Big Ideas in Education
A weekly recap of inspiration and innovation in your schools. Hosted by a panel of education experts, Big Ideas features fun and freewheeling discussion, interviews with influencers, and news items to inform and entertain education professionals and supporters.
Episodes
July 7, 2025 • 21 mins
BIIE 227: Today’s Education Field and Advice with Dr. Jodi Blinco
This week, Ryan sits with Dr. Jodi Blinco, the founder of The U School and a sought-after education consultant and leader. They discuss challenges facing schools today and staying resilient, cultivating an effective staff and minimizing turnover, her mantra “controlling the controllables,” advice for young education professionals, and more. Tune in!
Don’t just listen,...
This week, Ryan sits with Dr. Jodi Blinco, the founder of The U School and a sought-after education consultant and leader. They discuss challenges facing schools today and staying resilient, cultivating an effective staff and minimizing turnover, her mantra “controlling the controllables,” advice for young education professionals, and more. Tune in!
Don’t just listen,...
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June 2, 2025 • 13 mins
BIIE 226: Mentorship for K-12 Students with Jermaine Myrie
This week, Ryan sits with Jermaine Myrie, the CEO of MENTOR, a national nonprofit that focuses on fueling high-quality relationship-centered practices for young people and uniting, expanding, and strengthening the mentoring movement. They discuss examples of effective K-12 mentorship, impacts on student outcomes, internal and external mentors, school involvement, MENTOR cele...
This week, Ryan sits with Jermaine Myrie, the CEO of MENTOR, a national nonprofit that focuses on fueling high-quality relationship-centered practices for young people and uniting, expanding, and strengthening the mentoring movement. They discuss examples of effective K-12 mentorship, impacts on student outcomes, internal and external mentors, school involvement, MENTOR cele...
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May 5, 2025 • 18 mins
BIIE 225: K-12 Risk Management and Insurance with Jonathan Schreter
This week, Ryan sits with Jonathan Schreter, the Executive Vice President at IMA Financial Group and a leading insurance broker for charter and independent K-12 schools. Jonathan is also a Certified Insurance Counselor with the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Resource. They discuss why insurance is a must-have for charter and independent K-12s, making ...
This week, Ryan sits with Jonathan Schreter, the Executive Vice President at IMA Financial Group and a leading insurance broker for charter and independent K-12 schools. Jonathan is also a Certified Insurance Counselor with the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Resource. They discuss why insurance is a must-have for charter and independent K-12s, making ...
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April 7, 2025 • 15 mins
BIIE 224: Addressing the Teacher Shortage Today with Nicola Soares
This week, Ryan sits with Nicola Soares, the President of Kelly Education, the country’s largest staffing provider. Nicola has advanced a wide range of potential solutions to address educator shortages. They discuss where the shortage stands today, strategies to find new talent and retain veteran educators, professional development opportunities, and the role Kelly E...
This week, Ryan sits with Nicola Soares, the President of Kelly Education, the country’s largest staffing provider. Nicola has advanced a wide range of potential solutions to address educator shortages. They discuss where the shortage stands today, strategies to find new talent and retain veteran educators, professional development opportunities, and the role Kelly E...
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March 10, 2025 • 28 mins
BIIE 223: Trauma-Informed Classrooms with Dr. Robyn Koslowitz
This week, Ryan sits with renowned clinical psychologist and parenting educator Robyn Koslowitz. Dr. Koslowitz is also the host of the Post-Traumatic Parenting Podcast, a program that helps parents navigate giving their children a healthy childhood in the face of traumatic events. Dr. Koslowitz shares how the COVID pandemic exacerbated trauma, parenting with trauma, step...
This week, Ryan sits with renowned clinical psychologist and parenting educator Robyn Koslowitz. Dr. Koslowitz is also the host of the Post-Traumatic Parenting Podcast, a program that helps parents navigate giving their children a healthy childhood in the face of traumatic events. Dr. Koslowitz shares how the COVID pandemic exacerbated trauma, parenting with trauma, step...
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March 3, 2025 • 17 mins
BIIE 222: Supporting Students Through Reading Fluency featuring Lyn Wetzel
This week, Ryan sits with Lyn Wetzel, the Curriculum Specialist at the Sequoia Pathfinder Academy at Eastmark, a public charter school in Arizona that specializes in STEAM Learning. Lyn shares about Sequoia Pathfinder and its tight-knit atmosphere, building foundational reading skills and fluency, programs such as Science on Wheels and WordFlight, supporting...
This week, Ryan sits with Lyn Wetzel, the Curriculum Specialist at the Sequoia Pathfinder Academy at Eastmark, a public charter school in Arizona that specializes in STEAM Learning. Lyn shares about Sequoia Pathfinder and its tight-knit atmosphere, building foundational reading skills and fluency, programs such as Science on Wheels and WordFlight, supporting...
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February 24, 2025 • 19 mins
This week, Ryan sits with Dusty Moore, CEO of CTE learning solutions provider iCEV, and Dr. Jeff Crapper, award-winning STEM & CTE educator. Dusty and Dr. Crapper share how they got started in the CTE field and the current state of the healthcare industry. Dr. Crapper shares examples of hands-on learning opportunities in the classroom and Dusty discusses iCEV’s curricular offerings to get started. Tune in!
