ClassCast Podcast

Classcast Podcast Ep.075 features Cary Vipond and Kevin Cook, members of "The Cookout," a discussion group focusing on race relations and making positive change in the Loudoun County, Virginia community. Along with host Ryan Tibbens, they discuss the recent debates (and hysteria?) over critical race theory, equity training for school staff, anti-racism, and politics in public schools. Given Fox News' new obsession with Loudoun County Public Schools as well as the parent and political groups seeking to influence them, Cary, Kevin, and Ryan agreed it was time for reasonable people with first-hand experience in these schools and communities to have a reasonable discussion.

Cary Vipond, a long-time history and social science teacher, football coach, and father, launched "The Cookout" in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder.  He assembled a group of Black and white men, including community leaders, entrepreneurs, clergy, teachers, and students, to share perspectives and ideas, first to help one another understand the racial dynamics at play in the country, and then to take actions to improve local government, business, and schools for Black people. ClassCast Podcast host Ryan Tibbens was invited by Cary to join the group when it was formed. Kevin Cook, a certified project manager, coach, and father, joined the group soon afterward and has been a thoughtful, vocal participant in the group's efforts. Camryn Thompson (Ep.031) has also participated in The Cookout. 

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-7:57 -- The Cookout & Local Efforts Against Racism
2. 7:57-9:55 -- Educate Ignorance; Punish Malice *
3. 9:55-26:36 -- Shifting Mindsets & Community Reactions to Anti-Racist Teaching **
4. 26:36-34:00 --Kevin's Experiences as a Black Father
5. 34:00-48:04 -- Race, Anti-racism, & "CRT" in the Classroom **
6. 48:04-54:21 -- Why We Must Have Tough Conversations
7. 54:21-59:18 -- Race Education: Completing the Thought *
8. 59:18-1:06:40 -- Seeking (& Silencing) Black Perspectives
9. 1:06:40-1:12:17 -- The Intersection of Mental Health, Racism, & Politics *
10. 1:12:17-1:20:25 -- What Can Schools Do to End Racsim?
11. 1:20:25-1:31:09 -- Final Wrap Up & Book Recommendations

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​​The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! Donations -- large and small -- help keep this podcast independent!

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ClassCast Podcast Ep.074 features Al Kingsley -- CEO of NetSupport Inc., school leader & administrator in the United Kingdom, and author of the hit new book My Secret #EdTech Diary -- speaking with host Ryan Tibbens about his career in educational technology, what he's learned by leading his own schools, how the pandemic has changed education, why personal reflection is so important, why #EdTech really is for everyone, and more. Al's book "gives an insider's view of education technology historically and for the post-pandemic future." With a career in technology that spans over three decades, and with experiences launching and leading great schools, Al is uniquely positioned to help teachers and school administrators better understand the value of education technology, how to leverage it, and why common sense adoption and professional development practices ultimately lead to better education and happier teachers. From focusing on students to reflecting on professional practices, from digital citizenship to data security, Kingsley and Tibbens address the most important ideas behind #EdTech.

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-3:15 -- Intro to Al Kingsley & My Secret #Edtech Diary
2. 3:15-12:15 -- Tech Adoption for Teachers and Districts **
3. 12:15-19:00 -- Improving #EdTech by Improving Professional Development & Relationships *
4. 19:00-31:02 --Pandemic Schooling, Innovation, & Reflection
5. 31:02-37:04 -- Al's Education & Entry into School Leadership
6. 37:04-50:35 -- Assessment, Reflection, & #EdTech for Success *
7. 50:35-1:03:57 -- Student Privacy & Data Security
8. 1:03:57-1:16:19 -- Al's Ideal School *
9. 1:16:19-1:24:16 -- Final Thoughts, Book/Movie Recs, & Wrap-Up

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​​The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! Donations -- large and small -- help keep this podcast independent! 

