LinkedUp: Breaking Boundaries in Education

You may not realize it, but biases exist without our even knowing it. We unconsciously form opinions about other people based on factors like race, location, name, and more.

In this episode, Dr. Alan Phan highlights the importance of understanding that it takes time to unlearn biases and that empathy plays a significant role in the process. He discusses his ground-breaking research around biases in the workplace and the challenges that exist in getting hired. Phan also teaches the listener how to recognize biases and gives tips on how to overcome them to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and the world.

Educators of color and LGBTQIA+ educators can find additional resources, as well as recruitment and mentorship opportunities at thediversityfair.org.

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ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Alan Phan brings a well-developed perspective due to his vastly international experiences both learning and teaching all over the globe. He holds several degrees and certificates including a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of California at Irvine, and a doctorate at the University of Bath, England where he did his doctoral dissertation research on gender and ethnicity of leadership in international schools. He has also held leadership roles in schools in India, Spain, England, Mexico, and Belgium.

Phan is currently the Founding Head of School at Royal Embassy Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and also leads workshops and trainings on identity, microaggressions, and implicit bias.

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POWERED BY CLASSLINK: ClassLink provides one-click single sign-on into web and Windows applications, and instant access to files at school and in the cloud. Accessible from any computer, tablet, or smartphone, ClassLink is ideal for 1to1 and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives. Learn more at classlink.com.

Beekeeping, gardening, and providing food for the community; what do all of these activities have in common? They’re all examples of Project Based Learning (PBL), an instructional best practice for many school districts including West Allis-West Milwaukee.

In this episode, Director of Leadership and Learning, Dr. Diedre Roemer discusses how her district has found success using Project Based Learning. The method follows her philosophy on education: students should be curious, feel empowered, and be prepared for life after school. Two high school students also join in the conversation and give PBL a ringing endorsement of 10 out of 10!

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Dr. Deidre Roemer has served students of all ages as a Coordinator of Special Education, an instructional coach, and a classroom teacher for twelve years. Her career has taken her all across the United States from Illinois to Hawaii and beyond! Currently, Roemer serves as the Director of Leadership and Learning for the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, a role she’s held for the last five years. She also coaches teachers and leaders as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on student development and growth. You can connect with Deidre on Twitter at @deidre_roemer or follow her blog at leveragepoints.home.blog.

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POWERED BY CLASSLINK: ClassLink provides one-click single sign-on into web and Windows applications, and instant access to files at school and in the cloud. Accessible from any computer, tablet, or smartphone, ClassLink is ideal for 1to1 and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives. Learn more at classlink.com.

Description:  Many schools are back in session and no longer in a remote environment, yet many educators are saying that this is the toughest year yet.  Why is this school year even tougher than the previous two school years?  During this enlightening podcast, our guest, Tom Ryan sheds light on the myriad of issues that makes this year tough.  Tom also discusses what we can do to move education forward in a positive way.     About our guest:  Tom Ryan Ph.D. is co-founder of K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group (K12STAG), which is led by public school chief information officers who understand the challenges school leaders face.  He is an education professional with 40+ years of K-12 experience and expertise in teaching, leadership, technology, technology integration and blended/online learning program development. He works with school leadership on strategic planning and leadership, designing digital learning environments, technology infrastructure reviews, and the shift to digital tools.  Dr. Ryan has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction.  He was served as a CIO (16 years), as well as a high school principal and teacher for districts in New Mexico. He has proven leadership and experience leading teams of 100+ employees and administering multi-million dollar budgets and projects.  Dr. Ryan has designed and implemented innovative online and blended school models at both the state and district level.  He is engaged in leadership activities in several state and national organizations including Chairmen of the Board for the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN).  He also is active in iNACOL, ISTE, and the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS).  Work with the CGCS includes: large school district IT reviews of infrastructure, strategic planning, instructional technology, and digital transformation efforts.  He also helps coordinate of the Councils annual CIO conferences.  Dr. Ryan is a Senior Fellow for the Center of Digital Education and presents at several International, national, and state conferences throughout the year.

Effective communication has been a concern for school districts for many decades.  It is compounded by today’s communication tools such as texting, email, voicemail and Zoom.  Educators are asking how often to communicate, how can we be empathetic in our messages, and how do we ensure our messages are seen.  LinkedUp Podcast guests Miriam Altman-Reyes and Eric Daniels of Kinvolved help listeners find the communication balance needed for powerful education.

