Podcasts about Learning environment

Send us a textMy guests this episode to talk about Norway's antibullying ombudspersons, what they do, their value, and tips for bringing this important initiative to your community are three of Norway's most experienced ombuds: Kaja Vintervold Asmyhr, Bodil Jenssen Houg, and Jon Halvdan Lenning. Our conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2025 World Anti-Bullying Forum, in Stavanger, Norway. The 2025 World Anti-Bullying Forum was hosted by the Norwegian Centre for Learning Environment and Behavioural Research in Education at the University of Stavanger (UiS) in collaboration with the teacher education programs at UiS; the UNESCO Chair in Diversity, Inclusion and Education; the Knowledge Centre for Education; and the Partnership Against Bullying. This biannual conference – the largest and most important of its kind – is an initiative of the Swedish NGO, Friends, and its Presenting Sponsor is BRP, a global leader in powersports products who, through its Ride Out Intimidation program, takes a firm stand against bullying. More information about Kaja Vintervold Asmyhr, Bodil Jenssen Houg, and Jon Halvdan Lenning; the resources they mentioned; the antibullying ombudspersons initiative and its supporters; the World Anti-Bullying Forum; the conference organizers; and BRP's Ride Out Intimidation program is at talkingaboutkids.com.

Today, we enter the world of Professor Sugata Mitra — TED Prize winner and creator of the Hole in the Wall experiment — whose work is reshaping how children learn. He has shown that with curiosity and connection, children can teach themselves — and each other. But in a world where learning organises itself, one question remains: do we still need teachers? Join me as we explore the space where technology empowers, autonomy flourishes, and human connection still matters. Even when learning finds its own path… a great teacher remains the guiding light.

Imagine a school having $800,000 in the bank. Imagine all the things a school could buy with that amount of money. This is a state school I'm talking about, not a Flash Harry private school that can put the call-out to the old boys and the old girls when it needs cash to do something. So a state school with $800,000 in the bank, and this state school has to spend that money fixing up a cock-up forced on it by the Ministry of Education. The cock-up I'm referring to is that disastrous experiment called the “modern learning environment” – where our kids have been the guinea pigs, forced into huge barns instead of your old-school single-cell classrooms. And the school I'm talking about, having to spend $800,000 of its own money to get out of this ideological nightmare, is Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch. Good on it for flipping the bird at the modern learning environment, but I think it's crazy that the school has to dip into its own reserves to pay to sort it out. I know whether it's the school that pays or the Ministry of Education that pays, it's all pretty much taxpayer money. But the difference is Shirley Boys' is spending money it's actually got in the bank, which could be spent on all sorts of other things. That's why I think the ministry should be paying for this work. I've been anti this modern learning environment nonsense right from the outset. Which was pretty much straight after the earthquakes when schools in Canterbury needed rebuilds. And what happened is the powers-that-be jumped on the bandwagon and started telling schools that this is how it was going to be. That, if they wanted classrooms, they were going to be barn-like structures with up to 200 kids in them. To be fair, it wasn't just the Government and the Ministry of Education forcing this one. There were some teachers and principals who thought it was a brilliant idea too. I've mentioned before how I was on the board of our local school for about six years, and they got sucked into the modern learning environment frenzy. In fact, they didn't wait for new buildings. They had the caretaker knocking out walls left, right and centre every weekend, it seemed. And I thought it was nuts at the time and I still think the concept is nuts. As does Shirley Boys'. As does Rangiora High School, which did the same thing. It cost them even more – they spent $1.5 million turning their open-plan classrooms into single classrooms. But here's what the principal at Shirley Boys', Tim Grocott, is saying about why they're doing it. "The level of distraction was just too high. There was too much movement going on. They can hear what is happening in the class next door. Particularly if something was being played on TV or anything like that. So that level of distraction was a negative factor." He says the school did a formal inquiry into how the kids and the staff were finding the open-plan set-up and found that there was widespread unhappiness and so the school had no option but to do something. So it started the work during the last school holidays and will finish it during the next holidays. Tim Grocott says the changes that have been made so far have gone down very well. He says feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive and instantaneous”. I bet it has. He says: “The staff on the first day were absolutely thrilled. One of our teachers was hugging the walls in her classroom because she was so thrilled to have walls. The boys are just much happier too." Tim says he thinks that open plan classrooms are a flawed concept that just did not work for his school. Are they ever. And the Ministry of Education needs to admit that and needs to front-up with the money to pay back Shirley Boys' High School for the $800,000 it's spending to fix up this flawed concept, and elsewhere too. Or, more correctly, it needs to front-up with the money to pay schools back for the mess caused by this failed experiment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this conversation, Dr. Loui Lord Nelson discusses the connections between technical theater and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), emphasizing the importance of intentional design in educational environments. The conversation explores barriers to implementing UDL, the significance of emotional connections in learning, and the necessity of fostering collaboration and community among learners. Dr. Nelson highlights the role of educators in creating inclusive and supportive learning spaces that cater to the diverse needs of all students. In this conversation, Loui Lord Nelson, Ph.D., discusses the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how to make learning more accessible and engaging for all students. She emphasizes the importance of context in learning, the use of metaphors like sunsets to explain UDL, and provides practical resources for educators looking to implement UDL strategies. The discussion also touches on the significance of designing for barriers and fostering learner agency, as well as the iterative nature of design in educational settings. Ready to learn more from our guest? https://theudlapproach.com/ Chapters 00:00 The Intersection of Technical Theater and UDL 04:09 Intentional Design in Learning Environments 11:14 Barriers to Implementing UDL 17:44 Emotional Connections in Learning 22:14 Fostering Collaboration and Community 30:33 Accessible Learning Resources 31:33 The Sunset Analogy for UDL 36:10 Starting Points for UDL Implementation 40:31 Understanding UDL Gears 46:42 Designing for Barriers and Agency 52:44 The Design Workflow and Reflection

Why your current practice could actually be making you WORSE Today we are joined by a really special guest in the shape of the MD of Zen Golf Will Stubbs We had a fascinating conversation about creating a truly effective learning environment Understanding the dynamic and chaotic environment that is golf and why we need to replicate that in practice Looking a golf as a series of PUZZLES to solve Changing learning from school onwards to make an experience inherently PRACTICAL How to develop really effective golfing SKILL Putting How slopes create different movements with EVERYONE How to really OWN your own putting Utilising our instinctive movement patterns What does the BALL need to do to go in the hole? Be able to develop more of an EXTERNAL focus  Building from the HOLE backwards The environment dictates the SHOT Does the environment create a sense of opportunity? Seeing the environment as an assistance to enhance skill The SHOT creating the SWING Getting rid of the idea of BASELINES to incredible ADAPTABILITY A really tremendous conversation with a deep thinker about the game and a company that is having a real impact. ABOUT Zen Golf Will Stubbs serves as Managing Director at Zen Golf, a company redefining golf performance by making the game more inclusive, engaging, and future-ready. Guided by the vision More People, Playing Better, For Longer, Zen Golf delivers groundbreaking solutions like the Green Stage and Swing Stage. These innovations recreate the slopes from the golf course to produce realistic training environments that elevate practice and accelerate skill transfer to the course. To find out more about Zen and the Zen Green Stage go to https://zen.golf/ To Join Marcus Bell and Karl Morris for two wonderful days at West Herts Golf Club for the GRF schools June 12th and 13th Take action and click on this link https://bg6ot.r.sp1-brevo.net/mk/cl/f/sh/SMK1E8tHeG13EwyIU7dDcOCotXBW/o_3ucfYmTEr7 To get on board with the Mind Caddie and join us on the journey go to https://www.mindcaddie.golf/ OFFICIAL BRAND AMBASSADOR : Fenix Apparel and Accessories Co. Ltd. Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell  

Creating a thriving learning environment means every player can enjoy the session while being challenged and supported. So, how can coaches make that happen?In the final episode of the season, The FA's Vinny Halsall joins us to dive into what a thriving learning environment really looks like and how to create one.Vinny shares his approach to putting player needs at the heart of every session, and explains how to strike the balance between challenge, support, and emotional connection.Whether you're coaching young players or adults, this episode is packed with bite-sized, easy-to-remember, actionable strategies that you can take to your next session.In this episode, we cover:what a thriving learning environment really looks likewhy the coach doesn't always need to be front and centrehow your coaching style shapes the learning experience for playersbuilding environments that support decision-making and confidencetips for recognising and managing individual differences in your groupcoaching with kindness and understanding players' needscreating environments that adapt across different ages and stageshow to know if your environment is thrivingand much more...Transcript on England Football community⁠ - (https://bit.ly/44wiOPn)—————Do you have any coaching questions you'd like answers to? Or perhaps you're facing a coaching challenge that you'd like help with? Simply head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Community forum⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. Or leave them in the comments below. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We'd love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coachcast@thefa.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.LEARN MORE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Learning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://learn.englandfootball.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://community.thefa.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Learning on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCisPO86aEIhWRTnTS1vrSVw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Learning X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/EnglandLearningEmail - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coachcast@thefa.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://open.spotify.com/show/4sA9fHoldaH1x5Wn3vdmsB⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coachcast/id159180480YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@EnglandFootballLearningEditing and show notes by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Claricast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.(https://www.clarioncast.com/)

Gemma Shadid joins us this week to explore the power of child-centred creative practice in the EYFS. We discuss the Reggio Emilia approach, the role of quality materials in art, and how sensory experiences and cultural diversity shape children's learning and identity.Episode Links Transform your Learning Environment with our Room Planning Service.Shop our NEW Range of Sensory ResourcesExplore the EYFS Framework and its Guidance for Early Years Practice.

In this episode of the Better Learning Podcast, host Kevin Stoller is joined by co-host Matt Rogers and guest speaker Mason Pashia, Partner (Storytelling) at Getting Smart Collective, for an energetic and thought-provoking conversation centered around the 2003 cult classic School of Rock. Known for his work amplifying the voices of educators and change-makers through storytelling, Mason brings a fresh and imaginative lens to how we think about student engagement, creative expression, and nontraditional learning paths. School of Rock follows the story of Dewey Finn, a struggling musician who finds unexpected purpose—and unleashes unexpected potential—when he poses as a substitute teacher and transforms a class of rule-following prep school kids into a rock band. Together, Matt and Mason explore the film's deeper themes of passion, authenticity, and belonging in education. They reflect on how schools can create space for students to discover their identities, pursue what excites them, and challenge conventional measures of success—all while staying grounded in a mission to serve and empower every learner.   Takeaways: School of Rock highlights how stepping outside traditional curriculum and teaching methods can unlock student potential and engagement in surprising ways. Dewey Finn's enthusiasm for music becomes the bridge that allows students to connect with their interests—and with each other. Educators can harness this same power by leading with passion. The film underscores the importance of allowing students to have a say in their learning journey. When students are given autonomy, they rise to the occasion and take ownership of their growth. Matt and Mason explore how School of Rock challenges rigid definitions of success and encourages schools to recognize diverse forms of excellence—not just academic achievement.     About Mason Pashia: Mason Pashia is a Partner (Storytelling) at Getting Smart Collective. Through publications, blogs, podcasts, town halls, newsletters, and more, he helps drive the perspective and focus of GettingSmart.com. He advocates for data and collective imagination and uses this combination to launch campaigns that amplify voices, organizations, and missions. With over a decade in the storytelling sector (including brand strategy, marketing and communications, and the arts), Mason is always striving to inspire as well as inform.   Learn More About Mason Pashia: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonpashia/ Mason's Substack: Featuring Weekly Original Music and Poetry   Learn More About The Getting Smart Podcast: Website: https://www.gettingsmart.com/podcast/ Catching Up: A New Podcast from Getting Smart   The Third Horizon of Learning Flipping the Script: Hollywood's Role in Changing Depictions of Learning Environments         About Matt Rogers: Matt Rogers is a dynamic professional deeply committed to advancing the education industry through innovative strategies and impactful initiatives. As the Communications Manager at Kay-Twelve, he leads transformative efforts in education by revolutionizing physical learning environments and improving education through the use of media. His dedication has earned him recognition as Kay-Twelve's Core Values Employee of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, and also positioned him as one of the inaugural winners of the NexGen Awards in 2023. Matt joined the Kay-Twelve team in 2019 as an intern while attending Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Matt's multifaceted approach extends beyond his role at Kay-Twelve; he serves as the lead Producer for the Better Learning Podcast where they facilitate enlightening discussions that break down the silos of physical space, leadership, and culture in education.   Learn More About Matt Rogers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-rogers-profile/       Learn More About Kay-Twelve: Website: https://kay-twelve.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kay-twelve-com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kay_twelve/       Connect with host, Kevin Stoller: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstoller/     Episode 231 of the Better Learning Podcast Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.     For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/ EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/ Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website

E&I Host: David Manz, Business Partnerships Manager, Facilities Guests: Michelle Vincent, National Color & Design Manager, The Pittsburgh Paints CompanyIn this episode, David Manz welcomes Michelle Vincent, a National Color and Design Manager with the Pittsburgh Paints Company, to discuss how color impacts learning in schools and on campus. Color psychology, color theory, primary colors, foundational colors - and how they pertain to creating environments in the education sector, are covered. Michelle discusses how colors can be welcoming and encouraging in certain areas, and how using different types of colors for other areas creates serenity and positive results for students. She covers how lighting and color contribute to education wellness, safety, and security, and how The Pittsburgh Paints Company's dedicated teams can help our members with this.Relevant Links:E&I Pittsburgh Paints Company ContractThe Pittsburgh Paints Company Website Continuing Education for ProfessionalsColor Psychology for Education: How Does Color Enhance the Learning Environment?How Colors Impact Children's Behavior and Learning | Color MeaningsThe Effects of Color on the Moods of College Students - Sevinc Kurt, Kelechi Kingsley OsuekeCooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.Contact UsHave questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at podcast@eandi.org. This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

In this illuminating episode of Educator Yarns, we welcome back Bec from Bush Kindy's Australia for an in-depth conversation about Bush Tucker Gardens in early learning environments. Together, Jessica & Bec explore the profound educational value these spaces offer and address a common challenge observed across many services: the tendency for Bush Tucker plants to be underutilised, neglected, or misunderstood. Bec shares her wealth of knowledge about why these gardens matter, how they connect children to Country, and practical approaches to establishing and maintaining meaningful native plant spaces that authentically reflect local ecosystems. Drawing from their extensive experience working on Country and witnessing successful implementations in educational settings, they offer invaluable insights for educators wanting to move beyond tokenistic inclusion of native plants towards genuine engagement with Aboriginal perspectives through place-based learning experiences. Key Takeaways: ·       Bush Tucker Gardens create meaningful connections to place-based pedagogy, allowing children and educators to learn about their local community, ecosystems, and Indigenous knowledge systems. ·       Native plant spaces in early learning environments establish essential green corridors for wildlife, particularly important in urban areas or regions affected by environmental events like fires or cyclones. ·       Rather than creating isolated "Bush Tucker sections," consider integrating native plants throughout your entire outdoor learning environment for a more inclusive and authentic approach. ·       Research what's endemic to your specific area by connecting with local nurseries, community organisations, Elders, or using apps like iNaturalist to identify local species. ·       Involve children in the entire process - from researching local plants, mapping garden spaces, tracking sunlight patterns, identifying ideal locations, and creating signage for plants. ·       Start small with quality over quantity – seven mature plants are more valuable than numerous seedlings, especially as many native species grow slowly. ·       Consider practical factors when planning: sun exposure, accessibility, traffic patterns, and which age groups will interact with the plants. ·       Native plants often require less maintenance than introduced species – sometimes "neglect" is better than over care, as they're adapted to local conditions. ·       Establish rhythms and routines for observing and engaging with the plants through regular visits that involve sensory exploration and documentation of seasonal changes. ·       Dead or neglected Bush Tucker Gardens send problematic messages to both children and community members about valuing Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. Bush Tucker Gardens represent a powerful opportunity to move beyond tokenistic approaches to embedding Aboriginal perspectives by creating authentic connections to Country right within your learning environment. By thoughtfully planning, researching local ecosystems, involving children meaningfully, and embracing the natural rhythms of native plants, educators can create spaces that honour First Nations knowledge while fostering deep environmental stewardship in young learners. We encourage you to start your Bush Tucker journey today—whether beginning with a small collection of mature plants or revitalising an existing garden—and witness how these living educational resources transform both your physical space and pedagogical practice. Access the episode resources here.

In this episode of the Foundation Worldview Podcast, Elizabeth Urbanowicz answers a listener's question: "How can I cultivate a peaceful learning environment at home?" Whether you homeschool or your children attend public or private school, Elizabeth offers four practical, Christ-centered strategies for making your home a place where your children love to learn. From creating boundaries around learning spaces to encouraging free play and consistent expectations, this episode will equip you to build an environment that supports both academic and spiritual growth.

