The Wired Educator Podcast

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews Apple Distinguished Educator Casey Cohen. This is an absolutely dynamite conversation about many topics in education that any educator or administrator can benefit. Kelly and Casey talk about: transitioning from educator to administrator, starting a new job, starting the new year, viewing curriculum as a story, backward design, The Apple Distinguished Educator Program and the ADE 2017 Academy, Casey's amazing ADE Showcase spot-lighting an amazing Holocaust unit centered around becoming globally connected educators, using Apple's Clips app for observations, and so much more. This is a great interview. After having taught secondary school English in the city and suburbs of Philadelphia and Boston for ten years, Casey Cohen is entering a new position as Middle School Director of Hannah Senesh Community Day School. Casey received her B.A. at the University of Michigan where she studied English, history, and theater in Michigan's Residential College.

  Kelly interviews educator, author, and speaker, Trevor Muir. Trevor makes amazing inspirational videos and is the author of the book The Epic Classroom: How to Boost Engagment, Make Learning Memorable, and Transform Lives. Kelly and Trevor talk about how to make your classroom epic! Trevor is a teacher, author, speaker, and project based learning expert. He is the author of The Epic Classroom, a book about using the power of story to make learning engaging and unforgettable. Trevor is a faculty member for the Buck Institute For Education, and travels across the country to work with educators on how to bring project based learning into their schools. He is the host and creator for the We Are Teachers show, Teacher Helpline Live, and his writing has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Creative Classroom, and EdWeek. He also gave a TEDx Talk titled, "School Should Take Place in the Real World," at TEDxSanAntonio. Trevor's work can be found on his Facebook page, on Epic Classroom and on his blog at www.t

Jimmy Casas served twenty-two years as an educational leader, including fourteen years as Principal at Bettendorf High School. Under his leadership, Bettendorf was named one of the Best High Schools in the country three times by Newsweek and US News & World Report. Jimmy was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year and was selected as one of three finalists for NASSP 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year. In 2014, Jimmy was invited to the White House to speak on the Future Ready Schools pledge.  In 2015, he received the Bammy Award as the National Secondary Principal of the year. Jimmy is the Co-Founder of EdCamp Iowa and #IAedchat, Finally, Jimmy is the co-author of the book, “What Connected Educators Do Differently,” and “START.RIGHT.NOW.,” which he wrote with Todd Whitaker and Jeff Zoul. Jimmy currently serves as a Senior Fellow for the International Center for Leadership in Education and also serves on the Professional Development Faculty for NASSP; the National Association of Sec

  In this episode, Kelly interviews, Tara Martin, the originator of #BookSnaps, a super-cool and relevant way to share what you are reading through social media. Tara used SnapChat to get intice young readers to engage meaningfully with books, and now BookSnaps! has become an incredibly popular movement and hashtag on SnapChat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more. Learn how Tara took what she thought was an annoying fad and turned it into an educational opportunity! You going to love this episode. Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. Martin's mission is to invigorate teachers, administrators, and staff members to apply instructional practices that foster creativity, personalize learning and prepare 21st-century learners for success. Check out her latest hashtag #BookSnaps on Twitter.   Mentioned in this episode:    Sponsor an episode of the Wired Educator Podcast!

In this episode, Kelly interviews two of the most influential and most recognized names in the research and application of reading instruction, Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst. The focus of this interview is an engaging conversation about their new book, Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Think Matters, and how to help students become better readers. This is a must-listen interview.  About the Authors: Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst are the coauthors of the best-selling books Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading and Reading Nonfiction: Stances, Signposts, and Strategies, as well as Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice (with Linda Rief) and Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters. Beers, who also authored When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do, began her teaching career at a middle school in the Houston area. Probst, who also authored Response and Analysis, began his career at the junior high and high school levels in the Baltimore area. Both have taught at the university lev

