Reading, Reflecting & Recommending.......

Reading, Reflecting & Recommending.....Part 1

Dear Readers,

When I first thought about blogging, @smgaillard suggested I blog about my passion......books! Although I have written several blogs highlighting individual books, there are so many amazing resources I have yet to share! 

I decided I would do a series of posts because I just can't fit everything in one! I am dedicating this post to all the amazing "Pirate" books put out by Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. Once you read one book put out by Dave and his crew, you will want to read them all. 

I hope you find something that peeks your interest......happy reading, learning and sharing!

(My apologies in advance for any authors I may have inadvertently left off.)

I was a "Pirate" before I knew what it meant......

• It may sound silly, but this book completely changed my instructional "world". After reading it, I felt like, "THIS is how I think." @burgessdave has amazing ideas and his philosophy is just what educators who think outside the box need.

• I absolutely love picture books and to find one targeting an adult audience? Awesome! Written by @burgessdave and his lovely wife @burgess_shelley. 

 

• @PaulSolarz @gcouros and @jmattmiller challenge how we look at our instruction. If we want innovative students, we need to be innovative adults. If we want to grow student leaders, we need to provide opportunities for them to develop those skills. 

• Alice Keeler, @julnilsmith and @donwettrick make you look at Google, media and learning in a whole new way! 
• We were fortunate to have 1:1 Chromebooks for 8th grade this year. Google docs and classroom are invaluable! I am able to conference with students 1:1 consistently through Google docs. No more waiting for the teacher to be available, I am able to chat with them anywhere and anytime on their writing and give feedback. 
• Social media is an entirely new world to our students. They need to know how to safely and effectively navigate such a world. We put phones (aka mini-computers) in their hands without hesitation, but do we support that with education? 
• What student would not want to learn about a topic of interest? The more invested they are in their learning, the higher the engagement and learning. 

• @jedikermit & @mrmatera have opened my eyes to bringing gaming and play, yes you read that correctly, into my classroom. My wish list right now includes Play-Doh and Legos. I have fidget toys and puzzles all over my middle school classroom. Who says that big kids don't like to play? Just walk in my room anytime and see a soccer ball being kicked around, "clackers" being spun around and stress balls rolling across the floor.
• Students today live in a gaming world, we need to teach to that world. Virtual worlds, badges, quests, oh my! 

• @thezenteacher shows us how extremely essential it is that we find balance between professional, personal, health, etc. If we don't take time out to care for ourselves, we cannot be our best in any aspects of our busy lives.

• @McLane_Ryan & Ericlowe21 showcase the awesomeness of their schools in very creative ways! Building that home-school relationship is so incredibly important. 

• @5watersbook is a hidden treasure I just discovered! Great connections to leadership and teaching. 

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I did! Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,

Teresa