PD Book Round Up Part 1

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I'm always up for great book recommendations, how about you?  When it comes to fiction, I like to go in pretty blind and be surprised by the outcome.  With nonfiction, I'm pickier. I want to have a good idea going into it if it will meet my learning needs.  Today I'll share a few PD books I read during the school year and in future posts I'll share some I've started reading this summer.  There are so many great books to choose from and it was hard to decide what books to prioritize on my reading list (TBR).  So I thought I'd do a series on my first thoughts based on kindle free downloads to get a glimpse inside the titles on my TBR and narrow down which are a best fit for me.

I've been adding to my TBR (to be read) list all school year, waiting for summer to come so I'd have some extra time to dedicate to improving my instructional practice.  I don't know about you, but as a high school librarian I am constantly reading to keep up with current trends in popular young adult books to ensure I know what to purchase and recommend for students.  However, my own professional development book reading is always at a slower pace.  I take me time and really try to see how can I apply this to my library, classrooms and my campus as a whole. 

Ready for some great professional development book recommendations?  Here we go...

How to Lead by Jo Owen


Why You Might Like This Book:  If you've been feeling like your ready to lead but not sure where to start, (maybe it's leading at your campus or growing beyond the walls of your campus) this book will inspire you to create a plan and take action steps to make it happen.  

I found this title through a podcast series 3 Caffeinated Coaches.  They did something really cool I had never heard of before with their book study.  They approached participation as a "slow book study," similar to a "slow chat" on Twitter.  In this case they set up a Google Slides deck for each section of the book and invited participants to sign up to be a part of the slow chat.  Then as a participant I had a chance to comment on each chapter at my own pace within the window of time they allowed for each set of chapters.  I loved being able to see fellow colleagues responding to chapter prompts in the Slide deck.  I also really liked the ability to work at my own pace.  At the end of each section of the book, Georgina, Shannon and Becky led a discussion on their podcast (linked above) and referenced some of the points made in the Slides deck by the participants.  I thought this was genius!

Now on to the book, I LOVED this book.  No matter where you are in your career, you can lead right where you are at.  This book had practical advice for taking on the leadership role successfully.  Jo Owen starts by reassuring the reader that anyone can lead at any level, you don't need all the qualifications and you don't need to be perfect.  He says you need to start off with your IPA agenda.  

I  Start with a simple idea.

P It's all about people- attract-motivate- empower.

A Act by prioritizing and pushing your idea forward.

As I read through how to lead, I really enjoyed how reflective it was.  It helped me see leaders and leadership from a new perspective.  I also allowed me to reflect on different leadership styles and what I have learned from the different leaders I have worked with throughout my career. I ended up sketch noting the entire time I read this book, and I'm not a big "sketchnoter."  You can see one of my takeaways from my reading.  

If you want to leave feeling inspired to be a teacher leader or to take on any leadership role, you'll enjoy reading How to Lead by Jo Owen. Be sure to check out 3 Caffeinated Coaches podcast to listen to back episodes of the book study if you want to go deeper into leadership.

Blended Learning With Google by Kasey Bell



Why You Might Like This Book: If you are interested in making your lessons dynamic by infusing the four C's, building student motivation, and unlocking purpose and passion then Kasey Bell's book is for you.

I have been fangirling over Kasey Bell for a really long time.  If you haven't heard of her she is an amazing Google Trainer, Google Innovator and basically a Google goddess.  She has a wonderful website and podcast called ShakeUp Learning.  She puts out amazing content that is practical and inspiring.  When I attended the Texas Computer Educator Association (TCEA) conference in spring 2021, I had the opportunity to present for Google at their "Google theater."  Talk about an amazing experience!  My colleague and friend Narda Lugo presented a session on the tool of the moment Google Jamboard (Pump Up Your Jamboard) to an audience of 300 participants!  Thank goodness for the Google Trainer program and all the doors and opportunities it has opened for me.  You know who else was there presenting?  Kasey Bell!  Her sessions were amazing!  One of those sessions she talked a little about her new book Blended Learning With Google and a book study she was hosting.  I knew I wanted to start right away.

Blended Learning With Google focuses on making learning dynamic and infusing creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration to go beyond the bell, beyond the grade level/ subject, beyond the walls, beyond the tools, and beyond the due date.  I really enjoyed how she broke up the chapters of the book to focus on each of these "beyond" areas.  She doesn't focus on the tools but on the desired outcomes.  She provides strategies that can work with a variety of tools to meet a variety of outcomes.  Some big ideas that resonated with me were student choice, project based learning, setting goals, authentic audiences, and changing mindsets.  She also provides links to her website throughout the book with examples, podcast episodes and templates.  

If you want to walk away ready to boost student engagement, you'll enjoy reading Blended Learning with Google by Kasey Bell. Be sure to check out the Shake Up Learning podcast to listen to Kasey Bell talk more about blended learning and the dynamic learning framework.

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

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