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That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersSURPRISE!Listen to find out our surprise for you, dear listener!Subscribe to the new podcast on AppleSubscribe to the new podcast on SpotifyFollow us on Instagram
2024-05-2301 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E13: Want students to be more independent? 5 ideas for engaging and empowering classroom "management"This week on Season 4, Episode 13 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we're building on the foundation we set last week on rethinking classroom 'management' to be less about control and more about creating the conditions that bring out the best in students so there's less you feel like you have to "control." Today we dive into an element of the E part of T.E.A.C.H-- engaging & empowering classroom management and share 5 of our favorite strategies we're taking into this back-to-school season. Sign up for a FREE T.E.A.C...
2023-08-1321 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E12: 5 Steps to creating a classroom environment where students thrive and behavior challenges diminishThis week on Season 4, Episode 12 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, share our first piece of the roadmap!Last week, we unveiled our T.E.A.C.H. Framework-- a handy acronym to remember the pillars that make up our EDVOLUTIONARY roadmap.Today we dive into an element of the H-- human-centered environmental design. We look at 5 steps you can implement to fundamentally transform your classroom so relationships and student autonomy can thrive and many typical behavior challenges won't have a reason to exist. Sign up for a FREE T.E.A.C...
2023-08-0621 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E11: Our roadmap for engaging and empowering learningIn Season 4, Episode 11 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we're shifting gears!We've been talking about making a dang roadmap since we got started back in 2021. A roadmap that would take research from the last 30-40 years on how students learn and develop and make it actionable for teachers in the classroom. Tools and strategies to teach based on how humans evolved to learn so that we all don't have to feel like we're pushing a boulder uphill both ways in the snow each day.This roadmap came out of our own frustrations that educational...
2023-08-0614 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E10: Play-based learning environments are more joyful and sustainable for teachers, tooThis week on Season 4, Episode 10 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we talk about how play-based learning environments are better for TEACHERS too.The way we are doing school right now is just not at all sustainable for teachers. Nor is it respectful to their creativity or humanity. And many have lost their joy and passion for the profession and are leaving in droves. It's not them. It's not the kids. It's a poorly designed learning structure getting ready to break down under immense top-down pressure.If we have the guts to change how we structure our...
2023-07-0221 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E9: Play-based learning can make equity and inclusion more attainableThis week on Season 4, Episode 9 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we talk about how play-based learning environments by default lend themselves to equity (all students get what they need to be successful) and inclusion.Differentiation is a well-known word in the education space, but it is very difficult to pull off within our standard one-size-fits-all curriculum and pacing...and not to mention... is exhausting for teachers to figure out how to differentiate one learning goal for everyone.But play-based learning provides another way that is way easier for teachers and more empowering and affirming for students.
2023-06-2524 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E8: Play-based learning environments create spaces to support student mental health and traumaThis week on Season 4, Episode 8 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we talk about how play-based learning environments can help us support students in our classroom with trauma and mental health issues. We often can't know what's going on in all of our students lives, and so creating a trauma-informed classroom environment is best practice to meet the needs of all students.School can also be a place of trauma, as well as exacerbate mental health challenges in students and teachers alike. Just treating the symptoms will never be as effective as looking at the roots of these issues...
2023-06-1837 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E7: Play-based learning environments are a vehicle for student engagement and deeper learningThis week on Season 4 episode 7 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we talk about two buzzwords in the education space related to the quest to increase achievement and motivation: Student engagement and deeper learning.Everyone wants it to happen. And...if you are a teacher... you know how tough this challenge is. Finding points to engagement or ways to bring learning to life ALL DAY LONG feels like you already want to go home and crawl under the covers just thinking about it. But not to worry friends. Play-based learning offers us a rep...
2023-05-1431 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E6: Play-based learning environments are an antidote to white supremacy cultureThis week on Season 4, episode 6 of That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we begin a mini-series on how play-based learning can help us start to alleviate many of the challenges we face in education today. And to kick it off, we're starting with a big one: white supremacy culture. If you haven't listened to last week's episode about the impact of the social environment on human behavior, you'll want to start there. Because not only is it interesting... but this episode builds on top of it. Often, our lens on 'how the world works' is just "cultu...
