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THRIVEinEDU by Rachelle Dené Poth @Rdene915

THRIVEinEDU by Rachelle Dené Poth @Rdene915

By Rachelle Dené Poth

Welcome to the THRIVEinEDU podcast where learning happens and random thoughts related to all things education are shared. Listen in each week as I talk about some of the emerging trends and topics in education. Topics include Artificial Intelligence, AR/VR, Global Collaborations, Preparing Students for the Future, PBL, SEL, Coding, NFTs, Metaverse, Web3, the Power of PLNS, and more.
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Collaboration and Promoting SEL

THRIVEinEDU by Rachelle Dené Poth @Rdene915Nov 18, 2019

00:00
11:49
ThriveinEDU Live w/guest Jenny Hubanks! Educator, Advocate & Author

ThriveinEDU Live w/guest Jenny Hubanks! Educator, Advocate & Author

I really enjoyed my chat with Jenny Hubanks. She is an educator, author and advocate and we had a great conversation about her work in special education, her book THRIVE: Special Needs Strategies that Work. Jenny shares some great strategies, quick tips, and valuable insight for educators and families. Enjoy!


About Jenny:

Jenny Hubanks is a dynamic force in the world of special education! With 18 years of experience in the field and 8 years as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®), she's a passionate advocate for individuals with autism and multiple disabilities.
In 2023, Jenny took her expertise to the next level, opening Maven Learning Innovations to serve educators and families. She's not just a BCBA®; Jenny is also a certified Safety Care crisis prevention and management trainer, well-versed in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and a pro at collaborating with Speech Pathologists to teach augmentative communication.
Jenny's love for evidence-based practices and commitment to lifelong learning shine through in her work. In every area of her work, she brings services that are well-researched and very effective to individuals with disabilities.
When she's not transforming lives, you'll find Jenny immersed in family time with her husband, two energetic sons (ages 5 and 3), and their trusty dog, Hooey. And if she's not dedicating her free time to pursuing a doctoral degree in performance leadership improvement, you might catch her indulging in a love for glitter that adds an extra sparkle to her vibrant life!
Learn more about Maven Learning: www.mavenlearninginnovations.com


Subscribe to the podcast and my newsletter: bit.ly/pothnews1

Mar 13, 202431:23
ThriveinEDU Live with Thomas Hummel & Thomas Thompson from @Eduaide.Ai
Feb 27, 202446:38
ThriveinEDU: Conferences, Learning, AI and more!
Feb 21, 202410:31
ThriveinEDU with guest Dr. Jerod Phillips

ThriveinEDU with guest Dr. Jerod Phillips

I had a great conversation with my friend, Dr. Jerod Phillips.

Dr. Jerod Phillips Sr. is the Principal of David E. Robinson Elementary School (DRE) in Magnolia, DE. He arrived at DRE in February 2023 with a zeal to engage the school community with the vision of being great for kids in all aspects of the school. Prior to arriving at DRE, Dr. Phillips was a Principal and Assistant Principal at the elementary level in Middletown, DE.

He has 9 years of school leadership experience. He is passionate about developing positive public relations between the district, school, students, parents, and the overall community. As a result of Dr. Phillips’ journey from teacher to Principal, while being connected, he believes that being a connected educator can help take one’s career to unprecedented heights.

Dr. Phillips was the Delaware National Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year for 2021. Dr. Phillips has had one publication in NAESP’s Principal Magazine: "Being a Bias-Conscious Leader." Principal, May/June 2022: Rewriting the Role, Volume 101, Issue 5, in addition to being a contributor to several monthly sections of the APs Rising section of the same publication.

Dr. Phillips is a podcaster in the education sector, starting with three co-hosts of the podcast, Speaking Educationally in January 2020. Since then, he has recently launched his solo podcast, The Squad Builder Podcast. The podcast focuses on shaking things up in education in the realm of building and maintaining highly effective and successful teams in our schools. He has a B.S. in Finance and Banking from Delaware State University, a M.S. in Educational Leadership from Purdue University, and his Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Management at Capella University. Dr. Phillips is a proud husband and father of 3 (2 daughters and 1 son). He has teamed up with his wife and kids over the past several years to explore the world of entrepreneurship together, and he is very active in his local church.


