Came across this nice activity last year at a national leadership conference with the National Association of Workshop Directors (NAWD) in North Carolina. We used Raccoon Circles this year at the CADA/CASL Summer Leadership camp with staff and students, thought we would share. Thanks to Kim Karr for leading this group, fun was had by all. For more information on CADA check out www.cada1.org. You can also check out NAWD here. 

Once again we meet up with Rhett who shares a lesson he uses called Sullivan Ballou. Sullivan was a Civil War soldier whose letter is part of the Ken Burns Civil War Series. Listen to Rhett as he describes kids listening to the letter and describing the characteristics that make people great. This is a very good lesson to get your studnets thinking about the qualities that make a person great. To lear more about Rhett you can click here and to learn more about CADA you can click here. 

In this episode we hear from Patrick Maurer who shares his thoughts on Zappos and how their approach to business may be good for your school. For more on Patrick check out www.pmaurer.com and for more on CADA check out www.cada1.org. 

In this episode we hear from speaker Harriet Turk who challenges us to ask who we are serving for our community service projects. 

Most notably visible at leadership conferences and in classrooms, the ellusive blue rhino is an exciting find for any advisor. See how to run and execute this great activity with your students and staff. 

2012/2013 CASL President Nicole Nordstrom shares what it takes to help your leadership class find their purpose and mission. For more on CADA or CASL check us out at www.cada1.org. 

We take a few moments to speak with Janet Roberts and learn all of the exciting things gonig on at this year's CADA convention: From Thought, To Sketch to Masterpiece. We hope to see you in San Diego!

In this episode we continue with our rally theme and share with you this Stu Shaffer classic, Rubber Face. All you need is a large rubber band (check any office supply store) and some willing participants. Watch, enjoy and let us know if you use this one. For more on CADA, check us out at www.cada1.org. 

From set-up to execution, here is a quick shot at how Chino Hills HS puts on a high school pep rally. A big thanks to Janet Roberts and Chino Hills high school for allowing us to visit. For more on CADA, please check out our website. 

In this episode we hear from Area F coordinator Kevin Fairman and how he uses binders to help his student reflect as well as pass on valuable tips and information to his new leadership students. For more on CADA, check out our website.

College is a big deal, but why should Athletes have all the fun? Lauretta Eldridge shares with us her event, a college signing for all seniors on her campus who are accepted. For more on CADA, visit our website. 

This week Area A coordinator Suzy Kraczek talks about John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. For this lesson, Suzy will use John Wooden's kids book about the work it takes to reach the top of the pyramid. For more information on CADA, check us out at www.cada1.org.

Anne Artz, Area G coordinator, shares how she gets her school more involved in student activities by using a SIM (School Involved Matrix). For more great ideas check out our website at www.cada1.org or download another one of our 85 episodes on iTunes or through the leadershipisn'tfunny blog page. 

In this episode we speak with Rhett Laubuch about his student impact model, a workshop he does with students across the country. Learn what it means for your students to have integrity and earn respect while working with kids on your campus. For more on Rhett you can visit hiswebsite and resources and to learn more about cada you can visit us at www.cada1.org.

Twitter:

Rhett: @yns1

CADA: @cadaleaders

Matt: @matthewsoeth 

TEEN TRUTH: INSIGHT - A former police officer explains why he thought it was important to become a teacher. Learn more about Teen Truth and learn more about CADA by clickgin on the links. 

In this episode we speak with Patrick Maurer as he shares one of his favorite activiities that gets kids to set a goal and then inspires them to follow through. You can learn more about Patrick at www.pmaurer.com, and you can learn more about cada at www.cada1.org. 

Two years ago CADA was fortuante enough to have the host of Scam School, Mr. Brian Brushwood. I had a chance to sit down with Brian before our keynote where he taught me how to accurately predict the outcome of a game of tic-tac-toe and be correct every single time. Look like a genius mind reading in front of your students! For more on Brian you can check out his site www.shwood.com or his very popular show Scam School on iTunes.  You can learn more about CADA at www.cada1.org. 

