Educational Discussion With Myedexpert Founder Suzy Pepper Rollins

Tips for 1-1 Classrooms A Conversation with Dr. Monica Burns From the time she first opened her magical delivery of tablets for her own classroom, Monica Burns has discovered ways to lift students via technology.  A believer in “Tasks Before Apps,” her thoughtful, realistic approach has a focus of providing more opportunities for learners.  She provides pragmatic suggestions from room arrangements to ways to capture learning to managing student work. Listen for her suggestions on Spark Video and Flip Grid as ways to involve every learner.  This prolific ed tech author/presenter has posted a bundle of Spark Video graphic organizers for the podcast. Thanks, Monica! She’s got a great website and a new online course, so check those out!  • Link to Free Spark Video organizers • Monica’s website • Monica on Twitter  

Let Them Speak!  A Conversation with Rebecca Coda and Dr. Rick Jetter How was your flight? How was the chicken? What can we do differently? It seems like every time we frequent a business, we’re queried…sometimes hounded… for feedback. Why? Businesses have learned that to thrive and improve, they urgently need commentary from their clientele.  But how often do we ask our clients - our students - their opinions about their school experiences?  Rebecca Coda and Dr. Rick Jetter, coauthors of Let Them Speak! How Student Voice Can Transform Your School, are on a mission to change the conversational dynamic in schools.  The authors take us way beyond surveys.  They venture out onto students’ turf and gather vignettes about school experiences.  What they glean from kids is then used to engage the adults in the building to develop solutions and strengthen the school. Join in this inspired conversation that totally shifts the dynamic of the school house!  Seriously fabulous resources these two have posted:  • Rebe

Gifted Students Underachieving? A Conversation with Todd Stanley Is there such a thing as a “struggling” gifted learner? Yes!  A significant number of gifted learners fail to reach their potential.  In fact, 1 in 4 of high school dropouts are typically identified as gifted.  Some are bored.  Others have learned to play the game of school so well that they just punch the clock.  And some students bow to peer pressure and try to appear less intelligent to just fit in.   Join this fascinating conversation with expert/author Todd Stanley as we delve into the habits of underachievement and ways to help these kids reach their potential.  One of the most downloaded resources on our site has been his story, “The Unopened Gift.”  This tool sparks discussion with students about all the excuses kids may have for not utilizing their intellectual gifts.   • Link to Todd’s resources • Todd’s Twitter account • Todd's Website  

From Physics Teacher to Best-Selling Author A Conversation with Mark Cheverton Former physics teacher Mark Cheverton’s novels have been published in 31 countries and 19 languages; in fact, he’s a New York Times best-selling author.  He shares some of his insights about getting students excited about reading and writing. His books are Minecraft novels, and have intriguing titles like Invasion of the Overworld and Bones of Doom. He’s learned that kids often have a fear of writing, because they worry about making mistakes, or being wrong.  What’s he’s learned: when students are experts in a topic, the writing seems to flow…which is why students love to read and write about Minecraft.  The author has created mini-writing lessons for teachers and students – the “science” of writing.  These short, approachable videos feature Mark himself talking about things like character development, sentence structure, and authentic audience.  Listen for how he uses his writing to develop attributes that contribute to success…h

Lessons Learned From a Turnaround Principal A Conversation with Dr. Scott Neil Dr. Scott Neil has a passion for struggling learners…because he was one.  His career morphed into being a top turnaround principal, and he’s uncovered some truths along the way.  A key point of our conversation is this: A high number of students being flagged for interventions may indicate the need to examine our core classroom practices.  His wisdom and pragmatism are refreshing! He takes schools on a journey to better align their curricula.  Scott explains what rigor, a word we may get tired of hearing about, really looks like!  Dr. Neil changes the world one school at a time.  His sage guidance and deep experience provides all us with some valuable take-aways for every school.    • Scott on Twitter • Scott’s Website    

