Unpacking Education & Tech Talk For Teachers

"We can make ripple effects, and often change occurs outside of what we’re able to see." These words from our guest, Nichola Fulmer—College and Career Readiness Program Facilitator for Renton School District—reverberate throughout this episode and reinforce the difference that we can make in the lives of our students. Each student comes to us at a different point in their journey, but if...

“Educators really are hope dealers. We deal in hope, and that’s what our students rely on us for. It has to start with ourselves.” These words from our guest, Jenn Nagle—Communications Manager at AVID Center—reverberate throughout our conversation about professional learning. During this episode, we explore how we can reignite hope for educators and students by empowering teachers through well-des...

As the costs of postsecondary education continue to rise, students and families often must seek funding opportunities to make college more affordable and accessible. Our guest, Tariq Habash from the U.S. Department of Education, provides valuable insights into accessing available funding. Most importantly, he reminds us that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is “the single best...

Technology and computer science are becoming foundational components of our modern world. We see them in nearly every aspect of our lives: shopping, communication, school, work, banking, and even applying for a job. Since tech is so important, we need to make sure our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be innovators in this field. Computers, technology, and coding are no longer...

Students come to us in a wide variety of situations—many of which are out of their immediate control. They also come to us with often overlooked assets that we should leverage in the process of helping them grow. To provide the necessary support that students need to be successful, school systems need to work together and with families. This often starts with meeting basic needs, like reliable foo...

In this episode, we are joined by veteran science teacher Mark Peterson. Mark is committed to living a life in beta, always seeking to improve his craft as an educator. In our conversation today, we explore the crossroads of assessment, student choice, and grading. We ask the hard questions, look for solutions, and reflect on Mark’s experiences as a science teacher striving to empower his students...

Our students come to us from so many different places. They have different backgrounds, different lived experiences, different interests, and different talents. To provide personal meaning for each learner in such a diverse group, we need to provide our students with a wide variety of possibilities and experiences, so they can each find their own passion and path forward. Each one of them deserves...

The sudden exposure to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has simultaneously increased people’s awareness of online learning, given them some insights into what it is like to learn online, and led to misconceptions about what an intentional and well-planned online learning program can look like. In this episode, we are joined by Jeff Plaman—the Online and Digital Learning Specialist fo...

One of the ways to increase student ownership in learning is to provide students with meaningful and authentic “voice and choice.” But what does this really mean? How do we implement it in our lessons, and what does it look like in practice? In this episode, we dig into these questions, and we'll also focus on what it means to provide “authentic” options for our students. When done well, we c...

The world is changing at an accelerating rate. What once was science fiction—cell phones, videoconferencing, the Internet—is now reality. To prepare our students for a rapidly evolving world, we must continually question and rethink what education looks like. What structures do we have in place? What opportunities do we provide? How are we empowering students in the learning process? These questio...

While many in education are struggling with the challenges of teaching during a pandemic, they may be met with toxic positivity that feels out of place in the midst of these struggles. While dismissing negative emotions may not be intentional or ill-intended, it can add new levels of emotional burden to an already difficult situation. In this episode, the team explores the concept of toxic positiv...

As COVID surges move through communities or schools face storms and shutdowns, districts are often forced to consider unexpected or sudden changes in their educational delivery model. They might need to switch to fully remote or hybrid options. This uncertainty adds additional stress to the already difficult job of teaching. In this week's episode, we explore ways to mitigate these types of d...

When something matters to us and we care deeply about it, we put our all into it. This is certainly true for teaching and working in schools. Despite increased demands, daily stresses, and limited resources, educators continue to pour all of their energy and talent into the profession for the sake of their students and communities. This work matters, and it is also hard. Tune in to this week'...

 Nobody knows exactly what education will look like in the future. However, we can continue to grow and improve based on our past experiences. Two school years of pandemic learning have forced schools to do things differently and try new things, and teachers have grown in many ways. In this podcast episode, we talk about what these past two years mean for education and ask several thought-provokin...

 Happy 2022! In this episode, we reflect on the past year and discuss our resolutions, as we look at our teaching practice and our relationships with students, their families, and our colleagues in the coming year. We reached out on social media for your input. Join us as we share your goals, reflections, and wishes for the new year. Visit AVID Open Access to learn more.

Happy Holidays from Tech Talk For Teachers and AVID Open Access! We have a special series of short episodes to commemorate this past year, as we take a little break to celebrate the holidays. This week, Rena Clark reflects on the past year and shares some of her favorite insights learned from a special guest who joined us earlier this year, Cherie Spencer, Social and Emotional Learning Coordinator...

Happy Holidays from Tech Talk For Teachers and AVID Open Access! We wish you a joyous and fulfilling holiday season. We hope you are able to take some time away from school and work to rest, recharge, and engage in some well-deserved self-care. We have a special series of short episodes to cap off this past year, as we take a little break to celebrate the holidays. This week, we hear from Dr. Wins...

To celebrate Computer Science Education Week, we have invited Erica Roberts, a Master Teacher of computer science at Northside College Preparatory High School in Chicago, Illinois. Erica joins the team to share how she inspires students to learn computer science (CS). Together, we discuss how we might advocate for equity and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners in the fi...

Over the last few years, the boundaries have blurred between home and school. We no longer want to just engage with families; we want to partner with them. Our common goal is to ensure their child’s well-being and to provide a path toward lifelong success that is filled with possibilities. We welcome our special guest, Denis Parcells, principal of William C. Jack Elementary School in Glendale, Ari...

In preparation for Thanksgiving, we reached out on social media and asked teachers two questions: Why did you get into education? What is your current “why” that keeps you going as a teacher? We’ll be sharing and reflecting on some of the responses we received in today's episode. As we prepare for quality time with our family and friends, we wanted to take a moment to remember what we are tha...

Art isn't just about drawing. It encompasses so many media, including technology. This week we meet with Nic Hahn, a K–5 Elementary Art Specialist in Minnesota, who shares her experience engaging students in a creative process to promote student agency. The team learns from Nic easy-to-implement strategies for infusing artistic creation into the core curriculum. Visit AVID Open Access to lear...

In this week's podcast episode, our team is joined once again by Theren Hayes—a National Board Certified Teacher and PK–12 Instructional Technology Specialist from the Tukwila School District in Washington—to share easy-to-implement digital teaching strategies to amplify student voice across grade levels. There are so many ways for us to help students find and share their voice—not only in th...

Prior to the pandemic, more and more schools and districts across the United States were shifting to 1:1, meaning they had one device for every single student. As a result of the pandemic, an even greater number of schools and districts have gone 1:1, so we ask the question: Now what? In this week's podcast, we begin to shift the conversation from how we get technology into the classroom to h...

As we face increasing disruption to our routines of living and learning, the conversation about access to learning has become more prominent across the US. In today’s episode, we explore how educators can provide inclusive and innovative solutions to help students navigate their personal pathways to learning. We begin by addressing the following question: How can we provide students with multiple...

The idea of building relationships has been a frequent topic of conversation in K–12 education over the last few years, especially when thinking about working with communities of color and other marginalized identities. Today, we reflect on the thoughts of Zaretta Hammond—educator and subject-matter expert on culturally responsive teaching—regarding the benefits of getting to know your students. S...