Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Beth and Greg Langston: College Flight Plan - Helping Teens Get Accepted Into the College of Their Choice. This is episode 442 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. My guests today are Beth and Greg Langston.  For the last 20 years, Beth and Greg have empowered students to master their self-discovery, allowing them to successfully activate their life’s purpose.  Beth, who graduated from Purdue University in Education, has guided hundreds of high school students worldwide to navigate the dreaded college applications essay process with tremendous success.  Greg graduated from Purdue's Krannert School of Business. Greg pursued an international business career which allowed him to mentor hundreds of young professionals while leading businesses worth over $1 billion and working in 65 countries. By the time their kids were 13, they had been to 12 schools and lived in 5 countries.  Today we are talking about Top 5 Early Actions That Lead To College Success, College Flight Plan, and some helpful, awes

Brandon Miller - CEO of 34 Strong - Team Building Ideas and Parenting Thoughts. This is episode 441 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Brandon Miller is a world-leading expert in strengths-based organizational development. As CEO of 34 Strong Inc, he has successfully leveraged strengths-based workshops and coaching to impact engagement and key business metrics for major organizations such as Tesla, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Bank of America, among many others. His work with businesses is inspired and complemented by his passion for family and parenting, having co-authored two books with his wife on the values of strengths-based parenting. Brandon’s message is actionable and engaging for a multitude of audiences - CEOs will find his strengths-based approach to management valuable, HR leaders will love his take on maximizing engagement, and moms and dads in business will enjoy his unique insights into the relationship between leadership and parenting! Thanks for listening

Amy Jussel - Digital Dogs Media Literacy Books - The Secret of the Vanishing Bones: Tracking the Data Trail. This is episode 440 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.  Amy Jussel, the founder of Shaping Youth, has authored a first of its kind children’s book series building on her national media literacy education expertise to embed digital savvy into K-5 storytelling.  With screen time doubled via online learning, now more than ever critical thinking skills specific to media and devices are a necessity to help kids navigate the ever-changing influences of the digital landscape.  The first book in the series, “The Secret of the Vanishing Bones: Tracking the Data Trail” centers around data privacy as a playful pack of pups sleuth, sniff around and dig deeper into questions about media messages and the technology being used. Readers build core inquiry habits and develop digital detective skills while solving the mystery. Unlike any other in the “kid lit” genre, each book embeds both digital and

Kaitlin Trujillo - Key Account Manager for Impero Software - Supporting ELL Students, Special Education Students, and Teachers. This is episode 439 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Kaitlin Trujillo is a Key Account Manager, U.S. for Impero Software. Before beginning her career in EdTech, Trujillo taught for 10 years in schools in California and Portland. She has taught high school English, ESL and reading intervention and also has experience teaching trauma-informed practices. She holds a Master's Degree in Education, and a TESOL Certification and sees technology as playing a key role in providing equitable instruction to a variety of learners. Thanks for listening. So much to learn! But wait... Could you do me a favor? Please go to my website at https://www.stevenmiletto.com/reviews/ or open the podcast app that you are listening to me on and would you rate and review the podcast? That would be Awesome. Thanks! Ready to start your own podcast? Podbean is an awesome host. I have been wit

David Solomon - CEO of Lightspeed: Instructional Audio Solutions in K-12 Education. This is Episode 438 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. David Solomon is the CEO of Lightspeed. David’s been on the forefront of audio development for 12 years. His passion is uncovering the unspoken, often unrecognized challenges teachers and students struggle with daily and finding ways to apply audio technology to take down barriers to learning.  Lightspeed is the premier developer of instructional audio solutions in K-12 education, providing teachers and students with the perfect listening and learning environments. https://www.lightspeed-tek.com/ Thanks for listening. So much to learn! But wait... The holidays can be a particularly stressful time of year if you don't have a plan. Well have I got the solution for you!  Join my friend Lynn with  "Connect.Flow.Grow." in her launch of... Stress Less Holidays!  Lynn will teach you how to evaluate your stress and develop a plan to reduce it. Learn more about S