Henry Ford’s Not Hiring Anymore By Suzy Pepper Rollins In 1914, Henry Ford had applicants lined up for good paying jobs building the Model T.  What traits in potential employees were they seeking? Largely, the ability to perform a repetitive, specialized task all day long.  Boy, have things changed!  Companies today are seeking entirely different qualities in candidates:  independent thinking, problem solving, working well in a team, and communication skills.  How do we get there?  The great news is that the student-centered classroom can not only increase student achievement scores, but can also teach critical soft skills, such as leadership, team-work, and problem-solving.  This podcast outlines world-changing steps to take and some reflection about our current instructional frameworks and practices.  PLUS, a short power point accompanies this podcast, so that you can have the research cited…which is interesting stuff!   So, hey, unless a Model T factory is opening up in your town, listen up!  • Link to

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About English Language Learners…But Were Afraid to Ask A Conversation with Beth Skelton Imagine what it would be like to take a physics class or math class in something other than your primary language.  Imagine going to lunch and not be able to understand all the conversations that surround you.  What’s it like to be in their shoes? How can we best support our English Language Learners academically and socially?  Author/Expert Beth Skelton provides illuminating answers, including the stages of language acquisition, the role of the ELL teacher, and guidance on flexible grouping situations for our learners.  Beth has graciously posted the stages of language acquisition & other resources here:  • Beth on MyEdExpert • Beth’s website • Beth on Twitter

Using Stations to Elevate Learning A Conversation with Dr. Katie McKnight Well-crafted learning stations can be a marvelous thing to behold! Our guest, Dr. Katie McKnight, is the perfect expert and author for this conversation!  Learner autonomy, collaborative learning, authentic engagement, leadership skills – these are just a few of the possibilities stations bring.  But there’s even more! We know how easily students’ brains wander through these long school days.  Stations offer novelty, different ways of demonstrating understandings, and choice.  Not crazy about this station – guess what? There’s something new just around the corner!     Katie is incredibly well versed in station teaching and literacy across content areas.  She’s written over 16 books, plus she works nonstop in schools alongside educators…that’s in addition to her vast classroom experience. So, get ready to get your stations going!  • Katie’s great resources and bio on MyEdExpert • Katie’s 2 websites:  https://engaginglearners.com/ and

Top 5 Instructional Habits to Kick: Can We Talk? by Suzy Pepper Rollins Slightly irreverent but good natured in intent, here’s the “Top 5” list of instructional habits we might just want to rethink.  Sure, the brain needs habits; otherwise, it may get overloaded.  But which of these habits are working for our kids…and which should get kicked to the curb?  Here’s the crazy part: we’ve all done these at one time or another…why? Because they are habits!  Suzy has also posted a short power point of these top five, with alternative ideas for these.  So, play along with your own list from your school and listen up! CAUTION: This podcast may gently step on some toes…but it’s meant in fun. Buckle up…or wear sturdy shoes…or both!  For added fun, Suzy has created a power of these five habits with alternatives… mostly pictures. Enjoy! • Link to power point • Suzy’s Twitter  @myedexpert • Suzy's Website    

From Struggling to Successful: The Power of Acceleration A Tale of Hope from Suzy Pepper Rollins For years, the dominant method of support for students with gaps has been remediation, the reteaching of skills missed in past years.  The idea was “If we could just fix these kids and go back and reteach everything they missed, they’d be just fine.” Of course, as they are moving backwards in time, their peers are moving forward.  And then we scratch our heads and ponder how the gaps got bigger… It can feel pretty futile, for learners and educators.   This session is about a different approach, acceleration.  Acceleration is a tactical process in which we prepare students for success.  How? By strategically inserting prior knowledge, vocabulary, and just the prerequisite skills needed for this week…things they will be using right away.  Acceleration gets under the hood of what’s missing for a learner – prior knowledge – which is often listed by researchers as the single most important element to mastering new le

