The Thom Gibson Podcast

I realized that it's pretty difficult to schedule podcast interviews when you have a new baby in the house with a somewhat unpredictable nap schedule, and I decided I wasn't going to cut into family time.COURSES FOR TEACHERS I'VE BEEN CREATINGDuring the times the little one napped, I decided to create a new course called Create Successful Videos for Distance Learning.  It's a 1-hour self-paced course to help teachers who need to create video lessons but aren't sure where to start.Additionally, I spent time making changes to my classroom economy.  Since our school is completely remote until at least mid-October, I had to come up with a whole new list of classroom jobsways that students could spend their classroom moneyways they could earn supplemental money.I've added all of those resources to my course How to Teach Kids About Money.That two-hour course was originally created with a normal classroom environment in mind, but many of the things still apply to a virtual classroom economy.PLACES I'M PUTTING OUT TH

I walk through six tips on how to ensure your summer is a time to recharge, including:strategies to wean yourself off of social media a bitwhat to think through when developing your evening routine to get more sleephow to start small when it comes to exercising each weekwhere to start when it comes to preparing for the fall semesterpractical advice on how to structure your own professional development this summerideas on creating connection with others, from those in your household, to your family and friends, to your extended networkAlso, this will be my last podcast for the summer! I'll be back in August with more episodes to help you middle-school STEM teachers create meaningful and memorable experiences for your students!RESOURCESMinecraft EDUMinecraft EDU podcastRoboCo robotics building gameMarcoPolo video messaging appCONNECT WITH THOMTwitter | @gibsoneduYouTube |/gibsoneduInstagram | @gibsoneducationLinkedIn | /thomgibsonWebsite | thomgibson.comEmail | thom@thomgibson.comSUPPORT THE PODCASTEnroll in th

I got all these ideas from other educators on social media.  In this episode, I take time to reflect on these three projects.  I talk specifically about:how I had students create a TikTok as their final math summative grademy rubric for the TikTok projectreflections on what I would do differently with the TikTok project if I did it againhow I introduced the Rube Goldberg project for my robotics classhow I incorporated Minecraft in the planning process for their Rube Goldberg projecthow we utilized our Zoom class time during the week they were working on the Rube Goldberg machinehow I structured the financial literacy project where students sold items on eBayhow one student made over $300 when he did the eBay projecta bonus 'virtual yearbook' project I did with my advisory studentsRESOURCES:Esther Burnat (where I got the TikTok idea) on Instagram - @estherbrunatDr. Valerie Camille Jones (also did the TikTok project) on Instagram - @dr_vcjonesMy TikTok intro slides & rubric - TikTok ProjectMr. Aguirre (wher

I wanted to chat with someone about everything I had been reading online and seeing from schools around the world, some of which are beginning to open up after 3 months of remote learning.  Carl Hooker was the first person to come to mind.Carl Hooker has been in education for 20+ years and is an Apple Distinguished educator, has served as a classroom teacher, instructional technologist, virtualization coordinator, director of innovation & digital learning, and founder of iPadpalooza, an educational technology conference in central Texas.In today's episode, Carl and I chat about what the future of education may look like not only in this upcoming school year but what it may look like beyond Covid19.the transition from 'emergency remote learning' to 'how to do remote learning well'two best practices that have emerged so far in remote learningwhat some school schedules around the world are already doingwhat type of schools will thrive in this environmentimpacts of the current extended 'summer slide'psycholog

My guest today is a teacher-of-the-year recipient and educator of 20 years.  Carolina Carner has been utilizing augmented reality in her classroom for several years in her middle school classroom.  Additionally she's worked with Google for Edu as a product expert in Google Expeditions, AR, VR, and Tour Creator.  She's THE AR/VR person to talk to when it comes to implementation in the classroom.It was a fun conversation as she walked me through a litany of augmented reality apps, showing me their classroom application.  You hear me experiencing them in real time.We explore:using AR for math manipulatives like fraction stripshow to fill your classroom up with a solar systemusing AR to study wild animals up closehow AR can build community and give students voiceexploration of cells up closeusing AR to HOLD A BEATING HEART IN YOUR HAND!common mistakes teachers make when starting to use ARhow to use AR with one device or manystrategies for getting more devices in your classroomRESOURCES:#arvrinedu on Twitter for a

