EDVIEW 360

The public release of ChatGPT by OpenAI late last year has captivated, if not terrified, certain sectors of public education. A simple interactive screen allows users to create a range of “authentic looking” documents. ChatGPT essays are either free or fractional in cost. Some have called ChatGPT the “calculator moment” for writing assignments. Is there a similar, potential effect in math? Should we be welcoming or fearful of this technology? This podcast will explore programs like ChatGPT and what they mean for mathematics instruction. We’ll discuss other current technologies used in math education today, and reflect on potential, near-term improvements and how upgrades like the “intelligence assistant” now being developed by Microsoft using ChatGPT might be used in math classrooms. Dr. Woodward will discuss: today We hope you’ll join us!

Join this fascinating conversation that surrounds storytelling—an age-old oral tradition—and how it can be used to improve reading and writing in the classroom. Our guest, Antonio Sacre, a professional storyteller, children’s book author, and educator, will discuss the simple technique of storytelling and how teachers and specialists can use it to help unlock the writer in every student and get them excited about reading. Listeners will find this podcast inspiring, captivating, and immediately applicable to classroom instruction. Sacre will discuss the science behind why and how storytelling works to support reading, how to share a good story, and the types of stories that motivate students to want to read and write more. We hope you’ll join us as our internationally renowned expert leaves you with stories to tell, the capability to share stories more effectively, and keys to teaching them to students across the curriculum. You’ll learn:

Reading is the most important skill children need to master to be successful in school and life. However, students increasingly are struggling with this most basic of academic abilities. When children have difficulty reading, they can quickly fall behind their peers. Luckily, there are ways to improve almost any child's reading proficiency with good instruction that’s based on science. This fascinating discussion with renowned author Denise Eide will explore how the English language works, and the importance of spelling in developing better readers. Eide, who was mentored and inspired by literacy giant Robert Sweet (one of the nation's most-powerful champions of phonic-centered reading reform) will share why students need to be taught the building blocks of words: phonograms and spelling rules, and how understanding the reasons for the spellings of words can transform teaching and learning. Eide will share the “rules” she outlines in her book, ways to teach students to analyze the reasons for English spellings, and much more. We hope you’ll join us for this fascinating podcast!

It’s critically important to provide all students (MLLs, students with IEPs, high achievers, those with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, etc.) with targeted, effective reading instruction and interventions—this is a well-known fact. However, these students can be tougher to engage, and special teachers, with unique approaches designed to motivate and help every student feel heard, have strategies that bring literacy learning to the forefront while engaging students in ways not always imagined. This lively discussion with three award-winning teachers will open your eyes and inspire every educator to strive for what is possible for every student. Each of our panelists were named Teacher of the Year in their respective states. Our host, John Arthur of Utah, was also honored at the White House as a finalist for National Teacher of the Year. Join us as these three energetic educators share specific strategies and practices they use to help all children overcome challenges, feel seen and heard, and gain new literacy skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Our guests will share tips and ideas useful in any classroom and with any student, with special emphasis on those who struggle as readers and often don’t know how to advocate for themselves. This episode will connect the dots for listeners between engaging literacy instruction/intervention and empowered student voices.

Writing is a task as complex and multifaceted as reading—but it’s often taught as a single skill. Our podcast guest is Joan Sedita, the successful author of the popular book, The Writing Rope. Her book and the innovative framework she created weaves multiple skills and strategies into five fundamentals of a comprehensive writing curriculum: critical thinking, syntax (sentences), text structure, writing craft, and transcription (spelling and handwriting). We hope you’ll join this informative discussion as Sedita shares the guidelines that demystify the process of helping students learn to write and write to learn. Our conversation will explore ways educators can plan and deliver comprehensive, explicit, and evidence-based writing instruction, aligned with IDA’s Structured Literacy approach, and based on the latest research. The focus of the book is on grades 4–8, but much of what Sedita will address can be used in earlier grades and high school. She will share:

When you examine your teaching approaches and how to best help students with dyslexia, it can be easy to assume special data will be needed to help these students improve their foundational reading skills and move toward grade-level literacy. However, the data you already have from regular assessment practices, like that collected from Acadience® Learning measures, can provide invaluable insight to help you tailor instruction and ensure all students—especially those with dyslexia and other reading challenges—receive the appropriate and timely intervention they need to succeed. Our guest for this EDVIEW360 podcast is Matthew K. Burns, a literacy, assessment, and special education expert who has dedicated his career to improving the lives of the most-vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, from high-poverty backgrounds, and for whom English is not their native language. Dr. Burns will share how schools can help shape K–12 practice and improve literacy using existing data. He will also discuss how educators can: We hope you’ll join us for this fascinating podcast!

