Podcast
Education Talk Radio
Hosted by EDUCATION TALK RADIO PRE K -20 · EN
The voice of the American Consortium for Equity in Education at ace-ed.org | Host Larry Jacobs facilitates rich discussions with innovative educators, thought leaders, authors and the leaders within the education industry to promote equity, access and opportunity for every student in every school.
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
When the Community Becomes the Classroom with Dr. Carol Burks & Rebecca Bodnar
3d ago00:32:47Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Dr. Carol Burks, Superintendent of the Allentown School District, and Rebecca Bodnar, Principal of Central Elementary STREAM Academy, share how a partnership with the Da Vinci Science Center has transformed the learning experience for elementary students. By making the Science Center an official secondary campus, students regularly move beyond the classroom to apply their learning through hands-on investigations, engineering challenges, media production, and real-world exploration.The conversation explores how interdisciplinary learning can help more students see themselves in science, why authentic application deepens understanding, and what happens when schools intentionally connect learning to careers, community, and student interests. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →Future 2: Building Human Advantage in an AI-Enabled World with Mike Miles
1w ago00:37:48Tap to summarizeArtificial intelligence is changing how we think about teaching, learning, and the future of work. As schools begin introducing AI literacy and new technologies, a deeper question is emerging: What human qualities become even more valuable in an AI-enabled world?In this conversation, Mike Miles, Superintendent of Houston ISD, shares the thinking behind Future 2—an initiative that responds to AI not by centering technology, but by intentionally building the human competencies students will need to thrive alongside it.Rather than focusing solely on AI tools, Future2 expands opportunities for critical thinking, communication, collaboration, design thinking, emotional intelligence, and real-world experiences, while continuing to strengthen core academics. Mike explains why these competencies are becoming central to the curriculum, how Houston is embedding them into the school day, and why he believes schools must prepare students not simply to use AI, but to work, create, and lead in a world where AI is everywhere. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →UDL: Accessibility by Design with CAST's Christine Fox & Niel Albero
2w ago00:37:27Tap to summarizeEvery classroom is filled with learner variability, yet many educational systems are still designed around the idea of an "average" student. What if we approached learning differently? What if accessibility wasn't something we added after students struggled, but something we designed for from the very beginning?In this episode, David sits down with Christine Fox, Chief Growth & Innovation Officer at CAST, and Niel Albero, Professional Learning Specialist at CAST, to explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—a framework that encourages educators to proactively design learning environments that embrace learner variability, reduce barriers, and build student agency.Christine and Niel also share details about UDL-Con Live Online, taking place July 21–22, where educators, leaders, researchers, and innovators from around the world will come together to explore Universal Design for Learning in practice.🎟️ Education Talk Radio listeners can save 10% on registration using promo code: PL10Learn more and register at udlcon.cast.org. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →Chronic Absenteeism: The Relationship Behind the Absence with Jen Perry
3w ago00:35:23Tap to summarizeChronic absenteeism is often treated as an attendance problem, but is often a signal of something deeper.In this conversation, strategic learning and leadership advisor Jen Perry explores the relationship between student connection and attendance, why schools often miss the early warning signs of disengagement, and how relationship-centered approaches can help educators identify and support students before absence becomes chronic. Together, we examine what attendance data can—and cannot—tell us, and why improving attendance may begin with helping every student feel seen, known, and connected. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →Teaching What Matters Most in the Age of AI with Troy Jollimore
Jun 1900:34:31Tap to summarizeArtificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we access information, complete tasks, and even create work. But what happens when the things technology can do begin to overlap with the things we once believed were essential to learning?In this conversation, Professor Troy Jollimore explores the difference between knowing and understanding, how learning alongside other human beings shapes not only what students know but what they come to value, and why education may be about far more than acquiring information or producing outcomes. Together, we examine what becomes most important to teach—and most important to preserve—as education enters the age of AI. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →Seeing the Child Behind the Outcome with Alexander Kopelman
