Voices of eLearning

The blockchain revolution is stepping into the spotlight of e-learning, offering groundbreaking solutions for digital identity management. On the “Voices of E-Learning” podcast, host Leena Marie Saleh engages with Nick Dazé, the CEO of Heirloom Labs, to unpack this innovative technology. Dazé articulates how blockchain provides a secure, unassailable foundation for individuals to control their data, which could dramatically reduce administrative burdens and enhance data integrity in education systems.Heirloom Labs champions this cause by offering students direct access to its tools, establishing a collaborative learning space that serves as a real-world testing bed for their applications. Dazé's company culture, emphasizing respect and teamwork, mirrors the inclusive spirit they aim to foster within the broader educational community. This conversation between Saleh and Dazé offers listeners a glimpse into a future where technology like blockchain safeguards our digital footprint and redefines the educational experience.

As online degree programs, like Coursera, grow in popularity, so does fraud. Verifiable credentials, using decentralized identity technology, provide a solution by allowing instant credential verification. Online learning is revolutionizing education and micro credentialing is a key aspect of this transformation. On the Voices of eLearning podcast, Nick Lambert, CEO of Duck, discussed the importance of micro-credentials and fraud protection.

Has anyone ever said the job of a school principal is easy? No—and that isn't surprising. Somewhere in the definition of the term “school principal” probably should be the phrase “overcomer of challenges”. That's what they do every day.Some of the challenges in education faced by today's school principals range from everyday decision-making, scheduling, and curriculum design, to navigating the pandemic and its aftermath.Student and teacher burnout from the stresses of the past few years is the new normal. All principals face challenges to keep spirits high and get learning back on track. So, how do principals overcome challenges in education?That's what Voices of E-Learning's JW Marshall wanted to know. He's hosted a wide range of education leaders on his podcast over the past few seasons, but he's never heard from a principal until now. Joining Marshall for an in-depth conversation on the topic of school principals, leadership, and overcoming challenges in education was Dr. Derrice Randle, Former School Principal and current Educational/Corporate Trainer. Marshall asked Randle how technology fits in helping level some of those challenges.“One of the things I've tried to do, and I try to push forward with administrators, is, how can we get teachers to that place where they feel like they don't have so many things to do,” Randle said. “So, I can focus on my kids versus the extraneous things that are needed, but how can I focus more on my kids and less on that time that it takes to weed through data, to disaggregate data, and to figure out now, how do I take these great lessons that the district and I've come up with, and bring those to our kids in a way that allows every kid to make those incremental, and, sometimes, very large gains. We must be able to do that, and that's the goal of technology, to equip everyone with those tools needed.”Marshall and Randle's discussion includes:• The most helpful technology tools that help school administrators free up their time• Differentiated instruction to put students on individual learning paths• Changes in approaching mental health in students and administrators post-pandemic“It's about making sure our kids in our schools have what they need, because our teachers stress about their kids,” Randle said. “And, as an administrator, I stress about the kids on my campus as well as the teachers. How are they doing? And so, when I can make sure our kids are getting what they need, and our teachers aren't having to work harder, but getting a chance to work smarter, then I feel better, I feel more refreshed, and I can go do the things for them they need.”About Dr. RandleDr. Derrice Randle is a highly experienced education consultant with over 20 years of expertise in the management and administration of schools. His proven track record in promoting productive teaching and learning environment is exemplary. Randle successfully managed projects, led teams, developed strategies for successful implementation, and ensured that all stakeholders were well-informed about progress toward the desired outcomes. Randle received his Doctor of Education from Liberty University, his Med from Texas A&M, and his BA from Southern Methodist University.

