Podcasts about Omaha Public Schools

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we dive into the ESUCC's statewide Social Studies Inquiry Project with Mark Brady of ESU 7 and three incredible teachers from this summer's iteration of the project (Cassie Kenedy of Omaha Public Schools, Jeff Maddox of Creek Valley Public Schools, and Sydney Daly of Millard Public Schools). Together, we highlight the three-year journey of developing nearly 90 inquiry-based social studies units for grades 4-8, created by Nebraska teachers for Nebraska classrooms. Cassie, Jeff, and Sydney detail the challenges, successes, and insights gained from this unique professional learning experience and share how these innovative resources are elevating social studies education across the state. Join us to hear firsthand stories of statewide collaboration, creativity, and commitment to engaging students in deeper learning. Access all resources related to the Social Studies Inquiry Project at https://www.esucc.org/instructional-materials/social-studies/ Access the Nebraska OER Hub at https://oercommons.org/groups/nebraska-social-studies-inquiry-project/11856/?&__hub_id=55 The Nebraska Page of the C3 Teachers site https://c3teachers.org/nebraska-c3-hub/ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, listen to this earlier episode where we connect the SSIP to the C3 Framework and the national effort to transform instructional practices in social studies: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-c3-teachers-and-nebraska-esus-are-transforming/id1512974122?i=1000641983055

Mike'l is joined by former Nebraska & Northern Iowa running back and Omaha Central Coach David Horne. David is a Nebraska high school star who played for Nebraska and Northern Iowa during his college career and is now a member of the coaching staff for Omaha Central High School. The guys discuss this year's Omaha Central team, Omaha Public Schools sports programs, the high school team's progress, David's career at Nebraska, his decision to play as a freshman, and more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We discuss the lack of hat from Bennington's football coach, Omaha Public Schools, the history of beepers/pagers, microwaveable foods, we take a rare call that actually works, and Jon gets offended by being asked for crayons.

Omaha Public Schools is gearing up for the academic year with new, alternatively-fueled buses.

Raff's Good Take goes out to Bellevue Public Schools, Omaha Public Schools, Elkhorn Public Schools, Papillion Public Schools and Westside!Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBAL & DOOR PLUSAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Matthew Ray, Interim Superintendent of Omaha Public Schools, whose years with the district have encompassed teaching, administrative, and leadership roles, as well as being a student and parent of students. Ray talks about education, leadership lessons, faith, and his hopes for the future.After 27 years with the Omaha Public Schools district, Matthew Ray began serving as the interim superintendent in July 2023. He began his career as a student teacher at Ashland Park-Robbins Elementary. Ray has also worked as a district-wide substitute teacher and in various administrative roles, most recently deputy superintendent. Ray earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Nebraska Omaha, one in Criminal Justice and a second in Elementary Education. He earned a Master of Science in Educational Administration from UNO in 2000, and his Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2020. Ray and his wife are the parents of three graduates of Omaha Public Schools.

Listen in on this rousing conversation about the Alpha Generation which is defined as people born 2010-2024 – the current crop of students in K12 schools. Research has shown they prefer the screen to humans, and although older generations find that terrible, it's a fact that still has a profound impact on how they can be effectively taught and what they expect. Ramifications for technology and teaching are discussed between the host, LeiLani Cauthen and Mary Schlegelmilch, Education Advocate from Cisco who has been an early childhood educator, a middle school science teacher, a district curriculum facilitator, an elementary school principal, and has served as the eLearning Supervisor in charge of online, blended, and distance education for Omaha Public Schools. Multiple aspects of the Alpha Gen are enumerated with comments and observations made by both speakers.

