The Science of Reading is not a new idea, but it is currently trending in the literacy world today. What are some examples of how district leaders and educators can take the science from the Science of Reading research and apply it to their schools and classrooms? Today, Maggie Luma and I sit down with fellow West Virginia Educator, Vanessa Harlow, to discuss some ways that Grant County Schools has been doing this over the past several years.
Mar 15, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 33
Science and Technology have contributed to many advancements in the way we live, learn, and work. One such advancement is the science behind how we develop as readers, known as the Science of Reading. The research and knowledge behind the Science of Reading have been gaining more and more attraction in the world of literacy education. But what does it mean and what implications does this have for educators? Today, Maggie Luma and I sit down to discuss these questions regarding the Science of Rea...
Mar 01, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 32
In education, family engagement and family involvement are often used interchangeably; however, the distinction between these two terms is crucial to understand how to build strong, meaningful partnerships with parents and families. Today, Blake Turley and I sit down with fellow West Virginia Educator, Amanda Peyton, to talk more about parent and family engagement. Amanda provides a great perspective on the difference between involving families and engaging them, along with some simple yet impac...
Feb 15, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Engaging parents and families and working to create strong partnerships is an important way for educators to enhance the overall well-being of the children in their classroom. During the recent unprecedented times we have experienced, the home-school connections and the strength of these partnerships may seem compromised. But what does the research say? Today, Blake Turley and I sit down with Milagro Nores from the National Institute for Early Education Research to discuss family engagement. Joi...
Feb 01, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 30
Engaging students in learning is a complex process that involves many different elements that are intricately woven together. Balancing these various elements can at times be overwhelming, regardless of the environment in which learning is taking place. Listen as Dr. Doug Fisher joins the conversation today to talk about some of these elements and shares tips focused on how educators can promote student engagement.
Jan 25, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 29
It is no secret that the 2020 school year had its fair share of challenges. However, teachers across our state have experienced a number of “wonderfully unexpected” highlights over the course of the past year as well. This very special bonus episode is not only a celebration of the one-year anniversary of this podcast, but also a celebration of the unexpected but certainly cherished moments West Virginia teachers have reported despite the very unfamiliar teaching and learning environment brought...
Jan 18, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Engaging students in a remote learning environment is a new challenge for many teachers. In this episode, fellow Early Literacy Specialist, Samantha Statler, joins me to discuss the importance of student engagement. We talk about how teachers can monitor and promote student engagement in non-traditional learning environments by adapting some familiar strategies that are used in face-to-face lessons.
Jan 04, 2021•33 min
It is never too early to begin supporting the healthy growth and development of a child. The first years of a child’s life are a period of incredible growth and development. By building relationships as well as social and emotional skills, caregivers can promote healthy brain development and set the stage for future learning success. Today, Brandie and I are fortunate to sit down with Dan Torres, Senior Program Manager at the Bezos Family Foundation, and Cathryn Miller, Deputy Director for Save ...
Dec 21, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Building foundational interactions with young children is not only crucial to their development but it is also vital for future success. Building these foundational interactions to support a child’s development is not only limited to parents and caregivers but successful development of these foundational interactions is also dependent upon the types of interactions that young children receive from child-care centers, preschool teachers, and any adult who interacts with infants, toddlers, and pre...
Dec 07, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Currently, educators are trying to balance the issue of remediating skills that resulted from last spring’s school closures with teaching grade-level content. It can seem like a daunting task but there’s hope. Accelerating student learning is the key to helping teachers balancing these two issues as well as making the overwhelming task manageable. In this episode, Christy Schwartz and I will be continuing our conversation on accelerating student learning. We will be getting insight and advice on...
Nov 16, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Educators across West Virginia are continuing to face challenges surrounding the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on education. The biggest challenges are addressing the unfinished learning that occurred as a result of the school closures while also ensuring that students are mastering current grade-level skills and standards. When we pair these two challenges with additional obstacles such as changes in the instructional environment, social distancing measures, and the more traditiona...
Nov 02, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 23
We navigate our world through communication. Our lives are largely impacted by our ability to effectively communicate with others both locally and globally. With advancements in technology, we find ourselves redefining and refining what it means to effectively communicate. With a heavy emphasis on communication world-wide, effective communication skills are even more important for our students to develop now than ever before. Today, Sara Hutchinson and I are going to conclude our four-part minis...
Oct 19, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 22
The world around us is currently enveloped in innovation. Everyday modern technologies, medical advancements, and improvements are being developed at a rapid pace. The individuals behind these innovations are undoubtedly creative likely because they were taught and actively encouraged to approach problems with their different perspectives How can educators ensure that they are helping their students develop this creative mindset? Today, Sara Hutchinson and I are joined with Lene Jensby Lange, an...
