Interviews

I recently had a chance to talk with renowned “rapping” math teacher Mark Rogers from Round Rock, Texas. Rogers shared the story of how he got his start in teaching and discussed the role humanity plays in his day-to-day activities with students. After watching the interview, check out the YouTube video displaying Mark’s creative side in education.

edCircuit recently caught up with Chad Ratliff, Director of Instructional Programs for Albermarle County Public Schools, to learn more about the district’s Startup Weekend.  Here’s our Q&A.Dr. Berger: Why organize a Startup Weekend for your teachers and what was the initial response to the idea from both teachers and administrators?

Aubrey Bach, PayScale’s Senior Editorial Manager, sat down to talk about their most recent reports informing the position of teaching and the return on investment (ROI) college students receive from their university experience. Bach also talks about upcoming studies and she discusses the results of the most and least meaningful jobs in the U.S survey recently released by PayScale. 

ASCD Faculty member Eric Carbaugh talks about Flipped Learning and provides an updated definition of what it is and is not. Carbaugh started his work in higher education as a teaching assistant for Carol Tomlinson at the University of Virginia. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor of middle, secondary, and math education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Emily Davis, ASCD Emerging Leader, is the New Teacher Center Program Director, Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley New Teacher Project. Davis is also the author of Making Mentoring Work. Davis stalks about her work and the topics currently driving education. Summary of Making Mentoring Work (published by Rowman and Littlefield): Making Mentoring Work is a practical guide for school leaders interested in beginning or enhancing their mentoring programs for new teachers. Readers can use the mentoring program rubric to pre-assess their program and then choose the chapters that correspond to areas of growth. Each chapter provides background research as well as practical steps and tools to make mentoring work in a school environment. At the end of each section, readers will find discussion guides that support program leaders in making the next steps; organizing conversations with stakeholders that will transform and streamline new teacher support programs; and increase new teacher retention and practice.

P ete Hall, ASCD Faculty member and author, talks about the role reflection plays in ones’ professional development and effectiveness in the classroom. Hall also reminisces about his path from educator to award winning administrator and the impact those experiences have had on his current efforts to support the field.Hall is the former principal of Shaw Middle School, a Title I school in Spokane (Washington) Public Schools. After a teaching career that spanned three states and included primary, intermediate, and middle school positions, Hall served as principal of Anderson Elementary School in Reno, Nevada.When he took over Anderson Elementary in 2002, it was one of the only schools in Nevada to have failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for four consecutive years. Two short years later, it was the only Title I school in the state of Nevada to earn a “high-achieving” designation.Hall teaches the capacity-building model of professional development. This emphasizes three things― identifying teachers’ strengths, maximizing their potential, and building their capacity―as a gateway to enhanced student achievement.Hall’s ASCD books, both co-authored with Alisa Simeral, are: Building Teachers’ Capacity for Success: A Collaborative Approach for Coaches and School Leaders (2008) and Teach, Reflect, Learn: Building Your Capacity for Success in the Classroom, released in April 2015.

Andy Newell, Managing Director at IRIS Connect, joined Dr. Berger to discuss the company’s new offices, expansion in the U.S. and how they help teachers take control of their own development. IRIS Connect has a long history of integrating technology into schools and districts helping to facilitate professional growth and most importantly through trust and teacher-controlled mechanisms. Using IRIS Connect, one can record lessons using easy to use video technology, reflect on their videos privately, share with colleagues, and collaborate with the IRIS Connect global community of teachers, any time anywhere.By enabling PD experiences at every stage of the Joyce and Showers framework IRIS Connect enables the personalized, contextualized interactions shown to make a real difference to teaching and learning. Learn more below:A Giant Leap for Teacher Collaboration   

I spent time speaking with Sari Factor, Edgenuity CEO, a leading voice in blended learning and educational leadership. Factor discusses the state of education, experiments with technology and new efforts to support schools. Dr. Berger: It seems districts are more willing to ask for help implementing technology.  Has this come from desperation or just experience over time with the good, bad and ugly of district-wide implementations?

Dr. Robyn Jackson, nationally accredited educator, ASCD author and CEO of Mindsteps discusses her experiences and how hard we should work in today’s educational landscape.