Podcasts about National Council

Caring for someone living with dementia can be both deeply meaningful and incredibly challenging. Finding effective ways to connect, communicate and provide support often requires shifting how we see and respond to changes in the brain. In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, renowned dementia care specialist Teepa Snow joins the podcast to share her insights on improving life with dementia through empathy and understanding. As the founder of Positive Approach to Care (PAC), Teepa has developed the Snow Approach, a set of practical and compassionate techniques designed to empower care partners. She discusses the philosophy behind her methods, the importance of recognizing retained abilities and strategies that can make daily interactions more positive and meaningful for both care partners and those living with dementia. Guest: Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, dementia care specialist, educator, owner, trainer, Positive Approach LLC, co-Founder & chair, Snow Approach Foundation Show Notes This episode was uploaded as an exclusive video episode on the Wisconsin ADRC YouTube page on November 5, 2025. Watch the video interview with Teepa Snow here. Find videos, resources and more on Teepa Snow's website. Interested in hearing more from Teepa? Attend Dementia Friendly America's (DFA) Dementia Friendsgiving on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, to hear her keynote talk on supporting people with dementia in dignified and respectful ways. Learn more about lecanemab and the eligibility requirements from our past episode, “Looking at Lecanemab's Eligibility Guidelines and Prescription Process,” on our website. Learn more about grief and dementia from our past episode, “A Guide to Grief: Strategies for Navigating Loss and Dementia,” on our website. Learn more about the National Council of Dementia Minds on their website. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's e-newsletter. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer's. All donations go toward outreach and production.

The eighth edition of the China International Import Expo is set to open in Shanghai on Wednesday, and some overseas exhibitors have already confirmed participation for next year's event, drawn by the exhibition's role as a premier platform for connecting with the Chinese market and global resources.第八届中国国际进口博览会将于周三在上海开幕，部分海外参展商已确认参加明年的展会。该展会作为连接中国市场与全球资源的顶级平台，吸引了众多参展方。International firms and government agencies said the CIIE clearly demonstrates China's dedication to progressing alongside the world and sharing growth prospects.国际企业和政府机构表示，进博会清晰展现了中国与世界共同发展、共享增长机遇的决心。Premier Li Qiang will attend the opening ceremony of this year's CIIE, which will run through Monday, and deliver a keynote speech, He Ya dong, a spokesman for theMinistry of Commerce, announced on Monday.商务部发言人何亚东周一宣布，李强总理将出席本届进博会开幕式并发表主旨演讲，展会将持续至周一。Leaders from other countries, including Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria Abbas Tajudeen, and President of the National Council of Slovenia Marko Lotric, will attend the opening ceremony of the CIIE and related events.其他国家领导人也将出席进博会开幕式及相关活动，包括格鲁吉亚总理伊拉克利・科巴希泽（Irakli Kobakhidze）、塞尔维亚总理久罗・马楚特（Djuro Macut）、尼日利亚众议院议长阿巴斯・塔朱丁（Abbas Tajudeen）以及斯洛文尼亚国民委员会主席马尔科・洛特里奇（Marko Lotric）。Herbalife, a Los Angeles, United States-based health and wellness company, is among the exhibitors that have signed up for the ninth CIIE. Having participated in every edition of the expo, the company views it as a vital window for showcasing its global innovations.美国洛杉矶健康与wellness企业康宝莱（Herbalife）已签约参加第九届进博会。该公司连续参展每一届进博会，将其视为展示全球创新成果的重要窗口。Many of the company's products have transitioned from exhibits to commodities. The Herbalife24 sports nutrition product line was first showcased at theinaugural CIIE in 2018. The products were launched in China in 2021, following positive feedback from the expo, and have since realizedlocalized production.康宝莱的多款产品已从展品转变为商品。康宝莱24运动营养系列于2018年首届进博会上首次亮相，经展会反馈良好后，于2021年进入中国市场，目前已实现本地化生产。Stella Tsai, managing director of Herbalife China, said, "We are impressed by China's robust economic development and the improving business environment, which offer stability and vast opportunities for multinational companies."康宝莱中国区总经理蔡美琳（Stella Tsai）表示：“中国强劲的经济发展和持续优化的营商环境令人印象深刻，为跨国企业提供了稳定的发展环境和广阔机遇。”She added that the company's global product innovation center, unveiled last month in Shanghai as an upgrade from its former China product innovation center, aims to swiftly transform Chinese consumers' demands into innovative products, leveraging China's unique consumer insights and innovation environment to impact the Asia-Pacific and global markets.她补充道，公司上月在上海揭牌升级了原中国产品创新中心，成立全球产品创新中心。该中心旨在依托中国独特的消费洞察和创新环境，快速将中国消费者需求转化为创新产品，进而影响亚太及全球市场。The state of Mato Grosso, one of Brazil's keyagricultural commodities and livestock producing regions, will participate in this year's CIIE for the third consecutive year with its own booth, and has confirmed its return next year with an expanded presence.马托格罗索州是巴西重要的农产品和畜牧产品产区，该州将连续第三年独立设展参加本届进博会，并已确认明年扩大规模继续参展。This year's booth of Mato Grosso will double in size to 200 square meters, and the delegation will consist of nearly 70 entrepreneurs and industry leaders led by the Mato Grosso Investment Promotion Agency and the Mato Grosso State Secretariat of Economic Development.今年马托格罗索州的展位面积将翻倍至200平方米，代表团由该州投资促进局和经济发展秘书处牵头，近70名企业家和行业领袖组成。Highlighted exhibits will include those with enormous commercial potential, such as the sesame category recently covered by a new origin export agreement with China, various beans and high-quality local beef.重点展品包括具有巨大商业潜力的产品，如近期与中国达成新原产地出口协议的芝麻品类、各类豆类以及优质本地牛肉。Cesar Miranda, secretary of the Economic Development of Mato Grosso, said: "China is currently our largest trading partner and the primary destination for Mato Grosso's agricultural exports. Participating in the CIIE is crucial for reinforcing this relationship and exploring new investment channels."马托格罗索州经济发展秘书塞萨尔・米兰达（Cesar Miranda）表示：“中国目前是我们最大的贸易伙伴，也是马托格罗索州农产品出口的主要目的地。参加进博会对于巩固这一关系、探索新的投资渠道至关重要。”German multinational company Bayer, another regular participant at the CIIE, expressed unwavering confidence in the Chinese market. He Yong, general manager of Bayer Consumer Health China, noted that the Chinese market's progress toward maturity is similar to that of developed markets.德国跨国企业拜耳（Bayer）也是进博会的常客，该公司对中国市场表达了坚定信心。拜耳消费者健康中国区总经理何勇指出，中国市场的成熟进程与发达市场相似。The general manager said the company's strategic moves, including building various mechanisms and innovation platforms as well as renewing partnerships in China, reflect its substantial confidence in the market's future.何勇表示，公司在中国搭建各类机制和创新平台、深化合作伙伴关系等战略举措，充分体现了对中国市场未来的高度信心。The new supply center project of Bayer Consumer Health in Qidong, Jiangsu province, involves a total investment of 750 million yuan ($105 million), with a gross floor area of about 53,000 sq m. Completion is expected in early 2026.拜耳消费者健康在江苏启东的新供应中心项目总投资7.5亿元人民币（约合1.05亿美元），总建筑面积约5.3万平方米，预计2026年初竣工。"The choice of Qidong for the site is due to its strategic position in the global supply chain. A significant portion of the products produced there will be supplied not just within China, but to a network of global cities that make economic sense for our business," said He.何勇表示：“选择启东作为选址，得益于其在全球供应链中的战略地位。该中心生产的大部分产品不仅将供应中国市场，还将输送至对公司业务具有经济价值的全球城市网络。”Experience from the past editions inspired him to describe the CIIE as a massive platform for multidirectional exchanges. "It serves as a venue for everything from product displays to cutting-edge technologies, covering a wide range of categories from specific product lines to almost all-encompassing areas of exhibitions and connections," he added.何勇补充道：“基于往届参展经验，他将进博会形容为一个大型多向交流平台。“这里既是产品展示的场所，也是前沿技术的交流阵地，覆盖从特定产品线到几乎全方位的展览和对接领域。”The eighth edition of the China International Import Expo第八届中国国际进口博览会Ministry of Commerce商务部inaugural/ɪˈnɑː.ɡjə.rəl/adj.就职的，就任的；首次的，初始的localized production本地化生产agricultural commodities and livestock producing regions农产品和畜牧产品产区

Lateran Basilica Dedication Feast -Year C - Sunday, 9 November 2025 (EPISODE: 555) Readings for Lateran Basilica Dedication Feast- Year C FIRST READING: Ezek 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 Ps 46:1-2, 4-5, 7-8. “The waters of the river gladden the city of God.” SECOND READING: 1 Cor 3:9b-11, 16-17 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (2 Chronicles 7:16). Alleluia, alleluia! I have chosen and sacntified this house, says the Lord, that my name may remain in it for all time. GOSPEL: John 2:13-22 https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/4pLo66et9NUHhOan9Z9R?ru=Paul-Evangelion +++++ The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, 9th of November. The Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, was dedicated to Christ the Saviour in the 4th century. The anniversary has been celebrated as a feast of the Latin Church on this day since the 12th century. It honours the local Church of Rome and its link with the earliest Christian traditions and as a sign of our communion in Christ. +++ Each of us is a living stone, building up the church on the foundations of Jesus. Today's feast is as much a celebration of a magnificent physical structure, but even more so as our unity as Christians in the church. We also celebrate our vocation to stay focused on the church's mission, which is the building up of the kingdom of God. +++++ References: FR. PAUL W. KELLY – including pilgrimage notes 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_St._John_Lateran Prepare the Word (internet service) IMAGE: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/4pLo66et9NUHhOan9Z9R?ru=Paul-Evangelion +++++++++ {16. I pray this week brings you an ever deeper experience of Our Lord's compassion and love} 2. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. ++++++++ Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks Details relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog: "Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL) Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA) "The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers. Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia). Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org. "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019. “Quiet Time.” Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020. “Today I Arise” - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019. Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly. Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser. And (2024+) Rode Nt-1 + AI-1 Sound Mixer. Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software). NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software) Sound Processing: iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.) Text transcription as per recorded podcast version is transcribed by TurboScribe.ai {excellent and accurate transcription from voice to text} [Production - KER - 2025] May God bless and keep you. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On today's show, Blaine Wade, the president and CEO of the National Council for the Traditional Arts, joins us to talk about the National Folk Festival, coming to Jackson for a three year residency, November 7th, 8th and 9th. TRANSCRIPT: https://www.visitjackson.com/blog/soul-sessions-blaine-wade

Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.The rules for law and order create the boundaries for civil co-existence and, ideally, the backdrops for individuals, families, and companies to grow and thrive. Breaking these rules puts civil order at risk. And while murder is the Big Daddy of crimes, codified ordinances across municipal divisions, counties, states, and countries show the nearly endless ways there are to create mayhem. This season, we put our detective skills to the test. This is Season 8, Anything but Murder. This is Episode 20, menacing is the featured crime. This is Audubon's Ghost by Margaret S. HamiltonDeliberationNick isn't getting the crime free honeymoon Lizzie promised him. With our help, they can close the book on this bird-brained caper. A real Audubon painting was hidden away and someone is willing to menace to get it. Here are the suspects in the order that we met themAl McGuire, actor who claimed to be an Australian touristSam Broussard, professional thief and con artistOfficer Landry, police officer who saved Ed and CarolTony Robichaux, curator of the Audubon Museum at Oakley PlantationDr. Nakamura, rightful owner of the Audubon watercolorsABOUT Menacing as a crimeIn general, menacing is where a person uses a threat or action to cause another person to be in fear of serious bodily damage or death. It can range from a misdemeanor to a felony depending on the severity. Definitions do vary somewhat by state. There aren't “famous” cases of menacing because, alone, it is not considered a serious crime. Menacing does often end up being a component of other charges such as stalking and harassment. A few cases for you to gnaw on. In 2008, Christopher Szaz pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges for threatening employees of the National Council of La Raza and the Council on American Islamic Relations. He sent emails threatening to bomb offices and kill employees, which met the legal definition of menacing. ABOUT Margaret S. HamiltonMargaret S. Hamilton is the author of forty short stories, many of them set in the fictional small town of Jericho, Ohio. She has also published stories set in the Dordogne region of southwest France, Cape Cod, New Orleans, and 1950's Cincinnati.Margaret's debut traditional mystery, What the Artist left Behind, is on submission. It was a 2019 Daphne Mainstream Mystery Finalist. She is writing the next two books in her Jericho Mysteries series about amateur sleuth Lizzie Christopher and her husband Nick Cameron.Margaret is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and blogs monthly on the Writers Who Kill blog. She lives in suburban Cincinnati with her husband and two standard poodles, Jazz and Louie. She is an avid traveler, gardener, and photographer.WRAP UPThat wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. Check out our NEW website m2d4podcast.com for links to this season's authors.Mysteries to Die For is hosted by TG Wolff and Jack Wolff. Audubon's Ghost was written by Margaret S. Hamilton. Music and production are by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff. Join us next week for a Toe Tag, which is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, or thriller genre. Then come back in two weeks for our...

We all want to be our best selves, not just for ourself but for our family. So what does that mean? How do we do that? Listen in as adoptive dad, adoption attorney, social worker and adoption agency executive director Rob shares his learnings on self worth, expectations and much more.Rob has been in the adoption field since 1996. He has worked in both the public and private sectors in child welfare and has experience in both intercountry and domestic adoption. Rob earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Wheaton College, MA (1994). He has a Master's Degree in Social work from Salem State College (1999) and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2012 after graduating from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law School in 2011.Rob is the Executive Director/Attorney for ACF Adoptions, a private non–profit adoption agency that has been providing services since 1992. Rob is a former foster parent and the proud adoptive parent of two sons and a daughter. He resides in South Florida with his husband, children, 3 dogs and 9 chickens. Rob is an active volunteer in his community and an advocate for ethical adoption reform. He is a member of the Florida Adoption Council, the National Council for Adoption and a Fellow in the American Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproductive Attorneys where he serves on the Agency and Ethics Committees.He is responsible for all phases of legal work on behalf of agency including pleadings, hearings and taking consents. He oversees the agency's financial management, budget, audit, supervises the agency's administrative staff, annual state licensure as well as cooperation with Board of Directors. He ensures that the agency services reflect mission.https://www.adoptionflorida.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-lamarche-lcsw-jd-00a6346/https://www.facebook.com/robert.c.lamarche/https://www.instagram.com/adoptionflorida/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia', host Alycia welcomes Theo Braddy, a prominent disability rights advocate and executive director of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). They discuss the significance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the barriers people with disabilities face, often highlighting the importance of changing societal attitudes. Theo shares his journey from being paralyzed at 15 to becoming a leader in the disability rights movement. The conversation delves into the influence of pioneers like Justin Dart and Ed Roberts, and the evolving challenges in disability rights, including potential legislative rollbacks. The episode emphasizes the need for collective action, bridging generational gaps, and passing the baton of advocacy to ensure future progress. Press Play Roadmap 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Highlighting National Disability Employment Awareness Month 00:56 Introducing Mr. Theo Braddy 02:32 Overcoming Societal Barriers and Ableism 04:33 The Importance of Interaction and Relationships 05:41 Changing Worldviews and Internalized Ableism 07:37 Mentorship and Leadership 10:01 Reflecting on Disability Rights Movement 15:44 Bridging Generational Gaps in Advocacy 19:30 Generational Divide and the Need for Unity 19:56 Reflecting on Disability Rights and Progress 20:44 Current Threats to Disability Rights 22:36 Institutionalization and Legal Challenges 25:03 The Importance of Collective Action 28:27 The Role of Allies in Advocacy 30:38 Finding Unity in Common Causes 34:06 The Fight for Inclusion and Equity 37:03 Passing the Baton to the Next Generation 38:40 Closing Remarks and Call to Action A Quote from Theo  “Ableism is our greatest challenge. You can improve physical barriers, but it's a hard thing to change people's attitudes about people with disabilities. Because they have been conditioned to believe a certain way about people with  disabilities for a long time, based on a whole  bunch of misconceptions and myths.” ~ Theo Braddy Ideas Worth Rewinding

Keynote: Future Caucus and Diane Yentel, President and CEO of National Council of Nonprofit by The Communications Network

We commemorate the birthday of the renowned gay Irish writer Oscar Wilde with an excerpt from the play he was writing in October, 1891 — a scene from a production directed for Pacifica Radio by a “pre-Spock” Leonard Nimoy (hear the complete performance at thiswayout.org, presented by Brian DeShazor). Plus: The “Rainbow Rewind” recalls the end of the picket line, “Don't Ask, Don't Tell's” demise, and no room at the National Council of Churches. And in NewsWrap: security police in Surabaya, Indonesia arrest and humiliate 34 men for attending what they allege is a “gay sex party,” cohabiting same-gender couples will be counted in South Korea's upcoming national Population and Housing Census, transgender and intersex people in the Virgin Islands now have two ways to change the gender markers on their birth certificates and official government documents under an executive order by Governor Albert Bryan, Jr., anti-bias protections in healthcare for transgender people are being stripped away by a U.S. federal judge, another U.S. federal judge keeps the Health and Human Services Department from withholding education funds to states that do not remove all references to “gender ideology” from public school sex education classes, one more injunction against the Trump administration brings “library books and curricular materials” that discuss race, sexual orientation, and gender back to Department of Defense-run schools, four are arrested when bulldozers come to destroy a Dallas, Texas rainbow crosswalk, and more international LGBTQ+ news reported this week by David Hunt and Ava Davis (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the October 27, 2025 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

The Solemnity of All Saints - (Special) 2025 Readings for THE LITURGY OF THE WORD First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4. 9-14 Psalm: Ps 23:1-6 "Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face." Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3 Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 11:28 Come to me all you that labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Gospel: Matthew 5:1- 12 Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/OzQufYsohHPKMYOzeBLp?ru=Paul-Evangelion ++++ References: Fr Paul W. Kelly Gutiérrez, G. and Dees, C. (1997). Sharing the Word through the liturgical year. 1st ed. Maryknoll: Orbis Books. Pp. 278-9 Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/OzQufYsohHPKMYOzeBLp?ru=Paul-Evangelion +++++++++++ Archive of homilies and reflections: homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com To listen to the homily audio podcast, please click this link here. NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog: "Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL) Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA) "The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers. Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia). Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org. - "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019. "Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020. - "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019. [ Production - KER - 2025] May God bless and keep you.

All Souls Day -Year C - Sunday, 2 November 2025 (EPISODE: 555) Readings for All Souls Day- Year C FIRST READING: Isaiah 25:6-9 Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14. “The Lord is my light and my salvation” SECOND READING: Romans 5:5-11 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 6:39). Alleluia, Alleluia! This is the will of my Father, says the Lord, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day. GOSPEL: Luke 7:11-17 or John 20:11-18 +++++ References: Homily Fr Paul W. Kelly Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. All Souls Day Year C -(Sunday, 2 November 2025) (EPISODE: 555 ) 2. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. +++++++++++++ {{Joy and peace to everyone}} welcome everyone, we gather - Listen to God's Word and contemplate the sacraments. On this All Souls Day ++++++++ Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by visting here: https://surfersparadiseparish.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=85b9ddd594b242276d423bfe9&id=002282d9e0 Details relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog: "Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL) Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA) "The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers. Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia). Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org. "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019. “Quiet Time.” Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020. “Today I Arise” - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019. Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly. Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser. And (2024+) Rode Nt-1 + AI-1 Sound Mixer. Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software). NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software) Sound Processing: iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.) Text transcription as per recorded podcast version is transcribed by TurboScribe.ai {excellent and accurate transcription from voice to text} [Production - KER - 2025] May God bless and keep you. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Today's Gospel is from Luke 18:9-14Podcast Credit Scripture references used with permission from the National Council of the Churches of Christ.  Text comes from: “New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."Produced by Fr Stephen Gadberry and Robbie RiveraSupport the show

Send us a text"I need to reconnect with who I am." In this conversation, Dr. Paul Kellogg D.D. and TNT SpiritWorks explore the themes of self-discovery, intuition, and the importance of community in spiritual growth. "Intuition is a language of the soul."  They discuss the disconnect in today's connected world, significance of radical self-loyalty, and how to trust one's intuition. "Planet Earth is like a great school." They emphasizes the practicality of intuition in daily life and the evolution of spiritual awareness, culminating in a call for collaboration in the journey of personal and collective growth.Internationally known, Dr. Kellogg offers a practical, no-nonsense approach to the extra-sensory and spiritual forces that shape our lives. He believes  everyone has the potential to develop visionary, prophetic, and feeling perceptions—to guide us in business, relationships, and personal growth.  He's conducted workshops on practical intuition in leadership, team-building and management for groups across North America incl. American Red Cross, National Council on Aging, Elderly Housing & Development, and St. Louis Public Schools.  He's consulted with people from across the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, the Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.  He is a Senior Professor of Spiritual and Psychic Studies at the Wayshowers College where he received his seminary education for his Doctor of Divinity.

