is a breath of fresh air and some mental processing time. It's powerful!

Students get bombarded by media and messaging all day long. Cell phones. Social media. Videos. And the communication that comes through all of them. How can they maintain a balance and live their best lives? Michigan educator Paul Murray has some suggestions.

Wow, 100 episodes! It's been a fun learning experience for me, and I hope it has been for you. I do a little reflection on the creation of this podcast and share three things I've learned from having created it. THANK YOU for being a listener and being on this journey with me. Here's to 100 more episodes -- and more!

Google Classroom lets teachers customize their students' learning experiences. But what are the best ways to do that? Michigan teacher Jacqueline Pora (@lasenorapora) shares several clever Google Classroom differentiation ideas that she uses in her class!

Good teaching practices should be at the heart of what we do, and it's definitely at the heart of the HyperDocs framework. Sean Fahey (@SEANJFAHEY) and Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) took that powerful framework and shared examples of how it could be spread to many areas of instruction with digital tools. Check it out!