Did you hear that sound?
A cataclysmic collision of disruptive forces has just taken place in the world of education and I’m super-excited to tell you about it.
Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. has just released our first book since Teach Like a PIRATE sparked a revolution in the educational world and shook up the traditional publishing industry. I’m honored to announce that Don Wettrick’s amazing book, Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level, has just been officially unleashed.
This release marks the beginning of my attempt to disrupt the conventional ways that educational books are published. The system is broken. Through the major publishers, authors can expect tiny royalty percentages, a lack of creative control, cookie cutter production, out of date marketing techniques, and an unwillingness to take a risk on outside of the mainstream projects. Change is here. I’ve created what I believe to be the perfect hybrid model of traditional publishing and self-publishing, fixing the problems of each while maintaining their strengths. I’m flipping the traditional model on its head. You can expect an unbelievably diverse and powerful array of books to head your way from Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. and you are going to be shocked at some of the names that have already signed on to be a part of this movement. (More info coming soon!)
It all starts right now with Don and Pure Genius. This is the perfect book to kick off the project and it has been an absolute joy to work with him to publish it. I can’t wait for you to read it!
Genius Hour, 20% Time, Passion Projects…it goes by many names but whatever you choose to call it, it is a movement that that has transformed many classrooms across the globe. In Pure Genius, Don has taken the concept of Genius Hour and put it on steroids! He has designed a class that ramps 20% Time up to the next stratosphere and makes it 100% Time! World-class educators and thinkers such as Dan Pink, Tony Wagner, Eric Sheninger, Vicki “CoolCatTeacher” Davis, and Adam Bellow have all endorsed Don’s book.
Not only does he persuasively pitch why we need to teach innovation in our schools, he also provides a systematic blueprint for how to do exactly that in our classrooms at any level of education. From where to start, how to overcome the inevitable obstacles, how to assess, and how to blend the concept with a standards-based curriculum…this is the definitive guide on the subject. The book includes amazing examples from progressive educators like Joy Kirr in Illinois and even has a whole chapter written by students describing how their participation in this type of class has impacted them forever. For many students, these principles are game changers for how they view school, their capabilities, and what they can accomplish in the world.
We don’t need students who can fill in bubbles on Scantron tests, we need students who connect, collaborate, create, and innovate. We need students who can find and solve real-world problems and interact confidently and effectively with an authentic audience. If our school systems are going to graduate students with these skill-sets and mentalities, we need more teachers like Don Wettrick. We need more teachers like YOU…teachers willing to push the edges, reject the status quo, and embrace innovative and cutting-edge ideas.
Our students are capable of so much more than what conventional education has assumed. We do them a disservice when we prepare them for a world that no longer exists. Welcome to the revolution!
If you enjoyed Teach Like a PIRATE, you’ll love Pure Genius. You can get the paperback (with its beautiful cover design and matte finish!) at Amazon or Barnes & Noble online. The Kindle e-book version is available, as well.
Connect with Don on Twitter at @DonWettrick and follow the #PureGeniusBook hashtag.
Thanks so much for all you do for our students and for your support of innovation in the classroom and beyond.
Dave Burgess (@burgessdave)
Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.