Pam Harris, Exploring the Power & Purpose of Number Strings ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 4 I've struggled when I have a new strategy I want my students to consider and despite my best efforts, it just doesn't surface organically. While I didn't want to just tell my students what to do, I wasn't sure how to move forward. Then I discovered number strings.  Today, we're talking with Pam Harris about the ways number strings enable teachers to introduce new strategies while maintaining opportunities for students to discover important relationships.  BIOGRAPHY Pam Harris, founder and CEO of Math is Figure-out-able™, is a mom, a former high school math teacher, a university lecturer, an author, and a mathematics teacher educator. Pam believes real math is thinking mathematically, not just mimicking what a teacher does. Pam helps leaders and teachers to make the shift that supports students to learn real math. RESOURCES Young Mathematicians at Work by Catherine Fosnot and Maarten Dolk  Procedural fluency in mathematics: Reasoning and decision-making, not rote application of procedures position by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Bridges number string example from Grade 5, Unit 3, Module 1, Session 1 (BES login required) Developing Mathematical Reasoning: Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms by Pamela Weber Harris and Cameron Harris Math is Figure-out-able!™ Problem Strings TRANSCRIPT Mike Wallus: Welcome to the podcast, Pam. I'm really excited to talk with you today. Pam Harris: Thanks, Mike. I'm super glad to be on. Thanks for having me. Mike: Absolutely.  So before we jump in, I want to offer a quick note to listeners. The routine we're going to talk about today goes by several different names in the field. Some folks, including Pam, refer to this routine as “problem strings,” and other folks, including some folks at The Math Learning Center, refer to them as “number strings.” For the sake of consistency, we'll use the term “strings” during our conversation today.  And Pam, with that said, I'm wondering if for listeners, without prior knowledge, could you briefly describe strings? How are they designed? How are they intended to work? Pam: Yeah, if I could tell you just a little of my history. When I was a secondary math teacher and I dove into research, I got really curious: How can we do the mental actions that I was seeing my son and other people use that weren't the remote memorizing and mimicking I'd gotten used to?  I ran into the work of Cathy Fosnot and Maarten Dolk, and [their book] Young Mathematicians at Work, and they had pulled from the Netherlands strings. They called them “strings.” And they were a series of problems that were in a certain order. The order mattered, the relationship between the problems mattered, and maybe the most important part that I saw was I saw students thinking about the problems and using what they learned and saw and heard from their classmates in one problem, starting to let that impact their work on the next problem. And then they would see that thinking made visible and the conversation between it and then it would impact how they thought about the next problem. And as I saw those students literally learn before my eyes, I was like, “This is unbelievable!” And honestly, at the very beginning, I didn't really even parse out what was different between maybe one of Fosnot's rich tasks versus her strings versus just a conversation with students. I was just so enthralled with the learning because what I was seeing were the kind of mental actions that I was intrigued with. I was seeing them not only happen live but grow live, develop, like they were getting stronger and more sophisticated because of the series of the order the problems were in, because of that sequence of problems. That was unbelievable. And I was so excited about that that I began to dive in and get more clear on: What is a string of problems?  The reason I call them “problem strings” is I'm K–12. So I will have data strings and geometry strings and—pick one—trig strings, like strings with functions in algebra. But for the purposes of this podcast, there's strings of problems with numbers in them. Mike: So I have a question, but I think I just want to make an observation first. The way you described that moment where students are taking advantage of the things that they made sense of in one problem and then the next part of the string offers them the opportunity to use that and to see a set of relationships. I vividly remember the first time I watched someone facilitate a string and feeling that same way, of this routine really offers kids an opportunity to take what they've made sense of and immediately apply it. And I think that is something that I cannot say about all the routines that I've seen, but it was really so clear. I just really resonate with that experience of, what will this do for children? Pam: Yeah, and if I can offer an additional word in there, it influences their work. We're taking the major relationships, the major mathematical strategies, and we're high-dosing kids with them. So we give them a problem, maybe a problem or two, that has a major relationship involved. And then, like you said, we give them the next one, and now they can notice the pattern, what they learned in the first one or the first couple, and they can let it influence. They have the opportunity for it to nudge them to go, “Hmm. Well, I saw what just happened there. I wonder if it could be useful here. I'm going to tinker with that. I'm going to play with that relationship a little bit.” And then we do it again. So in a way, we're taking the relationships that I think, for whatever reason, some of us can wander through life and we could run into the mathematical patterns that are all around us in the low dose that they are all around us, but many of us don't pick up on that low dose and connect them and make relationships and then let it influence when we do another problem.  We need a higher dose. I needed a higher dose of those major patterns. I think most kids do. Problem strings or number strings are so brilliant because of that sequence and the way that the problems are purposely one after the other. Give students the opportunity to, like you said, apply what they've been learning instantly [snaps]. And then not just then, but on the next problem and then sometimes in a particular structure we might then say, “Mm, based on what you've been seeing, what could you do on this last problem?” And we might make that last problem even a little bit further away from the pattern, a little bit more sophisticated, a little more difficult, a little less lockstep, a little bit more where they have to think outside the box but still could apply that important relationship. Mike: So I have two thoughts, Pam, as I listen to you talk.  One is that for both of us, there's a really clear payoff for children that we've seen in the way that strings are designed and the way that teachers can use them to influence students' thinking and also help kids build a recognition or high-dose a set of relationships that are really important.  The interesting thing is, I taught kindergarten through second grade for most of my teaching career, and you've run the gamut. You've done this in middle school and high school. So I think one of the things that might be helpful is to share a few examples of what a string could look like at a couple different grade levels. Are you OK to share a few? Pam: You bet. Can I tack on one quick thing before I do? Mike: Absolutely. Pam: You mentioned that the payoff is huge for children. I'm going to also suggest that one of the things that makes strings really unique and powerful in teaching is the payoff for adults. Because let's just be clear, most of us—now, not all, but most of us, I think—had a similar experience to me that we were in classrooms where the teacher said, “Do this thing.” That's the definition of math is for you to rote memorize these disconnected facts and mimic these procedures. And for whatever reason, many of us just believed that and we did it. Some people didn't. Some of us played with relationships and everything. Regardless, we all kind of had the same learning experience where we may have taken at different places, but we still saw the teacher say, “Do these things. Rote memorize. Mimic.”  And so as we now say to ourselves, “Whoa, I've just seen how cool this can be for students, and we want to affect our practice.” We want to take what we do, do something—we now believe this could be really helpful, like you said, for children, but doing that's not trivial. But strings make it easier. Strings are, I think, a fantastic differentiated kind of task for teachers because a teacher who's very new to thinking and using relationships and teaching math a different way than they were taught can dive in and do a problem string. Learn right along with your students. A veteran teacher, an expert teacher who's really working on their teacher moves and really owns the landscape of learning and all the things still uses problem strings because they're so powerful. Like, anybody across the gamut can use strings—I just said problem strings, sorry—number strengths—[laughs] strings, all of us no matter where we are in our teaching journey can get a lot out of strings. Mike: So with all that said, let's jump in. Let's talk about some examples across the elementary span. Pam: Nice. So I'm going to take a young learner, not our youngest, but a young learner. I might ask a question like, “What is 8 plus 10?” And then if they're super young learners, I expect some students might know that 10 plus a single digit is a teen, but I might expect many of the students to actually say “8, 9, 10, 11, 12,” or “10, 11,” and they might count by ones given—maybe from the larger, maybe from the whatever. But anyway, we're going to kind of do that. I'm going to get that answer from them. I'm going to write on the board, “8 plus 10 is 18,” and then I would have done some number line work before this, but then I'm going to represent on the board: 8 plus 10, jump of 10, that's 18. And then the next problem's going to be something like 8 plus 9. And I'm going to say, “Go ahead and solve it any way you want, but I wonder—maybe you could use the first problem, maybe not.” I'm just going to lightly suggest that you consider what's on the board. Let them do whatever they do. I'm going to expect some students to still be counting. Some students are going to be like, “Oh, well I can think about 9 plus 8 counting by ones.” I think by 8—”maybe I can think about 8 plus 8. Maybe I can think about 9 plus 9.” Some students are going to be using relationships, some are counting. Kids are over the map.  When I get an answer, they're all saying, like, 17. Then I'm going to say, “Did anybody use the first problem to help? You didn't have to, but did anybody?” Then I'm going to grab that kid. And if no one did, I'm going to say, “Could you?” and pause.  Now, if no one sparks at that moment, then I'm not going to make a big deal of it. I'll just go, “Hmm, OK, alright,” and I'll do the next problem. And the next problem might be something like, “What's 5 plus 10?” Again, same thing, we're going to get 15. I'm going to draw it on the board.  Oh, I should have mentioned: When we got to the 8 plus 9, right underneath that 8, jump, 10 land on 18, I'm going to draw an 8 jump 9, shorter jump. I'm going to have these lined up, land on the 17. Then I might just step back and go, “Hmm. Like 17, that's almost where the 18 was.” Now if kids have noticed, if somebody used that first problem, then I'm going to say, “Well, tell us about that.” “Well, miss, we added 10 and that was 18, but now we're adding 1 less, so it's got to be 1 less.” And we go, “Well, is 17 one less than 18? Huh, sure enough.” Then I give the next set of problems. That might be 5 plus 10 and then 5 plus 9, and then I might do 7 plus 10. Maybe I'll do 9 next. 9 plus 10 and then 9 plus 9. Then I might end that string. The next problem, the last problem might be, “What is 7 plus 9?” Now notice I didn't give the helper. So in this case I might go, “Hey, I've kind of gave you plus 10. A lot of you use that to do plus 9. I gave you plus 10. Some of you use that to do plus 9, I gave you plus 10. Some of you used that plus 9. For this one, I'm not giving you a helper. I wonder if you could come up with your own helper.”  Now brilliantly, what we've done is say to students, “You've been using what I have up here, or not, but could you actually think, ‘What is the pattern that's happening?' and create your own helper?” Now that's meta. Right? Now we're thinking about our thinking. I'm encouraging that pattern recognition in a different way. I'm asking kids, “What would you create?” We're going to share that helper. I'm not even having them solve the problem. They're just creating that helper and then we can move from there.  So that's an example of a young string that actually can grow up. So now I can be in a second grade class and I could ask a similar [question]: “Could you use something that's adding a bit too much to back up?” But I could do that with bigger numbers. So I could start with that 8 plus 10, 8 plus 9, but then the next pair might be 34 plus 10, 34 plus 9. But then the next pair might be 48 plus 20 and 48 plus 19. And the last problem of that string might be something like 26 plus 18. Mike: So in those cases, there's this mental scaffolding that you're creating. And I just want to mark this. I have a good friend who used to tell me that part of teaching mathematics is you can lead the horse to water, you can show them the water, they can look at it, but darn it, do not push their head in the water. And I think what he meant by that is “You can't force it,” right?  But you're not doing that with a string. You're creating a set of opportunities for kids to notice. You're doing all kinds of implicit things to make structure available for kids to attend to—and yet you're still allowing them the ability to use the strategies that they have. We might really want them to notice that, and that's beautiful about a string, but you're not forcing. And I think it's worth saying that because I could imagine that's a place where folks might have questions, like, “If the kids don't do the thing that I'm hoping that they would do, what should I do?” Pam: Yeah, that's a great question. Let me give you another example. And in that example I'll talk about that.  So especially as the kids get older, I'm going to use the same kind of relationship. It's maybe easier for people to hang on to if I stay with the same sort of relationship. So I might say, “Hey everybody. 7 times 8. That's a fact I'm noticing most of us just don't have [snaps] at our fingertips. Let's just work on that. What do you know?” I might get a couple of strategies for kids to think about 7 times 8. We all agree it's 56.  