This presentation was given my CADA's technology coordinator Matt Soeth at the opening session of the 2012 conference. In here he high lights the use of data with types of online communication with some fun activities as well as high lighting some other ways to contact and stay in touch with your students. 

Speaking with Bob Burton Award Winner Richard Macalindin from Southern Califonria talk abou tnot only why he won the Spirit award for CADA, but how over a three year period he was able to grow his API socres raise 121 points and his school wide attendance increased from 94% to just over 97%. His reason for success: building better relationships with students and creating a place on campus for students and staff to interact outside of the classroom. 

TEEN TRUTH: INSIGHT - A teacher explains why being a professional all the time provides a positive image for the students. For information on CADA, visit www.cada1.org. 

With the 2012 Conference at a close, there is still much to do and be said for activities on your campus. However, that doesn't mean we can't have a bit more fun. Check out www.cada1.org for amazing post conference resources. What are some of your favorite sayings? Post in the comments section as we would like to hear them.

In this episode we speak with President Elect Monica Anderson as she shares some of the secrets and insigth to our upcoming conference in Reno, NV. To dlownload schedules and find out more about CADA visit us at www.cada1.org. 

CASL president Jamal Edwards takes us through his 3 Step Mojo process as he highlights his method for making changes in his every day life. Keep it simple, focus, and pick the three things you would ilke to change in your life. For more info on CASL check out www.casl1.org and for more info on CADA check www.cada1.org.

This week we hear from two students at Willow Glenn HS in San Jose who share their experiences of their first senior prom. Along with learning some new dance steps, these students were part of a group that went out of their way to create a memorable evening at their local senior center.

TEEN TRUTH: INSPIRATION - Watch this segment from GVTV 8 on the fundraiser called "Derek's Dash." These young kids are MAKING A  DIFFERENCE for their cousin by organizing this amazing event. What are you doing?  For information on Teen Truth visit www.teentruth.net and for more information on CADA visit www.cada1.org.

This week I discuss a couple of lessons I teach my students that utilizes their cell phones. We spend time on both texting as well as how to have a conversation on the phone or when leaving a voice mail. For more info on CADA, click here.

Through all of the chaos and hectic planning, sometimes it is great to take a break, relax, and play.

In this episode I talk briefly about how I manage student cell phones in the classroom, my procedures and a few activities I like to employ as part of my lessons. I will have more posted on our blot at http://cadaleaders.wordpress.com. You can find out more about CADA at www.cada1.org.

I will start this by saying this podcast is not legal advice, just hours upon hours of research. Every school in the country is dealing with students cell phones, and each district is taking a different approach. In this episode, I try to break down some of the basics to help get you informed about what to expect if you decide to start allowing cell phones on your campus. If over 90% of your students have them, what's to stop you from teaching your students how to use cell phones to be productive citizens in your community? I will have more posted on our blog next week, cadaleaders.wordpress.com. For more informatoin on CADA, check out our site at www.cada1.org.

In this weeks podcast we go back to tech with a quick app review of Evernote and InClass. You can check out my previous podcast on Evernote here. I spend a majority of my time here talking about InClass, a newer app for iPhone. While teaching teens to be organized is a constant battle, it's getting easier with access to technology. InClass and Evernote are free apps for you or your students to access. 

TEEN TRUTH: ON THE ROAD - Erahm talks about the true value of having an Activities Director on campus and the biggest Parents presentation turnout in TEEN TRUTH LIVE history. He commends the parents for taking the time out of their day to make a difference in their community. Click on Teen Truth to learn more about their great programs, or to learn more about CADA visit www.cada1.org.

Our Technology Coordinator, along with the help of speaker Scott Backovich, throw down some online challenges for teachers and students to use the next time you are on the web. For more on CADA, visit http://www.cada1.org.