Dr. Miné de Klerk, Dean of Curricula and Research at Eduvos joined Clarence Ford on air on transforming traditional learning environments through gaming and e-sports. Views and News with Clarence Ford is the mid-morning show on CapeTalk. This 3-hour long programme shares and reflects a broad array of perspectives. It is inspirational, passionate and positive. Host Clarence Ford’s gentle curiosity and dapper demeanour leave listeners feeling motivated and empowered. Known for his love of jazz and golf, Clarrie covers a range of themes including relationships, heritage and philosophy. Popular segments include Barbs’ Wire at 9:30am (Mon-Thurs) and The Naked Scientist at 9:30 on Fridays. Listen live – Views and News with Clarence Ford is broadcast weekdays between 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) https://www.primediaplus.com/station/capetalk Find all the catch-up podcasts here https://www.primediaplus.com/capetalk/views-and-news-with-clarence-ford/audio-podcasts/views-and-news-with-clarence-ford/ Subscribe to the CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://www.primediaplus.com/competitions/newsletter-subscription/ Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalk   CapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalk   CapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkza  CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalk  CapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Overview: In this enlightening episode, Sandra Duncan and Clare Nugent dive deep into the world of children's learning styles within the outdoor classroom. They explore the various roles that children naturally gravitate toward during outdoor play and learning, and how these roles can be encouraged and nurtured by educators and caregivers.Key Learning Styles Discussed:* Collectors: Children who love to gather items, whether they're leaves, rocks, or other natural treasures.* Diggers: Enthusiastic about unearthing what's beneath the surface, these children are naturally curious about the ground below.* Transformers: Kids who see potential in everything, creating and recreating with found materials.* Storytellers: Natural narrators who bring events to life with their vivid imaginations.* Investigators: Detail-oriented and inquisitive, these children question and explore their surroundings thoroughly.* Nibblers: Those who explore the garden through taste, keen on learning through their palate.* Planters: Future gardeners who delight in sowing seeds and nurturing plants.* Artists: These children express themselves creatively through drawing, painting, or crafting with natural materials.* Builders: Constructive thinkers focused on building structures, forts, or arrangements from elements around them.* Waterers: Tender-hearted caretakers committed to nurturing and providing care for living things.Key Takeaway: This episode emphasizes that we're not just planting tomatoes; we're creating dynamic and inviting spaces for children to forge memories and grow. The outdoor classroom isn't just a physical space; it's a transformative environment where each child's unique learning style is recognized and celebrated.Conclusion: Tune in to learn how you can create engaging outdoor environments that cater to every child's style of play and learning, fostering a lifelong connection with nature and peers.More than a Tomato Plant Article Meet Sandra: Sandra Duncan, EdD is an international specialist on early childhood environments. She has conducted extensive research on the psychology of places and spaces, specifically how children engage with built environments and natural surroundings. Sandra applies the pedagogical theories of Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and Waldorf when creating holistic designed places for young children. Dr. Duncan is a former owner of multi-site/multi-state early learning campuses, president of an educational publishing company, and publisher of two well-respected education journals. She is also the author of seven books focused on environmental design, designer of four furniture collections (Sense of Place/Sense of Place for Wee Ones/Sense of Place for School Age/Sense of Place for Infants), and adjunct faculty at Nova Southeastern University. Sandra has designed and teaches university courses (i.e., Association for Learning Environments) on built early learning environments, collaborating with architects, interior designers, and educators to create extraordinary places and possibilities for children and students of all ages. She is eternally grateful for the many opportunities she has experienced transforming hundreds of environments into extraordinary and inspiring places for young children. DrSandraLDuncan@gmail.comwww.SandraDuncan.com219-743-2923Meet Clare: How can something as small as a bird change the course of one's life?

In this episode of "Catching Up!", hosts Mason and Nate dive into a lively discussion on the future of education, exploring how learning spaces, AI readiness, and global innovations are reshaping the landscape. From the creative redevelopment of community hubs in former malls to the pressing need for media literacy amidst a wave of information overload, this conversation covers a range of critical topics. They touch on the potential impacts of a new executive order on AI in education and the challenges facing early education systems. With insights from recent trips and conferences, including a poetic cultural journey through Ireland, this episode is packed with thoughtful reflections and forward-thinking ideas on how to best prepare students for an AI-driven world. Join Mason and Nate as they catch up on these exciting developments and share their vision for fostering collaborative and innovative learning environments. Outline (00:00) Introduction and Catching Up (01:18) Discussion on Music and Education (03:43) Mall Redevelopment and Community Hubs (06:43) Super Bloom and Media Theorist (10:06) Media Literacy and Info Obesity (12:47) America's Promise Alliance Research (14:48) Executive Order on AI and Education (19:57) Enrollment Issues in Public Schools (25:15) Exploring Expanded Learning Ecosystems (28:12) The Future of National Assessments (32:12) Challenges in Early Education (39:06) Cultural Insights from Ireland (46:15) What's That Song? Links Watch the full video here Read the full blog here Mall redevelopment - OKC America's Abandoned Malls Drop The Slop AI Executive Order America's Promise How can we reimagine where learning happens?  Montana Assements  The Limitations of Through-Year Assessments States try to tackle child care shortages — by lowering standards Is universal early childhood education and care an equalizer? A systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence  

Send us a textIn this episode, Raúl Alberto Mora talks to us about education theory as a driver for innovative teaching, mentoring and supporting one another, and the journey of a career in Education. Raúl is known worldwide for his work in the areas of alternative literacy paradigms in second language education and research, the study of second language literacies in physical and virtual spaces, and the use of sociocritical frameworks in language education. In particular, he studies the applications of alternative literacy paradigms to analyze second-language literacy practices in urban and virtual spaces He works to understand the use of languages a social and semiotic resource. His work has been published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, The ALAN Review, Bilingualism and Bilingual Education, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Social Semiotics, Key Concepts in Intercultural Dialogue, Pedagogies: An International Journal, and other journals. He co-edited The Handbook of Critical Literacies, Translanguaging and Multimodality as Flow, Agency, and a New Sense of Advocacy in and From the Global South, and most recently, Reimagining Literacy in the Age of AI: Theory and Practice. Dr. Raúl Alberto Mora Velez is a researcher at the Educations, Languages, and Learning Environments research group and chairs the award-winning Literacies in Second Languages Project (LSLP) research lab. Raúl is a Research Professor at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Colombia. For more information about our guest, stay tuned to the end of this episode.Links mentioned in this episode:Literacies in Second Languages Project Micro-PapersAmerican Educational Research AssociationLiteracy Research AssociationConnect with Classroom Caffeine at www.classroomcaffeine.com or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Send us a textRobert Barnett, co-founder of the Modern Classrooms Project, explains how their innovative teaching model helps teachers effectively reach students with diverse learning needs through blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning. Traditional teaching methods struggling with different learning paces, gaps in knowledge, and absent students can be transformed with this approach that empowers both teachers and students.• Traditional teaching models fail when teaching to the middle leaves advanced students bored and struggling students lost• Modern Classrooms Project combines blended instruction, self-pacing, and mastery-based learning• Teachers create short instructional videos that students can pause, rewind, and access anytime• Students work at their own pace, ensuring they master concepts before moving on• Teacher role shifts from lecturer to providing targeted one-on-one and small group support• Research shows students feel more capable and develop stronger relationships with teachers• Schools implementing the model have seen significant increases in test scores• Teachers report greater job satisfaction and connection to why they entered teaching• Free resources available through ModernClassrooms.org and InstaLesson.com• Robert's book "Meet Every Learner's Needs" offers a step-by-step guide to implementation Visit Insta-lesson.com to create your first blended, self-paced, mastery-based lesson and begin transforming your teaching approach today.Support the showPlease subscribe and share this podcast with a friend to spread the good!If you find value to this podcast, consider becoming a supporter with a $3 subscription. Click on the link to join: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2048018/supportTo help this podcast reach others, rate and review on Apple Podcasts! Go to Library, choose The Brighter Side of Education:Research, Innovation and Resources, and scroll down to Reviews. It's just that easy. Thank you!Want to share a story? Email me at lisa@drlisarhassler.com.Visit my website for resources: http://www.drlisarhassler.com The music in this podcast was written and performed by Brandon Picciolini of the Lonesome Family Band. Visit and follow him on Instagram. My publications: America's Embarrassing Reading Crisis: What we learned from COVID, A guide to help educational leaders, teachers, and parents change the game, is available on Amazon, Kindle, and Audible, and iTunes. My Weekly Writing Journal: 15 Weeks of Writing for Primary Grades on Amazon.World of Words: A Middle School Writing Notebook Using...

Are you ready to create a dynamic, engaging learning environment but feel overwhelmed or underprepared? Whether you're starting a microschool, homeschool hybrid, or alternative education space, this episode is packed with practical, low-cost strategies to bring learning to life—even if you're new to this! In this episode, we're diving into: ✅ How to make learning hands-on and exciting without expensive resources ✅ The secret to engaging students (even those who "hate school") ✅ How to transition from traditional teaching to student-led, active learning ✅ Simple lesson planning tips to spark curiosity and creativity ✅ What to do if this feels overwhelming—step-by-step strategies to start small You don't need a big budget or years of experience to create an engaging, inspiring learning space!

Are you navigating the complex world of raising your grandchildren, seeking guidance and support in the midst of a whirlwind of challenges? Do you find yourself feeling alone, grappling with the weight of decisions and responsibilities that can sometimes feel overwhelming? Are you striving to create a safe, nurturing environment while managing your personal growth and well-being?I'm Laura Brazan, and welcome to 'Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity.' Like many, my life changed dramatically in 2022, when the sudden responsibility of caring for my grandchildren fell into my lap. Through the highs and lows, the heartaches and triumphs, I've learned that it's possible not only to persevere but to flourish amidst life's unexpected turns.In this podcast, we dive into real stories from grandparents like you, offering a diverse array of perspectives and experiences. Joined by experts like Dr. John Chanaca, we'll explore effective strategies for child-rearing, especially for those who've faced trauma. From emotional and legal insights to financial guidance, we provide you with the tools you need to thrive.For your free copy of The Survival Guide For Parents- Part 3 go to the link provided. Please visit Chanaca Publishing for more informationSend us a textBig Heart Family Dentistry, led by Dr. Seth Hinckley. Their dedication goes beyond treating teeth; they empower healthier, happier lives through prevention and education. They use state-of-the-art technology and are deeply connected to the community, addressing every dental need with expertise and heart. Owner, Broker, and Realtor at Team Eureka with National Parks Realty Forbes Global Properties—Sandi Hall is a beacon of trust and insight for both local and international clients. With a Graduate REALTOR® Institute designation and a feature in Forbes, underscore her commitment to excellence.Visit WelcomeHomeMontana.com today or call (406) 471-0749 and experience the difference an expert like Sandi can bring to your journey home. As full-time caregiver, sometimes you've just got to get silly! Here's another fun self-care tip with Jeanette Yates!Thank you for tuning into today's episode. It's been a journey of shared stories, insights, and invaluable advice from the heart of a community that knows the beauty and challenges of raising grandchildren. Your presence and engagement mean the world to us and to grandparents everywhere stepping up in ways they never imagined. Remember, you're not alone on this journey. For more resources, support, and stories, visit our website and follow us on our social media channels. If today's episode moved you, consider sharing it with someone who might find comfort and connection in our shared experiences. We look forward to bringing more stories and expert advice your way next week. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.Want to be a guest on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity? Send Laura Brazan a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/grgLiked this episode? Share it and tag us on Facebook @GrandparentsRaisingGrandchilden Love the show? Leave a review and let us know! CONNECT WITH US: Website | Facebook

Dr. Lisa Schleer brings over three decades of PK-12 administrative and special education expertise to her role as founder and CEO of LMS Educational Consulting. Her approach integrates data-driven decision-making with deep expertise in educational equity, as evidenced by her doctoral research on postsecondary access for Black and Hispanic low-income students.

Colour is more than just decoration—it influences mood, focus, and the overall energy of a learning environment. In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla Ward explores the psychology of colour in early childhood settings, sharing research-backed insights on how different hues impact both children and educators. She offers creative, budget-friendly ways to introduce colour into child care programs without painting the walls. Plus, Carla shares a personal story about a bright red table that completely changed her perspective on classroom design. Tune in for practical strategies and inspiration to create a space that supports learning, play, and emotional well-being.Sign up for The Everything ECE Summit at ⁠⁠⁠elfoundations.com/ecesummit⁠⁠⁠.Sign Up for our Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click Here⁠⁠⁠Show Notes: https://www.elfoundations.com/181

Will Webster played in the English Championship, but decided to retire from the game to concentrate on coaching in his early 20s. He has gone on to coach Kenya 7s on the World Series, Hong Kong 7s & 15s and New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby, winning two titles there. He now coaches coaches.We chat about his journey in the game and also the below, How he got the Kenya 7s job aged 24. What it was like living in Kenya as an English man.The unusual pressure and issues that he and the Kenyan players faced.How to set up effective learning environments.Ideas he learned as a teacher that he uses in his coaching.The lightbulb moment he had when at training with Saracens.Why he retired so young to coach.The effects of mobile phones on young athletes.How to speed up connections between coaches and players.How to maximize the effectiveness of your team meetings.How coaches can improve at their craft.What his work entails by supporting coaches. Get the bonus Podcasts on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textJoin us as we sit down with Child Psychologist, Tamara Soles, to discuss why twice-exceptional children can be at risk of having their strengths overshadowed, and strategies for parents who are wanting to support and embolden their twice-exceptional child.If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com.To learn more about how Tamara can help you, you can visit her website at: https://drtamarasoles.com/Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

We speak with Dr. Linda F. Nathan and Jonathan Mendonca, two co-editors of the recently published book, "Building Democratic Schools and Learning Environments: A Global Perspective," an anthology of accounts of creating innovative schools around the world. We discuss autonomy vs large-scale uniformity, issues of scaling innovations, and defining success. The book, intentionally available free online, includes both existing schools and concepts of possible schools. The post Creating democratic learning environments: Educators in conversation first appeared on Ethical Schools.

In this episode of the Teacher's Lounge, you'll hear fun and easy ideas to turn everyday items into exciting activities for babies and toddlers (ages 0-2). Learn how to make sensory play safe, use things from around the house as learning tools, and create fun ways for little ones to move and explore. The tips are all about helping babies and toddlers learn naturally while keeping everything safe, clean, and secure. It's a great way to make learning fun for the youngest learners. Don't forget to listen to Part 1 for preschool activity ideas!The Teachers Lounge – • Offering early education teachers a tool to set your classroom onto a path of success and build a cohesive and strong team of educators. (theearlyeducationteacherslounge.com)SocialsFACEBOOK:  (1) The Early Education Teachers Lounge | FacebookINSTAGRAM:  The Teacher's Lounge (@eecteacherslounge) • Instagram photos and videosPINTEREST:  (4) Pinterest

This month on Special Education for Beginners we are discussing the essentials of supporting multilingual learners in special education settings. Today, we are joined by Katherine Hamilton, Vice President of Programs at Ensemble Learning, to discuss creating inclusive environments that not only meet the educational needs of multilingual students but also celebrate their diverse cultural identities.Talking Points:Supporting Multilingual and Dual Identified Students:Effective instructional practices and strategies that cater to both language development and the specific educational needs of students with disabilities.Creating Inclusive Learning Environments:Approaches to integrate students' multilingualism and cultural identities into the classroom setting, enhancing both their academic and social experiences.Engaging Families and Fostering Collaboration:Techniques to improve collaboration with families of multilingual learners, ensuring they are active participants in the educational process.Addressing Common Misconceptions:Clarifying misconceptions about the provision of ESL services alongside special education services, emphasizing the necessity of continued language support.Practical Strategies for Educators:Discussing real-world strategies that educators can implement to support academic English development while maintaining rigorous grade-level content.Katherine's expertise highlights the importance of an inclusive approach that respects and utilizes the cultural and linguistic assets of students. For those interested in learning more about Ensemble Learning and accessing additional resources, visit her website at Ensemble Learning.org .Hey special educator…Do you feel like you're just barely keeping your head above water? Like you're stuck in the same old routines, wondering how to make a bigger impact in your classroom? Well, I've got something special just for you. I'm excited to offer a unique opportunity to take your teaching to the next level. I'm ready to step outside my district to offer individualized coaching calls designed to offer person Sign up to be notified each time a new episode airs and get access to all the discounts!Don't forget to leave a review of the show!Follow JenniferInstagramTPT

Join us for an enlightening journey with Pattie Ruwwe, a mother of seven who courageously navigates the world of homeschooling, particularly for her three children with special needs. In this episode, we explore various strategies and success stories in homeschooling children with special needs. From navigating the challenges of public school transitions to creating cherished memories through personalized graduation ceremonies, this episode is filled with heartwarming stories and valuable insights. We highlight the flexibility and rewards of homeschooling, the ability to customize learning experiences, and the dedication required to ensure every child's success. Whether you're a homeschooling parent or considering it as an option, Pattie's story offers inspiration and practical advice for creating a nurturing and effective learning environment for children with special needs. Sign Up for the Newsletter School to Homeschool YouTube Channel Private Mentoring with Janae: Schedule a Free Discovery Call Etsy Store: Shop for Homeschooling Swag *Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool Contact Janae: schooltohomeschool1@gmail.com