Connect with him on Twitter(X) @japhillips0722


Subscribe to the Thriveinedu podcast and check out my blog at www.Rdene915.com.


Feb 07, 202445:08
ThriveinEDU - A few ideas to explore!

ThriveinEDU - A few ideas to explore!

Here are a few ideas to explore that help with boosting student engagement. Check out some of the tools mentioned including EduaideAI, Curipod, SnorklApp and SchoolAI.

Contact me for PD training, individual coaching, or keynotes via my form: bit.ly/thriveineduPD


Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and my blog at www.Rdene915.com.

Thanks for listening! If you are attending TCEA or IDEAcon, be sure to say hi!

Feb 01, 202415:47
ThriveinEDU: Let's talk about learning & conferences!
Jan 23, 202416:22
ThriveinEDU Chat with Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer at Turnitin

ThriveinEDU Chat with Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer at Turnitin

This episode is sponsored by Turnitin.

I had such a great conversation with Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer at Turnitin. Hope you will enjoy this episode!

About Annie:
Annie Chechitelli has spent the past two decades innovating with educators to expand access to education, meet the quickly changing needs of learners, and empower students to do their best, original work. As the Chief Product Officer at Turnitin, Annie oversees the Turnitin suite of applications which includes academic integrity, grading and feedback, and assessment capabilities.
Prior to joining Turnitin, Annie spent over five years at Amazon where she led Kindle Content for School, Work, and Government and launched the AWS EdTech Growth Advisory team, advising education technology companies on how to grow their product and go-to-market strategies with AWS.
Annie began her career in EdTech at Wimba where she launched a live collaboration platform for education which was ultimately acquired by Blackboard in 2010. At Blackboard she led platform management, focused on transitioning Blackboard Learn to the cloud.
Annie holds a B.S. from Columbia University and an M.B.A. and M.S. from Claremont Graduate University. She resides near Indianapolis, Indiana with her youngest child and husband, with two children attending college on the East Coast.

Learn more about Turnitin's great resources!

1. Turnitin's AI writing detection web page:
www.turnitin.com/solutions/topics/ai-writing/
2. Blog: One piece at a time: Navigating AI writing: www.turnitin.com/blog/one-piece-at-a-time-navigating-ai-writing
3. AI writing puzzle for educators, institutions and administrators: (Note - each puzzle piece directs users to a resource) go.turnitin.com/l/45292/2023-09-19/ckqbmy/45292/1695141908uEcVg1as/TII_GL_AI_WritingPuzzle_Infographic_Tabloid_US_0923.pdf
4. AI writing resource page: www.turnitin.com/instructional-resources/packs/academic-integrity-in-the-age-of-ai
Jan 16, 202443:29
ThriveinEDU Live w/guest Dr. Desiree Alexander! Welcome 2024, tips and ideas for the new year!

ThriveinEDU Live w/guest Dr. Desiree Alexander! Welcome 2024, tips and ideas for the new year!

I always love getting the chance to talk with Dr. Desiree Alexander. She is positive, inspring and real! Kicking off the 2024 year, I wanted to have her share some ideas for self-care, dealing with overwhelm and making yourself a priorty.

We had a great conversation and I hope you enjoy it.


Learn more about Dr. Desiree and definitely catch her webinars! Connect with her on social and her websites!


Dr. Desiree Alexander (or Desiree Alexander, EdD)

Founder CEO, Educator Alexander Consulting

Dr. Desiree Alexander (or Desiree Alexander, EdD)

Deputy Director

Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL)

Biography:

Dr. Desiree Alexander is an award-winning, multi-degreed educator, speaker, and author who has been in the educational field since 2002. She is the Founder and CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, LLC and the Deputy Director for the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. She consults with members of several schools/businesses and presents at conferences

globally.

Dr. Alexander is lifetime certified in Louisiana in Secondary English Education as a Reading Specialist, as a School Librarian, as an Educational Technology Facilitator, as an Educational Technology Leader, and in Educational Leadership 1. She is certified in Texas as a Principal in English Language Arts and Reading for grades 4-8 and grades 8-12, as a Reading Specialist for grades EC-12, and as a School Librarian. She holds multiple technology certifications, including, but not limited to, IC3 certification, Google Certified Trainer, Innovator and Partner, Apple Teacher, and Microsoft Office Specialist.

