I've been thinking about the times in my EDU career when I was witness to a kind of deeper truth or source code. The moments tend to be fleeting and sometimes I missed large parts because my mind was launchd into in a different place than my ears. But, when I held the moment and flowed with the conversation I walked away feeling the satisfaction of truely learning a lesson. 

My talk with Michelle, a clinician leading a Mental Health strategy for a large school board, was one of the moments where I think I got a peak behind the curtain and started to understand the inner workings of education. And a truth that emerged was that we just might be coming to place where curriculum, classroom, and mental health are seen as equal and connected components of a larger, life continuum.

You can find Michelle on Twitter @mcassidy905

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

I got a process for approaching a podcast. I usually lurk the blogosphere and twitter profiles once I find a person who piques my interest. After that my mind races, I shape questions, and then connect with the potential guest. Remarkably, cold calls and boundless curiosity have brought phenomenal people into my little EDUniverse. The plan for talking with Jen was broad and there were a few checkpoints that I thought we could pass through. As it happens when you meet a kindred thinker, single topics are enough. Jen and I got into the complexities of teacher reflective practice and never completely got out...and I loved it.

You can find Jen on Twitter @JenApgar

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

When I last chatted with Jocelyn she was heading up a thriving music program and firing on all cylinders -keeping her department connected to the school, the local community, and to each other. In September, she transitions into a new position with her school board as a Digital Literacy Resource Teacher. How she shifted her thinking and sense of self from classroom teacher to board based consultancy is an awesome story.

You can find Jocelyn on Twitter @jkervs

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

I have tried in the past to get my classrooms outside. Sometimes it works others not so much. I can't say for sure what anchors a learner to one ideal space for learning, but I can definitely say that I crave to read and write while sitting under a tree moreso than in a desk under fluorescent light. Search out the key term 'classroom' online and you are pretty much guaranteed to find standard stuff. Chairs, tables, and a whole lot of indoor spaces fill the top hits. Tanya is an educator that is bringing a different pov to learning design and learning spaces. Part of her new position with her school board is just that - making the outdoors accessible to all learners. And in the short convo we had, I definitely broadened my understanding of what's possible while playing and learning outside.

You can find Tanya on Twitter @InspireOutside and the website mentioned in this episode is the York Region Nature Collaborative

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

I have been embarrassingly slow to embrace my inner Mickey. Just recently the full weight of my upcoming Disney family trip kinda crashed my system. In spite of the countless communications bounced back and forth between us and the kingdom since last November, I still had a few questions. Sarah and Shauna are probably two of the most die hard Disney fans I know. So in this episode I turned to them to get me in the right headspace to enter the Magic Kingdom.

You can find Sarah on Twitter @sarahlalondee  and her blog http://www.sarahannelalonde.com/

You can find Shauna on Twitter @misspollock then check out her book http://www.creatingclassroommagic.com/ inspired by Disney and finally please keep an eye on the new school she is opening in September 2017 https://blueskyschool.ca/

The Flipgrid with questions from this episode can be found at flipgrid.com/diznee

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

Scheduling podcast connections can be challenging. Educators are busy. I first connected with Sylvia back in March to see if she had some time for a convo. She agreed to chat, soon. Between then and now she has been incredibly busy with projects, and conferences, a book release, and a bit of travel. But, patience paid off and  a lesson that I have learned vivdly with this episode is that great stories are worth waiting for.

You can find Sylvia on Twitter @sylviaduckworth and her blog sylviaduckworth.com

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

Jil asked me to come talk with her students about Modern Learning. I offered to build a podcast out of the session. Check out the epi to see where the convos lead to. 

You can find Jil on Twitter @jilstam

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

Jil asked me to come talk with her students about Modern Learning. I offered to build a podcast out of the session. Check out the epi to see where the convos lead to. 

You can find Jil on Twitter @jilstam

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

Initally, when I found out that a 1:1 school existed in my board, I was jealous. I wanted a laptop too. I wanted my students to have laptops. Everything would be more awesome if my school became that school. If only my longview had been informed with more savvy, I am sure I could have found ways to build capacity towards Modern Learning thinking instead of bemoaning an EDU shift that I did not fully understand or appreciate. Derrick made it clear that the tech is not necessarily a guarantor for robust learning experiences. The deeper truth that emerges is that when starting a 1:1 program there also has to be a focus on 1:1 culture shift. He has spent several years working through the details of growth within his tech accelerated context and now after a few starts and stops, shows what teachers and students can do when culture and tech approach harmony.

You can find Derrick on Twitter @Mr_Schellenberg 

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.

I reallly appreciate the balance that Arthur brought to our topic of teachers going gradeless. In many ways, I intuit, that any classroom that espouses an uber feedback model before numerical, is logistically complex. The tensions to provide an absolute check box come from many constituents. And often, the gains of marks based assessments are frought with equity and cultural problems. In my personal pursuit of implementing a shift from numerical dependency I can see how the conversation is much broader and deeper than just not providing a mark for every assessment. This September, as I wrestle through my own learning in this experience, I will be glad to reach out to Arthur and the TG2 Facebook page for support.

You can find Arthur on Twitter @hhschiaravalli and Facebook Teachers Going Gradeless TG2 and on Medium https://medium.com/@hhschiaravalli

Chasing Squirrels is on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/chasing-squirrels/id1191208370?mt=2 You can find me on Twitter @chrisjcluff and on Wordpress at https://chrisjcluff.com/ If you would like to chat on the podcast, let me know.

Song in episode: Пееща телеграма is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Artist:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/ This song has not been remixed or changed in any way.