Teaching Matters

Internships are commonly identified as a high-impact learning opportunity for students attending higher education institutions. Less frequently are internships discussed as a valuable learning tool for high school students. In this episode, Peter Harris, an Assistant Superintendent at the Ulster County (NY) Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), discusses the benefits of the engaging students with industry leaders to promote community building, career preparation, and learning.

Following the release of ChatGPT, artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most disruptive technology innovations in education. Though still early in adoption, the near-future impact of AI on teaching and learning is apparent. Dana Mortenson, CEO of the education non-profit World Savvy, discusses how AI technology can be facilitative in promoting global competence, inclusivity, and active learning approaches that help students develop assets as responsible global citizens.

The use of online synchronous communication tools in education has dramatically increased because of ubiquitous access to technology as well as external pressures such as the Pandemic. Remind is an online platform that facilitates easy communication between teachers, students, and families. Recently, Remind expanded its services to include online Tutoring. In this episode, Remind President and CEO, Quenton Cook, discusses the potential for online tools to provide robust options for high-dosage tutoring to help students achieve at higher levels.

Don Berg is an education researcher and practitioner who has focused his career on understanding how to better enact authentic pedagogy that equitably serves students. He has authored multiple books, the most recent of which is the 2022 publication, Schooling for Holistic Equity: How to Manage the Hidden Curriculum for K-12. In this discussion, Don explains his perspective on authentic pedagogy as well as the fake achievement, resulting from an over-emphasis on standardized testing, that can hamper students’ growth.

As we navigate to post-pandemic normalcy, schools are seeking ways to address achievement gaps heightened by the pandemic while also addressing the wellbeing of students, faculty, and families. Dr. JuDonn DeShields, Chief Program and Strategy Officer from the education nonprofit PowerMyLearning, discusses a case study of how Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) was integrated into Meadows Elementary in San Jose, CA. This case study narrates the power of distributed leadership, innovation, and empowerment stemming from an integrated rather than “another thing” approach to SEL.

Ample evidence shows that reading proficiency is one of the most important skills developed by students. Our guest, Tyson Smith, is the CEO of Reading Horizons, a publishing and technology company that specializes in reading instruction. Tyson discusses his passion for eradicating illiteracy, the vital confidence cultivated through robust reading instruction, and new trends in technology that empowers both teachers and learners.

Since the winter of 2020, students across the globe have experienced significant disruption to learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote learning, anxiety, economic instability, and a host of other social and cultural factors have negatively impacted students’ experiences. A recently released report titled, How Kids are Performing: A Snapshot of K-12 Academic Performance and Growth, analyzes these trends and makes recommendations. Dr. Gene Kerns, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Renaissance, publisher of the report, discusses findings and recommendations for improved achievement.

Pew Research reports that 46% of teens report using the Internet “almost constantly.” Because of such rampant consumption of media, our students, and in fact, all of us, need robust tools for critically analyzing media. We are joined by two authors of a 2022 book titled, The Media and Me: A guide to critical media literacy for young people. Allison Butler and Nolan Higdon discuss multiple areas of literacy important for consumers of digital and social media as well as ways in which teachers could integrate those concepts into already-existing lessons and curriculum.

Both K-12 and Higher Education are built on the idea of credentials. Students matriculate from academic programs and use transcripts to demonstrate completion of specific credentials, such as the completion of a degree. These traditional credentials potentially conceal specific, high demand skills that could be pivotal for employment. Territorium is a Texas-based Ed-Tech firm that helps students translate academic experiences into durable skills. CEO and Co-Founder Guillermo Elizondo and Vice President of Equity and Innovation Keith Look discuss the need for competency-based, lifelong learning as well as more transparent reporting of those skills to potential employers. For more information on Territorium, visit their website: https://territorium.com/

Learning math is hard, but could it be made easier if we had better ways to introduce math to students? Nigel Nisbet is a math expert and Vice President of Content Creation for the MIND Research Institute, an organization focused on teaching math the way children learn. Nigel discusses the challenges of traditional pedagogy as well as Spatial-Temporal approach taken by the MIND Institute to help children reprogram their minds to better understand math. For more information on the MIND Research Institute, visit : https://www.mindresearch.org/

Despite the desire for increasing students in STEM fields, educators still face challenges in keeping students engaged as they learn concepts like math, biology, physics, and other topics. Louise Krmpotic, Vice President for Enterprise Services at DigitalEd, discusses strategies for keeping students engaged, even in remote learning environments, as well as benefits of authentic assessments for teachers seeking to elevate learning in STEM courses.