She holds a Bachelor, a Master + 30, and an Education Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University, a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s

University and a Master of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Educational Technology Leadership from Nicholls State University.

She also holds a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership from Lamar University.

She is the author of Ready to Be an Educational Leader: Your Guide for Passing the SLLA 6990 ,

a 2022 & 2021 Texas Computer Education Association Featured Thought Leader,

2020 International Society for Technology in Education Featured Voice,

2020 Future of Education Technology Conference Featured Presenter, 2019 Customer Commitment Award Honoree from

Council Mover and Shaker, a 2017 Young Professional Initiative 40 Under 40 Awards Honoree,

2017 Center for Digital Education Top 30 Technologists, Transformers &;

Trailblazers, 2017

PBS Learning Media Digital Innovator for Louisiana, 2016 Associated Professional Educators of

Louisiana Member of the Year, 2015 Librarian of the Year for Louisiana Librarian Association,

2015 Campus Teacher of the Year in the Zachary Community School District and 2014 Leader of the Year for Region 2 Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators.

Learn more at www.educatoralexander.com.  

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Desiree Alexander is an award-winning, multi-degreed educator, speaker, and author who is the Founder CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, LLC, and the Deputy Director for the

Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. She is an international speaker who consults with conferences, districts, schools, individual educators, and businesses.

Educator Alexander Consulting empowers educators to discover and amplify the intrinsic desire to become innovators in education and aims to create a worldwide network of educators focused on the constant and consistent improvement of education for our students. Learn more at www.educatoralexander.com.

Website:

Social Media Handles

Subscribe to All:

Newsletter:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

LinkedIn:

Pinterest:

TikTok:

Pronouns: She/Her


Book Available:

Ready to Be an Educational Leader: Your Guide for Passing the SLLA 6990 Short Link: https://bit.ly/sllabook



Jan 09, 202431:50
ThriveinEDU : Better Research Skills with Learnics!

ThriveinEDU : Better Research Skills with Learnics!

This episode is sponsored by Learnics!

I love learning about new tools for my classroom, and Learnics is a great way to help students build research skills. It is a FREE Chrome extension, and students can track their research, see the sites visited and time spent, and more.

With Classroom Pro, teachers have access to real-time data to best support students.

Stay tuned for the upcoming blog!


Check out Learnics today: Head to Learnics.com

Get Started

Learnics on LinkedIn

Learnics on Twitter/X

Dec 28, 202315:00
ThriveinEDU with guest Nicole Biscotti

ThriveinEDU with guest Nicole Biscotti

Listen to my recent conversation with Nicole Biscotti. We talk about AI, accessibility, challenges, reflections, learning and more!



About Nicole

Nicole Biscotti is a Momvocate, Educator, and author whose focus is on the future of school as being informed by relevancy and the needs of our marginalized, under-supported learners. We have a lot to learn if we listen!  Nicole wrote I Can Learn When I’m Moving: Going to School With ADHD http://bit.ly/icanlearnwhenimove  with her 9-year-old son from the unique perspectives of a child and a mother who is also a teacher.  I Can Learn When I’m Moving: Going to School With ADHD will be available en español on Amazon in late December 2023. 

Nicole has also translated books into Spanish such as El Cuento del Perdón by Melody McAllister and Todos Pueden Aprender Matemáticas by Alice Aspinall.  Her next book, Invisible con ADHD: Latino Kids on The Border, is co-authored with Dr. Tracy Kelly. They address the issues around the disproportionate lack of support that Latino children with ADHD are faced with. Nicole is co-host of the podcast Real Talk with Barbara and Nicole.  Join the convo at https://realtalkbn.buzzsprout.com/   

You can connect with Nicole at NicoleBiscotti.com, on Twitter @BiscottiNicole, or IG @Biscotti_Nicole or join her Facebook group #ADHDGlobalConvo.


Dec 19, 202341:58
Coding in December! Easy with Matatalab!
Dec 13, 202313:37
Celebrating CS Ed Week and STEM!

Celebrating CS Ed Week and STEM!

Methods and resources to explore for Hour of Code and CS Ed Week, not just in December but all year round.