Kelly interviews author and educator, John Stevens, about his new book, Table Talk Math: A Practical Guide to Bringing math in Everyday Conversations. John Stevens is an educational technology coach for Chaffey Joint Union High School District who has also taught high school Geometry, Algebra 1, middle school Math, Service Learning, and Robotics, Engineering, and Design since 2006. As the co-author of “The Classroom Chef”, he has served as the go-to guy for trying new, crazy, and often untested ideas to see how well they will work. He co-founded and moderates #CAedchat, the weekly teacher Twitter chat for the state of California. He also is the co-founder and organizer of EdCamp Palm Springs, the first in the area. In his free time that doesn’t exist, he runs a site called Would You Rather? which is dedicated to getting students talking about math. He is an author of Flipping 2.0, a resource that helps teachers take the flipped classroom to the next level. During recent summers, John has had the honor of pre

Kelly interviews Joy Kirr, the author of the hot new book, Shift This! How to Implement Gradual Change for MASSIVE Impact in Your Classroom!  Joy Kirr is an amazing teacher and author. She was first a special education teacher of deaf & hard-of-hearing students, and next became a reading specialist and National Board Certified. Now in her 22nd year of teaching, she learns alongside 7th graders. Joy is passionate about students owning their own learning, doesn’t mind being known as a “Genius Hour Evangelist,” and enjoys the school year without grades. This is a fantastic and energetic interview that is perfect for all teachers. Joy is absolutely brilliant. Mentioned in this podcast:  Creation Crate: An amazing monthly subscription service that ships a new electronic project right to your home or classroom. Wired Educator loves this service and you will too! Check out www.CreationCrate.com. Joy Kirr's book: Shift This! How to Implement Gradual Change for MASSIVE Impact in Your Classroom!  Joy's website: ht

This is one of my all-time favorite Wired Educator Podcast interviews! Why? Because my guest, Pat Flynn is the man who inspired so much of my creative work. Pat Flynn has inspired me to start a podcast, blog, write books and create courses. He is an amazing online educator that every teacher can learn from. I believe he understands teaching and education in ways that every teacher can and should learn from. Pat Flynn is amazing, and I am proud to share this interview with him, with you. In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I get to interview one of my heroes and mentors, Pat Flynn. Pat is the host of my favorite podcast, and I have been lucky enough to have been featured on Pat's "Ask Pat!" Podcast multiple times. Pat Flynn is a father, husband, and entrepreneur who works from his home office in San Diego, CA. He owns several successful online businesses and is a professional blogger, keynote speaker, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and host of the top-rated business podcast, The Smart Passi

In this episode, Kelly interviews Kevin Duncan about his work as an International Teacher and his new book The New Normal: Tales from International School Teachers. Kevin A. Duncan, an Apple Distinguished Educator, has taught high school history and economics for 15 years, 4 in the US and 11 in Costa Rica, South Korea, and China (and soon-to-be Argentina). Before and while teaching, he has visited over 50 countries on 6 continents but still views the farm his dad grew up on in Tennessee as his favorite place in the world. In the past few years the power of stories has become a more important element in his teaching and personal life: In the classroom, students work on their communication skills by incorporating effective anecdotes into written and oral presentations. Outside of the classroom, Duncan interviewed many people to create a mini-documentary about his parents and hosts storytelling nights for the local teaching community. The recent emphasis on telling stories culminated with the publication of Th

Julie Willcott is an EdTech Consultant and Apple Distinguished Educator.  She works as an advocate for innovative learning with an emphasis on STEAM (science-technology-engineering-art-math).  As a high school science teacher, Julie implemented one of the nation’s first 1:1 iPad programs and developed multiple open educational resources on iTunes U and iBooks.  Her current consulting work includes serving as a Professional Development Specialist and Subject Matter Expert for zSpace, a provider of immersive virtual reality technology.  In addition, Julie works as a Social Media Manager for EdSurge promoting resources on how and when to use technology in K-20 education.  Julie presents at national and international conferences and serves as an advisory board member for SXSWedu. Follow Julie on Twitter at @willcottjulie and visit her website at:  juliewillcott.com. Julie and Kelly talk about a wide-range of topics including: 1:1 iPad initiatives iTunes U Course STEM moving to STEAM Inquiry Based Learning The ne

