Media

The Sunday Seven is a weekly web-based newsletter from Dave Burgess Inc. that’s shared with thousands of teacher readers from around the world. Each week, teacher authors from the DBC family take a few minutes to share a rundown of items of interest and “getting to know you” type shareables to help fellow educators feel connected, supported and inspired with all of the things that help us do this noble work. In October of 2020, the good folks at DBC gave me the chance to share a handful of things that make me “me.” Check out the link above for the full story.

Kansas-based educator and instructional coach Tara Martin is the author of Be Real: Teach from the Heart and the host of The R.E.A.L. Journey Show podcast. In this episode, she invited me onto her program to discuss how I came to find myself in my current role as a teacher, author, speaker and instructional coach, and the various roles I’ve had the chance to play in the public and private school learning settings. We also chat at length about struggles with mental illness, and how the most unexpected of inspirations can help us better relate to others and perform as the leaders and educators we aspire to be!

Allison Keefe (@AllisonKTeaches) and Emily Sattler (@SattlerCyber) are a pair of instructional technologists and virtual classroom educators based out of the great state of Pennsylvania. They are also proud alumnae of the Keystone Technology Innovators (KTI) program, and we had the chance to first meet in person way back in the summer of 2019. In September of 2020, they invited me onto their show, The Cyber Sisters Podcast, and we took a deep dive into #QRBreakIN and a handful of strategies that teachers can use to engage remote learners.

Lee Tucker is a high school English teacher based out of Villa Rica, Georgia. This summer he invited me to be a guest on The 8-Bit Instructor, his weekly podcast, where we talked about everything from social justice to social media and how to leverage the power of play in our classrooms whether we’re in person or online! Click the link to join us as we geek out about all sorts of ways to engage students in the classroom and reach the next level of our teaching.

Michael Matera is the author of eXPlore Like a Pirate and the brains behind the Well Played education podcast. By popular demand of his listeners after the previous week’s episode where we talked about all the problems with classroom games that feel like Monopoly, I was invited back as a guest co host and we spent a full 40 minutes talking about how to un-suck this classic example of outdated play.

Every Thursday night, Dave Burgess and Tara Martin host the weekly DBC Fall PD Series on Facebook Live. And in August of 2020, they invited me on the show to talk about the Class is Lava gamified syllabus and all things EDrenaline Rush as we prepare for the start of a school year unlike any we’ve ever seen! Give a click to the link to check out the interview.

Darcie Priester is an instructional technology resource teacher based out of northern Virginia. She is also the host of the YouTube series “Tech Tuesday.” And in her first episode of August 2020, she invited me on her show to share an exclusive video of the gamified syllabus activity that I created to help teachers hit the ground running for the new year!

Teacher, author, YouTuber and classroom gamfication guru Michael Matera is a big fan of playful learning. But he does. not. like Monopoly! In this episode of his podcast, I was invited back as a guest and we devoted the entire show to all the things that the game does wrong — and what lessons teachers can learn from it’s mistakes.

Looking to kick off your school year with an extra splash of heat? Whether you’re back to school in person or teaching remotely, capturing students’ imaginations on those all-important first days of class is essential! And my friends at DBC Inc. offered me the chance to write a guest blog post on how teachers can use the Class is Lava gamified back-to-school syllabus to really hit the ground running.

All summer long, I’ve had the opportunity to join with the good folks from Microsoft and CUE as part of the Global EdTech Academy. In this session, they invited me to talk about adapting EDrenaline Rush for teachers preparing both for in person and distance learning (apologies for the audio issues. One of the session attendees accidentally left their mic on!).

Matt Miller’s Ditch That Textbook website is a vibrant hub of learning resources for teachers of all content areas. And this summer, he included our Class is Lava activity in his list of back-to-school essentials for teachers working in schools who’ll be taking a remote learning approach for the fall.

Through a partnership with CUE and Microsoft, the Global EdTech Academy offered educators around the world the opportunity to receive world-class professional development. This summer, we sought to make help teachers make sense of this time where “adapt and overcome” was the new rule of the day.  In this session, we focused on modifying techniques from EDrenaline Rush with distance learning in mind.