Michael Pellico talks about telling stories, the importance of reading, and writing children's books. This is episode 437 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. One of eleven children, whose parents both worked long hours. It was his responsibility to help raise his siblings. Growing up “poor”, he entertained his siblings with imaginative stories; often made-up right on the spot. Now, Michael Pellico is telling these stories to his nephews and nieces.   His books and all of his stories are dedicated to Sabrina, his niece, who insists that he tell her a story each time they are together. Often the plot is about some object within her view. Creativity is paramount.  Michael Pellico talks about telling stories, the importance of reading, and writing children's books. This is episode 437 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.  Moonbow Publishing was created by Michael Pellico, a successful writer and producer of films. He likes to publish quality children’s books that have adventure, co

Irshad Manji - Director of Moral Courage ED: Empowering Students to Hear, Not Fear, Other Perspectives. This is episode 436 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. The recipient of Oprah’s first “Chutzpah Award” for boldness, Irshad Manji is the founder of Moral Courage ED. A professor for more than 15 years, she now teaches at Oxford University’s Initiative for Global Ethics and Human rights.  Irshad is a New York Times bestselling author, most recently, of Don’t Label Me: How to Do Diversity Without Inflaming the Culture Wars. Manji is a globally acclaimed educator, author, and speaker. She serves as the Director of Moral Courage ED at Let Grow, a nonprofit that promotes independent thinking and emotional resilience in students. Its signature program for secondary school students (and their teachers!) is Moral Courage ED, which empowers students to hear, not fear, different perspectives.  Besides bringing the Moral Courage Method to schools, Irshad customizes it for universities and busines

  Chris Hull is the founder and Chief Product Officer of Otus, a Chicago-based Edtech company that centralizes work for educators, students and their families, eliminating the chaos of multiple systems. This is episode 435 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.   Chris grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and attended New Trier High School, where he poured most of his energy into playing basketball and other sports. He attended Denison University, where Chris continued to play basketball and became inspired by his professors to pursue teaching. In 2007, Chris became a full-time 7th Grade Social Studies teacher. As he taught, Chris grew frustrated with fractured Edtech systems, which took his focus away from helping students learn.   In 2010, he co-wrote a grant to bring one device to every student in the Social Studies department. On leap day in February of 2012, the idea for Otus was born.   Chris was nominated in 2016 for NSBA’s ‘20 to Watch' EdTech Leader, and has been showcased in the Chicago

Dr. Lynn Kepp - AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination): Closing the Opportunity Gap. This is episode 434 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Lynn Kepp is the Vice President of Executive Communications and Project Management Office at AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a nonprofit supporting more than 75,000 teachers per year in more than 7,500 school districts across the nation. For over 40 years, AVID has dedicated itself to closing the opportunity gap and serving schools and districts by helping educators shift to a more equitable, student-centered approach. Lynn spent the first decade of her career as a high school science teacher and district mentor and has dedicated her career since to supporting educators and students through education-led nonprofits. She has a Doctorate in Education from UC Riverside with a research focus on Teacher Development and has a Master’s in Science Education from Cal State Fullerton. Today, we are focused on AVID and closing the o

Ken Rusk - Blue Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness For Life. This is episode 433 of teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Ken Rusk is a blue-collar construction business entrepreneur who has launched multiple successful endeavors over the last thirty years. For the first years of his young working life, he dug ditches for a basement repair company in northern Ohio. Over the years, he dug his way to a good life, one shovel of dirt at a time, and is now teaching others to do the same. Rusk has extensive experience in hiring, training, and developing first-time job seekers, particularly those without college degrees. He lives in Toledo, Ohio, where he runs Rusk Industries, Inc. Today, we are focused on Ken's  book - Blue Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness For Life.  Thanks for listening. So much to learn! But wait... The holidays can be a particularly stressful time of year if you don't have a plan. Well have I got the solution for yo

