PD Book Round Up #2: EdRenaline Rush and Hacking Engagement

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I'm back again looking into some terrific professional development books. I don't know about you, but there are so many books I want to read and just not enough time to get to them all.  So what I usually do is keep a running "To Be Read" (TBR) list and I try to tackle those by purchasing them, borrowing them from the library or a colleague or even listening to them through Audible.  I thought it would be fun to help me gain as much knowledge as I can while narrowing down my reading choices by downloading free samples of PD books from my TBR to my Kindle.  Did you know that in Amazon you can download a free sample of just about any eBook they sell?  This is a great way to see if a book is a good fit for you!



Let me also focus this by explaining what I am hoping to gain from reading these professional development excerpts and samples... I'm looking to shift from my role of school librarian to an instructional technology integration specialist.  While I already train my staff on instructional technology integration and other resources, I want to be prepared in the role of leader to guide innovation, impactful integration, build a positive climate with teacher buy in, and to support teachers as we go back to in person learning with one to one devices.

Ready to see what I've been reading?  Come on... let's dive in!

EdRenaline Rush: Game Changing Student Engagement Inspired by Theme Parks, Mud Runs and Escape Rooms by John Meehan


My Thoughts After Reading the First Chapter:

John Meehan starts by sharing a little about the story behind his book.  He was a teacher and instructional coach.  I related to him explaining how he feels like keeping up is like a  "never ending game of academic Whac-A-Mole to keep a finger on the pulse of where the best practices are shaping classrooms across the country."  There are so many options for information 24/7.  Blogs, podcasts, social media, YouTube, books and more.  I enjoyed hearing how pivotal moments shaped the development of the book.  Meehan mentions attending a conference and hearing an inspirational keynote by George Courous, author of the Innovator's Mindset (also on my TBR.)  I think it is awesome how he shares what inspired him so we can also go explore those books.  Another inspirational book he mentioned was eXPlore Like a Pirate by Michael Matera (I quickly added it also to my TBR.)  I hadn't even finished the introduction of the book and I already felt like Meehan was "my kind of person."

I love the way Meehan says after reading both books he felt "energized and full of countless ideas for my own classroom."  Yes, I thought... me too... that's what I am looking for.  I want practical ideas that are out outside of the box that leave me energized and with a toolkit of resources to pull from!  

Meehan shares a story about a marathon his family participated in (you have to read it to get the details) and it led him to this question: "How much more would we learn if going to school felt more like going to an amusement park?"

He added this thought, "Your favorite class is the one you like the most.  Your best class is the one in which you learn the most.  I want my class to be both of those things.  Every. Single. Day."  ⬅This right here says it all.  I want that for my learners.  I want my teachers to feel the type of success when they are the class the students enjoy and are learning so much in.  

Will I Keep Reading the Book?
Definitely yes! #EdRenalineRush




My Thoughts After Reading the First Chapter:

This is my first Hack Learning book I've read.  I came in excited, because I've heard some great things about the series.  Sturtevant starts out sharing a little about how he discovered the power of engagement way back in college when he took a class others referred to as "Rocks for Jocks."  He went into it without high expectations, probably thinking it was an easy A.  What he found instead was a scientist as his teacher how was funny and he bonded with him easily.  He realized that the relationship with the professor changed the experience of the class.  He wanted to participate and felt engaged in a class he really thought he wouldn't like at all.  

This book focuses on a specific problem and a suggestion or hack to engage students.  Then it includes easy steps to follow to put it into action.  I really liked the format.  It was a total win for me.  He also references the Hacking Engagement podcast throughout the book with QR codes you can scan to connect you to relevant episodes. I really liked being about to extend my learning when I wanted more information on the hack.  

I don't want to give too much away about the hacks.  In the free download you get up through hack one and a little of hack two.  I will say that hack one is relevant to pretty much all teachers... it addressed the problem: "Many students are reluctant readers."  I liked his creative hack to address the problem.  As a librarian, I have been doing this for many years, but it did remind me to think outside the box for new ways to utilize the hack to boost engagement.  

Will I Keep Reading the Book?
I liked it so much I downloaded this one and Hacking Engagement Again 

Stay tuned!  I'll share more great PD books soon!  I can't wait to share more of my Kindle book previews to see which books are a great fit for me in my learning journey.  

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