Help Me Understand

This episode looks at how one ESD partnered with school districts and a teacher's union to bring more equitable grading practices to the students and families that they serve.

Chris and I recap the final long day of TED 2022. We talk about art, science and how to get more people into this type of learning space.

Chris and I recap our day including our trip to the hockey game. Lots of great ideas on topics surrounding play, wellbeing and vision

Chris McGee and I discuss day two through our late night dispatch after a long day of thinking, listening, talking and riding bikes.

Dr. Chris McGee joins me as we recap our experience from day one of the TED Conference in Vancouver.

We reach into the mailbag for some questions on learning space design as well as discuss some future projects coming to the podcast.

This episode originally aired as a part of a project that I worked on for the Oregon Department of Education. You can listen to the original at: https://anchor.fm/oregon-egp. If you want to know more about this project, there are links in their show notes. Today, you hear from a team at Beaverton School District.

This episode originally aired as a part of a project that I worked on for the Oregon Department of Education. You can listen to the original at: https://anchor.fm/oregon-egp. If you want to know more about this project, there are links in their show notes. Today, you hear from a team of teachers at Athey Creek Middle School.

This is a start of a mini-series of mini-podcasts answering some frequently asked questions by listeners and educators. In this episode, we talk about soft seating in middle school, outdoor learning spaces and seating charts

This episode features Kelly Hyatt. She serves as the librarian at Central High School in Knox County, TN. Kelly has recently co-designed and launched a calming space in their library. She talks about her process to make the new space a reality, the initial reaction of students and outlines suggestions for others that are looking to create spaces to meet the needs of students.

The Learning Playground is a series of spatial vignettes embracing nature connectedness, human connection, and emerging technologies to showcase virtual and physical environmental elements affiliated with enhancing mental, physical health and wellbeing, resilience, and learning outcomes. Link - Research and Resources: https://go.hcm2.com/the-learning-playground Link - Virtual Environment: https://yulio.com/3baI9ZggGd

This conversation provides some perspective of the life of a school principal during a pandemic. We talk about staying connected to families. Helping teachers feel safe in their school space, and how he has worked to continue learning in these trying conditions. Doug is an elementary principal in the Colonel School District in Delaware.

Derek and I kick off season five with a conversation about community. Our pandemic year has made being in community difficult, and it has shined a bright light on the power of community. This conversation started from my reading of The Power of Ritual, a book that I highly recommend. Derek is the pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Bay Hill, Florida.

Sam Chaltain (@samchaltain) is a partner at 180 Studio, a global design collaborative dedicated to advancing people’s understanding of the future of learning — and what it requires. Sam’s writings about his work have appeared in both magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. A former speechwriter for each of President Obama’s U.S. Secretaries of Education, Sam has also written for Oscar and Grammy Award winning artists. A periodic contributor to CNN, Sam is the author or co-author of seven books; a co-producer of the PBS documentary film, 180 Days: Hartsville; and co-creator of the 10-part online film series, A Year at Mission Hill. Sam has a Master’s degree in American Studies from the College of William & Mary, and an M.B.A. from George Washington University, where he specialized in non-profit management and organizational theory. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he graduated with a double major in Afro-American Studies and History.

With over 45 years of experience and a doctorate in education, Dr. Sandra Duncan has a wide and varied background in early care and education. She has extensive experience in working with young children and parents, teaching at the university level, designing professional development programs for practitioners, and authoring several teacher resource books. In this episode, we talk about how our work around intentional design comes together and her vision for what is possible going forward.

Glenn Barnes is the coordinator of social studies learning for Saint Louis Public School. He is a graduate of Drury University as well as part of the leadership team for Connected Learning. Following Glenn on Twitter @socratesaskswhy.

Josh and I discuss opening a school library during a pandemic as well as how he is working to keep the maker culture rolling in his school.

Derek takes over as the host, and I answer some of questions about the future of school, taking care of kids in a pandemic, and what makes me tick as a leader. I hope you enjoy what is destined to be an ongoing feature of the podcast.

This episode continues our conversation about what we have learned from teaching and learning during a pandemic. This episode and part one of this series was supported by Color Art Interiors

This podcast was crafted in partnership with Color Art Interiors. They are helping schools and districts to design innovative spaces in the Saint Louis area and beyond. This episode features a number of educators discussing what is working and what remains a challenge in our current learning environments during this pandemic.

Joseph Phelan and I come back together to talk about projects on the campus at Saint Andrews (MD). This conversation looks at some of the technical elements of design, and how he is going about bringing new projects to life in a pandemic. Some great ideas for considerations for those that are designing any type of space.

In this mini-episode, I talk about the many impressive things that teachers are doing to adjust to virtual learning as well as how we may take two steps forward and one step back as we move from full virtual to hybrid models of learning.