I reached out to a handful of people on Twitter who had done distance learning for at least a couple of weeks already.  Student engagement is one of the biggest challenges in distance learning. While I originally just asked for their best tip, I love that thoughts and guidance on how to increase student engagement was a part of each of their answers.In the episode, my guests are:Andrew Chiu | Hong KongMiddle-School Digital Design Teacher*just finished his 10th week of distance learning*CJ Reynolds | New JerseyHigh-School Literature & History of Hip Hop TeacherMark Rogers | Texas1st Grade TeacherSam Kary | California6th Grade Humanities TeacherThey share the following:the simplify, simplify, simplify approach Andrew takespractical tips in communication, organization, and video conferencing from 10-weeks of trial and errorhow CJ hooks his students right at the beginning of the lessonhow Mark keeps his 1st graders connected to one another without video conferencinghow Sam structures engaging at-home projects

My guest today is a passionate math educator who has sought to teach learners in this exploratory manner and in a way that the students feel they are capable of understanding mathematical concepts deeply.In my conversation with Kevin Moore, we explore:how one teacher helped him begin to view himself as a mathematicianhis journey from traditional education to the micro-school modelhow the physical space can foster the learning he hopes to seehow it's MORE than just the physical space that helps foster the learning he hopes to seewhat our roles is and is not as math educatorshow to redirect incorrect work without just giving away the answerKevin's favorite questions to ask studentsand much more.RESOURCES MENTIONEDCathy Fosnot - Amazon books for various grade levelsJo Baoler - Mathematical MindsetsYouCubed - youcubed.orgCONNECT WITH KEVIN MOORE & LONG-VIEW MICRO-SCHOOLWebsite | long-view.comMath PD | The Number Lab Co-Lab - thenumberlab.com/co-labTwitter | Long View Micro School - @long_view_atxInstagram | L

Watch the video of this podcast - https://youtu.be/BpSlAy2nPd0TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Life with a newborn6:11 - Daily schedule during quarantine10:03 - Future podcasts12:28 - Distance learning in the country15:38 - New content for teachers (livestreams, courses)18:42 - My distance learning plan so far20:24 - Tips for making the most of self-quarantine timeCONNECT W/ ME ON HOW THINGS ARE GOINGthom@thomgibson.comTwitter | @gibsoneduYouTube | /gibsonedu  

In this Q&A show, we discuss:How do you support students & help them master content after they've scored low on a test?How do you find time to prep, grade, plan without using all of your free time outside of school if you don't have a prep period?How do you correct students & stimulate competition in a robotics classroom?Any suggestions for a successful long-term subbing experience in 6th grade math?RESOURCES MENTIONED10 Grading Time Hacks podcast episodeTips For New Teachers : Stop Working! video#mtbos Twitter community [math resources]YouCubed Teacher Community on Facebook [math resources]QUESTIONS FOR NEXT TIMEEmail me at thom@thomgibson.com with your questions for the next Q&A show.  Put 'For QA Show' in the subject line.CONNECT WITH THOMTwitter | @gibsoneduYouTube | /gibsoneduInstagram | @gibsoneducationSUPPORT THE PODCASTEnroll in the How to Teach Kids About Money course for educatorsSign up for the TeamEdu newsletterLeave a podcast rating & review

Today I chat with two educators who are all about Skype in the classroom. Jeni Long & Salleé Clark (who go by the dynamic duo name of Jenallee) are two Microsoft Innovation Educators with over 36 years in education collectively.In our conversation, we discuss:how teachers are using Skype to supplement the work they're doing in their classes by Skyping in experts to speak with their classes or having their classes Skype with another classroom around the world.how to interact with schools around the world when the time zones don't match.how your students can be video pen pals with other students (great language learning application)how your English language learners can use video to share their home culture with the classroomthe technical aspects of running a Skype chatwhere to find vetted educators / safe contacts to chat with your classClass jobs so everyone has a role during the chatRESOURCES MENTIONEDMain Skype in the classroom hub | education.skype.comFlipgrid for non-live video | flipgrid.comSkype in

