The Good Life EDU Podcast

As the saying goes, no significant learning occurs without a significant relationship, and finding ways to foster and maintain those relationships may prove to be more challenging than ever this fall as more and more learning moves online. In this episode, Kindergarten teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator Dustin Carlson and high school ELA teacher Melissa Pilakowski share their ideas for how we might stay connected with our learners during a hybrid and/or remote learning setting.

Catlin Tucker is a bestselling author, international trainer, and a keynote speaker who is at the forefront of the blended learning movement. In this episode, Catlin shares her perspective and ideas for how educators can enhance their effectiveness when teaching remotely, so join us for a conversation full of useful insights and great ideas for how to take the next step forward in your remote teaching practices.

What a fun conversation this was with ESU 2's Kelly Georgius. Kelly also serves as the current math cadre leader for our ESUs statewide, and so in this episode she shares her philosophy on math along with some resources and strategies that educators should look into for both at-school and remote learning.

In mid-March, while schools were closing and the country was shutting down, Dr. Hunter Flodman, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Jan tenBensel, chair of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, were just getting started with their plan to help create what became 200,000 gallons of hand sanitizer for essential institutions across the state. In this episode, Dr. Flodman and the ESUCC's own Craig Peterson tell this incredible story of statewide collaboration in an effort that truly showcases the type of hard work, determination, and selflessness that typifies what it means to be a Nebraskan. This pod is a must listen, and on behalf of the ESUCC and educators everywhere, we certainly want to express our appreciation to everyone involved with bringing this effort to fruition.

In mid-March, while schools were closing and the country was shutting down, Dr. Hunter Flodman, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Jan tenBensel, chair of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, were just getting started with their plan to help create what became 200,000 gallons of hand sanitizer for essential institutions across the state. In this episode, Dr. Flodman and the ESUCC's own Craig Peterson tell this incredible story of statewide collaboration in an effort that truly showcases the type of hard work, determination, and selflessness that typifies what it means to be a Nebraskan. This pod is a must listen, and on behalf of the ESUCC and educators everywhere, we certainly want to express our appreciation to everyone involved with bringing this effort to fruition.

This week's pod features two of ESU 7's finest, administrator Larianne Polk and profession development director Marci Ostmeyer, for an episode that details how our ESUs collaborate with the districts in their region towards developing strategic, data-driven plans for the services they provide/utilize and implement. Their collaboration follows the SIMPL program (Service Implementation Matrix Process & Log), which ESU 7 developed.

This week, we welcome Dr. Robert Dillon to the pod for a practical conversation on how educators might think through designing our classroom spaces given the social distancing measures that have come with the pandemic. We also take time to discuss ideas for supporting learners in a remote setting. Listeners will leave this conversation with several new ideas to consider implementing within their learning environment that will help make the space more conducive to optimizing student learning.

In this week's episode, Tara M Martin reminds us to be "R.E.A.L." as educators, even in a remote setting, by putting our relationships first. We discuss the need for and applicability of this message across all levels of our educational system, particularly in the present moment, so join us as we discuss strategies such as humble inquiry, #Booksnaps, being the mirror holder, and more. You can access many of the coaching resources Tara mentions in the pod, including her #Booksnaps idea, by accessing her blog at http://www.tarammartin.com/

In this episode, games in learning guru Paul Darvasi joins the show to chat about the concept of utilizing games to enhance the learning experience for students. This pod covers everything from terminology to alternate reality games to video games as texts to the potential role of games and gamification in a remote setting. You can follow Paul on Twitter at @PaulDarvasi or read about The Ward Game on his blog at http://www.ludiclearning.org/. For more on utilizing video games as a central text of a unit, check out iThrive Games' Museum of Me curriculum over the video game "What Remains of Edith Finch" at https://ithrivegames.org/

The Good Life EDU podcast is proud to bring you this episode with educator Lisa Hermann who has found a number of ways to be innovative and build/maintain positive and supportive relationships with her students despite the challenges she has faced teaching remotely. In this episode, Lisa shares about tools such as Seesaw and Zoom and how she used her new tech savvy to create innovative learning experiences for her students.

In a time when new tech tools are being shared and implemented at a record rate, are educators taking the time to pause and put their student's data privacy first? In this episode, ESU 3's own Bill Pulte and Robbie Jensen share their knowledge and insights on student data privacy laws and what teachers, tech leaders, and administrators can do to ensure that their student's data stays safe. If you want to learn more from Bill and Robbie, they will both be presenting at the FUTURE READY NEBRASKA CONFERENCE on June 15 & 16, 2020. This online learning opportunity is free, just be sure to register ahead of time at bit.ly/FRNebraska

In this episode, ESU 5's Nick Ziegler and Eileen Barks from ESU 2 share the work that they have done in collaboration with ESUs from across the state in developing remote learning supports for teachers. This pod delves into the thinking that can potentially drive a remote learning plan, and throughout that discussion, Nick and Eileen reference tolls, tips, tricks, video, resources, and more as a way to equip educators with the tools they need to be successful in this remote learning space. To learn more about the Digital Age Pedagogy's Remote Learning Plan, be sure to check out Nick and Eileen's presentation at the Future Ready Nebraska Conference on June 15th and 16th. It's a virtual conference, it's free to register, and don't miss their session from 10:00-10:45am on 6/15/20. Register for the FUTURE READY CONFERENCE at http://bit.ly/FRNebraska For more on the Digital Age Pedagogy initiative, check out the resources available at http://bit.ly/ESUDAP

This episode is the first of the three shows this week that feature speakers presenting at the Future Ready Nebraska Conference on the mornings of June 15th and 16th. This pod takes us to the Nebraska panhandle for a conversation with ESU 13's own Julie Downing. Julie shares her personal experience with seeking out self-care strategies as a reminder to all educators that they too should be mindful of their own mental health and well-being during these trying times. If you enjoy the episode and want to hear Julie's Future Ready presentation, she will be presenting from 10:50am to 11:15am on June 15th. Just be sure to visit bit.ly/FRNebraska ahead of time to register for this free virtual event.

Andi McNair is an innovative educator and thought leader who that also authored several books on the topic of passion projects and student-centered learning experiences. In this episode, Andi and I discuss remote learning, and she shares her perspective on how we might think about engaging learnings, designing learning experiences, and empowering our students in a remote setting. We hope you enjoy this Nebraska/Texas ESU collaborative conversation!

In this episode, Hannah reflects back on her experiences with remote learning this spring, and we explore what it might look like to grow in those spaces over the summer in preparation any similar experiences in the fall.

In this episode, Katie and I discuss the current state of remote learning and also look to what it all might mean when we return to school in the fall. This pod shares insights, great ideas, tech tool recommendations, and the story of one teacher's efforts to leverage technology as a way to bring both a sense of closure and comfort to her students in these troubling times.

For this first episode of our show, Otis Pierce joins me as we discuss the state of remote learning and ideas for ways in which the Nebraska ESUs can help districts, buildings, and teachers during these unprecedented times.