About our guests:

Miriam started her career in education as an NYC DOE high school educator. Her front-line experiences working with students and families in the classroom inspired her to co-found Kinvolved, a certified Benefit Corporation elevating equitable K-12 student and family engagement in school. As Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Miriam’s responsibilities include overall strategic development and execution, fundraising, revenue generation, growth, impact, board management, and more.  Miriam is a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation entrepreneur, a two-time Fellow at Columbia University, an Education Pioneers and Teach For America alumna, and has been named as an NYU Changemaker, a Top 100 Influencer in EdTech, and on Forbes’ list of 30 Under 30. She earned an MPA from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU, where she has also taught, an MA, Ed. from Lehman College, and a BA with Honors from Brown University, where she has been a Women's LaunchPad Mentor since 2014.

Eric -With nearly a decade of experience in ed-tech, Eric is responsible for developing new District Partnerships.  As a father of 2 children in the public school system, and having served as a member of the Nutley School District's pandemic task force, Eric knows how important attendance is. He also understands the trouble that comes as a result of chronic absenteeism, for the student, family, and school.  Before joining Kinvolved last year, Eric served as Director of Sales Operations for The RTM Business Group for nearly 7 years. While there, he built a tremendous network of solution providers and senior level District Leaders, helping them connect and develop meaningful partnerships. When not at work, Eric enjoys spending time with his family (Wife Jennie, 13 year old daughter, 10 year old son, and a Chocolate Lab),  He also enjoys most sports (watching & Playing), has a large sports card & Memorabilia collection, and hosts a channel on YouTube focused on Card Collecting (Called "Searching for Hits w/Eric")

COSN CEO, Keith Kruger, and cybersecurity expert, Amy McLaughlin, discuss cybersecurity. McLaughlin suggests cyber security should not be the work of the school district’s  IT Department only, it  is the work of the entire school district and part of the culture.  Kruger and McLaughlin discuss why school districts are at risk for cyber security attacks, followed by specific steps districts and individuals can take to protect their information and data. This podcast is full of valuable information to better understand the need for cybersecurity in school districts and specific steps IT Departments can take to better protect data and information.

For more information visit www.COSN.org

About our guests:

Keith has a global reputation as a key thought leader and has organized senior level U.S. delegations to visit Australia, Asia, Europe and South America to examine best practice in ICT in education. Keith R. Krueger is CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a nonprofit organization that serves as the voice of K-12 school system technology leaders in North America.  CoSN’s mission is empowering educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments. He was selected by Ed Tech magazine for it’s 2021 K-12 IT influencers.  In 2016 Technology & Learning selected him as one of the “big 10” most influential people in ed tech, and the Center for Digital Education identified him as a Top 30 Technologist/Transformer/Trailblazer.  In 2008 he was selected by eSchool News as one of ten people who have had a profound impact on educational technology over the last decade.  In 2016 he received a Special Recognition award from the Council of Great City Schools. He is the current Chair of the Learning First Alliance and is on the Executive Committee of the National Coalition on Technology in Education & Training (NCTET).  He serves on many Advisory Boards including the Friday Institute at NC State University, the Public Policy Advisory Council for the American Library Association, Ed Tech Digest, as well as previously the Education Committee of the National Park System.  He is principal investigator of the Driving K-12 Innovation series.

An experienced information technology and information security professional, Amy has over twenty years’ experience building, implementing, and securing information systems, including 10 years in K-12 and higher education. As a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), she has been responsible for protecting data covered by a broad range of federal and state regulations including HIPAA, FERPA, IRS 1075, and the Oregon Identity Theft Protection Act. She holds a Master of Science in Information Technology Management and a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. Amy currently serves as CoSN’s Subject Matter Expert for Cybersecurity and Networking, and as the Executive Director of Technical & Solutions Architecture for Oregon State University.

Kasey Bell, the founder of Shake Up Learning talks with Jerri and Jamie about the 5 shifts we need in education now: 1. View this crisis as an opportunity 2. Stop trying to replicate traditional school day online 3. Recognize that every student doesn’t have to do the same thing at the exact same time. 4. Recognize that seat time does not equal learning and 5. Let go of the lock-down mindset.  Kasey talks about these changes and more in this lively podcast.

About our guest:

Kasey Bell is a former middle school teacher turned award-winning digital learning coach, international speaker, author, blogger, and podcaster with a Texas-sized passion for technology and learning.

She is part sparkling smile, part witty personality and a whole heap of passion as big as a Texas–go big or go home, y’all!

She is a disruptor of the boring. An engaging, innovative, from the heart sharer who inspires educators while transforming their teaching with original, timely, and use-tomorrow ideas for student choice, differentiation, and technology integration.

Whether it is learning from home through online courses, professional development, conference workshops, or as a keynote speaker Kasey is a relentless innovator of ideas and a devoted transformer of classrooms and teaching.