You can learn more ab...
You can learn more ab...
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September 9, 2024 • 18 mins
This week, Ryan sits with Ulysses Navarrete, the Executive Director of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS). Ulysses talks about his journey to this role, his extensive private sector experience, and how he plans to apply it in advancing ALAS's mission. Ulysses also talks about his leadership mantra, "Make It About Them Always," and discusses his top priorities as the new executive director. Tune in!
D...
D...
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September 2, 2024 • 20 mins
This week, Ryan sits with Nate Moore, the Director of Technology at Kearsley Community Schools in Flint, Michigan. Nate talks about the challenges and opportunities that come with managing school technology, strategies for getting reluctant teachers on board with new tools, and some of the most impactful tech adoptions that are easy for teachers to implement. Nate also shares his favorite examples of how technology is enhancing cla...
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This week, Ryan sits with Eric Walters, the Director of STEM Education at Marymount School in New York City. Eric shares his insights on the importance of engaging girls in STEM and how he leverages real-world applications to make STEM subjects more relatable and impactful. Eric also talks about the role of Vernier’s video analysis software in enhancing STEM learning experiences at Marymount and discuss the innovative STEM YouTube ...
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May 21, 2024 • 18 mins
This week, Ryan sits with Dr. Maria Armstrong, the Executive Director of ALAS. Dr. Armstrong talks about her role and highlights her accomplishments during her time at ALAS. Dr. Armstrong also talks about ALAS' mission, initiatives, and outcomes from the event, emphasizing their commitment to equity in education. Tune in!
Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia or with the hashtag #BigIdeasinEducation ...
Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia or with the hashtag #BigIdeasinEducation ...
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This week, Ryan sits with Dr. Sydney Schaef, Managing Director of reDesign, an education design consultancy. Dr. Schaef talks about reDesign's Future9 competencies, aimed at equipping educators and system leaders with the skills needed for competency-based education. Dr. Sydney also shares notable success stories and examples from educational systems that have embraced competency-based education. Tune in!
You can find out more about...
You can find out more about...
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April 22, 2024 • 19 mins
This week, Sarah talks about global citizenship in education and explores the often-overlooked stories and practices that permeate teaching, focusing on critical thinking, conflict resolution, and intercultural understanding. Ryan talks about an article from Edutopia that challenges common educational myths, "task-related drawing” and "round robin reading" as a more effective instructional approach. Tune in!
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Don't just listen, join ...
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April 15, 2024 • 17 mins
This week, Ryan sits with Dr. Andi Morency, the Executive Director and Principal of the Honors Academy of Literature charter school in Reno, Nevada. Dr. Morency talks about the unique approach her school takes in integrating evidence-based practices and literature into their curriculum. Dr. Morency also talks about the AI-driven professional development model, which leverages the Edthena platform to enhance teacher growth and stude...
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April 8, 2024 • 22 mins
This week, Ryan talks about the impact of 4-day school weeks, examining Colorado's 27J district's experience and academic outcomes.Sarah talks about Tommy Orange's inspiring visit to a Bronx school, emphasizing the importance of connecting literature to students' experiences for transformative learning. Tune in!
Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia or with the hashtag #BigIdeasinEducation with questi...
Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia or with the hashtag #BigIdeasinEducation with questi...
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April 4, 2024 • 17 mins
This week, Ryan is joined by Marshall Simmonds, the Vice President of Sales for Scribbles Software, a prominent provider of K-12 software solutions. Marshall talks about the challenges schools face with document management, discussing issues like uploading and searching documents efficiently. Marshall also talks about the limitations of commercially available document storage platforms in the K-12 setting and highlights recent upda...
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March 25, 2024 • 24 mins
This week, Sarah talks about the integration of AI in mathematics, emphasizing its applications in the field and alignment with educational values and goals. This approach allows educators to be at the forefront of utilizing AI to enhance learning experiences. Ryan talks about the trend in schools across the country toward the removal of lockers. New school constructions are opting for locker-free designs in favor of collaborative ...
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March 18, 2024 • 19 mins
This week, Ryan sits down with Telannia Norfar, a National Board Certified math teacher and the curriculum director of PBL Works. Telannia shares her insights on the benefits and effectiveness of project-based learning, highlighting what she enjoys most about it. Telannia also talks about how educators can reimagine math through this approach, offering valuable resources to enhance the impact of math lessons. Tune in!
You can find ...
You can find ...
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March 11, 2024 • 23 mins
This week, Ryan sits with Chad Lewis, the Director of Technology at Tampa Preparatory School in Florida. Chad talks about the key aspects of virtual filmmaking and explores the role of artificial intelligence in the creative process. Chad also talks about the future of films and shares advice for schools eager to set up similar programs on their campus. Tune in!
Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia ...
Don't just listen, join the conversation! Tweet us at @AcademicaMedia ...
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March 4, 2024 • 19 mins
This week, Ryan talks about giving students more opportunities for personal essay writing throughout their K-12 careers to improve writing skills and present a valuable opportunity for teachers to get to know their students better. Sarah talks about a traumatic experience at school, underscoring the critical importance of CPR training and the implementation of life safety education within schools. Tune in!
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Don't just listen, join t...
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