Matatalab: Tale-Bot Pro and VinciBot - Matatalab Tale-Bot Pro and VinciBot https://shop.matatalab.com/collections/rachelle-page and a 15% off coupon code. This discount is valid without a limit.Code: USMATA15REA

Kinderlab Robotics KIBO  Check out their AI plan as well! Screen-free coding! Activities

Marty from Robotical https://robotical.io/free-trial/

CoSpaces Edu - use my code COSRACHELLE


Book me for your event: https://bit.ly/thriveinEDUPD

Books: bit.ly/pothbooks


Upcoming webinars:

OTIS 4 educators: Create an account and join my AI and Generative AI on Tuesday, December 12th at 3:30 pm ET. bit.ly/pothgenAI


Dec 11, 202322:12
ThriveinEDU Live w/guest Micah Miner
Nov 28, 202335:13
ThriveinEDU Live, AI Tools for Teachers and Learning Events part 2

ThriveinEDU Live, AI Tools for Teachers and Learning Events part 2

Hope you will check out these AI tools and sign up for some of these great learning events this week!

Monday and Tuesday: bit.ly/GLOWedu

Tuesday: bit.ly/otispotharvr

Wednesday: Looking forward to this #FETC webinar:

Ways Artificial Intelligence Is Improving & Elevating #STEM #Education w/ @JenWomble & panelists @iJanetteCamacho @Rdene915 @mrhooker @VictoriaTheTech  Register: https://bit.ly/fetcAIstem #edtech #edchat #AI @ISTEofficial  @EduMatchBooks


Contact me to schedule PD on AI and a variety of topics. I am available for in-person and virtual, keynotes, sessions, and webinars. Here is the contact form.




Nov 12, 202316:11
ThriveinEDU Live Chat w/ Thomas Thompson, CEO of Eduaide.AI

ThriveinEDU Live Chat w/ Thomas Thompson, CEO of Eduaide.AI

I had the chance to have a chat with Thomas Thompson all about artificial intelligence and how he got started with the work that he is doing with Eduaide.Ai. We talked about a lot, and I hope you will enjoy the conversation and also check out all of the resources that they provide for educators.

Thomas Thompson is an educator and the Chief Executive Officer of
Eduaide.ai. His research background examined Open Educational Resources, concept mapping and procedural argumentation, and distributed communities of practice.
Beyond instructional and research experience, Thomas led Muckraker Media, a non-profit organization focused on expanding access to the auditory public domain. Additionally, he has experience in multimedia instructional design and distance education. Currently, his work focuses on integrating Generative AI into the lesson-planning workflow to eliminate points of friction and unlock teachers’ time and creativity.

Connect with Eduaide
Sign up today! Eduaide.AI
Instagram: instagram.com/Eduaide.AITwitter: twitter.com/EduaideAILinkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/eduaide-ai/

Nov 07, 202340:11
ThriveinEDU - AI Tools for Teachers part I

ThriveinEDU - AI Tools for Teachers part I

Hope you will check out this episode's featured AI tools for teachers. AI is my favorite topic and it has changed a lot in the past 6 years. There are a ton of great tools to explore and in this episode, I give you 3 to start with. Let me know your thoughts!


Oct 31, 202312:02
ThriveinEDU Live chat with Dr. Hazel Woods, Associate Program Director & Professor of Practice at Tulane SoPA.
Oct 24, 202336:27
ThriveinEDU Live chat with Dr. Pedro Olvera from BlazerWorks’ Special Education Clinical Advisory Team

ThriveinEDU Live chat with Dr. Pedro Olvera from BlazerWorks’ Special Education Clinical Advisory Team

This episode is sponsored by BlazerWorks.
Pedro Olvera is a published writer and teaches coursework at California Baptist University in Riverside, California. He earned his Doctor of Psychology from Alliant International University and his Master of Science in School Psychology. Dr. Olvera specializes in assessing English Language Learners, cognitive assessment, and enhancing collaboration with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families. Olvera has been a bilingual school psychologist in public and private settings for over 21 years.

Learn more about BlazerWorks. BlazerWorkds has been providing advisory services and support to districts and school-based professionals for more than 30 years. Learn more from these links:
BlazerWorks Clinical Expertise and Support
BlazerWorks Managed Services
Resources from BlazerWorks
News about BlazerWorks
BlazerWorks on LinkedIn
Oct 18, 202332:18
ThriveinEDU: Diving into STEM learning and AI and more for the fall via @Rdene915

ThriveinEDU: Diving into STEM learning and AI and more for the fall via @Rdene915

In this episode, I share some ideas to explore for the fall that focus on STEM learning and a bit about AI. Check out KinderLab Robotics, CoSpaces Edu, Code.org, Nearpod, and more!