-Who would have ever thought these words would be said: Per Mike Sautter, NO OPS boys or girls teams qualified for the state tournament this weekend and next weekend, the first time that can be said since 1971!!-Schools like Omaha Central, Burke, Benson, Bryan, North, Northwest, and South. Girl's state is this week and boy's state next week. Metro schools thriving and Lincoln boys having a good yearShow sponsored by GANA TRUCKINGAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Lee Perez is a 5th-8th grade English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska. Perez holds an Associate of Arts degree from Mid-Plains Community College and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He holds two teaching endorsements: grades 7-12 Social Sciences and PK-12 ESL. Perez has taught for 15 years in the very diverse urban Omaha Public Schools district. He started his career at Marrs Magnet Middle School, teaching 7th grade World Studies for the Dual Language program for 12 years. He has spent the last three years teaching ESL at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School. Perez also coaches boys' Cross-Country and Track and Field at Buffett. Perez has received several recognitions for his efforts as a teacher. He received the 2021 Award for Teaching Excellence through the Nebraska State Education Association and was also named a Cox Communication Omaha area Education Hero. He is also a part of the Commissioners of Education's Teacher Advisory Committee, the Hispanic/Chicano representative for the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, and a member of the National Education Association's Teachers of color cohort. Perez is passionate about multilingual education, culturally responsive teaching pedagogy, and being an advocate for more English Learner training and awareness for all teachers. Perez also believes in diversifying the teaching workforce in Nebraska and nationwide by recruiting and retaining more teachers of color.Perez began his teaching career in 2008 at Marrs Magnet Middle School in Omaha, where he taught the 7th grade World Studies-Dual Language Program until 2019. He then moved to Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School, where he teaches 5-8th grade English as a Second Language.In addition to his classroom experience, Perez is an active member in the community belonging to many organizations, including the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, the Omaha Education Association Metro Board, the Nebraska State Education Association, and the English Learner Curriculum Pathway Committee for Omaha Public Schools. Perez has also been honored with several teaching awards and featured in several publications for his work as a teacher. In the classroom, Perez has unique challenges teaching English Language Learners. He takes a comprehensive approach to reach his students by combining culturally responsive teaching and language learning engagement strategies. In doing this, Perez teaches his students a new language and a new culture while celebrating their backgrounds and cultures in the classroom. "It is important to embrace diversity. We should acknowledge that being different is special, and these differences should be showcased during learning," Perez said in his application. "Good teaching isn't always about effective lesson planning, data, assessments, or observations with administrators. It's about empowering our students to strive to be the best versions of themselves socially, emotionally, intellectually, and academically."Perez said his message to teachers is to be kind, culturally aware, and tolerant and that kindness should be our new 'pandemic.'Perez has been a teacher for 13 years and earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Perez represented Nebraska in the National Teacher of the Year competition in 2022.A Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a digital media and commercial video production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network and learn more about our other services today on HurrdatMedia.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When you wake up, are you excited to start your day?Well this Rebel woman wakes up every day excited, joy filled and ready to live her purpose.  She's a blazing light in this world.  And todays podcast will light you up! Meet my friend and new business owner Margie Schmid.  She's not our typical guest.  As most people her age are slowing down, Margie is living her life's purpose with joy and intention. In this episode Margie shares her story, her business goals and how she is able to feel and live in true alignment and joy.   We also talk about her best visibility strategy for growing her business. Obviously.

Lee Perez is a 5th-8th grade English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska. Perez holds an Associate of Arts degree from Mid-Plains Community College and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He holds two teaching endorsements: grades 7-12 Social Sciences and PK-12 ESL. Perez has taught for 15 years in the very diverse urban Omaha Public Schools district. He started his career at Marrs Magnet Middle School, teaching 7th grade World Studies for the Dual Language program for 12 years. He has spent the last three years teaching ESL at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School. Perez also coaches boys' Cross-Country and Track and Field at Buffett. Perez has received several recognitions for his efforts as a teacher. He received the 2021 Award for Teaching Excellence through the Nebraska State Education Association and was also named a Cox Communication Omaha area Education Hero. He is also a part of the Commissioners of Education's Teacher Advisory Committee, the Hispanic/Chicano representative for the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, and a member of the National Education Association's Teachers of color cohort. Perez is passionate about multilingual education, culturally responsive teaching pedagogy, and being an advocate for more English Learner training and awareness for all teachers. Perez also believes in diversifying the teaching workforce in Nebraska and nationwide by recruiting and retaining more teachers of color. Perez began his teaching career in 2008 at Marrs Magnet Middle School in Omaha, where he taught the 7th grade World Studies-Dual Language Program until 2019. He then moved to Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School, where he teaches 5-8th grade English as a Second Language. In addition to his classroom experience, Perez is an active member in the community belonging to many organizations, including the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, the Omaha Education Association Metro Board, the Nebraska State Education Association, and the English Learner Curriculum Pathway Committee for Omaha Public Schools. Perez has also been honored with several teaching awards and featured in several publications for his work as a teacher. In the classroom, Perez has unique challenges teaching English Language Learners. He takes a comprehensive approach to reach his students by combining culturally responsive teaching and language learning engagement strategies. In doing this, Perez teaches his students a new language and a new culture while celebrating their backgrounds and cultures in the classroom. "It is important to embrace diversity. We should acknowledge that being different is special, and these differences should be showcased during learning," Perez said in his application. "Good teaching isn't always about effective lesson planning, data, assessments, or observations with administrators. It's about empowering our students to strive to be the best versions of themselves socially, emotionally, intellectually, and academically." Perez said his message to teachers is to be kind, culturally aware, and tolerant and that kindness should be our new 'pandemic.' Perez has been a teacher for 13 years and earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Perez will participate in the National Teacher of the Year competition later this year. A Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a digital media and commercial video production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network and learn more about our other services today on HurrdatMedia.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we chat with Danielle Starkey, Supervisor of MTSS-B in Omaha Public Schools, regarding the history of clip charts, what research says about clip charts, and what research-based practices exist.Show Notes and Resources

