“Connection is why we’re here”
2017 NAIS annual conference speaker Brené Brown’s apt TED talk reminds us that letting ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen, is excruciatingly difficult . . . and necessary in order to make  meaningful connections

Let it go
Mind/Shift’s Linda Flanagan shares how one teacher let go of control and embraced the notion that today’s students must have opportunities to drive their own learning

Cool tool: JeopardyLabs
A FREE web-based tool that allows you to create customized Jeopardy templates without using PowerPoint

Personalizing learning
4 good examples of personalized learning that help prepare our students to be productive, insightful, caring members of society

Engagement vs. compliance
8 different qualities that indicate students are engaged . . . not just compliant

Engagement wheel
From Engaging Teaching Tools . . . a simple self-assessment tool for teachers to check the engagement level of their students

Danger of silence
Slam poet and teacher Clint Smith’s short, timely message about finding the courage to speak up

Empathy holds the key
Empathy has the potential to open up students to deeper learning, drive clarity of thinking, and inspire engagement with the world

The power of stories
Research shows us that reading fiction can help students develop empathy and understand how to handle their own and other people’s feelings

Your students need you . . . now more than ever
Alan November’s TEDx talk on the key role today’s educator has in ensuring students are armed with skills to help them go beyond scratching the surface of gaining knowledge

Books! Blind Spot, What If? & Humble Inquiry
Three good reads to help us recognize hidden biases, explore issues of diversity and learn the gentle art of asking instead of telling

Fake news
A KQED podcast highlighting the new Stanford study that reveals today’s students are struggling to distinguish ads from articles, neutral sources from biased ones and fake accounts from real ones . . . find the full article here

“The Lie”
In a short video, 4^th grade students from an Alabama school share their thoughts on lies they have heard about people who look like them

Comic books as an entry point to non-fiction
Teaching Channel’s Sarah Brown Wessling shows how having students tackle a complex task using a familiar medium can help them develop understanding . . . and engage them along the way

 

 

 

 

Gender Insights Coming to Your Classroom
An informative Educational Leadership article about current gender research and how we can increase equity for male and female students; don’t miss the included “Tips for More Gender-Equitable Classrooms”

Spread the Love project
One teacher’s plan of action to promote kindness and increase self esteem in her Middle School classroom

Open Middle
A website chock-full of K-12 math problems that Dan Meyer explains “make math more like things students like” . . . the problems have an “open middle” (meaning there are multiple ways to approach and solve the problem)

More WODB!
Another Which One Doesn’t Belong resource dedicated to providing thought-provoking math puzzles for students (and teachers!)

Maker projects and real learning
5 ways to ensure real learning happens in maker-enhanced projects

Brains On & But Why?
2 kid-centered educational podcasts for use in the classroom (or at home) that explore topics and questions students are continually curious about

Zoom In Inquiry
An instructional strategy that intrigues students to uncover a primary source image, piece by piece, to help them connect to a big idea or relevant theme

 

 

Seeing as understanding
Dr. Jo Boaler’s new article on how learning through visual approaches changes mathematics for students and gives them access to deep and new understandings; includes 3 key recommendations for educators and parents and accompanying activities

Assessment for learning (A4L)
10+ formative assessment strategies that help guide teachers’ instruction and give meaningful feedback to students

Stories Teachers Share
KQED’s podcast featuring stories showcasing the stories teachers share with their friends, families and loved ones . . . some funny, others poignant . . . all told in the teacher’s voice

Adventures of a cardboard box
A short video adventure of an imaginative boy who meets and befriends a large cardboard box . . . an engaging illustration of how creativity can flourish in an environment that encourages it

Connect students with scientist struggles
14 incredible stories that offer students the opportunity to see the valuable struggles of well-known scientists . . . don’t miss the bonus resource: The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers

Intrigue in the classroom
Teaching Channel’s Sarah Brown Wessling illustrates how to create an environment that encourages curiosity and prompts critical thinking