It's all hands on the education deck these days. The pandemic may be over, but the needs of students have never been more necessary than they are today. That's why e- learning is vital in bridging gaps from student mental health to education equity and utilizing AV technology to enhance the teaching experience.This year, Dallas-based 806 Technologies is going all-in on “Connecting the Dots” between e-learning and education strategy. They're holding their inaugural 806 Technologies Learning Summit from June 8-10 at the Omni Frisco Hotel in Frisco, TX. This 806 Technologies Learning Summit will address the most significant challenges that education leaders face as they build innovative and adaptable schools of the future. Voices of E-Learning's JW Marshall is excited about the summit, and to learn more, he sat down with 806 Technologies' Chief Strategy Officer, Kevin Dougherty.So, why now? What led 806 Technologies to launch this summit?“We want to get people face-to-face,” Dougherty said. “Coming out of the pandemic and the time when so many people were so isolated, we know the power and the energy that exists when people get together, face-to-face. So, that's why we are doing it first. But the other is to build that sense of synergy, to bring people together in various leadership roles in education from across the nation to share best practices, to encourage one another, and to strategize together.”Marshall and Dougherty cover the following during their conversation...● The particulars of the summit and who should attend● Speakers attending the conference and what topics they'll cover● The summit's spotlight on the importance of mental health for students“One of the things we'll talk about is how to explicitly include mental health in your improvement plan because it has to be very deliberate,” Dougherty said. “It can't be something we kind of stick in there as a little footnote. It has to be a very thoughtful, deliberate, intentional incorporation of this in everything that we do.”About KevinKevin Dougherty is a forty-year veteran in the education space. As an educator serving educators, Dougherty focuses on building innovative schools that better engineer student learning. He is an advisory board member of Hartwell University. Dougherty received his B.A. in Multicultural Education from UMass, Amherst, and his M.Ed. in Education Administration from UMass, Lowell.

All tutoring is not created equal—that doesn't mean all tutoring is bad, different needs work for different people. Yet, even so, there is one tutoring method that seems to help kids tenfold: high dosage. So how does this tutoring method have an upperhand over other methods, and how is our current educational landscape in crisis?The latest episode of Voices of E-Learning with hosts JW Marshall and Leena Marie Saleh welcomes guest Hayley Spira-Bauer, Chief Academic Officer with i-Tutor. The three chat about her background, the educational landscape in crisis and the future.Spira-Bauer has always had a passion for learning and education. As a former teacher, she has endeavored to make education accessible for all. As the education system gears up for a potentially major turning point, Spira-Bauer is at the center of the movement."I have this vision that education is at this really critical point right now. The conditions of the pandemic and where schools are today, in crisis on a variety of fronts, have allowed schools to think more creatively about how schools can be in order to provide the best services for students, and i-Tutor is at the very center of that," noted Spira-Bauer.Marshall, Saleh, and Spira-Bauer further discuss...● How tutoring quality varies and how high-dosage tutoring works● Why the educational system is at a critical point● How education can change and help draw kids into school"So, right now, we're experiencing an academic crisis. But, unfortunately, what we're also experiencing is a social and emotional crisis for students... The pandemic was traumatic," said Spira-Bauer.Spira-Bauer has spent more than fifteen years in the educational landscape, first as a teacher with P.S. 55 before working with Harlem Village Academies in multiple capacities. In addition to her current role as Chief Academic Officer with i-Tutor, she is an EdTech Mentor and sits on the Advisory Board for Inspiring Educators. Spira-Bauer earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her Master of Science for Teachers from Pace University.

Voices of eLearning is back with a new season of educational insights in the digital age. This third season promises new topics, new guests, and a revisiting of a few areas still making headlines in education today. Teacher shortages haven't ceased, and education is continually adjusting to life after the pandemic.“We have to continue to learn from all the things we had to endure, and advance technology- wise during the pandemic, and have conversations about what to keep, and what to hopefully never have to do again,” JW Marshall, the Voices of eLearning co-host, said. “Because it wasn't the best for our teachers and our students.”Co-Hosts, JW Marshall and Leena Marie Saleh, will continue to bring the best education and technology leaders to the show to explore the latest trends in EdTech, teaching, and leadership.In this season 3 introductory episode, Marshall and Saleh highlight ongoing education needs and what's upcoming on Voices of eLearning…● Filling the gaps in education that the pandemic created● Finding the best teaching strategies and programs● The role AI will play in schools in 2023 and beyond“It was about a week after we wrapped season two that ChatGPT made its way onto the scene, and it's been a couple of months now,” Marshall said. “The big reoccurring theme this season is going to be—it's not a fad; it's not something that we're talking about for a few months, and then it kind of dies down, and something else takes the spotlight. It's here to stay. And it is going to be a game changer.”About JWJW Marshall is the VP of Marketing for Summit K12. He is an education technology executive and online learning consultant experienced in internal and external online learning initiatives for businesses. He also provides strategic planning across marketing, sales, customer service, training, implementation, and product development departments. Marshall holds an Executive MBA from Southern Methodist University.About LeenaLeena Marie Saleh is known as The Edtech Guru. She is a former educator with over ten years of classroom experience. She's passionate about incorporating modern technology into the classroom to better prepare students for the future workforce. Saleh strongly believes in providing students with critical skills and creating equitable opportunities. She holds an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education.