Learn more about my work from the testimonials provided on my blog site. Bring me to your school or conference for sessions or keynotes on Artificial Intelligence, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Emerging Technologies(Blockchain, NFTs, metaverse, and Web3), SEL, and STEM. You can book me here.


My books are available at: bit.ly/pothbooks

Oct 15, 202320:02
ThriveinEDU Chat with Andrew Henry, President and Creator of Stepwell
Oct 10, 202335:26
ThriveinEDU Chat with Shaun Fagan, Senior VP of Product for Lightspeed

ThriveinEDU Chat with Shaun Fagan, Senior VP of Product for Lightspeed

This episode is sponsored by LightspeedTek.
I had a great chat with Shaun Fagan, Senior VP of Product for Lightspeed. Shaun has been with the Lightspeed for more than 20 years. He received his BS from Oregon State University.

About Lightspeed
Lightspeed is on a mission to help every student hear every word. The instructional audio solutions deliver crystal-clear, highly intelligible sound and are configurable to serve multiple learning environments. Lightspeed's installed solutions connect with life-safety systems to provide a silent alert function and ensure building-wide communications are never missed.
Links to learn more:
Lightspeed Customer Stories
Lightspeed Products
Lightspeed Activate
Videos about Lightspeed Products

Social media networks
LinkedIn
Twitter (X) ⁠
YouTube



Oct 04, 202331:33
Thrive o'clock Live w/ Rachelle and Mel and special guest Michele Pitman, Founder and CEO of @x2VOL
Oct 01, 202348:07
ThriveinEDU Chat with Jason Lange, Co-founder and President of BloomBoard
Sep 26, 202328:14
ThriveinEDU Chat with Dan Wolfe, Educator, Author of Becoming the Change
Sep 23, 202338:07
Chat with Drew Vernon, Marketing Director of Tonies. Check out the Toniebox!

Chat with Drew Vernon, Marketing Director of Tonies. Check out the Toniebox!

This episode is sponsored by Tonies.

Tonies for Teachershttps://us.tonies.com/pages/creative-toniesTonieboxTonies InstagramFacebook CommunitiesTonies for Teachers FacebookTonies for Librarians FacebookEducator and Military DiscountTonies YouTube

Also, be sure to sign up for my blog at
www.Rdene915.com to check out some great guest blog posts and submit yours as well. You will also receive my newsletters twice a month that share upcoming education events, blogs, podcasts and more!
If you are interested in bringing me to your school for PD on AI, AR/VR, SEL or STEM, contact me at Rdene915@gmail.com
Sep 19, 202321:25
Chat with Mike Judd, Senior Curriculum Manager at Nearpod

Chat with Mike Judd, Senior Curriculum Manager at Nearpod

This episode is sponsored by Flocabulary and Nearpod.
I enjoyed the opportunity to chat with Mike Judd, a senior curriculum manager at Nearpod and Flocabulary as well as a Flocabulary lyricist and rapper. He is based in the New York City area and has been with the company for five years.

We talked about Flocabulary and the many ways that educators can bring Flocabulary into the classroom and how easy it is to add a Flocabulary video to your Nearpod lesson. We also discussed the great contests that are available for students throughout the year. Black History Month, AAPI Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month contests are held each year and engage students in creative and meaningful learning opportunities. Links are below to check out the events and some of the winners!
For more information, check out the resources below:
Flocabulary
Nearpod
The Week in Rap

Flocabulary blog: A great place to learn more about how to best use Flocabulary in the classroom as well as upcoming initiatives like student contests
How to master teaching academic vocabulary to students: A recent blog about teaching academic vocabulary using Flocabulary
Student contest winners: Hispanic Heritage Month Rap Contest 2022: More info on our 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month Rap Contest winners (since the next one launches soon!)
What’s new with Flocabulary Plus: Back to school 2023: Information on what's new with Flocabulary
2023 Black History Month Contest Blog and Winners
AAPI Month Contest and Winners
Hispanic Heritage Month Contest
Check out the video of a previous winner of the Hispanic Heritage Month contest:
www.flocabulary.com/unit/jose-hernandez/.

