LeeCoSchools Edcast (Lee County, Alabama)

Show Notes: In this episode, we chat with Dr. Karen Landers from the Alabama Department of Public Health. She tells us about her awesome career, about vaccines, and dispels some common misconceptions surrounding this amazing scientific breakthrough. Alabama Department of Public Health - http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - https://www.cdc.gov/ Marshall Islands TB Elimination Project -...

Show Notes: In this episode, we chat with our second repeat guest, Thomas Ashbaugh, to give us an update on Lee County's game to help incentivize reading: Read2Mine. Take a listen to hear all of the really cool things Thomas has added to the game for this coming school year and to hear about the significant increase in reading that took place last year with this program in place. Pay to Win Games - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-to-play Accelerated Reader Book Finder -...

Show Notes: In this episode, we chat with Señora Zulaica Konz-Gonzalez who is a Spanish Teacher at Smiths Station High School. She is Smiths High’s 2018-19 Teacher of the Year and Lee County’s 2018-19 Secondary Teacher of the Year. She shares her teaching philosophy, her experiences learning English, and gives us a glimpse of the magic that has earned her 3 Teacher of the Year honors from 2 different school systems without giving away too many state secrets. Colorín Colorado, a bilingual...

Show Notes: In this episode we have our first repeat guests (!) – Caroline May and Chelsea Neighbors from East Alabama Mental Health – to chat about mental health in general for Mental Health awareness month. We cover many topics including why we need to destigmatize mental health, how to help someone move on from major trauma such as a natural disaster, and survivor’s guilt. I know it sounds like it is going to be a heavy episode, but these ladies make it fun and accessible. Parents as...

Show Notes: In this episode, I chat with Dr. Jason Wright, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education at Lee County Schools. In this fascinating chat, we discuss his professional journey, his education philosophy, several awesome things going on in Lee County, the process behind making the decision to close schools, and many other topics. Lessons from the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life -...

Show Notes: March is Youth Art Month, so in this episode I chatted with Sarah West, the owner of the Sarah West Gallery of Fine Art in Smiths Station. She tells me all about her after school art education program, why art education is important, and that everyone has artistic ability. Sarah West Gallery of Fine Art - http://thesarahwestgalleryoffineart.com/?page_id=45 National Art Education Association - https://www.arteducators.org/research/art-education-journal Importance of Arts Education...

Show Notes: In this episode I sit down with Lee County Sheriff Deputy, Corporal Pam Revels. Corporal Revels is the premier School Resource Officer (SRO) not only in Lee County, but in Alabama and the country. Take a listen and hear how much she loves her job, how seriously she approaches keeping our schools and students safe, and learn what you should do in the unlikely event of a crisis or emergency. Lee County Sheriff Department - http://leecountysheriff.org/ School Officer: A Job With...

Show Notes: In this episode Keith and Kyle have a quick chat with each other looking back on the first year of the podcast, looking forward to the next year of podcasts, and announce some changes. Kyle has also added a short surprise at the end. Intro and Outro music: Sunny Day by Audiobinger is licensed under an Attribution-Noncommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode). Transition music: Trebek's Lament by Learning Music is licensed under an...

In this episode, I have a series of short chats with some of the contributors at Sanford’s STEM Day. I learn about what the students get to experience during this wonderful event and some of the real life scenarios where the things learned in the classroom are used. Many thanks to Auburn University’s outreach programs, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Spicer’s Music, and more for taking the time to share your passion with our students! Below are links to some of the things discussed in this episode:...

Show Notes: In this episode we chat with the Men’s Soccer Coach at Smiths Station High School, Coach Jeff Carrero. He tells us about how he has built a great team at Smith’s Station High, how he plans to reload for this year and sustain success. He also explains the game of organized chaos that is soccer and why players take those ridiculous-looking dives during games. Below are some links to things discussed in this episode: Swift Denim Closes Columbus Plant -...