Jun 1200:34:04Tap to summarizeSchools are under enormous pressure to produce outcomes—test scores, graduation rates, and college readiness indicators. But what happens when those outcomes become the primary lens through which we see young people?In this conversation, Alexander Kopelman, founder of the Children's Art Guild and author of For Real: Helping Children Remain Their Authentic Selves in a Limiting World, explores the messages children receive about who they're supposed to be, why authenticity matters in learning, and how educators can create spaces where students are valued not just for what they achieve, but for who they are becoming. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →EduTalk Radio — Meet the New Host, David Cicero
Jun 500:06:49Tap to summarizeJethro Jones introduces David Cicero as the new host of EduTalk Radio, taking over from the legendary Larry Jacobs and his 4,000+ episode archive. EduTalk is open for guests! Contact David at dciceroedutalk@gmail.com or edutalk@bpodcast.network. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →De Facto Leaders: Using Recess to Build Social Skills and Help Students Discover their Leadership Potential with Elizabeth Cushing of Playworks
May 1500:53:41Tap to summarizeRecess is often thought of as an “extra” activity in the school day. Sometimes it’s even taken away from students as a punishment. In this episode recorded for De Facto Leaders, host Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan talks to Elizabeth Cushing, CEO of Playworks, to understand why recess is actually an integral part of the school day. In fact, it can help students feel connected and reduce chronic absenteeism. The conversation covers:Simple ways educators can set expectations and rules to create structure and a sense of safety around recessHow to use play as a reset and a preventative measure, instead of something that’s taken away from kids as a punishmentHow training kids as peer coaches can help decrease disruptive behaviors and help kids discover their own leadership potentialLearn more about Playworks on their website at: https://www.playworks.org/Resources mentioned in this interview include:Comprehensive Game Guide that Outlines Games Across Grade Levels: https://www.playworks.org/indiana/game-guide/The sister website for Playworks with tools for assessing the health of your school’s recess: https://www.recesslab.org/ We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
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Inside OpenAI’s Codex Party with Aaron Makelky
May 1300:56:27Tap to summarizeThis week, we're sharing a timely conversation from Artificial Intelligence: Real Talk, part of the BE Podcast Network. Host Jethro Jones talks with Aaron Makelky, a former Wyoming educator who now works in the AI and media technology space, about what he learned after attending OpenAI’s Codex event in San Francisco. The conversation gives educators and school leaders a look inside the world of AI power users—and, more importantly, what that world means for classrooms, students, and the future of learning. Aaron and Jethro discuss how tools like Codex, Claude, and other AI agents are changing the way people build, write, design, automate, and learn. They also explore one of the biggest challenges facing schools right now: the gap between students and educators who are experimenting deeply with AI and those who are still unsure where to begin. This episode is especially relevant for educators, administrators, ed tech leaders, and anyone thinking about AI literacy, responsible use, access, opportunity, and how schools can prepare students for a world where these tools are becoming part of everyday work. Topics include: What happened at OpenAI’s Codex event and why it matters for education How AI power users are combining multiple tools to solve real problems Why AI is still too often framed only as cheating in schools What educators need to understand about AI agents and workflow automation The growing gap between early adopters and everyday users How schools can help students use AI for learning, not shortcuts Why the most valuable role may be translating AI advances into practical classroom and organizational use Guest: Aaron Makelky Learn more at aaronmakelky.com. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
Transcribe →The Authority: The Schools Our Students Deserve with Mario Acosta
Apr 1500:55:39Tap to summarizeDr. Mario Acosta spent 20 years of his educational career as a teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, academic director, and principal leading schools with diverse profiles. He was named the 2022 Principal of the Year in the state of Texas while he was the principal at Westwood High School, a U.S. News & World Report top-50 campus and member of the High Reliability Schools (HRS) Network.His latest book is The Schools Our Students Deserve: A Comprehensive Framework for Shaping Exceptional School Culture.In this episode, recorded for The Authority Podcast, Mario and host Ross Romano discuss:What are the schools our students deserve? Are we asking this question enough?The current state of schools and identifying the gapsOutcomes students deserve…The values to center in a school’s cultureMany schools saw temporary bursts of innovation after the pandemic, but struggled to sustain them. How can leaders build on the urgency of that moment and create lasting change?How does a leader take charge of the culture? Building support from the communityAttracting high-quality educators and retaining them long-termAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt
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