Through teacher empowering publications and award-winning educational resources at ShakeUpLearning.com, learner-driven workshops and presentations, and hosting two weekly podcasts, Kasey proves why we should never settle for the boring when it comes to bringing out the very best in our students, and we should always strive to Shake Up Learning!

·  Host of The Shake Up Learning Show Podcast

·  Author of Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic, named one of the “Best Learning Books of All Time,” by Book Authority.

·  Co-host of The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

·  Author of Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic

·  Google Certified Innovator

·  Google Certified Trainer

·  Digital Innovation in Learning Award Winner in “Sharing is Caring”

·  One of 20 TrustED Educational Thought Leaders

·  Award-winning blogger and social media influencer

The award-winning Shake Up Learning website and blog provide teachers with practical resources for using technology in the classroom, including how to use Google Classroom, Google for Education, and other Google tools, as well as many other blended learning and technology integration resources. Here you will find free technology tips and tricks, free downloads and templates, in-depth online courses, books, lesson plans, and lesson ideas, cheat sheets, blog publications, and podcasts.

Productivity can be daunting and difficult with the many  distractions available to people via technology. Lisa Johnson has found a way to make doing the work more productive and creative. In this podcast,  Lisa Johnson aka Tech Chef4u, shares tips and ideas to make the daily work adults and students do full of choice, creativity, and fun.  Lisa has a plethora of ideas and resources  on her website :  https://techchef4u.com/.

About our guest:

Lisa Johnson (better known as TechChef4u) has 20+ years of edu experience ranging from teaching HS English & MS Math to international curriculum development, creating and presenting workshops, and even running technology integration camps across the state. She holds a Master's Degree in Curriculum, Instruction, & Tech and previously served as an Educational Technologist for Eanes ISD supporting their K-12 1:1 iPad initiative.

How can we support LGBTQ students in school?

What can educators do to become allies for our LGBTQ students? How does supporting LGBTQ students ultimately support all learners? These are some of the tough questions school districts are grappling with. Some school districts have said the community is not ready to take on these issues, but “our students are not waiting. Each time we fail to support students, it reaffirms to many students the idea that school is not a welcoming environment,” says our guest, Holden Kraus.  He is veteran educator and a proud LGBTQ leader. This podcast  addresses these challenging issues and provides insight to the LGBTQ community through the research results and studies conducted by  the Gay Lesbian Straight Alliance statistics.  In the podcast, Kraus  provides many ideas and resources to help educators on this journey.

About our guest:

After teaching 8th-grade math for nine years, Holden Kraus is now a Technology Facilitator for Kansas City Public Schools.  Kraus is a certified facilitator for GLSEN, a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to ensure that every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.     His activism began in college with a campus organization and has grown to include sponsoring a middle school Sexuality and Gender Awareness and Acceptance Club. Holden performs with Heartland Men's Chorus, Kansas City's largest and highest profile gay organization and one of the most recognized arts organizations in the Midwest. Currently, he is a doctoral student and plans to complete his dissertation on LGBTQ studies in education.

https://www.glsen.org/

After the remote learning experience of 2020 and 2021, and the beginning of students returning to “in person” learning, people are wondering what the “new normal” will look like for education.  This podcast focuses the on two educational leaders from the Education Research and Development Institute (ERDI), Jennifer Ferrari and Kimberly Markus.   Their robust discussion is focused on the state of the education industry.  Ferrari and Markus discuss the work  ERDI is doing to bring industry partners and educators together, provide insight into the research on the horizon, and share their personal experiences in the educational arena.

About our guests:

Kimberly Harrington Markus.

Kimberley Harrington Markus, former New Jersey Commissioner of Education and recently retired from 30 years in public education, currently serves as the Chief Education Officer for the Education Research and Development Institute.

Jennifer Ferrari.

Jennifer Ferrari is a learning leader focused on ensuring bright futures for all students through research and development efforts that promote high quality public education. She is committed to supporting deep, meaningful learning for students and adults alike.  As the CEO and President of the Education Research and Development Institute,  she  supports professional growth and development through collaborative learning and feedback. Jennifer specializes in strategic planning, leadership development, dual language education, personalized learning, and curriculum, and creating conditions for inspired design with ed leaders and innovators.

Dr. Janet Gullickson,President of Germanna Community College, Locust Grove, VA, discusses the innovative disruptions that have happened in higher education.  Germana is not only talking the talk, they are walking the walk and ensuring students are at the center of all education. Dr. GUllickson is a pioneer in leading change and Germana is making a positive change in the lives of their students.  This podcast highlights the disruptive changes occuring in her college. About Janet Gullickson: Dr. Gullickson became Germanna's first female president four years ago.  She had previously held presidencies in Colorado and Washington state.  Janet earned her doctorate  from University of Minnesota.  https://www.germanna.edu/blackmindsmatter/