It is not always easy to see the greatness in others, but through hard work and determination we all deserve the opportunity to accomplish our goals.  Listen to how student government and a hopeful activity director changed one student's life, ultimately sending her down a path of success and honor.  For more info on Teen Truth, check out their website at www.teentruth.net.  For more info and resources from CADA, check us out on our site, www.cada1.org.

A very powerful tool to get your kids talking is to share with them thought provoking quotes.  Great for bell work or any time you need your kids to think just a little bit differently. Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

The idea behind the Associated Student Body is to represent every student on campus.  It is up to the leaders to reach out and get other students involved in your student campus.  A great activity to get your kids thinking about how to get your invisible students involved in activities. Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

The Taters are an interesting family: Hector Hesi-tater, Precilla Procrasti-tater, Arnie Agi-tater, Susie Spec-tater, Connie Commen-tater, Darren Dic-tater, Emma Immi-tater, Harry Partici-tater, Sarah Sweet-tater. A great activity to get your kids discussing personalities and how to work with different types of people on your school campus.

Mike White takes a few moments to share how his school uses 3 on 3 basketball with staff and students to create some friendly competition on campus. Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

Lauretta shares how her school nominates, selects and recognizes outstanding students and athletes on her campus. Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

Debi Weiss utilizes her leadership students to interact and plan events with studend with special needs at her school.  Hear how she organizes her students to plan and implement these events. Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

Jose Duenas saw a need in his students to understand why the school would be hanging the flag at half mast after 9/11.  Here are some of the lessons that he uses to hel his students better understand the history and purpose of the flag.  Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

This is a great culminating activity for your students to share with others their personal feelings and insights as to how they see themselves and how they feel others see them. Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

Getting your kids to konw each other can be a challenge, so it's time for an acitivity that will get them working together towards a common cause: the scavenger hunt.  Check out this technological twist with Anne Artz.  Check out CADA's website for more information and resources.

Architect and Builder is an activity by activity director Suzy Krzaczek.  She uses this activity to demonstrate the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication to her students.  For more information and resources on education and getting your students involved, check out our website at CADA.

As leaders, we often take tasks into our owns hands choosing to juggle our many activities and responsiblities on our own.  However, if we seek out help from the right people to help lighten our load, we can be more successful.  This episode features Jeremy Hersch as he explains to his students how to find balance and see out the appropriate help they will need in order to be successful.  For more info on CADA head to www.cada1.org.

Erahm talks about the true value of having  an Activities Director on campus and the biggest Parents presentation turnout in TEEN TRUTH LIVE history. He commends the parents for taking the time out of their day to make a difference in their community.

Jeff Culver knew that his students were not doing a good job of thanking everyone who had helped out his leadership class.  So, he took it upon himself to teach them the correct way to say thank you and mean it.  Jeff shares a few simple steps that will help your students say a more meaningful thank you.  For more info on CADA, to go www.cada1.org. 

The Original Mike Smith takes a few minutes to share with us one of his favorite poems that adresses his take on motivation as well as our expectations of others.  For more on Mike, check out www.differencemakers.com. To learn about CADA and find more resources, check out www.cada1.org.

Many times our best lessons come from creating teachable moments during every day situations.  Paul Chylinski talks about his favorite teaching moments by utilizing your stories and other resources around to connect with students.  For more info and resources, check out www.cada1.org.

Speaker Rhett Laubach takes us through a activity called A little or A lot, a great way to survey your class, create self awareness, or dig a little deeper and get your kids thinking about why it is not fair to compare themselves to other students.  For more information and resources from Rhett, visit http://www.yournextspeaker.com/ and for more information and resources from CADA, check us out at www.cada1.org.

Activities Director Denise Van Doorn shares with us one of her great tools of organization, the foldable timeline.  One of the toughest skills to teach students is to plan ahead and set goals.  This strong visual timeline will help your kids to think about steps and tasks leading up tot he big event.  For more information on CADA, head to www.cada1.org. 