Recorded on February 2, 2025

In this episode, we dive into the challenges of coaching coaches, whether in youth sports or at a professional level. We discuss the difficulties of providing feedback to fellow adults and the need for patience and relinquishing control as a coach. The conversation features insights from coach developer Rob Mason of Port Adelaide Football Club, who shares practical strategies for fostering a supportive learning environment for coaches. The episode emphasizes the importance of creating a culture that encourages curiosity and commitment to the growth of coaches, not just players. For those who missed part one, we recommend listening to that episode for a deeper understanding of the topic. Tune in for valuable tips on enhancing coaching effectiveness and collaboration!  Connect With Rob! https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-mason-learning/?originalSubdomain=au Get the Podcast Notes and Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!  https://www.tocculture.com/newsletter  Interested in booking TOC for a team meeting/consultation? Click here→ https://www.tocculture.com/contact TOC Coaching & Culture Certification  Learn More about TOC and how we can help enhance your coaching experience https://www.tocculture.com/tocculture  Learn More about Besty Butterick and her work with coaches! https://betsybutterick.com/ Follow Us On Social Media Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/tocculture/  TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@tocculture  Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/@tocculture

In this inspiring episode of The Doctor's Playbook, host Andrew Mohama sits down with Dr. Richard Abrams, a distinguished internist, educator, and Associate Dean of Learning Environments at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Abrams reflects on nearly 40 years in medicine, sharing insights on finding joy in patient care, mentorship, and personal growth.We explore the evolution of medicine, from diversifying medical teams to the shift toward team-based care, and discuss how connection—both with patients and colleagues—enriches clinical practice. Dr. Abrams recounts pivotal moments in his career, including memorable patient encounters, lessons learned from mistakes, and the impact of maintaining humanity in medicine.Dr. Abrams also shares practical advice on balancing the art and science of clinical reasoning, avoiding biases, and creating a positive culture within medical teams. Whether you're a medical student, resident, or seasoned physician, this episode offers profound reflections and actionable strategies to enhance your practice.Join us for a conversation that reminds us why medicine is, as Dr. Abrams describes, "the best career you could have." Host: Andrew MohamaGuest: Richard AbramsProduced By: Andrew MohamaAlert & Oriented is a medical student-run clinical reasoning podcast dedicated to providing a unique platform for early learners to practice their skills as a team in real time. Through our podcast, we strive to foster a learning environment where medical students can engage with one another, share knowledge, and gain valuable experience in clinical reasoning. We aim to provide a comprehensive and supportive platform for early learners to develop their clinical reasoning skills, build confidence in their craft, and become the best clinicians they can be.Follow the team on Twitter:A&ORich AbramsNathan KudlapurNU Internal MedA fantastic resource, by learners, for learners in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Primary Care, Emergency Medicine, and Hospital Medicine.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Matt Fanslow discusses his experience with a student from a local school who came to job shadow. This encounter highlights the challenges of training newcomers to the automotive repair profession, especially those lacking basic mechanical knowledge. Matt reflects on the student's unpreparedness and the broader issues within automotive education. He emphasizes the need for extended training programs and proper mentorship to adequately prepare individuals for careers as automotive technicians. Show NotesJob Shadowing Experience (00:01:19)Student's Attire and Demeanor (00:02:32)Tour of the Shop (00:03:39)Understanding the Complexity of Automotive Work (00:05:09)Student's Lack of Mechanical Background (00:07:24)Pathways to Becoming a Technician (00:11:38)Challenges in Training Duration (00:12:39)Tools and Basic Knowledge Required (00:13:51)Complexity of Troubleshooting (00:15:15)Educational System's Demands (00:16:25)Need for Extended Training Programs (00:17:58)Challenges in Automotive Training (00:20:06)Changing Backgrounds of New Entrants (00:21:07)Shift in Learning Environments (00:22:28)Expectations and Frustration in Training (00:25:01)Encouraging Job Shadowing (00:26:07)"Ask Us Anything!" with Matt Fanslow and Brin Kline

On this episode of The Resilience Lab, host Rex Miller sits down with Judith Hoskens, Senior Planner and Principal at DLR Group, to discuss how thoughtful design can transform schools into places of safety, connection, and brilliance. From an emotional journey with a Finnish elementary school to rallying a community after a disaster, Judy shares powerful stories of designing environments where students and teachers thrive. Her approach—grounded in empathy and deep listening—shows how visionary design can nudge systems toward bold change. Tune in to hear how architecture becomes more than just buildings—it's about creating spaces that inspire joy, community, and resilience. Discover the Resilience Lab: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place/podcast/the-resilience-lab Follow The Resilience Lab.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resiliencelabpodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/80048242/Follow Rex Miller on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexmiller/ Get your copy of education-focused books authored by Rex Miller.Humanizing the Education Machine: How to create schools that turn disengaged kids into inspired learners. https://www.amazon.com/Humanizing-Education-Machine-Disengaged-Inspired/dp/1119283108/Whole: What teachers need to help students thrive.https://www.amazon.com/WHOLE-What-Teachers-Students-Thrive-ebook/dp/B0859NT635/ The Resilience Lab Podcast is an Imagine a Place Production.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Matt Fanslow discusses his experience with a student from a local school who came to job shadow. This encounter highlights the challenges of training newcomers to the automotive repair profession, especially those lacking basic mechanical knowledge. Matt reflects on the student's unpreparedness and the broader issues within automotive education. He emphasizes the need for extended training programs and proper mentorship to adequately prepare individuals for careers as automotive technicians. Show NotesJob Shadowing Experience (00:01:19)Student's Attire and Demeanor (00:02:32)Tour of the Shop (00:03:39)Understanding the Complexity of Automotive Work (00:05:09)Student's Lack of Mechanical Background (00:07:24)Pathways to Becoming a Technician (00:11:38)Challenges in Training Duration (00:12:39)Tools and Basic Knowledge Required (00:13:51)Complexity of Troubleshooting (00:15:15)Educational System's Demands (00:16:25)Need for Extended Training Programs (00:17:58)Challenges in Automotive Training (00:20:06)Changing Backgrounds of New Entrants (00:21:07)Shift in Learning Environments (00:22:28)Expectations and Frustration in Training (00:25:01)Encouraging Job Shadowing (00:26:07)"Ask Us Anything!" with Matt Fanslow and Brin Kline

In this episode of The Resilience Lab with Rex Miller, Melissa Turnbaugh, Senior Principal, Firmwide PreK-12 Market Leader at PBK, shares her vision for transforming education through innovation and intentional design. Melissa discusses how connecting students to nature, fostering creativity, and designing spaces that reflect the identity of their communities can revolutionize the way schools serve their students. She dives into the power of public-private collaboration, the importance of creating equitable and sustainable learning environments, and how small changes—like reimagining outdoor spaces—can inspire pride and connection while addressing larger societal challenges. This conversation is a powerful exploration of how thoughtful design can shape the future of education and the communities it serves. Don't miss this inspiring episode!

Join host Megan in this insightful episode as she welcomes back Dr. Deonna Smith, an inspiring advocate for educational equity. With experience as both a teacher and an administrator, Dr. Smith now collaborates with educators and school leaders to build vibrant, inclusive learning environments that support students from all backgrounds, especially those who are often marginalized. In today's conversation, she shares practical tips on bringing culturally responsive teaching into your classroom and teaching in ways that are joyful, inclusive, and impactful. Don't miss this chance to learn how to elevate your teaching and student engagement!Click here for a special JOY Freebie:  https://purple-tiger-24284.myflodesk.com/kvrdy0ou0g

Welcome to today's episode of FUTUREPROOF, where we delve into the future of education with Jenee Henry Wood, co-author of "Extraordinary Learning for All: How Communities Design Schools Where Everyone Thrives." Jenee, a leader in school innovation, brings a rich blend of experience and passion to the discussion of transforming educational landscapes.What We Discussed:Educational Innovation: Jenee discusses the concepts behind creating schools that foster extraordinary learning experiences for all students, focusing on the practical and humane approaches needed to reinvent schooling.Community Involvement: Insights on how engaging with parents, teachers, and local communities plays a crucial role in improving educational outcomes.Mental Health in Schools: Strategies to address the increasing rates of boredom, stress, and anxiety among students.Teacher Retention: Jenee shares effective practices to uplift teachers' voices and combat the high turnover rates in the profession.Future of School Design: Exploring the frameworks and real-world applications that are guiding the next generation of school design and implementation.Key Takeaways: Jenee highlights the importance of community-centric approaches to education reform, emphasizing that real change comes from within communities themselves. The discussion also covers the need for schools to be adaptable and responsive to the evolving needs of their students and the broader societal shifts.Call to Action: For educators, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of education, Jenee's insights offer valuable guidance. Check out her book, "Extraordinary Learning for All," for a deeper dive into how you can contribute to shaping the educational environments of tomorrow: https://www.amazon.com/Extraordinary-Learning-All-Communities-Everyone/dp/1394230540

The Following is a "Hall of Fame"  episode of the highly acclaimed TKI podcast now exclusively on the Union GK Podcast Network every Wed & Friday! On Today's Pod, TKI Strength & Conditioning Coach Tori Corsaro and Former USWNT GK Jill Loyden discuss how you can be more specific about your "training objectives" in your GK learning environment. Massive Pod for Players & Parents to listen to together!  Share your feedback. Not one to miss for players and parents! Send your comments or questions - contact@insidethe18media.com Video Link -https://www.theunionsports.com/feeds/2487937 And if you want to make sure you never miss an episode of any of our other fantastic  shows such as Gloves off w/ Saskia Webber & Inside the 18 w/ Michael Magid, all  you have to do is subscribe to the union gk app. For more info go to www.theuniongk.com or Download the Union GK Community, on apple or google play stores. Thanks for making The Union Possible & on with the show! *If you want us to come to your town; all you've got to do is DM us @goalkeeperpodcast on The Union & tell us what you've got in mind. The Following is a FREE Preview of the popular TKI Podcast. Want to continue watching or listening? Then Join a 30 day free trial of The Union GK App the new exclusive home of  the pod. For more info; go to www.theuniongk.com ; or download the The Union GK Community on Apple or Google Play Stores. Thanks for all your support & we'll see you on The Union! Unlock Excellence with UNION GK APP Premium Features: One-On-One Virtual Coaching Sessions: Meet with world-class coaches and goalkeepers to discuss your performance, technical assessments, the college recruiting process, and more. Personalized Training Plans: Access to tailored training plans designed by professional goalkeepers to enhance skills and understanding of the position. Exclusive Drills Library: Unlimited access to the Union GK's goalkeeping drills and exercises

