Our guest for episode 16 is Rachelle Dene Poth!

Rachelle Dene Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. In addition to being a teacher, she is also an Attorney and earned my Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University School of Law and have a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology. She is currently the president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and serves on the leadership team for the ISTE mobile learning network.

At ISTE in 2019, Rachelle was awarded the Making IT Happen Award and awarded the presidential gold award for volunteer service in education after getting silver in 2018, 2017 an then bronze in 2016.  She was the 2018 Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications in Technology Outstanding Teacher and recognized by the National School Board Association as one of the 20 educators to watch. 

Rachelle is a Buncee Ambassador, CoSpaces Amabassador, Edmodo Certified Trainer, Nearpod PioNear, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, and Google Certified Educator.  She is also an author, writer/blogger, the host of the THRIVEinEDU podcast host and a presenter who has presented at ASCD, FETC, ISTE, iNACOL, and many more! 

In this episode we discuss:

• COVID-19 and how it has impacted her and her students 
• Advice for teachers preparing to use technology in the classroom
• SEL and it's significance in the digital environment
• Fostering strong communication skills in our students 
• The power of Digital Storytelling.
• App smashing! is and one of your favorite lesson examples.
• Her current Perspective in Education

Connect with her on Twitter!

Here are the books that we discuss on the show!

Our guest for episode 15 if David Geurin!

David is passionate about education, innovation, and leadership. David has 20 years experience as an educator strives to help outstanding educators get even better. David shares his ideas and experiences through writing, speaking, and consulting.

David Geurin is the proud principal and lead learner of Bolivar High School, a National Blue Ribbon School and Home of the Liberators. He is committed to developing future-driven, student-centered schools. He shares his ideas on learner empowerment, leadership, and innovation via social media, blogging, speaking, and consulting.

In 2008, he earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri. More recently, he was recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as a 2017 National Digital Principal of the Year. 

David also loves to spend time with his wife Lori and our four children, Drew, Cooper, Maddie, and Emma. He also enjoy running, biking, and BBQ.

In this episode we discuss:

• David's view of professional development and how to make it sticky/relevant
• We discuss his post: 7 Benefits of a Book Tasting Event
• Ways that they support and track PD with technology
• His book: Future Driven
• His Perspective on Education

Make sure you take time to follow him on Twitter, follow his blog, and check out his book Future Driven!

Our guest for episode 14 is Dr. Justin Aglio!

Check out his website and follow him on Twitter!

Dr. Justin Aglio, a former teacher, and award-winning principal, is the Director of Academic Achievement and District Innovation at Montour School District and Visiting LearnLab Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute in the School of Computer Science.

In addition to his duties at Montour and Carnegie Mellon, he is a Getting Smart Columnists, an Adjunct STEM Professor at California University of Pennsylvania, a Future Ready Schools Thought Leader, and was selected as a participant in the 2015 Presidential Maker Roundtable discussion at the White House.

Dr. Aglio, and his thoughts on Equity, Leadership, STEM, Artificial Intelligence, Personalized Learning, and Innovation have been featured in such publications as Forbes, EdSurge, Education Week, Getting Smart, American School Board Journal, AASA, and more. Dr. Aglio has been a keynote speaker and presenter at a variety of conferences across the country including ASCD, ISTE, FETC, PLearn, OETC, AIM Institute for Learning and Research, MASS Customization Mid-Atlantic Summit, and more!

In this episode we discuss

• Minecraft Makerspaces
  • Link to checkout the space!
• Brickmaker Space and Partnership with LEGO Education
  • Link to checkout the space!
• Artificial Intelligence Curriculum
• His perspective on education

Please make sure to subscribe, share, and comment!  Would love to get feedback and suggestions.  If you are interested in sharing your story, please reach out to us!

Episode 13: Katie Martin: Education Leader, Teacher, Author, Blogger,  Education Consultant, and Public Speaker! 

Our guest for episode 13 is Katie Martin!

Follow her blog and on Twitter!

Dr. Katie Martin is the Head of Partnerships- West at AltSchool where they have been building a technology-enabled network to empower and connect families, students, and teachers.  Over the last 5 years she has worked in diverse contexts to learn, research, and support deeper learning that leverages technology to ensure maximum impact on learners and their trajectory in life.  She has also served as middle school English language arts teacher, instructional coach, and led the district new teacher mentoring program.  Katie has a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in middle school education and her Ph.D and specialized in new teacher induction and ongoing support to impact teacher efficacy and effectiveness. 