Then I might say, “What's 70 times 8?” And then let kids think about that. Now, this would be the first time I do that, but if we've dealt with scaling times 10 at all, if I have 10 times the number of whatever the things is, then often kids will say, “Well, I've got 10 times 7 is 70, so then 10 times 56 is 560.” And then the next problem might be, “I wonder if you could think about 69 times 8. If we've got 70 eights, can I use that to help me think about 69 eights?” And I'm saying that in a very specific way to help ping on prior knowledge. So then I might do something similar. Well, let's pick another often missed facts, I don't know, 6 times 9. And then we could share some strategies on how kids are thinking about that. We all agree it's 54. And then I might say, “Well, could you think about 6 times 90?” I'm going to talk about scaling up again. So that would be 540. Now I'm going really fast. But then I might say, “Could we use that to help us think about 6 times 89?” I don't know if you noticed, but I sort of swapped. I'm not thinking about 90 sixes to 89 sixes. Now I'm thinking about 6 nineties to help me think about 6 eighty-nines. So that's a little bit of a—we have to decide how we're going to deal with that. I'll kind of mess around with that. And then I might have what we call that clunker problem at the end. “Notice that I've had a helper: 7 times 8, 70 times 8. A lot of you use that to help you think about 69 times 8. Then I had a helper: 6 times 9, 6 times 90. A lot of you use that to help you think about 6 times 89. What if I don't give you those helpers? What if I had something like”—now I'm making this up off the cuff here, like—“9 times 69. 9 times 69. Could you use relationships we just did?”  Now notice, Mike, I might've had kids solving all those problems using an algorithm. They might've been punching their calculator, but now I'm asking the question, “Could you come up with these helper problems?” Notice how I'm now inviting you into a different space. It's not about getting an answer. I'm inviting you into, “What are the patterns that we've been establishing here?” And so what would be those two problems that would be like the patterns we've just been using? That's almost like saying when you're out in the world and you hit a problem, could you say to yourself, “Hmm, I don't know that one, but what do I know? What do I know that could help me get there?” And that's math-ing. Mike: So, you could have had a kid say, “Well, I'm not sure about how—I don't know the answer to that, but I could do 9 times 60, right?” Or “I could do 10 times”—I'm thinking—“10 times 69.” Correct? Pam: Yes, yes. In fact, when I gave that clunker problem, 9 times 69, I said to myself, “Oh, I shouldn't have said 9 because now you could go either direction.” You could either “over” either way. To find 9 I can do 10, or to find 69 I can do 70. And then I thought, “Ah, we'll go with it because you can go either way.” So I might want to focus it, but I might not. And this is a moment where a novice could just throw it out there and then almost be surprised. “Whoa, they could go either direction.” And an expert could plan, and be like, “Is this the moment where I want lots of different ways to go? Or do I want to focus, narrow it a little bit more, be a little bit more explicit?” It's not that I'm telling kids, but I'm having an explicit goal. So I'm maybe narrowing the field a little bit. And maybe the problem could have been 7 times 69, then I wouldn't have gotten that other “over,” not the 10 to get 9. Does that make sense? Mike: It absolutely does. What you really have me thinking about is NCTM's [National Council of Teachers of Mathematics'] definition of “fluency,” which is “accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility.” And the flexibility that I hear coming out of the kinds of things that kids might do with a string, it's exciting to imagine that that's one of the outcomes you could get from engaging with strings. Pam: Absolutely. Because if you're stuck teaching memorizing algorithms, there's no flexibility, like none, like zilch. But if you're doing strings like this, kids have a brilliant flexibility. And one of the conversations I'd want to have here, Mike, is if a kid came up with 10 times 69 to help with 9 times 69, and a different kid came up with 9 times 70 to help with 9 times 69, I would want to just have a brief conversation: “Which one of those do you like better, class, and why?” Not that one is better than the other, but just to have the comparison conversation. So the kids go, “Huh, I have access to both of those. Well, I wonder when I'm walking down the street, I have to answer that one: Which one do I want my brain to gravitate towards next time?” And that's mathematical behavior. That's mathematical disposition to do one of the strands of proficiency. We want that productive disposition where kids are thinking to themselves, “I own relationships. I just got to pick a good one here to—what's the best one I could find here?” And try that one, then try that one. “Ah, I'll go with this one today.” Mike: I love that.  As we were talking, I wanted to ask you about the design of the string, and you started to use some language like “helper problems” and “the clunker.” And I think that's really the nod to the kinds of features that you would want to design into a string. Could you talk about either a teacher who's designing their own string—what are some of the features?—or a teacher who's looking at a string that they might find in a book that you've written or that they might find in, say, the Bridges curriculum? What are some of the different problems along the way that really kind of inform the structure? Pam: So you might find it interesting that over time, we've identified that there's at least five major structures to strings, and the one that I just did with you is kind of the easiest one to facilitate. It's the easiest one to understand where it's going, and it's the helper-clunker structure. So the helper-clunker structure is all about, “I'm going to give you a helper problem that we expect all kids can kind of hang on.” They have some facility with, enough that everybody has access to. Then we give you a clunker that you could use that helper to inform how you could solve that clunker problem. In the first string I did with you, I did a helper, clunker, helper, clunker, helper, clunker, clunker. And the second one we did, I did helper, helper, clunker, helper, helper, clunker, clunker. So you can mix and match kind of helpers and clunkers in that, but there are other major structures of strings. If you're new to strings, I would dive in and do a lot of helper-clunker strings first. But I would also suggest—I didn't create my own strings for a long time. I did prewritten [ones by] Cathy Fosnot from the Netherlands, from the Freudenthal Institute. I was doing their strings to get a feel for the mathematical relationships for the structure of a string. I would watch videos of teachers doing it so I could get an idea of, “Oh, that move right there made all the difference. I see how you just invited kids in, not demand what they do.” The idea of when to have paper and pencil and when not, and just lots of different things can come up that if you're having to write the string as well, create the string, that could feel insurmountable.  So I would invite anybody out listening that's like, “Whoa, this seems kind of complicated,” feel free to facilitate someone else's prewritten strings. Now I like mine. I think mine are pretty good. I think Bridges has some pretty good ones. But I think you'd really gain a lot from facilitating prewritten strings.  Can I make one quick differentiation that I'm running into more and more? So I have had some sharp people say to me, “Hey, sometimes you have extra problems in your string. Why do you have extra problems in your string?” And I'll say—well, at first I said, “What do you mean?” Because I didn't know what they were talking about. Are you telling me my string's bad? Why are you dogging my string? But what they meant was, they thought a string was the process a kid—or the steps, the relationships a kid used to solve the last problem. Does that make sense? Mike: It does. Pam: And they were like, “You did a lot of work to just get that one answer down there.” And I'm like, “No, no, no, no, no, no. A problem string or a number string, a string is an instructional routine. It is a lesson structure. It's a way of teaching. It's not a record of the relationships a kid used to solve a problem.” In fact, a teacher just asked—we run a challenge three times a year. It's free. I get on and just teach. One of the questions that was asked was, “How do we help our kids write their own strings?” And I was like, “Oh, no, kids don't write strings. Kids solve problems using relationships.” And so I think what the teachers were saying was, “Oh, I could use that relationship to help me get this one. Oh, and then I can use that to solve the problem.” As if, then, the lesson's structure, the instructional routine of a string was then what we want kids to do is use what they know to logic their way through using mathematical relationships and connections to get answers and to solve problems. That record is not a string, that record is a record of their work. Does that make sense, how there's a little difference there? Mike: It totally does, but I think that's a good distinction. And frankly, that's a misunderstanding that I had when I first started working with strings as well. It took me a while to realize that the point of a string is to unveil a set of relationships and then allow kids to take them up and use them. And really it's about making these relationships or these problem solving strategies sticky, right? You want them to stick. We could go back to what you said. We're trying to high-dose a set of relationships that are going to help kids with strategies, not only in this particular string, but across the mathematical work they're doing in their school life. Pam: Yes, very well said. So for example, we did an addition “over” relationship in the addition string that I talked through, and then we did a multiplication “over” set of relationships and multiplication. We can do the same thing with subtraction. We could have a subtraction string where the helper problem is to subtract a bit too much. So something like 42 minus 20, and then the next problem could be 42 minus 19. And we're using that: I'm going to subtract a bit too much and then how do you adjust? And hoo, after you've been thinking about addition “over,” subtraction “over” is quite tricky. You're like, “Wait, why are we adding what we're subtracting?” And it's not about teaching kids a series of steps. It's really helping them reason. “Well, if I give you—if you owe me 19 bucks and I give you a $20 bill, what are we going to do?” “Oh, you've got to give me 1 back.” Now that's a little harder today because kids don't mess around with money. So we might have to do something that feels like they can—or help them feel money. That's my personal preference. Let's do it with money and help them feel money.  So one of the things I think is unique to my work is as I dove in and started facilitating other people's strings and really building my mathematical relationships and connections, I began to realize that many teachers I worked with, myself included, thought, “Whoa, there's just this uncountable, innumerable wide universe of all the relationships that are out there, and there's so many strategies, and anything goes, and they're all of equal value.” And I began to realize, “No, no, no, there's only a small set of major relationships that lead to a small set of major strategies.” And if we can get those down, kids can solve any problem that's reasonable to solve without a calculator, but in the process, building their brains to reason mathematically. And that's really our goal, is to build kids' brains to reason mathematically. And in the process we're getting answers. Answers aren't our goal. We'll get answers, sure. But our goal is to get them to build that small set of relationships because that small set of strategies now sets them free to logic their way through problems. And bam, we've got kids math-ing using the mental actions of math-ing. Mike: Absolutely. You made me think about the fact that there's a set of relationships that I can apply when I'm working with numbers Under 20. There's a set of relationships, that same set of relationships, I can apply and make use of when I'm working with multidigit numbers, when I'm working with decimals, when I'm working with fractions. It's really the relationships that we want to expose and then generalize and recognize this notion of going over or getting strategically to a friendly number and then going after that or getting to a friendly number and then going back from that. That's a really powerful strategy, regardless of whether you're talking about 8 and 3 or whether you're talking about adding unit fractions together. Strings allow us to help kids see how that idea translates across different types of numbers. Pam: And it's not trivial when you change a type of number or the number gets bigger. It's not trivial for kids to take this “over” strategy and to be thinking about something like 2,467 plus 1,995—and I know I just threw a bunch of numbers out, on purpose. It's not trivial for them to go, “What do I know about those numbers? Can I use some of these relationships I've been thinking about?” Well, 2,467, that's not really close to a friendly number. Well, 1,995 is. Bam. Let's just add 2,000. Oh, sweet. And then you just got to back up 5. It's not trivial for them to consider, “What do I know about these two numbers, and are they close to something that I could use?” That's the necessary work of building place value and magnitude and reasonableness. We've not known how to do that, so in some curriculum we create our whole extra unit that's all about place value reasonableness. Now we have kids that are learning to rote memorize, how to estimate by round. I mean there's all this crazy stuff that we add on when instead we could actually use strings to help kids build that stuff naturally kind of ingrained as we are learning something else.  Can I just say one other thing that we did in my new book? Developing Mathematical Reasoning: Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms. So I actually wrote it with my son, who is maybe the biggest impetus to me diving into the research and figuring out all of this math-ing and what it means. He said, as we were writing, he said, “I think we could make the point that algorithms don't help you learn a new algorithm.” If you learn the addition algorithm and you get good at it and you can do all the addition and columns and all the whatever, and then when you learn the subtraction algorithm, it's a whole new thing. All of a sudden it's a new world, and you're doing different—it looks the same at the beginning. You line those numbers still up and you're still working on that same first column, but boy, you're doing all sorts—now you're crossing stuff out. You're not just little ones, and what? Algorithms don't necessarily help you learn the next algorithm. It's a whole new experience. Strategies are synergistic. If you learn a strategy, that helps you learn the next set of relationships, which then refines to become a new strategy. I think that's really helpful to know, that we can—strategies build on each other. There's synergy involved. Algorithms, you got to learn a new one every time. Mike: And it turns out that memorizing the dictionary of mathematics is fairly challenging. Pam: Indeed [laughs], indeed. I tried hard to memorize that. Yeah. Mike: You said something to me when we were preparing for this podcast that I really have not been able to get out of my mind, and I'm going to try to approximate what you said. You said that during the string, as the teacher and the students are engaging with it, you want students' mental energy primarily to go into reasoning. And I wonder if you could just explicitly say, for you at least, what does that mean and what might that look like on a practical level? Pam: So I wonder if you're referring to when teachers will say, “Do we have students write? Do we not have them write?” And I will suggest: “It depends. It's not if they write; it's what they write that's important.”  