Empower Students Now

In this episode of the Empower Students Now podcast, host Amanda Werner discusses the importance and challenges of teaching active listening to students. She provides an overview of essential skills like self-advocacy, ethical reasoning, and critical thinking, emphasizing that active listening might be the hardest but most critical of all. Amanda dives into the components of active listening, offering strategies for educators to model and teach these skills in the classroom. She also addresses common challenges, such as students' reluctance to listen or speak, and provides practical activities and solutions. This episode aims to equip teachers with tools to foster a culture of genuine listening, which is foundational for empathy, learning, relationships, and democracy.

00:00 Introduction and Series Overview
01:15 The Importance of Active Listening
05:05 Teaching Active Listening to Students
07:16 Components of Active Listening
27:08 Challenges and Solutions in Active Listening
36:03 Conclusion and Next Steps

Essential Skills Slideshows

Join Amanda Werner and her good friend Jessica Martin in this insightful episode as they dive deep into navigating life with autism and other neurodivergent conditions in adulthood. Jess shares personal experiences about her sensory sensitivities and struggles with social anxiety, while Amanda discusses the process and importance of receiving an autism diagnosis later in life. They explore how self-awareness can improve entrepreneurial endeavors and offer resources for self-assessment through a website called Embrace Autism. Stay tuned for a candid conversation filled with humor, personal anecdotes, and valuable insights for managing a neurodivergent life in adulthood

00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:36 Amanda's Autism Diagnosis Journey
02:04 Jess's Sensory Sensitivities
05:11 The Cost and Process of Adult Autism Diagnosis
06:07 Self-Diagnosis and Understanding Neurodivergence
07:19 Impact of Diagnosis on Personal and Professional Life
14:21 Resources and Assessments for Autism
19:08 Sharing the Diagnosis with Family
21:13 Conclusion and Farewell

Resources: 
embrace-autism.com

In this special New Year's episode Amanda shares some big news, that she's Autistic! To help Amanda reveal this difficult and amazing truth to the world Amanda brings on her co-host, Jessica Martin from Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All podcast. They discuss Amanda's recent autism diagnosis and its implications. Amanda shares her emotional journey and the significance of understanding neurodivergence. The conversation explores strategies for supporting neurodivergent students in educational settings, including the innovative use of AI tools like Claude for lesson differentiation. The episode also touches on societal perceptions of autism and the importance of recognizing and accommodating diverse needs in the classroom. Join Jess and Amanda as they candidly navigate this substantial and personal topic.

00:00 Introduction and Initial Nervousness
00:52 Revealing the Diagnosis
01:56 Podcast Introduction
02:38 Discussing Autism and Neurodivergence
06:48 Using AI for Differentiation
10:03 Challenges and Strategies for Neurodivergent Students
14:19 Personal Reflections on Autism
18:11 Concluding Thoughts and Next Episode Teaser
24:14 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Free Editable Slides to Teach Critical Thinking Skills

Amanda Werner discusses the importance of critical thinking for both students and adults in this episode of the Empower Students Now podcast. Highlighting that critical thinking involves asking good questions, examining information, recognizing biases, and being open to changing viewpoints, she provides practical steps for teaching and practicing this skill. Through various examples and classroom scenarios, Amanda emphasizes the need for intellectual humility and the importance of fostering a safe environment for questioning and learning. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences of changing their minds based on new evidence and to share these insights with their students.

00:00 Introduction and Holiday Wishes
00:23 Introducing Critical Thinking
02:38 Defining Critical Thinking
04:38 Classroom Scenarios and Questions
06:34 Challenges in the Information Age
08:30 Teaching Critical Thinking
11:08 Evaluating Sources and Evidence
13:00 The Importance of Questioning
17:12 Emotional Influence and Willingness to Change
19:32 Practical Tips for Educators
22:49 Conclusion and Reflection

Free Editable Slides to Teach Ethical Reasoning & More!

In this episode of the Empower Students Now podcast, host Amanda Werner delves into the crucial skill of ethical reasoning. With the advent of AI and its pervasive impact on education and social dynamics, Amanda emphasizes the importance of teaching students to navigate complex, gray-area situations where right and wrong aren't always clear-cut. She discusses practical strategies to help students identify ethical dilemmas, understand multiple perspectives, and reflect on their choices. The episode offers insights for educators on integrating ethical reasoning into everyday teaching and provides resources like an editable slideshow and ethical dilemma scenarios to facilitate learning. Amanda also shares personal anecdotes to illustrate the challenge and necessity of fostering ethical understanding in a rapidly evolving world.

00:00 Introduction to Essential Skills for Students
01:21 Understanding Ethical Reasoning
02:12 Real-Life Ethical Dilemmas in Schools
03:05 Guiding Students Through Ethical Reasoning
08:19 Teaching Ethical Reasoning in the Classroom
10:55 Conclusion and Reflection

Ethics/Digital Citizenship Posters

Free Editable Google Slides to Teach Self Advocacy & More

In this episode of the Empower Students Now podcast, host Amanda discusses the critical issue of violence against educators, highlighted by a recent study from the National Education Association and the American Psychological Association. She shares shocking statistics from the 2021-2022 school year, revealing the prevalence of verbal and physical violence towards teachers. Amanda urges educators to use this data to advocate for safer school environments. 

Here's a link to the report: 

https://www.nea.org/resource-library/keeping-educators-and-students-safe

The episode then explores strategies for teaching self-advocacy to students, emphasizing its lifelong importance and the need to create supportive classroom cultures. Amanda provides practical tips for fostering self-advocacy, shares personal stories, and offers tools for integrating these skills into any curriculum. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their responses to student advocacy and consider changes to better support their students. The episode underscores that empowering students and teachers through self-advocacy can lead to a more equitable and compassionate educational experience.