Making Learning Personal A Conversation with Kathleen McClaskey All of our students have stories to tell.  Learning more about our learners’ stories is the focus of our discussion with personalized learning expert Kathleen McClaskey.    What are their challenges? Their interests? Their dreams?  Kathleen shares the benefits of personalized learning and valuable tools of implementation, such as using learning profiles and gathering student voice.  Look for critical connections between Universal Design for Learning and personalized learning.  Kathleen brings next-day ideas to making learning personal.  Because, after all, it’s their learning, right?  Kathleen has graciously shared 2 urgently resourceful documents: One clarifies the differences between personalization, differentiation and individualization.  The other is stages of personalization.  Must haves and free downloads! Kathleen’s personal definition she uses in the podcast: “Personalized learning is not what is done to the learner or about tailoring

Got Game? How Playing Games Can Change School Culture A Conversation with Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor  It’s all good news in this session with two guests who conduct workshops in building positive connections and leadership skills via games and service.  Got Game? You will after this podcast! Guests Ann and Susan call it “Playing with Purpose.” They use games to start conversations, tackle awkward issues, build trust, and even boost brain energy! Susan and Ann are change agents who see the possibilities in all students, teachers, and leaders.  They also reach beyond school walls and help create service learning projects.  Look for their wonderful attitude about changing negative student leaders into positive role models.   Got a story you’d like to share with them?  They are working on a new project and would love to hear from you. What difference makers these authors and presenters are!  • Their free service learning ebook & “Group Games Dice” • Write Creations on Facebook • Susan’s Contact:  Susan@wr

Keeping Kids Curious A Conversation with Gerald Aungst As students get older, they tend to ask less questions and are less likely to take learning risks.  Are they inherently less curious…or does curiosity fall victim to learning targets and pacing guides?  Guest Gerald Aungst shares fascinating research and insights into amplifying learners’ sense of wonderment.  This “Curiosity Engineer” is so enlightening in blending new research with pragmatic next-day steps to encourage curiosity in all learners.  So interesting to hear the difference between curiosity and engagement, and the five factors of curiosity.  In addition, he discusses the connection between the engineering design process, the maker movement, and PBL and curiosity.  This is a session you’ll want to take notes on!  Curious about Curiosity? Listen up!  • Gerald’s Bio and Curiously Cool Resources on MyEdExpert • Gerald’s website • Twitter for Gerald:  @GeraldAungst    

What’s This Got to Do With ME? Good Question! A Conversation with Denis Sheeran All day long, more stuff just keeps coming at kids. Slope in one class, inertia in another, and someone killed a mockingbird in yet another. What in the world does any of this have to do with ANYTHING? Guest Denis Sheeran inspires us to discover those answers.  And guess what? Relevance is all around us.  From food shows to commercials to just about everywhere, this highly engaging author captivates learners to look around and see how relevant what we are learning in school today really is.   • Denis’s space on MyEdExpert & his fab Pi Day Bundle • Denis is big on Twitter! @MathDenisNJ • Denis’s contact: denis@denissheeran.com  • Instant Relevance Book Hack Learning book: https://amzn.to/2q6RGm3

Full STEAM Ahead: What Would Leonardo daVinci Do? A Conversation with STEM Author Carolyn DeCristofano Wow – there’s a LOT going on in science education right now.  Next Generation Science Standards and new state standards can bring challenges, but also opportunities for wonderment and creativity.  The insightful and talented STEM author/consultant Carolyn DeCristofano makes this feel so DOABLE.  Carolyn herself used to think, “Hey, what’s art got to do with science?” Her mentor (and the subject of one of her books) for the “A” in STEAM? Leonardo daVinci.  Carolyn is simply masterful in her implantation of “cross-cutting content,” central to new standards.  The author of numerous STEM books, watch for the upcoming release of her new one, Running on Sunshine How Does Solar Energy Work?  • Carolyn has shared many open resources on our site: https://myedexpert.com/vendor/bhstemed/ • Her website: http://bhstemed.us/ • Carolyn also mentions “STEM Tuesday”

Our Students’ Brains:  Google Between Their Ears? A Conversation with Laurel Schmidt “Let’s be curious together” is the approach this inquiry-based learning expert embraces.  Early in her teaching career, she realized that the weight of pacing guides – what she was expected to “cover” - was daunting.  This realization led her to the understanding that the most valuable thing that she could teach students was HOW to think.  The session begins with fascinating insights on the “caveman” brain and how we can use this knowledge to nurture deep, analytical thinkers.  Look for the tidbit on exactly how long educators can endure silence or wait time – wow! Also, the unintended role of the “designated learner,” the one or two students who answer most of the questions.  This is a session that is so inspired that educators can walk into class with new perspectives – armed with open-ended questions. • Laurel’s website:  www.artandinquiry.com Laurel has graciously posted an entire chapter on the inquiry approach to tea

Better Days at School: Can Mindfulness Help? A conversation with Daniel Rechtschaffen  School can be a stressful whirlwind of activity.  For teachers, rushing to get to meetings, worry about test scores, getting lessons ready and grades entered.  And that’s just us…What about students?  Trying to pay attention all day, complete tasks, and follow rules.  What if we all just paused for a few seconds?  Crazy, right?  Mindfulness expert/author/therapist Daniel Rechtschaffen discusses what mindfulness is and how it just might benefit teachers and students.  For students, evidence suggests a decline in office referrals and perhaps an increase in test scores.  This session will get you started on how pushing the pause button for a moment and welcoming students back into the present can bring better days at school. Daniel’s website:  mindfuleducation.com. Bio here at MyEdExpert: djrechtschaffen. His books are from Norton Publishing.  

Average to Awesome: Transforming Classroom Experiences A Conversation with Monica Genta Monica Genta almost left the profession, largely due to the weight of all the “stuff.”  Thank goodness she didn’t!  A middle school teacher, a motivator, and an author, her passion lies in creating “adventures in learning.” From her “quack attack” to her “pitch pipe” responder, she’s always tweaking her methods to find things that work. A believer in celebrating “little nuggets of awesome” every day, her teaching journal developed into one of her books.  Every educator will be motivated to see the world through Monica’s eyes…and mindset! Monica’s website:  www.monicagenta.com.  Monica’s downloads on MyEdExpert.

Tasks Before Apps A Conversation with Dr. Monica Burns A leading expert on maximizing the power of digital tools in the classroom, Dr. Monica Burns’ focus is on the strategic use of digital tools to reach learning targets. She has a masterful knowledge of just about every class tech tool out there but maintains her sharp focus on keeping learning front and center.  Monica presents a compelling case for “quality versus quantity” in our use of technology rather than “screen time” or going “paperless.”  Look for her approach to leveling the playing field for all students via digital tools. She also discusses some new digital tools you may love, such as virtual reality! Dr. Monica Burns site:  www.classtechtips.com  She has books from both ASCD and Corwin, and a couple of nice open downloads on MyEdExpert here.

The Inclusion Classroom:  Do’s, Don’ts, and Do Betters A Conversation with Toby Karten The co-taught classroom can be a wonderful professional experience and impactful for learners, but it can also bring challenges.  Special education expert and author Toby Karten provides sage wisdom as she offers five pragmatic do’s to support this collaborative model.  From positive mindset to shared responsibilities to the role of leaders, Toby’s pragmatic guidance will enhance our teaching partnerships so that all students can be best served…and help us avoid some classroom tug-of-wars.  Listen with your teaching partner! Toby Karten has posted parts of her Solution Tree book Navigating the Core Curriculum on MyEdExpert.  In addition, links to her books by ASCD and Corwin can all be found here. Toby’s very informative website:  http://www.inclusionworkshops.com/