Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic

Are technology and scary synonyms in your vocabulary? Does change make your heart race? Have you ever been overwhelmed with all the technology out there, but weren’t quite sure how to meaningfully implement it in your classroom? If the answer is yes, then Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move from Static to Dynamic by Kasey Bell is for you! Shake Up Learning provides ideas, examples and a step-by-step guide to embracing and integrating technology into meaningful classroom activities. Bell focuses on moving teachers from static (the old, boring way of teaching) to dynamic. However, she makes sure you know that dynamic learning is not focused on technology. Dynamic takes student learning beyond the assignment and provides opportunity for growth through the four C’s (collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity). Bell integrates technology to transform and support dynamic learning in a meaningful way. Bell holds your hand as she guides you to transforming your thinking, planning, and teaching. Even the most timid of technology users will understand how digital learning can improve instruction and student engagement. Kasey Bell is a former middle school teacher who is passionate about helping classroom teachers transform learning through the use of digital learning and instructional technology. She promotes the idea that technology itself is not the answer, but is an opportunity to enhance learning. After getting her master’s degree in educational technology, she found ways to help other teachers impact students by teaching teachers. Bell is a well respected blogger with her own website that is chock-full of resources, support, and ideas. Bell wrote Shake Up Learning which is a digitally interactive book that is packed with links to support teachers through their technology journeys. Shake Up Learning takes you on a exploration through three questions. Bell pushes her readers to understand and answer the why, the what, and the how in the three main parts of her book. In Part One, she explains in detail why it is time to shake up learning in classrooms across America. Technology is always changing, and so is our world. Teachers must embrace change with a positive attitude. Teachers must also realize that technology itself is not the answer - it is what students do with technology that matters. Technology should be a tool that inspires and supports learning. In Part Two, Bell provides teachers with a breakdown of dynamic learning. She makes sure that teachers understand that they must “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” and value mistakes because “Failure is a necessary part of success.” She reminds us that being afraid should not keep us from trying new things, and earning should be continuous for teachers and students. Thus, she encourages us to teach ourselves curation through trial and error. Teachers must model, cultivate and share their story so that students will follow. Students are engaged when learning is student-centered and they have choice. In Part Three, Bell walks teachers through how to implement meaningful dynamic planning, facilitating, and reflection. “Dynamic Learning is not about having technology in your lesson. It is about bringing your learning to life and letting it grow and evolve in new ways.” Planning must be intentional and involve students. Learning goals but come first, and students need to have a voice in order for it to be meaningful. Bell encourages teachers to think beyond the tools to encourage creativity, and she says that we should always have a plan B. In this last section, Bell walks teachers step-by-step through the process of planning and implementing a lesson. It is written as an explicit how to, complete with sample lessons, tips, and additional ideas.I absolutely loved this book. Shake Up Learning what exactly what I needed. I am one of those teachers that gets anxious with change, and is often scared of the new technology. One of the strengths of this book is how Bell not only explains her thinking, but also backs it up with concrete examples and ideas. I did not feel overwhelmed, especially because she explained everything thoroughly and simply. It is obvious that she puts learning and what is best for children first. Technology is used to enhance the learning. Another strength of this book is the step-by-step directions that she gives for planning lessons. Again, the examples helped, especially the 4th grade lesson using the book The Wild Robot, a book I use in my own classroom. The format was completely doable, and the questions she provided promoted reflection.The only weakness of this book would be that she does not explain how the tools work. Although she gives examples and ideas of how to integrate certain tools, directions for the tools are not in this book (they are however in another book I recently read!). As she stated earlier though, teachers must learn to use these tools through trial and error because it helps enhance our own learning.I would highly recommend this book to any classroom teacher. Whether you are a novice or an expert at technology, Bell has put learning front and center. Ask yourself, “Am I using technology for the sake of technology, or is it supporting the learning going on in my classroom?”

I am so glad I purchased this book! I fell in love with Kasey Bell's resources and lesson ideas through Twitter, and I was soon hooked on the Google Teacher Tribe podcast as well. This book is not just a repeat of all of the wonderful ideas that Kasey shares through social media. With specific lesson plans, suggestions for planning, and tools galore, it is packed with ideas that can help any teacher, regardless of whether that teacher is a technology novice or a guru. And, with words like "uberize" in the chapter titles, how could you go wrong? As I read, I felt like I was having a conversation with a friend or mentor instead of actually engaging in professional development, but I with a very pleasant feeling of "brain full-ed-ness," bursting with ideas of how to remodel some of my current lessons. I'm a school librarian, so I am always looking for ways to make learning more dynamic as I collaborate with teachers from all content areas; Kasey's book is a great resource to include in my toolbox, one that I can't wait to share with others!

She spends the first section explaining why change needs to happen to convince you that it should. The second section is how education could look based on her earlier arguments. The third section is adapting your current lessons to 21st century learning through examples and templates.I think the best part of the book is all the resources and links to aid your digestion of her writing. It allows you to research for yourself and figure out how to implement 21st century learning into your curriculum.Since this kind of undertaking is a lot of work and can be scary, I'd recommend reading this book with a colleague or as a book study. The author lists questions at the end of each chapter for book studies to help you process the information.

This book is definitely something to partake in when looking to change your classroom/school environment. Today's classroom is NOT the way I grew up in. Students are definitely more hands on and more active. Changing your pedagogy in approaching student's is needed and Kasey's book is a great stepping stone in changing into a dynamic classroom. I am only a few chapters/sections in and already have great ideas in changing my approach for next school year.Not only is this great for approaching students, but this book will help lead the change with staff within the school. My school had been using OFFICE 365 and students leave our school with no background of G-suite (which is what all area schools use). I will definitely be using these ideas to change teachers approach to their teaching. No more office 365 after June 5 at my school.BUY!BUY!BUY!BUY!BUY!BUY!BUY!BUY! BUY this book to change your teaching to better the students learning.

This book is so full of valuable information for teachers that even after completing the book study, I will need to go back and review some areas again. The information was presented in a learner friendly environment with tons of examples, resources, and tricks that I can begin using today. I would highly recommend that ever teacher take this book study. It could not have come at a better time for me as much of our teaching will be virtual until the Coronavirus epidemic slows down. Thank you for all of the valuable information, materials, downloads, and the experience of completing this book study.

Kasey Bell knocks it out of the park! The timeliness of this book and how WELL it is written are what we educators need right now! Shake UP Learning leads us out of our comfort zones to reimagine education that disrupts and engages learners, challenges thinking, and prepares students for the entrepreneurial world THEY live in over the factory world we grew up in. Shake Up Learning is the whole package and will stay with me for a LONG time! That the book was an EASY read with online supports and challenges made it all the better!

Hi, I just thought there would be more instruction on how to use google classroom, instructions for teachers.

Ce livre décrit des pratiques de classe mais surtout comment le numérique nécessite un changement de posture en classe ainsi que dans sa réflexion personnelle.