When we ensure that we always err on the side of positive, we can help make someone's day better, or possibly save them. I have been blessed to have people like Mary Jane Burke in my life who have taught me the value of doing something kind and how it can make even the worst situations better.

In this episode of the podcast, George Couros shares about the moment he learned his dad passed away and the small acts of kindness that helped him get home, why it matters, and how it has shaped his thinking to always err on the side of the positive.

I am happy to share with you the introductory chapter of my latest book, "Innovate Inside the Box" co-written with Katie Novak. If you are interested in getting the book in any format, you can purchase it at tiny.cc/IITB

I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to share it with others!

Do we focus on what our students can do with social media, or what they shouldn't do? Are we setting the bar high, or lowering our expectations?

In this awesome conversation with educator and author of "Social Leadia," Jennifer Casa-Todd shares great strategies in working with students and parents on how we can empower kids to use social media to make a positive difference in the world. You can check out more of Jennifer's work in the links below:

Links:

Social Leadia on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Social-LEADia-Students-Citizenship-Leadership/dp/1946444111

Digital Citizenship Summit - https://www.facebook.com/digcitsummit/

#GlobalEDSsChat - https://twitter.com/globaledsschat?lang=en

#StayInPlayIn - https://twitter.com/hashtag/stayinplayin?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag

Digital Citizenship Education in Saskatchewan Schools - https://pubsaskdev.blob.core.windows.net/pubsask-prod/83322/83322-DC_Guide_-_ENGLISH_2.pdf

The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning - https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning

J Casa-Todd Blog - https://jcasatodd.com/

J Casa- Todd Parenting Page - https://jcasatodd.com/parenting/

Digital Citizenship Meetup - https://digcit.ca/

J Casa-Todd on Twitter - https://twitter.com/JCasaTodd?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Social Distancing Trivia - https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZXG-phR_n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Jennifer Casa-Todd YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCniHcSC9-nPuWKEXh1gh3ZQ

Right now, my days are tough and like everyone, I am having my struggles. What am I focusing on to get through each day? Relationships, finding the good in each situation, and how I am growing as a learner.

What is helping you most? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Please share your thoughts with us on Twitter or Instagram at #InnovatorsMindset.

More at georgecouros.ca

George Couros on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gcouros

George Couros on Instagram: https://instagram.com/gcouros

For the full podcast: https://linktr.ee/gcouros

The Innovator's Mindset:https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Mindset-Empower-Learning-Creativity/dp/0986155497/ref=zg_bs_69830_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ARY8KZTA242NVFMHF9X0

Innovate Inside the Box: https://www.amazon.com/Innovate-Inside-Box-Empowering-Innovators/dp/1948334127/ref=zg_bs_69830_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=75E0ZS6R2J330FAM9Y0A

How do we ensure people feel valued and appreciated while also ensuring that we can challenge them to grow? How do we work within constraints to ensure that we create equity of every opportunity for all children to be successful at the highest levels? What do we learn from our students who struggle with school and why is it so valuable to give them a platform of what did and didn't work in their experience?

I will discuss all of these questions with Deidre Roemer, an educator, administrator, and one of the most future-focused leaders that has an incredible ability to bring a powerful vision to fruition.

You can connect with Deidre on Twitter at https://twitter.com/deidre_roemer or check out her blog at https://leveragepoints.home.blog/

Not only have educators been inundated with information on COVID-19, but they have had to retool, refocus, and rethink completely how they are going to connect with and teach their students. A lot is going on in our world right now, and my first instinct is that we need to slow down and focus on what is most important at this moment.

That being said, I wanted to provide some ideas on what really matters in learning and the core of education. We have to consider two things:

One is that you can’t just move “face-to-face” learning to online spaces.

The second consideration is that although our “teaching” may not look the same, the principles and focus on what is essential, should stay consistent.

In this podcast, I hope to share some ideas and thoughts on each "core" principle and why it matters more than ever.

How do we empower the voice of others, both students and adults? How do we ensure that we are not held back by others and sometimes ourselves? How do we ensure that we do not hold back others?

In this conversation with the amazing entrepreneur, speaker, and educator, Jam Gamble, we address all of these questions and talk about the importance of slowing down and appreciating each other and the opportunities we have with family.

You can connect with Jam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Iamjamgamble or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/iamjamgamble/.

In September of 2018, I wrote the post "10 Core Values for Education" based on the "Core Values" of the online shoe company, Zappos.  

In this podcast, George Couros will share something he did that was more focused on following the rules rather than doing what was right for my students, and how creating and discussing our "core values" as a school or district can put us in the position to do what is right by the standards of our "policies," but more importantly, what is right by the students and staff we serve. 

I would love to hear your thoughts so please share with me to Instagram or Twitter at @gcouros or to the #InnovatorsMindset podcast.

What matters in education right now? Why is connection so important in our schools? Why is no one upset about the lack of "state tests" for schools?

I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friends, Jimmy Casas, today to get his thoughts on what REALLY matters in education right now and his best advice for educators. We also discuss family, his new book, "Live Your Excellence", and some encouragement for those who want to start blogging.

You might be ready to lead, but are people ready to follow? "Leadership" is not something that is only reserved for the few, but can be something we all do to move people forward in a positive direction.

In this podcast, George Couros discusses some questions on leadership to think about in the context of your own work, and a few examples of how that has been done in other spaces.

I would love to hear your thoughts and you can connect with me on Instagram or Twitter at @gcouros.