Learn Lead Grow

If you have never tried Google Forms, there are a variety of different things that you can do with it, such as creating: Surveys Quizzes Sign-Ups Documentation Logs Here is a cheat sheet that I developed for using Google Forms:  Click here if you would like a downloadable copy. 

Google Drawings is quickly becoming one of my favorite tools. How do you use it? How can you incorporate it into your classroom? Here are 7 ways to use Google Drawings in the classroom: Do you have other creative ways of using Google Drawings in the classroom? I would love to hear your ideas! Please comment below.

Siri is a powerful tool that often gets overlooked; however, it has the power to help you stay organized, increase efficiency, quickly find information, and perform tasks with very little effort. Just when you learn one trick, there are new things added each day! Here are 14 things that you can do with Siri to increase your productivity inside and outside of the classroom: Click here to download the PDF version of the 14 Things Siri Can Do Cheat Sheet. If you are interested in seeing the full list of Siri commands, here is an excellent article from CNET that has even more!

How do you tell a story? Sutori is a free tool for telling your story in a unique, engaging, and interactive way. Here is how it works: Step 1: Create Your Title Create a short title to get your audience engaged and interested in your Sutori. Step 2: Use the Story Tool Creating your story begins with using the Story Tool. You can use the tool to add, move, or delete items. Not only can you add traditional text and multimedia components, you can also add assessment tools (i.e. multiple choice and drag and drop) and a discussion forum. Step 3: Collaboration Groups are a great way to collaborate with others on your story. Collaboration is free and unlimited, meaning you can add as many users as you want. The only limitation with the free version of Sutori is indeed with the number of groups you can create, limited to two per user. Step 4: Share the Love When you are finished with your story, add a conclusion and share with the world to see. There are a variety

I recently met Karen on my leadership journey to interview 50 leaders in one year. She is one of the most positive and encouraging people that I have ever met. Whether it is thanking a veteran for their service or offering a kind word to a stranger, she makes it a point to encourage others on a daily basis. In fact, she regularly distributes pre-printed cards with encouraging quotes to others on a regular basis. I was intrigued when she handed me a business card containing the word "encourager" as her title. In a world full of negativity, her job title stood out to me like an oasis in the desert.  Her journey to encouragement began fifty years earlier, when a kind-hearted little girl offered Karen the most valuable commodity - friendship and encouragement. What is Encouragement?  To encourage means to notice, find value, appreciate, and care for the needs of others. Leaders must encourage others to inspire greatness because encouragement is like breathe to our soul.

How do you typically prepare your students to take a quiz? Do you help them create a study plan? Does your approach customize and adapt to your student's individual needs? Quizlet launched a new tool called Quizlet Learn , which does exactly that. How Does it Work?  Tell Quizlet what materials you need to master and when you need to learn them by. Quizlet Learn develops an individual study plan that adapts to your needs. The program identifies patterns and makes adjustments to increase or decrease difficulty while you are studying. Quizlet Learn provides you with up-to-date information on your progress to keep you focused and motivated. Quizlet Learn is currently available on iOS , but an Android version will be coming soon. Conclusion : Quizlet Learn is an excellent tool to increase student engagement and motivation. Students have the ability to set due dates and measure their progress to see how close they are to reaching their goal. Quizlet customizes review materials

Learn more about my 50 Leaders in One Year Story.  The word good can take on many different connotations. It can provoke a sense a feeling of peace and generate positive emotions. When life is good, we feel good. The word good can rise the cynic within us. We scroll through social media posts and grow cynical by the good life our friends and family have. The truth is that life is good, but it can be hard to see in the midst of adversity, challenge, and heartache. When our world is falling apart, it can be difficult to see anything good. Seeing the good in any situation is essential to growing as a leader. Whether you are leading students, teachers, soldiers, or a sales staff, there will be times that you have to find the good in a situation. The people who rely on you are counting on you. If you are trapped within a world of darkness, how can you lead others to the light? Good : A few months ago, a colleague recommended that I view the following clip by former Navy Seal, Jock

If you have an iPad, you may be aware of the many free accessibility tools designed to increase access and remove barriers. You can access the accessibility features on your iPad by going to Settings and choosing Accessibility.   I have created  the following iBook  with 10 iPad Accessibility Features for Students. The book contains information about each tool, cheat sheets, and links to video tutorials. Here are four free accessibility tools you may not know about.  1. The Zoom Feature The Zoom Feature is helpful for magnifying the display of your iPad. This tool can be used with students with visual difficulties or as a way to enlarge content to project on your teacher iPad. Once this feature is turned on in the Accessibility menu, simply tap three fingers on your screen to activate.  2. Magnifier Have you ever had difficulty reading the fine print on a sign or need a little extra help seeing a particular object? The Magnifier feature on your iPad uses y

I have grown to love the Post-It Plus iOS App because it provides numerous options for engaging students in the classroom. I would like to share eight ways it can be used in the classroom. 1. Word Practice Just the other day, I was in a 1st-grade classroom to practice making compound words. Instead of writing words on paper, students used the App to practice putting together post-it notes to make compound words. You may even want to consider have students practice recognizing patterns in words, such as synonyms, antonyms, and parts of speech. 2. Vocabulary Practice Provide students with a list post-it notes containing words and definitions. Have students match the vocabulary word with the meaning. Take it a step further and have students draw an example of the vocabulary word using the editing tools on Post-It Plus. 3. Sequencing the Parts of a Story Elementary students often need practice sequencing the events in a story. After students read a passage, have key events fr