Shows
Conceptually SpeakingDr. Rachel Horst Talks Entanglement and Literacy in the Age of AIIn this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I explore the complex and contested terrain of AI literacy with Dr. Rachel Horst, a digital literacy and arts-based scholar whose framework for understanding entangled literacies offers a refreshing alternative to the polarized discourse surrounding artificial intelligence in education. Drawing from posthumanist theory and futures literacies scholarship, our conversation challenges both techno-optimistic and techno-pessimistic narratives while centering creativity, relationality, and critical inquiry in our approach to these emerging technologies.Key Concepts from the Episode:Entangled AI LiteracyMoving beyond skills-based definitions toward...
2025-08-2147 minConceptually SpeakingMarcus Luther Talks Leading and Learning in the Digital Teacher's LoungeIn this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Marcus Luther, a 13th-year high school English teacher and co-host of The Broken Copier podcast. After spending his first eight years teaching in Arkansas, Marcus recently returned to the Pacific Northwest, bringing with him a wealth of classroom experience and a passion for teacher-centered conversations. Our discussion explores the evolving landscape of teacher community-building, from the early days of Teacher Twitter to the current fractured digital spaces where educators seek connection and growth.Key Concepts from the Episode:The Digital Teacher's Lounge
2025-06-2754 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Matt Seybold Talks Public Humanities & PodcastingIn this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Dr. Matt Seybold, host of the American Vandal podcast and scholar at the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College. Our conversation traverses the changing landscape of literary studies as it moves beyond traditional academic boundaries into digital spaces, revealing both new opportunities and persistent challenges in how we create and share knowledge. Dr. Seybold shares the origin story of American Vandal—born as a pandemic response when in-person programming was suspended—and how it evolved into a platform that builds relationships with scholars and reaches an unexpectedly glob...
2025-04-101h 01Conceptually SpeakingDr. Remi Kalir Talks Annotation and Re/Marks on PowerIn this thought-provoking episode, I sit down with Dr. Remi Kalir, the Associate Director of Faculty Development and Applied Research with Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education at Duke University, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Center for Applied Research and Design in Transformative Education. He has also completely revolutionized my thinking about annotation. As someone who was relatively ambivalent about annotations, Remi's perspective transformed me into a fan, believer, and enthusiastic practitioner. Our conversation challenges conventional wisdom about annotation, as Remi argues that we're all annotators, from the grandmother scribbling recipe modifications to fans dissecting Kendrick L...
2025-03-131h 07Conceptually SpeakingDrs. Jacy Ippolito, Christina Dobbs, & Megin Charner-Laird Talk Disciplinary LiteracyIn this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I explore the evolving landscape of disciplinary literacy with three distinguished professors and teacher educators: Dr. Jacy Ippolito from Salem State University, Dr. Christina Dobbs from Boston University, and Dr. Megan Charner-Laird from Salem State University. Drawing from their collaborative work on the second edition of "Disciplinary Literacy Inquiry and Instruction," this conversation delves into how educators can authentically engage students in disciplinary literacies while challenging their traditional boundaries.Key Concepts from the Episode:Reimagining Disciplinary LiteracyMoving beyond traditional apprenticeship models to critique...
2025-02-1355 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Annie Abrams Talks Literature, Liberal Arts Education, and the College BoardIn this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Dr. Annie Abrams, author of Short Changed: How Advanced Placement Cheats American Students, to explore the complex relationship between policy, pedagogy, and the purpose of English education in America. Our conversation weaves between critiques of AP's corporatization of liberal arts education and deeper questions about what it means to teach literature meaningfully. Annie and I wrestle with how institutional forces shape (and often constrain) the rich interpretive practices and humanizing ethos that make English teaching worthwhile.Key Concepts from the Episode:Corporate Mediation
2025-01-1651 min
Teaching Middle School ELAEpisode 309: What Does Taylor Swift Have to Do with Student Projects (Interview with Trevor Aleo)I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!In this special episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Megan interviews Trevor Aleo, a high school language arts teacher and co-author of Learning That Transfers: Designing Curriculum for a Changing World. Trevor talks about the strategies he used to help his 8th graders engage in multimodal composing projects, as you can read about in his English Journal article “‘What Would Other Swifties Think?’: Multimodal Composing with Communities in Mind.” Tune in to learn how you can help your students tap into their communities and write for...
2024-11-0536 min
The Literacy View91-Are we “Sold a Story” on Science of Reading Books and Programs?Send us a textAre we “Sold a Story” on Science of Reading Books and Programs? Please Support Our Show❤️https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=88DP4YMVETHFQAdvertise with us:https://theliteracyview.com/contact/Join our Facebook Group✅https://www.facebook.com/share/g/msdoTSwSiQvbtUW9/?mibextid=qtnXGeEmail us: FaithandJudy@gmail.comThe One About…Are we “Sold a Story” on Science of Reading Trade Books?Quote:“Considering a key theme of ‘Sold a Story’ is the...
2024-09-1347 min
The Literacy ViewEp.91- Are we “Sold a Story” on Science of Reading Books and Programs?Send us a text Please Support Our Show❤️https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=88DP4YMVETHFQAdvertise with us:https://theliteracyview.com/contact/Join our Facebook Group✅https://www.facebook.com/share/g/msdoTSwSiQvbtUW9/?mibextid=qtnXGeEmail us: FaithandJudy@gmail.comThe One About…Are we “Sold a Story” on Science of Reading Trade Books?Quote:“Considering a key theme of ‘Sold a Story’ is the danger of following edu-gurus, I find it *very* interesting that a lot of the S...
2024-09-1300 minConceptually SpeakingRod Naquin Talks Large Language Models & Dialogic ComputingFor this episode I'm joined by friend of the show Rod Naquin, a Louisiana based education leader and doctoral student whose research and writing explores the intersection between dialogue, learning, and large language models. Drawing on thinkers and theories from his research, Rod invites educators to stop viewing artificial intelligence as a completionist tool or sentient machine and instead regard it as a new form of dialogic computing. His articulation of LLMs challenges common perceptions of AI as merely a productivity tool, instead proposing a more interactive, discourse-driven approach to using language models in educational settings.Rod...
2024-08-271h 03
The Broken Copier"Better Teacher PD?" with Trevor AleoGiven that summer is coming to a close for many teachers out there—or, for a handful, already has!—we decided to focus on that “thing” that we all go through as educators this time of year and that we all have our own opinions about: professional development for teachers.In this episode we’re joined by Trevor Aleo, a full-time teacher and doctoral candidate who spends a lot of time thinking about, designing, and delivering professional development. The conversation focuses on what keeps “Teacher PD” from being a positive experience far too often as well as what “better”...
2024-08-0455 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Ashely Rogers Berner Talks Educational Pluralism & DemocracyTo say we’re living through a moment of education polarization would be a mild understatement. Considering the digital echo chambers we all find ourselves in, I believe it’s more important than ever to engage with people who may move in different circles and have different perspectives, but share some foundational beliefs about democracy, wisdom, and advancing the public good. My guest this week is Dr. Ashley Rogers Berner—and she was the perfect person for just such an exchange. As the director of and professor for John Hopkin’s Institute for Educational Policy, she is well versed in the h...