Ever feel overwhelmed by messaging about self-care, or plagued by toxic positivity? What constitutes self-care, and at what point can it become unhelpful? This week, the Burnout Busters explain the meaning of stress, argue the case for a strong focus on professional well-being, and dismantle common misconceptions about well-being with Aria Fiat, PhD, one of the developers of the Adult Resilience Curriculum (ARC) and a school and pediatric psychologist, speaker, and educator based at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Fiat shares simple stress-busting tactics — gratitude journaling and listening to your inner child — that she uses to redirect her thoughts during difficult times, such as the not-so-new normal (or not-normal) resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. -- Dr. Aria Fiat is a pediatric and school psychologist devoted to promoting equitable, accessible, and culturally responsive mental health care. She is currently completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, where she will soon begin her tenure as an assistant professor of pediatrics. Dr. Fiat completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Munroe Meyer Institute, providing psychological services through Omaha Children's, University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Omaha Public Schools. Dr. Fiat's work as a clinician, researcher, educator, speaker, and advocate focuses on enhancing the capacity of systems to promote behavioral health and wellness, with an emphasis on supporting the educators and caregivers who help children thrive. She has co-authored over a dozen peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings and delivered multiple keynote addresses on related topics. Dr. Fiat is the creator of The Seven C's: A Toolkit for Caregivers Coping in a Crisis. She is also a co-developer and researcher of the Adult Resilience Curriculum (ARC). In collaboration with the Mid-America MHTTC, Dr. Fiat is striving to increase availability of the ARC to school districts throughout Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. -- Remember, you can use the hashtag #mhttcbyebyeburnout to share your well-being journey with us and others! Learn more at https://bit.ly/BurnoutBustersThePodcast

Kierra is joined in this episode by Dr. Desiree Vega to discuss best practices in the assessment of English Language Learners (ELL). The women discuss the importance of the pre-referral process, the legal ramifications of different eligibility models, dynamic assessment, and consultation approaches. Dr. Desiree Vega is currently a faculty member in the School Psychology program at the University of Arizona. She holds a masters and doctorate in School Psychology from The Ohio State University. Her predoctoral internship was completed through the Nebraska Internship Consortium with Omaha Public Schools. Dr. Vega worked as a bilingual school psychologist with Omaha Public Schools for three years before she began her academic career. She was a faculty member at Texas State University prior to joining the University of Arizona. Dr. Vega's research focuses on three primary areas: 1) The assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students, 2) Identification of factors that contribute to the academic success of African American and Latino youth and 3) the role of School Psychologists in the access to higher education among urban youth. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/schoolpsychsistahs/support

Achieving Education Equity Championing Indigenous students to be successful in school systems starts with school curriculums – telling the accurate history of the United States – and leadership that represents the Indigenous Americans they serve. Schools need to create spaces where Indigenous students can be unapologetically Indigenous by building immersion units and hiring Indigenous teachers. Most importantly, Native leaders, educators, and students need to be involved in each step of the process. Education Today The US education system was built to eliminate the Indigenous, and curriculum choice continues to perpetuate the silencing and erasure of Indigenous history. As a result, Native students are often subjected to discrimination by white teachers and administrators, and suffer high disciplinary rates. Native students in South Dakota today have one of the lowest achievement rates, graduation rates, and even mobility rates. Though they add up to about 10% of South Dakota public school students, only 1.6% of staff is Indigenous. History Starting in 1868, Western education was imposed on Native Americans. Children were forcibly taken and put in boarding schools. Native elders refer to this now-abandoned practice as the "severing of the sacred loop." The goal was to "tolerate" or assimilate Indigenous students, removing them from their cultures and ways of life. Trauma has been the biggest repercussion of the boarding school movement, and the current education system has failed the Indigenous for generations. Find out more: Sarah Pierce, Director of Education Equity at NDN Collective, is Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Pierce has 8 years of experience working and advocating for Title VI Indian Education Programs, working at Rapid City Area Schools in South Dakota and at Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master’s in education degree from Creighton University, and a PK-12 Administrator endorsement from the University of South Dakota. Pierce will lead NDN Collective’s education equity campaign work, expanding opportunities for Native American students to have access to culturally relevant and culturally responsive learning environments. Amy Sazue, NDN Collective Organizer, is Sicangu and Oglala Lakota, and an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. She is a teacher and program coordinator, and also has experience working in development. She has associate degrees from Bay Mills Community College in Education, a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Oglala Lakota College, and is currently working on a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership through Arizona State University. You can follow NDN Collective on Twitter @ndncollective.