2023-05-0728 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E5: Play-based environments foster positive student behavior and character developmentThe development of character is a big topic we talk about in education, especially in light of all the behavior challenges that seem to be increasing in schools. This week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY we unpack the role of the environment on human behavior. And we are joined by some big experts: Simon Sinek and Alfie Kohn. Okay joined is a "loose" term. We play some clips of their brilliance to better understand some invisible forces that impact how humans behave and why kids might be struggling so much right now regardless of their "character". And we have g...
2023-04-3027 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E4: What play-based learning looks like in our classroomIn this episode we finally spill the beans about how we've leveraged play to create environments that foster independent learning, allow teachers to meet the wide range of needs in a classroom, while also providing a structure to make teaching more sustainable (we'll talk more on the last point in a future episode). We are so excited to finally share these nuggets after many years of flops, iterations, and perseverance. Full show notes here. Resources/subjects mentioned in this episode: Join our newsletter to stay on top of...
2023-04-2336 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E3: 5 mistakes standing in the way of harnessing the power of play-based learning in your classroom (we know from experience)This week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY we reflect on many of our failures and how all of them have led to incredible insights about what actually works to transform teaching and learning through play. Go to the episode page to get the full show notes here. Resources mentioned in this podcast:Ken Robinson Ted Talk: How to Escape Education's Death ValleyEnd of Year Kindergarten Math GuideJoin our weekly mailing list and don't miss an episode or update!Other links:Ab...
2023-04-1723 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E2: What do WE mean by play-based learning?This week we're sharing what we think is the secret to transforming classrooms so we can better meet student needs AND make teaching more sustainable.If you've listened to the podcast before... you might have an idea of where we are going with this. But this is a topic people have a WIDE range of feeling about and carries a lot of cultural baggage. We hope by the end of this episode, you know exactly what we mean when we talk about this in the future.Books, articles...
2023-04-0821 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS4.E1: The journey of EDVOLUTIONARYHello fellow edvolutionaries!We set out two years ago to start building a roadmap to transform education. We podcasted for awhile... and then....disappeared.But now we are back for good and so excited to share what we've been working on. In this episode we recap previous seasons of the podcast, what we've been up to in our absence, and hint at where we are headed this season.You can find the full show notes for this episode here.Other links:About us
2023-04-0213 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E9: Teacher Talk- Creating the unlikely coalitions for changeThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we are joined by District Curriculum and Instruction specialist, Christina Jones who reached out to us a couple weeks ago to have a conversation about how we can work together to benefit kids. I gotta be honest. When Annie and I first received the email we thought... oh gosh. Someone from CENTRAL OFFICE. Which... to be very explicit and honest often means in our minds: that person is disconnected from what is actually happening in schools, wants to make top-down decisions rather than act in partnership, and won't say anything honest on mi...
2022-05-1645 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E8: Break Down the Silos- A Conversation with Vernon Jones Jr.This week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we have an AMAZING conversation with former school board candidate and educational activist Vernon Jones Jr. Vernon is often painted as part of the “reform movement” which is often distilled down to pro-charter, anti-teachers rights, pro-testing accountability….but when we interviewed him during the election we heard someone who cares passionately about creating a more human-centered system of education for kids and the adults who support them.Vernon is 2 for 2 on our podcast-- Annie and I leave every conversation with him more hopeful and inspired in this work. But we al...
2022-05-0357 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3:Ep7: Teacher Talk: Collaboration and Risk--the only way to build a new roadmapThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we are joined by Ellie Schafer and Heather Ott, two Kindergarten teachers at Palmer Elementary in Denver Public Schools for some pretty amazing Teacher Talk about taking risks to do what is best for our students. (Which may or may not involve our favorite topic, play). While one major aspect of our podcast has involved critiquing the broader education system-- we try every day behind the microphone to work on solutions that match what research and experience tells us is best for children and their learning. Heather and Ellie are two oth...