Is your furniture shaping the way students learn? In this episode of the Better Learning Podcast, host Kevin Stoller welcomes Amanda Hastings, NCIDQ, ALEP, IIDA, Senior Interior Designer at SLAM Collaborative. Together, they dive into the critical role of furniture in shaping educational environments and its impact on students, teachers, and communities. Amanda's passion for creating dynamic, student-centered learning spaces shines as she shares her approach to furniture design in schools. With nearly two decades of experience and a client-centered philosophy, she emphasizes that furniture should do more than complement design—it should guide it.   Takeaways: Furniture should guide the design, not just follow it. Engaging teachers early in the design process is crucial. Quality furniture impacts student learning and engagement. Educating decision-makers on furniture value is essential. Community involvement can drive educational improvements. Building a positive school culture is as important as the physical space. Collaboration among designers, educators, and communities is key.   Amanda's approach to interior design is both thoughtful and deeply client-centered. With almost two decades of experience in designing inclusive environments, she brings a wealth of expertise to her work, particularly in the public-education sector. Amanda's design philosophy is rooted in connection—she prioritizes building relationships with clients to understand their unique needs and visions and values understanding the "why" behind every design decision. Her designs are conceptually grounded, blending creativity with the personality of the client to create engaging, dynamic spaces where everyone will thrive. Her recent completion of the ALEP program in 2023 was driven by her passion for designing educational environments, and equipped her with expert knowledge and an enhanced desire to not only create student-centered spaces that enrich their learning experience but also to bring this knowledge to the clients and communities she works with.     Sound Bites: "Furniture should guide the design, not just follow it." "We need a cultural shift in education." "Seeing furniture in person makes a huge difference." "The furniture world can be confusing." "The transformation of schools is the best part."     Follow Amanda Hastings on Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-hastings-shea-ncidq-alep-iida-ba603755/     Learn More About The SLAM Collaborative Website: https://slamcoll.com/   Instagram: theslamcollaborative LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-s-l-a-m-collaborative/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSLAMCollaborativeArchitecture X: https://x.com/SLAMcollab     Episode 207 of the Better Learning Podcast Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.   For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/ EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/   Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website     Transcript Kevin Stoller (00:06.754) Welcome to the Better Learning Podcast. My name is Kevin Stoller, host of the show, and we're always looking at how we can improve education from a variety of different aspects. We've been really digging into the furniture aspect and how much it impacts the space over some recent episodes, and I've been having a lot of conversations. So that's why my guest today, Amanda Hastings. Amanda, how are you doing?   Amanda Hastings Very good. Thank you for having me.   Kevin Stoller Yeah. And so why don't you give a little bit of just like your intro and the firm you're with and what your role is. And then we're just going to go back because we were having conversation and that's really I want to get back to really just the conversational part of it.   Amanda Hastings I am a senior interior designer at the SLAMM Collaborative based in Connecticut. We have firms all over the country, but mostly the public ed work that we do K-12 schools is in Connecticut and out of our Rhode Island office, Connecticut office. Mostly just Connecticut and Rhode Island are where we focus. I've been working on public ed for most of my career. So probably like the 18 years or so. And again, mostly Connecticut. And yeah, it's become one of those things where I just kind of fell into doing schools because the firm I worked for before did it. And then it just has become a passion of mine where now I solely do K-12 public school work. And it is something that I'm definitely passionate about, like the learning environments and the furniture aspects of that. Last year I completed the ALEP program, which was tremendously insightful. And it kind of blew my mind that like, how do you get to this point in your career where you're working on school so far? And there was so much information there to learn. I kind of makes you feel bad of like, my God, I wish I had known this like 15 years ago and was working, you know, towards these things at that point and understanding the reasons why behind everything that we're doing. So at this point, I really feel like it's important to, for me to share that knowledge with either other designers in my firm or, you know, definitely with the clients, but like would love to like find a way to kind of bring more of the information out to the general public. Cause you just, I just feel like, not everybody understands what we do, why we do it, and how the classroom is impacted by design. Kevin Stoller (02:21.068) I love it. Yeah, perfect. And we have talked because I've been trying to, I wanted to interview a lot of people, not on the podcast. I've been interviewing, I think I'm at somewhere in the mid-upper 30s or 40s people just being like, from your perspective, what's the best practices of the projects that you're doing? What's the best way to make sure that the furniture is incorporated so that that the intent of the space and the culture and the teaching and the pedagogy, everything aligns. So when they go into that space, that it really makes the impact that we're seeking. And you were the ones that we were getting pretty deep in the weeds. So I'm like, you know, we need to really get the details in on an episode like this. So I was just starting to tell you before we recorded this, one of the things that I've gotten from it is that We did a three part series that's going to be coming out by the time this one goes, it will be there. So people can go back and listen to it. I'm really looking at the why it matters and then more of like the how and some of the best practices. But what I've been landing on, it does feel like the best, the best case scenario is typically when it is a team collaborative approach and that furniture is really looked at very early in the process. And it sounds like your view on that is very similar on that. What I mean, from your point of view, like what what's the best case for you? Like if you were going to guide a district through this, how would you guide them through the process?   Amanda Hastings I think so. First, I'm going to say when I first started working on schools, a lot of times like the interior designers wouldn't even be involved until like, you know, like all the spaces are laid out, you're coming in halfway through the design. And that to me, I'm like, how, how is that helping that, you know, like, like the furniture is not something that should just follow the design. It should be helping to guide it. like, you know, whether you're setting up a classroom or an office or a media center, catering those, that design to what that space is, is so important. So like, I think that has definitely evolved with the work that I've been doing. And, you know, this was a long time ago. like being an advocate for getting into your designers and the people that are doing the programming and planning involved very early on and making sure that they are part of that space planning. And before, maybe even before you're talking with the client, just using your best practices to kind of figure out how do these spaces work so that when you do have those initial conversations with the client, you've already brought the design to a certain point where you know how it functions, know how, know, the, you know, essence of like a media center. So you can talk them through what you're showing to have that conversation. But I feel like sometimes, you know, if the design doesn't have the ability to bring that conversation to life, that's where you're, you're struggling at first. So making sure that you truly are embedded in the design from the beginning to be able to have those conversations. how early? Me, I'm usually when the project starts, when we go to the interview is when we kind of start having that conversation. And then, you know, when it's SD, the beginning of very schematic designs of just working for me, working with our programmers. They do a lot of space planning and just even making sure they understand what the size of a classroom needs to be, what you know, what you need in there to have those dynamic layouts that if. desks are all just facing forward in a room. Like you might not need as much space as you do if you're moving them around and having flexible furniture. really making sure that everyone who's working on the project understands the why you need certain square footage or why you need visibility to the media center or visibility to other places to kind of activate those things. I think so very early on, as soon as we start the project, we're having these conversations.   Kevin Stoller Yeah. So as I've been talking to people and just coming off LearningSCAPES and, you know, and when a recording this, we're heading into EDspaces. Like it's all like I feel like this is a topic that just keeps coming up and went probably because I'm bringing it up. But but also because I feel like it is like we're at that moment in like the industry. Yeah, we're getting this momentum like where if you would have said 10 years ago, like these newer products were coming out and like we were recognizing that they make an impact and we were putting it in, but then the teachers weren't kind of coming along. And now I feel like we're addressing that that was recognized and now we're doing a better job as an industry of getting the teacher voices and bringing them along on professional development. So now I feel like the last step to like really get this is, is how do we kind of get the team approach to go in earlier? To do this and it really comes around like just like the earliest conversation of like let's be talking about furniture very early. us it definitely helps when you have a school district or you have a city that's already you know up on that information and they're pushing for it so you know it's much easier obviously when you don't have to educate everybody that's on the project for like, is this so great? When they come to you with that, that makes it so much easier. So we've definitely seen more push. Like for example, a Rhode Island project that we just did, I just had to write an entire letter to be submitted with my furniture package to explain to them the entire process along the way and how we engage staff and what we did to make sure that they were educated. And that's a new thing. Like we've never had to do that with any of our furniture packages before. So now it's being brought from that state review to say, hey, this is important and we want to make sure that you're doing it. So show us how you did that. So that to me is exciting because, you know, it doesn't feel like you're out here just like pushing forward and on your own that really it's coming from, you know, the important people that are funding these projects. So. Yeah, I always use this like that bell curve that if you look at like an industry, like a product life cycle, like I felt like, you know, like we were like kind of those trendsetters and then the early adopters and now we're we're at the point where if we're not at the early majority we may even be further along where I think this is like the majority is recognizing what's going on which is exciting. So this is where I'm at and I'd love to get your take on this. I feel like there have been two camps of when it actually comes down to more of like the mechanics of how how furniture is approached on a project. There's kind of the camp that I would say is more than kind of the more traditional approach of like, we're going to build a spec and we're going to bid it out. And that's typically going to be like roughly six months prior to a school opening. Maybe they'll get a little further ahead. Maybe it'll be nine months. But and then there's this other camp. And that's more of like, we're going to pick our partner early on. We're going to do some type of valuation and pick our partner first before we pick the products. Have you had experience with either one of those or is yours typically some type of hybrid?   Amanda Hastings A little bit of a hybrid. Mostly bidding. A lot of times it comes from the client. They sort of dictate what it is. In Connecticut, you have the option of either using a state contract or going to bid. But you're limited by who's on the state contract. And thankfully, a lot of the school products are, but not necessarily everything. And then there's limits to that. So it's working around that contract system. But we kind of do a hybrid thing in my office where even if we go to bid, we're limiting what the product could product is, so you're not just opening up to anyone providing you anything and then kind of having to vet it and work with the client to figure out on the end, know, are these chairs comfortable? Like, does this one match this one? Are they equal in ergonomics and durability? We kind of dictate upfront, like, here are your three things that we've already vetted that these ones, here's your basis of design that we know that we want and two, that we will accept, and that is it. So we kind of control exactly where getting it. It's not a perfect system. Ideally, we would love to just go work with VS and get the VS chair or work directly with Smith's systems and get exactly what we want. But for me, it's always been very hard because it's not always up to me of how we can do that. Working within the parameters that I have, we try very hard to make our own rules to make the system work for us.   Kevin Stoller Yeah. And it is, I mean, you're 100 % right from what I'm...been hearing from everyone. It is so dependent on each state and what the requirements are. And then obviously, sometimes the districts have different preferences in there. Yeah, and I think that's, that's the piece to me that is probably like the, the next wave of the conversations that we that be next proving how do we do this? Yeah, of the how we do this because yeah, because because I do think that that's where we're at right now. Like, like, this is the moment where we need to have the discussions of like, is furniture a commodity? Or is furniture, you know, an integral part of the learning environment? Because you know, the reality of it, like, if you have to put three equals, on there. They're never quite equal. if you start mixing and matching, it doesn't have the same design intent where if it was all the basis of design, or if you can say, hey, this is exactly what I want, you can actually pick that and the district can actually pick this is what we want on there. that's why you like Yeah, if I'm going to put my my experience on it, it's like, man, when you can do that, you're going to have a much better result. You're going have this collaborative approach. You're going to know exactly what you're getting. You're going to know the pricing upfront. You're going to say like, hey, we are not going to be, we're not going over budget and we can now decide what is the most important thing. So if we want to put more of our resources into a certain, a certain part of the school or certain ones, we can now like collaboratively make those decisions versus putting a bid out and then trying to piece it all back together once we get all these bid prices. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely would help them, you know, maintain the level of what you want in the end, which I feel like sometimes like, not, know, our struggle is sometimes, sometimes not everyone really understands the value of the furniture, no matter what you say. And everyone has, you know, their things that they think are the most important, whether it be an architectural item or something for the custodial, like a very expensive piece of equipment for a custodial. And so it's weighing those things where everyone kind of comes in there with their own opinions. so furniture is not always the top priority for everyone. sometimes we get the, we'll just use the existing chairs and desks and they're all attached to each other and it's fine. They're in good condition. And you just think like, no, no, please. Like, let us figure out like a way to work with the budget and work with what you're getting. And, you know, if you can truly get what you want in the end, like that would definitely help them. you know, it's always that struggle of like not everyone sees that furniture as the priority based on, know, whatever they're coming to the table with there. Yeah. So is it, is it the biggest obstacle if I'm hearing you right is more of like the education of the client? I would say, yeah, the education of the people that make the decisions. Not necessarily, you it's not always teachers who are making decisions. A lot of times it's, you know, people that are part of the building committee, the Board of Ed, superintendents, like, you know, they all kind of have a lot of influence because they are the ones that make the financial decisions. So it's us bringing our expertise to them so they understand that this is something valuable that they should be putting their money into and why, right? What, from your point of view, what would be like if you can wave a magic wand to make this better or to make sure these projects have a bigger impact, what's the biggest thing that you think is getting in your way?   Amanda Hastings I think honestly, people just are very unaware of the furniture world. They don't really understand what is available to them or why behind furniture design and how the classrooms function. I feel like a lot of times, you know, like a board of ed or a building committee is parents or people that are retired and they're kind of doing this as, know, on the side. So a lot of times they're not even working in the schools or they're not necessarily like seeing what it's like living in those classrooms. They feel like a lot, like the people that come to the table don't necessarily know all the stuff that we deal with on a daily basis or necessarily the stuff that the teacher's dealing with on a daily basis. some way, if there was a way to get more education out there to those, that tier of people that are invested in the schools. I think it would really help, you know, people, not only us, but obviously the schools and school systems and all the way down to the students, because those people would be advocating for it at that level. And earlier on than even like the architects and designers are involved in the play, you know, and they're, they're putting this together to get the funding for these projects in the beginning, if they set that as a priority. before it even becomes a project. I think that is key in getting better furniture. Yeah. I always think of it it's in a lot of ways, it's almost like a cultural shift. like, how do you, yeah, how do you? And to generalize, a lot of times people on the building committee are older because they have more time. They're retired. And they don't know what's happening in current furniture design or classroom. concepts and you know a lot you know there's a lot of people who are educated but sometimes you're like I've had the same desk back then like what's the matter you know that attitude and you're like no let me tell you let me explain you know it's some of those things that you you do encounter which you know also make you frustrated yeah you can do better   Kevin Stoller Yeah, all right. So that's a good perspective because that's what I'm yeah like in my mind like I'm only dealing with with this all the time So maybe we maybe we still do need to drive home or that why and show it, you know, put it in a bunch of different Formats for them because I'm always trying to think I'm like, know, like, know, like is it you know, like They may not be the ones that making the decisions, but I think they definitely can have a voice in what those decisions are. And it is directly benefiting their kids. So I that's, don't know how they would get educated on this, but I feel like that's probably a missing link of like people that don't necessarily know what's happening. All right. You're hitting like one of my passion points right here. Did we, did we talk about, the nonprofit and the docu-series last time we talked that we were working on? Okay. All right. I'm going to tell you about it. And you could. But that was one of the things that I'm like, you know what, we really need to bring the communities on like like we're working on this more from like the industry side. But wouldn't it be awesome if it was more the demand side of like the communities were coming to the school saying, why, why aren't we doing this? So we just our team just spent a lot of time thinking about like, how do we like like like what does make those cultural changes? And we kept landing of like it's like it's the media and entertainment industry. Like most major movements and things that have happened, it's because there's been a movie or a TV show or something. And I always come back to the show Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines. Super entertaining ship. Not everyone has farmhouse. Exactly. Everyone has shiplap on their walls now. They completely changed the way homes and... you know, in the US are designed. And so, yeah, so we've been trying to look through that and be like, how do we do that? How do we do it in an entertaining way where it's not, you know, just for people who are normally interested in schools? So we started a nonprofit with, you know, with other partners, and we're always looking for more for more people to come along with this called Second Class Foundation. That was... that's really rooted in how do we improve education through the use of media and storytelling? And one of the first projects we're doing is we found this amazing film crew to do a docu-series and they did the first episode, which is really powerful. It's really well done. I would definitely recommend everyone watch it. It's not that long. It's like nine minutes long, but it hits home like... really of like, yeah, I've heard people say it's heartbreaking. And I'm like, yeah, just know that's the first that's only the first episode. Sometimes you need that, like a little bit of that. Yeah. He's honest to like, get the point across. Right. Yeah, I keep saying like, we have a mapped out like 10 episode series. And it's like every good story it it has to show the transformation. So the first one is really heartbreaking and it's really like kind of showing a really dire need of a school in Idaho. But our intent is to weave other stories in around the country and show like others like, I mean, Cranston schools are great example of you look at some of the things that they're doing in that district and to be able to showcase, be like, look, this is what some schools in the country are doing. And some districts are working towards and being able to weave some of these stories and these narratives, but really wrapped around really good character development in there. I know it's a big thing. mean, I'll show you. Yeah. I mean, I'll send you the link, but, you know, secondclassfoundation.org is is for the listeners and we can put the link in there. But yeah, I keep coming back to them like I don't know how else to get other people in to it other than trying to meet them where they're at. And, you know, and the intent is how do we put content like Netflix quality types of things that when they're sitting down at night saying, what am I going to watch? They actually watch something like this. The TikTok world and the, you know, Instagram reels and getting that so that you're sharing it. The next person is sharing it. I have no idea if I can start that, but like that, you know, that's like the world it seems like everything is like spurred from right but like how to get that going with beyond just our industry. yeah. So digging into like what you do on an everyday basis, you have a very good working knowledge of like, what products are out there and the why behind it. I mean, what are the things that that you wish other people knew or had the viewpoint, either if they're just starting out or they haven't done as many schools or? I think it like like for me, like going to Ed spaces and really seeing and having that like, like not just having like a sales rep come and kind of give you the pitch, but like really seeing the furniture and feeling it and sitting in it. And like it's amazing how that actual small act of like Kevin Stoller (23:03.674) bringing a sample chair to a client and having them sit in a student chair that is ergonomic and does have movement and they instantly get it. Like they're like, my God, like this is what the students should have, I understand. So I feel like anyone who's new to that, just like getting out there and like seeing the furniture in person and like hands-on and testing it and sitting in it and like just getting involved in that, like seeing it in person. Like there's so many things, know, like pictures and images of classrooms and all of that you can see online. But I feel like it doesn't really resonate until you're trying it out yourself. So that to me is like step one. If you're going to do school design, like go to EdSpaces or go to showrooms or go to a factory tour, go and like see, you know, get the spiel, but also get to test it yourself so you understand. Yeah. What was the moment for you like when it clicked?   Amanda Hastings I think, you know, like I'm I'm a BS person. I Like I love our, VS dealers, Robert Lord, and they are fantastic. So working with them, our VS prep and just, I distinctly remember when you say video, like David Stubbs, the video that they had done of like school in Hawaii and just how transformative it was. And then just going to their factory and seeing that in person. And then not only just understanding the why behind the, the design and like how the classroom functions, but also like the integrity of how the furniture is made, the durability, which is huge in schools. Like that's a huge thing. You know, they get this furniture usually once for 50 years. So how is it going to hold up? And, you know, is it going to be suitable for kids in high school who are like rough and tough on it and all, and like just being able to like sit in it and test it and see like how this is made and how does this really benefit the school on you know, a very wide variety of ways, whether it's budget or like I durability or comfort or flexibility or, you know, future proofing for how does this evolve over time? They were very integral in that for me of just kind of getting that message and that, you know, it's not just being dedicated to them, but then seeing how does that work with other people and how are other companies evolving? Because I feel like in the past 10 years, Like definitely in the past 15 years, a lot of other companies have come along and a lot of other companies have definitely evolved what they're offering for furniture. I think following in that trend, right? Like there was not a lot of the same stuff back 10 years ago that there is now that you have way more options for what you can do with the classrooms, sit to sand desks and chairs that are different ways of sitting and those things and just being excited for what's evolving.   Kevin Stoller Yeah, totally, totally agree. Yeah, I feel like that story component of really that understanding of of the why behind it is so important. To me, I remember like distinctly in that video, I think it's not just the furniture, right? Like it's showing the classroom that the kids are sitting on the floor and they're like having like a soft spot where they're leaning against the chair or sitting underneath the desk. So it's not always like the in the box that you're picturing of like, how does this desk work? But hey, can someone sit under this? And now all of sudden, it feels like a cozy spot. And they're leaning against a soft seating in the room. And how are they using that differently? it's not just about the one function that you think that that piece of furniture has, but how can that whole classroom kind of be an inviting and exciting place for kids to be engaged? Yeah, yep. Love it. Yeah. That to me is like a perfect example of like, man, like there are these resources that just so desperately want to help on these projects that to be able to work with them and bring people in and do that. How often are you either approach like what's it like from your point of view when people are calling you about furniture or you're trying to learn about furniture because one of the things that I've been learning from these interviews is that the furniture world can be confusing of like, who are the distributors? Who are the manufacturers? Who does what? Like, what are the contracts? who has access to what? Have you figured that out yet? I I feel like I know that more so just because of working on the school projects. Kevin Stoller (27:40.078) I don't think it says, you the people in my office that do furniture for higher ed or corporate don't really understand that as much as I do because I constantly have to work with bids and who is a dealer and what's a manufacturer and what manufacturers are on state contract and with who and like that level is a little bit more intense, I think in like the public ed world than it is in other areas. So I feel like I do have a good understanding, but sometimes it, you know, it's hard to tell what's the sales pitch versus what is the genuine, and you kind of have to like, just, you know, do your research and be open-minded, but also, you know, keep those questions in mind. you know, sometimes you just see, well, maybe you just copied the last person's because they're so successful. And so is that really what, like, what your furniture is bringing or, you know, like, it's just kind of being aware of, I don't know, you know, the whole spiel behind it sometimes. It's not always. all just about like the furniture and the classrooms, but sometimes it's a sales pitch. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, you know, like that I've been in the furniture world, you know, on this for 15 years now. And there's definitely, you know, there are definitely people who like are in it and care about, and I would say a lot in our industry are, and then there's some where it is clearly they're just trying to sell stuff. and I think on my end, making sure that your client kind of understands the integrity of the products that we kind of are promoting and the dealerships and the manufacturers who do have their best intentions and wanna be there for the long run. And like why that might be something that you're selecting versus somebody else that might be less expensive or why you're selecting one company or one chair over another. that it's not for on us, you it's not just about the sales pitch, but there is that whole breadth of reasoning behind it. So, you know, it kind of helps us to understand all of that behind the scenes because it's very hard to sell the wide your client without understanding the difference between, you know, the whole spectrum of every chair that's out there and like what sets one apart from the other.   Kevin Stoller Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Completely. It's a, yeah. I, yeah, I think this is another one that I'm like,And I think the furniture industry, and I'll put myself in that category of like, think we can be doing a better job coordinating and not making, I mean, I know there's always going to be a competitive component to it, but I know enough of like the people in this industry and the best ones don't have that competitive mindset. They have this collaborative mindset. And, and that's my hope is that, you know, like we're genuinely in this because we want to create better learning environments. that is our goal. of you out there who have that passion that comes through, right? Like you, it's very easy to see who's passionate about this and, and, you know, versus like what is just a sales pitch. that passion is definitely a driving force that like, resonates with on the design side of these for me. Yeah, yeah. And that's what's the part that's encouraging to me is that I think the ones that are like really getting involved like at a deeper level of this, whether it's in, you know, the A4LE community or the Ed market, you know, and, you know, the corresponding conferences on there. What else are you looking at? Like, what are the things that are either headaches to you or... And then I'm gonna... ask you the converse there when we wrap up. I am going to say a hundred percent every project, every single time budget is always the biggest hurdle. You know, sometimes you are very limited on what you have. Sometimes there's other things that get pushed into the furniture budget. So it's not just your typical furniture. So you're dealing with a lot of different aspects. And I, I feel like that and as prices are rising and things are more expensive, but sometimes those budgets have been increased. to deal with inflation. That's always a struggle on our end of how do you provide exactly what you think they need when the budget just kind of feels like it's fighting you all the time. And like, where is it that you can kind of pull back or like, what can you do so that you're not compromising the integrity of what they're getting in the classroom or what the students are getting for furniture, but how do you balance that with like keeping on budget that every single time is the hardest part. Yeah, how are you seeing like the budgets? Kevin Stoller (32:28.39) be assigned? Are they taking percentage of the job costs or are they looking at per square foot or some other? A lot of times I'm not involved when they're set, but I think They just give you that budget and say, this is what you can echo over. I think the way they do it in Connecticut is it's a certain amount per student. If you have 600 kids, 600 times, I don't know what the number is, whatever that number is. And then that's what you kind of across the board. We've had challenges where they're like, we have 600 students. But really, the school is planned for 800 students. And you're like, that budget didn't actually cover the new school. That covered your existing school. then it's those challenges. But I think for me, it's always understanding, what is that budget in the first place? So that can really think about what's the best thing that we can do. For me, it's always What's the best that we can get them, the most that we can get them within that budget that, that, you know, allows them to have like the greatest school possible. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Now on the positive side, what, keeps you going? What do you, what do you love about this work? Like, what are the things that get you excited about or really find fulfilling? Yeah. First of all, this, like having other people, like it, I feel like it's been a newer thing for me to like after doing the A-Lab and being a little bit more involved in like the, that world that there are other people out there who are doing this too. I feel like people are excited about it. So that is, I'm so excited about that. Cause usually being the only one in my office for the past 10 years that worked on Public Ed, I felt like, you know, I have other designers and other firms that I know, but like, there's not that community for me. So like having a community now has been fantastic. Also, you know, like so many of these schools haven't been touched in 50 years. And when you see what their classrooms look like, what the, chairs that they're sitting in that like, know, the art teacher has a closet. She doesn't have a classroom. She has a cart and that is it. And what, when you're working on these projects and they get to see that like, not only do I have like an entire classroom, like it's full of amazing things. Like that excitement is the best part. Like what the possibilities of what those teachers and students and like community have, like that is the best for me. And like, that's why I kind of. Kevin Stoller (34:51.514) decided that like public ed really was like my favorite thing because it was just so different than doing like a corporate job or working on, know, like a higher ed. They're like amazing, cool projects. But for me, like that transformation that you have when you go from a school that literally you've had the more, know, the ceilings are crumbling on them. The like, the walls, the doors don't work. The windows don't, you know, like there's all these things that they're living in these horrible spaces. And when they ask you like, Will I be able to turn on the lights in my room or can I come into my classroom and like not have to wear my coat in the winter? And then you say, well, of course. And then also here are all the other things that you could have like your, you know, here's the furniture options and here's like how this space is going to work. And here's like the view of the, you know, forest outside. It gets so excited. And that to me is the best part. Like that. And user. That's really cool. Well, thank you for the work you're doing. Because I do think like you're finding, like you said, the community. I'm totally with you. mean, this community of it, it's there is a like a specialness to to this of like this type of work that is just different from other sectors. And it's really cool to to find this community that does generally care about it and kind of give that like. extra attention to it and recognize like this is this literally is life changing. Like how lucky are we that we to do work like that? Yeah, like the entire community. has been to school. Most everybody you know has a connection with school, you know, so I feel like it's like everybody gets excited about it because they understand it. It's a part of everybody's life for the most part. So yeah, yeah. So yeah, I appreciate that. All right. Anything else I should be asking you that I didn't ask you about? gosh. I mean, you know, I could keep talking, Yeah, I'm just, I just think it's exciting that in this time that they're, like I said, there's, there's motion, right? It's moving forward and it's just getting better all the time and more education and more information out there that, you know, broader communities are understanding about this. And it's just, it's going to make not only the schools better, it's going to make our designs better. It's just, yeah, a lot to come. That's exciting. So. Yeah. Very cool. Kevin Stoller (37:07.782) All right. Well, to the listeners, if you have not hit subscribe wherever you're listening, just hit subscribe and betterlearningpodcast.com is the hub for everything. I mean, this is our community. So it is, you know, like being able to really look at this, figure out how we can do a better, but then also, you know, like having that broader view of like, yeah, learning environments are a big part of this, but it's also like, we're looking at education as a whole of like, we all are recognizing we want to give the best opportunities for every kid. And it's pretty cool. have a community like that, that we get to interact with. So, Amanda, thank you.   Amanda Hastings Thank you so much. I appreciate it.   Kevin Stoller (37:58.874) Views and opinions expressed on the Better Learning Podcast are those of myself as an individual and my guests and do not necessarily represent the organizations that we work for, the Association for Learning Environments, K-12, Education Leaders Organization, or Second Class Foundation.