If they haven't all had perfect 20/20 hindsight for the past several months, maybe I'd give Omaha Public Schools a pass for their blind foresight we're seeing across the district this morning.

Mike Sautter on the state of High School Football in Nebraska. Omaha World Herald High School Reporter Mike Sautter stops by to chat with Nick. They discuss the news of Omaha Public Schools cancelling High School Football, transfer options for players, the impact on the kids to lose out on football, what the rest of school districts might do, the rise of AAU/Club sports, local recruiting & more! Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss an episode! Also follow up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter OR NickBahe.com A Parkville Media Production. A podcast management and audio production company based in Omaha, NE. #NickBahePodcast #CollegeFootball #CollegeBasketball #Huskers #Creighton #GoJays #NebraskaBall #GBR

Mike Sautter on the state of High School Football in Nebraska. Omaha World Herald High School Reporter Mike Sautter stops by to chat with Nick. They discuss the news of Omaha Public Schools cancelling High School Football, transfer options for players, the impact on the kids to lose out on football, what the rest of school districts might do, the rise of AAU/Club sports, local recruiting & more!   Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss an episode! Also follow up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter OR NickBahe.com A Parkville Media Production. A podcast management and audio production company based in Omaha, NE. #NickBahePodcast #CollegeFootball #CollegeBasketball #Huskers #Creighton #GoJays #NebraskaBall #GBR

Schick and Nick continue their "PANEL" discussion on college football.  They explain why Nebraska not having any players opt out is actually bad for the program.  The guys have doubts about the season happening, but Schick wants to expand the CFP anyway.  They discuss the impact of Omaha Public Schools canceling fall sports.  Nick is apparently stalking Damian Lillard, so the guys revisit Nick's original man crush, Rex Burkhead. Connect with us! SchickandNick.com Facebook, Twitter, or email  We would hate it if you missed an episode! So PLEASE subscribe, rate the pod, and throw us a review. It helps us out so much! We'd likey that.  A Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a digital media and commercial video production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network and learn more about our other services today on HurrdatMedia.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's Nick Handley Show kicks off with breaking news that Omaha Public Schools are going to remote learning and canceling fall sports, we then take a look at the opening of fall camps for college athletes. Mike Sautter from NEBHrecruiting.com joins the show to shed light on the news.

Mike Sautter from NEBHRecruiting.com and OWH Prep Recruiting Specialist joins the show to talk the breaking news of no fall sports for Omaha Public Schools and what that means for young athletes going forward.

We recently asked Amplify’s 2020 Indigenous American Artist Support Grant recipient, Steve Tamayo, if he would share some of his thoughts about what it means to cultivate creative practices in rural spaces and how those practices connect revitalizing and preserving indigenous cultural knowledge to ecological justice. Steve Tamayo draws upon his family history as a member of the Sicangu Lakota tribe. His fine arts education (BFA from Singe Gleska University), along with his cultural upbringing, have shaped him as an artist, historian, storyteller and dancer. Steve provides activities during his residencies that include art and regalia making, drumming, powwow dance demonstrations and lectures on the history, symbolism and meaning behind the Native customs and traditions. Steve has considerable experience developing curricula and teaching both youth and adults, including work with the Native American Advocacy Program of South Dakota, Omaha Public Schools, Minnesota Humanities Council and Metropolitan Community College of Omaha. He also leads groups of students and teachers on cultural excursions on the Rosebud reservation, introducing them to the rich culture and way of life that is slowly being revived among native communities. He is a past Governor’s Heritage Art Award recipient, an honor bestowed for his contributions in the arts and Native American culture. Tamayo has had work exhibited at The National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, DC, The Kaneko in Omaha, NE, The Great Plains Museum in Lincoln, NE, RNG Gallery in Council Bluffs, IA. His most recent work included painting buffalo robes and set design for Willie Nelson and Neil Young on the occasion of their concert for Bold Nebraska in Neligh, NE.