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Louisa Moats, author of LETRS® professional learning and LANGUAGE! Live® reading intervention, as we talk candidly about the power of printed books and materials and how educators can best select and use them to encourage student motivation and engagement—while helping all students build essential reading skills. Dr. Moats will share her thoughts about digital fatigue, the power of print, in what ways teachers and students should be trusted to select what they read both inside and outside of the classroom, and more. This conversation will provide thought-provoking information for all administrators and teachers who work with struggling readers, especially those in middle school and beyond.

It’s no secret: School and district leaders set the tone for the culture within the organization. Although every employee is ultimately responsible for creating an environment where students want to be, school leaders must model the way. How can principals looking to implement change create an innovative, sustainable culture that consistently models future ready learning, relies upon a level of teaching and learning backed by science, and promotes a high level of literacy success for all students? Join us as we talk with our guest, best-selling author Thomas C. Murray, a lifelong educator who is now the director of innovation for Future Ready Schools®. In his current role, Murray works with districts to create the types of learning experiences today’s modern learners need to thrive. As a previous secondary and elementary principal, he knows the importance of helping every child learn to read proficiently, and how to intervene when children don’t have the literacy skills needed by third to fifth grades. On a daily basis, he works with principals and superintendents on systems change, sustainability, and equity and resolving culture-change obstacles standing in the way of students achieving the level of literacy success that allows each one to truly be future ready. Join us as we talk with our guest and explore:

In this podcast, Dr. Ruth Kaminski, coauthor of Acadience® Learning K–6 and other respected assessments, will discuss the many aspects of assessment that make it a meaningful and essential tool for preventing reading disabilities and promoting reading success. Join us as we talk with Dr. Kaminski about the reasons educators should rely upon assessment for curriculum alignment, progress monitoring, and classroom planning. We’ll explore:

Writing is potentially the most powerful lever we have for building knowledge and improving reading comprehension. It can uncover gaps in background knowledge that prevent students from accessing grade-level material. And, because writing helps new information stick, it can also boost students’ academic performance. But writing is the most difficult thing we ask students to do. If inexperienced writers are asked to write at length, they can easily become overwhelmed as they juggle everything from spelling to word choice to organizing their thoughts. And if students are asked to write only about personal experience or topics in a separate writing curriculum, writing won’t help them acquire the knowledge they need to succeed in school. Join this informative podcast as we talk with esteemed researcher and author Natalie Wexler. She will share ways to make writing less overwhelming by starting at the sentence level and how to include writing activities in the content of the core curriculum. This is an approach that shouldn’t be limited to English classes. It can have powerful effects in any subject—and at any grade level.

How can districts ensure all students have the same opportunities to the best education if all facets of learning are not equitable? The Digital Divide is not just about devices and the Internet, but it is also about pedagogy in our classrooms and opportunities for students. In this podcast, we will explore the different types of digital divides that occur in our schools with an award-winning equity expert, and we will also address the impact these divides have on literacy learning. Join us and see what you can learn from our guest as he shares the ways he and his district strive for absolute learning equity.

Today, more children are arriving at school with significant social and emotional vulnerabilities due to the chronic stress and trauma of the pandemic. Our students have experienced stress and trauma in the past, but this moment is unique because the experience is more universally shared. This period is also exceptional because our teachers have experienced the chronic stress, loss, and uncertainty of the pandemic as well as our students. Teachers are often given the role of superheroes in our society, but we cannot ask teachers to give of themselves what they do not have. While it is urgent we address our students’ social and emotional needs, it is equally urgent that we address the needs of our teachers, if they are going to help students. This podcast will address hands-on activities and strategies for supporting teachers and students with care and connection. Language allows us to identify and express our emotions. Our use of language to assist in our efforts to connect with our students can transform traditional instruction into “trauma-informed” instruction. Language and connection have the power to heal. Connecting with students does not cost money and can create a climate and culture that can change a child’s life.

