The Good Life EDU Podcast

This is the fifth episode in a five-part series with members of the NDE SEED Team as they share their work with establishing the Educator Effectiveness Standards in Nebraska. This particular pod hones in on school leadership through the Educator Effectiveness lens. Ryan Ricenbaw, co-lead of the NDE SEED Team, opens the episode with a recap of the June Educator Effectiveness Summit, and he is joine...

This episode highlights the amazing efforts and the resulting inquiry units of study developed by thirty Nebraska educators as a part of the ESUCC's 2022 social studies special project. This initiative brought together personnel from several ESUs, including members of SDA (the staff development affiliate) and TLT (the teaching and learning with technology affiliate) to train, lead, and support thi...

Have a pen and paper ready to take notes because this week we are joined by tech integrationist, Eric Curts of Stark Portage Area Computer Consortium (ESC) who shares a myriad of tech tools, sites, and insights that educators can look to integrate into their lesson design and professional learning in the school year ahead. In the episode we discuss... Eric Curts's Control, Alt, Achieve Blog: https...

Erica Johnson, Assistant Special Education Director at ESU 10, and Pam Brezenski, Special Education Director at ESU 13, join the pod this week to explain the individualized programming that our 18 to 21 special education learners receive in Nebraska as they work towards completing their IEP goals.

Dr. Chris Haeffner of Lincoln Public Schools (ESU 18) joins The Good Life EDU this week to share out about the work that their district is doing to create resources to support school librarians in their district and across Nebraska. Those materials include clear identification of learning objectives by grade level bands, an at-a-glance pacing guide, and lesson plans specific to each objective. Bes...

In this episode, educator, author, and consultant Lainie Rowell joins us to discuss her latest book, Evolving with Gratitude. Our conversation takes a deep dive into Lainie's learning on the topic of gratitude, and she shares a myriad of practical practices that educators can implement both personally and professionally for the health and wellness of themselves and the students they serve. Learn m...

Nebraska's Educational Service Unit 3 is the only service agency in the country that owns and operates a fully-functioning farm. In this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast, we chat with Troy Glock, the Executive Director of Program Services for ESU 3's Gifford Farm to learn more about the unique learning opportunities and services this special place is providing students in the Omaha Metro Area...

This week, we dive into a data dialogue with Amy Trauernicht of ESU 13 and Melissa Engel of ESU 16, the co-chairs of the Data Cadre in our state. In the episode, Amy and Melissa explain all things data related to education from what data is collected, how it is housed, the process for facilitating data dig conversations, and the logistics for how the Data Cadre supports teaching, learning, and oth...

Brandon Mowinkel, principal at Milford Jr/SR High School in Milford, Nebraska, joins us for the pod to preview his message for his keynote and breakout sessions at the upcoming Future Ready Nebraska Conference. In this episode, Brandon shares insights about the culture at Milford and the guiding principles that have led his school, staff, and students through his tenure there. Register for the #FR...

Andy Boell of the Northeast Network Nebraska Consortium and Gary Needham of ESU 9 join us on the pod this week for a conversation on the topic of cyber security in education. In this episode, Andy and Gary provide insights regarding the current work being done to thwart cyber attacks on Nebraska schools. They also spend some time advocating for where this work could go next to ensure that informat...

This week, Dr. Dan Schnoes, the chief executive officer of Nebraska's ESU 3 shares about his new appointment to the Executive Board of AESA, the Association of Educational Service Agencies. In this episode, Dr. Schnoes provides insight into the role ESAs play broadly in the US while also underscoring AESA's efforts to lead, grow, advocate, and connect agencies to one another and the larger convers...

The Good Life EDU podcast is back again this week with yet another preview from a Future Ready Nebraska Conference featured speaker! Award-winning school librarian and school board member, Elissa Malespina, joins us to share her insights on the important role school librarians play in supporting learning and school culture. Register for the in-person or virtual experience at the Future Ready Nebra...