To better understand what higher ed's best practices will look like in 2023, tracking the prominent trends in the space is essential. The leading trend in higher education is technology. Technology advancements will lead to best practices throughout the year, from mobile access to courses and course content to augmenting education through personalization.JW Marshall and Leena Marie Saleh welcomed returning guest Darryl Krall, National Sales Manager for Panasonic Connect, back to Voices of E-Learning for a broader insider's perspective on what the past couple of years of higher education looked like from a technology perspective, transformations due to the pandemic, and what higher ed best practices he sees in 2023.“I've been in the AV industry for over twenty-five years, and I've always been engaged in the educational space,” Krall said. “And Panasonic's been a great company and in classrooms for over fifty years. And you know, technology has changed, and classrooms have changed over those fifty years. Now, there's a plethora of Panasonic solutions going into higher education to improve that student learning experience.” While the pandemic may be over, Krall said there is still a need and desire for hybrid classroom environments and a strong push for increased connectivity and AV solutions to enhance the learning experience.Krall, Marshall, and Saleh discuss the following…● The most significant shifts in technology and learning heading out of the pandemic and into 2023● Higher ed best practices for 2023 that will utilize technology at its optimum● Areas of higher education where technology is expanding its reach“It's interesting, from an e-sports perspective, which is another huge area of growth for Panasonic in higher education, that's exploding,” Krall said. “They're taking student unions or what was maybe an old computer lab and refreshing that technology in those areas to start e-sports programs. There's no question that students entering higher education are more comfortable with the technology, and the faculty are catching up with that.”About DarrylDarryl Krall delivers results and exceeds quotas in both channel and direct sales. Krall has worked for Panasonic since 2010. He specializes in business development, CRM tools, customer retention, and value-added system solution selling. Krall holds an MS in communications from Northwestern and a BA from DePaul University.

Education equity. It seems like a no-brainer. Every child deserves the right to a high-quality education and students need advocates. Yet, at the outset, beginning with early childhood education and care (ECEC), disadvantaged children are less likely than their more advantaged peers to participate in ECEC programs. If these children start their early education journeys at a disadvantage, what happens when they enter K-12? Who advocates for them?It's a question the Voices of E-Learning continually asks because the challenge remains. Although many are working on solutions to create and sustain digital and social equity in education, the job is far from complete.Proximity Learning believes students need advocates to achieve education equity. Their mission is to connect all learners with the expert teachers they deserve. Voices of E-Learning hosts JW Marshall and Leena Marie Saleh welcomed, as their guest, Evan Erdberg, Founder and CEO of Proximity Learning. In addition to learning more about what Proximity Learning is doing to level the education playing field, Marshall wanted to know if the constant buzz about teacher shortages in the U.S. was true or if Erdberg felt differently about the situation.“There is not a teacher shortage because we have millions of people trained to be teachers,” Erdberg said. There's a shortage because they do not want to teach. That's where we have this visceral shortage. And the shortage started before COVID because of how teachers were being told how they had to do their jobs. The passion was being taken out of teaching.”Marshall, Saleh, and Erdberg's conversation touches upon several topics...● How Proximity Learning works to fill gaps in the teacher shortage landscape and complement what education is doing at the public-school level● The power of mentorship in education● What teachers can do to innovate, motivate, and thrive again in the classroom“Teachers do have power now,” Erdberg said. “Because they can get a job anywhere. So, I would say teachers have been typically taught to obey the system. You come in; you do the system; you put your head down and do your work, and that's it. Now is the time when you should speak up. We need more teachers willing to speak up and say, I disagree; I think we need to do this differently.”About EvanEvan Erdberg, Founder and CEO of Proximity Learning, Inc., has 15+ years of experience putting students first as a digital education entrepreneur. Erdberg holds a BA in Marketing & Management from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA in Organizational Leadership from the University of Edinburgh. He is a current National Virtual Teacher Association (NVTA) board member.