2024-05-161h 05Conceptually SpeakingDr. Andrea Gambino Talks Critical Media LiteracyOne of the best things about attending conferences is the conversations, connections, and collaborations that emerge after the sessions are over. Last year, I was lucky to meet Dr. Andrea Gambino at NCTE 2023 in Columbus. Andrea earned her Ph.D. in Education from UCLA in 2023 and is an active co-organizer of the annual Critical Media Literacy Conference of the Americas. Her research and practice draws on her experiences implementing critical media literacy as a tool for advancing self, social, and environmental justice. The passion, sincerity, and depth of knowledge she brings to to her research and practice is incredible...
2024-04-181h 00
Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete ZambitoPete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 391 - Eri Isomura (Part 2)Minneapolis-based percussionist Eri Isomura returns to talk about how she recovered from overuse injuries physically and mentally after undergrad (02:05), her time as a grad student at the Boston Conservatory (MA), studying with great teachers, attending summer festivals, and why it’s so challenging to have a performance career in Boston (12:55), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions segment, including portions on being a woman in the field of percussion, Japanese food, great books, private Karaoke rooms, and Andy Warhol (34:30). Finishing with a Rave on the 1975 film Nashville (01:11:00).Eri Isomura Links:Eri Isomura’s Webs...
2024-04-1800 minConceptually SpeakingDr. J Palmeri Talks Multimodality & New Media PedagogiesThe emergence of ChatGPT has sent shockwaves through many secondary and post-secondary English departments. There’s no shortage of doomsaying and prognosticating about the future of writing instruction, even the discipline itself, in the wake of the large language model revolution. Luckily for us, my guest today is Dr. J Palmeri—Professor of English and Director of the Writing Program at Georgetown University. J’s work exploring the past, present, and future of multimodal composition is some of the richest, most comprehensive scholarship I’ve seen. Better still, J practices what they preach in the classroom. Over the course of our d...
2024-03-071h 11Conceptually SpeakingDr. Sheena Mason Talks Raceless Antiracism & Literary StudiesFor anyone who’s been tuned into Conceptually Speaking for a while, you know I love finding new approaches, perspectives, and frames to tackle complex issues. Despite the fact that’s a staple on the show, my guest for this episode, Dr. Sheena Mason, takes things to the next level. Dr. Mason is an author, professor, and creator of the theory of racelenss. A theory that, in her words, is a creative and forward-thinking approach that helps people stop the underlying causes and effects of racism—the existence of race itself. Unlike naturalists, who see race as biological, or constr...
2024-01-2559 min
APLC Change Maker Conversations in EducationTrevor Aleo Literacy Lightning MultimodalityCharlie Kraig and Rick Gilson are joined by Trevor Aleo, author, teacher, podcaster, and doctoral candidate, as we discuss and take a deep dive at times in the conversation, the many ways and means by which students of all grades can develop and demonstrate their literacy.Trevor shares several titles, research points and resources that can support your professional learning and practice in the classroom to benefit your students. A classroom teacher primarily working with students in grades 9-12 Trevor is currently working on completing his doctorate working with Dr. Mary Kalantzis and Dr. Bill Cope at t...
2024-01-091h 06Conceptually SpeakingShawna Coppola Talks Literacy For AllComplaining about the theory-practice divide in education feels a bit cliche, but there’s a reason why it’s a constant source of conversation and consternation in classrooms, conferences, and academic journals. As someone with their feet firmly planted in both worlds, I’m always excited to connect with other educators who can bridge that divide—and my guest today is an exceptional example of just such a person. Shawna Coppola is a literacy specialist, educator, and author of the recently released Literacy for All: A Framework for Anti-Oppressive Teaching from Routledge. Shawna’s framework is a pretty incredible distillati...
2023-12-2151 minConceptually SpeakingJeffrey Austin Talks Emergent Strategy and Facilitating Educational ChangeAccording to the late Octavia Butler, ”God is Change and in the end, God prevails.” Though Butler passed in 2006, her words resonate deeper than ever. And while she’s no longer able to chart out fantastical journeys across the stars, the philosophy that structures her work is one of the principle inspirations for adrienne marie brown’s book, Emergent Strategy. I won’t try to define the scope of Emergent Strategy in my introduction, but at its essence, it’s an orientation, stance, framework, and spellbook for organizing and facilitating change. My guest this week, Jeffrey Austin, is a literacy con...
2023-10-2659 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Sarah Jerasa Talks Reading, BookTok, & Digital LiteraciesWhat if I told you there’s a magical place where young people spend hours upon hours discussing, sharing, creating, and theorizing about their favorite books? What if I told you that place was TikTok? Or, more specifically, a corner of TikTok known as BookTok. Well, that’s what this week’s episode is all about. My guest this week is Dr. Sarah Jerasa, Assistant Professor of Literacy at Clemson University in the Department of Education and Human Development. In addition to being a friend of the show and fellow member of the Writing and Literacies Special Interest Group, Sarah...
2023-09-2849 minConceptually SpeakingRebekah O'Dell and Matthew Johnson Talk Camp Rewrite & Re-envisioning Professional LearningThis week I’m lucky enough to be in dialogue with two educators and authors whose work I’ve admired for quite some time. Rebekah O’Dell is a classroom teacher and author of Writing with Mentors and Beyond Literary Analysis and Matthew Johnson a high school English teacher and author of Flash Feedback. In addition to being dynamic teachers and insightful authors, they also design powerful professional learning experiences for fellow educators. In fact, this summer they, alongside friend of the show Angela Stockman, launched a new venture called Camp Rewrite: A digital campfire where English teachers across the co...
2023-08-2449 minConceptually SpeakingNawal Qarooni Talks Caregiver Collaborations and Social LiteraciesThere’s no shortage of authors, consultants, and coaches discussing the importance of culture when it comes to learning, especially literacy learning. However, I can’t think of any that brings the same level of depth, nuance, and accessibility to that work as this week's guest. Nawal Qarooni is a literacy coach, writer, specialist in family literacy, and author of the forthcoming book Nourishing Caregiver Collaborations: Exalting Home Experiences and Classroom Practices for Collective Care. Nawal’s work invites readers to think expansively about how we define students, families, and literacies. As you’ll soon hear, she doesn’t talk about...
2023-07-2746 minConceptually SpeakingGarreth Heidt Talks Meaningful Education and The Good Life of TeachingThis week on Conceptually Speaking, I had the pleasure of chatting with fellow teacher and friend of the show, Garreth Heidt. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of crossing paths with Garret on Twitter, he teaches sophomore English as well as an innovation and social entrepreneurship class called NOVA lab at Perkiomen Valley High School. I met him in the days of teacher Twitter yore before COVID, culture wars, and Elon Musk took the shine off the place. As you’ll be able to tell by our dialogue, Garreth is the sort of veteran teacher who...