This episode is a preview of my guest appearance on the Impact Learning Podcast. For the full episode, click here. https://impactlearning.simplecast.com/episodes/robert-dillon

The episode dives into the changing role of teaching and learning as well as some of the opportunities that schools have to make long-term changes in the way that they support students.

This conversation starts with us discussing the future of learning spaces in this time of disruption, and then we broaden the scope to talk about how we can positively impact families, communities, and the planet with our work for excellent spaces for all.

This episode looks at some of the issues facing schools as they return for the new year.

This special episode of the Help Me Understand Podcast features my father, Robert Dillon, Sr. We actually recorded the audio for this episode a few years ago as a part of the Mobile StoryCorps project when it came to Saint Louis. This was a memorable conversation for me as we talked about my dad’s childhood, important memories for him, and a bit about how he sees the world. I’m excited to have the Help Me Understand podcast in which to share this conversation, and a special thanks to StoryCorps for creating the environment to make this possible.

Dr. Jason Michel is an assistant principal at Parkview High School in Springfield Missouri. It is a graduate of Drury University. Jason is a true servant leader that puts students and teachers first. In this episode, we talk about leading a school from quarantine, and how schools need to evolve going forward.

In this episode, we discuss Stacey's work in emergency medicine as well as how she continues to look for challenges, adventures, and experiences through her work and at home. Dr. Stacey Ulrich, MD is a pediatric emergency medicine specialist in San Diego, CA. She was a graduate of Pattonville High School in 1992. Stacey is the mother of two boys.

Rayna is an amazing educator, and she currently serves as the president for MASSCUE. Rayna Freedman is currently a 5th grade teacher at the Jordan/Jackson Elementary School in Mansfield, MA. Rayna has a B.S. in Education from the University of Vermont and a M.Ed in Educational Technology from Lesley University. She is a Google Level 2 certified educator, a BrainPOP certified educator, Flipgrid Ambassador, Fablevision Ambassador and Wakelet Ambassador. Rayna has presented for ISTE, Ed Tech Teacher, Tech and Learning, Medfield Digital Learning Day, FETC, BPLC, and BLC.

Andy Marcinek is a thinker, leader, and educator. He has helped schools continue to rethink what is possible in learning through technology and innovative practices. Andrew Marcinek is currently the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School. Andrew was the first Chief Open Education Advisor for the US Department of Education. In that role, Andrew focused on accelerating the adoption of open education policies within the Department and across the federal government. As part of this campaign, Andrew organized a White House event that launched a national movement called #GoOpen and brought together EdTech companies, district and state leaders, and nonprofits. His ultimate goal is to increase the curation and sharing of open educational materials by educators throughout the country. Prior to that, he served as Director of Technology, Instructional Technology Specialist, and secondary English teacher in schools in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Don Wettrick is a leader and educator that supports innovation and entrepreneurship in schools and communities. Don Wettrick is the President and founder of STARTedUP, a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurial events, training, and seed funding for young entrepreneurs. STARTedUP also supports Innovate WithIN, a state wide pitch competition in Indiana. Don is also a podcast host for STARTedUP, which hosts some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs and authors.

Noah is a coach and head of athlete development for the Williams Racing Academy, https://www.williamsracingacademy.com/. He also hosts The Second Echelon Podcast, https://www.williamsracingacademy.com/thesecondechelon. Noah and I discuss competitive cycling, and how his work as a coach continues to grow more and more technical in nature. Noah has seen and experienced cycling over many years as a fan, competitor, and now coach. More about Noah can be found here, https://www.williamsracingacademy.com/noah-williams

In this episode, Amber and I talk about the demands of being a school leader in these uncertain times, and her efforts to understand those around her using the wisdom of the Enneagram. Amber Teamann is the proud principal of Whitt Elementary in Wylie ISD in Wylie, Texas. During her educational career, Amber’s comprehensive understanding of student learning has resulted in a successful blend of technology and teaching. From a 4th grade teacher at a public school technology center, to her role as a Title I Technology Facilitator responsible for 17 campuses, Amber has helped students and staff navigate their digital abilities and responsibilities. More about Amber can be found at her website, https://technicallyteamann.com/about/

This episode future Bill Selak. Bill and I discuss the future of learning as well as his passion around sound design. Bill is an ISTE Kay L. Bitter Vision Award winner, ISTE Emerging Leader, Google Certified Innovator, Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Educator Level 2, Apple Teacher, ISTE Certified Educator, and I’m Leading Edge Certified in Online & Blended Teaching, the Digital Educator, and Professional Developer certifications. He uses technology to shape the experience of each of my students. On this website, http://www.billselak.com/, he writes about how technology is shaping the face of modern education. Bill believes that technology empowers educators to better individualize teaching and learning, and empowers students to communicate in their own style.

