Today we are talking Agency with our friend Lara! We talk getting outside, the best ways we can show up for children, and how we teach students to learn about their own needs. About Laura Lara Lloyd The Forest School Lady and Owner of Park Hall Forest SchoolAfter living in Finland, Lara was a traditional Primary School teacher in strict Private schools who was always trying to find an excuse to flee the classroom and get outside. She now runs a year-round, fully outdoor early years ...
This is part two of our conversation. If you haven't yet listened to part one, you'll want to start there. In this episode, we discuss the concept of control in educational settings, drawing insights from our observations in Icelandic schools. We highlight how Icelandic schools foster autonomy and responsibility in children, allowing them to manage their own time and decisions, such as meal choices and transitions. We touch on the curriculum we learned about from our observations and conversa...
On this episode of Teach Wonder, we focus on power and control through the context of our trip to Iceland. Listen to stories about the classrooms and patterns that we saw. Hear us talk about how we experienced control and agency in Iceland and how it has changed and challenged our thinking. The majority of the music and sounds in our episode today are audio clips from our trip. The artist referenced is Jounsi from Sigur Rós. Clips are from schools in and around Reykjavík. Additional back...
In this podcast episode, we discuss competence. We know that children are inherently capable, so we discuss our role in championing students as sense makers. We are joined by Dr. Corey Drake who has some powerful reminders about the importance of recognizing and valuing diverse ways children demonstrate understanding, rather than just focusing on what they can't do. Our conversation underscores the need for educators to shift their mindset to believe in all students' competence and provide mu...
This week we are resharing episodes recorded last fall. Julie and I are heading to Iceland this week with Dr. Tracy Donahue. We thought that resharing these episodes was the perfect way for us to reintroduce Tracy and her work to you all. During a season that is all about agency- Tracy’s work considers this all through the lens of play. As an early childhood educator not early childhood education faculty member, we first partners with Tracy at this intersection of play and agency. If you're i...
So this semester we are focusing on agency. We’re interested in taking a deeper look at the foundational beliefs and ideas that shape our classrooms. One way that we are doing this offline in through a partnership with Dr. Tracy Donahue. You’ll more about her in a minute, as we reshare a conversation with had with her last fall. We’ve never repeated a podcast episode before, but this week felt like the right time as our grant work with Tracy has us researching what education is like outside o...
The podcast discusses the importance of agency in education and how the physical environment, routines, and intentional choices can encourage or discourage student agency. We share examples from our experiences in the makerspace, our classrooms, and other informal settings. We highlight the importance of carefully designing the learning environment, both physically and procedurally, to empower students and foster their sense of ownership and independence.Intro Music: David BiedenbenderOt...
We're back for another seasion of Teach Wonder, and we are exploring the concept of "agency" in education - the idea of giving students more choice, control, and ownership over their learning. We discuss how agency is often talked about in education, but can be challenging to implement effectively We share examples from their own experiences, like in a makerspace setting, where they had to rethink how they structured activities to promote agency. Overall, our discussion focuses on the nuances...
In our series, "From Theory to Practice," we're thrilled to reconnect with some of our CMU Alumni, who we got to know through out STEM Education Scholar Program. Today, we shine the spotlight on Sara Fitzpatrick, a former math teacher and current school counselor. Links: From Theory to Practice: Bailey Birman (STEM Education Scholars Series 1) From Theory to Practice: Ryan Stevens (STEM Education Scholar Series 2) Intro Music: David Biedenbender Music by Artem Hramushkin from ...
In our series, "From Theory to Practice," we're thrilled to reconnect with some of our CMU Alumni, who we got to know through out STEM Education Scholar Program. Today, we shine the spotlight on Ryan Stevens a middle school math and STEM teacher. Join us as we delve into Ryan's journey from student to teacher, exploring the invaluable lessons learned and the profound impact of his CMU experience on his teaching philosophy and practices.Ryan's LinksMavinEdison RobotsOur Links: Teach...