Mike Yates is a man of many interests. As the Senior Managing Director of Strategy for the TFA (Teach for America) Reinvention Lab, he gets to flex both sides of his brain to tap into those interests to broaden the scope of TFA's mission. He spoke with Voices of E-Learning's JW Marshall and Leena Marie Salah about his exciting role within the Reinvention Lab.Teach for America sends young educators into low-income neighborhoods to teach for two years and gives these folks a tremendous leadership opportunity early in their careers. And The Reinvention Lab was born out of the need to, well, reinvent itself. TFA can't make change happen without going through an organizational transformation itself.“I love to do things other people think won't work,” Yates said. “The Reinvention Lab gives Yates the space to experiment. “It's not the watch me do it thing. I do take it as a challenge.” Some of the ideas Yates comes up with are centered around doing things to make people within TFA think differently about the possibilities of learning, partnership, branding, and art in new and exciting ways.One of the things Yates feels most passionate about is TFA's ability to show young college graduates interested in education that there is a world of opportunity to take their passions beyond the classroom. “One of my goals in life is to free as many teachers as possible from the matrix,” Yates said. “Not necessarily in ways that make you leave the classroom but expand the way you think about learning or expand the way you think about human beings. I hope to do that for people.”Motivation is the key to unlocking the learning potential of today's youth. Finding what motivates kids takes innovation and driving those initiatives within TFA is what Yates loves about his work at The Reinvention Lab.

Mike Yates is a man of many interests. As the Senior Managing Director of Strategy for the TFA (Teach for America) Reinvention Lab, he gets to flex both sides of his brain to tap into those interests to broaden the scope of TFA's mission. He spoke with Voices of E-Learning's JW Marshall and Leena Marie Salah about his exciting role within the Reinvention Lab.Teach for America sends young educators into low-income neighborhoods to teach for two years and gives these folks a tremendous leadership opportunity early in their careers. And The Reinvention Lab was born out of the need to, well, reinvent itself. TFA can't make change happen without going through an organizational transformation itself.“I love to do things other people think won't work,” Yates said. “The Reinvention Lab gives Yates the space to experiment. “It's not the watch me do it thing. I do take it as a challenge.” Some of the ideas Yates comes up with are centered around doing things to make people within TFA think differently about the possibilities of learning, partnership, branding, and art in new and exciting ways.One of the things Yates feels most passionate about is TFA's ability to show young college graduates interested in education that there is a world of opportunity to take their passions beyond the classroom. “One of my goals in life is to free as many teachers as possible from the matrix,” Yates said. “Not necessarily in ways that make you leave the classroom but expand the way you think about learning or expand the way you think about human beings. I hope to do that for people.”Motivation is the key to unlocking the learning potential of today's youth. Finding what motivates kids takes innovation and driving those initiatives within TFA is what Yates loves about his work at The Reinvention Lab.

The past few years have been a whirlwind of confusion and change. Let's face it - no one knows what is going to happen next. But in all of this adversity, learning about different post-graduation options can help slowly change the unknown into the known. To discuss this post-high school dilemma hosts JW Marshall and Leena Marie Saleh chatted with Betsy Corcoran, the Co-Founder of EdSurge and new founder of Lede Ventures. As a journalist the majority of her career, Corcoran recognized the value of learning and understood the supportive power of technology. So much so, that she founded EdSurge, a supportive education technology platform. After selling the platform in 2019, Corcoran developed Lede Ventures with a group of women devoted to technology in education. Corcoran said, “We are going to be doing a lot of consulting and working with other groups to really help support how technology gets used and hopefully, in a way that brings people together, not drives them apart.” Students, especially those who have endured tumultuous times throughout the pandemic, have faced many challenges - some of them ongoing. So, how do graduated high schoolers figure out what the next step is after graduation?“We're in weird times. We're in weird and unprecedented times…We have seen an unprecedented number of options become available to young people,” said Corcoran. Navigating this bridge takes guidance, but there are several options that are available to young learners, including taking a gap year or, as Corcoran put it, “...You can get an apprenticeship, you can go to a boot camp, you can get an internship, and companies have started to think very differently about this world.”Companies are going through a cycle of how and who to recruit and also figuring out how much they should invest in their employees since retention is often a problem. “...They quit doing all of those training programs and all those retention programs and they do fun things…but this generation is saying something else,” explained Corcoran. She noted that many of the newer generations want companies to know who they are, have open opportunities, be paid well for their work, and have work that is meaningful. As these demands rise, companies are forced to re-evaluate and change to meet the need. So for recent high school graduates, the question is now: Who is going to help you figure out your next steps after graduation? How do you know whom to trust?