Hunter Moore - CEO & Founder of Plasma Games - Getting Kids Interested in Pursuing STEM Field Careers. This is episode 432 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Hunter is the founder and CEO of Plasma Games. His passion for science and education began in childhood and later grew when he got a taste for educational instruction in the STEM field as a TA for engineering courses while in college. Hunter had the initial idea for Plasma Games based on his work experience at IBM, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, and Sandia National Laboratories, where a shortage of eligible, trained technical staff was apparent across the US economy. He has a BSME and MSME from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our focus today is learning about Plasma Games and getting kids interested in learning more about STEM career fields. Thanks for listening. So much to learn! But wait... The holidays can be a particularly stressful time of year if you don't have a

Michael L. Wehmeyer and Jennifer A. Kurth share their book Inclusive Education in a Strengths-Based Era: Mapping the Future of the Field. This is episode 431 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Michael L. Wehmeyer is the Ross and Marianna Beach Distinguished Professor of Special Education; Chairperson, Department of Special Education and Director and Senior Scientist at the Beach Center on Disability, all at the University of Kansas. He is a past-president and Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division 33 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorders, and a Fellow of the International Association on the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Jennifer A. Kurth is Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Her academic intere

Frances Schoonmaker - The Last Crystal Trilogy, Writing Techniques, and Research Practices. This is episode 430 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. After teaching elementary school for a dozen years, Frances Schoonmaker directed the graduate elementary and middle school teacher education program at Teachers College, Columbia University for nearly twenty years, drawing heavily on children’s literature and storytelling. Publications for children include five books in the Sterling Poetry for Young People series and Growing Up Caring, Values And Decision-Making (Glencoe/Macmillan). Frances draws on her background of growing up in rural Oklahoma to furnish vivid details of place and context. As a child she was fascinated by stories told by pioneer grandparents and exploring the remains of the dugout where her mother was born. In The Black Alabaster Box she makes room for both fact and fancy.    Schoonmaker has taught, lectured, and consulted internationally. She holds degrees from The Universit

Holly Sharp - Dream It & Do It: 100 Possibilities, Stories, and Real-Life Role Models for Girls and Boys. This is episode 429 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Holly Sharp helps kids discover career options and interests so they can grow into happy adults. She helps parents overcome the stress of finding the right hobbies and interests for their kids. She helps teachers approach this topic with greater purpose in the classroom. Her book, Dream It & Do It presents kids with 100 different careers and modern day role models. Holly’s book received the prestigious Gold Mom’s Choice Award, 5 out of 5 stars Review from Reader’s Choice and Midwest Book Review and first place for Royal DragonFly short stories. Today, we are focused on Holly’s book - Dream It & Do It: 100 Possibilities, Stories, and Real-Life Role Models for Girls and Boys. Thanks for listening. So much to learn! But wait... Check out Jeff Ikler's new podcast - Cultivating Resilience: A Whole Community Approach for Allev

Dr. Naphtali Hoff - Executive Coaching, Leadership, Mastermind Groups, and his book - Becoming the New Boss: The New Leader's Guide to Sustained Success. This is episode 428 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is an accomplished executive coach, organizational consultant, and sought after trainer and lecturer. He is the President and Executive Coach at Impactful Coaching & Consulting. Naphtali is passionate about leadership and writes about what makes leaders most successful. Naphtali is a former educator and school leader who loves to teach, learn and garden. He is the proud father of six and is married to a woman who he doesn't deserve. Today we are going to talk about coaching and why leaders need it, mastermind groups, becoming more productive as a leader, his podcast - Lead to Succeed and his book - Becoming the New Boss: The New Leader's Guide to Sustained Success. Thanks for listening. So much to learn! But wait... Check out Jeff Ikler's new podcast - Cultiv