Brain games and SEL skills
3 simple games, from Harvard’s Usable Knowledge, that can become tools for teaching core social-emotional skills . . . and lead to success throughout the school day for students

 

Ending the year well
5 end-of-the-year activities to help you and your students reflect on the year of learning

Let them use fingers!
The latest research re-emphasizes that students who have well-developed visual thinking will be poised for success in the world’s new workplace . . . and it starts with lifting the ban on the use of fingers in math class

In the spirit of inquiry
Inductive learning engages students in higher-level thinking by having them analyze examples before being introduced to overarching theories or rules

Fun-filled formative assessment
10 ways to help spice up how you check for understanding in the classroom

Bending the rules of light
Pixar’s director of photography, Danielle Feinberg, reveals how she creates stories with soul and wonder using math, science and code . . . inspiration for students imagining their future

Power of podcasts
Using podcasts in the classroom can help build students’ creative potential, prompt them to draw more novel pictures, think up more unique questions, and solve problems in more imaginative ways . . . Don’t miss these 2 great ones:  Brains On and Tumble

Seesaw
An easy-to-use digital tool that empowers students to independently document what they are learning at school

Poem of the day
4 good reasons to start class with a poem each day in April in honor of National Poetry Month . . . or as a regular practice 

Wait, wait, wait . . .
5 things teachers can do to improve student learning and development in the classroom . . . by waiting

What can people do to get better at learning?
A brief video highlighting responses from a group of esteemed professors, engineers, and journalists at the Aspen Ideas Festival

The happiness factor
Dr. Emma Seppala, author of The Happiness Track, explains how and why happiness is not something we can afford to lose in our classrooms . . . it is crucial to building the foundation of deep, meaningful learning

Beautiful questions in the classroom
5 ways to help our students become deep questioners who solve real problems 

Worth a listen!
A KQED Forum interview with Stanford professor, Jo Boaler, who calls on educators to shift thinking and revolutionize the way Math is taught

Which one doesn’t belong?
A site dedicated to providing thought-provoking math-y puzzles for teachers and students . . . many right answers possible . . . good discussions inevitable
(don’t miss this related link for younger kids, too)

Being a Human in the Classroom
Carol Ann Tomlinson reminds us it’s possible to live and work in a way that makes both teachers and students more fully human

“The camera doesn’t lie”
Deepen practice by using video to reflect on teaching and learning

Vintage has value
John Spencer’s interesting view on the value of expertly combining old and new tools in our classrooms today . . . how and why it benefits students

Artists, poets, scientists . . . oh my!
An impressive collection of picture books celebrating the lives of great artists, writers, and scientists . . . useful to spark ideas in any classroom

Howtosmile
A free online collection of high quality hands-on math and science activities (provided by a partnership between Lawrence Hall of Science, the Exploratorium, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Children’s Museum of Houston and the New York Hall of Science)

Exits and entries
6 quick strategies to help find out what students know and understand

Getting out of creative ruts
3 unique ideas to push students’ creative thinking and point them in new directions

 

SEED Panel & Showcase Day
Peggy McIntosh & Friends: Conversations on white privilege, gender equity and diversity
First Congregational Church of Oakland
March 11, 2016  7:00-9:00 p.m.
March 12, 2016 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
$25 for each or $45 for both

Coastal Systems Teacher Institute (Grades 3-5)
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Educator Programs
June 20-24, 2016 (follow up sessions 10/29/16, 1/21/17, 4/7/17)   NO FEE
(application process; registration open to teacher teams)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doodling has purpose
Inspired by Sunni Brown’s TED talk (embedded in article), here’s a look at how doodling (sometimes known as sketchnoting) can help us all synthesize information and make memories stick

Conver-stations
A brief video illustrating an efficient and effective discussion strategy that involves moving students during small group discussions to deepen conversations

Hidden Brain
An impressive and thought-provoking podcast that examines the way our brains work (and sometimes trick us); Note: Episode 4 focuses on relationships between teachers and students, Episode 5 focuses on compassion