00:00 Introduction and Recent Study on Violence Against Educators
03:05 Personal Reflections on Burnout and Self-Advocacy
08:32 Welcome to the Empower Students Now Podcast
09:36 The Impact of AI on Education
11:41 Essential Skills for Student Success: Self-Knowledge and Advocacy
17:22 Teaching Self-Advocacy: Strategies and Stories
21:01 Creating a Culture of Self-Advocacy in the Classroom
27:41 Practical Strategies for Encouraging Self-Advocacy
30:03 Conclusion and Reflection

Access Editable Slides to Teach Self-Knowledge

In this new series about preparing students for an unknown future, Amanda Werner delves into the essential skill of self-knowledge. The episode explores how self-knowledge can help students navigate an uncertain future influenced by AI advancements. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, Amanda explains how biases and labels from adults can shape a student's identity and why it's crucial for students to have the final say in who they are. The episode offers practical steps and guiding questions for educators to help students develop self-awareness, urging them to reflect on their interests and emotions, and to experiment with various activities. The episode concludes with a challenge for educators to set aside their preconceived labels and rediscover their students' true selves.

00:00 Introduction to the Series
01:16 The Importance of Self-Knowledge
06:05 Personal Journey and Reflections
13:53 Guiding Students to Self-Discovery
19:48 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Resource Mentioned: 

Journal Writing Unit 

In this final episode in a four part series, Amanda Werner talks with Adrian Martinca about the critical pivot period we are in because of AI technology. The conversation outlines three phases: the enchantment phase of initial technological magic, the pivot phase where AI threatens existing dreams, and the potential future of the "Purpose Economy" or "Dream Economy". Adrian emphasizes the importance of encouraging adults, teachers and parents, to become champions for our children's futures amid technological disruption. He discusses the need for meaningful conversations with children to safeguard their sense of purpose and shares various resources and tools to facilitate these conversations, including the "Dream Guide". The episode underscores the importance of addressing the current mental health crisis among children and adults. We must reshape education to prioritize dreams, purpose, and wellbeing.

00:00 Introduction: The Technology Paradox
00:40 The Three Phases of Technological Impact
01:12 Adrian's Commitment to Protecting Our Kids
01:26 The Current Crisis in Education
02:08 Adrian's Vision for the Future
02:52 The Enchantment Phase: A Teacher's Perspective
04:00 The Pivot Phase: The Threat of AI
04:13 The Purpose Economy: A New Vision
07:59 The Importance of Proactive Conversations
11:19 Starting the Movement: The Open Doors Movement
13:39 Empowering Kids Through the "Dream Guide"
24:25 The Role of Parents and Teachers in the Future of Education
32:15 Conclusion: Shaping the Future with Intention

Resources

Kids Dream Matter

Technology for the Future

Open Doors Movement

Amanda Write Now

Host, Amanda Werner, continues her interview with Adrian Martinca in this episode. Adrian is a technologist and activist working tirelessly on behalf of  children. Adrian invites us to imagine a future where AI has replaced the workforce and the power and efficiency of AI tools has advanced so far that academic learning can be distilled into 20% of the school day, the other 80% of the time? Well, that's where things get exciting and hopeful! Adrian advocates for a transformation in educational focus during this 80% of the school day. This time could allow for more space to breathe, to heal, for adults to pause and really listen to what children have to say. Importantly, this precious time could allow adults to champion the dreams of children. Adrian also discusses his dream of creation of free an online curriculum to support emotional development and familial communication. 

00:00 Understanding Kids' Feelings
02:36 The Impact of Technology on Youth
04:56 Overparenting and Its Consequences
07:03 Screen Time and Mental Health
07:35 The Role of Technology in Child Development
15:08 The Future of Parenting and Education
19:12 The Future of Education and Technology
20:49 Creating a Compassionate Curriculum
22:22 Blaming Technology and Uniting Humanity
23:56 Developing Free Online Resources
25:09 Revolutionizing Social Emotional Learning
28:09 Empowering Teachers and Students
31:34 Project-Based Learning and Dream Guides
34:38 Involving Kids in Shaping the Future

Resources

Kids Dream Matter

Technology for the Future

Open Doors Movement

Amanda Write Now

In this episode, Amanda Werner and Adrian Martinca discuss the fundamental contradictions faced by educators and parents in preparing children for a future dominated by AI. They delve into the disparities between current educational goals and real future job prospects, emphasizing the potential obsolescence of many professions due to automation. The conversation stresses the importance of focusing on children's mental health, sense of purpose, and emotional intelligence as the bedrock of education. Drawing on personal anecdotes and larger societal observations, they argue for a shift towards a purpose-driven, family-oriented learning environment, urging educators to pivot from material-based education to nurturing the human soul. The episode concludes with calls for grassroots efforts and community engagement to bring about this transformative change.

00:00 Defining Reality in Education and Technology
00:39 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Education
01:27 The Future of Work and AI's Role
02:08 Introduction to the Empower Students Now Podcast
02:23 Current Education System Challenges
03:15 AI's Influence on Everyday Jobs
05:22 The Role of Feelings in Education
05:53 A Personal Story: The Birth of a Vision
08:32 Mental Health and the Purpose Economy
18:41 Homeschooling and Alternative Education
20:52 The Future of Education and Personal Development
23:20 The Value of Waking Up
23:37 Concerns About Money and Education
25:14 Future of Work and Family Life
27:28 Addressing Inequality and Homelessness
28:36 AI's Impact on Education and Jobs
34:06 Preparing for a New Economy
39:29 The Role of Community and Kindness
42:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources

Kids Dream Matter

Technology for the Future

Open Doors Movement

Amanda Write Now