Connect on Social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Subscribe to my blog at www.Rdene915.com
Sep 12, 202328:23
AI in our classrooms: My ongoing exploration and teaching of AI + bonus ideas

AI in our classrooms: My ongoing exploration and teaching of AI + bonus ideas

I have more than 5 years of experience with AI and now have been working on a dissertation, a blog, two books, and continuing to research AI. I am motivated to help educators build confidence and comfort by bringing AI learning opportunities to their classrooms.

I am available for in-person or virtual PD sessions and keynotes. I can do 1-2 hour or full-day workshops.


AI is an area of deep interest for me and I want to make it easier for educators to dive in, just like I did. I teach full time and consult full time and would love to work with your school or a small group.


Additional resources

Sign up for my blog site and also submit a guest blog post.

My main blog: Learning as I go

Medium Blog:  ThriveinEDU 

My Newsletter: bit.ly/pothnews1

Here are a few articles that I wrote:

ChatGPT  - my podcast

Education is about to change Chat GPT for Getting Smart

Reflecting on the year with AI article I wrote on June 26th

BAM Radio Network interview about AI 

Fox News interview

AI interview at ISTE

My blog site

Podcast: AI in post-COVID 

ISTE 2023 Interview of Closing Keynote Kevin Roose about  AI and Education

https://www.gettingsmart.com/2022/02/28/robo-writers-translators-chatbots-developments-in-nlp-and-what-it-means-for-education/ 

Newer post on ChatGPT

Forbes Article 2020

VoiceEd Canada Radio interview about AI

EdTech Magazine Article

Recording from AI webinar: edalex.net/ai20232vid 

Holly Clark AI Infused Classroom event  My session of 8 Tools for Educators and More!

TCEA AI in Education day July 27th conference


AI for the Future of Education

Preparing for the Future

Increasing Role of AI 

Growth in AI due to Pandemic


Recent article about NLP use

Sep 05, 202315:41
Starting the new school year with AI! What Can Educators Do? Ideas to Explore
Aug 16, 202314:45
Chat with Klaire Marino and Amanda Sutter from Lightspeed Systems

Chat with Klaire Marino and Amanda Sutter from Lightspeed Systems

This episode is sponsored by Lightspeed Systems.
I had a great chat with Klaire and Amanda from Lightspeed Systems about the Digital Equity Module and all of the great resources available through Lightspeed.
Klaire Marino is passionate about education, technology, and the intersection of the two. Over the past 15 years, she has successfully managed various marketing functions at Blackboard, ISTE, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and currently leads the product marketing team at Lightspeed System.
Amanda Sutter is the Vice President of Product for Lightspeed Systems. She has over 12 years of experience in product and technology and has led product strategy for companies across a variety of markets. She is particularly passionate about EdTech, and the delivery and investment in solutions that promote equity, enhance student engagement, and simplify workflows for districts.

About Lightspeed Systems
Lightspeed Systems – According to CoSN’s 2022 Student Home Connectivity Study, approximately one-third of high school students experience “Far Below” or “Below Guidelines” for connectivity at home and large disparities exist among student subgroups. Klaire Marino and Amanda Sutter, both from the Lightspeed Systems team, can speak to how the company is providing school and district leaders robust and real-time connectivity data—including information on a device’s overall health, operating system, internet speed, service provider, and more—on students’ school-issued devices to help gain a better understanding of where additional resources are needed and help bridge the digital divide.


Learn more about features in the Digital Equity Module of Lightspeed Digital Insight here
Follow Lightspeed Systems on LinkedIn for best practices and updates
www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-systems/
Visit www.lightspeedsystems.com
Contact Lightspeed at sales@lightspeedsystems.com
Connect on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Aug 01, 202329:46
Let's Talk About AI: Reflections and Predictions
Jul 27, 202316:54
Chat with Dr. Julie Evans from Project Tomorrow

Chat with Dr. Julie Evans from Project Tomorrow

I had a great chat with Dr. Julie Evans about Project Tomorrow and the Speak Up Initiative.