This year is shaping up to be a teaching experience unlike any other. And this summer, the good people over at Edutopia put together a really handy crash course article to help educators find worthwhile professional development opportunities that can really change the game for our students. Their article says some really nice things about EDrenaline Rush and this website!

In mid-March 2020, education shifted. Powerful outside forces fully disrupted the classic paradigm known as “school,” and CUE and Microsoft partnered together for the Global EdTech Academy to offer world class PD to educators hoping to make sense of the “new normal.” Join us this summer as I’ve been offered the chance to present a series of webinars to help teachers get a sneak peek at how EDrenaline Rush might be able to support your instruction in this game-changing time!

Michael Matera is a sixth grade teacher, the author of eXPlore Like a Pirate, and the guru of all things gamified — so I was thrilled to be invited back to his podcast to talk about how to use game-based learning to create activities that can adjust seamlessly between the physical classroom and situations where we’ll need to offer online learning.

Sue Ferrara, PhD. is a writer and researcher based out of central New Jersey. She is likewise the brains behind the “Begin With a Question” website, which tackles all sorts of issues related to teaching and education reform. In May of 2020, she had the opportunity to read EDrenaline Rush, and she wrote a blog entry with a really thoughtful review of the book.

Hans and Jennifer Appel are a husband and wife teacher team and the authors of the 2020 book Award Winning Culture. On the May 16th edition of their podcast, they put together a list of books and educators who model what “Award Winning Culture” looks like in the classroom environment, and EDrenaline Rush got a nice little shout out for teachers looking to bring dynamic life and energy in their classrooms.

The Make Learning Magical podcast focuses on strategies for transforming teaching and creating unforgettable experiences in classrooms. In April of 2020, Tisha Richmond, Oregon-based educator and author of the book by the same name, invited me as a guest on her show to talk about ways to keep students engaged both inside the physical classroom and outside of it.

In February of 2020, I was bouncing between conferences on opposite ends of the country and had the opportunity to connect with my old friend Michael Matera, sixth grade teacher and author of eXPlore Like a Pirate, as a guest on an episode of his weekly Well PlayED podcast. My apologies for the sound quality (I blame a crowded airport!), but it’s a great conversation about the power of playful learning.

Fabian Hofmann and Scott Kazarian are a dynamic teacher tandem who hail from the Hawaiian island of Ohahu. In February of 2020, they invited me on their podcast for a conversation that covered everything from mental health to reality television. Check out this episode to learn more about the origin stories behind EDrenaline Rush, and hear how creating a high-energy lesson plans can send powerful ripple effects through life outside of the classroom.

In Janurary of 2020, the good folks behind the Ditch That Textbook website assembled a massive collection of tools, templates, and teacher resources designed for Google slides. #QRBreakIN is featured as a cornerstone of their classroom gamification strategies, and the site was kind enough to include a really nice blog entry to help introduce educators to this high-energy twist on old school centers!

Sean Arnold is a special education teacher and STEM coach in New York City’s District 75. In January of 2020, we had the chance to connect at the 40th annual FETC conference way down in sunny Miami, and he offered 40+ insights from this  gathering of educators from around the world. See what he had to say about #QRBreakIN and EDrenaline Rush in this blog entry.

In this episode, Ohio-based educator and show host Keven Rinaman discusses his key takeaways from 40th annual Future of Education Technology Conference with Jon Smith (@theipodteacher), Teacher Success Manager for @BookCreatorApp. #QRBreakIN made a huge impression on the team, and conversation about this game-changing pedagogy is high on their list of their conference highlights.

Jason Ashmore is an educator based out of Alberta, Canada. In the first 2020 episode of his weekly “Adventures in Education” podcast, he gives fellow teachers a rundown of the top 10 educational books he’d picked up in the past year, and EDrenaline Rush kicks off his countdown. Check out the episode for a great (audio) write-up on the book!

The Check This Out podcast is a weekly effort from Ryan O’Donnell and Brian Briggs, two California-based educators with a love for all things educational technology. Each week, their podcast highlights innovation, creativity, and collaborative tools that can be used in all sorts of teaching-related endeavors. And in December of 2019, they included my Netflix and Disney + templates in their interactive “Create with Google Chrome Advent Calendar” project.

