Can classroom technology help us create a memorable learning experience? In Tech Like a PIRATE, you'll get tons of practical ideas and inspiration. Here's a glimpse.
Before I wrote Tech Like a PIRATE, I read this: "Don't just teach a lesson. Create an EXPERIENCE!"
When I read those words years ago in Dave Burgess's book, Teach Like a PIRATE, it sent my mind into overdrive. How could I create an experience -- and not just teach a lesson -- in my classroom?
Many of the first ideas I had to answer that question included classroom technology. I thought, "Oh, this app would make this lesson an experience!" Or, "We could use our iPads to make this lesson into an experience."
I saw a Dave Burgess keynote speech live at a conference where I was presenting. His passion and enthusiasm for grabbing and KEEPING students' attention to drive learning forward were infectious. My mind soared with ideas I wanted to try in my own classroom.
And I did. I didn't realize it at the time, but that's when I started to write Tech Like a PIRATE, a follow-up to Dave's classic education book.
Tech Like a PIRATE revolves around a central question:
Can classroom technology create a memorable experience and drive learning forward?
The answer, I've found, is a resounding YES.
So ... what does that look like? In this post, I'll give you 10 sneak peeks into Tech Like a PIRATE ...
Matt Miller (Tech Like a PIRATE) and Dave Burgess (Teach Like a PIRATE)
1. Seven ways to Tech Like a PIRATE.
How can we use technology in meaningful ways that get us the results we seek? In Tech Like a PIRATE, I share practical ideas for making learning memorable with technology in these seven ways:
- Social media and apps
- Video
- Games
- Collaboration
- Images
- Exploration
- Global communication
2. Downloadable templates to use in class.
How frustrating is it to read a book, get lots of ideas and then ADD to your workload? All throughout Tech Like a PIRATE, I offer links to downloadable, "File > Make a Copy" templates for use in class tomorrow. Most are Google Slides files (that can be downloaded as Microsoft PowerPoint files). Get a copy. Adjust them to your liking if you want. Then, assign them to your students. And they're free! These are the kinds of resources you'd likely pay for at Teachers Pay Teachers.
3. Stories from MY classroom.
I share what worked -- and what didn't -- from my own high school Spanish classroom in Tech Like a PIRATE. I make the successes practical so you can apply them yourself if you want. And I'm real about the failures. Not everything I touched in my class turned to gold. I share the rough stories and the lessons I learned from them.
4. "In the Spotlight" examples.
For some of the best examples in Tech Like a PIRATE, I dive deep, sharing details of why they work, how they work, and how you can make them work in your classroom. One "In the Spotlight" example: how I recreated a version of Instagram Stories in Google Slides/PowerPoint so students wouldn't need to sign up for an Instagram account.
5. The Tech Treasure Trove.
In several chapters of Tech Like a PIRATE, I share ideas galore in the Tech Treasure Trove. Scan through these ideas. Read about them. Then pick one that fits best for your class. I'll share links to more information, to a tutorial video, or to download a template to use.
BIG NEWS! Tech Like a PIRATE is NOW available on Amazon! Make learning MEMORABLE! #Ditchbook #TechLAP
6. New PIRATE hooks.
All of the Teach Like a PIRATE engagement hooks. (Sketch by Matt Miller.)
In Dave Burgess's Teach Like a PIRATE, one of the best parts of the book are his hooks -- a wide range of ideas for making learning an experience! Today, educators continue to draw from the ideas he shares in the hooks. In Tech Like a PIRATE, with permission from Dave, I have created seven new PIRATE hooks with questions to spark your thinking.
7. Resources and links galore.
The ideas in Tech Like a PIRATE aren't limited to the book! Use the links throughout the book to go deeper with its ideas. If you followed every link in the book, you'd easily get hours and hours of extra learning. Take a deep dive into whatever piques your interest most.
8. Encouragement when things go wrong.
Having doubts? Overwhelmed? Lacking creativity? Not that techy? Lost momentum? Feeling resistance? For any of these, I wrote a letter just for you in Tech Like a PIRATE to help address these roadblocks.
9. The Maverick Teacher Pledge.
Want to make your commitment to being a Maverick Teacher official? Read about the Maverick Teacher Pledge in the book. Then generate your official Maverick Teacher certificate that you can sign and display officially in your classroom.
10. A bonus chapter!
Above, you learned about the seven ways to Tech Like a PIRATE. The truth is that I wrote eight of them, but we didn't have room for all eight. On the Tech Like a PIRATE resources, page, you can find the bonus chapter on infusing storytelling elements into teaching.
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Anything that can be use in PE?
The modules on Remote Learning were terrific… very supportive and usable during these challenging times. Thanks for the template ideas!!!
Thank you! 🙂
When will it be available for Kindle?
Hopefully soon. We’ve submitted the files to Amazon. It’s up to them at this point.
Are the ideas in this book applicable for teaching 2nd graders online?
Sure. It’s all about making digital learning a memorable experience. When you see learning through a unique lens, it can lead to that memorable learning. There’s a lot that could apply to remote learning activities, student videos, video conferencing, etc.