In this episode, we talk about some of the ways that Josh is serving his community during this global pandemic, how to modernize the library learning experience, and some the people and moments that have shaped Josh as a dad, educator, and athlete. More about Josh, his work, books, and how we supports schools can be found at www.joshstumpenhorst.com

This episode features Dr. Monica Burns. To learn more about Monica and her work head over to classtechtips.com. You can also connectwith her on all of these social media channels: Twitter: @ClassTechTips, Facebook: ClassTechTips and Instagram: @ClassTechTips. Listen, rate, and review her podcast, Easy EdTech Podcast: https://classtechtips.com/category/podcast/ Don't forget to read: Tasks Before Apps: Designing Rigorous Learning in a Tech-Rich Classroom: classtechtips.com/books.

This episode is part of my efforts to feature the contributions of the Pattonville High School Class of 1992, and it was a pleasure or laugh and smile with Wendy. We also explored the skills that we bring to the work place. The ideas of solving problems, getting things done, helping systems changes, project management, and getting things organized. We even spent a few moments talking about our mutual love of Colorado.

Heather is a 1991 Pattonville graduate, small business owner, and entrepreneur. We talk about the wisdom that comes from growing your own business, the subjects in schools that have crept back into her work, and the joy that she gets in supporting so many around the country as they expand their businesses. It was insightful to hear how communications, marketing, science, and listening are all keys to her success. Heather is Clinical & Business Development Educator at Jan Marini.

Michelle and I talk about the importance of caring for students heads and hearts especially in this time of distance learning. Michelle is an SEL Expert, Elementary Educator, Mindfulness Practitioner, National & Tedx Speaker. More on Michele HERE

Kelly and I talk about a number of big ideas including her founding a school and how it supports kids. To learn more about Kelly, go HERE.

This episode features Jane Bannester. Jane is a teacher at Ritenour High School and a 1992 Graduate of Pattonville High School. Check out more about what she does with media convergence HERE.

Michele and I talk about her new book as well as modern learning and all of its elements. Michele Eaton is the Director of Virtual and Blended Learning for the M.S.D. of Wayne Township in Indianapolis, Indiana. She focuses on staff and course development for Achieve Virtual Education Academy and provides leadership for the district's blended initiatives. Michele is a CoSN CETL and 2016 Next Generation Leader, 2018 EdWeek Leader to Learn From, President Elect of the ISTE Online Learning Network, IUPUI online instructor, Conference Chair for the Indiana Connected Educators organization, member of the EdTech Heroes, and moderator for the #INeLearn chat. You can follow her on Twitter at @micheeaton and @the411vodcast.

This is our first of many episodes together as we discuss space design through an operations lens. Connect with Joseph at jphelan@saes.org

Riina and I discuss her work to build schools and systems into sustainable places to serve students. She is an ELA teacher with 16 years experience teaching grades 7-12, but 9th has always been her sweet spot. She is passionate about professional development, instructional coaching and curriculum. Currently, she works for MEERS/Goodwill Missouri as the Coordinator of Professional Development, Curriculum, and Instruction serving four adult high schools on a year round accelerated program that awards a traditional diploma to students who dropped out and are now 21 or older. As a side gig, she serves as the Operations Manager for the Teacher Self-Care conference series (http://teacherselfcare.org/) and writes for both The Educator's Room and The Instructional Coach Academy (https://theeducatorsroom.com/). She also facilitates professional development sessions for teachers focused on professionalism as self-care with specific concrete strategies that help teachers cultivate intentional positivity so they can control their thinking and take charge of their classroom practice. I can be reached via email at doctorriina@gmail.com, via Twitter @dr_riina, via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-riina-hirsch or via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Riina .

Mike and I talk about PBL and how is meshes with SEL and other areas of learning. More about Mike over at https://www.michaelkaechele.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter at: @mikekaechele

Dan and I talk about serving others, supporting our families, and being genuine leaders. Reach out to Dan at dan.kennedy@kumveka.org or learn more about Kumveka at https://www.kumveka.org/

Eric Menkhus is the Associate Dean of New Education Initiatives, Clinical Professor of Law, and Faculty Fellow, Center for Law, Science & Innovation at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Eric Menkhus is leading the College of Law’s efforts in new initiatives, including expanding online learning and online programs, as Director of New Program Development. Eric can be reached at eric.menkhus@asu.edu

April and I discuss being parents, supporting teaching and learning, and the best of humanity. You can connect with April at aprilmvernon@gmail.com.

Derek and I discuss leadership, empowering others, and building a culture of care and support. He is the pastor of Salem Lutheran Church. You can connect with Derek at pastorhoven@salemlc.net. His instagram account is https://www.instagram.com/revdmh/?hl=en.

Bridgitte Alomes, CEO of Natural Pod, joined the podcast to help me understand the mission of this learning environments partner. They work with schools to truly redesign and rethink space. Check out this TED talk from Bridgitte (https://youtu.be/IIzyfJQbuT8) and more about Natural Pod and their work. (https://naturalpod.com/)