Dr. Cheryl Logan talks about education trends, the challenges facing her as Omaha Public Schools' new Superintendent, being a role model as an African-American female leader, and about her personal experiences and background.

In conversation with Emily Brush of the Omaha Public Schools program "Making Invisible Histories Visible," discussing the lure of hands-on education and how youth can be inspired by their city rather than textbooks.

Watie White joins me on today’s show. This is part 2 of my interview with Watie White. Working as a painter, printmaker and public artist, Watie has been based in Omaha since 2006. Watie’s work has been shown nationally and internationally including at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Telfair Museums, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Frist Center for the Arts, The Mint Museum, and Joslyn Art Museum. Watie White’s site-specific social practice has led to large-scale public art projects with Omaha area nonprofits: Habitat For Humanity-Omaha, InCOMMON Community Development, Justice For Our Neighbors-NE, Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance and Omaha Public Schools. Watie has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards including the Puffin Foundation, Nebraska Arts Council, Humanities Nebraska, and the Mid-America Arts Alliance. In this part of the interview, Watie and I talk about his 100 People project. Part 1 Interview - Episode 003 100 People Project GalleriesProject Project Gallery 72 Benson Petshop Gallery Darger HQ Gallery   OrganizationsBenson Theatre Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Omaha Creative Institute Omaha Creative Institute - Artist INC Artists Jave Yoshimoto Angie Seykora - Website Angie Seykora - Instagram William Kentridge Kerry James Marshall Andy Goldsworthy Follow Watie WhiteWebsite Facebook Instagram Follow Amanda StevensonAmanda on Instagram Amanda on Twitter Voices Creating Change on Facebook Voices Creating Change on Twitter Support the show on Patreon

Watie White joins me on today’s show. This is part 1 of a 2 part series with Watie White. Working as a painter, printmaker and public artist, Watie has been based in Omaha since 2006. Watie’s work has been shown nationally and internationally including at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Telfair Museums, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Frist Center for the Arts, The Mint Museum, and Joslyn Art Museum.   Watie White’s site-specific social practice has led to large-scale public art projects with Omaha area nonprofits: Habitat For Humanity-Omaha, InCOMMON Community Development, Justice For Our Neighbors-NE, Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance and Omaha Public Schools. Watie has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards including the Puffin Foundation, Nebraska Arts Council, Humanities Nebraska, and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.   In this first part of the interview, Watie and I talk about his background and about his Lead Stories project with Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance.   Stockyard Institute Jim Duignan Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance   Follow Watie White Website Facebook Instagram   Follow Amanda Stevenson Amanda on Instagram Amanda on Twitter Voices Creating Change on Facebook Voices Creating Change on Twitter   Support the show on Patreon

Doug Kagan with Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom lays out his reasons why you should vote NO on the May 15th bond issue for Omaha Public Schools.

Superintendent Mark Evans and Board President Marque Snow present their reasons why you should vote YES on the May 15th bond issue for Omaha Public Schools.