About the Guest(s):Alexis Thomason is an accomplished virtual art instructor at the Pearson Georgia Connections Academy. She has a robust background in teaching, having spent 25 years in various educational roles. Initially starting her career in middle school education with certifications in K-12 art and language arts for grades 4 through 8, Alexis transitioned to the virtual teaching sphere following her enriching experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is known for her dedication to fostering an inclusive and engaging educational environment that benefits all learners, including those with disabilities.Episode Summary:In this engaging episode of the Think Inclusive podcast, host Tim Villegas explores the realm of virtual education alongside guest Alexis Thomason from the Georgia Connections Academy. This episode dives deep into the possibilities and challenges of providing inclusive education in an entirely virtual setup. With the rapid transition to online schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators faced the challenge of adapting their teaching methods. Alexis shares her journey from traditional classroom teaching to becoming a virtual art educator and discusses how online education can be a viable and inclusive option for students, especially those with disabilities.As virtual education becomes a more prominent fixture in the educational landscape, Alexis outlines how Pearson Georgia Connections Academy operates as a tuition-free online public school, serving K-12 students. Emphasizing flexible learning and accessibility, Alexis explains how virtual schooling can uniquely support learners with disabilities, allowing for personalized and differentiated instruction. With insights on how virtual environments foster self-driven learning and teaching, Alexis provides a compelling case for educators and parents to consider virtual schooling as a potential avenue for their educational needs.Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/12q3Th8cahLWUnBULlKfYnN34soKey Takeaways:Virtual education can be an inclusive and accommodating environment for students, including those with disabilities, by offering personalized learning options.Pearson Georgia Connections Academy provides a flexible, 100% online schooling option that caters to K-12 students across multiple states.Differentiation in teaching methods is crucial in a virtual setting to cater to diverse learning styles and needs, helping ensure that each student receives the appropriate support.The transition to virtual education offers flexibility not just for students but for educators too, allowing them to find a teaching style that suits their personal needs and professional goals.Students can thrive in a virtual learning environment by receiving individualized support and having access to recorded lessons and flexible learning schedules.Resources:Pearson Connections Academy: https://www.connectionsacademy.com/Thank you to our sponsor, IXL! Learn more: https://www.ixl.com/inclusive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you ready to revolutionize the way your school thinks about furniture? In our FF&E Procurement Revisionism Series, we'll explore how integrating flexible, student-centered furniture into your classroom designs can enhance engagement and foster better learning outcomes. Plus, learn how to overcome the hurdles of traditional procurement processes to streamline the journey from concept to installation.   Episode 1 of 3: The WHY In our first episode of the series, we explore the transformative impact of considering furniture as an integral part of the learning environment. We have discussions that focus on how movement, student choice, and rapid student-owned solutions drive engagement for both students and teachers.   Takeaways: The role of furniture in promoting movement and flexibility Success stories from educators who have adopted this approach Early inclusion of furniture in design processes Challenges faced and solutions implemented   Dr. Lennie Scott-Webber is a Thought leader in the research and design of learning places and space, with a profound belief in the evidence that the design of space matters for learning outcomes, and passionate about the unanswered solutions that leave students behind in their learning. Eliza Loyola is a former Elementary School Teacher and Principal at Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. She helped lead the rebuild process at the district and was an advocate for change while going through the furniture procurement process during the renovation project.     Follow Dr. Lennie Scott-Webber on Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennie-scott-webber-phd-2594a912/   Follow Eliza Loyola on Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliza-loyola-0702541b0/     The FF&E Procurement Revisionism Series on the Better Learning Podcast   Episode 204 of the Better Learning Podcast Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.   For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/ EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/   Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website

We all want to create rich learning environments for our kids, but did you know that sometimes your fear can ruin that atmosphere? I dive into it all in today's episode!  DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE MASSIVE LAUNCH SALE I AM DOING ON MY COURSE "HOMESCHOOL WITH CONFIDENCE"  Live workshop replay: https://homeschoolingforwfhm.com/workshop-replay Homeschool With Confidence: https://homeschoolingforwfhm.com/hwc Remember this course is 50% OFF till Sunday, November 3rd! Lowest price this course will EVER be! 

For the first episode of our third season, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Haslam College of Business lecturer Paul Fortunato and partners from his Supply Chain Project Management (SCM 430) course at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Fortunato, a former executive with Dow Chemical Company, invited Lori Maurer, director of the center for supply chain excellence, and Riley Clayton, logistics and supply chain manager, from Albemarle to talk with Ted and Tom about the corporation's three-year involvement in his course.UT's top-ranked supply chain management programs are held up by their real-world relevance and the close work with corporate partners such as Albemarle, a leading provider of lithium, bromine, and other essential chemical elements.Don't miss this exciting discussion on talent identification, university and business collaborations, and real-world supply chain challenges addressed by UT students. To open the episode, our hosts also talk about the impact of U.S. port strikes, economic growth numbers, the upcoming presidential election, and more! Is your company interested in partnering with the University of Tennessee? Learn more about becoming a member of our renowned Supply Chain Forum. The episode was recorded virtually on October 28. Related links: The U.S. economy remains engine of global growth in latest IMF forecasts Election-year effect: scenarios that could impact the supply chain Don Maier on understanding the impact of organized labor on the U.S. supply chain For the fifth year, UT ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 4 nationally for SCM programs by U.S. News and World Report Register for the Fall 2024 Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 12–14 in Knoxville Become a Supply Chain Forum member Subscribe to GSCI's monthly newsletter Read the latest news and insights from GSCI Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

