ClassCast Podcast Ep.084 features Jeff Harris, President and Co-Founder of Xello, discussing college and career planning, supporting students' long-term goals, and the concept (and reality) of "future ready" students.  Jeff and host Ryan Tibbens discuss their own experiences with past versions of "career planning," why talking about and structuring long-term planning is more important than ever, and how services like Xello can serve students without over-burdening teachers and counselors. This discussion goes beyond shallow platitudes about being "future ready" and digs into how local communities and students' experiences shape their goals and options, how classical/liberal/traditional schools may need college and career planning services even more than public and STEM schools, and even how school divisions go about testing and adopting cutting edge edtech like Xello. If you are a counselor, special education transition teacher, career/technical education teacher, parent, or community member concerned about how we're preparing students for their lives beyond high school, this episode is a must-listen. You can learn more about Jeff Harris and Xello at Xello.world and through their social media accounts, including on Twitter and YouTube. 

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-8:33 -- Intro to Xello, Jeff Harris, & Helping Students Find Their Futures
2. 8:33-16:11 -- Purpose & Relevance: Student Engagement in Edtech & Career Planning *
3. 16:11-24:35 -- Who Is Involved in Most Edtech Adoptions? 
4. 24:35-26:50 -- How to Implement Xello
5. 26:50-34:57 -- The Role of College/Career Readiness in Private & Public Schools *
6. 34:57-39:30 -- The Purpose of School According to Jeff Harris
7. 39:30-45:07 -- The Dangers of College/Career Advising & Advice **
8. 45:07-55:04 -- Jeff Harris, the Student Who Needed & Created College/Career Planning **
9. 55:04-1:07:16 -- Jeff's Ideal School & the Meaning of "Future Ready" *
10. 1:07:16-1:19:24 -- Final Wrap-Up & Jeff's Book/Movie Recs

​
​​The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! 
​Donations -- large and small -- help keep this podcast independent!

ClassCast Podcast Ep.083 features Jessica Kirkland, a high school English teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia (and Twitter superstar), talking shop and exchanging ideas about improving schools, building relationships, navigating the pandemic, and much more with host Ryan Tibbens. In this laidback, funny, yet insightful discussion, you'll hear Jess proclaim that she's "pro-nonsense," share her strategies for connecting with students, divulge her secret wish to indoctrinate students (with a love for trees), and much more. Part of what makes this discussion so refreshing is that Jess has nothing to promote, nothing to sell. She has amassed over 11,000 Twitter followers in around three years just by being honest, thoughtful, and likeable -- and it all shines through in this discussion. Whether you're looking for honest perspectives on the current state of schools, a funny conversation between coworkers, or ideas about how to scale your social media presence (Jess says, "All of my demons are in the drafts"), you will love this episode.

You can learn more about Jess and follow her on Twitter @JKirk___ (three underscores, LOL). 

Table of Contents (*highlights)

1. 0:00-5:00 -- Intro to Jessica Kirkland (& Her Twitter Fame)
2. 5:00-14:20 -- Relationships & the Purpose of School According to Jess **
3. 14:20-20:13 -- Finding Our Places during the Pandemic * 
4. 20:13-27:08 -- Are Schools Still in Panic Mode?
5. 27:08-34:57 -- Forging Relationships through Masks & Screens **
6. 34:57-41:15 -- Jess Kirkland's Experience as a Student
7. 41:15-46:44 -- Should Teachers Love Their Students?
8. 46:44-54:33 -- Does Teaching Diverse Students Require Diverse Personas? *
9. 54:33-1:07:59 -- Jess's Ideal School: Specialization & Interdisciplinary Studies **
10. 1:07:59-1:15:29 -- Is Change Impossible in Public Education? *
11. 1:15:29-1:22:16 -- Jess's Outlook for 2022
12. 1:22:16-1:36:31 -- Jess's Final Thoughts, Book/Movie Recs, & Wrap-Up *

​
​​The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! 
​Donations -- large and small -- help keep this podcast independent!

ClassCast Podcast Ep.079 features host Ryan Tibbens talking about the correlation between centralized decision-making and the surge of superintendent and school board criticisms nationwide. Over the last few years, we've seen politicians, parents, and even teachers at school board meetings speak out, shout out, and even get thrown out. The complaints are as varied as Critical Race Theory, mask mandates, diverse reading lists, opening 5-days per week, gender/pronoun/bathroom policies, schools named after Confederate generals, social media use, and beyond. The one thing all these issues have in common is where the decisions are made -- at the top of the local (and sometimes state) public education hierarchy. As more and more decisions about curricular and pedagogical specifics are made at higher and higher levels, public concerns elevate, so what once would have been a quick meeting between a parent, teacher, and principal is now a loud diatribe in a public forum against bureaucrats who don't actually teach students. Too many teachers have lost autonomy in their work and faith in their systems.  Here's one teacher's take on why centralized decision-making processes have partially caused the political debates over schools and why they hurt teachers and students. 

The ClassCast Podcast streams on all major platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Stitcher, and more.  You can also find us on YouTube and at www.ClassCastPodcast.com.  Be sure to like, subscribe, follow, share, and comment wherever you listen.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the discussion and if you have any questions!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)! 
​Donations -- large and small -- help keep this podcast independent!