On this week’s episode, Deanna Ingram and Zuzi Sulcova of uBEATS (from UNO and UNMC) join us to point educators and learners alike to the tremendous online materials available for free through the uBEATS program. Listeners will learn about the health science modules uBEATS has available for grades 6-12, and not only is the content vetted by university experts, but it is also aligned with national science standards AND is FERPA and COPPA compliant. Additionally, these on-demand, asynchronous materials come with their own teacher guide!

So the only thing left to do is listen to the pod and then access the uBEATS website at https://www.unmc.edu/ubeats

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Educators everywhere are turning to Canva as their one-stop-shop for creating any one of a number of things from presentation slides to infographics to video production, editing, and more. For this episode of The Good Life EDU, we are joined by Canva Learning Consultant, Tisha Richmond, who shares her wealth of knowledge on not only what Canva can do but also where those possibilities meet the teaching and learning going on in the classroom setting. And did we mention that – best of all – CANVA for EDUCATION is FREE!

For more on Canva for Education, visit https://www.canva.com/education/

For more from Tisha Richmond, check out her site https://www.tisharichmond.com/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dr. Dan Schnoes of ESU 3 is back again this week to share his insights on a topic that was recently on the front page of the Omaha World-Herald, paying student teachers for their time spent student teaching. Here’s the link to that OWH story.

On the pod, Dan provides the backstory of this effort, the details of its implementation, and the immediate impact it has already garnered in Nebraska. Our conversation also entertains some of the potential unintended consequences in the future while also noting just how imperative it is to be innovative in how we invite new and potential teachers into the workforce.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week we welcome back Gold Bug Interactive’s CEO and Co-founder, Dr. Paul Darvasi, for an episode that illustrates how Gold Bug is designing creative learning experiences on an international scale. Throughout the pod, Paul shares about numerous projects, each with a very different aim. Despite their differences, every example has a common goal of seeking to understand and engage the learner in experiential opportunities for personal growth and to acquire new knowledge. This conversation offers listeners a chance to think about learning experience design from a lens that is outside of the traditional way we might think about education, and that perspective shift can incite new ideas and innovations in the way in which we support students and educators alike.

To learn more about Gold Bug Interactive, access https://www.goldbuginteractive.com/

To learn more about the iNaturalist app mentioned on the show, access https://www.inaturalist.org/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

On February 8th, 2023 US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited ESU 3 in Omaha, Nebraska to learn more about the innovative work being done in the state to support student and educator mental health. This episode of the pod features Dr. Dan Schnoes, CEO at ESU 3, whose advocacy led to the Secretary’s visit. We also welcome several Nebraska education leaders including Dr. Kraig Lofquist, Dr. John Skretta, Dr. Scott Blum, and Dr. McKayla LaBorde who all provide their own personal insights about this event. Additionally, Dr. Joan Wade, the Executive Director of AESA, joins us to provide some national context regarding the significance of this historic visit, the first where an acting US Secretary of Education has visited a service agency.

For more on the story of Secretary Cardona’s visit, access ESU 3’s press release: February 8, 2023 ESU #3 Visit with Secretary Cardona

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, ESU administrators Dr. Dan Schnoes, Dr. Larianne Polk, and Dr. John Skretta join the pod to inform our audience about Nebraska’s legislative process and provide insights into several key education-related bills.

Continue to follow our show as this won’t be our last update from the 2023 session!

In the show notes below, you will find several links referenced in the podcast.

• Visit the Nebraska Legislature Main Page
• Watch live sessions at the Nebraska Public Media Page
• Access the Unicameral Updates
• Bills Referenced in the Episode
  • LB48
  • LB153
  • LB324
  • LB516
  • LB527
  • LB583
  • LB638
  • LB753
  • LR24CA

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Shara Johnson of ESU 2, Matthew Burg, a business teacher at Freemont High School, and Jess Bland, superintendent at Oakland-Craig Public Schools, join us for a conversation that speaks to the impact that the learning management system, Canvas, has had in their building.

On the pod, Shara notes that schools only have until February 28th, 2023, to join the Canvas Consortium this spring to have their implementation costs covered by NDE.

To learn more, visit: Canvas Statewide Consortium – Nebraska Department of Education

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast, we are joined by the ESU 2’s own Mike Feit, Brad Hoffman, and Aryn Halsey for a conversation about their YouTube show, “Behavior Bites.” Our conversation delves into the backstory, creative process, and content that these three educators have experienced during their efforts to deliver concise, relevant, and practical strategies through this effort. Listeners should expect to learn, laugh, and hopefully derive some inspiration from the “Behavior Bites” Team as they strive to enhance their support of educators as they work with and serve students.

To access the episodes, follow this link to the ESU 2 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@educationalserviceunit2788.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week on The Good Life EDU podcast, LaRaesha Kugel of ESU 9 joins us for a conversation about supporting students who are on the autism spectrum. On the pod, LaRaesha advocates from various lenses; she’s a former teacher, an ESU instructional coach and MTSS facilitator, and the mother of a son on the spectrum. As such, LaRaesha has an intimate understanding of the numerous roles that collectively serve students with autism.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast, we are joined by educator, author, and consultant, Michael Matera for a conversation about learner engagement. Michael is a master teacher whose creativity and passion for gamification have fostered his unique perspective and approach to learning experience design. On the pod, Michael also delves into his work leading adult learning and his vision for the support he and John Meehan have built for on-demand and ongoing support for the schools and educators they support with their efforts with EMC2 Learning.

To learn more from Michael, access https://mrmatera.com/

To learn more about EMC2 Learning. access https://emc2learning.com/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download