Erica has an in-depth conversation with 2 Chaparral high school students about how to be successful and positive and how to support each other during these difficult times.   Also adding insight to this conversation is CHS counselor Heather Hachenberger.  You can also watch the Vidcast of this show here: https://youtu.be/SccXP7IqlQQ

QUESTIONS: 

Q: How are you coping right now during this pandemic? 

Q: What is the key to your success in adjusting to this new learning environment? 

Q: Talk to us about your social interaction with friends and colleagues and how it’s going? 

Q: How are you preparing for your future education; college and the next grade level? 1

Q: What advice do you have for setting up a successful learning environment? 

Q: What have your teachers done to make remote or hybrid learning successful?  

Q: What is the counseling dept doing to help support families?  

Q: What advice do you have to help others find success in this environment?   

Hosted by Erica Mason Director / Curriculum Instruction & Professional Growth Douglas County School District  

You can listen past & future episodes by subscribing to Growing Together through your favorite podcast platform, such as Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Our guest this week is Dave Burgess.   Dave is the New York Times Best Selling Author of "Teach Like a Pirate".   Dave specializes in teaching hard-to-reach, hard-to-motivate students with techniques that incorporate showmanship and creativity.  You can watch the vidcast of this show, here:  https://youtu.be/UWHDb1kksRw

QUESTIONS: 

Q: How are you coping with the pandemic and everything that is going on right now in education?

Q: You talk about helping teachers find their passion and empowering students.  How do we help our teachers find their passion?

Q: There is a lot of pressure on teachers, parents and students right now.  How do we make a connection to social emotional learning and health and wellbeing during this time?

Q: How do we make sure students are prepared for the next grade level while also keeping them engaged and passionate as well?

Q: Tell us about what you’ve seen work as we dig into all of these new things with Ed Tech?

Q: We’ve heard from our Teachers and Leaders that it’s challenging right now to have professional discourse and come together around learning and collaborating.  What advice do you have and what have you seen that is working?

Q: What is one piece of advice you would like to share with our teachers?

Hosted by Erica Mason Director / Curriculum Instruction & Professional Growth 

Douglas County School District

Laurie and Aaron invite friend and colleague Jon Widmier to discuss self advocating and how parents can help their children navigate these uncertain times.    You can also watch a vidcast of this show here:  https://youtu.be/6NW4dOhPl1w

Hosts: Lauren LaComb, Coordinator - Healthy Schools / Health, Wellness & Prevention 

Aaron Ragon, Lead Counselor / Personalized Learning Department

Guest: Jon Widmier, Coordinator / Social Emotional & Behavior Services, Littleton Public Schools.   

Produced by The Curriculum Instruction & Professional Growth Department 

Douglas County School District

Our guest this week is Stephen Barkley.   Stephen is Executive Vice President of PLS 3rd Learning.  Stephen is a master teacher of teachers and internationally known to work with School districts to facilitate change.   You can watch the vidcast of this show, here: https://youtu.be/rvow8dLTRdk

QUESTIONS:

Q:  How do we best support teachers and each other during this pandemic?

Q:  How can teachers help students be resilient?

Q:  How do we encourage Reflection amongst our Teachers and Staff?Q:  How does a personalized approach to Learning take place in the virtual classroom?

Q:  Teachers are trying a lot of different strategies to engage students, what advice do you have for engagement and student ownership of learning?

Q:  What is the top piece of advice you would offer teachers (or leaders) this year?

Hosted by Erica Mason Director / Curriculum Instruction & Professional Growth,

Douglas County School District

Laurie and Aaron talk about the scientific and therapeutic benefits of laughter.   Also, Aaron tells a really funny story that will most likely get him in hot water.   You can also watch the vidcast of this episode here:  https://youtu.be/N5Q8e30zMYQ

Hosts:

Lauren LaComb, Coordinator - Healthy Schools / Health, Wellness & Prevention

Aaron Ragon, Lead Counselor / Personalized Learning Department

Produced by The Curriculum Instruction & Professional Growth Department

Douglas County School District

Our guest this week is John Spencer.  John is the best selling author of Empower, Launch, Vintage Innovation, also John has just released and discusses his new book, Empowered at a Distance.   You can also watch the vidcast of this episode here;  https://youtu.be/AIrVRKWI-0Q

QUESTIONS:

Q:  Tell us about your new book, Empowered at a Distance?

Q:  What Strategies do you have for Building Student Ownership and Agency?

Q:  What advice do you have for Building Communities and Online Classrooms?

Q:  What is one thing our teachers can do, to really engage students to impact their learning?

Hosted by Erica Mason:  Director / Curriculum Instruction & Professional Growth

Douglas County School District

During this stressful time of covid and politics, Laurie and Aaron keep it light and each tell one of their favorite life stories.  

Hosts: Lauren LaComb, Coordinator - Healthy Schools / Health, Wellness & Prevention 

Aaron Ragon, Lead Counselor / Personalized Learning Department  

You can also watch the vidcast of this show here:    https://youtu.be/1E_ToPgyQHg

Produced by The Curriculum Instruction & Professional Growth Department, The Douglas County School District

Our guest for our first show of the 2020/2021 school year is Douglas Fisher.  Douglas is a professor at San Diego State University and co-founder of Health Sciences High & Middle College, and the author of numerous books, including "The Distance Learning Playbook".    Our host, Erica Mason, has a heartfelt conversation with Douglas around the ideas and concepts of “The Distance Learning Playbook” and how it applies to our teachers during this pandemic.

You can also watch this Vidcast on our DCSD youtube channel.   https://youtu.be/ynYeAdx80fc

QUESTIONS:

Q. How did you and your team come up with the idea for the “Distance Learning Playbook?

Q: What did you see as you observed classroom teachers progress into distance learning Teachers?

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges of Distance Learning, and what can our teachers learn from your research?

Q: Please talk to us about Compassion Fatigue and Self Care taken from your research from “The Distance Learning Playbook”?

Q: I have a philosophy that this is fundamentally changing education and we’re going to see more distance learning, regardless of the Pandemic.   As educators how do we successfully move into the next phase of Distance Learning?

Q:  What is one thing you could tell our teachers that they need to do, to really engage students to impact their learning?

Erica Mason talks with Alison Smith, Hollie Borrego, Lori Sinclair, Cynthia Berndt and Lisa Knudtson about their transition to remote learning and what they are doing at Stone Mountain to offer support for their students.

QUESTIONS:

Tell me a little bit about each of you and what you like about teaching at Stone Mountain?

How has your approach to teaching changed during remote learning?

How are you finding ways to connect and engage with students when you are not physically with them?

What are some of the highlights or surprises you have experienced during this time?

What are some things you think will change when we transition back to the classroom?

Any final thoughts?