2022-04-1952 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E6: What role do unions play in 'reimagining' education? A conversation with Denver Classroom Teachers Union President Rob GouldLast week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we once again got fiery about the idea of a rebel educators network that could work toward common goals to eliminate the barriers to making our education system work for all students AND be an enjoyable and sustainable place of work for educators and school leaders. (Because clearly... that ain't coming from the top any time soon...)But doesn't an organized group of educators already exist? We wanted to find out what the role of the teacher's union is in reimagining education. And Denver, now with an entirely DCTA end...
2022-04-0739 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E5: Reading and Revolution: A conversation with District Literacy Specialist Michele MorenzThere's news articles popping up every week sharing that the majority of elementary students are "behind" in reading, especially after the pandemic. Before we start beating the drums of accountability and doing what we've always done--harder, better, or faster--let's unpack what this data is telling us. What's important? What's not important? AND what might we need to do to *actually* give kids what they need?Hint: It's NOT more bandaids, finger wagging, or pats on the back for our educators. On the episode, we're joined by Michele Morenz, DPS Regional Literacy Specialist, to hea...
2022-03-2755 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E4: Can change come from the top? PART 2: A conversation with School Board Director Tay AndersonThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we revisit the question: "Can change come from the top?" this time with Vice President of the Denver Board of Education, Tay Anderson. And listeners.... this was a fantastic conversation. Tay is a prominent figure in Denver as one of the youngest elected officials in Colorado history, but also as an activist for various social justice causes, one of them obviously education. We hope this long-form interview not only lifts up challenges and potential solutions we are currently grappling with in education locally and nationally, but also all...
2022-03-2152 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E3: Teacher Talk: Respect and AccountabilityThis week we are joined by our amazing colleague Donnie Staggs to lean into some of the themes that have come up in conversations we've been having with friends inside and outside education after our interview episodes. Summary: Things are very complex, and we don't really have answers. Would love to know your thoughts on these big ideas in education! Drop your comments on our Instagram or Twitter post about this episode!
2022-03-1434 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E2: Can change come from the top? A conversation with Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex MarreroThis week we are truly honored to have our very own district superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero join us for a conversation ranging from the immediate challenges facing districts in the wake of COVID to how he is approaching a new long-term vision for how to better support schools and the students they serve. We are so excited to have conversations with those like Dr. Marrero above the classroom level because even as educators who have a lot of leeway to do what we believe is best for students, there always seems to be a scarcity of time o...
2022-02-2852 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS3.E1: Bringing Consciousness to Education with Komal ShahKomal Shah is a former educator and the author of Raise Your Hand, A Call for Consciousness in Education. Komal's book is incredible and opens with many of the same revelations we had about our education system as we were recording Season 1 of the podcast (which you should go back and listen to if you missed!)In this conversation we talk about what consciousness is, how the foundation school as we know it needs to change, and the role consciousness plays in transforming learning environments to support the humans inside them. For those of...
2022-02-2136 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersSeason 3 Intro Finally Here!Annie and Ali reflect on their absence, what's in store for Season 3, and what they hope for EDVOLUTIONARY in the future.
2022-02-1514 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS2.E4: Measure What MattersVoting day in the Denver School Board Elections is Tuesday, Nov 2nd so we're releasing this episode early!This time on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Ali and Annie ask the candidates about the current accountability tools used in Denver Public Schools. -- Have they helped us improve learning and growth for students and teachers?--What IS important to measure when we are aiming for the full cognitive, physical and emotional development of human beings? -- How do we keep certain measures from sucking all the air out of the room and causing unintended harm to all...
2021-10-301h 03That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS2.E3: Money Speaks Louder Than WordsThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Ali and Annie ask the candidates about how our money is supporting our values and priorities as a district, and what they would want to do differently if elected to the Denver School Board. This week candidates are in alphabetical order by first name:
2021-10-2646 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS2.E2: So....What are you going to do?This week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Ali and Annie share their interviews with the 2021 Denver School Board candidates on their top 3-5 priorities they'd like to see in the next Denver Strategic Plan. The candidates appear as follows (in alphabetical order this week):At-Large Candidates:- Marla Benevides (20:50)- Scott Esserman (21:17)- Vernon Jones Jr. (28:22)- Jane Shirley (33:23)- Nicky Yollick (42:45)District 3 Candidates:- Dr. Mike DeGuire (45:15)*Dr. Carrie Olson is also running, but was not available for th...