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ClassCast Podcast Ep.073 -- Host Ryan Tibbens ruminates on how efforts to standardize, scale, and reproduce great teaching ultimately lead to dummy-proofing, to treating teachers like dummies who need scripts and Choose-Your-Own-Adventure styled lesson plans. This solo talk was recorded in response to Ep.072, the #EduPodlooza Innovation Roundtable, in which participants addressed concerns with micromanagement, groupthink, mass appeal, and more. If you believe that great schooling requires great teaching, or if you believe that the key to improving education is to improve teacher quality, this talk is for you. National teacher shortage? The answer is here. Do teachers want more money? Yes. But would most good teachers be willing to accept a smaller raise if accompanied by greater autonomy? ALSO YES. Listen, then respond. Drop a comment below or email [email protected] to get involved in the discussion.  The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, YouTube, and at ClassCastPodcast.com!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! Your $2.22 donation keeps this discussion alive! 

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Episode 072, the first of Season 3, features a great segment from the "Innovation Roundtable," the first group discussion from the 1st annual #Edupodlooza, an all-day education-podcast marathon in which teachers from around the world talked about improving schools, podcasting, and hot topics, with a few games and creative elements mixed in.  The guys over at the Unprofessional Development Podcast hosted the event and did amazing work all day.  The full innovation discussion will be available at 8pm on 7/25 at ClassCastPodcast.com and on YouTube so that you can hear what innovative ideas (and hilarious exchanges) preceded this wrap-up, but the final parts of this discussion are the perfect way to launch Season 3. Host Ryan Tibbens asks participants about a unifying theme from their previous comments -- making school less like school -- and how we can use that concept to make meaningful improvements.  You'll hear some great ideas from Mike Yates (Schoolish Podcast & Teach For America's Reinvention Lab), Gerardo Munoz (2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year & secondary social studies teacher), and other all-star teachers and podcasters on the panel, including Mealey & Tudisco (Unprofessional Development), Batsheva Frankel (Overthrowing Education), Toria Claire (Tiny Voice Talks), and Sandrine Hope (Step into Mondays).  After a deep, critical discussion of changing school, this episode ends with a light-hearted game and plenty of laughs. Watch for the full roundtable discussion soon, and let us know what you think about this talk and how to make school less like school (and better overall)!

WELCOME TO SEASON 3 OF THE CLASSCAST PODCAST!

Since launching in July 2019, ClassCast Podcast episodes have been downloaded and streamed nearly 13,000 times! From discussions with former students to international authors and thought leaders, from local community organizers to acclaimed educators and experts around the globe, host Ryan Tibbens has worked tirelessly to record and share purposeful conversations about the philosophies, policies, pedagogies, and people that can make formal education great. 

Season 3 will include a few shake-ups and new elements, most notably VIDEO.  While all previous ClassCast episodes are available to stream on YouTube, they were just audio with an accompanying slideshow. From now on, nearly all episodes will be available with real video of participants engaging in discussion. Of course, audio-only streams will continue to be available on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and most other podcast services. 

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ClassCast Podcast Ep.071, the FINAL episode of Season 2, features college professor, education enthusiast, and author Christina (Tina) Groeger, whose new book -- The Education Trap: Schools and the Remaking of Inequality.  Tina and host Ryan Tibbens discuss school's limited ability to affect social inequality, how quality education relates to social mobility, project-based learning, unschooling, and much, much more. Tina is a professor at Lake Forest College, a graduate of Harvard University, and a thoughtful, sincere student of American education and its social impacts. If you are interested in equality/inequality, opportunity, the American Dream, or improving our education system, then this episode is for you! ​

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-4:03 -- Intro to Tina & The Education Trap 
2. 4:03-12:22 -- The Purpose of School According to Tina & "Defunding" Schools *
3. 12:22-21:08 -- Economic & Political Influences on Education, Inequality, & Social Mobility
4. 21:08-28:13 --Knowledge, Merit, & Mobility *
5. 28:13-36:33 -- Vocational vs Liberal Education & Local Control *
6. 36:33-47:41 -- Tina's Ideal School
7. 47:41-57:43 -- Unschooling, Project-Based Learning, & Organizing *
8. 57:43-1:10:31 -- School Choice, Unions, and Improving Schools
9. 1:10:31-1:16:59 -- Final Thoughts, Book/Movie Recs, & Wrap-Up

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​​The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! If every listener made a one-time donation of $2-3, the podcast would be funded for the year! 