Are you a new school leader wondering how to create learning spaces that truly engage students and foster success? In the latest episode of the Better Learning Podcast, Dr. David Cupolo, principal of St. James Intermediate School, shares valuable insights on the profound impact of school design on student engagement. In his conversation with Kevin Stoller, Dr. Cupolo highlights how thoughtful learning environments can transform education and offers essential lessons for new leaders navigating this journey. Dr. Cupolo also explores how instructional leaders can drive change by focusing on both physical spaces and the school culture. He underscores the idea that a well-designed building must be paired with a culture that prioritizes student growth and active listening. When students feel heard and supported, they thrive in environments that encourage collaboration, exploration, and a genuine sense of excitement for learning. For new school leaders, this episode is filled with actionable tips, from the importance of understanding the "why" behind school design decisions to embracing flexibility in both space and teaching. Whether you're aiming to enhance student agency, foster collaborative learning, or simply reimagine your school's layout, this conversation provides the guidance you need to take the first steps.   Takeaways: Schools should be designed with the needs of students in mind. Creating engaging learning environments can reduce boredom and increase student success. Student agency is essential for effective learning. Research can guide the design and use of educational spaces. It's important to reflect on the 'why' behind educational practices. Building a positive school culture is as important as the physical space. Listening to students can provide valuable insights into their learning experiences. Homework often has minimal impact on student learning outcomes.   Dr. David Cupolo has 18 years of experience in educational leadership as a building principal, including eight years at a cutting-edge, non-traditional facility; I offer a blend of practical experience and academic insight. Recently, I earned a Ph.D., during which my dissertation research delved into how instructional leaders understand and engage with the concept of 'learning thrill,' utilizing a framework developed by esteemed educational researcher John Hattie. The results of my research have profound implications for the design and renovation of school facilities and classrooms, highlighting crucial conditions that facilitate learning. I have presented on the topic of flexible learning environments at various conferences, most notably at three Association for Learning Environment (A4LE) Conferences, including the 2024 Southeast Region Conference this past April.   Sound Bites: "You can have beautiful buildings and be an ugly culture." "Kids want to collaborate and explore." "We need to trust kids and listen to them." "Learning thrill can be developed in schools."     Follow David Cupolo on Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cupolo-6b4a1623/   Read David's Article Designing for Learning Thrill Spaces4Learning Article: https://spaces4learning.com/Articles/2024/07/09/Designing-for-Learning-Thrill.aspx     Episode 202 of the Better Learning Podcast Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.   For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/ EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/   Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website     Kevin Stoller (00:07.454) It's another episode of the Better Learning Podcast. I am excited about our guests today because we talk a lot about furniture and use and we can talk about it from like the designers and from the architects and what we do supporting education from the outside. But it's always good to get the perspective of the principals and the ones that are actually like using the spaces and hearing from the teachers and the students and being able to have that lens to it. So I'm excited to bring in Dr. David Capolo. I screwed it up, I? Did I announce it? Did I pronounce it?   David Cupolo It's Koo-pal-o! It's all good.    Kevin Stoller Yep, and he's a principal at St. James Intermediate School in Horry County in South Carolina. Just for the audience, because I'll give you a little behind the scenes, I'm horrible at pronunciation and making sure I do it. And whenever I get it stuck in my head, it's so hard to switch it.   David Cupolo It's why I don't read names at award ceremonies.   Kevin Stoller I know because I'll get it stuck and I'm afraid I'm gonna mess up and I'm not the expert of that Yeah, I'm the worst. I'm like give me a script and I'll and I'll screw it up. So yeah, but but I really wanted to talk about from your perspective of where you got to what you're talking about like the thrill and getting rid of the boredom, but I want to start really from the from the very beginning for you and I want to hear what was school like for you.   David Cupolo So I knew how to play the game. I knew how to be successful in school. And honestly, if I had a relationship and you built curiosity and made connection with me, it was an A. If you did not, I was a B for bye-bye, that type of thing. And C for see you later. It all depended. And came from a family of engineers and I chose to go into public teaching and education, which is great. But I think I was not... That curiosity and connection for me in learning was not built in the area of math. was just too much of that skill and drill. so, but I played it well, you know, went on to college in Version, New Hampshire, and then a few master's degree at NC State. And that's where I really learned how to learn.   Kevin Stoller (02:33.058) So talk about that, that learning to learn. What sparked that for you?   David Cupolo I think it was, again, professors who allowed that agency, me to have that agency and explore the interests that I had, they gave the structural framework, but you really had to go do the work yourself and, you know, find those connections and challenge you. And I think there's the principle of Goldilocks, right? You know, that Goldilocks effect. And I think that had the right enough challenge and also the right enough support, but also the right enough freedom to, you know, take my learning further. Yeah, kind of push me.   Kevin Stoller OK. All right. So you usually when I when I talk to administrators, school leaders in there, there's like the big transition moments. There's the first one be like making that decision. Hey, I want to go into education. And then that typically puts them in a classroom. And then there's that second moment where they're like, you know what? I think I want to be outside of the classroom. I can have a different impact as an administrator. What were those moments like for you?   David Cupolo Yeah, so I came into education teaching alternatively. I was not certified. I was working for a lessons called which transition program in Rhode Island and the police refer to something causing trouble. They have a different a, but these kids are just needed some more guidance, right? You know, and so I found out there was a lot of jobs teaching in North Carolina. So I moved down, taught special ed. And it was interesting, my boss at the time said, you're a middle school teacher. I won't give a recommendation for anywhere. He goes, you connect with those kids. And I did it in, you know, in that timeframe, I quickly realized I want to have a bigger impact, you know? And I realized I could, I think. The students taught me so much that I realized, wow, what they're teaching me, I need to share it and need to use to impact other kids in other classrooms. So administratively, and you always have that principle that I think says, Hey, you should go and be an administrator. And I had a couple of those who did that and lo and behold, quickly moved into assistant principal roles. And now I'm in my, going to year 19 as a...    Kevin Stoller 19 years. That's awesome. First.   David Cupolo Thank you. Thank you.   Kevin Stoller (04:54.062) I mean, we're, we're record, we're recording right now at the beginning of, of August, even though it doesn't, it won't release until later, but you're getting, you're getting ready for the next round of teacher students coming through. What's going through your mind right now?   David Cupolo So teachers come back on Thursday, you know, and again, I'm like that teacher the first night, night before the first day of school. You have those jitters, but you're excited. You know, I'm excited to see what the year can bring. At my school grades five, six. So we'll have a new group of fifth grade students coming in, you know, and get to know those students and seeing what impact we can have on them. You know, setting that foundation and framework for I go back to the student is the most important part of this building. Without them, we would not be here. You know, and this year we're kind of kicking off and be the one, be the one, you know, and how can you be the one? I entered the school year with, you know, saying, I'm going to reflect on how can I be the person I want to work with? And then this year, so now it's kind of tying it up that we're coming back. How can I be the one I want to work with and be the one for those students? So I'm kind of wrapping my head around those thoughts and gear up. Yeah. So is a pretty typical every year you're coming in with like a new theme and a new direction that you really want to build in throughout the culture? So, yeah, I think yes and no. I always try to tie in on what we've always done, you know, and we always revisit the vision. We always... revisit our beliefs, you know, and going back to this is what we believe and that is it, that we can be the one for those students and all students, when I say all, A, capital L, capital L, even the kid from that neighborhood is Ken Williams to say, you know, they deserve the best and, you know, they know that and I'm an amazing staff that go in every day and give it all for those kids. But, you know, just kind of tying it all together as we keep going along and just improving.   Kevin Stoller Right. So talk more about kind of how you got this interest and at what point did you recognize how much the learning environment was really impacting the work that you do with that idea of like school is there for the kids?   David Cupolo Yeah. So, you know, as I moved into my career, one of my dreams was I realized I wanted to open up a new school. And, you know, that'd be a cool thing to do and actually only had was in my second year in this Horry County. I'd been a principal in North Carolina and I figured, you know, it might not come along because only been at this school I was at short period. And, you know, they selected me to open up this school which is a different design model. There was only a few others in the state but it was a state of the art facility and, you know, it's net zero net positive energy in. It looks like a mall, literally glass walls on the inside, collaboration spaces. But there was no schools like it. You know, we visited some different models to see what it was like. And every time you go to school, you know, I want to talk to the kids. I can do the tour with the adults, you know, and I can see. And one student, I can remember the school said, said, so how does this work with the glass and everything? You know, I'm an ADHD adult. How does it work? And I said, they said, it's like the zoo effect. I said, what's that? They said, I see you, you see me, I'm gonna do my thing. I'm like an animal in the zoo, you're watching me and I'm in my element. I said, that is awesome. I said, okay, this will work. So, but I remember, and we entered the school, we got the keys and a Friday night teachers were coming back that Monday morning and my whole staff had never ever come together. And so we hadn't even been in the building. But I remember visiting while it was dirt. I bought a hard hat, scraped up a vest and a clipboard. And I went in like I was part of the construction crew just to see, you know, this process. And finally I figured out who I was from meetings. But, know, trying to envision what this could be for kids and what environment we could create. Because you can have beautiful buildings and be an ugly culture, right? You know, so what can we really create for kids? And every parent meeting, I would start off with schools are built for kids. You know, this is their place. This is not our place. We serve them, so it was great. And coming into the building and really trying the collaboration spaces. So our first day back with teachers, I had my people spread out in the building doing different small PD sessions to see the acoustics, to see how it worked. And with teachers, I said, you can use the collaboration spaces. I didn't say there were rules to it. But I did say is let's let kids rise to the challenge. Kevin Stoller (09:40.014) For sure. So I just want to set the stage a little bit. So that school opened about eight years ago. So 2016 definitely because so many people that are listeners of the show are involved with the design of schools. And that was definitely on the earlier side because what you're describing is pretty much the... I don't want to say the standard. Hopefully it's at least more closely aligned with that versus the traditional model that doesn't allow that flexibility and that collaboration. So you guys are going in. How involved were you in the process or was that coming from the district level? Who was really driving that vision of saying, we're going to build this new school. Have this opportunity of a lifetime. What was that like for you?   David Cupolo So I came on the back end and it was more of the, know, decision-making. And I really think that net positive really was a big key for the school board, you know, and the design and the potential. So I don't know the conversations that we had about what pedagogy, you know, what we could do with in the classroom. I did help pick out desks and make sure the sizes were right for what we needed and chairs. But as far as, you know, how do you use it? It wasn't there, you know, it really wasn't. And that was my experience. So kind of fumbled through it with our staff, but more or less talking to kids and seeing how teachers were using it and kids. And I remember, I remember the first teacher that sent kids out to work in the collaboration space. like, wow, how's it going? She goes, I don't know. go, well, let's see. And I fist bumped her, you know? And then the glass, I said, it's writable. I didn't say you had to use it. I didn't say you couldn't. Said it's writable. You know, teachers started really using it, that's the fourth, you know, the fourth teacher, second, third teacher in the room using that students love working out those problems on the glass or, you know, anchor charts on the glass. And it was just kind of working with teachers and seeing how students should respond and then conversations with students. You know, I wish I had more on the front end I could speak to. I think now I offer a whole lot more to be able to say, hey, this is this is how we evolve. Kevin Stoller (12:04.802) Well, that's why I wanted you to go through it because that's very typical in this industry, very typical in that there was a decision made at the district level or someone on the board or somebody said, hey, we're going to go this direction. But they're not always pulling in kind of the site leaders and teacher students perspective as they're doing that. Now, as an industry, we're getting better at doing that earlier on. But your experience is like very typical where you're almost like handed a building and now saying, go figure out how to use it.   David Cupolo Yeah, Friday night at 7:20. got the key. Teachers show up on Monday. Yeah, here you go. Yeah. So, so you definitely embraced it hearing like that. And you know, you had teachers that do, were there ones that that fought it or, or saying like, man, I just wish I had my old space back. You know, there were some, there was a couple. And they may have realized it wasn't necessarily their fit. But I remember one teacher who is interesting because she, this school's meant for older students and not these students. And I'm like, but look, they're doing it over there. And finally, it took a little while and she embraced it. And she actually retired, but said, thank you for giving me, my last two years was so enjoyable with my kids because of the, what we have here and what we're able to do and the way the building is being used in those spaces. So that was pretty cool. Testament for her who was, you know, it was, it was a shift. Yeah. Yeah. Which I don't blame anyone changes hard. mean, if you've been doing something for a long time, one way, and then have to shift that quickly to a different way, that that's a tough change. It really was, it really was. And, know, and I'm a, I'm a research person. I'm a research geek. I've known John had his visible learning work for years and those in education. If you don't know him, you better know him because what he writes about and the research he has people do, it's what works in schools. So that was part of that other foundation was, know, teachers necessarily don't want to know about the research right away, but kind of bringing it in and introducing them, okay, well, here's what the research says about student discussion and the impact. And here's cooperative learning. And here's how we can use the furniture and how to tweak it and better practice and tighten it up. you know, and trying to take that learning to another deeper level. Kevin Stoller (14:24.268) Do you mind talking through a little bit of Hattie's research? It is important for us to understand the research band because a lot of us who are supporting it, who may not come from education background, whether it's on the architecture side or on the industry supporting education, the more educated we could be, the better.   David Cupolo Right. And I think one of my, some of my favorite conversations are people in the industry and architecture in outfitters because of that, you know. And so his, again, that research out there shows what's effective, you know, homework has little impact on student growth and academic success. Class size. You know, we learned during COVID, might be different if you have hybrid, but you had to do some other things well for it to be impactful, right? You know, and that's the piece. have to just, you have to learn the strategies and the research behind it. But yeah, so Hay and Greg Donahue proposed a conceptual learning model, skill, thrill, which was a synthesis of that research and visible learning of what worked. And oftentimes, surface deeper transfer, right? And we're often, we know in classrooms there's surface level learning and kids aren't engaged and we sit in rows, you know, and there's that boredom piece that I found, you know, and Cornwell in 2000, it was only two years ago, the art of only two years ago and how boredom has led to what a third of high school dropouts to half, you know, that's an issue, that's a crisis, you know, and that's something we can fix and that's where design and use. Just because you put the kit desk together doesn't mean they're going to collaborate, right? You know, you got to use it effectively, but that's that research. So I want to study what learning thrill was, you know, it seemed like it just rhymed with skill and will. And, you know, it was perfect. So nobody had studied it. So I kind of talked to South Carolina structural leaders and how do you perceive and conceptualize it? Then what does it look like? What does it sound like in the classroom? Take me to those places and describe it. And they described these deep, engaging experiences for kids. They were collaborating. were experiencing almost student agency. They were driving their learning. The teachers were just fostering that real environment for those students. But again, inductive learning, project-based learning, and thinking about how we design and materials and use of materials and how. Because teachers, it's about time, right? Adam and Eve's teacher said, I don't have enough time to plan for them. It's just the way it is in education. We know that. So what can we do to help those teachers design rooms and make smoother transitions and furniture that's flexible so I can just easily maneuver it so I can do this over here. But then those learning spaces for students, what are they comfortable? Where are they more comfortable in taking their learning to a deeper level and really getting that thrill experience, you know?   Kevin Stoller Yeah. Do you mind giving some examples of like where, because the space, how much that changes, like those concrete examples, I think are the stories are always good for people to hear to be like, hey, this is a kid that maybe 10 years, you know, in your first 10 years of being a principal may have had a different experience versus now what they have in that flexible learning environment that they're in now.   David Cupolo Sure. Yeah, I remember when we all think and it was a few weeks into the school year. And this is this really hit me this this moment. So under the stairs of cement blocks in my school and this is sprinkler system. And there's a student like to work under there. But one day he's kind of just pulling on hanging on the pole. Nothing can do. What are you doing? He goes, What do mean? I said, You're pulling on the fire thing. It's sprinkler system. I go, Do you know what happens if that breaks? And he goes, No. I go, neither do I, but I have a feeling it has a lot of water, a big bill and fire trucks. I go, go to your room. He goes, do I have to? And I was like, my, I sound like a parent. I'm like, tell you what, go for 50 seconds, just come back. Please don't do that again. We good? He's good. I said, we fist bumped. But then I started like, wow, I need to pay more attention to this, you know, and those students. And soon as I tell you, this is my space that I feel more comfortable on the floor in the corner on that pillow. Or, you know, our media center is open space and there's different furniture. And, you know, you struggle with custodian on whose furniture it was. Well, they're putting their feet on it. I go, it's theirs. Like, you know, that's their space. This is where they're comfortable learning. And it was transferring. Those teachers are like, wow. And they rose to those occasions, you know. I've seen students who come to that school with behavioral records. And part of that culture is that this is your place, this is your space, and it's a safe space. And it's interesting, I was having a conversation last Friday with one of my teachers, last Thursday. She talked about the desk, how each kid doesn't own that desk. Remember how we had our desk and you had your name on it? Yeah, for sure. It's not my desk, it's our area. And I can go work with other kids in another area and students who might not sit in that row traditionally can work together with other students in that respect and that safe place and that safe space that they need. You know, and allowing them that opportunity. And I think that's the other key, you know, is that setup that we've seen from non-traditional rows to collaboration and even with the technology of sharing through Google Chromebooks and Google Docs and things of that nature. Yeah. So can you expand on that more as a principal who has gone through that process and now to a principal who may be getting ready to open a new school or a totally different space and their staff is coming back right now or they're in the process and it's going to be in the next six to 12 months? What are those lesson learns? would be that advice that you would give to them? Because they're going to have the same things. They're going to have the teachers that are going to be like, well, what do mean the student doesn't know the space? What do you mean that, you know, like I'm not upfront and, you know, and things aren't sitting in straight rows. What are those things that you would share with others? You know, I start with the why. That's when we opened the school, I got a book for the staff to go back to our why. And, you know, and we had our individual, why are you teaching? Because I knew teachers were gonna struggle. knew just because you got the keys doesn't mean it's complete, right? Let's be honest, there's still gonna be work being done. And those can interfere and things out the air conditioning, right? It's just gonna get adjusted. And those are things that matter to teachers, you know, and all the pressure on teachers now. So really looking at the why and the student and then what can you do for the student? because everybody in education to help kids to work with kids and help kids be successful. I think that's the first piece is trying to build that collective vision. I started with the collective teacher efficacy has the biggest research effect size on student achievement, 1.36. And coming together really looking at involving teachers in that process. then setting up some structures, you gotta have some structures, but don't be completely tied to them because you're going to get to know the environment and allow teachers to mess up, allow kids to mess up.   Kevin Stoller Yeah, which we all know is the best way to learn, but we struggle. want to step in. Well, that's good. mean, are there, as somebody who values research and is constantly looking at that, what research do you wish would be done at this point? What would be really helpful for you, or what are the questions that you would wanna try to answer?   David Cupolo You know, I talk to kids a lot and you know, it's one of the tough parts for researchers is doing research, talking to students, right? Because that's that big, you know, there's always those epic things in there and you know, I started with the check-in system with the company in Australia, Versha Learning. And one of the things I wanna know is what are you learning today? Ask kids, what are they learning? Yeah, you your kid at home, what'd you learn today? Nothing. Or this, well, I know what you did, you know, but what are you really learning? And I found that, you know, students couldn't really articulate. And then teachers like, well, you talked to so-and-so, of course they couldn't tell you. Well, I don't know that that was the answer, you know. So we started looking at that. And one of the things we found is students were bored, but they also weren't clear about what their learning was. But they also wanted discussion. They wanted to talk to their parents and they wanted to collaborate. You know, they were telling us what they wanted through that check-in. John Hattie actually, it's a quote that says on their site, it's the best classroom data I've ever seen. You know, and really I would love to learn more about students, what leads to thrill for them and how they experience that learning because it's not often. You know, go to watch schools when it gets out of high school practice, right? Kids are practicing skills, they're acquiring skills, they're consolidating it, they're adding, they're learning, they're dispositions, persevering, and then there's that thrill. And we see in band when they get to perform in chorus, and very rarely do we get to see in those academic classrooms, but it can't exist, and that's what I've kind of studied. But I wanna know more from students of what can we do to help you, what can the environment do to help you? What do you need more of? We kind of know some of it, like I said, from that check-in. And it was, we want to be able to have more discussion. We want to be able to ask more questions. We want to be able to explore. We want to be able to collaborate. So those things, I would love to delve more into that research and study the environment they're in.   Kevin Stoller Yeah. What does your gut tell you if you're going to have a hypothesis on that of saying, you know what I think this would work or this would be a benefit?   David Cupolo I think those flexible environments and collaborative spaces where students feel safe and they feel valued and they have agency and when you give them opportunities for curiosity and connections to each other, I think that they're gonna say, that's what I want, that's what I need. And that's the world of today, honestly. Unfortunately, as you see the research, you go through school and by the time you become a senior, you're very little engaged and it's scary. I know. And you can be like, we can all be engaged in something and it can be low level too, right? I've been engaged, but that's really tasks. I'm just completing a task. I'm not really into it, part of it's a curricular issue on the educator side. That's part of that stack curriculum. We got those tests and all of those things, and I'm not saying there's not some value there. But our learning is not going deep enough and we need to be able to transfer that learning. Kevin Stoller (26:24.782) I think you're right. I mean, my experience would be the same that if I was going to say like, maybe there's not perfect research that shows it this way, but my gut and from what I've seen from being around this enough and just knowing kids and watching it, is. Right, they do. They want the agency. They want to be able to collaborate. They want to work with their peers. They want to have meaningful projects. that, yeah, and that for me is always the hard part because I'm the one that wants to challenge the status quo and be like, well, if you know that, why don't we start doing that? Like, what's preventing us from doing that? And I get it. There are a lot of limitations of what we can do without having the data and without having, you know, like the laws and all the legal and all the things that are coming down from state level and district level. But my gut is with you on that too, is that if we actually listen to the kids, they know what they want.   David Cupolo Yeah. they do. They do. And I was glad I had a professor said study thrill, nobody studied it, because that's tough to do a dissertation when there's no prior research you know, on that one topic. But I was, I really knew I was onto something there. So, you know, developing a framework for instructional leaders and how to, how can we work with teachers to increase learning thrill, you know, that's kind of still tweaking it. Because I believe it can be done even in the status quo, but we do have to push those understandings, you know, and trust kids. Cause they don't respond right. You know, and they're to mess up. We all did. Yeah. And that's probably the best thing for him is to mess up. Right. I sat in the principal's office a couple of times in my life. It's nothing wrong with that.   Kevin Stoller (28:46.284) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, so are you, so as far as like studying thrill, like, and do, so are you actively engaged in that? Like what? Cause I talk through like what your journey has been around this concept of thrill and education.   David Cupolo So right now, know, finalizing my dissertation and kind of working with, again, virtual learning. Phil Stubbs is my thought partner. Shout out to Phil. He's with Virtual Learning. He's a brilliant mind, and kind of really fine tuning a framework for instructional leaders to kind of look at those things. Inductive learning. So what does the environment look like? Teacher authority. They've got to... to clarify Ed, that they're really tweaking right now that's coming out. And it's been a great journey that'll give teachers back time and make things more clear for students, but also look at a learning progression. So it's kind of like expert to Jedi, you know? So students can see this is where I need to head with my learning. And if I want to be a thrill and I want to be a transfer, this is where it's at. But then how could... giving them the opportunity to say, is how I can show and meet success criteria. Instead of just answering questions on a test, show me how you can, this is the level, show me that you were at that level. And that was a neat piece. When kids could articulate with three points of what they were learning and where they were going, then they had 68 % more positive emotions responses, just in that one factor. So I worked with my staff on that and we found, wow, the boredom, you when you look those wordles, bored got smaller and smaller and smaller and excited and enthusiastic, you know, and anxious reduced, you know, there wasn't that cognitive overload that kids feel. So there's a lot there that we're, you know, working on writing and getting out there, trying to share that message and do some presentations and All those things.   Kevin Stoller Yeah, very cool. Yeah. Well, that people need to hear it. Yeah. People need to be able to do that. So yeah, thank you for doing that work. I want to hear it before we wrap up here. I want to hear. The eight year journey into the new facility, what, what are the things that you have changed or like if you did it over again, you wish you, it would, the building would be different or the learning environment be different for those people who are going through it right now because that's obviously one of the big benefits of of education is we're so willing to share and help people so that the next project is always better for the first for the kids and the teachers in the future.   David Cupolo So, you know, for me, it was interesting right now the struggle is furniture. So we have these, you know, funky shaped collaboration tables for kids can sit at and I've grouped teachers that would prefer those in their classroom than the desks that connect together, just basically the four desks that have cool little shapes that connect together. They want these tables. And I'm just, they say it's more functional, more space in my room to maneuver. It's still not their desk. It's our table in that mindset. That's something to look at, you know, because they really believe it's helped their classroom. And I think just kind of look into the spaces and how do you use them and what structure do you provide kids for? It's for this use, know, using it understood that it's for learning, that it's not just, you know, hanging out. And kids did a great job with that, but that's just a little suggestion, you know, keep in mind, and this is our space for this and really having to understand this is where you apply yourself. This is where, you know, your collaborative place. This is for your discussion. You know, because we didn't have that, you know, campfires was not a word when I came out, you know, we did cooperative learning structures. I think that's a great training to have Cagan cooperative learning structures because it really tightens up how to, so kids can't hide in those environments still, because that's another piece we don't want to, we don't, and I don't mean physically hide, but I do, you know, educationally hide. I was good at that. I could sit in the back right corner last seat if I could and just, you know, kind of do my thing and then do what I needed to do, get out of class. But I think, you know, my best advice, have a plan, have a vision, have a group of people, your people who you believe will be the key people to really move that transition and look at the space. And I would love to visit schools and say, hey, this is your space. This is how it worked for us. This is how it didn't. This the space that was designed in the school that we don't use that I wish was something else, right? And that's the architecture side. When I was going through my Ed specialist degree, because I didn't understand how architects design schools. So part of my internship hours were with the architecture, because I want to know why did you do that? Why did you put this there? Then, know, look, those transitions, that's going to be an issue right here. Student transitions, that's, you you need to think about that because this crossway, cross paths, that's something else I would say, and look at your schedule and look at where kids are maneuvering based on the design. We have, criss cross applesauce traffic, you know, and it can be kids and kids, you know, we don't necessarily want to apply it, but we just want, you know, get where you need to be hugging, go hug and go, hug and go, especially after COVID.   Kevin Stoller Yeah. Yep. For sure. Yep. Yeah. And whether it is that way finding or something on the floors to help guide that traffic flow. Cool. Well, thanks for doing that. Thanks for sharing that. Anything else that I should be asking you that I haven't asked you about that you think would be useful for our audience?   David Cupolo You know, I just think having educators and principals at the table, I don't know the conversation that had. It seems like it's getting better, but understanding pedagogy, understand research. I've presented in a couple of AFRL conferences and, you know, I enjoy it and was, you know, sharing the research and the pedagogy to understand this is how it's used in the classroom. This is how the teacher will use it. And this is why, and this is the research says this is effective. You know, I think that that knowledge would be beneficial. Okay. This is why we want students to discuss. This is why we want cooperative learning. This is the impact it has. You know, and one of the activities I do is I put up some of the effects, things that impact learning can be have a strong effect or very little. And it's always interesting that items that come up like homework, that very little impact, but we all hop on our kids about it. Like you got to tell them it really doesn't have impact, you know, unless it's really taking learn further, you know? The things that are like, we've heard this research for so long and we know it, but man, I can tell you from like the parent experience, our schools are not learning that they keep sending the homework home and it's still like that nightly battle of, then I'm sitting here knowing this research that the homework really doesn't matter. I live it. Yeah. Yeah. I live into my house, you know, and now we know more about digitalized content and personalized learning, which is better. I think research will help tweak that homework. In fact, says a little bit more. you know, because it's more meaningful to students if it's used the right way. They understand this is where you fill in your gap and this is how it's going to benefit you. But yeah, no, that's frustrating to know. We know the right stuff and we still struggle getting it in place. Yeah. Well, I just heard a story of Chick-fil-A how, and seems like recently they've dropped this, at least once by us, but they used to have, you knew if you went to a Chick-fil-A, And they would say, may I serve you today? And you knew that was the way. And they ask them, how long did it take to get that idea, that simple line of having everyone ask about that? my pleasure. I think it was the end of it was when they say, pleasure. Instead of saying thank you or yeah, they'll say, my pleasure. How long did it take to get everyone in the organization to do that? Guess how long they said it took them? Six years. Six years to get like everyone to just say that one my pleasure, like just to answer like, that my pleasure. And it's a reminder of like how long it takes to get even simple changes all the way through a system. And yeah, to so to do it, we may know the research, but man, it takes a little time, unfortunately, as much as we want to try to have that urgency to say like, Hey, this kid only goes through school one time. Let's try to it right for them. Kevin Stoller (38:12.632) Well, that's, know, and for me, it's gentle constant pressure because compliance, you know, I'm one of those, the status quo doesn't always work for me.   David Cupolo And, but that gentle constant pressure of what works, you know, hey, try this, try this, you know, it takes hold, but it takes time. You got to have that patience to realize, you know, and organizations go through those challenges, you know, and you kind of peak excitement and then dip down and then, all right, let's get back on track again, you know, but it does it. didn't think six years though. been my pleasure. That's a long time. Two words. right.    Kevin Stoller Perfect. For the listeners, wherever you listen, just hit subscribe. We appreciate it. We also appreciate all of the feedback and the recommendations on either guests or topics. The hub for everything is betterlearningpodcast.com and on there we'll have show notes. We'll have links to David's information and he shared with an article. We'll link to the article too that he wrote here. So if you want any more information around this topic. But David, really appreciate the time. It great speaking with you.   Kevin Stoller (39:49.336) Views and opinions expressed on the Better Learning Podcast are those of myself as an individual and my guests and do not necessarily represent the organizations that we work for, the Association for Learning Environments, K-12, Education Leaders Organization, or Second Class Foundation.