Oct 05, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Currently, our world is grounded in innovation which has created a workforce that is team-oriented. This has made collaboration a desired skill for employers to seek out in potential employees, which in turn makes it a critical skill for our students to develop for the future. Today, Sara Hutchinson and I are joined with Lene Jensby Lange, an educational consultant from Denmark, to continue our conversation surrounding 21st century skills by taking a close look at collaboration and how teachers ...
Sep 21, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In recent years, our workforce has changed at a rapid pace. In order to adapt to these changes, the world has realized that our students need to be prepared for the careers of tomorrow. The focus in education has adapted to reflect this realization and out of this, the 21st Century Skills were identified. What exactly are these skills? What makes them so crucial for future careers? How can we address these skills within a COVID-conscious learning environment? Today, I am talking with Sara Hutchi...
Sep 14, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Cultural responsiveness is a critical component to achieving educational equity and it is easily left out of many conversations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges faced by marginalized students have intensified, making it even more prudent to address this inequity now. Developing cultural awareness is the first step that we can take to ensure that we are providing all students with challenging and empowering learning experiences in this ever-changing landscape. Today, Brittany Fike an...
Aug 17, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Right now, our world is full of contrasting realities and those differences will be evident in classrooms across West Virginia this fall. In order to improve the way in which we do “school” and to counterbalance these vastly different realities, educators can begin building their knowledge base about the educational inequities that students face. Today, Brittany Fike and I have a conversation centered around culturally responsive education and what educators can do to address educational inequit...
Aug 03, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Today Brandie Turner and I are talking with Bailey Cato Czupryk and Kate Glover from the non-profit organization TNTP, about Summer Learning Loss and the projected effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on those losses.
Jul 20, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Today I am talking with my colleague and fellow State Early Literacy Specialist, Brandie Turner, about Summer Learning Loss and the projected effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on those losses.
Jul 06, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Interactive read alouds are one of the most powerful practices that both educators and parents have to increase children's vocabulary and knowledge about the world. Today, I sit down with Read Aloud West Virginia's Executive Director, Dawn Miller, to discuss how this organization is spreading the practice, power and magic of interactive read alouds across West Virginia.
Jun 15, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Remote learning is something that most educators have limited knowledge and experience in navigating, but something almost all educators are learning to navigate during the Covid-19 pandemic. This episode follows the remote teaching and learning journey of two inspirational teachers from Logan County, Kelly Bryant and Mimi Browning.
Jun 08, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Classroom "read alouds" have traditionally been part of the elementary classroom for a very long time. However, the way in which we read aloud to children has evolved into an interactive process with the power to increasingly enrich children's literacy skills. Today, I am talking with my colleague, Christy Schwartz, about what interactive read-alouds are and the power they have to develop children’s literacy skills both in and out of the classroom.
Jun 01, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Today, Brittany Fike and I sit down with childhood trauma expert and trainer, Anna Rowe. Anna’s experience both professionally and personally on childhood trauma gives her a unique perspective of this crucial topic that impacts so many students.
May 18, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Today, I sit down with Amber Nichols to discuss the remote teaching and learning journey that she has been on over the last month. Remote learning is something that most educators have limited knowledge and experience in navigating, but something almost all educators are learning to navigate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
May 11, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Childhood trauma impacts more students every year. But what is childhood trauma? What events cause trauma? How can educators become trauma-informed? Today I am talking with State Early Literacy Specialist, Brittany Fike, about childhood trauma and the initial steps that educators can take to create trauma-informed classrooms.
May 04, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Self-talk is a skill that we use to coach ourselves through any challenging or mundane task. How can educators embed this skill into the classroom in order to help students feel successful in all content areas and in life outside of the classroom? Today, Maggie Luma and I are talking with Pooja Patel, an expert in self-regulated strategy development, to continue our conversation on self-talk and the impact that this skill plays both in and out of the classroom.
Apr 20, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Remote learning is uncharted territory for most public educators, but it is a topic almost all educators are learning to navigate during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, I sit down with Kelcie Blankenship and Claire McCoy about their journey in providing instruction remotely.
Apr 13, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Self-talk is a powerful life skill that adults use to help them get through challenging situations and that it is typically developed through many years of experience. Is there a way that we can speed up this process and help students develop this vital life skill in our classrooms? Today, I sit down with Maggie Luma, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading State Lead and Coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education, to discuss how self-talk can be easily adapted to fit into any classro...
Apr 06, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 6
School readiness encompasses so much more than a set of skills that a child needs to develop prior to entering school. It begins at birth! Today, Maggie Luma and I interview Nancy Hanna, the Associate Superintendent for Greenbrier County Schools. Nancy believes it takes a village to raise a child, which is evident in her advocacy for school readiness in her local community.
Mar 16, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 5
School readiness begins at birth and is not just a set of skills that young children need to have in place prior to entering school. Today, Maggie Luma and I sit down with Lisa Fisher from the West Virginia Department of Education to define the meaning of school readiness and talk extensively about the West Virginia school readiness framework, Ready, Set, Go! WV , and how it is reshaping the school readiness approach in the Mountain State.
Mar 02, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 4