Too many students in our classrooms struggle with learning to read. This does not need to occur. Research has shown that approximately 95% of all students can be taught to read at grade level, including those with learning disabilities and dyslexia. How can we meet the needs of every student in today’s classrooms? We'll discuss the characteristics of students who become our struggling readers along with research-supported and classroom-proven approaches to successfully address these students' needs.

In 2017, students, teachers, and activists filed a class action lawsuit (Ella T. vs. the State of California) arguing state education officials knew there was a crisis of reading and writing in California public schools, but they failed to develop a plan to address it. That lawsuit resulted in a $53 million settlement—money that didn’t go to the plaintiffs but rather to 75 of the lowest-performing schools in the state. Listen in as we talk to Margaret Goldberg, a full-time literacy coach, co-founder of The Right to Read Project, and an integral part of how California has overhauled the way reading is taught. You’ll be inspired as Goldberg shares the state’s new approach, process, exciting outcomes, and her experiences watching literacy rates improve. Goldberg will discuss: Righttoreadproject.com

As districts prepare for the remainder of this school year and the many needs ahead, educators must make crucial decisions for appropriate use of ESSER III funding. However, before purchasing priorities can be planned, there are important questions to ask and new funding parameters to explore that will help all educators make the best decisions to ensure educational equity for every student. Additionally, looking back at last year’s funding decisions can help inform the best use of new funds. Join Lexia® Learning’s Director of State Initiatives, Jon Hummell, and Education Department Relations Manager, Brittany Martin, for an illuminating podcast conversation about strategies and considerations for effectively leveraging relief funding. In this podcast, our funding experts will discuss:

After taking a backseat in the education world for many years, handwriting is back. While assistive technology can help students with writing problems, it does not remove the importance of teaching explicit handwriting. Handwriting reinforces reading and spelling skills, and is linked to reading and spelling achievement. In this insightful podcast, you will learn how handwriting supports the science of reading and strategies educators can use immediately in the classroom to build handwriting into their daily lessons. In this podcast, listeners will learn:

The Equity Gap, or differentials in race, ethnicity, income, language, and background, has become even more prominent during the pandemic. Minority students from low-income communities were among those most affected by the lockdown and the move to remote learning—where they faced social and economic stress in their families and communities. In this important podcast, assessment expert Dr. Roland Good explores the Equity Gap and how it affects assessment data. You will also learn about reporting tools educators can use to discover skill gaps and provide students with the support they need. In this podcast, Dr. Good will discuss: Please join us for this informative and engaging discussion with EDVIEW360 Podcast Host and Education Leader Pam Austin.

For our podcast, we talk with Kristen Jones, LETRS Literacy Champion and Curriculum Director at Enid Public Schools in Enid, Oklahoma. This inspiring educator will share how Enid Public Schools used literacy professional learning to transform teacher knowledge and raise student achievement. Jones will discuss steps taken by Enid Public Schools as they implemented LETRS professional learning district-wide. She’ll also address how the training increased teacher knowledge of the science of reading and transformed the school district and community, leading to the school district becoming one of the winners of the first Dr. Louisa Moats Award for Excellence Implementing the Science of Reading. Jones will also address: “Enid Public Schools has strong leaders who ‘owned’ the challenge and are fully committed to the idea that almost all kids can learn to read. It has talented teachers who have dug into substantive learning about reading science, and who are working diligently to refine their teaching skills. I would like to express my sincere admiration for these educators and congratulate them on making a significant, transformational contribution toward the improvement of student literacy in their district.” –Dr. Louisa Moats, LETRS author

The future depends on our children and one way to fully empower them is to recognize that literacy is a fundamental right in society. Join Dr. Maria Murray—founder and president and CEO of The Reading League—for an engaging podcast episode as she explains why the science of reading is now regarded as a defining movement and addresses the need to protect the integrity of its findings so that the promise of successful reading outcomes for our students can be realized. In this podcast, Dr. Murray discusses: You don’t want to miss this engaging conversation!

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a hot topic. ESSA is intended to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for long-term success, and includes a repeal of the Adequate Yearly Progress report in favor of state accountability. With every state having their own plan for ESSA, it is hard to know how to get started. We’re here to help! In this podcast, you will learn how to find out the accountability requirements of your state, how to obtain funding for your school or district, and much more. Additional topics include: