You can consider this a special George Couros edition of the blog today!! I have 5 updates and ALL FIVE just happen to have one thing in common…that Canadian guy who wrote The Innovator’s Mindset.

Let’s get started!

1. I met George at the 2013 ASCD conference in Chicago. (Read a post about that conference HERE) If you told me we would become friends, I would publish his book, and that we would eventually go into business together, I would have told you were crazy (and yes there is a story behind that comment)…but now ALL THREE are true! Shelley and I are
   unbelievably excited to join forces with George and Paige Couros to form a division of DBC Inc. called IMpress. We will be hand-selecting and publishing a small number of special projects to create a book line with many of them closely aligned with The Innovator’s Mindset message. George and Paige will take on an active role in connecting with authors, curating, and developing these books and then Shelley and I will be using our production team to bring these books to the world. Look for AMAZING stuff from IMpress!!
2. The first book in the new line came out this past June and it is INCREDIBLE!!! I don’t say that lightly…this one is off-the-charts. It is EMPOWER: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning by A.J. Juliani and John Spencer. A.J. and John worked with us on their first joint book called, Launch, which is a smash hit on design thinking. That book has received much critical acclaim and is being used literally all over the world…and this one does not disappoint, either. I’m not sure I have ever seen people fall in love with a book faster than what what happens when they pick up EMPOWER. It draws you in like a magnet…it has a hypnotic effect. You will not be able to put it down. The layout…OMG. It is STUNNING. It is unlike anything you have ever seen in a book for the educational market. You are pulled right along with it by the combination of the design features, sketches, and the compelling vision for what school can and SHOULD be. I saw a tweet that summed up exactly how I feel about this book, “This is exactly what I want for MY kids in school.” There can be no stronger endorsement than that! George wrote the foreword for EMPOWER and you can read it right here.
3. I am SO tired of when social media is discussed with kids…it is often a message filled with scare tactics, fear, and a laundry list of what they CAN’T do. How about we show students what they CAN do!! They can start movements, build awareness around critical issues, uplift people’s spirits, and be a force for positivity. Simply put…they can change the world. It’s time we completely rethink how we approach the use of social media in our schools and classrooms. Let’s move beyond digital footprint lectures and traditional digital citizenship lessons and move into true digital leadership. We have published the manifesto to do just that. Social LEADia: Moving Students from Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership by Jennifer Casa-Todd is a game-changing message that will inspire you and shift your thinking. It is eminently practical and has real-world examples of educators DOING this stuff. It includes student profiles so you can see how transformative this message can be. So what’s the George connection? George assisted with feedback throughout this project, his work is cited many times, and he wrote the foreword. You can read his powerful foreword RIGHT HERE!
4. #IMMOOC is back!! The FREE, open, online course that centers on The Innovator’s Mindset is starting another round on September 25th. The guest list is impressive and it all starts with the amazing Jo Boaler. We at DBC Inc. are sponsoring an #IMMOOC Selfie Contest and giving away free books!! Find all the details about the guests, the format, and the contest RIGHT HERE!
5. Last one!! George was just here in San Diego this past week to record the audiobook for The Innovator’s Mindset. I joined him in the studio to record my foreword and then he got after it for 3 days to record the entire thing. We are excited to have his book be the very first audiobook project in our line and we expect it to be available at some point in October. I’ll let you know!

Thanks for your support!!!

Dave