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Collaborative Classroom.The webinar recording can be accessed here.Quality, as an adjective, is subjective, so how do you ensure your teaching team is fostering the optimal environment for quality interactions with children? Join early childhood educators and researchers in an exploration of just what it means to provide quality interactions. Learn how your environment can create space for child choice and agency while using teacher influence for planned experiences that meet learning objectives for each child's development.If your goals include increasing equitable outcomes, developing child confidence and capability, and expanding teacher efficacy through positive relationships then this edWeb podcast is for you!Learn the impact of quality interactions and steps you can take to maximize quality interactions in your preschool or TK learning environment. You leave with concrete steps to support a sense of security and belonging while providing a root system to strengthen cognitive, social, and emotional development through high-quality interactions in any early childhood learning environment.This edWeb podcast is of interest to PreK and TK teachers, tutors, administrators, district leaders, and community-based organizations.Collaborative ClassroomDeveloping proficient readers, writers, and independent learnersDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

In this episode of Precept2Practice, host Kathy Schott dives into the critical topic of psychological safety with guest Lisa Buss-Pressler, Pharmacy Education Supervisor at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Together, they explore how fostering psychological safety in clinical learning environments empowers pharmacy students and professionals to thrive. Lisa provides practical strategies for preceptors to build trust, encourage open communication, and normalize failure, helping learners feel safe to ask questions and take risks. Tune in to learn how you can create a supportive environment that enhances both engagement and growth.HOSTKathy Schott, PhDVice President, Education & OperationsCEimpactGUESTDr. Liza Buss-Preszler, PharmD, BCACPPharmacy Education Supervisor and Program DirectorPGY-1 Pharmacy ResidencyMayo Clinic Hospital - ArizonaGet CE: CLICK HERE TO CPE CREDIT FOR THE COURSE!CPE Information Learning ObjectivesAt the end of this course, preceptors will be able to:1. Define psychological safety and distinguish it from related concepts such as physical safety and emotional intelligence.2. Identify strategies to foster psychological safety in a clinical education setting to improve learner engagement and performance.0.05 CEU/0.5 HrUAN: 0107-0000-24-305-H99-PInitial release date: 10/23/2024Expiration date: 10/23/2025Additional CPE details can be found here.The speakers have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.This program has been:Approved by the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy as education for Minnesota pharmacy preceptors.Reviewed by the Texas Consortium on Experiential Programs and has been designated as preceptor education and training for Texas preceptors.Want more information on this and related topics?Fostering an Inclusive Environment: Creating a Safe Space for LearnersFollow CEimpact on Social Media:LinkedInInstagram