2023-07-0452 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Mark Bracher Talks Global Justice, Social Wisdom, and Systems Thinking through Literary StudyLately, it feels like the world is both literally and figuratively on fire. As a mere English teacher researcher and content creator, there are times when feel kind of powerless in the throes of political upheaval, culture wars, and social unrest. I’ve always believed English class is a place where students can cultivate the wisdom and discernment needed to create a more just, liberatory future, but I always wish I could do more. Luckily, last summer I stumbled upon the work of Dr. Mark Bracher, an English professor at Kent State University and the author of Literature, Social Wi...
2023-05-181h 01Conceptually SpeakingBrett Vogelsinger Talks Poetry, Prose, & PedagogyHow often do you find yourself wanting to hit pause in your curriculum? To slow down and notice more deeply? Read more closely? Maybe even engage in some playful fun? Like most teachers, there are times when I find myself sprinting through the next novel or text set, slipping back into the grips of covering material instead of exploring it. Luckily, my guest today is Brett Vogelsinger, a 9th-grade English Teacher in Doylestown PA author of Poetry Pauses: Teaching With Poems To Elevate Student Writing in All Genres, and a contributing author to Moving Writers. As his book title w...
2023-03-2349 min
Human Restoration ProjectHRP Update March 2023Welcome to a brief HRP update with me, Nick Covington, Creative Director here at Human Restoration Project!As you may have hear, Chris & I are coming off a whirlwind of a week in Columbus, Ohio, where we hosted a team from our Poland-based partners at Holistic Think Tank, Polish teacher representatives from the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, and a rockstar group of American teachers that included a team from our friends in Muskegon, Michigan (be on the lookout for more involvement from them in the future), as well as Trevor Aleo, and Jen Lucas; on the campus of...
2023-03-1108 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Troy Hicks & Dr. Kristen Turner Talk Digital Literacies and Technology Integration As melodramatic as it may seem, I’ll never forget the first time I encountered The New London Group’s A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures. After an evening of mindless scrolling in the summer of 2016, I clicked on a fortuitous Facebook post from a fellow English teacher. As I read I became increasingly enraptured. It felt inspiring. It felt fresh. It felt innovative. I assumed it was cutting-edge research. Then I saw the publication date. 1996. Reading that publication date made it abundantly clear educational practice had fallen well behind educational scholarship. It’s a disconnect I notice more an...
2023-01-2754 minConceptually SpeakingMatt Slocombe Talks Analogical Reasoning, Conceptual Change, and Transfer According to cognitive linguist and philosopher George Lakoff, “The essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another.” And that is what today’s episode is all about. On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Matthew Slocombe, a secondary school teacher specializing in educational design and technology and a doctoral student and researcher at the Center for Educational Neuroscience. Matt’s research interests relate to the development of children’s reasoning and the role of conceptual change and transfer in analogical reasoning. Matt and I connected during the early days of COVID while I w...
2022-11-1752 minConceptually SpeakingHuman Restoration Project Talks Professional Learning & Progressive PedagogyWhen you reflect back on your most recent professional learning in-service days, what springs to mind? Rich educational experiences filled with meaningful learning? Or cringey icebreakers, one-size-fits-all lectures, and flavor-of-the-month fluff? Based on the research shared in this episode, the vast majority of teachers lean towards the latter. This is a problem that Chris McNutt and Nick Covington, former teachers and current directors of the educational non-profit Human Restoration Project know too well. That’s why are developing ways to do professional learning WITH educators and not to them.In this episode, we’ll hear more about HRP’...
2022-10-2051 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Karis Jones Talks Literacies, Equity, & Acafandoms Picture this: A group of passionate fans is huddled around their devices. Their favorite outlet has just dropped the latest response to a hotly contested article that has divided their community. As the group reads through, they debate, discuss, inquire, and post in their chosen social network. They make reference to other similar works, cite compelling evidence, and have different perspectives on the future direction of their community. Now, what kind of community did you have in mind during this scene? Were you imagining a group of teens debating the latest controversy from The Real Housewives or Keeping Up W...
2022-09-2256 minConceptually SpeakingF.D Signifier Talks Pop-Culture Sociology and the Pedagogy of YouTubeWhat comes to mind when you hear the word YouTube? Depending on your age and level of “online-ness” it might be anything from cat videos, to videogame steams, to TedTalks. But what about sociology? Philosophy? Cultural studies and critical theory? What if I told you were are enthusiasts, graduate students, and tenured professors producing accessible and insightful video essays with all the intellectual heft of a published journal article? And that they’re getting hundreds of thousands of views? That’s what today’s episode is all about–finding the intersection between scholarly pursuits, multimodal composition, and the wild west of web...
2022-08-1852 minConceptually SpeakingRob Ashton Talks Communication, Cognitive Bias, and the Written WordHave you ever shot off an angry email or text message and immediately regret it? Or have you ever wondered why it’s better to hash out disagreements in person instead of by email? Despite its ubiquitous nature, written communication is the lifeblood of complex modern institutions. Seriously. How we communicate in print can make or break an organization’s culture and productivity. So, in an effort to better understand the power of the written word, this week, Julia and I dig deep into the cognitive and social neuroscience behind written communication. Guiding us on this conversational journey is autho...
2022-08-0450 minConceptually SpeakingDr. T.J. Vari and Dr. Joe Jones Discuss Educational Leadership & School CultureJoseph Jones and TJ Vari are authors, speakers, and district administrators who have written four books together. Their most recent publication, Retention for a Change: Motivate, Inspire, and Energize Your School Culture, details targeted strategies for motivating, inspiring, and energizing educators in a variety of settings.Virtual Masterclass on Compassionate FeedbackTechnical Tip: Praise Practice--A Model for Specific Praise Support the show
2022-07-2143 minConceptually SpeakingGraham Fletcher Talks Fluency, Progression, Coherence, & Accessibility in MathematicsGraham Fletcher has served in education as a classroom teacher, math instructional lead, and currently as a math specialist. His work with the math progressions and problem-based lessons has led him to present throughout North America and beyond.Graham is continually advocating for best practice in elementary mathematics by seeking new and innovative ways to support students and teachers in their development of conceptual understanding. He is the author of Building Fact Fluency: A Toolkit for Addition and Subtraction.Twitter: @gfletchyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gfletchy/“All of us are sma...
2022-07-0747 minConceptually SpeakingZoe Weil Talks Being A Solutionary and The Purpose of EducationZoe Weil (pronounced “Zoh While”) is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), and is considered a pioneer in the comprehensive humane education movement. Zoe created IHE’s M.Ed., M.A. and graduate certificate programs, as well as IHE’s acclaimed humane education and MOGO (most good) workshops. Zoe is the author of seven books including Amazon #1 Best Seller in Philosophy and Social Aspects of Education, The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries (2021/2016) She has also written numerous articles on humane education and humane living and has appeared frequently on radio as...
