The Wired Educator Podcast

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Adam Welcome, the author of Kids Deserve It! Run Like a Pirate! and Empower Our Girls! Adam is a powerful writer, a gifted speaker and an impactful educator. He has been a teacher, a principal, vice principal, Director of Innovation and now he travels the world to speak and share his important message with educators and work with schools.  Adam has been an elementary school teacher, Elementary Principal, Director of Innovation for a district with 35,000 students and enjoys pushing the envelope to always do what's best for kids! Adam was Principal of the Year for his region, a 20 To Watch for the National School Board Association, guest blogger for EdWeek, NAESP magazine, and many other publications. Adam also consults and works with many education companies as a way to improve their product for others! Adam is passionate about technology integration with all educators and a huge advocate of social media and connecting with other educators from across

In this 145th episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Dr. Courtney Orzel. Courtney is an amazing educational leader and speaker. It was an honor to present at the same What Great Educators Do Differently Conference in Houston, Texas this past October. One of my favorite lines of the podcast is when Courtney tells me, "the most important job of a superintendent is to create spaces for people to do great things!" I love that, and all that she shares. This is an amazing episode that you will love, and one that I hope you will share and leave a review. "The most important job of a superintendent is to create spaces for people to do great things!"  Dr. Courtney Orzel Dr. Courtney Orzel is in her 6th year as a superintendent serving Lemont-Bromberek SD113A.   Prior to that she held positions as middle school principal, assistant principal, and teacher.  Dr. Orzel has been honored with recognition from the AASA as a finalist for the Women in Leadership Award in February of 2019, has helped lead the IASA

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I had the privilege to sit down in person with Ray Zahab after his keynote at the Leadership and Learning Academy 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. Ray is one of my heroes. I love how he connects with educators and students. You are going to love this episode. Than you for listening! Ray Zahab is a Canadian Adventurer, ultra distance runner and Founder of non-profit impossible2Possible. A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Ray is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers. He has ran 14,000+km across the world’s deserts, and completed multiple unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet. On November 1, 2006, former “pack a day smoker” turned ultra runner Ray Zahab and two friends, Charlie Engle and Kevin Lin, set out on an expedition to cross the Sahara Desert by foot. 111 days

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast I interview Dawn Sayre about Improving School Culture. Learn about E+R=O, putting people first, BCD, Discipline over Default, and the 10/80/10 rule. Dawn emphasizes that we should create positive events for others.  Before joining Focus 3, a team that helps organizations achieve their goals by building dynamic cultures, in July 2019,  Dawn spent 23 years in public education. She is an experienced school administrator, a former teacher, middle school principal, high school principal and curriculum director who has implemented the Focus 3 systems at an elite level with her staff, students and school community.  Dawn is a proud graduate of Otterbein (College) University where she was a member of the Women’s Basketball Team. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education. She then went on to earn her Masters in Educational Leadership and Superintendent License from the University of Dayton.  Through her education and athletic experience, Dawn shares a unique pe

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast I read my eBook What Everyone Needs to Know About Bullying and make it an audible book, and more!  I wanted this to be available so students, parents, educators and anyone could listen to it on the bus, in the car, at lunch, on a walk, workout, or doing chores with their headphones on. This is deeply personal but can really save lives.What is your school district doing to educate students, staff, parents and the community about bullying? Every month should be 'Bullying Awareness Month', and I wanted to create a free audio recording of my popular ebook resource for educators, parents and students to help out when  a bully steps into someone's life, What Everyone Needs to Know About Bullying. So... that's what I did! This episode of the Wired Educator Podcast is me reading my eBook. I wanted this to be available so students, parents, educators and anyone could listen to it on the bus, in the car, at lunch, on a walk, workout, or doing chores with their headphones o

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Bianca Woodard, Apple Distinguished Educator and awesome educator. We talk about building connections, rapport, and relationships with students. She shares her amazing story of becoming a teacher. Bianca emphasizes the importance of being intentional about building relationships with students over anything else. This is a great interview for everyone. Bianca A. Woodard  was born on Fort Bragg, NC into a military family.   She currently lives in Augusta Georgia and teaches AP Human Geography, government, and Economics at Midland Valley High School in Graniteville SC. She’s a graduate of Augusta University’s Pamplin College of Arts and Sciences where she obtained her Bachelors degree in History.  She began her teaching career in 2015 after over 15 years in corporate America as a trainer  and manager at a Fortune 500 Appliance Company. She’s an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Microsoft Innovative Educator. She’s Literacy and Gifted and Talented endors

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I talk to educator, speaker and EDU consultant, Ken Shelton about Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in Education. Ken currently holds an M.A. in Education with a specialization in Educational Technology as well as New Media Design and Production. He has worked as an Educator for over 14 years and most recently taught technology at the Middle School level. As a part of his active involvement within the Educational Technology community, Ken is an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Google Certified Innovator. Ken has worked extensively at the policy level and was named to the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction's Education Technology Task Force. Ken regularly gives keynotes, presentations, and leads workshops, many of which are hands-on, covering a wide variety of Educational Technology, Career and Technical Education, Equity and Inclusion, Multimedia Literacy, Visual Storytelling, and Instructional Design topics. Ken is the ISTE Digital Equity PLN