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly shares what he has learned from the numerous authors he has interviewed about how to write and publish a book. Kelly also leans on his own experience in the writing and publication of his book, Along Came a Leader. Kelly will share the tips, tricks, strategies, plans, tools, and resources, as well as some potent motivation, to help you become a published author. Kelly emphasizes not only the 'how-to-do-it' but he clearly illustrates why you will want to publish. Kelly addresses many benefits of publication that most educators don't even consider. Whether you think you have a book in you or not, this episode is just what you need. Mentioned in this podcast:  The following resources are about to save you years of guessing. Outlined below is the culmination of my intense reading, studying, and testing to become a better writer. Here is a list of inspiring and fun educational books that will help you make an incredible impact in your classroom, school, distri

In this episode Kelly interviews Dr. Michael Mills about his new book, Empowering Learners with Mobile Open Access Learning Initiatives, his work as a professor preparing the next generation of educators to graduate, the best uses of mobile devices in the classroom, and best educational practices in general, and so much more. Michael encorages when designing our lessons to focus on: choice, opportunities, reflections, and assessment. Listen to find out why and how! Dr. Michael Mills, Assistant Professor of Teaching and Learning at the University of Central Arkansas, is a leading expert on the practical uses of educational technology, particularly on using collaborative tools to better engage students and to design strategies for effectively integrating mobile devices in the classroom. He is an SXSWedu, ISTE, and SITE presenter and has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Education Trainer and serves on the advisory boards for SXSWedu and the Apple Distinguished Educator Program for t

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews Lisa Johnson about her new book, Cultivating Communication in the Classroom: Future Ready Skills for Secondary Students. Lisa Johnson is an Apple Distinguished Educator, PBS Digital Innovator, and she is the founder of TechChef4U.com, a blog devoted to "cooking up" recipe-like content to be used in the classroom for all age levels. Lisa co-authored Hot Apps 4 HOTS, she has over fourteen years experience in the classroom and holds a Master's Degree in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. Her insight on technology has been published on sites like Edutopia and mainstream publications like iPads in Education for Dummies. Lisa lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and enjoys a good Netflix series when she isn't writing and speaking. Cultivating Communication in the Classroom by Lisa Johnson is a great resource for any administrator or educator at any level. Here is more about Lisa's book: Students are expected to be innovators, creative think

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf, the authors of the hot, new, best-selling book, Lead Like a Pirate. About the book, Lead Like a Pirate: Make School Amazing for Your Students and Staff: Are You a Treasure Seeker?  Pirates are on a constant quest for riches, but PIRATE leaders seek even greater rewards: amazing schools, engaged students, and empowered educators who know they are making a difference. In Lead Like a PIRATE, education leaders Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf map out the character traits necessary to captain a school or district. You'll learn where to find the treasure that's already in your classrooms and schools--and how to bring out the very best in your educators. What does it take to be a PIRATE Leader?  Passion--both professional and personal A willingness to Immerse yourself in your work Good Rapport with your staff, students and community The courage to Ask questions and Analyze what is and isn't working The determination to s

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews Monica Burns about her hot new book, #Formative Tech. This is Monica's second book. Her first, Deeper Learning with QR Codes and Augmented Reality: A Scannable Solution for Your Classroom was also published by Corwin Publications. Monica and Kelly have a great educational discussion focusing on her new book, and as always... so much more! About the book: #Formative Tech: Formative assessment is a must for educators, but it can be difficult to juggle with all the other demands of a busy teacher’s to-do list. Fortunately, technology tools can help you work smarter, not harder. In #FormativeTech, you’ll find: Practical tips on how to use technology in formative assessment, including quick “pulse checks” for the whole class. Formative assessment strategies for small groups and individual students. Ideas for assessing project-based and inquiry-based approaches. How to evaluate data and communicate results with families. About Monica: Kelly interview