2022-06-2345 minConceptually SpeakingConceptualizing Counter Narratives with Charles Williams **BONUS EPISODE**Welcome to a special combined episode of Conceptually Speaking. This week Kayla and I linked up with Charles Williams, host of the Counter Narrative Podcast and a K-8 principal in the Greater Chicago Episode. Our dialogue is a free-flowing conversation exploring everything from seeking our educational purpose in turbulent times to the importance of asset-based instruction to the hit show Abbot Elementary. It was a beautiful reminder that shared dialogue with other educators with common goals and values can be sustaining and motivating. We hope you walk away from this episode with a similar feeling.Support the...
2022-05-2746 min
The Counter Narrative: Changing the Way We Talk (and think) About EducationEpisode 105: Podcast Collaboration with Conceptually SpeakingWelcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations.
I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office.
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This episode is a podcast collaboration. Every once in a while, podcasters will team up and blend their two...
2022-05-2749 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Adam Sáenz Talks Emotional Intelligence, Wellbeing, and Self-ActualizationWhat a school year this has been. Educators across the country (and the world) have navigated yet another year of teaching under COVID. Worse still, many American teachers, administrators, and district staff have found themselves in the crosshairs of culture warriors and political opportunists. There have, and continue to be baseless book bans, draconian policy proposals, and astroturfed conspiracies about nefarious and ideologically charged curricula. Amidst the chaos, it’s not exactly a secret many teachers are not well and are leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers. Though there have been well-intentioned gestures at promoting well-being in many districts—solv...
2022-05-1954 minConceptually SpeakingCheryl-Ann Weekes Talks Mental Health, Resilience, and Self-CompassionJoin Julie Stern and Mihai Catrinar on this week's episode as they chat with mental health specialist, consent workshop facilitator, and international school counselor, Cheryl-Ann Weekes. Her organization, Weekes Enterprise, LLC, was created as a way to provide workshops for counselors and educators to equip them with the tools to have mental health, consent, and boundary conversations with their students. They also conduct workshops for students in schools, community programs, churches, and non-profit organizations.Connect with Cheryl-AnnWebsiteTwitterLinkedinInstagramSupport the show
2022-05-0655 minConceptually SpeakingKarine Veldoen Talks Thriving, Leadership, Culture, and PotentialKarine Veldhoen, M.Ed., is the founder of Learn Forward™ and a creative force in education. As Chief Learning Officer at Willowstone Academy she created the first model Learn Forward™ school while simultaneously Founding and serving as Executive Director of Niteo Africa. She’s taught Teacher Candidates at both UBC-O and UNBC and served as an education consultant for Fresh Grade. In all of her roles, she considers herself a modern-day pilgrim who stands for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. In this episode, she chats with Julie and Kayla about LeanForwardSupport the show
2022-04-1444 minConceptually SpeakingMitch Weathers Talks Executive Functioning and Student AgencyThis week on Conceptually Speaking science lead Julia Briggs and I are joined by the CEO and Founder of Organize Binder, Mitch Weathers. Mitch’s experience as an educator, department chair, and coach has provided ample opportunities for him to see the difference between students who have a clarity of purpose and sense of agency and those who feel lost in the swirling chaos of bells, lectures, and homework assignments. Through a combination of firsthand experience and diligent research, Mitch founded Organized Binder in 2005 as a way to create systems and routines to help students hone academic skills and ex...
2022-03-241h 00Conceptually SpeakingNichelle Pinkney & Joe Schmidt Talk Belonging, Empathy, & Civil DiscourseThis week on Conceptually Speaking I’m joined by Joe Schmidt and our very own Nichelle Pinkney—coauthors of the upcoming book Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities from Corwin Press. With the current state of our dumpster fire national discourse, this book could not be coming at a better time. For posterity, at the time of recording this podcast, there are dozens of bills being drafted in state legislatures around the country attempting to censor any dialogue of so-called divisive concepts, historical injustices, and the fraught, complex nature of America’s past. Now, more than ever, educators requir...
2022-03-101h 02Conceptually SpeakingZoe Bee Talks Culture, Ideas, Media, and the Writing ProcessOn this week's episode of Conceptually Speaking Elementary Lead Jess Mattei and I sit down with college professor turned content creator, Zoe Bee. While Zoe’s eponymous YouTube channel is a cornucopia of videos on composition, culture, and education she recently released a video that was near and dear to my nerdy English Heart—Are the Classics Dead? A Professor Explains. Throughout the video Zoe dives headfirst into the fraught framing around literary canon; what is it? Why does it exist? What are the systemic and structural forces that shape it? I won’t spoil the results, but it’s the ty...
2022-02-1553 minConceptually SpeakingDanny Bauer Talks Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge in Educational LeadershipHello listeners. Conceptually Speaking is returning from its Holiday hiatus with an episode we’ve been itching to release. This week, Kayla joined Julie to have a conversation with Danny Bauer, author, podcast host, and the brain behind Mastermind—a coaching group and leadership development community. His recent book, Mastermind Unlocking Talent within Every School Leader is a fantastic book for anyone looking to upskill their capacity to serve and lead others. Danny’s passion for supporting and sustaining the growth of educators—specifically leaders—that shines through the entire dialogue. It’s clear he has devoted time and effort to cu...
2022-01-1455 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Miah Daugherty Talks Texts, Student Agency, and Disciplinary LiteracyJoining me on this week’s episode is our new Elementary Specialist, Jessica Mattei. Jess and I were lucky enough to chat with Dr. Miah Daughtery, Director of Literacy for NWEA and a powerful advocate for students' right to read and write. Over the course of our dialogue, Miah takes us through the rich tapestry of her career, sharing insight into her experiences leading initiatives focusing on everything from state-level curriculum projects to middle school yearbook programs. The obvious connective tissue between Dr. Daughtery’s variety of educational entry points, though, is a clear devotion to student agency and empo...
2021-12-071h 22Conceptually SpeakingDr. Traci Scheepstra Talks Emotion, Embodiment, and EducationOur guest this week is Dr. Traci Scheepstra , CEO and co-founder of Embodied Learnings. Joining Julie this week is our effervescent elementary lead and resident chair yoga expert, Nathalie Lauriault. It’s her first episode of Conceptually Speaking and we could think of no one better to join Tracy in a dialogue exploring the relationship between affect, embodiment, and education. Following a trend of some of our recent episodes, Dr. Scheepstra's message is one that invites and encourages us to take a step outside our current brain-bound conceptions of learning and consider all that is lost when we treat le...
2021-11-2354 minConceptually SpeakingKwame Sarfo-Mensah Talks Authenticity, Belonging, and IdentityIn this week's episode of Conceptually Speaking, Julie and Kayla are joined by Kwame Sarfo-Mensa—mathematics teacher as well as Founder & CEO at Identity Talk Consulting. Throughout this powerful conversation, Kwame details his perspective on Belonging, Identity, and Authenticity—each of which is a foundational concept in the culturally sustaining pedagogy that anchors his teaching practice. As you’ll soon discover, at the heart of Kwame’s teaching practice lies a commitment to honoring and uplifting all students' identities in ways that allow them to bring their authentic selves to the classroom. Stay tuned for the rest of the episode...