Scott Backovich took a few minutes to share one of his favorite activites, The Human Machine.  A great activity that will help your kids communicate, collaborate and bond on a mechanical level.  Your students take on the role of the machine and mimic each part as they try to create a working mechanical device.  For more information on Scott go to www.scottbackovich.com.  For more info on CADA, check out www.cada.1.org.

TEEN TRUTH: ON THE ROAD - Learn about the Gear Up Program, a federal grant offered by the US Department of Education to help "gear" kids up to achieve success in both life and at school.  This Gear Up Program works to serve youth in the Laredo, TX area, as they provide support and follow a cohort of students from 7th Grade all the way through to graduation. For more info, check out www.teentruth.net.  You can also find more on CADA at www.cada1.org.

With the CADA conference behind us and CASL student leadership camp ahead of us, I started to wonder why I do all of this crazy work.  Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of the great things that happen on campus and the amazing things our leadership students do for staff & students every day. For more information on CADA and CASL go to www.cada1.org. For more great videos check out our other podcasts, or our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/cadaleaders.

In this episode I take some time to sit down with one of our key noters, Brian Brushwood.  Brian started off as a master magician, and the developed a plan to move beyond the real of magic. As the host of Scam School, voted top video podcast on iTunes, as well as online shows NFSW and appearing on the TWiT network (This Week in Tech), Brian has gained much nsight and knowledge into the realm of social media and marketing.  Here Brian talks a bit about his success with Scam School, and he shares his approach to social networking on such sites as Facebook and Twitter. If you want to learn more about Brian you can go to his http://shwood.squarespace.com/. For more information on CADA, visit us at www.cada1.org. 

For this episode I sit down with Mr. Paul Chylinski to talk about his plans for the 2011 CADA State Convention, License to Lead.  Several years in the planning with much work over the past few months to make this March event one to appreciate.  Get an insider look at what to expect, what to bring, and some of the thought that went in to planning this event.  For more info, go to www.cada1.org and click on state conference on the left hand side of the web page.

TTN Listen to a TEEN TRUTH Expert share her opinion on why she thinks the TRUTH is important, and how teenagers today are living in a world where positive TRUTH-telling is not enforced or encouraged. Rise up! Let us know what you think? For more info on Teen Truth visit teentruth.net and for more info on CADA visit www.cada1.org

A big aspect to be being a great leader is to know what type of leader you are.  Speaker, author, blogger and tech enthusiast Rhett Laubach takes some time to speak with me about identifying student personalities and how to manage those personalities within a classroom setting in order to lead effectively. For more on Rhett and our topic, check out http://www.yournextspeaker.com/. For more on CADA, check out www.cada1.org.

TEENTRUTH.Net: INSIGHT - A TEEN TRUTH Expert from Arizona explains how she takes students from her high school to a Unity Camp in the nearby mountains. At the camp students are able to express themselves freely and make connections that last a lifetime. We thought this would be nice to share with you in case you were looking for something new and different to do at your school to get students connected.

 

In this episode I speak briefly on a new website from Google, www.teachparentstech.org.  A great site that will help anybody - from yourself, to students, to parents, or anyone else who has questions on how to do tech related tasks.

TEEN TRUTH LIVE: INSIGHT - A TEEN TRUTH Expert shares an innovative exercise that she uses in her classroom to not only teach students about history, but also transform them into strong empowered leaders. If you are an educator that needs a bright idea.... this ideas is for you!  For more info you can visit www.teentruth.net and to learn more at CADA you can go to www.cada1.org.

 

Once again we visit with speaker and mentalist Russ Peak as he teaches us a card trick about forced choice.  Super easy to do and very easy to learn, this card trick will have you surprising your students as you read their mind.  We also talk about debriefing on this activity and how to execute a good card trick.  For more info on Russ Peak go to http://www.russpeak.com/ and for more info on CADA go to www.cada1.org.

