Building Our Super School Podcast

At Academica Media, we believe that education must go beyond the curriculum. That's why this week Lily has on two amazing principals from the Academica network: Carlos Alvarez from the City of Hialeah Educational Academy and Idalia Suarez from Somerset City Arts Conservatory. Retouching on the theme of grit, they go into how they as principals make sure that students believe in themselves and pursuing their passions, but also how they work with their teachers to make sure that this goes hand-in-hand with curriculum in the classroom. And if there's one thing they're sure about: it starts at the top. Hosts: Liliana Salazar (@SalazarLilly)

Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia or with the hashtag #BigIdeasinEducation with questions or new topics you want to see discussed. This week, the team talks about giving teachers the same platform as administrators, to make school decisions. Michael brings in his big idea about using guided meditation in the classroom, and Sarah challenges teachers to learn again! Hosts: Sarah Fye (@readwithfye), Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair), Michael Hernandez (@edtechmichael) Articles: Sarah - Learning in a Changing World by Katie Martin, featured in November/December 2018 (Volume 36, Issue 3) of Literacy Today; literacyworldwide.org Michael - https://bit.ly/2PKlLSw Ryan - https://bit.ly/2zZOVb0

Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia or with the hashtag #WWJD with questions or new topics for Judy Marty. Judy rejoins us for an in-depth look at social-emotional learning, according to CASEL. The group also discusses the rising population of students with emotional issues. Finally, Judy tackles the importance to empathy towards not only students but faculty members alike. Hosts: Liliana Salazar (@SalazarLilly)

This week, we interview a very special guest: 2019 Miss America Nia Imani Franklin. In addition to her pageant success, Nia is also an accomplished teacher and a devoted education advocate. Nia talks to Ryan about the role that arts education has played in her life, and how she has devoted herself to advancing this important cause through her work with organizations like ArtistCorps and the Success Academy Charter Schools network. You can find out more about Nia's education advocacy by visiting www.missamerica.org. Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

LIly wraps up her interview with Juan Infante and Tony Morales this week on a strong note. As we've been talking about the past couple of weeks, the brain is a very malleable thing. Juan and Tony shed more light this week on how sleeping patterns in students and anxiety levels can actually affect their ability to perform school on a neurological level. Hosts: Liliana Salazar (@SalazarLilly)

The team is back this week with a fresh set of new ideas about teaching and education. This week, Sarah brings to the table the topic of personalized learning and how it's taking over education; Ryan discusses how a flexible grading system can actually foster a better learning environment; and Mike closes the show with his big idea: teaching through video conferencing. A lot of new ideas that you could use in your classroom. Hosts: Sarah Fye (@readwithfye), Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair), Michael Hernandez (@edtechmichael)

This week on the show we continue Liliana's interview with Juan Infante and Tony Morales on the application of neuroscience to the classroom. Liliana, Juan, and Tony dissect how neuroplasticity relates to the income achievement gap between students of higher and lower income students. They also cover how cognitive biases can affect both how students and teachers interact in the class. Tune in! Hosts: Liliana Salazar (@SalazarLilly)

Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia or with the hashtag #BigIdeasinEducation with questions or new topics you want to see discussed. This week on the show, Ryan, Frankie, and Sarah are rounding up new developments in education research and charter school news. Sarah presents interesting new research about what the strongest studying practices are. Frankie introduces new experimental grade-mixing in schools and how they're producing better results than the traditional single-grade class. And Ryan talks about an amazing development this week from within our charter school network: the first high school SiriusXM radio station in America. Find the articles down below! Sarah: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/49750/a-better-way-to-study-through-self-testing-and-distributed-practice Frankie: https://www.districtadministration.com/article/breaking-age-barrier-in-k12-schools https://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/bullying-less-common-in-schools-with-larger-grade-spans/ Ryan: htt

This week, Ryan chats with Pamela Blizzard, the Founder and Managing Director of the Research Triangle High School in North Carolina. RTHS is an acclaimed public charter school that places a heavy emphasis on personalized learning, project-based learning, and technology. It does not look like, or operate like, a typical high school--and that contributes to its success. Pamela talks about what makes her school unique and provides some advice on how to implement personalized learning strategies in your own school. Find out more about Pamela's school by visiting www.researchtrianglehighschool.org. Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Our guest this week is Joy Prescott. Ms. Prescott teaches fourth grade math at the Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School in Glades County, Florida. In May of this year, Joy was named the 2019 Florida Teacher of the Year, the first charter school teacher to receive this award. On the show, Joy talks to Ryan about her unique charter school, which is located on a Seminole Reservation and specializes in using immersion-based instruction to teach its students the Creek language. Joy also reflects on her teaching philosophy, giving excellent advice on subjects like teaching math with relevancy, and how to survive your first year as a teacher. You can follow our guest on Twitter at @2019FLTOY. Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Have a big idea in education that you want discussed on the show? Tweet #bigideasineducation and let us know about it! This week, the Big Ideas Team tackles how giving students on their assignment can actually foster better, more targeted schoolwork. Going outside the box, the team dives into how competitive video game scenes are actually benefiting the students' education. Rounding everything up, they share with us recent efforts in South Florida to shape students to be engaged community members. Hosts: Sarah Boulos Fye (@readwithfye), Mike Hernandez (@_infosecmike), Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