Digital transformation increasingly shapes how students interact with schools and universities. Ardis Kadiu is a computer scientist who is also founder and CEO of Element451, a company specializing in using artificial intelligence, user experience, and digital transformation in colligate admissions. Our discussion provides an excellent overview for understanding what artificial intelligence is, how it is used effectively, and possible warnings about its effects on our privacy.

Dr. Julia Olayanju is a research geneticist who has become a disruptor in the food industry. Her most recent project, FoodNiche-ED, is a platform that empowers teachers to make science education applicable to students, particularly in support of improved health. Dr. Olayanju discusses the FoodNiche-ED platform and various health issues facing students.

For our new season of Teaching Matters, we begin with a discussion of how data sciences can be used by school districts to promote teaching effectiveness and student success. LaToya Blackshear is Director of Planning and Evaluation for Jackson (MS) public schools and Dr. Joy Smithson is Director of the Data Science Research Group for SchoolStatus. They discuss how data science has been implemented in Jackson as well as insights on how the use of data science will progress in educational settings.

The Smithsonian Education program is the largest museum-based education program in the world. Providing students and faculty of all ages with access to content experts and primary source materials, the Smithsonian is a tremendous resource for learning in any content area. Dr. Monique Chism, Undersecretary for Education at the Smithsonian, discusses how the education program can be used to enrich lessons and promote critical thinking about history and other subjects. For more information on the Smithsonian Education program, visit their website : https://www.si.edu/education

As students prepare for state testing in math, finding ways to help students re-engage previously learned material is essential. In this episode we explore a pilot-project in New York where students created short TikTok videos explaining how they used distributive properties to solve problems. Our guest, Elly Blanco-Rowe, is an educational consultant for Teaching Matters, a New York non-profit focused on promoting equitable teaching and learning. Though we share a great name, the Teaching Matters organization is not directly affiliated with this podcast.

Student wellbeing is rapidly emerging as a critical area of concern for educators at all levels. Dr. James Mazza, Professor of Education at the University of Washington, and Anne Brown, President and CEO of the Cook Center for Human Connection, discuss the importance of student wellbeing and describe a new animated series called, “My Life is Worth Living.” The series uses storytelling, with lesson plans, to help educators, families, and community organizations address the crisis of wellbeing confronting many youth and young adults.

This is the second episode in a two-part series exploring how faculty at Excelsior College, based in Albany NY, are using gamified simulations to teach course concepts. Dr. Anna Zendell, who is the Senior Faculty Program Director in Health Sciences, discusses how she has created gamified simulations to teach students about health concepts related to every-day decisions like purchasing groceries.

Dr. Mary Berkery, Faculty Program Director in History and Cornerstones at Excelsior College in Albany, NY, has worked with colleagues to develop and implement three games/simulations to help students grapple with concepts related to historical narratives. Dr. Berkery discusses how the simulations were developed and then integrated into her general education course. Listeners can experience the simulations by following these links: The July Crisis—Be the Kasier : https://kaiser.muzzylane.com/sample/web/6d5faeda-2cd9-42bb-a15e-dbbe5c9749ae The True Cost of War—Be the General : https://kaiser.muzzylane.com/sample/web/874c5626-56ef-4747-b033-d7d656dfbe68 Making the World Safe for Democracy—Be President Wilson : https://kaiser.muzzylane.com/sample/web/774f603d-8d58-42cb-a143-b879b18c5f7b

Generational changes with students, coupled with a more dynamic career landscape, is forcing higher education institutions to shift approaches to advising and mentoring for students. Dr. Jennifer Murphy, Associate Vice Provost for the OHIO Guarantee + initiative, discusses how Ohio University is expanding and strengthening support for students as they enter college and begin preparation for career success and lifelong learning.