I Messed Up!

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

Hi!

Yesterday, I've decided to inform the world that I'm releasing my book "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom" and...

I MESSED UP!

Don't worry. I'm still releasing the book on July 28, 2016. If you pre-ordered it using a full browser, you will receive your copy on that date.

However, if you tried to pre-order "Crush School" on mobile, you might have hit a snag once you added the book to your Cart. Problem was you could not tap on your existing cart as there might have been a red "Subscribe" banner right on top of it. This means, that if you tried to pre-order the book, you were not able to get to the checkout screen.

I'm sorry for that and I want you to know that I fixed it this morning. This is what the screen should look like now after you add to cart:

As you can see, I moved the "Subscribe" button to the top and you can now see your Cart on the bottom.

How can I make up for this mess up? How about a little sneak peak into what chapter 7 of crush school is about?

So, if you want to still pre-order a copy of the book, you can click on the link below and this time it will work.

PRE-ORDER CRUSH SCHOOL: EVERY STUDENT'S GUIDE TO KILLING IT IN THE CLASSROOM.

A quick reminder... The book will be available as a PDF download or in Kindle (e-pub) format on July 28, 2016. The initial price will be $14.99, but I am offering it at 50% discount to those who pre-order it before 10pm on Sunday, July 24th. The pre-order price is only $7.49.

Sorry for messing up, but it is fixed now! Thank you for your time and support.

Oskar

P.S. Remember That You Have The Power. Use It Often.

Games, Brain, And Crushing School

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAM! Radio Network & Teaching Channel Blogger

A little over a year ago, I was sitting on the couch late at night playing online poker. I love Texas Hold’em. I’m good at it. So good in fact, that in a few short months, I won 170,000,000 in fake chips starting at a mere 800.

How did I do it?

I played, learned, and played some more. I played a lot. I collected more and more fake chips; an undeniable proof of my learning and skill. As I learned to play, I also learned to anticipate events by reflecting on how some hands went down. Then, I applied what I learned in the future hands.

In some cases, I knew I was doing it. In many, I had not a clue.

School is the same way. To get good at school, you have to learn, practice, and apply what you learn. You have to do it a lot too. To get really good at it, you must reflect and become aware of how you learn. And to be an absolute learning machine? Understand how your brain works and use it to that end.

My poker addiction did not lead to a fortune. But the game taught me something. I know now that if I learn to use my brain the right way, I can learn anything I want. And so can you. And so can your students. So I stopped playing Hold'em poker and wrote this book instead.

We love playing games. Video, board, sports, and mental, kids LOVE playing games. And, someone a lot smarter than me thought about using games in learning. It became known as "Gamification of Education."

And while my book is not about playing games, writing it helped me understand why gamification works. It has to do with our brain.

Now... That's something I know a lot about! And that's what "Crush School" is all about: LEVERAGING THE BRAIN TO LEARN.

It's a crash course in the neuroscience of learning. Teaching students to do it. Giving teachers a tool to teach it.

The book truly answers the age old question: Why Do I Have to Learn This?

The book helps learners Learn This, whatever This is.

"Crush School" is written in conversational language. It is meant for Middle School, High School, and College Students. It explains the brain science of learning in a humorous, sassy, and easy to understand way. No long tirades or lectures telling students to do something "Because I Said So!" It provides game-changing learning strategies and reasons for WHY THEY WORK without putting anyone to sleep.

In fact, the book is SHORT. All of the information is contained on 60 pages.

And, it has graphics that help USERS make stronger connections to the information.

Here's a little preview:

I said USERS for a reason. "Crush School" isn't a book in the traditional sense. IT'S A GUIDE TO LEARNING ANYTHING. As such, it is designed not to be merely read, but to be used. Chapter 1 describes how. Check it out:

The book is NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon Kindle for $9.99. USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Remember That You Have The Power. Use It Often.

Creativity Is A Superweapon: Help Your Students Seize And Use It

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAM! Radio Network & Teaching Channel Blogger

A recent IBM survey of 1500+ CEOs revealed that CREATIVITY IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP SKILL necessary for success in the globalized market of today. Due to global competition, innovative solutions leaders come up with are often the difference between an enterprise staying relevant and meeting its demise.

Creativity allows one to create. Everyone has the potential to create, but sadly not everyone knows it. The hard truth is that CREATIVITY IS OFTEN STIFLED AT SCHOOL AND LATER AT WORK. For one, humans are beings who resist change. Our brain likes routine and once it habitualizes something it antagonizes over disruptions.

But it is precisely disruption and divergence that's needed for creativity to take hold. Taking the creative way often requires going against the grain, the protective brain; taking risks and making decisions that, if practiced consistently, will lead to a-has, light bulb moments, and perhaps even naked Eureka! sprints through the streets.

Creativity is a Superweapon that makes Superheroes out of those who dare to seize it. So Seize It. Help Your Students Seize It. And Then Use It To Create.

Let me show you how.

Thanks for your time! I hope you find the infographic above useful. Please share it with other teachers, students, and parents. You can access all other Brain-Based Learning infographics I created by scrolling down my ED!Blog. I will feature more Brain-Based Learning teaching tools, metacognitive strategies, and posts on social-emotional learning in my future NEWSLETTERS, so please SIGN UP if you would like to receive tips that help students become better learners and you're looking to add more weapons of mass creation to your teaching arsenal :)

If you find the information in the infographic useful, consider buying "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom", which is a book I wrote to help students learn more efficiently and effectively using proven research based strategies.

You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it Often.

Resources:

"Creative Confidence" by Tom and David Kelley
"How To Fly A Horse" by Kevin Ashton
"The Eureka Factor" by John Kounios and Mark Beeman

The Power of Three: Simplify to Amplify

$13.33

By Oskar Cymerman

Buy on Amazon