In this 139th episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Jay Billy, the author of Lead with Culture. Jay offers fantastic insight to leadership and how to create a school culture where families, students and staff are excited to a part of it. Jays shares his ideas and knowledge on: Positivity Pledge, the major misconception about culture, accountability with staff, trauma informed schools, and so much more. This is an awesome interview.    Jay Billy is the proud principal of Ben Franklin Elementary School in Lawrence Township, NJ. He was awarded The Exemplary Elementary Educator Award by the State of NJ in 2016. Jay is the Author of "Lead With Culture: What Really Matters in Our Schools."   Click on any of the following books below to preview and order (affiliate links):   Mentioned in this episode:    Sponsor: Download this free Bulling Awareness resource for teachers, administrators, parents, coaches, and students: What Everyone Needs to Know About Bullying.   Learn about Jay Billy's speaking here.

Episode 138 of the Wired Educator Podcast is an amazing interview with Dr. Will, host of the Dr. Will Show Podcast. This is a powerful episode where Dr. Will and I explore successful 1:1 digital learning programs, how to really coach teachers, the future of education with online courses and so much more.  Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D. is a District Instructional Technologist for Hattiesburg Public School District, serving grades K-12. He is also a digital transformation strategist, writer, podcaster, and documentary filmmaker. In 2016, Dr. Will was one of three educators selected as a Mississippi Spotlight Speaker at the Mississippi Educator Computing Conference and served as a Schoology Ambassador from 2015 - 2018.  Dr. Will is best known for his work in assisting educators in going digital, and he has written for Schoology Exchange, District Administration, EdSurge, iNACOL, and TechEdge magazine. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Radio, TV, and Film and Child and Family Studies from The University of Southern Mis

In this episode I interview Kasey Bell, author of the educational book Shake Up Learningand co-host of The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast. This was a fun interview with a very genuine and caring educator. I know you are going to find tremendous value in this interview with Kasey.  Kasey Bell is part sparkling smile, part witty personality and a whole heap of passion as big as a Texas--go big or go home, y’all! She is a disruptor of the boring.  An engaging, innovative, from the heart sharer who inspires educators while transforming their teaching with original, timely and use-tomorrow ideas for student choice, differentiation, and technology integration.  Whether it is learning from home through online courses, professional development, conference workshops or as a keynote speaker Kasey is a relentless innovator of ideas and a devoted transformer of classrooms and teaching.  Through teacher empowering publications and award-winning educational resources at ShakeUpLearning.com, learner-driven workshops and pres

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Apple Distinguished Educator and ELA innovator, Anthony Stirpe. Anthony has been recognized for transforming English classes by inspiring student creation of innovative and authentic content. I am excited to share Anthony's story, passion and his amazing work with students.   During his career, Anthony Stirpe has been acknowledged as an innovator and pioneer in the area of English Language Arts.   With more than 15 years of experience as a public-school teacher, he has been recognized by local, state, national and international organizations for his ongoing endeavors to revolutionize the traditional ELA experience.  While at New Rochelle High School he spearheaded an initiative that uses mobile devices to challenge the way that students learn.  The program Stirpe helped to create has challenged the traditional English Language Learner classroom experience, and transformed the way students create original written content, analyze literature, and explor

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast I interview Joe Sanfelippo. Joe is the superintendent of the Fall Creek School District and is known throughout the world for his viral One Minute Walk to Work videos. He is also the co-author of several awesome educational books including Hacking Leadership. Without a doubt though, Joe is BEST know for is absolute love and passion for his Fall Creek School District, students, teachers and community, The Crickets! You will absolutely love this interview. Joe is awesome.  Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI. The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. He holds a BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, a MS in Educational Psychology, a MS in Educational Leadership, and a PhD in Leadership, Learning, and Service. Joe has taught Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade. He has served as a principal in suburba

In this episode I interview John Sowash about his book and podcast, The Chromebook Classroom. John is making an amazing impact in education. This is a great interview about how to use Chromebooks to create. John can absolutely help you and your district better use Chromebooks. John is brilliant. You are going to love this interview.  John Sowash is an experienced classroom teacher, former school administrator, author of The Chromebook Classroom, and founder of the Google Certification Academy. He's also the host of The Chromebook Classroom Podcast. John inspires educators to use technology connect with and challenge students. Schools around the world have invited John to come and share with them. You can connect with John via his blog (www.chrmbook.com) or Twitter (@jrsowash). Mentioned in this Podcast:  • Planbook.com: Planbook is the best way to create, organize and share your lessons. We are proud to have them as our sponsor of this episode.  • John's book: The Chromebook Classroom.  • John's podcast: Th