During my semester as a sub before becoming a full-time teacher, I had many a days of little to no sub plans. I also had a good handful of days of detailed and thorough sub plans. Days with the full set of sub plans were far better both for me and for the students and I've sought to provide subs in my own classroom with the same direction.In today's episode I discuss:exactly the level of detail I put into my plans (I read out a section of my own plans)how I format my plans so they're more readable and easier to referencehow I communicate with my students ahead of time in a way that the class could run even if a sub didn't show up (which has never happened but that's the ideal)my emergency sub plans for days I am unexpectedly outRESOURCES MENTIONEDEnroll in the 'How to Teach Kids About Money' course today | thomgibson.com/classroomeconomyGet my sub plans template emailed to you | thomgibson.com/subplansGreat emergency sub plans for a math classroom | youcubed.org/week-inspirational-math/Letter & number rid

My guest today is Roberto Germán, director of middle school and creator of the educational consulting group 'The Multicultural Classroom.'In today's episode we explore:the differences between multiculturalism vs. a multicultural classroom vs. social justiceRoberto's journey from an extremely poor and under-performing school in Lawrence, MA to one of the wealthiest private boarding schools in the nation and how that experience inspired the work he does nowwhat a multicultural classroom experience looks like for the white teacher with a variety of ethnicities and races in their classroomwhat a multicultural classroom experiences looks like for the white teacher in a predominately white schoolhow to celebrate and honor the different cultures of your classroom without patronizing or stereotyping those culturesresources for educators wanting do dive further into teaching in a multicultural classroomRESOURCESThe Multicultural Classroom blogThe Anti-Racist Reading Teacher Instruction Workbook | Lorena GermánCultural

Class jobs in and of themselves have tremendous value in creating a positive classroom culture, building responsibility in students, and saving YOU time as the teacher.My classroom jobs are part of a larger classroom economy system. If you want to dive into how I do that, check out the course I created for teachers linked below:'How to Teach Kids About Money' course - www.thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy20% off coupon code - MONEYThe full list of jobs can be found in Module 1, and all of Module is FREE so check it out.CONNECT WITH THOMTwitter - @gibsoneduYouTube - /gibsoneduInstagram - @gibsoneducationEmail - thom@thomgibson.comNewsletter - thomgibson.com/newsletter

It's good to be doing the podcast again after some time off over the holidays!  When I got back to school, I led a PD session for my colleagues on how to save time grading and thought it'd make for a valuable podcast.TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro3:47 - Update on the podcast6:17 - Why grading takes so long7:28 - Hack 1 | Grade fewer things10:23 - Hack 2 | Have shorter assessments11:52 - Hack 3 | Skip written feedback14:55 - Hack 4 | Batch your grading16:58 - Hack 6 | Take assessment yourself (by hand)19:05 - Hack 7 | Use copy & paste efficiently21:55 - Hack 8 | Offer alternative assessments24:28 - Hack 9 | Grade in class as they turn it in27:40 - Hack 10 | Let tech do the grading for you31:47 - TeamEdu newsletterRESOURCES MENTIONEDJumpcut  - multi-copy & paste toolKhan Academy - not just math anymoreGoogle Form Quizzes - auto-graded quizzesEdPuzzle - grade flipped classroom videosSUPPORT THE PODCASTEnroll in the How to Teach Kids About Money course today!Sign up for the TeamEdu newsletterCONNECT WITH THOMTwit

In this Q&A show, we discuss:What are the top three books that guide you in building a self-sustaining classroom culture?As a first year robotics teacher, do you compare one class with another as a way to motivate students?  In Brazil, if one class is falling behind another, it's common to say 'the other class is already on the next topic.'  Does this motivate students?If you're in a noisy classroom, how do you make sure you are heard without screaming?How do you deal with students that refuse to study for tests?Working at a private school, how much freedom do you have to experiment with different teaching practices compared to public school?  And how can public school teachers begin to try new and innovative ways of teaching?Let me know how you like this format.  It was a lot of fun for me to answer and much less editing!RESOURCES MENTIONEDMy video 'Student Motivation' exploring lessons from 'Drive' by Dan PinkMy video 'Classroom Management Tips for New Teachers' on lessons learned from 'The First Days o

