The Good Life EDU Podcast

In this episode, international best-selling author and licensed clinical social worker, Amy Morin, joins us to share out about her new book, 13 Things Strong Kids Do. This conversation delves into Amy's own personal backstory as the impetus driving the Why behind her work, and we explore some of the thirteen talking points in this text, making connections to an educational context.   To learn more...

If you are curious about the future of education and the role technology will play in supporting student learning, this conversation with Dr. Helen Crompton reveals that what many of us might perceive as the future is actually happening now. Dr. Crompton joins us as one of the leaders and coaches for the ISTE+GM Artificial Intelligence Exploration program, and she shares out about how AI is changi...

In this episode, Alan Wang, the executive director of the Omaha-based non-profit Prairie STEM, shares out about the myriad of initiatives that Prairie STEM is currently invested in to provide engaging and authentic learning opportunities for all students in Nebraska (and beyond) in the areas of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. This conversation is as informative and it...

This week, we are joined by Rachelle Dene Poth, who is a Spanish teacher, national speaker, author, and education technology consultant. In the pod, Rachelle shares her personal love for learning and the many avenues through which she has collaborated with educators from around the world through social platforms. Our conversation looks specifically at the Clubhouse app along with StreamYard as two...

This week on the pod, we welcomed Sydney Kobza, the Assistant State Director for CTE with the Nebraska Department of Education, for a chat about the latest in career & technical education in our state. In this episode, we explore the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the extraordinary efforts being made to continue to provide quality learning experiences and statewide competitions...

This week, The Good Life EDU hosts author, speaker, and ed-tech consultant Jaime Donally for a conversation about immersive learning through augmented reality and virtual reality experiences. Jaime is an educator who never puts the tech before the standards and the learning goals, and she advocates for that approach to tech integration while also sharing her insights on how AR and VR can enrich th...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast, the NDE SEED Team is back to share an update on their work with revising the teacher and principal effectiveness standards for Nebraska. This pod delves into personal insights and stories from each of the SEED Team members that helps communicate the thinking behind their efforts and the heart these leaders have for the admin, teachers, and learners acr...

In this episode, we are joined by Dani Beerbohm, Principal of Bellwood Elementary (David City Public Schools), and Tammy Carlson, Principal of Fullerton Elementary (Fullerton Public Schools), for a conversation on leadership during the pandemic. In the pod, Dani and Tammy delve into their own self-care strategies, their lead by example approach to principalship, and they close the show with severa...

This week we are joined by Sally Nellson Barrett, Andy Marinkovich, and Brittany Mascio of Nebraska Public Schools who give their behind-the-scenes insights on the latest I ❤️ Public Schools film, The Mind Inside, Episode 3. This docuseries explores the landscape of mental health issues in Nebraska's public schools, with this particular episode focusing on the North Platte Public Schools' Brandy B...

On this week's pod, Ebony McKiver, a social studies education specialist with the Nebraska Department of Education, joins us for a discussion on Black History Month, on the NE social studies standards, and how teachers might approach their work in a way that integrates marginalized voices into the curriculum.   Resource Referenced in the Show: https://www.education.ne.gov/socialstudies/ Past Episo...

In this episode, Jennifer Casa-Todd, author, speaker, and teacher-librarian at Cardinal Carter CHS in Aurora, Ontario, joins us to share her expertise and insights on the topic of digital citizenship. Jennifer's message promotes that educators think about this work not simply as a list of things students should avoid doing, and instead look to foster digital leadership skills in the students they...

In this episode, Tricia Pettis and Kaela Loo of Edina Public Schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota join us for a conversation on their work with personalized learning and their approach to helping learners develop the capacity to learn independently. Edina Public Schools was the recipient of the 2019 Trailblazer Award at the National Convening for Personalized Learning, and in this pod, Tricia and Kae...

In this episode, Julie Moore, the Executive Director for NETA, joins us for a conversation on the multitude of efforts the NETA organization has made and is making to support education in our state throughout the pandemic. The pod captures the NETA board's vision for supporting education and illustrates how that leadership group has held true to that mission despite the challenges facing everyone...

In this episode, Paul Darvasi joins us for a practical conversation on the thinking that goes into developing an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) unit. This pod takes an in-depth look at this unique style of unit design that leverages both game-based learning and gamification elements to create an immersive and engaging narrative experience.

This episode shares audio recorded from an hourlong Q&A session that the ESU TLT group had with author, speaker, and blended learning expert Dr. Catlin Tucker. In this chat, Catlin shares her insights on a myriad of important topics and scenarios related to remote learning and also concurrent or hyflex learning. The pod covers quite a bit of ground in this area in a relatively short period of...

In this episode, three students from Tri County High School in Nebraska share how they created a self-care resource to support their peers' mental wellness during this challenging time during the pandemic.

There is some exciting new work being done by the Nebraska Department of Education as they look to update the current teacher and principal standards for educators statewide, and in this episode, the leaders of that work, Kim Snyder, Julie Downing, and Ryan Ricenbaw, join us to share the vision and work being done in that space. This pod is the first of several that we will release about this init...

This week, Quim Sabrià, the co-founder and CEO of the ed tech tool Edpuzzle, joins us on the pod to share the ways in which Edpuzzle can add accountability and engagement when learners are assigned instructional video content. Our conversation spans everything from Quim's personal story from classroom teacher to CEO to the nuances of how. teachers might use Edpuzzle in their class. We also delve i...

In this episode, NRCSA's executive director Jack Moles, ESU 6 Administrator John Skretta, and Superintendent of Gibbon Public Schools Vernon Fisher join us to discuss their most recent collaborative efforts to develop remote learning supports for rural Nebraska schools. Our conversation provides the backstory and vision behind the initiative, a detailed look at the work currently being done, and a...

In this episode, Julie N. Smith, media literacy advocate and author of Master the Media, speaks to just how important it is for educators to equip learners with media literacy skills, regardless of content area or grade level. In this pod, Julie offers useful insights for how we might better identify fake news and misinformation while also sharing a myriad of practical examples of how teachers mig...

Ann Kozma from Flipgrid joins us for this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast to share some of the best ideas for how educators might look to leverage Flipgrid during the multitude of learning models occurring during the pandemic. In this episode, we talk ways Flipgrid can support SEL, student creation, relationship and community building, and more.

Wow. We covered a lot of content in this pod! In this episode, Shara Johnson of ESU 2 shares her insights and expertise with how everyone from classroom teachers to school administrators to ESU employees (and even the state of Nebraska as a whole) might seek to leverage Canvas to enhance communication, collaboration, and ultimately learning. Shara has been an integral part of the Nebraska Canvas C...

This week, we revisit the topic of mental health with ESU 5's Jen McNally and Tri County Public Schools administrators Jesse Gronemeyer and Ryan Clark. In this pod, we explore how Tri County Public Schools have made wellness a part of the school culture as a result of their collaboration with ESU 5's Wellness for All support. In these trying times, this is a critical topic to keep at the forefront...

This episode is a must listen as Amy and Kristen of ESU 9 go through five engagement strategies that lead to powerful learning experiences for students. Amy and Kristen do a phenomenal job in this pod of first establishing what these practices look like in a traditional classroom setting before then delving into how those same strategies can be utilized in a digital environment for remote learning...

Doug Fisher, co-author of The Distance Learning Playbook, joins us this week on the pod for a discussion on remote learning best practices and strategies. This pod is a fun kick-off to our ESU network's bi-monthly book study of this text! Our first DL Playbook Lunch Bunch session starts today! Whether you are an ESU employee or an edu-friend of the pod, be sure to pick up your copy of The Distance...