2021-10-1253 minConceptually SpeakingAnnie Murphy Paul Talks Bodies, Surroundings, Relationships & the Extended MindOn this episode of Conceptually Speaking, Julie and I are joined by, the ineffable Annie Murphy Paul a writer covering science and cognition and the author of The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. To say that Julie and I were excited about this episode would be a mild understatement. Both of us had ravenously consumed The Extended Mind prior to recording and were blown away at both its ambition and clarity. Over the course of her book, and this conversation, Annie details the power of what she calls extending our mind through practices like externalizing i...
2021-09-091h 03
Chalk.n.coffee013: Focusing on The L in ESLIn today's episode, we are taking stock of our teaching. How are you focusing on the L in ESL in your classrooms? Join us for a conversation with Martin Tremblay, one of the RÉCIT's dynamic advisors and hear how to enrich your teaching of language.
Mentioned Resources/References
Gazith, K. (2018). The Mindful and Purposeful Teacher: Research-Informed Practice for Every Student in Every Classroom. KG Teaching Means Learning Consulting Inc.
Gonzalez, J. Is Your Lesson a Grecian Urn? https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/grecian-urn-lesson/
Stern, J., Ferraro, K., Duncan, K., & Aleo Trevor (2021). L...
2021-08-1058 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Mike Johnston Talks Complexity, Sustainability, Systems, and Authentic AssessmentDr. Mike Johnston from Frankfurt International School joins Julie and LTT's Science Lead Julia Briggs to discuss complexity, sustainability, systems, and authentic assessments.Support the show
2021-08-0348 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Jennifer Fletcher Talks Rhetorical Writing, Reading, and Thinking Today’s episode will be an exploration of reading, writing, and thinking rhetorically with author and professor Jennifer Fletcher. Jennifer’s work as a high school English teacher, college professor, and chair of California State University’s Expository Writing Curriculum steering committee speaks to her broad experience with and deep understanding of the discipline. Both her research and books focus on the power of rhetorical thinking to encourage students to transfer their understanding to new texts and situations. Joining Trevor this week is Language Acquisition lead, Erin Leininger. If you’re looking for an episode that’s all about fostering a...
2021-07-2053 minConceptually SpeakingBetsy Potash Talks Creativity, Communication, and 21st Century CompositionThis week on Conceptually Speaking, Kayla and I chatted with podcaster, blogger, and creative aficionado, Betsy Potash. One of the many things I love about Betsy’s work is its accessibility. Introducing new, more creative and dynamic frames for curriculum and instruction can be a challenge for many educators, but Betsy does an incredible job creating and curating resources that are approachable and scaffolded for educators AND students alike. One of my favorite parts about this episode was the amount of time we spent discussing modern forms of composition—of positioning things like podcasting, blogging, and video essays as viab...
2021-06-2958 minConceptually Speaking(Re)Conceptually Speaking: Julie & Trevor ReflectIn this special reflection episode, Julie and Trevor share some of their favorite moments from Conceptually Speaking and discuss some exciting changes on the horizon. If you're new to the podcast, go back and check out some of the fantastic episodes we discussed. https://conceptuallyspeaking.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
2021-06-0846 minConceptually SpeakingDarnell Fine and Jessica Jones Talk Black Joy, Rage, and ImaginationThis week on the show we are trying something new, Trevor and I are rotating co-hosting duties with our core team members from the Learning That Transfers team. This week features co-host Nichelle Pinkney, who is our social studies specialist and currently works as an instructional coach and curriculum specialist for a large school district in Texas. So this conversation was pretty special. We had two guests on to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion, but it was really to me about the Black experience, and I personally learned so much. I’m still thinking about the concept of...
2021-05-0455 minConceptually SpeakingMichael Weingarth talks Learning, Adaptation, and NeuropsychologyToday’s episode of Conceptually Speaking features Michael Weingarth, founder of Pillars of Learning neuropsychological tutoring. In addition to his work creating personalized tutoring and test preparation programs for students, Michael has what I can only describe as an encyclopedic knowledge of all things science of learning related. In the few conversations we had leading up to the podcast, and during the podcast itself, I constantly found myself scribbling notes, book titles, and names of researchers I had to dig into. Our conversation today attempts to peel back the layers on a lot of the reductive and problematic assumptions th...
2021-04-2059 min
The Backwards Podcast#9 - Julie Stern, Kayla Duncan, Trevor Aleo: Learning That TransfersIn this episode we talk with Learning That Transfers co-authors Julie Stern, Kayla Duncan and Trevor Aleo (we were missing their fourth co-author Krista Ferraro). How can we design curriculum for a changing world? That is the question that their new book sets out to solve, and our conversation is a wide-ranging dive into all things design, especially in our current situation where education has been impacted by the pandemic.
2021-04-1934 minConceptually SpeakingBrad Kershner Talks Systems, Complexity, and HopeThis week’s episode of Conceptually Speaking features educational researcher and school leader Brad Kershner. This was a special episode for me, as a few weeks prior to recording, I’d purchased his book Understanding Educational Complexity, and was absolutely blown away by its depth and clarity. I was thrilled when he agreed to join us. There are few people in the field who can parallel Brad’s ability to tend to both the micro and macro of education with his level of discernment and nuance. His book, and our dialogue, range from cultivating individual meditative practices to analyzing the th...
2021-03-3056 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Tiffany Mitchell Patterson Talks Bias, Social Justice, and ActivismThis week on Conceptually Speaking, Julie and I chatted with Dr. Tiffany Mitchell Patterson, an assistant professor of secondary social studies in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction/Literacy Studies at West Virginia University. Before entering into higher education Dr. Mitchell Patterson spent a decade teaching students in DC and Virginia about history, social justice, and activism. Her passion and expertise for these concepts is evident throughout our conversation and our dialogue is filled with insight about how to handle difficult, but vital classroom conversations about identity, power, and justice. One of the many things that Julie and I...
2021-03-1656 minHuman Restoration Project88: Connecting Through Transferable Learning w/ Trevor Aleo, Kayla Duncan, & Julie SternTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.In today's conversation, we're joined by Trevor Aleo, an English teacher in Wilton, Connecticut, Kayla Duncan, a professional instruction coach from Cumming, Georgia, and Julie Stern, author of Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding and many more, and workshop leader of Making Sense of Learning Transfer.Together, along with Krista Ferraro, a history teacher from Braintree, Massachusetts, have written Learning That Transfers: Designing Curriculum for a Changing World, releasing in April, 2021. This work connects interdisciplinary learning, centers students in instructional design, and offers educators with tools to...
2021-03-1446 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Paul Bloomberg Talks Honor, Impact, and FeedbackOur guest this week is Dr. Paul Bloomberg, Co-founder of the Core Collaborative and author of Peer Power: Unite Learn, Prosper: Activate an Assessment Revolution. In this personal and impactful episode, Paul shares some of the struggles of managing an educational organization in the age of upheaval caused by COVID-19. Though the particularities of his journey over the last year are unique, we will all be able to relate to the impact this last year has had on our practice and perspective. Throughout the episode, Dr. Bloomberg exemplifies the humility, empathy, and willingness to adapt that is necessary for...
