Summer Reading for Teachers

I am working on writing a short book called "Embrace Change" to support teachers and learners as we move into what could be a challenging school year. It is taking me a while to get it write, but I hope to release it soon on Amazon. Stay tuned. Here is a short exert from the book draft, just in case you are curious. Let me know if there is something you think I am missing?

In addition to attempting to write, I am trying to catch up on my summer reading. My reading choices  this summer strongly influenced by current events and the uncertainty of next school year. I don't know if I will get through all of these, but I am going to try. 

Pear Deck PD Choice Board - Advanced Features

Pear Deck is an incredible tool that educators can use to add interactive questions for students to any presentation. I've primarily used Pear Deck with Google Slides, but it also works with PowerPoint. If you are curious to learn more about how I use Pear Deck with my students, check out these blog posts.

I recently explored a great post by Pam Huber about Coaching Choice Boards. It is an awesome way to deliver professional development. I was inspired to try something similar with a focus on one of my favorite EdTech resources, Pear Deck.

Picture Book Collection Connected to Equity, Empathy, and Kindness

Padlet Collection of Picture Books for Teachers and Learners of All Ages

A few months ago I started to put together a collection of picture books to engage students of all ages in essential topics and skills. I even use some of these books with my High School Environmental Science Students. With the help of my PLN I explored a variety of books and create categories to have a some sense of organization. You can learn more about my first attempt in this post which includes a link to the updated Padlet Collection. Today I am writing about my second attempt at learning as I update and add a new category. 

Inspirational and Motivational Learning Video Challenge

You Matter More Than You Know!

It has been an interesting year to say the least and I know some of my teaching friends have struggled with the world we are living in today. I've read quite a few posts and stories about teachers struggling to stay motivated. I've even talked to some teachers who are thinking about leaving the profession. This breaks my heart.

It's not all bad! There are many great educators doing incredible things to inspire and motivate learners during these unique times and I want to do my part. With this in mind, I am challenging my PLN to share videos or quotes connected to teaching and learning. The goal is to inspire and motivate our teaching friends. #BetterTogether

I think the rules our simple. 

1. Find a video or quote that puts a positive spin on being a teacher and lifelong learner. What inspires and motivates you? 
2. Share the quote or video using the #ShareYouWhy hashtag and any additional teaching and learning hashtags you love. 
3. It is ok to share more than once. The more the better!
4. Feel share to explain why the quote or video matters or leave it open to interpretation. 

If you need some inspiration or want to dive in before sharing, I've started this YouTube Playlist and I will also start to work on a Wakelet Collection of Shared Quotes.

Teaching & Learning Videos - YouTube Playlist

Know Your Why!

Awesome Templates and Visual Design Add-Ons for Google Slides 👀

  

This video almost always makes me laugh, but it also reminds me of some of the awful presentations I've created or had the misfortune of watching. I think that teachers and students sometimes focus so much on the content and what we want to say that we don't think about or find the time to consider design. I think visual design has to be at the top of our list if we want to engage students in learning experiences.

3 Simple Things to Consider When Creating a Presentation

• Less is often more when it comes to text. If you can't make your point with a few points, you may want to reconsider your purpose.
• Backgrounds should connect to you message and not distract the viewer. Backgrounds set the theme for your message. 
• Images should emphasize essential ideas and not just be space fillers. Remember a picture is worth a 1000 words if it is used in the right way. 

I've blogged about why I think design is so important, so I am going to use your time in this post on the why and the how of visual design. If you want learn more about visual design in general, please take a moment to visit or bookmark this post. If you are just getting started with google slides, be sure to explore the Google Slides Training and Help Center.

Today I am going focus on the tools that support visual design in Google Slides. Here are some recommendations for templates, images, and fonts. (While I am focusing on Google Slides, many of these can also be used with PowerPoint or Keynote.)