What’s your background, and how did you get started in education?
I’m what you’d call a teaching nerd. You know, one of those teachers who brings educational books with them to read at the beach. I love teaching and the boundless creativity it allows. In my free time, I enjoy creating educational products that include a blend of rigorous practice and fun. Boom Cards have become my go-to creation tool for accomplishing this goal. My ultimate objective is to make school feel like a fun adventure, one my students look forward to each day. I want to help ignite a passion for lifelong learning.
Practicing what I preach on that front, in my 40’s I decided to do something I had always secretly wished to do—learn to play the drums. Today, I enjoy creating music with my best friends as the drummer in our band, the Water Villains. In addition, I also have a great love for the outdoors and enjoy traveling and camping with my lovely wife and kids. We love to visit state and national parks all around the United States.
As a Premier Publisher, what unique insights do you bring to curriculum design and educational technology?
I’d say that one of my greatest assets in curriculum design is simply my experience. I am constantly pushing myself to learn more and grow as an educator. As a teacher of 4th grade for nearly 30 years, I have gotten to know the curriculum I teach very deeply. In that time, I have now taught hundreds of amazing 9- and 10-year-olds. They push me to try new things and constantly innovate. My years of teaching have given me insights into the interests, motivations, thinking, and common learning misconceptions of this very fun age.
What inspired you to start creating interactive activities for students and teachers?
My passion for integrating technology into my teaching has always been a driving force. I have loved the trend in education toward gamification of learning. This is something I have implemented successfully in my classroom for many years. When I began using Boom Cards, I recognized right away that they had incredible potential to enhance student engagement and practice. My students share this enthusiasm as well, and they always approach their Boom Card assignments with tremendous excitement.
Could you share a story about the impact you’ve seen from one of your popular Boom Card decks?
In my view, the most significant impact is the heightened engagement that comes with a well-designed, high-quality Boom Cards deck. Without being too boastful, the results of this student practice are reflected in our impressive test scores, which last year ranked us as the 6th highest among nearly 1,600 elementary schools in the state. Our kids show a genuine love for school and the learning we do there.
I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from my students on my monthly Brain Teasers and Challenge Puzzles. These are typically free-choice activities that can be done when other work is finished. These are very popular activities with my high-achieving students who would always say to me, “I’m done. What can I do now?”
What made this particular outcome so exciting or rewarding for you?
I have always loved puzzles and to get my students hooked on them as well is incredibly fulfilling. I began making these when I had a particularly bright class one year that was always looking for a challenge. I created a couple of puzzles, and they were begging me for more. When a student is initially stumped on a tough puzzle, but sticks with it and eventually solves it, they build resilience and self-confidence. Seeing that “lightbulb” moment in students is what drew me toward teaching in the first place. It’s a truly wonderful feeling.
How do you leverage your expertise in curriculum design to create Boom Cards that are pedagogically robust yet highly efficient?
In my opinion, having a strong knowledge of the curriculum means not just knowing your grade level standards, but also the grades above and below. I always try to build decks that are low floor and high ceiling—that is, they start as accessible to all students as possible, but then grow more complexity within that skill toward the end. This allows students to gain confidence and build off of what they have accomplished. My motto is to “Put the FUN back into the FUNdamentals.” I always ask myself, “How can I create practice for this skill to make it fun for students?”
What tips can you share with emerging publishers?
I would recommend leveraging one of Boom’s greatest features. Namely, it has many variations of ways to interact with the cards. While it’s a great place to start, there’s no reason to simply make multiple-choice decks when there’s so much more you can do. You can use multi-select, drag and drop, click a “hot spot”, fill in the blank, or other variations. You can also enhance engagement by incorporating audio and video elements. I also love the flexibility that Boom Cards offer with Flow Magic decks where students can move non-sequentially. In many of these decks, I provide scaffolded hints or guided help based on the student’s answers. This is a game-changer!
How has becoming a Premier Publisher impacted you?
First off, I was very honored to be asked to become a Premier Publisher. My journey as a Boom Publisher began by creating decks that filled a specific learning need for my own students. I observed my students completing these decks and adapted them over time to better suit student needs. I’m a perfectionist by nature, so I take pride in creating high-quality, error-free products for other teachers. Positive feedback from teachers and students inspires me to keep improving my decks continually.
How do you ensure your materials meet high standards?
Starting with the standards in mind is always essential. It also helps that I have studied the style and rigor of questions used on various state tests from around the country to help me develop my question sets. Creating decks that build to a high depth of knowledge (DOK) is important. Finally, I always try to create products that keep students in the “The Goldilocks Zone,” which is challenging, but not too overwhelming. Classroom teaching allows me to “field test” all of my products with over a hundred 4th graders each year. If they find a mistake or something they don’t like, believe me, they love to let me know!
What are some ways you make your Boom Cards adaptable and inclusive for all types of learners?
I enjoy making decks that are non-sequential and allow for student choice. These are useful for allowing students to get specific feedback or to access hints or strategy suggestions. For my decks that are sequential, I put typically the easiest cards at the start and the most challenging at the end. This gives teachers the option to differentiate by hiding cards at the end of the deck if needed for some learners. Finally, continuing to add more audio directions to decks will hopefully be in coming updates.
What tips or strategies can you share that help creators make high-quality digital resources for teachers?
Variety is the spice of life, so try to mix up your question styles. For example, drop in a surprise element in your deck for students to discover. If you make a boring deck of Boom Cards, then you just made a worksheet that you don’t have to grade—and, granted, that is still way better than a worksheet! However, that is kind of like owning a Ferrari and never driving it more than 25 miles per hour. You aren’t really maximizing its potential.
What opportunities do you see to collaborate and innovate together in the Boom community?
The Boom Symposium this year was really terrific with many tremendous presenters. Also, the many Boom Facebook groups are wonderful. There are so many creative and supportive Boom Publishers out there looking to share their ideas. The platform’s growth has truly been exciting.
What role can Boom Publishers play in supporting teacher self-care and preventing burnout?
Without question, teaching is unbelievably exhausting and stressful. With Boom Cards, there’s no running to the copier in the morning. There’s also no dragging a pile of papers home to grade. For teachers, sharing a deck with students involves a couple of quick clicks. For students, they approach Boom Cards assignments with excitement. When the assignment is completed, both students and teachers are happy because they have robust feedback about their learning.
Any final motivational words for aspiring Boom Publishers or educators looking to make a difference?
For aspiring publishers and educators, I’d like to share this: Your work is not just about creating content or teaching lessons. It’s about shaping the future, one mind at a time. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Each educational resource you create, each lesson you deliver, every book you read, and every Boom Card you publish has the potential to spark a lifelong love for learning in a student. So, ignite their curiosity, and provide them with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
In the end, it’s not just about what you do, but why you do it. Your passion and commitment are what set you apart and enable you to leave a lasting impact. So, never underestimate the significance of your role, and always remember that your work can change lives. Keep striving for excellence, and know that your efforts are truly making a difference in the lives of countless learners.
Check out these popular decks from Shane Pransky, of Math is FUNdamental:
