Summer Edition #3: Five Things You Can Use (and a Few Things Just for Fun)
Hi friends,
How in the world is July almost gone?! That’s bananas.
Fear not, there’s still some solid summer left. As such, I thought it would be fun to send out a few things that could be helpful in preparation for the fall (and a few things that are just fun).
I hope you can put these pieces to good use.
Cheers,
Mike
P.S. We’ve got some monster-good changes coming to the newsletter for ‘23-24. Within the next two weeks, we’ll be sharing survey results and outlining all the goodness on the way. Stay tuned!
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#1: Need a resource for your teachers?
I love videos, as you no doubt are aware. I also love places that are reliable sources of fun videos that are kid-friendly. Enter The Kids Should See This (TKSST)
Now, I haven’t seen every video on the site (there are thousands), but they seem to be very fun, innocent, and oftentimes quite educational.
What would a drone flight over a volcano eruption look like? Find out.
Wanna learn to draw a T-Rex in 60 seconds? Done.
Need a few peaceful minutes at Yellowstone … surrounded by bison? Let’s go!
#2: Running out of ideas for pesky school problems?
Use a Zwicky Box!
This man is one of a kind. Fritz Zwicky was a bit cranky, but he was also brilliant. A professor at Cal Tech, Zwicky held over 50 patents and developed some of the first jet engines. Oh yeah, he also discovered dark matter.
Smart guy.
To get past creative and mental roadblocks when solving problems, he used a Zwicky Box (sometimes called a morphological chart). The whole goal of the process is to discover solutions to problems that no one else has considered.
Here’s an example of how it works:
Choose a topic that needs a new creative solution. We’ll try, “Make a new meal with what’s in my refrigerator.”
Make a table on a whiteboard, a piece of paper, the back of a napkin, whatever.
Across the top, write out categories. For our purposes, it may be types of food that, when put together, comprise a good meal. Meat, Dairy, Beverage, Fruit, Vegetable, Condiment, Sauce.
Next, fill in the table with as many relevant items as you can think of. In this case, we just open the fridge and find what fits into each category:
Meat: pastrami, ground beef, chicken breast, pork chops
Fruit: nectarines, grapes, apples, raisins, cranberries, strawberries, blueberries
Vegetables: corn on the cob, potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, kale, baby spinach
Sauce/Condiments: ketchup, soy sauce, bbq sauce, Tapatio, chipotle mayo, maple syrup, misc salad dressings
Beverages: La Croix, beer, milk, apple juice
Consider all of the different pairings that might come from combining unexpected items in each column.
Now, Some of them will be terrible ideas. And I mean terrible (Ex: chicken breast stuffed with grapes smothered in soy sauce? Mmmmm.) However, some might be worth a go. (Ex: pork chops with an apple-raisin chutney? Let’s do it!)
How can I apply this at work?
Of course, my domain is professional development, so I created the following board in my office. If you’re trying to figure out how to fit everything in during in-service, give it a go.
You can use a Google Docs version here. Just make a copy for yourself and have at it.
#3: Senseless Survey
Everyone loves “Would you rather?” questions. Consider them for your staff newsletter. We might just be able to help you out with that (hint, hint …foreshadowing here).
Fun Fact: My sister-in-law is an accomplished travel writer and author. She got her big break by playing “Would you rather?” with Anthony Bourdain for an article in an airline’s in-flight magazine.
#4: Want AI to help you with ed research?
It’s like ChatGPT with clearly cited sources. Try out Perplexity.AI. I’ve been enjoying it. Thought you might, too.
We’re improving the newsletter!
I recently sent out a survey to get your insights on how we can improve the newsletter … and we got some great ideas. We’ll be sharing the results and coming changes soon, but here’s what you need to know now:
Weekly videos will always be free. Also, the paid version of our newsletter is going to get crazy good! Amazing resources at a steal of a price. But, we will be increasing the subscription price from $60/year to $70/year (or $6/month to $7/month). The new pricing goes into effect on August 15th.
If you subscribe before the price change, you’ll enjoy our original rate ($60/year or $6/month) for LIFE! Don’t hesitate! Get it!
#5: Need some new podcasts?
Over the last year or so, I’ve become a HUGE fan of multi-host podcasts. Two consistent personalities jawbonin’ about education (or whatever) just makes you feel like more of a part of the conversation. And each of these is exquisitely done.
Disclaimer: My company, Peer Driven PD, is an advertiser on two of these podcasts, but that’s for a reason. I reached out to them after being a fan, so although I do occasionally get some business from their listeners, I would honestly endorse them regardless.
The Modern Principal Podcast
Christy and Karen are two amazing administrators who are hilarious, smart, and always relevant. They tackle topics that really matter to school leaders (like, “Should I Go Back to School for a Doctorate?”) And they are quick and to the point. Just what you need! Check them their latest episode!
Schurtz and Ties Podcast
Principal Brian Miller and Teacher/Instructional Coach Kasey Schurtz co-host this down-to-earth and very smart pod. Two great educators talking schools, culture, and where the two intersect. They don’t always agree (what would be the fun in that?!), but the conversation is top-notch. Chatbots, fictional teachers, Ted Lasso. Couldn’t get any better. Check them out.
Outliers in Education
I discovered this pod about six months ago. It’s on the newer side with about 30 episodes to its name, but it’s going to be big. Erich and Eric interview some real heavy hitters in education. The insights are great. The applications are endless. And the two hosts are hilarious. (The production value is also top-notch). Give them a listen.
#6: A few things, just for fun
You could crush your back-to-school presentations if you built this.
“You like holograms?”
“Yeah, I’m a big fan.”
If someone understands this, let me know. My brain melted when I saw this.
A historic recreation of the Titanic. Scroll through the entire ship.
This is just bonkers. It’s 20 minutes long, but I just scrubbed back and forth. The chapter titles tell you where to find topics that are most appealing. Those first-class promenades! Wow!
I promise you won’t regret giving three minutes of your time to this.
Wow. Just … wow.
That’s it for now. Thanks, folks! Keep soaking up the sun!
Mike