Read the best books first...

Read the best books first, or you may not have chance to read them all. Henry David Thoreau

A current theme recurring in my life right now is TIME, or lack of it.  Yes, I am a teacher. And yes, I have the summer "off".  But my summer off includes cleaning a house that hasn't seen a vacuum cleaner in months, spending quality time with my family, and my newest endeavor: getting my graduate degree in educational technology.  So one of the things I don't seem to have enough time for is reading, one of my favorite activities.  Following is my list of books that I am currently reading; or desperately want to read before the summer is over.  Maybe a few more beach days with just my books and the sand are in order?!

Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator by Dave Burgess. A fantastically, inspirational book that challenges us to break out of our shells and inspire our students. 

"For many students, school is filled with monotony, drudgery, and soul-killing suckiness. When I think about a student's typical school day, it makes me completely understand why so many of them don't want to be there.  Too often school is a place where creativity is systematically killed, individuality is stamped out, and boredom reigns supreme.  There are really only two possibilities; either your class can be a reprieve from all of that or it can be a contributing factor.  I am thoroughly committed to having my class be a reprieve." (p. 55) 

Wow! This book, which I have actually finished, challenged me to make every day in the classroom count.

Educational Technology: A Definition with a Commentary by Alan Januszewski and Michael Molenda. A required read for my EDTech 501 class.  My first thought when I saw this book was, "The authors needed 369 pages to define 'educational technology'?!" In reality, the authors introduce educational technology as defined by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) on the first page.  The rest of the book provides commentary on each of the key concepts of the definition.  Perhaps not a page turner, but definitely a good read for anyone interested in the pedagogy of technology integration.

Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Master to Truly Transform Our Schools by Ron Ritchhart. Ritchhart, director of the Cultures of Thinking Project explains that when students know that their thinking is important and valued, they become invested in the class and a creative class culture is created.  By employing the "8 cultural forces", Ritchhart believes our classrooms can be transformed.  If you truly believe that schools should be more than just the memorizing of facts and passing of tests then Creating Cultures of Thinking is a must read.

Worlds of Making: Best Practice for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School by Laura Fleming. One of my goals for this upcoming school year is to create a Makerspace in my classroom. I dream of an environment where kids are free to experiment, explore, invent, and create to their hearts' content. This book is a quick read (just 65 pages) but chock full of practical advice.  Whether your Makerspace is going to be primarily recyclables and arts & crafts or a high-tech workshop equipped with all the latest gadgets, Fleming shares why the maker movement is integral to bringing 21st century learning to your school.

The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity by George Couros. I must be honest, I have not even read the introduction to this book!  I bought it simply because Couros is one of the most inspiring people in the field of education that I follow on Twitter.  The back cover states, 

"The Innovator's Mindset is for you if: You are a teacher who wants to create relevant learning experiences and help students develop the skills they need to be successful."

Yes!  That's me!  This book is on my 'read before the end of the summer' list.

I'm sure before the summer is over and I'm welcoming a new group of 6th graders to my room, I will add a few more books to my list.  But for now, I think I have enough to keep me busy:).

Update 7/21/16:  I just finished LAUNCH: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student by A.J. Juliani and John Spencer.  Another fantastically inspirational read.  Juliani and Spencer explain how The LAUNCH Cycle will revolutionize your classroom.  I can't wait to LAUNCH this fall and see my students dream, create, imagine, innovate, and explore!