Support the show

ClassCast Podcast Ep.070 features intervention specialist, special education teacher, and author Melinda Arnost discussing inclusion, social-emotional learning, differentiation, and how good relationships combine with common sense to create functional classrooms and effective teachers.  Melinda recently published her first book, Empowering Inclusion: The Tool Teachers Need to Help All Students Succeed. In this talk with host Ryan Tibbens, Melinda shares tips for team-teaching, demands consistent scheduling, explains how relationships enable effective differentiation, talks about her great new book, and more. If you have any interest in special education, social-emotional learning, inclusion, differentiation, team-teaching, or making sure that all students are learning, you'll find TONS of useful ideas and perspectives here. 

If you're interested in hearing more from Melinda Arnost, follow her on Facebook and Instagram! If you're interested in hearing more about social-emotional learning on the ClassCast Podcast, check out Ep.035!

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-0:39 -- #Edupodlooza Promo
2. 0:39-2:38 -- Intro to Melinda & the Role of "Inclusion Specialist")
3. 2:38-5:57 -- The Purpose of School According to Melinda *
4. 5:57-12:17 --Empowering Inclusion: The Tools Teacher Need to Help...
5. 12:17-19:11 -- Situational SEL & Inclusion Implementation **
6. 19:11-21:20 -- How Much SEL Is Enough?
7. 21:20-26:06 -- Formal vs Informal: Differentiation, SEL, & What Great Teachers Do **
8. 26:06-38:10 -- Differentiation and Inclusion: What Teachers Can Do *
9. 38:10-45:24 -- Melinda's Education & The Teachers We Need
10. 45:24-51:35 -- Melinda's Ideal School & Flexible Spaces
11. 51:35-57:44 -- Final Thoughts, Relationships, & SEL's Popularity
12. 57:44-1:05:00 -- Melinda's Book/Movie Recs & Wrap-Up

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​​The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! If every listener made a one-time donation of $2-3, the podcast would be funded for the year! 

Support the show

ClassCast Podcast Ep.069 features host Ryan Tibbens reflecting on the 2020-2021 school year, pandemic-related changes in schools, 4-day work weeks, and a HUGE career shift -- to 100% virtual instruction. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone differently, but one thing is certain -- it is has affected everyone.  Tibbens has experienced loss in his family, a massive shift at work, and a sea-change in education beliefs. This quick solo talk starts with a brief promo of #Edupodlooza (check it out June 27) and quickly gets into teachers' experiences in 2020-2021. A deep reflection on a pandemic mantra -- "If not now, why ever? If now, why not always?" -- follows and is accompanied by a quick justification of a 4-day school week.  This episode ends with perhaps the most important part (bury the lead much?) -- Ryan Tibbens' shift to 100% synchronous virtual instruction in the 2021-2022 school year, the 16th year of his career.  If you're interested in innovation, education trends, school choice, or a "return to normal" in schools, then spend a few minutes on this episode and the very real experiences it presents.  

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-0:52 -- #Edupodlooza Promo
2. 0:52-10:49 -- 2020-2021 Recap
3. 10:49-15:21 -- If not now, why ever? If now, why not always?*
4. 15:21-19:04 -- 4 Day Weeks or Bust
5. 19:04-32:49 -- Big Changes: Tibbens Goes Virtual***

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The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

If every listener made a one-time donation of $2-3, the podcast would be funded for the year! 

 

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EP.068 -- CHRIS RADER -- HIGHER ED ABROAD, STEM, & MAKING HIGH SCHOOL MORE VALUABLE5/24/20210 Comments ClassCast Podcast Ep.068 features Chris Rader, a former student of host Ryan Tibbens, sharing his experiences and perspectives on education and how to better serve students.  Since graduating from high school in 2012, Chris has found immense success in the fields of chemistry and material science at Virginia Tech and now as a Ph.D. student the Adolphe Merkle Institute in Switzerland. Aside from groundbreaking work with cellulose and creating environmentally friendly packaging, Chris also has some great ideas about how we can improve K12 education in the United States to better prepare young people for college, career, and the independent critical thinking we all aspire to. Chris's experiences in lab sciences have not only shaped his rare and valuable skill set; they've also helped him to better understand what education can -- and can't -- do for young people in the current paradigm. If you are interested in improving STEM in K12, learning more about chemistry and materials science, helping young people achieve more on their own, studying abroad for higher ed, or even the significance of athletics for high school students, this is a discussion you won't want to miss.