2021-03-0258 minConceptually SpeakingJulie Stern, Krista Ferraro, Kayla Duncan, and Trevor Aleo Talk Learning that Transfers This week’s episode of Conceptually Speaking is a special one. It’s the kick-off of our Learning That Transfers Book Tour! To mark the occasion, Julie and I were joined by our two co-authors, Kayla Duncan and Krista Ferraro. The goal of this podcast is to share a little bit about the journey we started on together roughly a year ago to bring this book to life. It all seemed routine at the time, but considering this book was written by a group of people who had never all been in the same room, and in the middle of a...
2021-02-1657 min
consideranew (+ Season 2 cohost, Dr. Jane Shore of School of Thought)Season 1: Episode 19 - Alexi Pappas: Choose abundance."Alexi Pappas Is Bravey" on the Rich Roll Podcast (February 8, 2021) (https://www.richroll.com/podcast/alexi-pappas-579/)"I think it takes a certain muscle to feel like the world is a reservoir that gives rather than takes. And… we all have a choice to make about that, whether we see the world that way or not. But if we can see it as something where we’re allowed to get things and soak it in, then we can get it anywhere we look" (31:13-31:38). - Alexi Pappas References:Alexi Pappas (https://twitt...
2021-02-1007 minConceptually SpeakingPeter DeWitt Talks Leadership, Engagement, and WellbeingThis week’s episode of conceptually speaking features author, consultant, and EdWeek blogger and moderator, Peter DeWitt. Despite these honorifics, it won’t take long to realize they don’t matter much to him. In fact, Julie and I had to press him on how he’d like to be introduced. Funnily enough, I’d venture a guess that same humility and groundedness are what makes him such a phenomenal leader. Discussions about leadership often focus on externalities—routines, structures, meetings, professional development, the list goes on. What I loved about this episode though, was Peter’s focus on the interior l...
2021-02-0254 min
What's the Big Idea?Learning That Transfers with Kayla Duncan and Trevor AleoIn which Dan talks conceptual learning, and reframing so much of what we do in education with Kayla Duncan (@MrsKaylaDuncan) and Trevor Aleo (@MrAleoSays). They're part of a team that authored an upcoming book that's not afraid to take on big, important issues in education. We talk transfer, going slow to go fast, teacher credibility, and what it's like to write an education book. As always we welcome comments and questions on Twitter @BigIdeaEdMentioned in the show:Learning That Transfers: Designing Curriculum for a Changing World by Julie Stern, Krista Ferraro, Kayla Duncan, and Trevor...
2021-01-2843 minConceptually SpeakingVince Bustamante Talks Implementation and Student Centered AssessmentOur guest this week is Vince Bustamante, a social studies consultant and co-author of Great Teaching By Design and the Distance Learning Assessment Playbook. Vince is a member of our extended team and has been doing some great work with conceptual understanding and transfer in his hometown of Alberta, Canada. He’s also been busy writing two stellar books meant to help teachers implement Dr. John Hattie’s research in in-person and distance environments and he shares some great tips on important shifts we can make to adjust to our new COVID reality Vince’s experience as both a classr...
2021-01-1953 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Jennifer Chang Wathall Talks eLearning and Transforming PedagogyToday’s episode of Conceptually Speaking features author, consultant, and eLearning innovator, Dr. Jennifer Chang Wathall. Dr. Wathall, or Jenny, as she requests we call her, brings a refreshing balance of disciplinary expertise and an eye for innovation. We cover a wide range of topics in our dialogue, from assessment to higher education to online teaching, but the connective tissue between each one is her desire to transform learning and pedagogy. Dr. Walthall advocates for designing authentic learning experiences that blend disciplinary expertise with interdisciplinary collaboration and finding ways to position students as producers and publishers of knowledge, instead of...
2021-01-0555 minConceptually SpeakingHannah Testa Talks Education, Collaboration, and Youth ActivismToday’s episode of Conceptually Speaking is a special one—Our first episode with an actual student! Though Hannah Testa is a student in Forsyth County, Georgia, that’s just one of many hats she wears. She is also a Founder of the non-profit Hannah4Change, an author, presenter, TEDx speaker, politico, and more besides. She is one of a growing number of Generation Z activists whose compelling, earnest message demands attention. Her passion is raising awareness and mobilizing people and policy to protect wildlife and the environment and it’ll be immediately apparent that she has the knowl...
2020-12-2250 minConceptually SpeakingCaitlin Krause Talks Mindfulness, Wonder, and WellbeingThis week on Conceptually Speaking Julie and I spoke with designer of wonder, Caitlin Krause. As you can tell Caitlin doesn’t like labels or nouns to characterize her praxis. They are too static—too inert to capture the intentional fluidity of her work. Though her current specialty is virtual reality, her focus isn’t on hardware, it’s on humanity. There are few people who so consciously and warmly center the experience, wonder, and connective potential of technology quite like Caitlin can. The focus of our dialogue today wasn’t technology itself, but rather the relationships it fosters—with ourselv...
2020-12-0857 minConceptually SpeakingDan Ryder Talks Acceptance, Communication, and TrustToday’s episode of Conceptually Speaking features educator, author, consultant, maker, and all around lover of learning, Dan Ryder. As you can tell by his bio, Dan is a bit of a polymath. He writes and presents about creativity, design thinking, maker spaces, comic books, and—as is the focus tonight—improv. It’s those generalist tendencies are what make him such a compelling guest and intuitive educator. Despite his far-flung interests, his concepts of focus for the episode—acceptance, communication, and trust, lie at the heart of all he does. That’s because, like us, Dan understands the value of anc...
2020-11-2457 minConceptually SpeakingKayla Duncan & Nichelle Pinkney Talk Community, Sensemaking, and AccessibilityToday’s guests are none other than our very own Nichelle Pinkney and Kayla Duncan. Since the mad dash to distance learning environments last summer, Julie and the team have been hard at work looking to design a suite of courses that would help us spread the word and build a community of practice around learning that transfers. We had a blast designing the Learning Transfer Endorsed Educator Course, and have received a lot of positive feedback during our first two cohorts. As our third cohort kicks off this week, we thought it’d be fun to look back and...
2020-11-1050 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Michael Crawford Talks Professional Learning, Teacher Training, and ChoiceToday’s guest is Dr. Michael Crawford--co-founder of Edspace, a social learning network for educators. As someone with expertise and insight into the evolving nature of education, professional development, and educational technology, he was the perfect guest for our current moment. Our conversation touches on a wide variety of topics, from wellness, to new models of professional learning, to the power of autonomy for teachers and students. What makes Michael such a great thinker and voice in education is his ability to recognize the connective tissue between various emerging research and trends within education. It’s at that point of c...
