Every Classroom Matters With Cool Cat Teacher

Our guest is a superintendent, passionate about achieving academic excellence despite all obstacles. In this segment he shares how his team leads a top ranked school that has overcome the typical barriers to high academic performance. Follow: @coolcatteacher @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Dr. Jerry Thacker, Superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation and has also been a teacher, principal, director of professional development and an assistant superintendent. He was named the 2013 Outstanding Educator by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, and in 2012 was named Indiana Superintendent of the Year.

Our guest is passionate about opening her students' minds and connecting them to learning experiences from around the world. In this segment she shares her tools and tips. Follow: @lparisi @coolcatteacher @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Lisa Parisi is an Award winning teacher, author, blogger, DEN LC, SMART Exemplary Educator, iEARN member, BrainPOP Popstar, Fablevision and Tech4learning Ambassador.

Our guest explains why it's now essential for every educator and every school to know more about mobile apps. Follow: @alefiyabhatia, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Alefiya Bhatia believes that involved communities result in higher academic and social outcomes, stronger values, and increased future success for students. This passion led her to start her company, Crescerance in 2011, where she has enabled over 150 educational institutions in America and throughout the world to better communicate with and engage their communities through the growing power of mobile.

Our guests are behind a movement to eliminate grades completely, but schools and parents have other ideas. Can this effort gain traction? What will be required? Follow: @markbarnes19 @mssackstein @coolcatteacher @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech

In this segment we take a look at specific strategies you can employ today to be a more creative educator and encourage more creativity in your students. Follow: @melindak @coolcatteacher @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Melinda Kolk is one of the founders of Tech4Learning, which publishes open-ended and constructivist student tools and learning resources. Melinda is the Editor of Creative Educator magazine and the Deputy Director of the Constructivist Consortium.

Our guest asserts that rigor is broadly misunderstood. In this segment she define what rigor is in theory and in practice. We close by looking at rigor and the Common Core Standards. Follow: @barbblackburn, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Dr. Barbara R. Blackburn is the author of 14 books, including the bestsellers Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word and Rigor in Your School: A Toolkit for Leaders. She regularly presents professional development to schools and districts across the nation.

Technology offers the promise of reaching and teaching all children. In this segment we offer tips on balancing the promise and broken promises of education technology. Follow: @jwhitby1, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Joyce Whitby received a Master degree in Educational Technology from Long Island University. Since that time she has taught educational technology graduate courses, and worked for educational technology leading companies like Scientific Learning and Apple Computer. Today she is the National Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Monarch Teaching Technologies which produces VizZle, a web based tool to create customize visual learning supports for students with special needs, including Autism.

Stories play an important role in our lives and our history. In this segment our guest explains why teaching digital story telling has immense value. Follow: @akh003 @coolcatteacher #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Fred Haas is a high school digital media teacher in the Boston suburb of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, teaching classes in face-to-face, hybrid/blended, and completely online formats. A late arrival to teaching, he previously worked in the theater and film industries, as well as spending years as a technology consultant.

Teaching math online to visually impaired students sounds counterintuitive, but technology has made it possible. In this segment, our guest shares teaching strategies she uses with the visually impaired that can help all students learn math more easily. Follow: @teacherinthebox, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Robin Lowell is the distance education High School math teacher at the Washington State School for the Blind, located in Vancouver, WA. She teaches synchronous online math classes using Microsoft Lync to students located on campus and from around the Western States from her home in Issaquah, WA.

Our guest today is the author of Untangling the Web. In this segment, he shares some of the best free teaching tools and shares how he goes about identifying the best tools now and tomorrow. Follow: @teach42 @coolcatteacher @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Steve Dembo, Director of Social Media Strategy and Online Community at Discovery Communications, Inc. Steve is s pioneer blogger/podcaster former kindergarten teacher, and expert in educational technology issues.

Our guest today pioneered the use of Minecraft in her school. Learn how she presented the idea and got approval from school administrators and parents. More importantly, tune in to hear how she uses the game to engage her students, teach creativity, collaboration, teamwork, digital citizenship and world history - all within the guidelines of the Common Core Standards. Follow: @trishcloud @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Trish Cloud is a Technology Associate at Grand Oak Elementary in Huntersville, NC. An avid gamer she is always looking for ways to integrate Minecraft and Coding into lessons to challenge and engage students while having fun. Her goals for her students include being flexible and well versed with desktops and iPads as well as making them well prepared for Middle School.

A fascinating discussion about teaching students how to make smart judgments about what should be publicly blogged, what should be kept private and why. Follow: @JenTechnology, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Jennifer Scott is an English teacher and technology mentor. Simply put, her students are writers. She was a finalist for Kern county Teacher of the Year and also a trainer for My Big Campus.

Our guest is passionate about helping kids see the link between education and their passion in life. Tune in as he shares his tools and tactics. Follow: @soxnevad, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech sportscaster by trade, Bill Priestley earned his dream job through 18 years of trial and error - which inspired him to help young people achieve their professional dreams. Having taught middle and high school history for 2 years, Bill seeks to teach young people to "focus their dreams into careers through education" and not see education as an obstacle to their personal or professional lives.

Our guest is a Google Chrome guru with loads of tips on improving your teaching with Chrome extensions. Follow: @mrpiercEy, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Donnie Piercey is a Google Certified Fifth Grade Teacher and Technology Integration Specialist for Eminence Independent Schools in Kentucky. He is a frequent presenter at conferences across the United States and is always trying to find innovative ways to incorporate technology into his classroom.

Tune in as we check in with the author of one of our favorite resources for finding great education technology tools. Follow: @@rmbyrneblog, @coolcatteacher, @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Richard Byrne is a former high school social studies teacher best known for developing the award-winning blog Free Technology for Teachers, reaches more than 100,000 educators. He is an international speaker sharing free resources that educators can use to enhance their students' learning experiences.