What do I mean by that? What I mean is if we give kids paper and pencil, there is a chance that they're going to be like, “Oh, thou shalt get an answer. I'm going to write these down and mimic something that I learned last year.” And put their mental energy either into mimicking steps or writing stuff down. They might even try to copy what you've been representing strategies on the board. And their mental effort either goes into mimicking, or it might go into copying.  What I want to do is free students up [so] that their mental energy is, how are you reasoning? What relationships are you using? What's occurring to you? What's front and center and sort of occurring? Because we're high-dosing you with patterns, we're expecting those to start happening, and I'm going to be saying things, giving that helper problem. “Oh, that's occurring to you? It's almost like it's your idea—even though I just gave you the helper problem!” It's letting those ideas bubble up and percolate naturally and then we can use those to our advantage. So that's what I mean when [I say] I want mental energy into “Hmm, what do I know, and how can I use what I know to logic my way through this problem?” And that's math-ing. Those are the mental actions of mathematicians, and that's where I want kids' mental energy. Mike: So I want to pull this string a little bit further. Pun 100% intended there. Apologies to listeners.  What I find myself thinking about is there've got to be some do's and don'ts for how to facilitate a string that support the kind of reasoning and experience that you've been talking about. I wonder if you could talk about what you've learned about what you want to do as a facilitator when you're working with a string and maybe what you don't want to do. Pam: Yeah, absolutely. So a good thing to keep in mind is you want to keep a string snappy. You don't want a lot of dead space. You don't want to put—one of the things that we see novice, well, even sometimes not-novice, teachers do, that's not very helpful, is they will put the same weight on all the problems.  So I'll just use the example 8 plus 10, 8 plus 9, they'll—well, let me do a higher one. 7 times 8, 70 times 8. They'll say, “OK, you guys, 7 times 8. Let's really work on that. That's super hard.” And kids are like, “It's 56.” Maybe they have to do a little bit of reasoning to get it, because it is an often missed fact, but I don't want to land on it, especially—what was the one we did before? 34 plus 10. I don't want to be like, “OK, guys, phew.” If the last problem on my string is 26 plus 18, I don't want to spend a ton of time. “All right, everybody really put all your mental energy in 36 plus 10” or whatever I said. Or, let's do the 7 times 8 one again. So, “OK, everybody, 7 times 8, how are you guys thinking about that?” Often we're missing it. I might put some time into sharing some strategies that kids use to come up with 7 times 8 because we know it's often missed. But then when I do 70 times 8, if I'm doing this string, kids should have some facility with times 10. I'm not going to be like, “OK. Alright, you guys, let's see what your strategies are. Right? Everybody ready? You better write something down on your paper. Take your time, tell your neighbor how….” Like, it's times 10. So you don't want to put the same weight—as in emphasis and time, wait time—either one on the problems that are kind of the gimmes, we're pretty sure everybody's got this one. Let's move on and apply it now in the next one. So there's one thing. Keep it snappy. If no one has a sense of what the patterns are, it's probably not the right problem string. Just bail on it, bail on it. You're like, “Let me rethink that. Let me kind of see what's going on.” If, on the other hand, everybody's just like, “Well, duh, it's this” and “duh, it's that,” then it's also probably not the right string. You probably want to up the ante somehow.  So one of the things that we did in our problem string books is we would give you a lesson and give you what we call the main string, and we would write up that and some sample dialogs and what the board could look like when you're done and lots of help. But then we would give you two echo strings. Here are two strings that get at the same relationships with about the same kind of numbers, but they're different and it will give you two extra experiences to kind of hang there if you're like, “Mm, I think my kids need some more with exactly this.” But we also then gave you two next-step strings that sort of up the ante. These are just little steps that are just a little bit more to crunch on before you go to the next lesson that's a bit of a step up, that's now going to help everybody increase. Maybe the numbers got a little bit harder. Maybe we're shifting strategy. Maybe we're going to use a different model. I might do the first set of strings on an area model if I'm doing multiplication. I might do the next set of strings in a ratio table. And I want kids to get used to both of those.  When we switch up from the 8 string to the next string, kind of think about only switching one thing. Don't up the numbers, change the model, and change the strategy at the same time. Keep two of those constant. Stay with the same model, maybe up the numbers, stay with the same strategy. Maybe if you're going to change strategies, you might back up the numbers a little bit, stick with the model for a minute before you switch the model before you go up the numbers. So those are three things to consider. Kind of—only change up one of them at a time or kids are going to be like, “Wait, what?” Kids will get higher dosed with the pattern you want them to see better if you only switch one thing at a time. Mike: Part of what you had me thinking was it's helpful, whether you're constructing your own string or whether you're looking at a string that's in a textbook or a set of materials, it's still helpful to think about, “What are the variables at play here?” I really appreciated the notion that they're not all created equal. There are times where you want to pause and linger a little bit that you don't need to spend that exact same amount of time on every clunker and every helper. There's a critical problem that you really want to invest some time in at one point in the string. And I appreciated the way you described, you're playing with the size of the number or the complexity of the number, the shift in the model, and then being able to look at those kinds of things and say, “What all is changing?” Because like you said, we're trying to kind of walk this line of creating a space of discovery where we haven't suddenly turned the volume up to 11 and made it really go from like, “Oh, we discovered this thing, now we're at full complexity,” and yet we don't want to have it turned down to, “It's not even discovery because it's so obvious that I knew it immediately. There's not really anything even to talk about.” Pam: Nice. Yeah, and I would say we want to be right on the edge of kids' own proximal development, right on the edge. Right on the edge where they have to grapple with what's happening. And I love the word “grapple.” I've been in martial arts for quite a while, and grappling makes you stronger. I think sometimes people hear the word “struggle” and they're like, “Why would you ever want kids to struggle?” I don't know that I've met anybody that ever hears the word “grapple” as a negative thing. When you “grapple,” you get stronger. You learn. So I want kids right on that edge where they are grappling and succeeding. They're getting stronger. They're not just like, “Let me just have you guess what's in my head.” You're off in the field and, “Sure hope you figure out math, guys, today.” It's not that kind of discovery that people think it is. It really is: “Let me put you in a place where you can use what you know to notice maybe a new pattern and use it maybe in a new way. And poof! Now you own those relationships, and let's build on that.” And it continues to go from there.  When you just said—the equal weight thing, let me just, if I can—there's another, so I mentioned that there's at least five structures of problem strings. Let me just mention one other one that we like, to give you an example of how the weight could change in a string. So if I have an equivalent structure, an equivalent structure looks like: I give a problem, and an example of that might be 15 times 18. Now I'm not going to give a helper; I'm just going to give 15 times 18. If I'm going to do this string, we would have developed a few strategies before now. Kids would have some partial products going on. I would probably hope they would have an “over,” I would've done partial products over and probably, what I call “5 is half a 10.”  So for 15 times 18, they could use any one of those. They could break those up. They could think about twenty 15s to get rid of the extra two to have 18, 15. So in that case, I'm going to go find a partial product, an “over” and a “5 is half a 10,” and I'm going to model those. And I'm going to go, “Alright, everybody clear? Everybody clear on this answer?” Then the next problem I give—so notice that we just spent some time on that, unlike those helper clunker strings where the first problem was like a gimme, nobody needed to spend time on that. That was going to help us with the next one. In this case, this one's a bit of a clunker. We're starting with one that kids are having to dive in, chew on. Then I give the next problem: 30 times 9. So I had 15 times 18 now 30 times 9. Now kids get a chance to go, “Oh, that's not too bad. That's just 3 times 9 times 10. So that's 270. Wait, that was the answer to the first problem. That was probably just coincidence. Or was it?” And now especially if I have represented that 15 times 18, one of those strategies with an area model with an open array, now when I draw the 30 by 9, I will purposely say, “OK, we have the 15 by 18 up here. That's what that looked like. Mm, I'll just use that to kind of make sure the 30 by 9 looks like it should. How could I use the 15 by 18? Oh, I could double the 15? OK, well here's the 15. I'm going to double that. Alright, there's the 30. Well, how about the 9? Oh, I could half? You think I should half? OK. Well I guess half of 18. That's 9.”  So I've just helped them. I've brought out, because I'm inviting them to help me draw it on the board. They're thinking about, “Oh, I just half that side, double that side. Did we lose any area? Oh, maybe that's why the products are the same. The areas of those two rectangles are the same. Ha!” And then I give the next problem. Now I give another kind of clunker problem and then I give its equivalent. And again, we just sort of notice: “Did it happen again?” And then I might give another one and then I might end the string with something like 3.5 times—I'm thinking off the cuff here, 16. So 3.5 times 16. Kids might say, “Well, I could double 3.5 to get 7 and I could half the 16 to get 8, and now I'm landing on 7 times 8.” And that's another way to think about 3.5 times 16. Anyway, so, equivalent structure is also a brilliant structure that we use primarily when we're trying to teach kids what I call the most sophisticated of all of the strategies. So like in addition, give and take, I think, is the most sophisticated addition. In subtraction, constant difference. In multiplication, there's a few of them. There's doubling and having, I call it flexible factoring to develop those strategies. We often use the equivalent structure, like what's happening here? So there's just a little bit more about structure. Mike: There's a bit of a persona that I've noticed that you take on when you're facilitating a string. I'm wondering if you can talk about that or if you could maybe explain a little bit because I've heard it a couple different times, and it makes me want to lean in as a person who's listening to you. And I suspect that's part of its intent when it comes to facilitating a string. Can you talk about this? Pam: So I wonder if what you're referring to, sometimes people will say, “You're just pretending you don't know what we're talking about.” And I will say, “No, no, I'm actually intensely interested in what you're thinking. I know the answer, but I'm intensely interested in what you're thinking.” So I'm trying to say things like, “I wonder.” “I wonder if there's something up here you could use to help. I don't know. Maybe not. Mm. What kind of clunker could—or helper could you write for this clunker?”  So I don't know if that's what you're referring to, but I'm trying to exude curiosity and belief that what you are thinking about is worth hearing about. And I'm intensely interested in how you're thinking about the problem and there's something worth talking about here. Is that kind of what you're referring to? Mike: Absolutely.  OK. We're at the point in the podcast that always happens, which is: I would love to continue talking with you, and I suspect there are people who are listening who would love for us to keep talking. We're at the end of our time. What resources would you recommend people think about if they really want to take a deeper dive into understanding strings, how they're constructed, what it looks like to facilitate them. Perhaps they're a coach and they're thinking about, “How might I apply this set of ideas to educators who are working with kindergartners and first graders, and yet I also coach teachers who are working in middle school and high school.” What kind of resources or guidance would you offer to folks? Pam: So the easiest way to dive in immediately would be my brand-new book from Corwin. It's called Developing Mathematical Reasoning: Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms. There's a section in there all about strings. We also do a walk-through where you get to feel a problem string in a K–2 class and a 3–5 [class]. And well, what we really did was counting strategies, additive reasoning, multiplicative reasoning, proportional reasoning, and functional reasoning. So there's a chapter in there where you go through a functional reasoning problem string. So you get to feel: What is it like to have a string with real kids? What's on the board? What are kids saying? And then we link to videos of those. So from the book, you can go and see those, live, with real kids, expert teachers, like facilitating good strings. If anybody's middle school, middle school coaches: I've got building powerful numeracy and lessons and activities for building powerful numeracy. Half of the books are all problem strings, so lots of good resources.  If you'd like to see them live, you could go to mathisfigureoutable.com/ps, and we have videos there that you can watch of problem strings happening.  If I could mention just one more, when we did the K–12, Developing Mathematical Reasoning, Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms, that we will now have grade band companion books coming out in the fall of '25. The K–2 book will come out in the spring of '26. The [grades] 3–5 book will come out in the fall of '26. The 6–8 book will come out and then six months after that, the 9–12 companion book will come out. And those are what to do to build reasoning, lots of problem strings and other tasks, rich tasks and other instructional routines to really dive in and help your students reason like math-y people reason because we are all math-y people. Mike: I think that's a great place to stop. Pam, thank you so much for joining us. It's been a pleasure talking with you. Pam: Mike, it was a pleasure to be on. Thanks so much. Mike: This podcast is brought to you by The Math Learning Center and the Maier Math Foundation, dedicated to inspiring and enabling all individuals to discover and develop their mathematical confidence and ability. © 2025 The Math Learning Center | www.mathlearningcenter.org