A little about Dr. Evans:

Dr. Julie A. Evans is the CEO of Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org) and is the founder of the heralded Speak Up Research Project which annually collects and reports on the authentic views of 400,000 K-12 students, parents, and educators on key education issues each year. Dr. Evans serves as the chief researcher on the Speak Up Project as well as leading research efforts on the impact of innovative learning models and interventions in both K-12 and higher education. Over the past 17 years, almost 6 million K-12 students, teachers, and parents have participated in the Speak Up Project representing over 35,000 schools from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and around the world. Dr. Evans is the longest-serving woman executive in the education technology nonprofit sector. As a thought leader and influencer, she brings to new discussions insights from her experiences within the technology industry, entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, and education research. Dr. Evans is a graduate of Brown University and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, San Diego, and California State University San Marcos. She serves on several boards and advisory and is a frequent speaker and writer on new learning models within education, most notably around digital learning. Among her many accolades and awards, Dr. Evans was named in April 2020 as the winner of EdTech Digest’s National Leader award.


The Speak Up Research Project is a national initiative of Project Tomorrow, an internationally recognized education nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all students are prepared to become tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and engaged citizens of the world. Each year, the Speak Up Project polls K-12 students, parents, and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school and the impact of new learning models on student outcomes and teacher effectiveness. The Speak Up dataset represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder voices on digital learning. Since the fall of 2003, more than 6.2 million K-12 students, parents, teachers, librarians, principals, technology leaders, district administrators, communications officers, and members of the community have shared their views and ideas through Speak Up. Education, business, and policy leaders report that they regularly use the Speak Up data to inform federal, state, and local education programs, policies, and initiatives. Learn more at https://tomorrow.org/speakup

Resources to learn more about the Speak Up Initiative
Participate in Speak Up
Congressional Briefing
Project Tomorrow Website
About the Project Tomorrow Team
https://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/

Jul 25, 202329:46
Chat with Dr. Gene Kerns from Renaissance Learning

Chat with Dr. Gene Kerns from Renaissance Learning

I had a great chat with Dr. Gene Kerns, the Vice-President and Chief Academic Officer of Renaissance Learning.

Gene is a third-generation educator with teaching experience from

elementary through the university level and K-12 administrative

experience. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief

Academic Officer of Renaissance Learning. 

With nearly 20 years of experience in leading staff development and

speaking at national and international conferences, his former clients

include administrators’ associations across the country and the

Ministry of Education of Singapore.

Gene received his Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree from

Longwood College in Virginia, and also holds a Doctor of Education

(Ed.D.) from the University of Delaware with an emphasis in

Education Leadership. He is the author of 3 books on educational

topics.

About Renaissance

Learn more about Renaissance and their “See Every Student” brand transformation. Renaissance Learning combines assessment, instruction, and insights—all while keeping teachers at the center of classroom decisions. Explore the tools that are integrated within and learn more about the Star Assessments to Nearpod connection.

Links to Renaissance site, blog, and so many resources for educators and families.

Renaissance Learning⁠

⁠Renaissance Blog Posts⁠

Renaissance Focus Skills

Renaissance Webinars

Renaissance on LinkedIn

Renaissance Twitter

Renaissance YouTube - videos, webinars

Jul 11, 202328:58
Thrive o'clock Live with Rachelle & Mel and our guest Brad Waid @techbradwaid!

Thrive o'clock Live with Rachelle & Mel and our guest Brad Waid @techbradwaid!

We had a great chat with Brad about emerging tech, conferences, AI, ChatGPT and more! Tune in to the podcast, check out Brad's site and follow us all on Twitter!
@Rdene915 @MelodyMcAllist7 and @Techbradwaid
View the live recording here!
Jul 09, 202341:22
Chat with Kathleen Fox and John Fox, Co-Founders of ImaginGO! Boost Creativity and Imaginative Thinking!
Jun 21, 202342:24
Chat with Paul Stisser, the Director of Educational Institutions and LMS Partnerships for ReadSpeaker

Chat with Paul Stisser, the Director of Educational Institutions and LMS Partnerships for ReadSpeaker

I had a great conversation with Paul Stisser, the Director of Educational Institutions and LMS Partnerships for ReadSpeaker. Paul has been a leader in ReadSpeaker's TTS Education initiatives. Prior to ReadSpeaker, Paul worked at D2L and start-up Moblmedia. He also has 14 years of education and teaching experience in Rochester, NY, specializing in Special Education and At-Risk Students. Paul attended St. Bonaventure University with degrees in History and Literacy.