In the milestone 200th episode of the Better Learning Podcast, special host Kevin Foote sits down with Dr. Andy Forless, superintendent of Mesa Public Schools, to dive into a conversation about innovation in education. As the leader of Arizona's largest school district, Dr. Forless shares her unique journey from classroom teacher to educational leadership and how her passion for teaching has shaped her vision for transforming student learning experiences. The centerpiece of their discussion revolves around Mesa Public Schools' groundbreaking team teaching model, an approach designed to leverage shared expertise among educators. This model fosters a sense of belonging among students, enhances student engagement, and has proven effective in improving teacher retention—a growing challenge in education today. Dr. Forless and Kevin also explore the role of collaborative learning spaces and partnerships, particularly with Arizona State University, in making these educational innovations possible.   Takeaways: Team teaching allows for shared expertise among educators. Collaborative learning spaces enhance the team teaching experience. Personalized learning is essential for student engagement. Partnerships with universities can drive educational innovation. Redesigning working conditions is crucial to retain teachers. The future of education relies on collaboration and flexibility.   Andi Fourlis is the superintendent at Mesa Public Schools. Her career began in 1992 as a teacher in the Washington Elementary School District in Phoenix. She joined the Scottsdale Unified School District in 1996, where she spent 19 years as a teacher, director, executive director and assistant superintendent. In 2015 she joined the Arizona Science Center as the chief learning officer. In 2017, she joined Mesa Public Schools as the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning and later served as deputy superintendent. Andi Fourlis has received numerous awards, including the Horace Mann Ruler of the Month Award in 2019, the Kathy Hunt-Ullock Award for Middle Level Advocacy in 2013, and Teacher of the Year Award at Royal Palm Middle School in 1994. She is a graduate of Valley Leadership Institute Class 38 (2017).   Sound Bites: "I never thought that I would ever leave my classroom." "Team teaching is when a group of adults share expertise."   Follow Dr. Andi Fourlis on Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andi-fourlis-713994122/   Learn More About Mesa Public Schools: Website: https://www.mpsaz.org/     Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com. Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Find out more about Kevin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstoller/. For more episodes of the Better Learning Podcast, visit https://www.betterlearningpodcast.com/     Episode 200 of the Better Learning Podcast Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.   For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/ EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/   Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website     Transcript Kevin Stoller (00:01.288) Welcome back to the better learning podcast. My name is Kevin Stoller I'm the normal host of the show, but we have another Kevin Kevin foot who's gonna be stepping in and Leading the conversation with dr. Andy for lists She is the superintendent of Mesa Public Schools the largest district in Arizona and I'm bummed that I wasn't part of this conversation I was really looking forward to it. But as you listen to the episode they talk a lot about their team Teaching approach had they've been doing in conjunction with Arizona State University. So it's really fascinating. So listen in. I hope you learn a lot from this and here you get to hear Kevin Foote and Dr. Andy Forless.   Kevin Foote (00:46.85) Hello, how are you? Good, how are you? I'm a different Kevin.   Dr. Andi Fourlis That is just grand, no troubles at all. So I'm Andy Forlund, Superintendent in Mesa Public Schools. I am an Arizona native. I began my educational career in Mesa Public Schools at Lowell Elementary. I'm starting kindergarten at Lowell. And I became a teacher because I loved to play school ever since I was a little girl. I was trying to arrange and rearrange, whether it was stuffed animals, my brother, the neighborhood kids, I was always organizing them into some type of a classroom. And so I spent fond memories of being a toddler and then growing up always playing school. I got super excited about going to kindergarten and I planned for my first day of kindergarten for a very long time from what I was going to wear to what my lunchbox was going to look like, what my backpack would look like and so on. So my mom took me to kindergarten and off I went and she picked me up at the end of the day. So excited to hear about, my gosh, Andi, how was your first day of school? You've been waiting this for so long. Well, I started crying. I pitched a fit in the car. I said it was the worst day of my life. And I remember her face was just blank. Like, how could this be the worst day of your life? And mom, you did not tell me that I was not going to be the teacher today. So I went to school and I was four. I was turning five in December. I went to school to kindergarten as a fourth as a four year old. Yeah. I was going for one reason. That was to be the teacher. I have had this idea that I was going to be a teacher because I always wanted to arrange people and things so that they can learn. And so as long as I can remember, I was always going to be a teacher in the back of my mind. Then I went to school, so I'll answer another one of the questions. So school for me was, it was a great place. I learned quickly. I had lots of questions. I kept thinking about how it could be different, how it should be different. And as I went through school, I never raised my hand. And when people ask me, Andi, what do you want to be when you grow up? I never said a teacher. kept thinking, I don't want to do it like this. I want to do it differently. And it wasn't until I had the opportunity to take some college courses that like an introduction to education, I thought, OK, this is what I'm going to do with my life. I can't way that it currently is. I don't have to live in the status quo. So I've always had one goal and I've always been in the service industry. I was a waitress all through high school and college to pay my way through college. And I realized that serving other people was something that I was good at and that it contributed to a better life for me and others.   Kevin Foote I love it. I love it. Very, very similar backgrounds, you and I. I'm not going to get into mine, but very, very similar. I was one of those weird ones that always knew I wanted to be a teacher. So what got you into administration, whether it was principal or eventually now in superintendency, what was your guiding light for that?   Dr. Andi Fourlis Well, I will tell you that I never thought that I would ever leave my classroom. I taught third grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, and then eighth grade. And it was a sixth grade classroom that I had district leaders come into my classroom and ask me if I was interested in mentoring other teachers. And I said, sure, I've always mentored other teachers. They said, yeah, but this would be a full time job where you step out of your classroom and for maybe three years or so work in our new teacher induction model and bring in our new secondary teachers. And really get that complemented to strong instructional practices and so on. I said, interesting. Okay, I could do that for a little bit. And then I never went back. So that was in 2000. And so here we are, 24 years later, I've not gone back into a classroom. I still have samples of student work that I'm ready to use someday. But I've back. So it was a tap on the shoulder to move into teacher leadership. And my journey has been through teacher leadership. I've never been a building principal or assistant principal. My journey was being an instructional coach and then to a director of professional learning and a director of recruitment.   Kevin Foote That's great. That's an interesting path. That's very unique compared to general superintendents. They've usually gone the principal path. So that's a very interesting path like that. So I've done some research into it. I've actually...you know, we've designed some schools and stuff within the ASU model of the team teaching and everything. And I wanted you to talk some more about that. I was able to listen to another podcast you were on and I've just, I loved it. Loved it. I was like, guys, this is right. I love hearing about this.   Dr. Andi Fourlis Okay. Yeah. So, you know, I would say like, I'm sorry to be redundant, but I know you probably love talking about it. And this is a, you know, maybe a bigger, different audience. So, if this is, you know, maybe architects or designers or somebody maybe in my industry on that end could hear more about what the team teaching model is for, like, for me, I'm all about it I was in the classroom. Maybe somebody who's never really been in the classroom. What does that look like? So when we think about our experiences in schools and being a one-on-one school is that people usually identify by saying, well, this was my third grade teacher. Well, my fifth grade teacher had the most impact on me. My seventh grade English teacher had an impact on me. That is the typical experience that most students have in American public school system. When we think about team teaching is when you start students start to identify this is the team of teachers that I am working with and it is beyond the one teacher one classroom model. Then the majority of my career I had the great benefit of working on a team. I was not just one teacher trying to serve all of my children. I was always on a team. I started in third grade and that was a team taught class and I did my teaching and then taught there. And then I moved into, there was a couple of years at the very beginning that I was a one teacher in one classroom. And I was a middle school team. And then when I moved to the Scottsdale Unified School District, I was also in a three person team, sharing a roster of 150 students. And we were co-designing deeper and more personalized learning. Those are all fancy words I have now, but I would have never been able to use. 1896 is when I started this work. School teaching is when there are a group of adults, teachers sharing their expertise to co-design instruction for a common roster of children that they serve. So, the public schools, our definition of a team is at least two teachers sharing a roster of students designing learning outcomes for them.   Kevin Foote Awesome. Now, just piggybacking on that, are there...How rare is this in Arizona? Are there other districts that are doing this? Did you get the model from, I know ASU, Arizona State's kind of guiding it, but did you get to see any other districts in action that are doing this?   Dr. Andi Fourlis So yeah, there are other districts that are implementing team teaching. And like I said, my own career, I started in 1991 and thinking about what we knew about middle school, adolescent design. It was, middle schools were based on teams of teachers bringing their academic knowledge, working with other teachers to serve children. So this is not a model that's new at all. In fact, team teaching, we can go back into our history books and look at even our former superintendent, Dr. Jim Saharis talking about team teaching in the 1970s. So this is not a new concept. What's new about team teaching today, is that we are using it in an environment of high levels of accountability. Because I believe that we started moving to the one teacher one classroom under the era of No Child Left Behind. No Child Left Behind talked about things like the highly qualified teacher, the appropriately certified teacher. And when it started breaking down classrooms by certification of who was highly certified to teach these students, and we had such a focus on that that we really aligned one teacher to typically a class of 25 to 30 students. And so No Child Left Behind came in with high levels of accountability to the teacher. And so team teaching, any type of collaboration, I believe, started to fall to the wayside.   Kevin Foote Yeah. OK. And I love what you talked about there where it's taken it from that middle school model or the junior high model where that's essentially what you're doing. And why can't we do top down with that? I love that. It's so important to talk about when we talk about the next education workforce teaming model, it is more than just a team of teachers. When we're truly talking about teaming, we are opening up learning opportunities for students by bringing in community partners, by community educators, rethinking the role of an instructional assistant. Even in today's world, here we are in 2024, rethinking the role of technology on a team. What role does this piece of technology play in integrating into the learning needs of students?   Dr. Andi Fourlis So it's taking all of your resources and arranging for learning for students and it is beyond the scope of just the certified teachers in that classroom. It's wrapping adults around the needs of children.   Kevin Foote Yes. I love that. And you you could see creating a strong workforce that knows how to work with, let's say, different types of bosses and all the varying learning styles and teaching styles that go along with, you know, I'm sure somebody in their career at some point were like, there's a boss that I just didn't work well with or I really like working for him or her and things like that. So I think this is a good start to that to get them to understand it at a young age. How do you function within, how does this team teaching model function within like the learning environment, like the actual spaces? Can you explain how Mesa's done it or if you've seen another district, like how do they make it work with if you do have a space that's been designed and furnished for that and everything, and then a space that's not, how do they make that work? I'd love to hear both sides of it.   Dr. Andi Fourlis So collaborative learning spaces are very important for teaming. And I will tell you that we have intentionally designed spaces for collaboration for teaming in Mesa Public Schools. And we also have teaming that is alive and well their physical design is not super conducive, but they make it work. So I'll give you another example. At Westwood High School, all ninth and 10th graders are on teams, and those are bigger kids, and they need bigger spaces. And so we have some potentially designed space where walls have come down. They've got movable chalkboards, whiteboards throughout the room. So kids are working on different projects. They're in and out of this collaborative space. At Stevenson Elementary, every child is on a team and they are beginning in first grade as a multi-grade team. And so the doors between classrooms are able to be opened. They look just like they're very large doors with the glass in between them and they- Storefront, if you will. So students are moving from classroom to classroom within a pod. never walk outside. They are all inside the building between classes. We have others that students have to walk outside to the classroom next door. So there's lots of different ways. And but what is most important is not that we're just moving kids, but what is the purpose and the intent behind the movement? And that needs to be artfully designed. We are moving kids around to get what they need to improve their learning outcome. So sometimes they need additional English language arts time. Sometimes they need more mathematics time. Sometimes they're going into innovation space because they're working in a project. And so they, at Stevenson Elementary, all students set their own intentions and learning targets for the day and then monitor those and then build their schedule with the guidance of the adults around what their game will look like. And so they have to be able to move.   Kevin Foote Okay, I love that.   Dr. Andi Fourlis That's one very last thing, have to be able to move. I love getting them up and moving. I'd also like to add that it's really important for our teams to build a community of learners. And so when the majority of our teaming models, at the beginning of the day, the entire grade level or grade bands at three, four, for example, at Stevenson, they meet in the morning for what they call family time. They all come together. Other schools, it might just be the entire third grade. They come together in the morning and they check the health and wellness of the community. That's what they do, but then they move on. At Stevenson, we have larger groups of children. So another added feature is that we have audio enhancement. So all of the teachers use microphones and they're in the classroom. And that's been a modification so that all children can learn even in a large space.   Kevin Foote That's great. I love that. I love that. what successes have you seen? And again, this is kind of like a two-part. What successes have you seen academically as well as socially? Because there's so many I want to hear from you firsthand. What successes have you seen in both those aspects?   Dr. Andi Fourlis So we have what our strongest indicators are around students have a sense of belonging. So they know where they belong, have an identity and they have more than one adult that they can connect with every single day. So while you might be assigned to Mrs. Smith and in third grade and teacher one classroom model, you and Mrs. Smith may not see eye to eye on things. And so in our teaming model, students have a lot of opportunity to connect with the expertise of multiple adults, including their teachers. So there's higher level of sense of belonging and confidence amongst our students that are in teams. The other is that what we're paying attention to building their confidence and efficacy for how they can be self-directed learners, those early on indicators are that they're feeling more confident. And being self-directed, when we take a look at our teachers, their retention rates are higher and their job satisfaction is higher in the team. Because it's always nice to know that we're in this together, right? I don't just go in and say, 28 students and me, let's go do this. We're all in this together. And it's a lot of co-planning and it's using expertise. We have teachers that have a background and are really great in math instruction. They take the lead on planning and designing mathematics lessons and design. The same reading specialist on a team taking the lead for that particular team. So they're sharing their expertise. And we often see that if a teacher is going to be out, need the substitute for a doctor's appointment or something on a team, oftentimes they don't even get a substitute or the substance provides just, you know, like supervision and support so the kids don't miss a beat. So we're also seeing learning outcomes are increasing. They've been paying attention to reading. So they are outpacing their peers in literacy development. And in our high schools, we're paying attention to Algebra 1 for our ninth grade. And we're seeing that students on teams are outperforming our students who are not on teams in Algebra 1.   Kevin Foote (18:50.83) Love it. Awesome. Something that I heard you say in a previous quote you made was that you're looking to create more personalized learning. And that's like the one thing that jumped out at me because I remember when I was in the classroom, that was always my goal is for all, know, sometimes I had 32 third graders or whatever, know, but that was a big class, but, you 25 to 30 kids, try to know something about all of them, like what makes each of them tick and feel like having that team teaching models makes that so much easier. You started teaching a little before me, like differentiated learning was the buzzword at the time. And so when I heard you say personalized, I'm like, I think that goes a little further. I love to hear that. So I don't if you want to elaborate on that a little much. That's just something I wanted to say. I thought it was pretty awesome.   Dr. Andi Fourlis We know the research around differentiated instruction that we differentiate by process product, right? And for learning, but within our kids are so different and we have an incredibly diverse community. So we need to make sure that not only is it differentiated, that instruction is differentiated, but it is also personalized where we are building, students have agency that they are building the what's in it for them in their learning. That takes it a little bit deeper than differentiation, because usually you differentiate for groups of kids. You look at personalization... it's a sliver of the solid research on why we differentiate. But this is saying that kids are setting their own goals. They're mastering their own goals. Elementary is very foundational. And English language arts, mathematics, and science, and social science. When we get into high school, that also looks at what is their career and college path that is personalized to them. It's not just the typical subject areas. It's like, no, I am on a path. I know that I want to pursue a degree in engineering. So my path is going to be different and I need to be engaged in an agent of my own learning towards that pathway.   Kevin Foote I think it's a perfect piggyback on the next thing. what's something you think that, or a couple of things that Arizona State's helped with? How do you think we can help work with future teachers on this, specifically college of ed students at our major universities, things like that? Are there some tips you'd have for them? And then also how is Arizona State help with that?   Dr. Andi Fourlis Well, what has been so helpful for us in our partnership with Arizona State University is the way that I think about our relationship is that ASU is the innovative university, a research-run university, and we are the laboratory to try those ideas, collect information, talk about what's working with boots on the ground and how they're constantly working together to make adaptations based on research and then based on implementation. And so to me, that's perfect model. The other is that Arizona State University is keeping this conversation alive beyond Mesa Public Schools. We have a crisis across the nation and the crisis of the teacher shortage. That's one long as I mentioned that I left my classroom in 2000 to be a new teacher induction specialist to help induct new teachers and then go out and recruit new teachers. So we've been at this for 24 years that we've been trying to solve a teacher. I think it's time that we're done admiring this problem and really digging down into why are teachers not choosing teaching? And especially in 2024, it's because the teaching job is incredibly isolating and it's inflexible. So if we can build some collaboration and flexibility into the teaching profession, that is one step closer to solving the teacher shortage problem. A phrase that I say, oftentimes, if teachers are not leaving the profession, they're leaving their working conditions. And working conditions is something that we can control. And so let's control what we can control and let's redesign those working conditions. And my belief is that if we do that, the theory of action is that we will chip away at the teacher shortage.   Kevin Foote (23:38.798) Awesome. I think that I have one more question, but you just answered it was how can people who are gonna hear this podcast help? And what are recommendations on what others do? But I feel like you nailed it in the head before I even got there.   Dr. Andi Fourlis And I think the other thing is that what can ASU do with those that are choosing the teaching profession? Designing their instruction and the experiences that free service teachers have. If free service teachers are coming in and working and learning in isolation. That doesn't set them up for success when they come into our school district with teaming model. So what I really appreciate around our relationship is Dr. Basile and I are constantly calibrating. What are we doing in classrooms in Mesa Public Schools? And how does that trigger pre-service learning and vice versa?   Kevin Foote Nice. I love it. love it. Well, thank you for your time today. I don't want to keep you too much longer. I think we'll just go ahead and wrap up here and thank you again for all you do. And that's a big job with the biggest district in Arizona. So appreciate your time.   Dr. Andi Fourlis The joy every day. We have so much opportunity to preserve the teaching profession and to create great outcomes.   Kevin Foote Awesome. Thank you.   Kevin Stoller (25:09.986) The views and opinions expressed on the Better Learning Podcast are those of myself as an individual and my guests and do not necessarily represent the organizations that we work for, the Association for Learning Environments, K-12, Education Leaders Organization, or Second Class Foundation.

This episode pulls wisdom from Betsy Cooke Weber, on building a culture of leadership, ownership and professionalism in our classrooms and ensembles. This loaded “how to” session comes from her appearance back in episode 45 with updated thoughts from my on how these ideas are working in my classroom. “If I were to return to … Continue reading "Episode 217: Building Collaborative Learning Environments"

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by The Modern Classrooms Project.The webinar recording can be accessed here.Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl has taken the mathematics education world by storm for its innovative pedagogical approach transforming classrooms into thinking classrooms.For an educator starting to build or already has the blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning structures in place, the thought of integrating additional strategies can feel daunting and redundant. So why should an educator implement building thinking classrooms practices? If so, how are the practices best applied in a student-centered classroom?This edWeb podcast dives into the what, why, and how of implementing building thinking classrooms practices within the blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning structures of a blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning.We explore:The 14 elements and 4 implementation toolkits of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter LiljedahlThe rationale for instructional pedagogy that balances collaborative and independent learning to support deeper learningPractical integration of building thinking classrooms practices in a blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning structureWhen the practices can be implementedHow to scaffold implementation efficacy through the four toolkitsWhat a teacher can do to start tomorrowDiscover how to bring the best of two worlds together for the benefit of student learning. Leave with actionable steps to integrate building thinking classroom practices in your classroom! This edWeb podcast is of interest to teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders of all grade levels.The Modern Classrooms ProjectMeet every student's needs with classroom-tested techniques that help every student truly learn. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Join math experts Zachary Champagne, Marian Small, and Jennifer Bay Williams for a discussion on strategies to create a positive and productive math classroom community. This the first episode of a special Math High-Quality Headquarters podcast series from Savvas Learning Company, which brings thought leaders together to dive deep into the strategies, tools, and techniques to implement high quality math instruction in today's classrooms. Learn more about Savvas Learning Company's high-quality K-12 math curriculum solutions at Savvas.com/math today. To keep the conversation going follow us @SavvasLearning on Instagram, Facebook, X, Youtube, or Linkedin. Visit Savvas.com today to learn more about our award-winning K-12 programs and to request curriculum samples for your school or district.

By any measure, Frances Frei is unusual. She's a professor, advisor, author, strategist, TED speaker, and spent 2017 at Uber on a leave of absence to lead Leadership & Strategy at Uber for the several thousand employees contending with rapid growth and a quickly evolving culture. Listen to this fascinating conversation in which Frances Frei and Sam Jayanti discuss why leaders who cannot create trust, a learning environment, and empower the members of their team lead to poor business outcomes and company culture. The future is about soft skills and this conversation expains why.Subscribe to ideamix - Coaching, Performance, and Wellness, and stay tuned for new episodes every other Thursday. On ideamix podcasts, we speak with innovators and coaches to help you build the life, business, and career you want. ideamix is the go-to destination for individuals to find their ideal coach. Check out our website at www.theideamix.com. For comments, questions, podcast guest ideas, or sponsorship inquiries, please email info@theideamix.com.

    Graham Dugoni is the founder and CEO of Yondr. Founded in 2014, Yondr is the pioneer of “phone-free spaces.” The company helps educators, artists, and organizations around the world create distraction-free environments where focus and creativity can flourish in the absence of technology.   Show Highlights   Phone-free spaces and its benefits for students and teachers. Reduction in behavioral issues and increased student engagement. Steps to implement phone-free policies in schools, starting with leadership commitment. Clear communication of the benefits and policy details to all stakeholders. Addressing student resistance and creative attempts to bypass new policies. Importance of clear consequences and consistent enforcement. Positive changes in school culture and student interactions. Support from Yonder in policy implementation and community engagement.   “I started the company in 2014 with young people in mind. And ir started from the point of view that smartphones and social media were radically new and there were going to be a lot of unintended consequences, basically, especially for young people. And I thought that it was my generation's responsibility to give them a sense and the experience of what life is like for at least 8 hours a day without that, so they could get perspective on them. -Graham Dugoni i   “It always starts with leadership, with someone who says,'I see this problem and how phones and social media are affecting my students and the way they're developing and their focus in the classroom and the way it affects my teachers and their ability to get to feel effective in their environment.' What we do is we come and say, 'Okay, here's how the honor product works. Here's how our program works.' But the most important thing is for you to get the commitment of your community. And that's what we always start with. We start with helping principals or superintendents to get that commitment from their community. That's the community, parents, that's very important, but also teachers and administrators in the school.” -Graham Dugoni i     Get the episode transcript here!   Graham's Resources & Contact Info:   Yondr Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.   Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today! Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders. 100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills. Apply to the mastermind today!   How We Serve Leaders   The School Leadership Scorecard™ Identify your highest leverage areas for growth this year in 10 -minutes or less.    https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/scorecard   Month-to-Month Principal Checklist As a principal with so much to do, you might be thinking, where do I even start?   When you download The Principal Checklist you'll get 12-months of general tasks that every campus need to do Space to write your campus specific items. Space to reflect and not what worked as well as a space of what didn't work Go to https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/principal-checklist to download now.   Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™ The “secret” to peak performance is ot complicated.  It's a plan on how to optimize the five fundamentals found in The Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™. https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/mindset   The Positive Spotlight Tool™ Energy flows to where attention goes! If you want to get more of what you want, when you want it as a school leader I have a tool for you…   Download The Positive Spotlight Tool™ for free here: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/positive   The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™ Are you ready to accomplish more? With less effort and in less time? When you download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  I'll send you the tool and a short 8-minute coaching video that shows you how to work smarter, not harder…and create more value for your school campus.   Download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  for free at https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/goals SHOW SPONSORS:  TEACHFX How much student talk happened today? When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired.    The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation.    With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders   Quest Food Management Services   Quest Food Management Services provides high-quality, scratch-made food in K-12 schools and universities across the country, prioritizing the health and wellness of students and elevating the cafeteria dining experience.  Quest offers a full-service approach to their school partners, bringing 40 years of expertise through every stage of program development and nurturing a true sense of community through interactive events such as student food committees. For more information about Quest Food Management Services, www.questfms.com     IXL IXL is the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. Over 1 million teachers use IXL in their classrooms every day for one reason: They love it. Visit IXL.com to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   Copyright © 2024 Twelve Practices LLC