A conversation on Facebook with my friend Jake led me to ponder the nature of teaching kids how to do creative work. Jake Ritter is a broadcast journalism teacher and John Mulvany is an artist and art teacher of 26 years.In this episode we chat about:what the schools of thought when it comes to teaching creativity arewhat the most challenging aspects of teaching creativity arehow to help kids who just don't know where to starthow to structure creative assignmentsthe balance between teaching skills and opening up opportunities to be creativehow to balance giving students creative freedom and wanting to give them guidancehow to structure collaborative creative projectsmeeting deadlines vs. feeling creatively satisfiedhow to structure self and peer assessmentshow to assess a creative project as teachersPlus you'll hear audio from both Jake's and John's classroom in how they support their students.The original video I posted on Facebook that sparked this conversation was titled '5 Biggest Mistakes I've Made As A

Chris Nesi and Jeff Bradbury are two of the biggest names in educational podcasting. Chris is the creator of the House of Ed Tech podcast as well as the Education Podcast Network, which is a community of educational podcasters that includes the likes of The Cult of Pedagogy with Jennifer Gonzalez and The Google Teacher Tribe. Jeff Bradbury from TeacherCast is the creator and host of NINE different educational podcasts, including Educational Podcasting Today which is a podcasts all about educators getting into podcasting! In this episode, we discuss: who should start a teacher podcast the skills teachers already have that would make them great podcasters how to decide what to make your podcast about how to develop a brand around your podcast how to find your niche in the educational podcasting space types of podcasts you could do common mistakes when starting a teacher podcast great starter podcasting equipment editing softwares and styles to consider how much it cost to get started in podcasting how lucrat

Join me as I sit in on Chalimar Chieza's 9th grade World Geography class as they dive into a socratic seminar. Hear students form hypotheses around the question**"why do people around the world have different skin tones?"** as well as my discussion with Chalimar on how she structures the socratic seminar so all students have a voice. We discuss the following: her role as facilitator how the socratic method shapes the socratic seminar the roles of the 'inner circle' and 'outter circle' during the seminar data she collects during every seminar how she assesses the students the most challenging aspects of setting up a successful seminar how she debriefs the seminar with the students how she ensures that all students have a voice CONNECT WITH CHALIMAR CHIEZA LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chalimar-chieza-0751812/ SUPPORT THE PODCAST My course on creating & managing a classroom economy - thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy Subscribe to the podcast (new episodes every month) Leave a rating

Michael Hernandez & Don Wettrick are two educators that are actually assigning students social media homework; tweet at least three times a week, connect with an influencer on LinkedIn, discuss how the new Instagram updates will change your content strategy. They're not utilizing social media for it's own sake, but to leverage the greater work of students telling stories and directing their own learning. In this episode, we discuss: how Michael defines digital storytelling opportunities students get to share stories of people who live very differently from them how one student learned more about Cuba from a frustrated comment that someone from Cuba left on the Cuba documentary she created and posted to YouTube how one student used Twitter to become an influential voice in her city how Don has students find mentors on LinkedIn one of Don's students who has taken to documenting his business journey on LinkedIn the reality of social media addiction how language learning educators are utilizing Instagram in

CJ Reynolds is a high-school teacher in West Philadelphia with an active YouTube and Instagram channel where he documents the meaningful learning experiences in his classroom with the goal to inspire, engage, and motivate new and veteran teachers to be the teacher they always wanted to be. Reynolds uses "real rap" to share teaching tips and strategies and to give an authentic look at what it means to be a teacher in inner city Philadelphia. In this episode, we discuss: how being on social media led to an opportunity for his students to meet with Gary Vaynerchuk; a massive name in social media marketing, and how it changed the lives of some of his students how he grew his online community of nearly 30k YouTube subscribers and 7k Instagram followers how his content differs from platform to platform the impact creating content has had on his relationship with his students and their parents how he manages to balance time as an educator, content creator, father, and husband what other teachers should th