In this episode of the TechEducator Podcast (https://www.teachercast.net/tep) , we welcome Frank and Shannon from the Microsoft Education team on the program and Rob Dixon from Nebraska to discuss how Microsoft Education is being implemented in school districts worldwide to meet the needs of districts, teachers, classrooms, and most importantly … students. Topics IncludeHow does a school district create a vision for technology integration? Students vs Devices vs Cost How to reach out and work with EdTech companies Choosing the right device for your students Finding Microsoft Education on their Social Networks. Links of InterestTwitter: @microsoftedu (http://twitter.com/microsoftedu) Website: education.microsoft.com (http://education.microsoft.com) Blog: http://educationblog.microsoft.com (http://educationblog.microsoft.com/) Web: http://microsoft.com/education (http://microsoft.com/education) Youtube: What’s New in Edu (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiluTszfwwMKRp1-qU7Z_KEvmxBJptfMt) About our GuestsFrank ChiapponeFrank Chiappone is a Sr. Product Marketing Manager for Microsoft Education, He currently works on the Education Audience Marketing team with specific focus on the School Leader and IT Decision Maker audiences. In this role he is responsible for understanding how institutions make technology purchasing decisions, the opportunities and challenges they face in implementing and driving technology adoption in the classroom and exploring how Microsoft can best deliver innovation to help institutions around the world empower teachers and students to achieve better learning outcomes. As the Education Platform lead for PacWest and Mountain Desert regions, Shannon is responsible for showcasing the One Microsoft approach in education through the lens of Windows 10, Office 365 Education and Minecraft Education Edition on our partner devices. Through the usage of Microsoft devices and services, Microsoft's mission is to bring innovative solutions to the classroom and empower every educator and student on the planet to achieve more. Shannon can demonstrate concrete software and device scenarios in a classroom, school or district setting that have proven high value to educators. He is adept at applying the right tools to foster immersive and inclusive learning environments where students thrive and are best prepared for higher education and the professional work world. You can learn more about Shannon and his professional work experience here. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shabl?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile) Rob DicksonRob Dickson presently serves as the Executive Director of Information Management Systems with Omaha Public Schools, directing the instructional technology program and all technology infrastructure work for the district. In his current role, Dickson has introduced innovative initiatives to increase capacities in professional development; among these initiatives is a partnership with Microsoft that has resulted in 200 Microsoft Innovative Educators as well as Instructional Technology Leadership cohorts led by his team. Dickson’s practical understanding of how technology should support student learning, his willingness to listen to and emphasize with teachers in the classroom and ability to communicate vision to key players in the district has brought success to the districts he has served. Dickson also works to consult numerous Districts with their strategic technology vision and implementation. Noteworthy accomplishments include his previous District ranking among the “Top Ten” Digital Districts in the nation four years consecutively, leading the first VBlock cloud data center installation in K-12 education and starting the first virtual school in Nebraska history. Dickson was named 2014’s “20 to Watch” from NSBA for innovation and technology integration work, was recently recognized as one of the 2016 Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, and Trailblazers by the Center for...

This week we sit down with Devin Ferguson of Liquid Courage Tattoo / Sailor's Grave Tattoo. We talk about his start into tattooing, how Liquid Courage and Sailor's Grave opened up, and a bit of Godzilla talk.

Cathy Nelson, Service Learning Coordinator and Teacher Leader at Blackburn Alternative Program in the Omaha Public Schools, shares a story of finding a student’s good and using debate to engage that good.

Join us as we talk about expanding teacher influence and flexing teacher muscle. Follow: @intoy2014 @mr_abud @maddief @bamradionetwork Maddie Fennell has been an elementary teacher in the Omaha Public Schools for 26 years, teaching in 1st, 4th and 6th grades and mentoring her peers as a Literacy Coach. This year she is on special assignment to the US Department of Education as a Teacher Leader in Residence in the Office of the Secretary.

Leo Adam Biga is an Omaha-based blogger, nonfiction author and award-winning journalist. His 2012 book Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film is a collection of his extensive journalism about the Oscar-winning filmmaker. Additionally, Biga is the coeditor of Memories of the Jewish Midwest: Mom and Pop Grocery Stores and the author of two e-books for the Omaha Public Schools.  The University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate contributes articles to newspapers and magazines. The former film programmer frequently writes about film and other art and culture subjects. His work's been recognized by his peers at the local, regional and national levels.  He's nearing completion on the biography of a Catholic priest who served marginalized populations around the world and he continues researching a new project on Nebraska's film heritage. A new edition of the Payne book is in-progress. Sample his eclectic work at leoadambiga.wordpress.com or www.facebook.com/LeoAdamBiga.  

Sonia Keffer has been developing and facilitating employee-training workshops for seventeen years. A main focus of Sonia’s work is the internal motivation that is necessary for all of us to be truly successful. Being passionate about her work she enjoys bringing new ideas to all levels of employees and seeing the spark ignite in someone when they understand how to incorporate a new concept into their own personal or professional life. Her training sessions are high energy and interactive which allow for maximum participation and learning. Sonia has been fortunate enough to work across the United States with such organizations as The county of Orange, California, the City and county of San Francisco, Stearns-Benton Workforce Center and On With Life. Here in Omaha, Sonia has worked with such terrific organizations as Fashion Cleaners, Omaha Public Schools, Omaha Tri-county Workforce Development, Henningsen Foods, Inc., SOCAP, PVPL, the Nebraska Art Council, the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and NAM. Among Sonia’s other passions are her involvement in community theatre including being involved all four years of the Great Plains Theatre Conference sponsored by Metropolitan Community College. This summer she both directed and acted in new works first presented at the conference at Omaha’s Shelterbelt Theater. SHe is the author of Rule of Thumb: A small business guide to developing mission, vision, and value statements available on Amazon.