For more information, leave a comment at www.ClassCastPodcast.com or contact Chris Rader directly via email, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-5:40 -- Intro to Chris Rader & His Unique Education Path
2. 5:40-14:18 -- Depth, Rigor, & Project-Based Learning in HS vs College *
3. 14:18-16:49 -- Why Get a Ph.D.?
4. 16:49-25:52 -- Patents, Saving the World, & Chris's Work in Material Science *
5. 25:52-45:25 -- Improving American High Schools, Career Prep, & Grading ** 
6. 45:25-59:32 -- Chris's Ideal School & Learning by Doing *
7. 59:32-1:07:04 -- The Value of Athletics in Human Development
8. 1:07:04-1:12:30 -- Study Abroad: Make It a Priority
9. 1:12:30-1:21:24 -- Chris's Book & Movie Recs/ Final Wrap-Up

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The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

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ClassCast Podcast Ep.067 features Peter Hubbell, founder & CEO of Apply : you, discussing personal branding, storytelling, improving education, and helping recent college graduates to secure their first jobs through innovative interviewing techniques.  Apply : you runs a series of practical workshops that apply Madison Avenue branding and storytelling techniques to help graduates market their way to their first job in any career. Peter forged an admirable career in advertising before shifting his focus to helping young people secure gainful employment. He shares his views on educating "the whole child," the importance of athletics, the value of boarding schools, and more. 

You can learn more about Peter Hubbell and Apply : you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 


Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-3:53 -- Intro to Peter Hubbell & 'Apply : you'
2. 3:53-8:25 -- Applicants: Stand Out to Win **
3. 8:25-11:53 -- Peter's Education
4. 11:53-17:45 -- The Purpose of Education According to Peter: Potential *
5. 17:45-23:45 -- How to Own Your Interview & the Moses of College Hockey * 
6. 23:45-27:36 -- Apply : you: Why Focus on College Grads?
7. 27:36-47:14 -- Personal Discovery, Branding, & Rhetoric **
8. 47:14-55:00 -- Peter's Ideal School: Boarding Schools & the Whole Child
9. 55:00-58:56 -- Academics & Athletics: Developing the Whole Child
10. 58:56-1:06:08 -- Books & Final Wrap-Up

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The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! If every listener made a one-time donation of $2-3, the podcast would be funded for the year! 

Support the show

ClassCast Podcast Ep.066 features Dr. Casey Jakubowski, a professor, author, and teacher from upstate New York sharing his views on education in the United States, our need for greater civic education and engagement, as well as how we can "#ChangeTheNarrative" about our school system's successes and failures. Casey has worked in K12 and higher ed., in humanities and STEM, in the classroom and in leadership roles. Through his long and varied career, he has gained unique perspectives on what our schools do, how they function, and what we can do to improve how we serve students and communities. From standardized testing to specialization, from civics to community influences, we cover it all. Casey also shares a heartfelt story of family, loss, and students rising to the occasion and making change in the world.  You can contact Casey on Twitter and LinkedIn or leave a comment below if you want to continue the conversation.  


Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-4:29 -- Intro to Casey Jakubowski
2. 4:29-12:43 -- The Purpose of School According to Casey (#ChangeTheNarrative) **
3. 12:43-15:23 -- "Defunding" Schools
4. 15:23-33:37 -- Casey's Ideal School & How to Get There *
5. 33:37-44:34 -- Standardized Testing, Opportunity Data, & "Learning Loss" *
6. 44:34-54:43 -- Humanities, STEM, & Real Human Stories
7. 54:43-1:02:17 -- How Politics Limits Schools *
8. 1:02:17-1:11:01 -- Book/Movie Recs & Wrap-Up

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The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.   Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show