2020-10-2057 minConceptually SpeakingJaoquin Tomayo Talks Systems and Science of LearningIn this week’s episode of Conceptually Speaking, Julie and I chatted With Joaquin Tomayo, a senior policy advisor at the Education Council, who looks to leverage the science of learning to create more equitable systems for students through research and policy. What I loved about this conversation was Jaoquin’s ability to take some of education's oldest truisms—like the importance of relationships, why our learning environment matters, and how education as a system is broken—and provide keen insight into the “why.” If we hope to create systems and policies that truly serve the best interest of their studen...
2020-10-061h 13Conceptually SpeakingRafael Angel Talks Language and CommunicationThis week on Conceptually Speaking we welcomed Rafel Angel, a language educator and founder of the Ampersand Consulting Group. To say that Rafael is passionate about world languages is a bit of an understatement. When we first shared the learning transfer mental model with him, he sent back a PDF exploring anchoring concepts in no less than eight different languages. Impressive as that is, what really made Rafael a compelling guest was the beauty and artistry with which he speaks about communication. For him, learning other languages is about much more than memorizing terms and conjugating verbs—it’s abou...
2020-09-2257 minConceptually SpeakingAyo Magwood talks Inequity, Antiracism, and History Our guest this week is Ayo Magwood, founder of Uprooting Inequity—her platform dedicated to sharing resources, curriculum & instructional strategies for teaching about systemic racism & social justice through historical and civics education frameworks. From the moment this podcast begins, Ayo’s deep knowledge of racism, history, and pedagogy is spellbinding. In our overly specialized and atomized academic world, her ability to find an intersection between these three domains set her apart from a lot of other folks working in this field. Understanding problems as complex as systemic racism require nuance, thorough research, and the ability to synthesize count...
2020-09-091h 10Conceptually SpeakingMisty Paterson Talks Artistry, Purposeful Play, and MaterialsThis week on Conceptually Speaking we chatted with concept-based certified consultant, PYP teacher, and author of Pop Up Studio, Misty Patterson. What I loved about this episode is Misty’s ability to cross boundaries and integrate different practices. Though loose parts may appear to be fun and frivolous to the uninitiated, this episode makes it clear just how complex, nuanced, and rewarding they can be when used with intention and discernment. They are springboards for inquiry, tools for meaning-making, and primers for analogical thinking. It’s a practice that becomes even more powerful when paired with curriculum anchored by conc...
2020-08-2552 minConceptually SpeakingRachel Crouch Talks Culture, Accountability, and Restorative PracticesOur guest this week is the current principal of Washington DC’s Perry Street Prep, Rachel Crouch. As the school year looms large for teachers, it’s a time of uncertainty for students, their families, educators, and administrators alike. There’s a lot of discussion around concepts like culture and connection, but actually fostering them in school is much more challenging than defining them or placing them on a PowerPoint. In our conversation this week, Rachel shares how she was able to transform Perry Street Prep by using restorative practices, building a sense of community, and creating a culture where...
2020-08-1152 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Yong Zhao Talks Student Autonomy and the Future of EducationOur guest this week is distinguished education professor Dr. Yong Zhao. Technically, Dr. Zhao’s work focuses on the implications of globalization and technology for education, but as you’ll soon hear in our podcast, his real focus is on kids relationship with education: how it should evolve, what it could be, and how they should take a larger role in determining what it looks like. For that reason, Dr. Zhao’s focus and vision are firmly fixed on the future of education. Though each generation has differing values, beliefs, and norms its difficult to overstate the current gap betwee...
2020-08-0450 minConceptually SpeakingMatthew Murrie Talks Curiosity and ConnectionOur guest this week is entrepreneur and chief curiosity curator at What If? Curiosity, Matt Murrie. As you can tell by his title, he loves to get curious—about education, about people, about things, events, processes, and well, basically everything. It’s what makes him and his method for curiosity-based learning so compelling. Matt regards curiosity as a natural resource—fuel that can provide the power necessary to tackle complex, important problems. As you’ll be able to tell from our conversation, he has a full tank and his energy and enthusiasm are as contagious as his trademark question: What If...
2020-07-2854 minConceptually SpeakingDaryn Cambridge Talks Love, Non-Violence, and Social Justice Our guest this week is Daryn Cambridge, a facilitator and experiential educator of non-violent practice. With everything happening in our world today, its a timely discussion. Of course, the issue of structural racism and discrimination isn’t new, but the recent murder of George Floyd has shown a spotlight on the injustices these systems perpetuate. As someone who's devoted their life and career to studying the ways non-violence can be a powerful form of action and activism, Daryn is an incredible resource on its history and methodology. What spoke to me most during our conversation was Daryn’s commitment to th...
2020-07-2157 minConceptually SpeakingMaimuna Ahmad Talks Healing, Awareness, and Collective LeadershipOur guest this week is Maimuna Ahmad, founder of the Non-Profit Teach for Bangladesh. Maimuna believes that education is a tool that can help students succeed the world over, but whose particularly interested in creating more equitable system in Bangladesh. Our conversation today will explore her work towards cocreating schools to achieve those ends and some of the lessons shes learned along the way. One thing that was clear during our conversation was that, in addition to being well versed in the systemic and structural hurdles that must be overcome to repair education, Maimuna is also keenly aware of...
2020-07-1446 minConceptually SpeakingDavid Lee Talks Authentic Learning, and EdupermacultureOur guest this week is DesignThinker, Tech & Innovation Specialist, David Lee. David teaches at the Singapore American School, and is doing some incredible work there. On today’s episode, we’ll explore his idea of edupermaculture, which he defines as an approach to education that centers around simulating experiences and directly utilizing the behaviors, strategies, practices, and systems found in successful, real world learning environments and integrating them into school learning experiences and ecosystems. Over the course of our dialogue you’ll hear some awesome, concrete examples of how David anchors his teaching and student’s learning in authentic contexts...
2020-07-0742 minConceptually SpeakingChloé Valdary Talks Self-Knowledge, Criticism, and LoveOur guest this week is writer and entrepreneur Chloé Valdery. Chloe has written for outlets like the New York Times, USA Today, and Psychology Today. Although those are labels that describe what she does and has achieved, Chloe is the type of guest who doesn’t easily fit in to boxes or categories. In fact, one of her creative strengths is to grapple with the paradox and cognitive dissonance that is such an integral part of modern life. Her Social Emotional Program and start up venture, The Theory of Enchantment, is an incredible mashup of pop-culture, psychology, and philosophy tha...
2020-06-3052 minConceptually SpeakingAdam Hansen Talks Innovation and MetacognitionOur guest this week is friend of the podcast, Adam Hansen. Adam’s company, IdeasToGo is an Innovation Consulting firm that helps Fortune 200 companies think outside the box and come up with unique, relevant solutions to their problems. What makes Adam such a fascinating guest is his uniquely human approach to innovation. Whereas much of the eduDiscourse around innovation involves the latest apps and gadgets, Adam is much more interested in the innovative tools that make us human—metaphors, metacognition, and a deep desire to make sense of our world. To his mind, innovation is all about human potential. Alth...