In this episode, Kim Snyder and Ryan Ricenbaw of the NDE SEED Team invite school attorney and education advocate Bobby Truhe to join them for a discussion on teacher and principal evaluation practices. This conversation encourages a mindset shift when it comes to evaluation, emphasizing educator support and development over mere compliance to a prescribed checklist of basic standards.

In this episode, educator, author, and speaker John Spencer joins us to preview his upcoming keynote message and afternoon workshop that he will deliver at this year's Future Ready Nebraska Conference on June 13th and 14th, 2022. John shares on the topic of choice and voice along with advocating for frameworks such as project-based learning and genius hour. If you're interested in participating in...

This episode is the third of five pods we are hosting with the NDE SEED Team on their work with the Nebraska Teacher and Principal Performace Standards (NTPPS). Julie Downing, Kim Snyder, and Ryan Ricenbaw join us this week to discuss the upcoming Educator Effectiveness Summit on June 16 & 17, 2022.

In this episode, we feature ESU 9's efforts to support the mental health and wellness of the students in their region through their special services, specifically discussing their LIMHP and LMHP supports. Joe Haney, the Director of Special Services at ESU 9, along with Liesel Hogan, a licensed independent mental health practitioner at ESU 9, speak to their experiences serving and supporting school...

In this week's episode, Dr. John Skretta, administrator of ESU 6 and all-around ed advocate in our state, joins the show to provide a detailed summary of the education-related legislation that was passed into law during the 2022 session in Nebraska. For information specific to each bill, you can follow the timestamps associated with each in the notes below. Legislative Bill #: Time in the Episode...

What a fun episode this week as Alison Smith of ESU 16 and Mellissa Donohoe of Mullen Public Schools joined us to share their story of how our ESUs support professional learning in Nebraska with personalized professional learning. In this episode, Mellissa explains how she capitalized upon her PLC's learning and implemented strategies that enhanced engagement, learner motivation, and the culture i...

In this episode, Julie Downing and Kim Snyder of the NDE SEED Team discuss how school leaders can take action to retain teachers and recruit the best new hires by focusing on fostering for their staff a sense of belonging, having a voice, feeling supported, and receiving excellent professional development. Julie and Kim speak from their lens as a part of the educator effectiveness team, a group ch...

This week, Julie Downing of ESU 13 kicks off a five-part pod series that communicates the various aspects of the NDE SEED Team's work. In this episode, she is joined by Kellen Conroy, our SDA chair from ESU 1, and Brooke Kavan of ESU 7. Together, they share how our ESU staff developers are able to integrate the educator effectiveness lens into their conversations and cognitive coaching when those...

ESU 3's Aaron Bredenkamp joins The Good Life EDU this week for a conversation on the MTSS work being done in region 3 and across the state of Nebraska. This is an insightful and fun conversation that explores how the MTSS umbrella can unify a school or district and its various initiatives under a mindset of continuous improvement across all facets that support learner growth and achievement.

This week, immersive learning enthusiast, Jaime Donally, joins us again for an episode on the impact of augmented reality and virtual reality in education today. We also devote some time to discussing the metaverse and the future potential learning opportunities that technology might provide. To learn more from Jaime through her collective works and the #31DaysofARVRinEDU initiative, visit her web...

This week, Scott Butler of Project Harmony in Omaha, Nebraska speaks to the powerful role that hope plays in the learning process, both for the learner and the educator alike. The pod shares research, first-hand experiences, and practical examples of the process from which educators can begin to implement this layer of learning into the educational experiences they design. For more on Project Harm...

Katie Novak joins us for a great conversation on Universal Design for Learning and the role those practices can play in the MTSS model in this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast! For more on UDL and the work Katie has elevated, check out her site at https://www.novakeducation.com/

This week, Dr. James Rickabaugh, the Former Director and now Senior Advisor for the Institute for Personalized Learning, joins us for a fascinating conversation that takes a deep look at personalization and its place in education today and moving forward. In this episode, Dr. Rickabaugh also entertains the future impact of virtual reality and artificial intelligence on education as technology cont...