Hey Wired Educators! Check out all of the new Wired Educator graphics, logos and designs, created by artist & illustrator Josh Janes. I love them, and I hope you do too. Leave some feedback in the comment section. In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Michael Cohen, The Tech Rabbi. Michael Cohen, known as The Tech Rabbi, is a designer and technologist turned educator. As a speaker, writer and creativity instigator, he’s on a mission to help young people develop the creative confidence they need to become challenge seekers and solution designers.  He is the author of the book Educated By Design,which outlines his principles for revealing and nurturing our innate creative courage and capacity. He works with schools, institutions and businesses to help them create or refine opportunities for students to leverage technology, media creation and digital age skills in ways that foster inquiry and the drive to solve the complex challenges of our global society. Cohen shares his story of desig

In this very special episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Casey Cohen about the 2019 ISTE Conference in Philadelphia.  Casey offers us a unique perspective on this year's ISTE because she: lives in Philadelphia, home of this year's ISTE conference, has attended several ISTE Conferences, including one that was in Philly before, and she is presenting and being recognized at this year's ISTE Conference.  Casey Cohen is the Director of Technology, Innovation and STEM Programs at Rose Tree Media School District just outside Philadelphia. She's an Apple Distinguished Educator and a wonderful friend. She lives in the city and knows it well. She loves Philly and ISTE. This is a great interview.  Attend Casey's session titled "Focus Forward" on Tuesday at 1:45.  Be sure to check out the Apple Distinguished Educator Playground. In this podcast, Casey will share ideas about this year's ISTE Conference including:  what sites to see in Philadelphia including where the Rocky statue is located. where to get t

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I interview an expert in all things STEM, Chris Woods.  Chris is the host of the Daily STEM Podcast and I love following him on Twitter. He is an amazing resource. He finds STEM everywhere! Chris started the idea of dailySTEM to help educators and parents find STEM in the real world and share STEM with the kids they know.  Why?  Because STEM is all around us…in the backyard, at the store, in our homes, on TV and movies, in the news…everywhere! Chris has been a High School Math teacher (Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Hands-on Geometry) since 1999 in Calumet, Michigan. He wrote his own Algebra 1 iBook (Part 1and Part 2) for students, complete with short video examples and practice questions for every lesson (all of the videos are available on YouTubeas well.) Chris lives in a woods in a house he built himself with his wife and three children.  Chris's work in education has be recognized as the 2013 Teacher of the Year, Calumet Public Schools, and he was a recipient of th

In this 130th episode of The Wired Educator Podcast Lisa Johnson returns for a fantastic interview about her brand new book, Creatively Productive:Essential Skills for Tackling Time Wasters, Clearing the Clutter, and Succeeding in School—and Life! Lisa was a guest on episode 74with the debut of her first book, Cultivating Communication in the Classroom.  Lisa is a wonderful educator and author and I am excited to have her back! Lisa Johnson has over seventeen years of educational experience ranging from teaching HS English & MS Math to international curriculum development, creating and presenting workshops, and even running technology integration camps across the state. She holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum, Instruction, & Tech and currently serves as an Educational Technologist for a 1:1 iPad H.S. in Austin, Texas. Additionally, she has been recognized and selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator and PBS Digital Innovator. Lisa is passionate about college and career ready skills, instruction

This special episode of the Wired Educator Podcast is a Memorial Day Tribute to the men and women who lost their lives serving our country in the United States Armed Forces.  This ten minute episode examines educators' roles in teaching future generations about honoring our veterans and shares a peek at some of the great ways schools are doing just that.  This episode is a return to podcasting for me after some international travel and a battle with a nasty cold virus.  I hope you take some time today to reflect on the true meaning of Memorial Day and also enjoy some time with your family.  Thank you.    Kelly ———————————————————————– Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcastand subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcastwith over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at

In this 128th episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews Reshan Richards and  Stephen J. Valentine about their new book, Make Yourself Clear: How to Use a Teaching Mindset to Listen, Understand, Explain Everything, and Be Understood. The authors describe their work as “working at intersection of teaching and business.” Kelly has interviewed Reshan in episode 7 about the top-selling educational app he co created, Explain Everything, and both Reshan and Stephen in episode 50 when they published their first book together, Blending Leadership.  Stephen J. Valentine is an educator, school leader, writer, and serial collaborator. He serves as the Assistant Head, Upper School, and Director of Academic Leadership at Montclair Kimberley Academy. He is Coordinating Editor of Klingbrief, author of Everything but Teaching, and co-author of Blending Leadership. Dr. Reshan Richards is Chief Learning Officer and Co-Founder of Explain Everything Inc. and teaches at Teachers College, Columbia University and the

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Jason Fahrenbach about his work with the Everyone Can Create curriculum, designing learning environments, and so much more. His passion and enthusiasm for teaching is enchanting, and his perspective will empower many teachers. This is a great interview that will inspire all listeners. Jason Fahrenbach is currently the Arts Department Team Lead at Walt Disney Magnet School in Chicago, Illinois. He has worked with various Arts organizations including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Walt Disney Family Museum, and Adobe, in creating authentic and meaningful Arts Integration Projects. Jason was most recently recognized for his work in the classroom by the Apple Distinguished Educator program, and he was selected as one of the “20 Educators to Watch” in the Chicago area. I am excited to share Jason’s story and his work with the Everyone Can Create Curriculum. What he is doing in education is outstanding, exciting and beneficial to all educators. You are