On the heels of the pandemic, keeping students focused and wanting to learn on an online platform has become a challenge many have seen. In this episode, the Voices of E-Learning host, JW Marshall, chats with Gwen Oldham, the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at AT&T, Inc on AT&T's newest edition, The Achievery which is a digital learning platform designed to make distance learning more engaging for students, and it's free. The platform, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, has learning units that help make learning fun, entertaining and inspiring for students in kindergarten up to 12th grade, and those who support them such as parents, mentors and educators.“We are encouraging everyone to check it out,” Oldham said. “The digital divide and also the homework gap were issues created before the pandemic, but we saw the uptake and as a company we've made some pretty big commitments to help address them because one thing was clear during our research was that student and parents agreed their biggest struggle was not having exciting and engaging content, so we wanted to help fill that void.” In almost every environment students are learning, at home and school, so the expectation for interactive and engaging content has increased. And with The Achievery, “every lesson plan and educational content is designed by leading education organizations with academic standards in mind,” she said. Once developed the lesson is then sent to the association for supervision and curriculum development to ensure academic standards are aligned. “We are designing The Achievery with feedback from actual parents, and we're taking it and incorporating it into the platform such as the need for a safe space for students to learn and teachers and mentors as well,” Oldham added. “And I'm most excited about the rich and diverse group of education partners who provide content. We're constantly adding new content and new subject areas so people can expect to see more of that.”Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

On the heels of the pandemic, keeping students focused and wanting to learn on an online platform has become a challenge many have seen. In this episode, the Voices of E-Learning host, JW Marshall, chats with Gwen Oldham, the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at AT&T, Inc on AT&T's newest edition, The Achievery which is a digital learning platform designed to make distance learning more engaging for students, and it's free. The platform, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, has learning units that help make learning fun, entertaining and inspiring for students in kindergarten up to 12th grade, and those who support them such as parents, mentors and educators.“We are encouraging everyone to check it out,” Oldham said. “The digital divide and also the homework gap were issues created before the pandemic, but we saw the uptake and as a company we've made some pretty big commitments to help address them because one thing was clear during our research was that student and parents agreed their biggest struggle was not having exciting and engaging content, so we wanted to help fill that void.” In almost every environment students are learning, at home and school, so the expectation for interactive and engaging content has increased. And with The Achievery, “every lesson plan and educational content is designed by leading education organizations with academic standards in mind,” she said. Once developed the lesson is then sent to the association for supervision and curriculum development to ensure academic standards are aligned. “We are designing The Achievery with feedback from actual parents, and we're taking it and incorporating it into the platform such as the need for a safe space for students to learn and teachers and mentors as well,” Oldham added. “And I'm most excited about the rich and diverse group of education partners who provide content. We're constantly adding new content and new subject areas so people can expect to see more of that.”Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

In a new segment of the podcast “Voices of eLearning,” hosts J.W. Marshall and Leena Saleh talked with author and educator Komal Shah, about her book titled “Raise Your Hand! A Call for Consciousness in Education,” and the consulting advice she had for educators who desired how they could incorporate consciousness into their classrooms.Shah kicked off her career in education with Teach for America, a national nonprofit that aims at creating more teachers for the nation's schools. She taught in California middle schools for five years before coming to a realization she felt there was more to contribute.“By my fifth year I kind of had gone through stages of teaching, which is usually survival mode …. and kind of had this moment of feeling like I wanted to do more, but it wasn't going to happen in the classroom,” said Shah.At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Shah went back to school for a business degree, and created her educational consulting business. During that time Shah wrote her book, which was published last fall, and discovered her true passion and the new doors her book has opened for her.“I just feel like this is what I'm meant to do. I would say the best part has been with connecting with people all over the world,” she said.Shah discussed how the feedback of her book has been enlightening because fellow educators tell her often, what they've benefited from, and what people tell her the most. "You finally put words to everything I've been thinking for so many years as an educator,' and I think that's so powerful that you can write something down or create something and it can resonate with someone in a way they didn't even know was possible,” said Shah about what educators tell her.It is her belief that consciousness in classrooms starts with the educators, and more importantly how knowledgeable and conscious they are themselves. Shah added that self-care remaining conscious was the biggest factor that aided her in getting to the mental space that evidently led her to becoming a better teacher. After dedicating time to her self-care, naturally the first people to notice were students.“There were moments of frustration and stress, but I was able to respond instead of react because I was taking care of myself first,” said Shah.Shah said those are some of the several things educators can do to ensure a fully functioning classroom and teaching experience.In her book Shah notes that the continual professional development of teachers and their attendance in workshops play a big role in the consciousness that will help them get there. But also reminding teachers to recall their own experiences as students and how to apply that change.“I always say that if we are to become conscious of what we're doing in the current space, we kind of have to go back in time and understand why we are doing what we're doing,” said Shah.