In this episode, Sean Shields, SBCA Director of Marketing, is joined by Greg Greenlee, P.E., SBCA's Technical Director, on the heels of exhibiting at the annual summit for the National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA) in New York City. They recount a week of great conversations with structural engineers from across the country and break down the value of having a presence at this event.

On October 29 Yadkinville UMC is centering our worship around Luke 12:13-34. Join us in the practice of lectio divinia as we prepare for worship together.If you would like to financially support this ministry of YUMC visit yadkinvilleumc.org/contribute and use the "other" option.The New Revised Standard Version, copyright ©1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by Permission. All rights are reserved.

The October edition of the WGI Unleashed Podcast is officially here! Join us as we travel to Austin, Texas, to chat with Coleen Johnson, RPLS, WGI's Director of Geospatial. Coleen's story is one of resilience, curiosity, and a lifelong passion for learning. From hand-drafting machine parts in Houston to leading cutting-edge geospatial teams at WGI, her journey proves that sometimes the best career paths are the ones you create yourself. From Small-Town Roots to the Lone Star State Coleen grew up in the rural town of Hannibal, New York, surrounded by rolling hills, dairy farms, and open skies. With four siblings, a farm-loving grandfather, and 21 acres to explore, she learned early on the value of hard work and curiosity. After high school, uncertain about her next step, Coleen made a bold move—she packed her bags and headed to Houston, Texas, chasing opportunity (and maybe a little adventure). She landed a job at an oilfield manufacturing company, working in the warehouse under the blazing Houston sun. Her dedication didn't go unnoticed. The company's owner brought her into the office to learn mechanical drafting by hand—pencil, vellum, and all. That moment changed everything. “It was fun,” Coleen recalled. “And that's how I ended up getting into surveying eventually… through drafting.” Learning by Doing: The Path to Surveying When the oil industry slowed, Coleen moved to Austin with an abundance of ambition but no real plan. She found work with a new civil engineering firm that needed a drafter, and not long after, the firm expanded to start a survey department. Coleen jumped at the chance to join, and from that moment, she was hooked. Surveying turned out to be the perfect fit: a mix of math, mapping, and the great outdoors. While working full-time, she attended Austin Community College at night, earning her land surveying degree after several years of late nights and determination. By then, she was also a licensed professional surveyor—a huge milestone in a field she'd learned entirely on the job. Her advice for others figuring out their path? “It's okay not to know right away,” Coleen says. “Figure out what you love first, then follow it. The rest will fall into place.” A Trailblazer for Women in Surveying Coleen's career took her through just about every side of surveying imaginable. From private developments to public utilities, and even a stint at TxDOT and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), where she surveyed electric transmission lines and the parks surrounding Lake Travis. But her biggest achievements go beyond project work. In 2007, she became the first woman to serve as President of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS)—a major milestone in a profession where women were once few and far between. Today, she continues to pay it forward as a member of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES), mentoring others and shaping the future of the profession. “I love giving back to the field that gave me everything,” she said. Life at WGI: Leading with Vision and Innovation Now celebrating her sixth year at WGI, Coleen leads the Geospatial division in Austin—managing teams, securing contracts, and helping shape how WGI captures and analyzes data across the country. She even landed WGI's first TxDOT Austin District contract, a major win for both her team and the firm. Her role is fast-paced and constantly evolving. “Technology has changed tremendously,” she says. “We've gone from hand-drawing on Mylar to laser scanning, drones, and LiDAR. That's what I love about this field—it's never monotonous. There's always something new to learn.” And Mondays at her office? They start with a safety meeting and breakfast tacos, of course. Life Outside the Grid When she's not overseeing survey crews or reviewing proposals, Coleen enjoys the quiet life on her two-acre property outside Leander, where she lives with her husband and three rescue Dobermans—Prada, Ruby, and Cooper. She's a passionate gardener, cultivating flowers, herbs, and vegetables in raised beds. “Taking care of the yard is actually therapeutic,” she says. “I love mowing, trimming, and just being outside—it's my kind of peace.” A creative at heart, Coleen even sewed her own clothes growing up, a skill passed down from her grandmother, a 4-H teacher for 60 years. She credits that upbringing for her independence, creativity, and love of hands-on work. A Legacy of Leadership Coleen's story is one of grit, gratitude, and growth. From learning drafting by hand to leading a team of geospatial experts, she's built a career defined by curiosity and love for what she does. As for what keeps her excited about coming into work every day? “The people,” she said without hesitation. “I love working with our teams, mentoring others, and watching them grow. That's what makes it all worth it.” Tune In This episode is packed with moments that showcase Coleen's curiosity, grit, and passion for her craft - So, tune in, and as always, stay curious, stay driven, and keep unleashing your full potential! Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