No more “not a math person”
More from Stanford’s Jo Boaler on how we can help remove obstacles to learning math for all students . . . and why we must

SOLE
A view into one school’s way of posing “messy questions,” then setting students off on self-directed inquiry journeys

Happy secret to better work
A fast-moving, entertaining talk by psychologist Shawn Achor about how happiness makes us more productive

Using GAMIFICATION to Strengthen Student Learning
and Engagement in the Content Areas
Holiday Inn Express, Elk Grove (Sacramento)
Jan. 22, 2016, 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.   $239

Cool Tools 2016 @ Carondolet
East Bay CUE
Carondolet High School, Concord
Jan. 23, 2016, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $80

CA Conditions of Learning Symposium: Engage, Teach, Lead
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
Jan. 28, 2016, 7:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. $140

Learning and the Brain Conference
Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco
Feb. 11-13, 2016   $459

Coastal Systems Teacher Institute (Grades 3-5)
Monterey Bay Aquarium
June 20-24, 2016 (follow up sessions 10/29/16, 1/21/17, 4/7/17)   NO FEE
(application process; registration open to teacher teams)

Grateful . . .
From the Greater Good Science Center . . . a re-published group of ideas to help cultivate an “attitude of gratitude” in the classroom

Rethinking learning potential
An instructional focus on brain plasticity, intelligence and metacognition can help students better understand intelligence and take charge of their learning

Active learning
10 effective strategies to help students retain information and exercise critical thinking . . . learn how to learn

Power of clear explanations
Using a short video on an unexpected topic, instructional coach Jim Knight points out 4 simple strategies that can help more people remember what we say

Embrace uncertainty, spark curiosity
When ambiguity is welcomed and questions are encouraged students are more apt to be curious and innovative in their thinking

Learning from mistakes
Helping students take ownership of their own learning can be a challenge . . . why good questioning and these 5 useful strategies work

10-2-2 Protocol
A simple, research-based instructional strategy to help students process information in small chunks

STEAM Carnival
Pier 48, AT&T Park, San Francisco
Nov. 6-8, 2015, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.   $30

Connecting Conservation and Technology Workshop
Educator Programs, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Dec. 5, 2015, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,   FREE for accepted applicants
Open only to educators, application deadline Nov. 13
(Limited to 100 participants)

CA Conditions of Learning Symposium: Engage, Teach, Lead
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
Jan. 28, 2016, 7:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. $140

Learning and the Brain Conference
Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco
Feb. 11-13, 2016   $459

Revisiting growth mindset
Mindset author, Carol Dweck, offers more ideas on how educators can adopt a deeper, true growth mindset that will show up in their classroom practices

Introverts at school
Group work and collaboration can be challenging for introverted students who often feel most alive and switched on when they are in quieter, low-key environments

Teaching the quiet child
7 strategies to help quiet students find their voice in class

Found Poem
A short video outlining this strategy that provides a structured way for students to review material and synthesize learning; useful for all ages and subjects

CrashCourse Kids and SciShow Kids
Created by Hank and John Green (VlogBrothers) these YouTube channels are brimming with educational information; organized in “courses” of short videos on a variety of high interest topics

The power of personal stories
A TEDblog post on how telling stories can help students and teachers inspire each other . . . and develop a sense of empathy along the way

Hattie’s 8 Mindframes
A brief video scribe animation outlines a set of mind frames that author/educator John Hattie (Visible Learning) says underpin our every action and decision in a school

Illuminate Your Thinking: An Introduction to Paper Circuitry
(and 21st Century Notebooking)
Design Challenge Learning Institute, The San Jose Tech Museum, San Jose, CA
Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to Noon   $35
Click here to LEARN MORE!

Designing Making Experiences workshop
Lighthouse Creativity Lab, Lighthouse Community Charter School, Oakland, CA
Oct. 29-30, 2015, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.  $300

CA Conditions of Learning Symposium: Engage, Teach, Lead
San Ramon Valley Conference Center, San Ramon, CA
Jan. 28, 2016, 7:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.  $140