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews Belgium educator, Kurt Klynen. Kurt Klynen is an Apple Distinguished Educator with over sixteen years teaching ages 2 to 62 and older in a primary and secondary school in Belgium. He is an ad vacate, author, ambassador and advisor in educational curriculum design and instruction. He founded his own educational start-up, ICT Atelier in 2009 with one primary mission: hands-on, inspiring workshops on the integration of technology in education. He currently leads of 25 superstar educators who spread this vision all over Europe. He serves as an advisor for Apple Distinguished Educators EMEIA region, and as an advisor for both Book Widgets and Book Creator. Having worked with educators and students around the world, Kurt is truly an international educator. Leaning heavily on Kurt's experiences in many countries, Kelly interviews Kurt about the differences in education around the world and what best practices and theories have emerged. Kurt also shares

Kelly interviews Dr. Chris Penny in this 70th episode of The Wired Educator Podcast. Chris and Kelly talk about the joys and challenges of preparing our next level of educators, learning spaces, digital badging, what the most important skill needed for learning to code (and it isn't what you're probably thinking), why you probably want to avoid using the word drones, and so much more. Chris is brilliant. You'll fall in love with his accent, and you will learn a lot. Chris Penny is a Professor of Educational Technology at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a graduate of Penn State University. In 2011 he won the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award for his excellence in the classroom. In 2007 he became an Apple Distinguished Educator, and Google Certified Teacher in 2009. His efforts in teaching and research have the focus of technology integration in education. He has published an edited book titled Technology Leadership in Teacher Education: Integrated Solutions and Experiences. Has published ar

Buckle-up! This is a high-energy interview! Kelly interviews Kayla Delzer about flexible seating, the importance of classroom design, and a cornucopia of other educational interests and passions. Kayla is doing amazing work in and outside the classroom. She is an inspiration to all educators and shares a lot of tips that can help you out!    Kayla Delzer is a 3rd grade teacher and technology champion in North Dakota. She is a columnist for Edsurge and blogger for Edutopia, where she writes about a variety of edtech and design topics. She has nine years of teaching experience in second and third grade. Kayla holds her master’s degree in Elementary Education and is currently in the process of becoming National Board Certified, the highest mark of professional accomplishment.    On July 23, 2015 she delivered her first TEDx Talk, Reimagining Classrooms: Students as Leaders and Teachers as Learners. Kayla frequently travels around the United States as a featured and keynote speaker, and she is proud to be an inte

In this podcast Kelly interviews Ryan Orilio, an Apple Distinguished Educator in New York State. Ryan Orilio is a great teacher, a good friend, and he is making great accomplishments with some of the coolest technology being used in education. Kelly and Ryan also discuss the importance of being an authentic eduator and being a great role model. Ryan delves into how his school is using robots, coding, drones, and more. This is an inspiring and engaging interview. Many take-aways for every educator and administrator.  Ryan is the Technology Coordinator at Herkimer CSD in upstate, NY. He is a former Digital Arts Instructor at Oneida  High School and adjunct professor at SUNY Institute of Technology. Ryan has been named an Apple Distinguished Educator, Plickers Ambassador, and is a Google Certified Educator. Outside of his district, Ryan creates and presents professional development for NYS schools and NYSCATE (New York State Computers And Technology in Education).  Ryan is passionate about effective uses of tech

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews April Requard. April is an Apple Distinguished Educator, and she has given an amazing TED Talk about the SWAT Team (Students Working to Advance Technology) she created at her school. Kelly and April talk about all of this, her film festival at her schoo, iTunes U,  and so much! You will find many take-aways for all educators and administrators in any learning environment in this episode. Enjoy! April is an Instructional Technology Teacher at North Star Elementary in Albuquerque. April began her teaching career as a third grade teacher before moving into the role of technology teacher several years later. This role switch truly changed the trajectory in April’s career path and ever since then, April has been committed to teaching students and teachers how to infuse technology tools in the classroom to achieve learning which was once not possible. April has also worked as a professional development specialist where she worked alongside educators an