From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Welcome to a treasure from my ISTE 2023 vault. This is a podcast for all education trailblazers seeking the cutting edge of professional growth. As a teacher committed to improving teaching and improving our professional development, I'm thrilled to share this conversation about how professional development can and is improving.  I've written quite a bit on this topic, including 5 Simple Ways to Improve Teacher Professional Development, and this show hits on many of those topics. So, today, we're peeling b ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter In today's episode, we're joined by Justin Reich, an associate professor at MIT and the author of ‘Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools.' We dive deep into teachers' crucial role in driving innovation and improvement in education. Suppose you've wondered how to bring meaningful change to your school or classroom. In that case, this episode offers actionable insights into teacher leadership, classroom experimentation, and the power of doing less to achieve more. Listen to the show on Apple Pod ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter In Part 1 of “Why Every School Needs and AI Policy Right Now,” I shared the empirical evidence about Artificial Intelligence and how it is impacting our world and schools. As I said in the first article, with so many things grabbing the attention of administrators, AI seems to be taking a back seat in the minds of many. But why? Is this a problem we need to care about or talk about? The US Office of Educational Technology says, "Everyone in education has a responsibility to harness the good to serve education ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Every day, I go around the classroom and greet every child by name, and I inquire about the empty chairs. If a child is out, I want the other kids to know that child is important to me. Sometimes, I'll send an email, or I might need to ask the front office where they are. But I always notice the student, and I always inquire. Because how I treat the empty chairs is how the rest of these kids know I feel about them when they're gone, too. They are important, and empty chairs matter. How do you treat empty chairs? T ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Today, we spotlight Misa Sato, an award-winning assistant principal who recently earned the prestigious NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year title. Serving at Reagan High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Misa has made a profound impact through her dynamic approach to educational leadership. Under her guidance, the school has not only seen significant growth in its International Baccalaureate (IB) Career Program, but also received numerous awards for student achievement. In this episode, Misa shares her journey ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter In this uplifting episode, we're joined by Todd Nesloney, a seasoned educator and advocate for authentic leadership in schools. This conversation is a must-listen if you've ever questioned your worth or impact as an educator. Todd delves into the transformative power of vulnerability, the importance of emotional intelligence, and why every single person in a school setting is a leader in their own right—offering actionable insights that could reignite your passion for teaching. Listen to the show on  ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter In this show, AR/VR guru Rachelle Dené Poth delves deep into the transformative potential of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom. Fresh from her appearance on the ISTE mainstage, Rachell highlights the surging interest in immersive and emerging technologies. She encourages teachers to shift their mindset from apprehension to curiosity and eagerness to learn something new. As the landscape of education technology rapidly changes, Rachelle shares some id ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter I may be writing about 80 Days of AI, but I must warn you — not all AI is good. As of last week, I’ve seen a truly terrible and dangerous use of ChatGPT’s API feature, which lets it be added to other services. Last week, Snapchat released its “Virtual Friend” called SnapAI using ChatGPT technology to all of its users for free. Before you dismiss this, Snapchat is used by 59% of Americans aged 13 to 17, according to PEW's statistical data. I'm going to dig in, but let me share a 30,000-foot view: A student can tel ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Todoist has a new AI Assistant built into the tool that you can add to the program. After I installed the Todoist AI Assistant, I opened up the task “clean out the car” and asked it to generate subtasks. It specified subtasks which I added with a click. Then, I could assign dates or even set them up for habits. We can all expect to see AI added to many of our tools and apps. From email to productivity tools, developers are creating add ins that access the newest in language generation to help us be more productive ..read more

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter This podcast with Andrea Gribble will help school administrators and principals create a school social media strategy to drive engagement, build community, and enhance their organization's online presence. Schools and districts are leveraging the power of social media social more and more because it engages them with parents, students, and the larger community. But with so many platforms and strategies, it can be challenging to know where to start. That's where this podcast comes in. In this episode, we'll explo ..read more