At the university, district, and school level Katie aspires to create experiences that empower all learners to develop knowledge, skills, and mindsets to thrive in a changing world. As a mom, she wants her kids to have learning experiences in school that build on their strengths and interests and as an educator; she is passionate about making sure we do the same for all kids. Katie’s experience in research and practice continue to guide her belief that if we want to change how students learn, we must change how educators learn. 

In this episode we discuss:

• TED Talk —  “Teachers Create What They Experience”
• How to change and open the eyes of educational leaders, systems, and programs in order to change how their students are learning? 
• Her NEW book! Learner-Centered Innovation: Spark Curiosit

Episode 12: Jennifer Casa Todd: Author, Blogger, Teacher-Librarian, and Role Model for Using Social Media and Technology in Education

Our guest for episode 12 is Jennifer Casa Todd!

Follow her blog and on Twitter!

Jennifer is currently a Teacher-Librarian in Aurora, Ontario Canada, recently identified as on Canada’s top 10 News Makers of the year in EdTech for 2017 according to MindShare Learning, and author of the book, Social LEADia, published by Dave Burgess Consulting.  Her book Social LEADia: Moving Students from Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership   It is full of examples of students who are leveraging social media for good, and the teachers who are empowering them to do so.  Before this, she spent six years at the District level as a Program Resource Teacher for Literacy and Literacy Consultant.  

Episode 11: Ken O’Connor, The Grade Doctor: Former Teacher and Department Lead, Independent Consultant, Staff Development and Facilitator on Grading, Assessment, and Learning

Our guest for episode 11 is Ken O’Connor.

Ken has been an independent consultant from 1996 to the present. He has been a staff development presenter and facilitator on assessment, grading and reporting in 47 states and 9 Canadian provinces and one territory and 25 countries outside North America.  His twenty-three year teaching career included experience as a geography teacher and department head at L’Amoreaux C.I. and Maplewood High School in Scarborough, Ontario (1976-90) and teaching at four other schools in Toronto and Melbourne, Australia (Grade 7-12) starting in 1967.  Ken was a Curriculum Coordinator responsible for Student Assessment and Evaluation and Geography for the Scarborough Board of Education (and then the Toronto District School Board) from March 1990 to June 1999.

In this episode we discuss:

• Discussion on traditional vs standard grading
• What are the issues or concerns with traditional grading
• 3 Reasons for Assessment – Diagnostic, Summative, and Formative
• Keys to a Successful Implementation of Standards Based Grading
• Why traditional grading has lasted SO long
• “Only in schools if do we penalize students for not knowing then what they know now” – Tom Schimmer

Please share and comment!  Would love to get feedback and suggestions.  If you are interested in sharing your story, please reach out to us!

Episode 10: Jimmy Casas: Award Winning Author, Top Notch Leader, Professor, Former Principal, and Role Model for Leadership in Education

Our guest for episode 10 is Jimmy Casas.

Jimmy served for 22 years as a school leader where he was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year and a finalist for the 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year. Since then Jimmy has continued his impact on education as the CEO and Founder of ConnectEDD, senior fellow for the International Center for Leadership in Education, and still gets to teach as he is an adjunct professor at Drake University where he discusses Educational Leadership!

In this episode we discuss:

• His journey into education
• His new book, Culturize. Get it here!
• Leadership in Education – it is the biggest issue in education today
• EVERY person in your organization has the ability to lead
• How to address awfulizers, whether they are your peers or even your leader those that suck the life out of culture
• His Perspective on Education

Interested in other books that Jimmy was involved in?

• Start. Right. Now. – get it here!
• What Connected Educators Do Differently – get it here!

Please share and comment!  Would love to get feedback and suggestions.  If you are interested in sharing your story, please reach out to us!

Episode 8: William Parker: Former Teacher, Award Winning Principal, Author, and Host of the Principal Matters Podcast!

Our guest for our 2 part mini series of episode 8 is William Parker.

William has been working in education for 25 years: 12 years as a teacher and 13 as an administrator.  He is the 2012 Oklahoma Vice Principal of the year and is currently the Principal at high school in Oklahoma.  He also is currently the Executive Director of OASSP/OMLEA.

He is the author Principal Matters (Updated & Expanded): The Motivation, Action, Courage and Teamwork Needed for School Leaders and recently published his second book: Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities. 

In this episode we discuss:

• Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities
  • Newsletters
  • Chief Communicators
  • Strengthening School/Community Relationships
• Communication in districts and why it is so important

Please share and comment!  Would love to get feedback and suggestions.  If you are interested in sharing your story, please reach out to us!