Kellie Lauth sits down with Leena M. Saleh and JW Marshall on this episode of the Voices of E-Learning to discuss MindSpark, Couragion Learning, the changing landscape of education, and what STEM means to her. Saleh and Lauth have a long history together. Lauth was the principal at Saleh's school when she was a teacher. Saleh remembered fondly how Lauth's continuing education program was completely different from any other she had experienced. “It was made for teachers, by teachers,” recalled Saleh.Saleh continued, “Kellie is a great leader, and she was a visionary in the STEM movement in Colorado.” Students who prove MindSpark's worth drive Lauth's work. “I show up because the kids show up every day,” she said. Unfortunately, our education system is facing massive problems of turnover and shortage. And according to Lauth, the teacher shortage is compounded by the fact that there are few future educators in the pipeline.From coast to coast, schools everywhere are experiencing the squeeze. Educators are exhausted from not feeling supported. Lauth says that education needs to embrace training of other workforce sectors. This means “paid on-the-job training, becoming certified and skilled in a way that makes sense, rather than the tradition of entering a teaching career with mounds of college debt and working a job that will only pay a fraction of it,” she said. Finally, once teachers are on the job, they need fully encompassed support, a shift to putting educators first. The educators make the most difference in a student's life.MindSpark is a “STEM” program that empowers teachers by incorporating a range of workforce industries. Lauth explains that STEM is a great PR hook, “the four letters mean a lot to us, but [at MindSpark] it also includes arts and literacy.” MindSpark's program is all-encompassing. It integrates industry and education. “It's simply workforce literacy. [MindSpark] is students fully engaging in real-world problems and finding solutions, presenting those solutions, and getting to see them [thier solutions] play out,” said Lauth.With MindSpark teachers are able to show their students a broad range of after-education paths. They have access to tools, resources, and learning so that the students can succeed. “Educators know enough about different sectors and different models so that they can bring those elements back to their schools.”The program is meeting it's goals, for example, Lauth reports an 88% retention rate over the national average for educators connected to MindSpark. There are some unexpected ripples too. Like increasing students success rates and graduation averages at participating schools. All of this impacts the greater community. As Lauth explained, ““when you uplift the schools, you uplift entire communities.”

Kellie Lauth sits down with Leena M. Saleh and JW Marshall on this episode of the Voices of E-Learning to discuss MindSpark, Couragion Learning, the changing landscape of education, and what STEM means to her. Saleh and Lauth have a long history together. Lauth was the principal at Saleh's school when she was a teacher. Saleh remembered fondly how Lauth's continuing education program was completely different from any other she had experienced. “It was made for teachers, by teachers,” recalled Saleh.Saleh continued, “Kellie is a great leader, and she was a visionary in the STEM movement in Colorado.” Students who prove MindSpark's worth drive Lauth's work. “I show up because the kids show up every day,” she said. Unfortunately, our education system is facing massive problems of turnover and shortage. And according to Lauth, the teacher shortage is compounded by the fact that there are few future educators in the pipeline.From coast to coast, schools everywhere are experiencing the squeeze. Educators are exhausted from not feeling supported. Lauth says that education needs to embrace training of other workforce sectors. This means “paid on-the-job training, becoming certified and skilled in a way that makes sense, rather than the tradition of entering a teaching career with mounds of college debt and working a job that will only pay a fraction of it,” she said. Finally, once teachers are on the job, they need fully encompassed support, a shift to putting educators first. The educators make the most difference in a student's life.MindSpark is a “STEM” program that empowers teachers by incorporating a range of workforce industries. Lauth explains that STEM is a great PR hook, “the four letters mean a lot to us, but [at MindSpark] it also includes arts and literacy.” MindSpark's program is all-encompassing. It integrates industry and education. “It's simply workforce literacy. [MindSpark] is students fully engaging in real-world problems and finding solutions, presenting those solutions, and getting to see them [thier solutions] play out,” said Lauth.With MindSpark teachers are able to show their students a broad range of after-education paths. They have access to tools, resources, and learning so that the students can succeed. “Educators know enough about different sectors and different models so that they can bring those elements back to their schools.”The program is meeting it's goals, for example, Lauth reports an 88% retention rate over the national average for educators connected to MindSpark. There are some unexpected ripples too. Like increasing students success rates and graduation averages at participating schools. All of this impacts the greater community. As Lauth explained, ““when you uplift the schools, you uplift entire communities.”