The Good Life EDU Podcast

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew welcomes Cynthia Curry, Project Director, and Jena Fahlbush, Technical Assistance Specialist, from the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction, known as NCADEMI. Together, they unpack what digital accessibility means for K–12 schools and why this work is about much more than compliance. The conversation explores...

Across her previous visits to The Good Life EDU Podcast, Dr. Katie Novak has helped listeners understand the foundations of Universal Design for Learning, its role within MTSS, and the possibilities created when educators bring UDL and artificial intelligence together. In this return conversation, Katie and Andrew take the next step by examining what educators must understand themselves before the...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes back Amanda Bickerstaff, CEO and Co-Founder of AI for Education, for a timely conversation about where schools are in their generative AI journey and what practical next steps can help educators, leaders, and students move forward with greater clarity. Amanda shares the thinking behind AI for Education’s new SEE Framework, which...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome author, coach, and educator Elena Aguilar, along with Jeremy Stoll and Ted Dondlinger from Westside High School, for a conversation about emotional resilience, educator well-being, and the power of teachers supporting teachers. The episode highlights Westside High School’s ongoing use of Elena Aguilar’s book Onward: Cultivating Emotional Res...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Dr. Kanyon Chism, Chief of Staff and Administrator at ESU 19/Omaha Public Schools (OPS), for a thoughtful conversation about de-implementation and the importance of creating space for the work that matters most in education. Dr. Chism shares how OPS began exploring de-implementation as part of its broader strategic work connected...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Jill Pancoast, President of The Breakthrough Coach, for a conversation about how school leaders can reclaim time, strengthen office systems, and focus more fully on the instructional leadership work they were hired to do. Jill shares the history of The Breakthrough Coach, a management training and coaching firm that has supported school admi...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Kristen Mattson—author, educator, and co-creator of the Edvolve Framework—returns for a deep and timely conversation on digital citizenship in today’s rapidly evolving, AI-driven world. Together, Kristen and Andrew explore how Nebraska is moving from fragmented, siloed efforts toward a coherent, statewide approach to digital citizenship, grounded in sh...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we sit down with Nebraska ESU regional literacy coaches (RLCs) Claudine Kennicutt (ESU 10) and Caryn Ziettlow (ESU 2) to explore the evolving work of Nebraska’s statewide literacy initiative. Together, they unpack the foundation of the Nebraska Literacy Project, including the role of high-quality instructional materials, the science of reading, and the...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton reconnects with educator, author, and speaker Tisha Richmond to explore her unexpected return to the classroom and the powerful insights that have come with it. After years of supporting educators at a systems level and working globally, Tisha shares what it’s been like to step back into a Career & Technical Education (CTE) classroom, red...

Artificial intelligence continues to evolve at a pace that challenges educators and leaders to think not only about what AI means today, but where it may take us in the years ahead. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, host Andrew Easton sits down with Matt Winters, Artificial Intelligence Specialist at the Utah State Board of Education, to explore how futures thinking can help education...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome back Nebraska native Trevor Goertzen, Regional Vice President at SchoolAI and former teacher and principal, for an honest and practical conversation about artificial intelligence in schools. Two years after our first discussion, Andrew and Trevor reconnect to explore how the national conversation around screen time, technology rollback, and...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Tony Frontier, author of AI With Intention and director of the AI Center for Effective Teaching and Learning. Rather than approaching artificial intelligence as a technical problem to solve, this conversation grounds AI in what educators already know to be true about effective teaching and learning. Tony shares why AI represe...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Nick Ziegler for a conversation on the current state of language education in Nebraska and the power of intentional collaboration across the state. Dr. Ziegler shares updates on the Seal of Biliteracy, competency-based credit, and how districts can leverage Title III funds to expand opportunities for English learners and world langu...

Inclusive education doesn’t happen by accident—it takes intentional systems, shared mindsets, and sustained collaboration. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, host Andrew Easton is joined by Allison Kelberlau (Assistant Director of Student Services, ESU 3), Eileen Heller (Education Consultant, Professional Learning, ESU 3), and Jill Guenther (Nebraska MTSS Regional Support Lead, Region 2...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we explore Nebraska 250—the state’s effort to commemorate the nation’s upcoming semi-quincentennial through learning, creativity, and community connection. We're joined by Bre Wilton, Social Studies Content Specialist at the Nebraska Department of Education; Cody Talarico, Arts Education Specialist at NDE; and Anne Alston, Arts Education Program Specia...

Nebraska is exploring a new approach to addressing teacher shortages—one that invites experienced professionals to bring their real-world expertise directly into the classroom. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we’re joined by State Senator Kathleen Kauth, who shares the story behind Nebraska’s new Pathway to Educator (P2E) program. Senator Kauth unpacks how this initiative came to lif...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Kris Hagel, Chief Information Officer of Peninsula School District. Peninsula has been thoughtfully implementing artificial intelligence in K–12 education since early 2023. Now in their fourth year of AI work, Peninsula offers an honest look at what it takes to move beyond one-off trainings and instead build a sustainable, va...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we are joined by Becky Keene, CEO of Phygital Labs and author of AI Optimism: A Guide to Redefining Artificial Intelligence in Education. Drawing from 25 years in public education and a decade of global consulting work, Becky shares why she chooses to lead with possibility over fear in the age of generative AI. Together, Andrew and Becky explore what A...

How can AI truly transform teaching without adding another fragmented tool to an educator's already overflowing plate? In this thought-provoking episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Arman Jaffer, CEO and Founder of Brisk Teaching, to share his journey with working to solve the problem of ever-increasing teacher workload and EdTech fragmentation. Arman explains how Brisk is fundamentall...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, welcomes Adam Spark, Nebraska native and co-founder of Short Answer, to discuss his journey from teaching at Louisville and Milford Public Schools to studying learning design and technology at Stanford University, where his idea for Short Answer was born. Adam shares how formative assessment research—particularly from Dr. Dylan Wiliam’s Embedded Format...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we sit down with Jane Davis, Superintendent of Hershey Public Schools, and Anna Weber, Owner of A-Plum Creative, to explore how Hershey Public Schools turned a community concern into a model initiative for digital citizenship education. After recognizing the growing challenges of student cell phone use, social media, and online behavior, Hershey launch...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Adam Vinter, Nebraska's regional outreach manager with Common Sense Media, joins the show to share about the significant updates to their digital citizenship curriculum. The conversation explores the reimagining of digital literacy and well-being education, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the rapidly changing technological landscape. Adam dis...

In this thought-provoking episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Dr. Tricia Bertram Gallant, author, academic integrity expert, and Director of the Academic Integrity Office at UC San Diego, joins us to reframe how schools approach academic integrity in the age of AI. Rather than relying on surveillance or reactive discipline, Tricia invites educators to view integrity as a practice that can be cul...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Jamie Cook, Literacy Officer at the Nebraska Department of Education, joins the pod to explore the future of literacy in Nebraska and the exciting opportunities ahead with the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant. Jamie shares her journey as a teacher, coach, and principal, and how those experiences ground her leadership in this new ro...

In this reflective and wide-ranging conversation, longtime collaborator and Good Life EDU Podcast guest Otis Pierce of ESU 7 joins the pod to unpack some key takeaways from a summer of professional learning. From AI integration and academic integrity to distance learning innovations, digital citizenship initiatives, and math instruction practices, Otis and Andrew explore what’s new, what’s next, a...