How to Use Google's Free Applied Digital Skills Curriculum
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Release Date: 08/27/2021
A Cool Secret for Helping Kids Understand Math
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Too many kids see math as boring or irrelevant. Tinashe Blanchet shares how creative, real-world projects like scale models can help students engage deeply with math while still hitting standards. Read more: 3 Takeaways: • Scale models and PBL connect math to real life. • Measurement is often the weakest test area—but projects can fix that. • Teachers can start small with PBL, even in tight schedules. Growth Reflection: How have you used projects to make math more engaging? Show notes link:
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Richard Culatta: What an AI-Ready Graduate Really Looks Like
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
AI didn’t break assessments—it revealed just how flawed they already were. Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD, shares how schools can prepare AI-ready graduates, address bias, and rethink what learning really looks like. Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e912 3 Takeaways: • Assessments weren’t broken by AI—they were broken already. • An AI-ready graduate needs strong human skills like storytelling and problem-solving. • Addressing bias requires both human awareness and AI tools for cross-checking. Growth Reflection: How should schools redefine assessments in the age of...
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Building Cybersecurity Skills in Schools: The Student SOC
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Cyber attacks on schools are growing. Auburn University’s Jay James shows how student-led cybersecurity operations prepare learners and protect campuses. 3 Takeaways: • Student SOCs give real-world, hands-on cybersecurity training. • AI tools like Microsoft Security Co-Pilot mentor students in real time. • K-12 schools can start small with focused projects and grow from there. Growth Prompt: How do you prepare students—or staff—for real cybersecurity threats? Show notes link:
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Low Morale or Toxic Culture? Solutions with Stand Tall Steve Bollar
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Staff morale slipping or culture feeling off? In minutes, Stand Tall Steve Bollar shares quick, no-cost moves to lift school climate, empower staff, and unite your campus. Full links + guest bio: . Follow the 10 Minute Teacher for weekly classroom-ready tips. 3 Takeaways • Run a 7-week student-to-staff micro-challenge to build relationships fast. • Use five levels of decision-making to boost empowerment and morale. • Choose shared “anchors” to align subcultures and reduce toxicity. Growth Prompt Which micro-move will you try first—learn names, compliment shoes, thumbs-up...
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NEWS: Common Sense Warnings about Social AI Apps and More
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
This week's education news brings critical warnings every educator needs to hear. We're covering a major Apple security update, OpenAI's new Study Mode (and why a Cambridge expert gives it a C+), and most importantly - alarming findings about AI social companion apps that 70% of students are already using. Plus, concerning comments from OpenAI's CEO about the future of education. If you work with students, this episode could be a game-changer for the conversations you need to start having. Visit for all the links and resources mentioned. This 8-12 minute news segment always is the...
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Top 10 AI Tips for Schools to Do Now
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
As we prepare to return to school and with all of the announcements over the summer, what are the things we should do right away to prepare. Should we really enable all of the things or how can we slow down and test what really needs to happen to ensure the safety of our students and the educational value we want to offer? Teacher and IT Director, Vicki Davis, gives an overview of the summer's hottest AI announcements and some tips that schools are using to keep kids safe and cover their bases when it comes to implementing this cascade of change in ways that protect learning and kids. As...
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3 Easy AI Prompts I teach My Students on Day 1
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
I have three AI prompts I teach my students on the first day. Learn about why I do this and what the prompts are in this turbo tip episode! See the three prompts in the show notes and see a copy of the presentation I use to teach students to prompt:
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Top 5 Copilot Breakthroughs Unveiled at ISTE 2025 with Mike Tholfsen
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Microsoft's Mike Tholfsen unveils game-changing AI breakthroughs for educators at ISTE 2025, including Copilot Chat for teens 13+, the revolutionary Teach module that creates standards-aligned lessons in minutes, and AI-powered study guides that transform how students learn. Discover how Learning Zone on Copilot+ PCs brings AI directly to your classroom without internet, plus exciting updates to Learning Accelerators and seamless LMS integration that puts powerful AI tools right where teachers need them. Key takeaways: FREE Copilot Chat now available for students 13+ with enterprise data...
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3 EFFECTive Strategies: Curiosity Corner, Brain Breaks, Action Teams
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Sometimes it takes a wake-up call to transform from just being "a teacher" to being "THE teacher" who makes a difference. Math teacher and tech director Josh Korb shares three game-changing strategies from his book "Be the Cause" that you can implement immediately: Curiosity Corner spaces that spark student inquiry, energizing brain breaks using his "Jumping Jack Jam" technique, and Action Teams that tackle real-world problems through design thinking. These mastery learning strategies prove you don't need high energy or expensive tools—just intentional choices that put students in control of...
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My 30 Hot June AI and Edtech Tools and EduNews Show (June 2025)
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Ready for a deep dive into the latest AI tools and education headlines? In this special extended news episode, Vicki Davis shares 15 cutting-edge AI tools including Gemini's new video parsing capabilities, Claude Opus 4's powerful features, and Perplexity Labs' research tools, plus 15 critical news stories every educator needs to know. From AI ethics and security warnings to practical classroom applications, this episode delivers real classroom tech use insights you can implement immediately. Subscribe for weekly teacher-tested edtech tips and join the conversation at I'm also including...
info_outlineGoogle's Applied Digital Skills Curriculum is a fantastic free resource of lesson plans, videos, and learning experiences for students everywhere. Today's guest Coach Victor Hicks talks about how he's used the curriculum for grades kindergarten and up.
Sponsor: Today's podcast includes sponsored content from Google and their Applied Digital Skills Curriculum. All opinions are my own. coolcatteacher.com/skills
The "If-Then Adventure Story" that Victor recommends as a starting point is an excellent resource and beginning lesson plan for teachers. www.coolcatteacher.com/if
Coach Victor Hicks - Bio As Submitted
"Coach" Victor Hicks is the founder of Coding with Culture; a computer science instructional company that combines computer science, digital literacy and the history and culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Victor is also an educator in Atlanta, Georgia. Overall, Coach Hicks has over 20 years experience in education positively impacting the lives of young people in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia. Coach Hicks' work is featured on the Google Applied Digital Skills website and he was blessed with the opportunity to present on behalf of the Tynker Corporation at the ISTE convention in Chicago.
His work was featured in Forbes Magazine and he received the Educator of the Year award from InspireEDU among others. In his time outside of school and Coding with Culture, Coach Hicks is a Code.org professional development facilitator and the proud Coach of the Psi Phi Beta "HBCU Ready" Step Team!
Blog: http://www.coachhicks.com
Twitter: @codingwculture
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."