2020-06-2352 minConceptually SpeakingTony Weaver Talks Community, Power, & HeroismOur guest today is founder and CEO of weird enough productions, Tony Weaver. His comic series, The Uncommons is Tony’s creative outlet to design engrossing stories as well as promote digital literacy and social emotional wellbeing. As you’ll soon be able to tell, Tony has a passion for pop-culture. This passion for comics, anime, and videogames is what makes the content he produces at Weird Enough so compelling and familiar for kids. We have never had a guest who so clearly understands the plight and perspective of Gen Z students—their hobbies, their trends, their digital lives. And, a...
2020-06-1648 minConceptually SpeakingAngela Stockman Talks Equity, Voice, & Metaphorical ThinkingOur guest this week is Angela Stockman, author of Hacking the Writing Workshop, Make Writing, and the upcoming Creating Inclusive Writing Environments in the K-12 Classroom. If you can’t tell by her titles, Angela’s passion is writing—sort of. At the heart of Angela’s work with writing is a deep commitment to broaden the ways students are able to make meaning, leveraging a wider variety of tools than just the written word. The education system’s relationship and centering of print is one with a surprising history with some pretty serious consequences—ones that Angela is trying to rec...
2020-06-0950 minConceptually SpeakingKathleen St. Villier Hill Talks Identity, Relationships, and ActionIn today’s episode, Julie and I chat with Kathleen St. Villier Hill. Kathleen is currently the director Elijah Cummings Youth Program and an advocate for youth leadership and community building in Baltimore Maryland. Our conversation today will explore the relationship between identity, relationships, and action. With everything happening right now in the America right now, we felt this was a topical conversation that would challenge educators to grapple with how our own identity impacts the way we relate to and engage with our students and each other. The importance of this reflection is a major theme in this ep...
2020-06-0350 minConceptually SpeakingOliver Caviglioli Talks Metaphors, Design, and Visual-Spatial ThinkingOur guest this week is Oliver Caviglioi, an author, illustrator, and previous head of special school from across the pond in the UK. What makes him such an impressive thinker (and great guest) is his ability to explore educational theory from an artistic and scientific perspective. Better still, he weaves and integrates them to the point, where you’ll soon realize that there’s way more overlap than you might have expected. The true beauty of this episode though lies in Oliver’s ability to leverage the very metaphors he recommends teachers use in his own explanations.Our co...
2020-05-2652 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Jenni Donohoo Talks Collective EfficacyOur guest today is best selling author, consultant, and facilitator Jenni Donohoo. Jenni’s work focuses on the idea of collective efficacy—a belief system that asserts, through teacher’s shared beliefs and actions, schools can positively affect student outcomes. Something that, at first glance might seem straightforward, but as you’ll realize over the course of this episode, is infinitely complex. We used the concepts of beliefs, expectations, results, efforts, and collaboration to frame today’s conversation, and I know that personally, my head is still spinning at the game changing potential collective efficacy can have in education. Jenni’s vi...
2020-05-1945 minConceptually SpeakingJustine Harris Talks Gardening & SustainabilityOur guest today is none other than Julie’s mom, Justine Harris! In our first ever recording, Justine was kind enough to loan us her time and expertise talking about gardening. With many people looking for more sustainable ways to grow food, or even just time to pick up an ecologically friendly hobby, we felt a discussion about gardening would be pretty topical. Justine is a knowledgeable guest who provides some great, practical ideas about how to get started working on your own garden. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, our conversation today will touch on topi...
2020-05-1224 minConceptually SpeakingKen Gordon Talks Writing & AuthenticityOur guest this week is writer, humanist, and self-described enthusiast, Ken Gordon. I met Ken a few years ago at a Business Innovation Factory conference, and was immediately drawn to his quick wit and authenticity. In fact, authenticity will be a big part of today’s conversation. When I asked Ken for a topic, he naturally chose writing--he’s been published by outlets like The Atlantic and New York Times, and is a true believer in the power of writing. What you’ll soon realize though, is nobody puts Ken in a corner, as no job title can easily nail d...
2020-05-1243 minConceptually SpeakingKristi Beckman Talks Leadership & AccountabilityMy guest today is Kristi Beckman. Kristi has been a teacher, adjunct professor, soccer coach and served as a culture and wellness coordinator for D. C. United Youth Academy. But she's more than the sum of her accomplishments and job titles. Wherever she goes, Kristi is a leader and a mentor. Whether it's the classroom or on the pitch, I've seen her transform the lives of young people in amazing ways. That's because, put simply, Kristi just gets people, and at the core of her various roles and responsibilities lies a deep desire to help others grow. Our conversation...
2020-05-1236 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Jody Carrington Talks Relationships & Connection Our guest today is Dr. Jody Carrington, author, consultant, keynote speaker, and all-around relationship expert. Over the course of this conversation we’ll be looking at how concepts like authenticity, connection, and physical presence impact human relationships. As you’ll immediately notice, Jody is a charismatic guest who is deeply passionate about what she does. What impressed us the most this episode, was how well she balances her deep specialized knowledge and accessible presenting style. Her message about forming meaningful bonds with those we’re entrusted to care for, whether that be between administrators and teachers or teacher...
2020-05-1253 minConceptually SpeakingDr. Sheron Brown Talks Equity & WellnessOur guest today is Dr. Sheron Brown, director of Tampa Bay Healthcare collaborative and a certified yoga and meditation instructor. Over the course of the conversation we’ll unpack the relationship between equity and wellness—and believe me there’s a lot to work through! What I appreciated about our dialogue was that Dr. Brown approaches the idea of wellness holistically, evaluating it from both a personal and structural perspective. She’ll explain systemic issues like redlining and food deserts, as well as personal tips like breathing techniques and how to embrace uncertainty. What this conversation really made clear though...
2020-05-1238 minConceptually SpeakingIntroductionWelcome to our new podcast, Conceptually Speaking! Check out our teaser. First episode will drop Tuesday, May 12th.Support the show
2020-05-0801 min
IB MattersDeep Dive into Conceptual Teaching with Adrian von Wrede-JervisSend us a textIn this episode we speak with Adrian von Wrede-Jervis. He is an experienced coordinator in an IB continuum school and he has done quite a lot of writing and sharing of his research regarding education in general, and IB education specifically. We reached out to him recently to have him speak to us about making conceptual teaching more relevant as students progress through the programs from early years all the way through the senior programs of the DP and CP.At 36 minutes we talk about distance and online teaching i...
2020-03-2949 minIB MattersA Conceptual Teaching Framework for Online Learning with Julie Stern, Trevor Aleo, and Kayla DuncanSend us a textIn this episode of IB Matters we talk to Julie Stern and two members of her training team, Trevor Aleo and Kayla Duncan. They recently published an Online Learning Template for teaching online that ensures teachers consider a conceptual framework when using distance learning. They walk you through the template and also share many great ways to think about effective teaching and learning as we experiment with new ways to teach in the coming weeks during the COVID-19 Virus outbreak.Links from the podcast (Be sure to check out the...
2020-03-2554 min