Teaching Learning Leading K-12

  Dennis A. Feece - Of Towers & Shadows (A T.B. Stone Mystery). This is episode 708 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dennis A. Feece may not sound like your typical novelist who crafted a murder mystery, but he calls upon a variety of experiences, hobbies, and schooling to create the realism in his newest book, “Of Towers & Shadows: a T.B. Stone Mystery” For three decades, he engaged in a career of book manufacturing, serving from frontline supervisor to vice president of operations. He worked for several companies, including Bertelsmann, Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing, and RR Donnelley. He then became a Pastoral Associate at a local church, serving for several years. Feece earned a B.S. majoring in Psychology and minoring in Religious Studies from College Misericordia in PA. He earned an MA in Theology from University of Scranton in PA. Born and raised in Plymouth, Indiana, he has also lived in CT, NH and now resides in Montrose, PA. He enjoys weightlifting, writing, and exploring

Jerry Kolber: Making Learning Fun on the Podcast - Who Smarted? This is episode 707 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Jerry Kolber is an Emmy-nominated producer who harnesses the power of storytelling and podcasting to educate and inspire. With over 20 million downloads across his shows, Jerry has a proven track record of creating engaging, educational content for all ages. His hit series "Brain Games" on National Geographic and "Who Smarted?" and "Mysteries about True Histories" podcasts demonstrate his unique ability to make learning fun and accessible. Jerry also shares his expertise with people looking to start their own podcasts, teaching them how to use podcasting as a powerful tool for education and engagement. Jerry is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible to shape the future of learning in the digital age. I love this podcast! Fun and funny! Making learning science and history a blast! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not rea

Greg Hudnall - Hope Squad: Working to Spread Hope and Prevent Suicide. This is episode 706 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Greg Hudnall is the current Chief Executive Officer of Hope Squad, Inc. He has a dual Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from BYU. He received his MBA from Indiana University and now currently resides in Cincinnati, OH. He spent a decade in corporate America at The Kroger Co. and Johnson & Johnson in process improvement, marketing, and sales roles. Greg firmly believes that good personal mental health habits, active listening, and reaching out to trusted peers have the ability to save lives. His personality type is ISTJ or logistician. His 5 StrengthsFinder results are Deliberative, Input, Restorative, Learner, and Discipline. When he’s not at work he enjoys hiking, exercise, and reading. Fun facts: he’s climbed 14 of Colorado’s 58 fourteeners. He’s been to 5 continents and lived in 4 different countries. His next bucket l

Rolanda Baldwin - UnboundEd: Helping Students Learn Math. This is episode 705 of Teaching Learning Leading K12. Rolanda Baldwin has worked in mathematics education for nearly 2 decades as a middle and high school math teacher, a math instructional coach, and a math curriculum coordinator at Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. She began her career at UnboundEd as a math specialist before transitioning to the math director role. As Vice President of Mathematics, Rolanda coordinates development across all UnboundEd math programs. Rolanda also contributes to organizational strategy, cross-functional workstreams, and external partnerships. She is passionate about everyone being a “math person” and is committed to influencing the systems and structures to support educators in providing grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful math instruction. Our focus is UnboundEd and working with students and mathematics. Great conversation! So much to learn! Before you go... You could help support this podcast

Dr. Michael Grayson: Helping People with Financial Literacy and Navigating the Credit System. This is episode 704 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Michael Grayson is a credit expert and advocate with extensive experience in credit repair and financial literacy. He has dedicated his career to helping people and businesses navigate complexities of the credit system. Dr. Grayson is known for his tireless advocacy for consumer rights and his efforts to expose and rectify injustices within the credit reporting industry. So much to learn. So much to think about. Great conversation! Connect and Learn More: https://www.cdmicredit.org/about-us https://x.com/CdmiCredit https://www.instagram.com/cdmicredit/ https://www.facebook.com/CreditDebtManagementInstitute?_rdc=2&_rdr https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdmicredit-org/about/ Length - 41:40

Alison Smith - Resilience Coach & CEO and Founder of The Thrive Designer. This is episode 703 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Alison Smith (she/her) is an author, speaker, and coach. As an expert on burnout and how cultivating our resilience impacts our personal and professional lives, she speaks nationally to help audiences harness the power of small acts of resilience so they can design thriving lives.  Alison is the CEO and Founder of The Thrive Designer. She is a certified ICF Professional Certified Coach. She has coached hundreds of highly motivated yet highly burnt-out clients from CEOs, leaders, teachers, entrepreneurs, and mothers, to name a few. Her work has been featured in a variety of publications, and her book, Drawing Your Line: Setting Boundaries Step by Step has been a companion to many as they live life on healthier terms. Our focus will be The Thrive Designer. Be prepared to be wowed! Awesome conversation! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buyi