What does it look like for a church's budget, bylaws, and building to reflect the values of justice and faith? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, host Loren Richmond Jr. speaks with Rev. Dr. Sheryl Johnson, theologian, ethicist, and author of Serving Money, Serving God: Aligning Radical Justice, Christian Practice, and Church Life (Fortress Press, 2023). Together they explore how churches can move beyond good intentions to embody justice through everyday practices—especially around finance, fundraising, stewardship, and administration. They discuss: Why church administration is theological, not just logistical How job postings and pay scales reveal a congregation's real values The pitfalls of donor-centered fundraising and better alternatives Honest communication about money, failure, and hope How churches can make ethical decisions about property and buildings What it means to see the local church as a foretaste of God's reign Sheryl challenges pastors and leaders to re-imagine what “faithful stewardship” truly means in today's world—where economic justice, transparency, and collaboration are essential for credible ministry. Sheryl Johnson (she/her) is a settler on Ohlone land and was born in Treaty 1 Territory in what is colonially known as Winnipeg, Canada. She began teaching at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in the fall of 2020, as she was defending her PhD in Theology and Ethics at Graduate Theological Union. Her dissertation focused on the intersections of social justice (racial, economic, gender, etc) and ecclesial practices (specifically stewardship, finance, and polity). A book based on her dissertation, Serving Money, Serving God:  Aligning Radical Justice, Christian Practice, and Church Life, was published by Fortress Press in 2023. Sheryl is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada, with dual standing in the United Church of Christ. Sheryl has served several congregations, campus ministries, ecumenical advocacy organizations (especially KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives and the Student Christian Movement/World Student Christian Federation), and global church partners (specifically the National Council of Churches of the Philippines and People's Action Forum in Zambia), in addition to her academic work. She completed her M.Div and MPS degrees at Emmanuel College, University of Toronto and also completed a Certificate of Specialization in Theology and Ecology at the University of St. Michael's College during her theological studies. Sheryl is passionate about embodied, participatory, and critical pedagogies and supporting students to make connections between justice commitments and vocational practices.    Mentioned Resources:

Keywords: DJing, Hip Hop Studies, Literacy, Writing, Sound Studies. Dr. Todd Craig is the Marks Family Senior Director of the Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests lie at the intersection of writing and rhetoric, sound studies, and Hip Hop studies. He is the author of “K for the Way”: DJ Rhetoric and Literacy for 21st Century Writing Studies, which received the 2024 David H. Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English from the National Council of Teachers of English, the 2025 Advancement of Knowledge Award from the Conference on College Composition and Communication, and an Honorable Mention for the 2025 Outstanding Book Award from the Rhetoric Society of America. Visit thebigrhetoricalpodcast.weebly.com and follow @thebigrhet.

Podcast Credit Scripture references used with permission from the National Council of the Churches of Christ.  Text comes from: “New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."Produced by Fr Stephen Gadberry and Robbie RiveraSupport the show

Welcome to Walking the Way. My name is Ray, and I really want to say thank you to everyone for listening in as we continue to explore what it means to have a regular rhythm of worship.  CreditsOpening Prayerhttps://www.faithandworship.com/healing_prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0Bible verseProverbs 18:13Thought for the dayRay BorrettBible PassageProverbs 18New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Prayer HandbookClick here to download itSupporting Walking the WayIf you want to support Walking the Way, please go to: https://ko-fi.com/S6S4WXLBBor you can subscribe to the channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/walkingtheway/subscribeTo contact Ray: Please leave a comment or a review. I want to find out what people think and how we make it better.www.rayborrett.co.ukwalkingthewaypodcast@outlook.comwww.instagram.com/walkingtheway1@raybrrtt

It's claimed new guidelines are restricting Clare Special Needs Assistants from helping children in the classroom. It comes as the Department of Education has also been requested to carry out a full review of additional needs school spaces in this county. A circular issued by the Department of Education in May states the role of the SNA is to support the care needs of a child and that responsibility for the overall progress of students lies with the classroom teacher. A recent report by the he National Council for Special Education has also indicated that SNAs should have no role in assisting children with behavioural difficulties, causing outcry in Clare. The local authority has now requested that Minister Helen McEntee calls for an urgent meeting with the NCSE to resolve the issues. Ennis Fianna Fáil Councillor and SNA, Antoinette Baker Bashua believes it's a glaring policy error.

Welcome to Walking the Way. My name is Ray, and I really want to say thank you to everyone for listening in as we continue to explore what it means to have a regular rhythm of worship. CreditsOpening Prayerhttps://www.faithandworship.com/healing_prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0Bible verseProverbs 17:1Thought for the dayRay BorrettBible PassageProverbs 17New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Prayer HandbookClick here to download itSupporting Walking the WayIf you want to support Walking the Way, please go to: https://ko-fi.com/S6S4WXLBBor you can subscribe to the channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/walkingtheway/subscribeTo contact Ray: Please leave a comment or a review. I want to find out what people think and how we make it better.www.rayborrett.co.ukwalkingthewaypodcast@outlook.comwww.instagram.com/walkingtheway1@raybrrtt

A newly released report from a national security watchdog confirms what Islamic charities and civil liberties advocates have long argued: that the Canada Revenue Agency's approach to countering terrorist financing is deeply flawed. The report from the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency was triggered by years of allegations that the CRA's Review and Analysis Division unfairly targets Islamic charities due to bias and Islamophobia. Steven Zhou is Media and Communication Lead with the National Council of Canadian Muslims.

Welcome to Walking the Way. My name is Ray, and I really want to say thank you to everyone for listening in as we continue to explore what it means to have a regular rhythm of worship.  CreditsOpening Prayerhttps://www.faithandworship.com/healing_prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0Bible verseProverbs 16:1Thought for the dayRay BorrettBible PassageProverbs 16New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Prayer HandbookClick here to download itSupporting Walking the WayIf you want to support Walking the Way, please go to: https://ko-fi.com/S6S4WXLBBor you can subscribe to the channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/walkingtheway/subscribeTo contact Ray: Please leave a comment or a review. I want to find out what people think and how we make it better.www.rayborrett.co.ukwalkingthewaypodcast@outlook.comwww.instagram.com/walkingtheway1@raybrrtt

When more people are equipped with the tools to start a dialogue about mental health and substance use disorders, more people can get the help they need. Deacon Eric Paige discusses the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's Mental Health First Aid, a training that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental health or substance use challenge. Deacon Paige is the Director of Formation and Deacon Services for the Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington, and a trained mental health first aider. Mental Health First Aid's resources can be accessed at Mental Health First Aid. The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at Dose of Reality: Opioids in Wisconsin. More information about the federal response to the ongoing opiate crisis can be found at One Pill Can Kill. The views and opinions of the guests on this podcast are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent those of the host or Westwords Consulting. We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to Our Email List to get new episodes in your inbox every week!

Welcome to Walking the Way. My name is Ray and I really want to say thank you to everyone for listening in as we continue to explore what it means to have a regular rhythm of worship.  CreditsOpening Prayerhttps://www.faithandworship.com/healing_prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0Bible verseProverbs 15:18Thought for the dayRay BorrettBible PassageProverbs 15New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Prayer HandbookClick here to download itSupporting Walking the WayIf you want to support Walking the Way, please go to: https://ko-fi.com/S6S4WXLBBor you can subscribe to the channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/walkingtheway/subscribeTo contact Ray: Please leave a comment or a review. I want to find out what people think and how we make it better.www.rayborrett.co.ukwalkingthewaypodcast@outlook.comwww.instagram.com/walkingtheway1@raybrrtt

Welcome to Walking the Way. My name is Ray and I really want to say thank you to everyone for listening in as we continue to explore what it means to have a regular rhythm of worship. CreditsOpening Prayerhttps://www.faithandworship.com/#gsc.tab=0Bible verseProverbs 14:13Thought for the dayRay BorrettBible PassageProverbs 14New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Prayer HandbookClick here to download itSupporting Walking the WayIf you want to support Walking the Way, please go to: https://ko-fi.com/S6S4WXLBBor you can subscribe to the channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/walkingtheway/subscribeTo contact Ray: Please leave a comment or a review. I want to find out what people think and how we make it better.www.rayborrett.co.ukwalkingthewaypodcast@outlook.comwww.instagram.com/walkingtheway1@raybrrtt

Join us for a special service - An evening of prayer and songs for love, justice, and peace. This is a fantastic way to come together to talk to and support each other through turbulent times.  An evening of prayer and songs for love, justice, and peace Acknowledgments: Copyright 2025 Augsburg Fortress. All Rights Reserved. CCLI: Streaming License #CSPL141616 Size B. CCLI Church Copyright License #720217 Size B. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS000803. Podcast/Streaming and Music printed by permission under OneLicense #A-708005. Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.

The NPP's National Council of Elders has fired the starting gun on a major clampdown on presidential aspirants, forming an Ad Hoc Committee to supervise and monitor their conduct as the January 2026 primaries draw closer.

At the University of Nevada, Reno, the Ceramic Society opens its doors twice each semester, inviting students from all backgrounds to paint their own pottery. What starts as a fun, hands-on art project soon becomes much more, a fundraiser to help students attend the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). This event takes them far beyond the classroom to explore the world of ceramics, creativity, and community. Amanda Avilla reports.

The NPP's National Council of Elders has fired the starting gun on a major clampdown on presidential aspirants, forming an Ad Hoc Committee to supervise and monitor their conduct as the January 2026 primaries draw closer.

On Oct 12 Yadkinville UMC is centering our worship around Matthew 6:19-34. Join us in the practice of lectio divinia as we prepare for worship together.If you would like to financially support this ministry of YUMC visit yadkinvilleumc.org/contribute and use the "other" option.The New Revised Standard Version, copyright ©1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by Permission. All rights are reserved.

