190: The Ditch That Textbook Podcast is back!

190: The Ditch That Textbook Podcast is back!

Author: Ditch That Textbook November 20, 2023 Duration: 36:25

Welcome to the revival of the Ditch That Textbook Podcast, hosted by Matt Miller and now joined by Karly Moura! In this exciting new season, we will be recapping the content shared in the Ditch That Textbook newsletter, along with other news and updates from the education world. Join us as we dive into a big idea, delve into quick teaching strategies, and discuss a template of the week, designed to empower educators with practical tools for their classrooms. Get ready to be inspired, informed, and equipped to revolutionize your teaching approach.

News and Updates

The Big Idea

Tech Tips

Template of the Week

  • Yelp Review Template from Ditch That Textbook
  • April Watkins created a Virtual Field Trips choice board and then had her students write a Yelp Review after their visit. (Note: April created her own Yelp Review template to use with her students. You can create your own or use ours.)
  • Lindy Hockenbary gave her students a prompt "Imagine you are an animal. What environment do you live in? Evaluate the environment that you live in by writing a Yelp review of that environment."
  • Chad Miller had his students write Yelp Reviews of inventions that helped societies thrive.
  • Mr. Topliff asked his students to write a Yelp Review to assess various viewpoints of key revolutions.

Next Week

  • AI lesson planning
  • AI for Administrators

Don't forget to join the Ditch That Textbook email newsletter at DitchThatTextbook.com/join and be sure to subscribe to the show.


Ever feel like your classroom materials are holding you and your students back from more meaningful, engaging learning? That’s the conversation at the heart of the Ditch That Textbook Podcast. Hosts Matt Miller and Karly Moura, from Ditch That Textbook, don’t just talk about theory-they dive into the practical, often messy work of reimagining education. Each episode feels like a planning session with colleagues who get it, focusing on how to leverage technology, spark creativity, and foster innovation in ways that genuinely connect with learners. You’ll hear real classroom stories, straightforward tech tips that won’t make your head spin, and honest discussions about moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. This podcast is built for educators who are tired of the status quo and are looking for actionable ideas to make their teaching more dynamic and less reliant on prescribed resources. It’s about building confidence to try new things and designing experiences that stick with students long after the lesson ends. Tune in for a regular dose of inspiration that you can actually use tomorrow, all centered on the empowering idea that the best learning often happens when you look beyond the book.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Ditch That Textbook Podcast :: Education, teaching, edtech :: #DitchPod
Podcast Episodes
164: Digital bell ringer activities to kickstart class [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:16
The beginning of class is a crucial time everyday. Those first several minutes can set the tone for the entire day of instruction! If we want to make the most of those minutes, we can give students learning activities th…
163: 10 WEEKS of freebies for my new book! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:54
My new book is coming out in April, and I want to celebrate by giving you lots of great free resources! The book, Tech Like a Pirate, shares how we can create memorable learning in the classroom with technology. It will…
162: 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon/connection makin' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:04
Have you ever heard of the "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon" game? You're supposed to be able to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon with no more than six connections to other actors. Making connections can be a powerful classroom…
161: Making infographics with Adobe Spark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:50
Infographics are very brain friendly. They blend together visuals and text in a way that's very sticky for the brain. I recently found a video tutorial by Claudio Zavala that shows how to create those using Adobe Spark P…
160: Social media hooks for classroom use [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:32
many of our students are very interested in social media. We can tap into that excitement and enthusiasm, and we don't even need students to use those apps! There is an inherent draw that every social media platform has…
159: 5 Chrome extensions to check out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:07
Chrome extensions add extra super powers to our Google Chrome web browsers. Teachers and students all over reap the rewards of them, too! In this episode, educator Michael Bertoni shares A few useful Chrome extensions fr…
158: Podcasting in the classroom with Heather Kelly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:28
Podcasting is on the rise. When we use it in the classroom, it gives students a voice. They are able to create with what they learn. Teacher Heather Kelly has seen great benefits from podcasting in the classroom with her…
157: Promoting a solid democracy in schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:12
We want students to be good citizens and productive members of society. But how can we advocate responsibly for the democracy that we all hope for? Pennsylvania teacher Mike Soskil (Twitter: @msoskil) is the editor of a…
156: A good fake news self assessment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:36
It can be tricky to discern fact from fiction these days. It can be even trickier to help our students navigate the digital waters of fake news and fact. In this episode, I share a good fake news self-assessment. It come…
155: 5 FREE virtual field trips to check out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:35
Virtual field trips are so much fun. We can take our students to places all over the world without leaving the comfort of our classroom. Thankfully, lots of these virtual field trips are available for free. They include…