TEEN TRUTH: INSIGHT - Listen to a TEEN TRUTH Expert speak about how facebook and myspace have become an increasingly dangerous place for students. She discusses the impact of cyberbullying and how students often anonymously cause huge issues at her school. She finishes her story talking about a young woman who took it upon herself to take a stand and stop the bullying. Hopefully others will start following her lead! Find out more at www.teentruth.net and at www.cada1.org.

 

In this episode I talk briefly about how I got my students to follow the class Twitter account via SMS.  Even more surprising, parents are excited about following the class Twitter feed via SMS.  For a cheat sheet of more Twitter codes and SMS go to Twitter Text Commands and learn more.  You can learn more about CADA at www.cada1.org.

In this episode I take a few moments to sit down with the California Association of Student Leaders (CASL) board president Erin Leonard.  Erin shares some insight into how she became CASL president, the qualities that a good student leader should have and what advisers can do to help support and motivate students.  For more information you can go to www.cada1.org. 

INSIGHT - Meet a TEEN TRUTH Expert that speaks about how bullying affects students on so many levels. She offers some simple advice.... Ask questions! She believes the most important thing you can do is just get kids to talk and then to listen to them. For more info check out Teen Truth Net and www.cada1.org

 

Tyler Durman talks about one of his favorite topics, story telling.  Tyler references a short workshop he ran at CADA convention that talks about the power, purpose, and affect stories have on our learning.  For more information on Tyler you can go to http://bswisdom.com/ and for more information on CADA you can go to www.cada1.org.

TEEN TRUTH NET: INSIGHT - Listen to two educators at a middle school in San Diego speak about how they engaged school climate issues and motivated students to create their own bully policy to be enforced on campus.

 

TEEN TRUTH NET: INSIGHT - Listen to this TEEN TRUTH expert discuss how he worked to change the culture of his school, virtually ridding it of gang activity and violent issues. True inspiration for any educator that needs insight into how to enhance the culture of their school's campus. 

 

Seeing is believing, and in this stunt, seeing the outcome is just as important as seeing how it is done.  For more with Russ check out www.russpeak.com.  For more on CADA and the resources we have to offer, check out www.cada1.org.

As many of us return from school we take a break from tech to speak with Scott Greenberg on helping students overcome their insecurities.  Scott helps break down the tools and resources you need to to help your students focus and accomplish their tasks well.  For more on Scott click on his name, for more on CADA, go to www.cada1.org.  Check us out on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CADALeaders.

If you are not sure what a flash mob is, go to YouTube and type in flash mob or even "flash mob Philadelphia Opera Company" for some examples.  You can also go to Wikipedia and read about flash mobs there.  You can find out more about CADA at www.cada1.org.  If you do one of these at your school, please let me know, I'm very excited to see how people incorporate this into their school culture.

In this episode I speak with president elect Paul Chylinski as we take a look at the process for making a lip dub video.  We got to practice this summer at CADA Leadership camps II & III.  To see the final product and how much the video process evolved from the two camps, you can check out CADALeaders YouTube channel.  For more info on CADA go to www.cada1.org.

In this episode we take a look at file storage and sharing large files via our digital cloud using Dropbox.  For more information or resrouces check out www.cada1.org.

This week we take a look at cloud technology and how Google Docs strives to make your life easier and more organized.  As I mentioned, here is a site to help you create your Google self correcting quizzes.  For more info, go to www.cada1.org.

In this podcast I take a few minutes to talk about how I'm getting organized for this school year.  A big shout out to my friend Ron Ippolito who contributed to my ever growing knowledge of Google Apps. 

This week we take a look at three online tools to help you get organized, and even share ideas, online: Google Voice, Evernote, and Delicous (if you click on the names you will be magically whisked away to the websites mentioned). 