We talked about ReadSpeaker which is a text-to-speech (TTS) company. With ReadSpeaker embedded into an LMS, a website, or learning content, the user can choose from 68 languages and over 245 voices. They can choose from a suite of reading and writing tools; personalize their reading speed, highlighting preferences, font, size, colors, and more; and select distraction-free “text-only” mode. We've been trying to raise awareness about TTS tools being not only for students who need them. Follow on Twitter: ReadSpeaker


Learn more about ReadSpeaker and get started today! Stay tuned for an upcoming guest blog post from Paul on my ThriveinEDU Learning as I Go blog.

Jun 06, 202330:46
Chat with Mike Teng, Co-Founder and CEO of Swing Education @SwingEdu

Chat with Mike Teng, Co-Founder and CEO of Swing Education @SwingEdu

Enjoyed my conversation with Mike Teng, Co-Founder and CEO of Swing Education. Swing Education enables schools to post their substitute job openings and substitute teachers can then pick and choose what suits their needs. Swing leverages social communities and technology to not only improve communication but put power back into the hands of substitutes and the schools that need them. @SwingEdu

Follow Swing on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.


Don't forget to give the podcast a follow and join the ThriveinEDU Community on Facebook!

Also check out my blog and submit your guest blog today!

May 24, 202329:32
Chat with Hall Speed, Head of North America, @RoboticalLTD about #STEM #AI #coding and Marty the Robot!
May 16, 202333:23
Thrive o'clock with @Rdene915 & @MelodyMcAllist7 and our guests Weston & Molly Kieschnick!

Thrive o'clock with @Rdene915 & @MelodyMcAllist7 and our guests Weston & Molly Kieschnick!

We had a great chat with Molly and Weston about their podcast, books, and swagger! Hope you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out the video of our chat on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3yfa3Iwjs8&t=246sor via Twitter posts.

Follow @Rdene915 @MelodyMcAllist7 and @Wes_Kieschnick!

May 02, 202337:54
ChatGPT: Let's catch up with the ChatGPT news!

ChatGPT: Let's catch up with the ChatGPT news!

In prior episodes, I shared ChatGPT and some of the articles that I have written and we also had a conversation with Brad Waid recently as well about ChatGPT. Explore it, ask some questions, review the responses, and see what the benefits/concerns are.

Would love to hear about your experiences!


Apr 19, 202315:16
Thrive o'clock with Rachelle & Mel and our guest Josh King from EVERFI!
Apr 11, 202347:39
Spring is the perfect time to reflect!

Spring is the perfect time to reflect!

Ideas for reflection for students and teachers. I share some methods to promote reflective practice with students and how to make it part of our daily practice. Check out @LessonLoop, @Padlet, @Spaces_Edu, @Nearpod @PearDeck, Flip and more!

Apr 04, 202312:03
Thrive o'clock with Rachelle & Mel and our guest Brad Waid!
Mar 28, 202339:40
Ideas for Spring! Boost student engagement, focus on SEL and more!

Ideas for Spring! Boost student engagement, focus on SEL and more!

Hope you will get some new ideas from this episode.  Check out Brain Racers, StoryJumper, WeVideo and more! 

Mar 21, 202316:30
Thrive o'clock with guest Michele Pitman, CEO and Founder of @X2VOL!
Mar 14, 202336:32
Let's Learn About Toekenz! A Conversation with Iris Ichishita, CEO & Co-Founder of Toekenz
Mar 01, 202330:11
ChatGPT - What is it? How do we learn about it? What will its impact be?
Feb 24, 202313:07
Finding Time for Reflection

Finding Time for Reflection

Here are some ideas to make time for reflection in each day!  Check out @getfocusable and other ideas for making time for you! #education #edchat #SEL 

Feb 06, 202311:08
Thrive o'clock live with Rachelle and Mel & special guest Josh King from @EverFiK12!
Jan 24, 202337:53
Strategies for Reviewing and Reteaching
Jan 17, 202317:08
Kick off 2023 with some Unconventional Ideas!

Kick off 2023 with some Unconventional Ideas!

Dive into some new methods and tools in the new year!  Follow ThriveinEDU on FB, subscribe to my blog www.Rdene915.com and submit your guest blog. 


My books are all available at bit.ly/pothbooks

Jan 03, 202319:26