This week, Liliana Salazar begins her first part of a three-part interview with Tony Morales and Juan Infante on the role that neuroscience plays in education. Tony, Juan, and Liliana discuss how educators can use neuroscience concepts to creative positive education outcomes for all students. They also discuss concepts like neuroplasticity and the effects of stress on student learning. Host: Liliana Salazar (@SalazarLilly)

This week, Liliana Salazar wraps up her interview series with Fernando Zulueta, President of Academica, on the role of "grit" in education. Bouncing off of Ep 2, Liliana and Fernando discuss how schools today reinforce a "Fixed Mindset" that frustrates students and restricts them from developing grit. From there, they dive into what a growth-oriented mindset looks like and how approaches to education can be tailored to shape such a mindset within students. This episode will be last iteration of the Fernando Zulueta interview series tackling the concept of grit and how if affects our education system. Hosts: Liliana Salazar (@SalazarLilly) Guests: Fernado Zulueta (@FernandoZulueta) Producers: Santiago Arias, Ryan Kairalla, Michael Hernandez

Have a big idea in education that you want discussed on the show? Tweet #bigideasineducation and let us know about it! This week, the Big Ideas Team discusses a very special classroom greeting program organized by Kindergarten students in Birchwood, Wisconsin. They also discuss a recent article in Education Week about homework in the Kindergarten level: How early is too early, and how much is too much? The show closes with a conversation about the recent announcement by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative about its new program to help teachers learn neuroscience. Articles: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Family/agree-kind-kindergartners-day/story?id=59129700 https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/11/12/kindergarten-homework-too-much-too-early.html http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2018/11/chan_zuckerberg_initiative_educational_neuroscience.html Hosts: Sarah Boulos Fye (@readwithfye), Mike Hernandez (@_infosecmike), Frankie Mestre (@frankiemestre14), Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Our guest this week is Juan Infante. Juan is a 2005 graduate of Doral Academy Charter High School and the charter-founded Doral College. Today, Juan is a senior at Harvard University and serves on the Doral College Board of Trustees. In the interview, Juan reflects on his education journey and the role that his school and community played to help him achieve success in and out of the classroom. Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Our guest this week is Miranda Murillo. Miranda is a charter school alum who is currently a senior at New York University. Miranda talks to Ryan about how her experience at Doral Academy Charter High School and the charter-founded Doral College helped prepare her for success at one of America's elite universities. Upon graduation, Miranda will be starting a position at Goldman Sachs. Miranda's story will inspire you, as she serves as a prime example of the promise of the charter movement. Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Have a big idea in education that you want discussed on the show? Tweet #bigideasineducation and let us know about it! This week, the Big Ideas Team have three discussion-worthy topics for you from this week in education. First, Sarah, Mike, and Ryan discuss the increasing role of technology in homework assignments. Technology has the potential to make homework more enriching for students, but it might also be adversely affecting students who don't have the resources at home to complete tech-heavy assignments. Our hosts also discuss effective strategies for designing group projects that maximize student learning and minimize free riders on assignments. The show closes with a discussion of mental health in schools, and the innovative initiatives that some school districts are implementing to improve student wellbeing. Hosts: Sarah Boulos Fye (@readwithfye), Mike Hernandez (@edtechmichael), Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Welcome to the Judy Marty Show! Each month, host Liliana Salazar will interview Judy on topics that matter to herself and you. Judith Marty is the Chief Academic Officer for 30 Mater Academy Charter Schools and the Chair of the Board for 14 Pinecrest Academy Charter Schools located in Florida and Nevada. She was the founder and principal of Mater Academy Middle/High School, from 2002 to 2017. Through her leadership and efforts, this 99% minority school, which serves approximately 3400 students, has been named one of the top high schools in the Nation by US News and World Report and Newsweek. Judy has devoted her entire professional life to serving students in pursuit of academic success. She has worked in elementary, middle, high school and college settings. She continues to prove that minority students can successfully perform at high academic levels. Through high expectations, she has significantly diminished the achievement gap of minority students. On this month's episode, Judy dives into her background

Our guest this week is Alexandra Prieto, principal of the Somerset Miramar charter school in Broward County, Florida. This month, Somerset Miramar will be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2018. Ms. Prieto shares her insight on the strategies she employs at her school that have led to student success. Investing in faculty retention and parent involvement play a big role. Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

This week, Liliana continues her interview with Academica President Fernando Zulueta about grit. In this episode, Fernando discusses the role that grit plays in effecting significant socioeconomic changes through education, particularly with regard to closing the achievement gap. He also discusses the value of "deliberate practice" in improving skills both in and out of the classroom. Host: Liliana Salazar (@SalazarLilly)