In November of 2019, instructional coach, and 21 year veteran teacher, Jennifer Appel stopped by the Teach Better Talk podcast to chat about the little things that can have big impacts, staying open-minded, and why we have to keep learning. At the tail end of her interview, she offered a friendly shout out my way and mentioned that EDrenaline Rush is currently on her education reading list.

Michele Hill is a passionate educator who serves as a coordinator of admissions and communications at Burlington County Institute of Technology. In episode 48 of the In Awe Podcast, she shares some of her experiences with cultivating a mindset that focuses on gratitude, and offers a ringing endorsement of EDrenaline Rush as one of her favorite reads of 2019.

In November of 2019, the Teach Better Team gathered a world-class roster of educators to the snowy town of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio for the first ever Teach Better Conference. Adam Cottos was one of the 250+ conference guests in attendance, and he had a lot to say about his time in the Buckeye State where we had the chance to connect as fellow Catholic Educators thanks to the one and only Dave Burgess (yes, THAT Dave Burgess). Give a click to read his conference reflections!

Rebecca Thal is a math and science teacher based out of a breezy shore town in my beloved home state of New Jersey. In November of 2019, she had the opportunity to make the trip to #TeachBetter19 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and we had the chance to connect. Click the link to hear her thoughts from the weekend!

Jill Weber is a teacher at at Maize High School in Goddard, Kansas. In November of 2019, she adapted the #EggDashChallenge and turned it into a high-energy sprint through FDR’s presidency and called it the “New Deal Run!” Check out her reflections on this spirited activity by clicking the link.

The Teach Better Team hosted their first annual conference in the fall of 2019. As a countdown to the big event, the group invited me to chat on their Facebook group about the tricks I had up my sleeve for the event. Give a click to the link to hear a sneak peek of what’s in store.

Kaelyn Bullock is an Instructional Technology Coach in Northville, MI, and this podcast pairs her with a former student who is just beginning his career as a classroom teacher. So how do you motivate students? This episode of the Bell Ringers podcast is all about gamification! And Kaelyn gives a ringing endorsement of #QRBreakIN to help get teachers (and students) excited to get in the game!

Susan Alpin is a Digital Integration Specialist and a National Board Certified Teacher based out of South Carolina. In October of 2019, she wrote a blog entry about educational podcasts and finding like-minded educators through social media, and she gave a shout out to the Talk to Mee in the Car podcast. Check out the link to learn more!

In September of 2019, the good people from Gimkit reached out my way and asked if I’d be willing to help them roll out their brand new Gimkit 4.0 platform — which includes a wild new game mode called “Boss Battle” where an entire class can gang up against a single player (like the teacher, perhaps)! Check out their new season launch video and see a cameo from the students in my classroom as we help the team roll out this never-before-seen feature!

Patricia Rakovic is a Rhode Island-based speech and language pathologist. In August of 2019, she wrote a blog post in which she discussed how she incorporated lessons inspired by EDrenaline Rush into her college classroom and in her work with elementary school students, hailing the book as “a read that you will be constantly referring back to and finding even more ways to incorporate the excitement of learning into the classroom.”

Tammy Musiosky is a PYP relief teacher at an international school in Singapore the President of the ASCD Emerging Leaders Alumni Affiliate. In August of 2019, she offered a quick review of EDrenaline Rush on her blog, calling the book “a fresh look at student engagement,” and adding that it was “full of ideas.” Check out her review at the link above.

Mike Washburn is a teacher in Barrie, Ontario and the host of the weekly On Education Podcast. His co-host is the show’s creator, Glen Irvin Flores, an instructional coach based out of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. The duo invited me onto their program to talk about EDrenaline Rush in July of 2019.

Umair Qureshi is a Pakistan-based educator and an ASCD Emerging Leader. Tammy Musiosky is an ASCD Emerging Leader based out of Singapore. Together, they host the ED Talk Live Facebook group, and a regular episodic program where they interview teachers from around the globe to help educators keep tabs on ways to improve their performance in classrooms in all corners of the world. Check out this conversation from July of 2019!