Show Notes: In this episode we chat with Erin Redden, the music teacher at Beauregard Elementary School. She tells us how Arts education is important for a well-rounded individual and how music and other arts are integral to every other subject. Below are some links to things discussed in this episode: STEM vs. STEAM - http://www.edudemic.com/stem-vs-steam-why-the-a-makes-all-the-difference/ AMSTI or Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative - http://www.amsti.org/ ARI or Alabama...

In this episode, we chat with Lee County network admin Thomas Ashbaugh. He tells us about Read 2 Mine, a program he has developed to incentivize reading by giving students a platform to spend their accelerated reader (AR) points and have fun while doing so! Below are some links to things discussed in this episode: Pay to Win Games - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-to-play Accelerated Reader Book Finder - http://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx Renaissance Place/Accelerated Reader -...

Show Notes: In this episode we chat with Kasey Bell who was one of the keynote speakers at the Alabama Leaders in Educational Technology (ALET) Fall Symposium. She has made it her mission in life to help teachers move away from the old-fashioned, industrial style of teaching and embrace innovation to make learning more dynamic for students. Below are some links to things we discussed in this episode: Alabama Leaders in Educational Technology - https://go-alet.org/ Shake Up Learning -...

This is a bonus story that we cut from the main episode with Theresa Owen for time and because it did not fit with the theme of the episode. But we felt like the story was just too good not to share. So this is not an official episode, but a little bonus. Enjoy!

Show Notes: In this episode we chat with the Guidance Counselor at Loachapoka High School, Mrs. Theresa Owen, for National Bullying Prevention Month. She tells us what constitutes bullying, what forms bullying can take, and how to handle it if you are the victim, witness, etc. Below are some links to things we discussed in this episode: Stopbullying.gov - https://www.stopbullying.gov/ Cyberbullying - https://cyberbullying.org/ How should schools handle cyberbullying? -...

Show Notes: In this episode, we chat with the new principal at Loachapoka Elementary School, Mrs. Cynthia Meals. She tells us about her professional journey, her leadership philosophy, and her vision for the future of Loachapoka Elementary. Some of the things discussed in this episode are linked below: Conecuh Sausage - http://www.conecuhsausage.com/default.aspx PEERS Foundation - https://peersfoundation.org/ Vulcan Engineering - http://www.vulcangroup.com/ Pugh & Son, Inc. -...

In this episode, we chat with Chelsea Neighbors and Caroline May with East Alabama Mental Health. They tell us about some of the signs that someone is contemplating suicide, some of the things we can do as a community, and what happens when someone is referred (it's not as scary as you may think). Below is a sampling of resources for this episode: The words to say—and not to say—about suicide: https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/09/health/suicide-language-words-matter/index.html US suicide rates...

In this episode, we come to you from the PLTW parent expo at East Smiths Station Elementary School where the students get to show off their awesome projects and what they learned during the summer engineering academy. We chat with some of the teachers and learn about their feelings toward the PLTW approach to learning and their excitement at using the curriculum during the regular school year. Project Lead The Way (PLTW): https://www.pltw.org/ VEX Robotics: https://www.vexrobotics.com/...

Show Notes: In this episode, we chat with Laela Bunn, Andrew Click, and Patti Henderson who are the Tech Coaches for Lee County Schools. They tell us about what they like to see in classrooms, where teachers who want to begin integrating technology in their lesson plans can start, the benefits of technology in the classroom, and some of their favorite products. Some of the things discussed in this episode are linked below: Kahoot: https://kahoot.com/ Google Classroom:...

In this episode, we chat with the Student Council at Beulah High School about their myriad community service projects and all the good they do for the community. Be prepared to be astonished at the selflessness of these young men and women. Below are some links to some of the things discussed in this episode: Beulah High Student Council: https://www.lee.k12.al.us/Page/6879 Relay for Life: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=relay Beulah Friends of the Community:...