Michael Lopez. PhD - ClassWallet: Managing Purchasing and Reimbursement Processes. This is episode 702 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Michael López, Ph.D. is ClassWallet’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives in Early Child Care. With an impressive track record spanning over 30 years, Mike brings a wealth of experience in applied policy-relevant research, particularly in the areas of early care and education and equity at the national, state, and local levels. His expertise and dedication make him a national early childhood expert and a passionate advocate for low-income, culturally, and linguistically diverse populations. Our focus today is ClassWallet and managing purchasing and reimbursement processes. So much cool information to learn! Awesome conversation! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this

Karen J. Brock - Coaching for Multilingual Student Success: Intentional Practices to Accelerate Learning and Close Achievement Gaps. This is episode 701 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Karen Johannesen Brock has accumulated more than thirty years of expertise in instructional coaching, school improvement, and organizational change. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research Methods from Oxford University. Dr. Brock has provided consultation services to over 100 schools, specializing in professional learning and instructional coaching aimed at enhancing student achievement. She has worked at the school, district, and state levels.  Currently, she holds the position of Principal at Provo City School District, where she previously served as the Director of Professional Development. Her professional endeavors encompass research, writing, and consulting focused on organizational change, leadership development, instructional coaching, professional learning plans, and strategic planning.

Erik M. Francis - Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry. This is episode 700 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Erik M. Francis is an international author, educator, and presenter with more than 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, site administrator, education program specialist at a state education agency, and staff development trainer. He is consistently ranked as one of the World Top 30 Education Professionals by the international research organization Global Gurus. Erik provides professional development on establishing rigorous learning environments and delivering educational experiences that challenge students to demonstrate different levels of thinking and use their depth of knowledge (DOK) in different contexts. His areas of expertise include good questioning and inquiry, teaching and learning for depth of knowledge (Webb’s DOK), tiered instruction, authentic learning, differentiated instruction, personalized learning,

Anthony R. Reibel - Beyond PLC Lite: Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning in a Professional Learning Community at Work. This is episode 699 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Anthony R. Reibel, EdD, is the director of research and evaluation at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. In 2006, he became a Spanish teacher at Stevenson, where he served as a curricular team leader, core team leader, coach, and club sponsor. In 2010, Anthony received recognition from the state of Illinois, and in 2011, Illinois Computing Educators named him Technology Educator of the Year. He currently sponsors two clubs: (1) KIVA, which gives microloans to entrepreneurs living in areas lacking financial institutions, and (2) FIRE, which promotes equality and respect among Stevenson students and staff through conversation and advocacy in school and throughout the community. Anthony is the author and coauthor of seven books on education. Some titles include Embracing Relational Teaching: How Str

Sheila Robitaille - How Gamified Learning is Changing the Reading Landscape in K-12 Education. This is episode 698 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Sheila Robitaille is a veteran educator. In her nearly 30 years in the education sector, she has served as a classroom teacher, Magnet School Coordinator, Technology Integration Specialist, Professional Development Specialist, Director of Innovation and Learning and School Principal.  Currently, she is a Professional Development Manager with 3P Learning where she develops and delivers professional learning sessions to teachers and administrators who are new to or are honing their skills with Reading Eggs and the other solutions provided by 3P Learning.  Sheila’s vision for professional development for 3P Learning is that teachers leave their sessions having been trained in the solution, but even more importantly, having grown pedagogically.   She is passionate about helping teachers innovate and build their professional repertoire of tools tha

Kevin Benson & Danny Kofke - Southern Education Retirement Consortium: Financial Planning for Retirement. This is episode 697 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Kevin Benson serves as Executive Director for Cooperative Purchasing Agency (CPA) and the Southern Education Retirement Consortium (SERC). In his CPA role, Kevin oversees a warehouse that provides office supplies, janitorial supplies, furniture, and USDA commodities, directly to 35 school systems in North Georgia.  Kevin also provides all school systems in Georgia access to national contracts through the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA).  Most recently, Kevin created the Southern Education Retirement Consortium (SERC).  In this role, Kevin strives to provide school systems and their employees, regardless of size, with unprecedented pricing, oversite, and control in the 403b and 457 markets. Kevin has been an educator for over 25 years as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and safety director. Kevin

R.J. Stewart - Crazy Hawk: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller. This is episode 696 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. R.J. Stewart, the author of the post-apocalyptic thriller, Crazy Hawk, is best known for developing, writing and producing Xena: Warrior Princess (starring Lucy Lawless), once the highest-rated television show in syndication.   He started out as a teamster for nine years and a fledgling stage actor, until he got his first break, writing for the NBC romance detective drama starring Pierce Brosnan, Remington Steele. It would parlay into a 22-year Hollywood career that includes writing credits for movies The Rundown, starring Duane “The Rock” Johnson, Major League 2, starring Charlie Sheen, and television’s Cleopatra 2525. He also worked on projects with Kevin Costner, Rebecca De Mornay and James Garner.  Stewart was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in the American West. His youth as the son of an Air Force sergeant was spent across six states and Greece, Ita

Dr. Kathleen Corley - The Magical Place We Call School: Creating a Safe Space for Learning and Happiness in a Challenging World. This is episode 695 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Kathleen Corley is an award-winning educator, an authority on school culture and the charismatic principal at Red Cedar Elementary School in Bluffton, S.C. Renowned for her unique communication and leadership skills, Dr. Corley has a bachelor’s in music education from the University of Illinois; a master’s in music administration from Chicago Musical College, Roosevelt University; and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Illinois. An educator for more than 40 years, she is the founding principal of three elementary schools, including Bluffton Elementary, and later Red Cedar Elementary, serving as its only principal. She has been an assistant professor at Salem State University and continues to mentor principals. For her musical training and her leadership, Dr. Corley is known as

Sonja Williams - A Kid's Guide to Life Choices. This is episode 694 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Sonja Williams is the owner and chief business consultant at Passionate About Diversity, LLC, an Atlanta-based, 18-year-old consulting operation with expertise in Human Capital Management, and Diversity & Inclusion. Sonja is a member of the Society for Human Resource Managers [SHRM], is a guest instructor for the Institute for Diversity Certification and has more than 20 years of corporate experience in accounting and human resources, specifically diversity and compliance.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mercer University and an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix – Atlanta campus. Sonja is the author of The Introduction to Diversity and A Kid’s Guide to Life Choices.   In addition to human capital management and diversity and inclusion work, Sonja has a passion for teaching youngsters about the importance of finances on everyday decisions and

Dr. Hayley Watson - Founder & CEO of Open Parachute and the author of Finding Words: Empowering Struggling Students through Guided Conversations. This is episode 693 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Hayley Watson is the founder and CEO of Open Parachute, a Tier 1 K-12 curriculum program that supports the mental health of students, teachers, and parents. She is also an author and Clinical Psychologist and holds a PhD in school bullying interventions, along with four further degrees in the field of mental health. She has been creating and delivering programs for youth and practitioners across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia for the past 20 years. Excellent talk! So much to learn. Remember to share with your friends, colleagues, peers, family, and everyone else. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going t

Barbara Cirigliano, EdD - Success for Our Youngest Learners: Embracing the PLC at Work Process at the Early Childhood Level. This is episode 692 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Barbara W. Cirigliano, EdD, is the former principal of Willow Grove Kindergarten and Early Childhood Center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. She has more than 40 years of experience, focusing on early education, elementary education, and special education. At Willow Grove, Dr. Cirigliano led the implementation of a professional learning community. Along with her staff, she created a collaborative culture and developed a guaranteed and viable curriculum supported by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Their creation of common assessments and a pyramid of interventions has built the foundation for student learning in this high-performing district. The National Association for Young Children has accredited Willow Grove for the past several years. This rigorous accreditation process identifies high-quality early learni

Dan Granger - Why is Sam so Sad? Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression from a Child's Perspective. This is episode 691 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dan Granger has coped with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) every winter since he was a child growing up in Wisconsin. As a former teacher of 15 years, he combines his professional experiences and personal background to deliver an informative and inspiring children’s book: Why Is Sam So Sad? Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression from a Child’s Perspective (Christian Faith Publishing). The son of an accountant and salesman, he received his bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Special Education LD/ED and earned a master’s degree from University of Northern Arizona for Early Childhood Education.  His adventurous side has been served by scuba-diving in Jamaica, mountain-biked down the hills of Park City Utah, jumping out of a plane twice, hiking from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the top of Mount Humphries and

Hannah Roudebush: Connect Your ELA Classes to the Interests and Lives of Your Students. This is episode 690 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Hannah Roudebush is a Training Consultant at Gale, part of Cengage Group, where she develops and delivers training to K-12 teachers and school media specialists, as well as special, government, and public library staff on a wide variety of digital resources supporting lifelong learning. She earned her BA in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Social Studies from Marshall University in 2012. She later went on to gain certification in English 5-Adult, as well as MAs in both Instructional Processes and Strategies and School Principalship. After teaching 8th grade for 10 years, Hannah joined the EdTech world as a training consultant. She has a passion for making learning fun and teaching in unconventional ways, while still making instruction both rigorous and relevant. Targeting different learning styles, fostering critical thinking skills, and gettin

Will Illingworth & Josh Swartz - HiTech Podcast - talk with Steve about Old Tech We Have Found and Compare It to New Tech. This is episode 689 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Will and Josh from the HiTech podcast are back and today we are focused on some old tech that we have found. We spent a couple of months visiting garage sales, estate sales, and stores like Good Will. The purpose was to see what cool old tech we could find and share on the show.  We bring to the table a telescope, scanner, a unique phone, a couple Walkman, a Palm Pilot III, and a movie camera, editing station, and a home movie projector. We share our technology from the past and compare it to technology from today. It is amazing how much old tech has been replaced by one device - Do you know what that device is? We had a blast talking about old technology.  Thanks, Will and Josh for the great discussion! That was fun! Remember to share with your friends, colleagues, peers, family, and everyone else. Before yo