From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter We connect as humans. As I walked into the Roman Colosseum on Tuesday, I imagined the animals they put under the arena for 24 hours without food or water. And I felt the fear of a person in another area getting ready to face such a beast. Connection. Across time and space, we humans are connected. As I walked near the House of Vestals, which kept the flames of Rome alive, I considered what it would feel like to have such a role in keeping the flame alive and living in that home. To hope you lived long enough to “a ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Yes, everyone is talking about AI.  However, how do the concerns about AI apply to our classrooms today? Tom Mullaney talks about concerns with: The Eliza effect – where people attribute human characteristics such as trust and credibility, to text-generating computers. This can be dangerous when combined with the biases and inaccuracies inherent in large language models and is vital for educators to understand as we talk about AI with students. The concerns about using AI as “guest speakers” even for some ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter This year, I've been teaching AP Computer Science Principles. At the beginning of the year, we were using a tool called Replit for Teams to do group programming, debugging, and working on our code. However, in January, Replit for Teams went away for free, leaving us without any great options. So, I started investigating with other AP Computer Science Principles teachers about the tools that are out there and found an incredible tool for coding (and math) called Juicemind. In a world of AI where many students “get h ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter In this show, I sit down with Eric Sheninger, CEO of Aspire Change EDU and author of “Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms.” Together, we explore the evolving landscape of student engagement in 2024. Eric and I discuss how to truly engage students. First, Eric talks about moving from compliance to engagement and how that is crucial for student learning. He shares his relevance of thinking framework. Eric also shares his opinion about AI and how it can be a valuable tool but also what it is not and his concerns ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Procrastination comes to us all. And sometimes, we don't have enough time. Today, we unpack how we overcome procrastination.. However, learning to say no is also part of the equation. So is making time to get work done. We also have to be realistic and know the things we just can't do as teachers since our schedules are already so full. This show is for anyone, especially educators, who has looming tasks and is struggling to focus to get them done. We also talk about the value of the systems of extensive lesson ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Teenage girls are struggling with having their faces put on nude bodies in deepfake nudes. The ​New York Times shared ​“Teen Girls Confront an Epidemic of Deepfake Nudes in Schools” on how middle and high school girls are having classmates fabricate deepfake nude pictures of them and then sharing them. The Washington Post shared “​AI Hustlers Stole Women's Faces to Put on Ads. The Law Can't Help Them​.” sharing how ordinary people are finding their likenesses taken and used to push offensive products and even used ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter In a world constantly demanding excellence and innovation, it is easy to overlook a fundamental truth: the way we treat each other has profound implications on our productivity, motivation, and overall well-being. So many educators juggle dual responsibilities of nurturing young minds and meeting their own family's needs. This balance is particularly challenging for many women in education. Creating environments where everyone is valued is vital to strengthening our schools. Dr. Tracee Perryman, author of Elevat ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter New research from EVERFI demonstrates the benefits of students taking multiple courses. Financial literacy is perhaps one of the most underrated yet essential skills that we could be teaching our students in schools. It's a skill often handed down from parents to children, significantly impacting a child's future financial success. When it comes to financial literacy, earlier education is better. If parents are financially literate and pass those skills along, their children are more likely to be financially succes ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter April is a busy month. Here are some of the tools and tips for you to explore as you prepare your lessons for this month! I talk about some great books, how I'm using the Elgato teleprompter, eclipse resources anyone can use anywhere in the world, Earth Day, financial literacy month, Arbor Day, some excellent professional development resources and a webinar I'm doing on AI in learning, resources for promoting student safety in automobiles, and, of course, some valuable test prep resources. I hope you find ideas f ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter As a teacher, it is healthy to evaluate where we are in our career. Is what I'm doing now still a good fit? Are there changes I need to make? And more.  Rob Donatelli has invented the Q.U.E.S.T. method of evaluating where.you are as a teacher and to help you determine how you should move into the future. We dive into this method in today's show to help all of us answer the ever-important question “Is teaching still a good fit for me?” Rob's book A Teacher's Q.U.E.S.T.: An Educator's Journey of Discovery and ..read more