The pandemic has taught us many things, one being there is a lot of confusion around what effective blended learning really looks like. What are some actionable strategies for integrating technology in the classroom and supporting blended learning? Listen as LeiLani talks with two pros, Alexis Treat, Sr. Director of Literacy Curriculum and Meg Van Voorhis, Director of Professional Learning from Lexia who share stories and tips.  As definitions of blended learning, simultaneous teaching, synchronous teaching, hybrid learning, flipped learning and more of the latest trends get discussed by schools it all comes down to what’s real and what isn’t for teachers’ workload and workflow.

Longtime friend and great intellect Drew Hinds, Executive Director of Technology Services from Huntington Beach City School District in California, discusses with LeiLani the idea of Hybrid Logistics as an answer to the huge disruption of how schools use time and space now.  The student requirement for significant flexibility is here, and what does that mean for schools?  What does personalization really mean now, since the pandemic?  LeiLani mentions the “real definition” of personalization comes from the consumer world.   Drew goes further and indicates he believes a digital wrap-around of A.I.-driven resources unique to students, while still having a need for human interface, is on the horizon.  “Teachers would say they can differentiate,” says Drew, “it involves trying to shoot towards the middle,” for students.  “But it’s always to the middle…” 

LeiLani Cauthen discusses what EduJedi are seeing for changes in expectations and what schools will need to do to overcome “hidden” frictions. She also brings up “infinity scale logic” versus binary logic and why it is important to be familiar with it to address cultural shifts in schools. Listen to also find out the “two modes” of communications patterns for students today.

What if testing was more human centric and not so scary and indiscriminate? Listen to this discussion about bringing back meaning to assessments through new skills in data and logic that work even in distance learning scenarios. EduJedi LeiLani Cauthen interviews CEO Laura Slover and Joey Web, Director of Academic Services, of CenterPoint Education Solutions.

Schools now have a big worry about lack of learning because students just can’t see or hear well, either because of masks and plexiglass everywhere on site or from a distance over video feeds. Guest Daniel Kleman and EduJedi LeiLani Cauthen discuss things like invisible sound bubbles that block background noise, artificial intelligence managing audio beams so the teacher is heard by all and students don’t get left behind.

EduJedi LeiLani Cauthen and Fred King from Cisco discuss the “why” of simultaneous teaching in a live classroom plus via video online feels a lot like going on stage. Behavior tends to change when cameras are panning, tilting, zooming, so a new Cisco solution modifies all that with a stationary “quad-cam” and audio detection that auto-creates a split-screen and software manages everything. Plus comments about how it all mitigates cyberbullying, does auto-translations and closed captioning, plus helps with data privacy and averting data loss. New tech is so cool!

Let’s hear from a technical expert on K12 school security about the big picture on information security.  LeiLani interviews Doug Walsten from Cisco who mentions both data-at-rest and data-in-motion with regards to school data, which most school and district leaders know is “everywhere” in their systems, in the cloud, or on some teacher’s desktop.  All of it has encompassing laws that need to be considered by leaders since schools are using thousands of Apps and many major systems that hold personal information of students.  Listen to this podcast for an excellent sketch of concerns accompanied by various stories about what goes on in schools and some trends.

Schools are bringing on professional grade digital curriculum and aiming at true personalization.  LeiLani hosts Liz Brooke and Michele Eaton, Director of Virtual And Blended Learning from the M.S.D. of Wayne Township.  This discussion about what software can do in schools reveals how leaders are trying to balance human teaching within a new context of real personalization because of more sophisticated software so that they can rid themselves of systemic inequities.  

The transformation of learning where suddenly students and teachers are not physically together has driven widespread use of video conferencing.  Screen fatigue complaints and disengagement were center stage early on, but certain folks like Suzanne Phillips rode in to show how to do it right.  LeiLani interviews Suzanne Phillips from Cisco Webex who has focused on creating tips and resources for teachers, by learning from successful educators worldwide.  Teaching virtually can still be human with real connection, provided simple workflows and special tricks are used to create a learning ambiance.  Who would have predicted that since the pandemic, over one million views of educator video conferencing tips would have happened in just a few months?

Esports is the new “hook” to keep students working in other subjects despite being remote or partially physically attending schools in some sort of hybrid schedule.  LeiLani discusses the emerging ultra-significance of esports and gaming in K12 education with Dr. Miles Harvey, 8^th Grade Video Game-Based Learning and Esports Coach, Albuquerque Public Schools and Luke Stebick, Account Executive at TIG.  Hear them talk about the real-life workings of student attendance and engagement because of esports, getting started as a school, and what sort of life-long opportunities are out there for students.