CADA's Delicious Page

CADA Website

More CADA Resources

Email Matt: tech@cada1.org

I wrote some on the blog, today I get visual.  Learn how to download YouTube videos on Mac and PC so you can use the videos at school.  For more specific directions, go to http://bit.ly/a90Jzc for PC and http://bit.ly/a90Jzc for Mac.

In this episode I will dive deep in to the world of Twitter.  I take a look at what I did this past school year and how I plan to use Twitter in the year to come.  Much to discuss and I hope to hear from you on how you are using Twitter at your school.

Activities Director Shannon Troutman - West High School in Tracy, CA - shares what it is like to be a first year activities director.  She expounds on what she learned as well as advice for any new advisers that might be starting off as a director next year. 

This video podcast is from The Spirit of New Orleans, CADA's most recent state convetion.  In this video you will hear from our panel of experts: Sandi Kurland, Phil Boyte, Bob Vincent, Tyler Durman, Bill Meagher, Peter Cahn, Lyn Fiscus, and Mike Smith as they share with us their knowledge and insight rom their years of experience working with students and advisers. You can view the power point from this presentation by clicking 60-60.  You can also find some of the show notes for a few of our presenters in the links provided.

 

Bill Meagher:Zen and the Art of Relationship Maintenance for Student Activities Directors

Peter Cahn: Finance and Legal Questions

Lyn Fiscus: ideas for justifying a student activities program - for more information you can go to Lyn's website at http://www.leadershiplogistics.us/

 

This is a fairly large podcast, I hope you are able to download the video and enjoy.  If you have any problems, please let me know.

tech@cada1.org

Formspring to be more exact.  Looking to learn a little more about social networks like Facebook and Formspring, then look no further.  This week I sit down with one of my former basketball players, and current speaker, Scott Backovich.  We talked about utilizing Formspring and Facebook to promote activities programs at your school. For more info you can check out Scott's fan page on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/SpeakerScott.

The folowing is taken from last year's CADA leadership camp at UC Santa Barbara.  The song is "Mr. Rock & Roll" by Amy Macdonald, used with artist permission from the podsafe music network: http://bit.ly/44gpx

This week we take a few minutes with the "Original" Mike Smith.  Mike talks speaks with me on the power of language and how changing just a few simple habits an lead to some very positive results.  Mike also created a PPT of his topic which can be found at http://bit.ly/dmPuxl.

Just like the article of the same name in the recent CADA Newsletter, Russ Peak is double trouble as he sits down and speaks to me in a bit more detail about goal setting.  

In this episode I talk about some of the lessons I have done using cell phones and give you a few resources that will help you develop lessons of your own to utilize a tool that most kids already have in their pocket. For research, check out http://bit.ly/cqX7PN - From Toy To Tool: Cell Phones in Learning by Liz Kolb, an instructor at the University of Michigan studyinglLearning technologies.  I touch on some of her research as well as Nielsen at http://bit.ly/anIirA.  As always, you can learn more about CADA at www.cada1.org or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CADALeaders.  

Take a trip down to The Big Easy and experience the Spirit of New Orleans with CADA president elect Cindy Bader. Cindy has been working hard with scores of others to make this year's CADA convention a memorable and educational experience. Get the inside scoop on programs and events at the convention. We also talk about funding sources to attend convention and Cindy elaborates on why CADA hosts the convention at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. For more info, go to www.cada1.org and click on "State Convention."

Freak dancing is a big deal at any school dance you attend. In this episode I speak with Dave Cloutier from Feet First Entertainment about hiring a DJ, which music to play, and what is the best way to deal with all of those freakers. By the way, any suggestions or thoughts please be sure to post on the CADA discussion pages or email me at tech@cada1.org. Be sure to check out our blog too: http://bit.ly/8jerPf

For the first time ever, CADA goes video with the help of Stu Shaffer. Stu has been presenting this workshop for a long time, almost too many to count, though I have a flyer from one of Stu's first presentations with CADA that goes back over 20 years ago. Stu's Junk Show is a great way to teach kids about rallies: planning, executing, and evaluating. For more info, go to http://www.stushaffer.com/. A bit thanks to Stu and to Difference Makers for allowing us to use a segment of this video. Just a heads up, you will need Quicktime to view the material.