2021-10-181h 03That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS2.E1: What is School For- School Board Candidate edition!Welcome back for Season 2!When we left off in Season 1, Annie and Ali were talking about their successes and challenges trying out research-based ideas in the classroom, and the dire need to also push for changes at the systemic level. This led to a podcast pivot to take advantage of a quickly-approaching election season and help get out the word about the different visions that could guide our new superintendent and next Denver Strategic Plan. This is our moment to be informed and involved and truly move toward edvolution. Monday on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Annie and Al...
2021-10-1258 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E8: Humans not HeroesThis week, on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Annie and Ali discuss some of the biggest barriers to teaching success and sustainability they are facing in their classroom, and end with where the podcast is going next in its second season.
2021-09-2023 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E7: Burden of ProofThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Ali and Annie wrestle with imposter syndrome as they mesh beliefs and theory with reality. The twisting turns of their conversation go from the invisible factors that shape our expectations to pondering the most productive questions for examining success and challenges. Peter Gray is not mentioned one single time, but this is an episode you won't want to miss. Check out the full show notes at www.edvolutionary.org/ep7.
2021-09-131h 01That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E6: RePLAYThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Ali and Annie look at one aspect of human nature that gets seriously undervalued in the way we educate children— their natural capacity for play. Ali and Annie define play, look at trends in how the decline in play over the past several decades has impacted children, and wrestle with how to bring more play into our schools and classrooms to facilitate children’s learning in the way that nature designed. Go to www.edvolutionary.org/ep6 for our full show notes page!
2021-09-0743 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersEpisode 6: RePLAYThis week Ali and Annie look at one aspect of human nature that gets seriously undervalued in the way we educate children— their natural capacity for play. Ali and Annie define play, look at trends in how the decline in play over the past several decades has impacted children, and wrestle with how to bring more play into our schools and classrooms to facilitate children’s learning in the way that nature designed. Research and brilliance that inspired this episode include:BOOKS: Free to Learn by Peter GrayThe P...
2021-09-0643 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E5: #TeamWinsANDFailsAnnie and Ali postpone their conversation on play to reflect on the first week of school and the challenges of putting beliefs into practice and trying new ideas when the going gets tough.
2021-08-3127 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E4: Babies in the RiverThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Annie and Ali look into how our western beliefs about children lead to practices that undermine the very things we are trying so hard to accomplish in schools. Ideas are proposed for segments of a new roadmap that respect children's development and needs as people, so follow along on our Instagram at edvolutionarylearning to see how we are thinking about these things in our own classroom!Brilliance that inspired this episode: Books:- The Myth of the Spoiled Child by Alfie Kohn- Positive Discipline by...
2021-08-2349 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E3: It's Just Culture... Masquerading as NatureThis week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, we dig into the origins of our western way of looking at the world so we can better understand why we do what we do in education. Often, our conventional beliefs about human beings or lens on 'how the world works,' is just "culture masquerading as nature," as anthropologist James Suzman says. Once we catch a glimpse of why we believe what we do--it is hard to unsee the implications of these beliefs for all human beings. And--as educators, school leaders, parents and a concerned citizenry-- it forces us to mak...
2021-08-1656 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E2: What is School For?This week on That's SO EDVOLUTIONARY, Annie opens with a powerful story and Ali pulls out a history lesson to help us understand how we got to where we are in education. Big questions are asked and the building of a new roadmap begins.Inspired by Seth Godin's podcast episode, "Stop Stealing Dreams" Annie and Ali discuss:-What was school for at it's inception?- What do parents, educators and kids think school should be for now? - What are we currently acting like school is for?- How can we start to cha...
2021-08-0943 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersS1.E1: A Tale and Two TeachersWho are Annie and Ali and what the heck is EDVOLUTIONARY?By the end of this tale, we hope you'll know!Check out our summary and show notes page at: https://www.edvolutionary.org/ep1
2021-08-0223 minThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY: A Podcast for K-2 TeachersThat's SO EDVOLUTIONARY IntroductionAli and Annie are starting an education podcast! The first episode drops Monday, August 2nd. Here's the gist of what you can expect!
2021-07-3100 min