We caught up with some of our CMU Alumni, the students who we got to know well as STEM Education Scholars. Bailey Birman is teaches math at an alternative high school in Michigan. She shares the ways in which she felt prepared to teach and what has been a learning curve. Her thoughts on keeping a healthy boundary between her classroom and her life as well why she is excited to stay in such a challenging profession are worth the listen. Intro Music: David BiedenbenderOther Music: Pixabay&...
We wrap up our assessment series by talking with Nicole Hagle. Nicole shares her strategies for looking at proficiencies instead of points. We talk about what happens when students do not understand the grading system and what we can do to help. Other Episodes on Assessment: Healthy Grading Practices: Perspectives from a Secondary TeacherAssessment in Elementary Assessing Multiple Grades and Skills TranscriptIntro Music:David BiedenbenderOther Music: Pixabay Find us on social...
We're continuing our conversation on assessment with multi-age teacher, Tammy Clingenpeel. We talk about making "just in time" accommodations, how to differentiate assessment within a fixed curriciulum, and how Tammy's teaching has changed over time. This episode is a thoughtful reflection from a thoughtful teacher. We know you'll love it. Intro Music: David BiedenbenderOther Music: Pixabay Find us on social media: Instagram: cmichceseFacebook: cmich_cese
We're back and talking assessment with elementary teacher Bryant Greiner. We talk assessment strategies for math and reading and the skills we build in elementary. Bryant's warm and enthusiasm for learning about his students skills and personalities is a great reminder of how building relationships with students must be factored into every aspect of teaching and learning. Tune in to hear tips and ideas that would work for any grade level! Intro Music: David BiedenbenderOther Music:&...
We hope you enjoy our interview with June Teisan. She's a long-time educator and a life-long learner. We discuss the 3Ps of project, place, and problem based learning. LinksNCWITInnovatED 313Music: Intro Music: David BiedenbenderOther Music: Oleksandr Savochka, Sergii Pavkin from PixabayFind us on social media: Instagram: cmichceseFacebook: cmich_cese
How do we communicate student growth? Is that the same as work ethic? The same as effort? Our conversation with teacher Aric Foster gets us thinking about what makes a healthy grading practice. Our Email: cese@cmich.edu Intro Music: David BiedenbenderOther Music: Pixabay Find us on social media: Instagram: cmichceseFacebook: cmich_cese
We spoke with Lizzie Dilg, director of the Discovery Museum in Mt. Pleasant Michigan. We discussed how museums are designed to foster learning and how we can learn from the way informal educators approach children. Museum Links: Discovery Museum on FacebookDiscovery Museum Website Discovery Museum on InstagramSTEM PassportMusic Intro: David BiedenbenderOther sounds: Pixabay Find us on social media: Instagram: cmichceseFacebook: cmich_cese
Julie and Ashley are back for another season of Teach Wonder. Listen as we talk about what teaching lessons we've learned this summer and some fun takes on our adventures in reading. Links: Unearthing Joy The WagerAscendant Intro Music: David BiedenbenderOther Music: Pixabay Find us on social media: Instagram: cmichceseFacebook: cmich_cese
Today we're talking with Dr. Tracy Donohue. Join our guest as they reflect on their professional experiences and how they have prepared them to work with teacher education students who are learning to teach through play. As you listen, we invite you to also reflect on the background you bring to education, how you value play and what you would be willing to investigate to challenge yourself in these areas.Introduction Music: David BiedenbenderFind us on social media: Instagram: cmichceseFaceb...
Role playing games and story? Yes. Role playing games and fantasy? Obviously. But role playing games and STEM? Find out why we say- absolutely! Our interview with Mike Reuter focuses role playing games and their possibilities with students. Owner of Raconteurs of the High Road, Mike draws on his experience leading middle & high school and adult groups in popular role playing campaigns. We talk about the skills and surprises that come with engaging in this activity with students. Whe...