N.L. Holmes Discusses Here Novel - Lake of Flowers: A Lord Hani Mystery. This is episode 427 of Teaching Learning Leading K12. N.L. Holmes is a prolific novelist embarking on another significant career phase. Prior to taking up the power of writing and using this pen name, she was an accomplished archaeologist and teacher for 25 years. Early in her career she served as a nun for two decades. In between she was an artist and antiques dealer. Yes, she has lived an interesting life and the sum of her experiences informs and inspires her writings today. Holmes, who earned her doctorate in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology Studies from Bryn Mawr College despite an offer to attend Princeton, has excavated in Greece and Israel, and taught ancient history and humanities at Stockton University in N.J. and University of South Florida for many years. She also did archaeological artwork for excavations from Lebanon. With seven published novels, Holmes is the creator of The Lord Hani Mysteries. The inspiration for

James Gilbert - Tales of Little Egypt: A Fictional Account of Small Town Life in America Between the Civil War and the Great Influenza Plague of 1918. This is episode 426 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Over the course of his career as a historian, James Gilbert published 11 history texts, one of which (Perfect Cities) was named a New York Times notable book of the year in 1986. Throughout his career, he has often succumbed to a love of travel made possible by teaching at the University of Paris and Warwick University in England, and with Fulbright Awards, at the University of Sydney, the University of Amsterdam, Erfurt and Tubingen Universities in Germany, and Uppsala University in Sweden, where he was given an honorary Doctoral Degree. Until 2020, he was the Faculty Fulbright Adviser at the University of Maryland.  Born in Chicago, Gilbert attended Carleton College and then the University of Wisconsin, earning a doctoral degree in American Intellectual and Cultural History. In 1966, he

  Penny Swift and Stephanie Nantell - Education Through Music: Transforming Schools with Music Education. This is episode 425 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Today, I’m talking with Penny Swift and Stephanie Nantell about Education Through Music which is focused on...Transforming Schools with Music Education. A little about Penny and Stephanie… Penny Swift is the former Executive Director of ETM. She joined Education Through Music in 2017 as the inaugural Chief Operation Officer. Penny has had an extensive career as an operational and strategic leader in early childhood education. Her career began in the service of under-resourced communities as a teacher and a special education administrator. As a lifelong advocate for equality and excellence in childhood education, Penny’s experience led her to senior leadership roles overseeing early childhood centers. She recently served as the Divisional Vice President at Brightside Academy, overseeing all early-childhood academies in New York and P

Emily Bernath - Rape Survivor, Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, and the author of Broken Lenses Volumes 1 & 2. This is episode 424 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Emily Bernath, a rape survivor, is a sexual assault victim advocate, author, and speaker.  Her first published book was Broken Lenses: Identifying Your Truths in a World of Lies (Morgan James Publishing, 2019). Bernath’s newest book is Broken Lenses, Volume 2: Seeing Others’ Value in a World of Division (Morgan James Publishing, June, 2021). Emily, who completed a 40-hour Sexual Assault Counselor Training course provided by UCASA, serves as an active board member with the non-profit, Reveal to Heal International. She offers support, counseling, and advocacy for sexual assault victims. She has participated in, and spoken at, numerous events and fundraisers in support of such victims with The Rape Recovery Center and The Walk of No Shame. She attends a non-denominational church, K2 the Church, and has a passion for reaching ou

Harold Phifer talks with me about his memoir - Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at a Beach Bar. This is episode 423 of the audio podcast Teaching Learning Leading K12. Harold Phifer was living a life that he was hiding from everyone—including himself. Then he met a woman at a bar in Thailand who cracked that secret open. Finally listened to, and guided by the stranger’s on-target, thoughtful questions, Harold spoke for the first time of his near-death experience in Afghanistan while flashing back to his dysfunctional past.   His inspiring memoir, Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar. does not shy away from the stark details of childhood bullying, family tension, being raised in poverty in 1960s Mississippi, a mother with schizophrenia, and feeling like an outsider even at home.  Having spent the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan as a contractor (air-controller), he survived a suicide bombing by the Taliban but feels more at peace amidst the war zone than he did during his shattered childhoo