Cool Cat Teacher

I'm a full-time classroom teacher in rural Georgia. I've taught Keyboarding, Computer Fundamentals, Introduction to Computer Science, Accounting, Digital Filmmaking, Current Events, and Computer Graphic Design. I also work with technology integration for our entire school, K3 - 12th grade so much of my time is spent finding solutions to help every child learn. I've been teaching teachers how to use technology since 1998 when my sister, Mom and I (all teachers) developed a technology integration course for Georgia public school teachers who only had 1-2 computers for their classroom. As a mother of three, two of my children have learning differences. I've learned how technology can help them improve, how to partner with teachers, and how to help educators differentiate using technology. My passion is helping every child learn and helping every teacher find out how to help them.

Students should be empowered, challenged, and respected. I care more about the people my students become than the tests they take. That said, however, I'm driven to help my students excel, and they do. It is just a matter of priority for me. When I forget that they are human beings and try to make them be human doings, then learning doesn't happen. The beginning of learning is the relationship between the teacher and student. No lesson plan or resource can give you that. I love finding things that save time and help students learn. I believe in using the latest technology, when appropriate, to reach every child. I believe in having effective classroom management procedures. While I like procedures, I also love giving students lots of choices in their work. I am experimenting with being the teacher as a game-master and think we have to get past just points and badges and use our teacher-craftsmanship techniques to help children get excited about learning. I use my expertise to help teachers reach every student.

My blog, the Cool Cat Teacher Blog has been a top teacher blog since 2006. In 2014, I won the BAMMY Award for Best Talk Show Host for my radio show syndicated as a podcast -- "Every Classroom Matters" 2014. In 20016, I won the ISTE Online Learning Award for the Flat Classroom Project and have co-created or created more than 20 global collaborative projects. Twitter has been a favorite platform where I share and with more than 120K followers or so there, I've been named a Mashable Top Teacher on Twitter. I write for Cathy Rubin as a Top 12 Teacher Blogger in the world for her Global Search for Education Top 12 Teacher Blogger Worldwide.You can read about all the other awards on my blog. The greatest awards, to me, are those earned by my students. My classroom was named one of the top 10 most financially literate classrooms in the US by H&R Block. I've had students recognized by Edutopia as part of the "Digital Youth" Program, and others have won international film festivals, and a US Dept of Education "shark tank" for apps they have programmed. Some of the most fun awards we give are the "paper plate" awards in my classroom where we celebrate student learning and rejoice in the journey. I'm especially honored because teachers have added me to their PLN over the last ten years. I hope to be helpful to teachers.

My undergraduate degree was in Management from Georgia Tech where I graduated first in my class. I have been using computers since the 1970's and the Internet since my days in college. After a successful career in the cell phone and telephone business, I became a stay at home Mom to raise my children. I started a business programming web pages in the mid-1990's and was soon asked to begin developing courses for businesses, schools, and local colleges in how to be more productive with technology. Since 2002 when I began teaching, I've thrown myself into learning everything about education and technology that I can with more than 150 hours of education and education-related coursework. I also employ one of the most amazing researchers I know, Lisa Durff (soon to be Dr. Durff when she completes her education technology degree) who helps and advises me on all of my work including the resources uploaded to Teachers Pay Teachers.

Author of three books: 1) Reinventing Writing 2) Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds and 3) 10 Habits of Bloggers that Win and more to be uploaded here.