This book flipped on a lot of switches in my head.Today we meet Joel Freedman and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: Good Times/Bad Times by James Kirkwood.Joel Freedman taught English at a college-prep high school in South L.A., where for most of his tenure, he was the only out gay instructor. He's a retired writing instructor at L.A. Southwest College and a produced playwright. He published “Echoes of Silence: Empathy and Making Connections through Writing Process” in English Journal, which is a publication of the National Council of Teachers of English. As a member of his union, he contributed to the union's paper United Teacher. He co-chaired the UCLA-WP's LGBTQ Study Group and has three as-of-yet unpublished novels: 10 Months to Vermont, All Beneath the Sky, and Love Song. He has been married for 40 years to author-comic-producer Mike Player.James Kirkwood was a Tony Award-winning author, actor, and playwright. During his career, he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.Connect with Joelbluesky: joelmfreewriter.bsky.socialOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy Good Times/Bad Times: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781476767536Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John ParkerExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Troy Ford, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, Sofia Nerman, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the show

In this episode of Crossing Faiths, John Pinna speaks with Michael Kinnamon, a novelist, professor of theology, and expert in interfaith relations, about his novel "A Rooftop in Jerusalem" and the broader themes of his life's work. Kinnamon discusses his three careers—as a professor, an ecumenical leader with the National Council of Churches, and now a novelist—and how they are all connected by the goal of fostering empathy and cross-cultural understanding. The conversation delves into the power of fiction to humanize complex political and religious conflicts by putting a face on headlines and allowing readers to inhabit different perspectives. They explore the central plot of Kinnamon's novel, a 40-year love story between an American Christian and an Israeli Jewish woman, which serves as a lens to examine the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the tension between unity and justice, and the role of hospitality in bridging divides. Throughout the discussion, Kinnamon emphasizes how personal relationships and shared experiences, often over meals, can break down stereotypes and create meaningful dialogue in a world defined by walls and conflict. Michael Kinnamon (https://michaelkinnamon.com/) is the author of two previously published novels: Summer of Love and Evil (2021) and The Nominee (2024). Prior to his career as a novelist, he was a widely respected professor of theology, author of numerous books on ecumenical and interfaith relations, and general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the US. [A Rooftop in Jerusalem](https://www.amazon.com/Rooftop-Jerusalem-Michael-Kinnamon/dp/B0DZQDMQ15/) draws on his extensive experience in the Middle East. Dr. Kinnamon and his wife, Mardine Davis, an art consultant, live in San Diego.

Guest Dr. Heather Peske discusses the recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, “Priced Out: The Growing Challenge of Teacher Pay and Housing Costs”. We dive into the report's findings, the impact of unaffordable housing on teachers and ultimately students, and potential solutions, including examples of what some districts are trying. Read the report here: https://www.nctq.org/research-insights/priced-out-the-growing-challenge-of-teacher-pay-and-housing-costs/

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode!Resistance movements are happening all over the world. Some are in their infancy, and some have been in existence for decades. Case in point, Iran. Our guest this week, Zolal Habibi, joins us to talk about Iran's women's rights and human rights resistance movements. Her connection to the movement and her work to support it are incredibly interesting and powerful. We can learn so much from her story and the resistance at large. As a human rights and women's rights advocate and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Zolal Habibi works to amplify the voices of Iranians fighting for freedom and justice.Her activism began as a teenager, shaped profoundly by the loss of her father - a celebrated Iranian writer - who was killed by the regime in 1988. Today, she engages with policymakers, journalists, and civil society leaders worldwide to expose human rights abuses in Iran and support the movement for a democratic, secular republic.Where to find Zolal Habibi and learn more about her work:X/Twitter: x.com/ashrafi4ever                                                                                                               Instagram: instagram.com/ashrafi4everLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zolalhabibi/Websites: ncr-iran.org, maryam-rajavi.com/enSupport the showBe part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at madnesscafepodcast@gmail.com.Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!Thanks!

On October 5 Yadkinville UMC is centering our worship around Deuteronomy 26:15. Join us in the practice of lectio divinia as we prepare for worship together.If you would like to financially support this ministry of YUMC visit yadkinvilleumc.org/contribute and use the "other" option.The New Revised Standard Version, copyright ©1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by Permission. All rights are reserved.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021 and 2022, people ages 75 and older had the highest suicide rate among all age groups. The data also reveals the rate was largely driven by males. First, for “Closer Look’s” National Suicide Prevention and Awareness series, host Rose Scott talked with Amanda Krisher, the associate director of behavioral health at the National Council on Aging. Krisher dispelled myths about aging and suicide. She also talked about the importance of listening and asking questions to address the mental health needs of older adults. Plus, data from Moodle and Censuswide shows 66% of employees are experiencing burnout. Scott talks with Georgia Wolfe-Samuel, a longtime CPA, now restaurateur and career burnout prevention specialist. Also part of the conversation, Mayra Richards, the CEO and founder of Remain Connected Counseling. They addressed career burnout and ways to address it. Wolfe-Samuel added her own story about overcoming career burnout, suicidal ideation and using her experiences to help others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Rich Valdes America at Night, Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran and whistleblower who first exposed Iran's nuclear program, breaks down the latest UN sanctions against Iran and the order for Tehran to pay 9/11 victims. Then, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL, 19th District) joins Rich to cover the DC CRIMES Act, Rep. Rashida Tlaib's rhetoric, the issue of illegal alien truckers, and the ongoing fallout from the Charlie Kirk case. Later, Art Del Cueto discusses the Dallas ICE shooting, the dangers ICE agents face nationwide, and how heated rhetoric from the left may be fueling violent acts. Plus, Rich takes your calls and delivers the latest news across America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Sept 28 Yadkinville UMC is centering our worship around 1 Peter 4:8-10. Join us in the practice of lectio divinia as we prepare for worship together.If you would like to financially support this ministry of YUMC visit yadkinvilleumc.org/contribute and use the "other" option.The New Revised Standard Version, copyright ©1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by Permission. All rights are reserved.

Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the U.S. office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US), joins the discussion to shed light on the growing threat from the Iranian regime and the urgent need for change. As the author of The Iran Threat and a TEDx speaker, Jafarzadeh has been sounding the alarm for years about Iran's role on the global stage. He'll be speaking at the New York event on September 23–24, coinciding with the annual UN General Assembly, to highlight what's really at stake and why the world must pay attention.

Zolal Habibi, an Iranian human rights activist and advocate for women's rights, joins the conversation to explain why Iran desperately needs reform. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), she shares what the organization is doing to fight for freedom and justice in her homeland. She provides information about the New York event on September 23–24, timed with the annual UN General Assembly, offering a powerful look at the fight for human rights on the global stage.

A little-known trade loophole cost American jobs and put families at risk — until a coalition fought back. Kim Glas, president & CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, discusses how a coalition of labor, manufacturers, retailers and families worked together to close the de minimis loophole. Kim explains how Chinese e-commerce giants exploited this U.S law to flood the U.S. with untaxed and uninspected goods, including products made with forced labor, unsafe merchandise, and fentanyl shipments into the country. Kim breaks down where the law now stands and how de minimis reform protects American workers, consumers, and national security.

Cheif Executive of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Arlene Forester, tells us more about the upcoming changes to the new primary school curriculum.

 FUBU, BRAVO, CNN, Champion of Change ~National Suicide Prevention Week, an annual week-long campaign in the United States to inform and engage health professionals and the general public about suicide prevention/warning signs of suicideA Noted Film Director, Hezues R, who's been applauded by The U.S. President of the United States & worked with the likes of  Ciroc Vodka, Russell Simmons on successful media campaigns, He addresses the issue of mental health, through a movie called "Suicide Saint".Through all of this madness is one issue that has plagued people of color with very few having the courage to address – mental health. The World Health Organization (WHO) states over 800,000 people commit suicide every year – that's one person every forty seconds. Also, the National Council for Behavioral Health notes that 46% of adults in the USA experience mental illness. In communities of color, according to the non-profit community organization, Mental Health America, out of 13% of Black Americans in the USA (according to the Census Bureau), 16% reported having mental illness – that's over 7 million people (more than the overall populations of Chicago, Philadelphia and Houston combined). Finally, the Center for Disease Control published that suicides and attempted suicides cost the nation almost $70 billion per year in lifetime medical and work-loss costs alone.Not many filmmakers have been honored by one President of the United States, let alone two. Then again Hezues R isn't your average filmmaker, as none other share the combination of his adversity and accolades , all the more reason why the entertainment industry is taking notice of this film protégé's next project, which he claims will be his masterpiece: SUICIDE SAINT.If you know Hezues R, then you've likely been inspired, as his own life is bigger than a movie. At 22 years old, he survived a barrage of bullets fired at him point blank 22 times by three would-be assailants His survival is nothing short of a miracle but still not as miraculous as his meteoric rise in entertainment - from high school dropout and drug dealer to self-made creative titan. No college, mentor, backers or connections - just a relentless work ethic and pure undeniable talent. From creating the official fragrance for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton to running Sean P. Diddy Combs' advertising campaigns (Ciroc, Sean John , Deleon) as an executive producer, while finding creative ways to give back and interject social impact in his content, like the critically acclaimed film, “April Showers.” With suicide rates rapidly increasing and almost half of adults experiencing mental illness, Hezues R declares that “Rome is burning and as a society we're not giving enough concern to the media we create - which influences how we see ourselves and each other” His mission is to save lives by making the film “Suicide Saint” and in the process, change the protocol of Hollywood. Hezues R believes in art over algorithms and that films shouldn't just be made for profit but the added value of social good and the sake of creating something beautiful and inspiring. Hezues R gained fast followers, such as the United Nations, as they've selected his film as the sole movie they're endorsing in the International 40 Days Safer Cities initiative- with “Suicide Saint” being day #20 which also falls on Oct 10th - World Mental Health Day.© 2025 Building Abundant Success!!2025 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASJoin me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

The final stage of Jair Bolsonaro's coup trial kicked off on September 2 in Brasília. After months of evidence-gathering, arguments and testimonies, the justices are expected to deliver their ruling by September 12, in what is arguably the most consequential trial in Brazil's recent history.At the center of the case are the riots that occurred on January 8, 2023. They looked eerily like January 6 in the United States — but worse: crowds stormed not only Congress, but also the presidential palace and the Supreme Court itself. But prosecutors say those riots were just the visible edge of something larger — a vast conspiracy to push the military into breaking democracy.So what happens now? How will the justices rule, and what will it mean for Brazil's fragile democracy — and its powerful military? Our guest today is Davi Tangerino. He's a criminal lawyer and a professor at State University of Rio de Janeiro. Tangerino also served on Brazil's National Council for Criminal and Penitentiary Policy, and helped lead the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences.Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or on The Brazilian Report.Send us your feedback

Dr Harry Tiebout speaking on the danger of ego among other topics is the bulk of this recording. He is followed by  comments from Bill W, they were speaking in Long Beach California in July of 1960. Dr Tiebout served on the Board of Trustees of Alcoholics Anonymous from 1957 to 1966 and was president of the National Council on Alcoholism from 1951 to 1953. He was a crucial part of the birth of AA.   Wikipidia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Tiebout Excellent quality recording for 60+ years old, it was sounding a bit muddy so I took it more to the top end, for your particular device you might need to add a bit of bass. Support Sober Cast: https://sobercast.com/donate Email: sobercast@gmail.com Sober Cast has 2900+ episodes available, visit SoberCast.com to access all the episodes where you can easily find topics or specific speakers using tags or search. https://sobercast.com