In episode 9 we visit with speaker Scott Greenberg.  Scott asks the question, which would you choose, the skateboarder or the ASB president?  The prevailing theory is for our students to be involved in many activities, however, it is often the activities we are most passionate about and put our time into that we will do the best. 

In this episode we speak with Tyler Durman, speaker and author, about the power of stories and how educators can use stories to help staff and students understand the role activities play on our campus. In times of economic hardship, we need to remind people of the power of community and how activities builds that community on campuses every day, with every event, and every interaction we have with kids at our schools.

Now with the correct volume! In this podcast I meet with Phil Boyte, co-founder of Link Crew as well as Breaking Down Walls, his programs have centered around creating a stronger community on school campuses both in the classroom and within the school as a whole. Phil shares with us his ideas for the first few days and what teachers can do to make his/her classroom inviting.

People are communicating in new and innovative ways: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or texting - and all of these options are starting to dominate the public scene. According to a recent article in Time Magazine, over the past year alone, Twitter has seen its visitors, in the millions, increase 1,298% (about 16 million). With this type of traffic, it is hard to ignore Twitter and other social networking tools as they are becoming valuable resources that we can use in education. In this podcast, I speak with CADA's new Communications Coordinator, Ron Ippolito, about the pro's and con's of social networking, what to expect, how it fits into our CADA standards, and possible ways to permeate it into our school culture. Below are some links that we reference in the podcast. Trouble with Twitter: http://tinyurl.com/bg2cqa Real Life Twitter: http://tinyurl.com/p2xvd9 Time LIfe Article on Twitter, June 2009: http://tinyurl.com/qtvneh

Today's podcast features the talents of Richard Parkhouse. Park is a regular presenter at CADA, education conferences and schools all over the country. Today Park shares with us an activity we call "The Card Game." In this game, kids learn what it is like to be popular vs. unpopular - and in learning this difference - how kids and teachers alike can then work to make a change in the school culture. Whether ending your year and reflecting on your activities or starting your year with a retreat or inservice, this is a great activity to get your kids and staff thinking about their roles and the impact that each of them can have at school. This lesson connects with CADA Standards under Communication (8. Interpersonal Skills); Citizenship (3. Service Learning); and Personal and Social Development (Interpersonal).

Once again I visit with my mentor and friend Steve Southard.  As we have just passed the day of the teacher and staff appreciation week, this podcast is dedicated to the teachers who create opportunity for students to learn and grow during their time in school.  It is not often that you hear of a student who credits you or someone else at school with changing his or her life, but when you do, it makes this job worth every extra hour we spend at school.  Please enjoy the Bill Guissi story.

This podcast features the incomparable Russ Peak.  In this episode Russ talks about taking his own talents and hobbies and using them to help make connections with other people to get his message across.  He also shares a great offer on his book for educators looking for some lessons on goal setting and success.  A big thanks to Russ for stopping by during his recent tour of Northern California.

Steve Southard, AKA Skipper Steve, talks about an recent activity he did with his class using pipe cleaners. Student creatively express themselves through the use of pipe cleaners as Steve talks to them about respect and understanding as well as looking at where the kids think they need to go as well as what other students might be dealing with at this point in their lives.

This podcast is the inaugural adventure of CADA Area A as we strive to offer more professional development opportunities for our members.  In this episode, we talk with experienced teacher and activities director Ron Jones who shares one of his infamous Ten Minute Lessons from his book of the same name.  Ron presents at the local and state level in California and has been doing so for many years.  This is a great resource for any educator.  Check us out on the web at either Twitter or Facebook under CADA_Area_A, as well as www.cada1.org.  Thanks for listening.