In this episode, educator, author, and speaker John Spencer joins us to preview his upcoming keynote message and afternoon workshop that he will deliver at this year’s Future Ready Nebraska Conference on June 13th and 14th, 2022. John shares on the topic of choice and voice along with advocating for frameworks such as project-based learning and genius hour.

If you’re interested in participating in the Future Ready Nebraska Conference, you can register to join in-person or remotely at https://nefutureready.com/

For additional info, resources, blogs, and more from John Spencer check out https://spencerauthor.com/blog/

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This episode is the third of five pods we are hosting with the NDE SEED Team on their work with the Nebraska Teacher and Principal Performance Standards (NTPPS). Julie Downing, Kim Snyder, and Ryan Ricenbaw join us this week to discuss the upcoming Educator Effectiveness Summit on June 16 & 17, 2022.

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In this episode, we feature ESU 9’s efforts to support the mental health and wellness of the students in their region through their special services, specifically discussing their LIMHP and LMHP supports. Joe Haney, the Director of Special Services at ESU 9, along with Liesel Hogan, a licensed independent mental health practitioner at ESU 9, speak to their experiences serving and supporting schools in this critical area of education.

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In this week’s episode, Dr. John Skretta, administrator of ESU 6 and all-around ed advocate in our state, joins the show to provide a detailed summary of the education-related legislation that was passed into law during the 2022 session in Nebraska.

For information specific to each bill, you can follow the timestamps associated with each in the notes below.

Legislative Bill #: Time in the Episode

LB 852: 20:18

LB 1112: 22:25

LB 1143 & 1146: 27:45

LB 1034: 29:52

LB 1218: 32:14

LB 945: 35:47

LR 374: 38:51

LR 397: 40:40

LR 401: 41:10

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What a fun episode this week as Alison Smith of ESU 16 and Mellissa Donohoe of Mullen Public Schools joined us to share their story of how our ESUs support professional learning in Nebraska with personalized professional learning. In this episode, Mellissa explains how she capitalized upon her PLC’s learning and implemented strategies that enhanced engagement, learner motivation, and the culture in her business class.

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In this episode, Julie Downing and Kim Snyder of the NDE SEED Team discuss how school leaders can take action to retain teachers and recruit the best new hires by fostering for their staff a sense of belonging, having a voice, feeling supported, and receiving excellent professional development. Julie and Kim speak from their lens as a part of the educator effectiveness team, a group charged with developing the teacher and principal standards in Nebraska.

To learn more about the NDE SEED Team and/or to contact its members directly, please visit https://cdn.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Educator-Effectiveness.Utilizing-Supporting-Educator-Effectiveness-through-Development-S.E.E.D.-to-Grow-Systems.pdf

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This week, Julie Downing of ESU 13 kicks off a five-part pod series that communicates the various aspects of the NDE SEED Team’s work. In this episode, she is joined by Kellen Conroy, our SDA chair from ESU 1, and Brooke Kavan of ESU 7. Together, they share how our ESU staff developers are able to integrate the educator effectiveness lens into their conversations and cognitive coaching when those individuals meet with and support schools and teachers in their respective regions of Nebraska.

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ESU 3’s Aaron Bredenkamp joins The Good Life EDU this week for a conversation on the MTSS work being done in region 3 and across the state of Nebraska. This is an insightful and fun conversation that explores how the MTSS umbrella can unify a school or district and its various initiatives under a mindset of continuous improvement across all facets that support learner growth and achievement.

NeMTSS Framework Website Link

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This week, immersive learning enthusiast, Jaime Donally, joins us again for an episode on the impact of augmented reality and virtual reality in education today. We also devote some time to discussing the metaverse and the future potential learning opportunities that technology might provide.

To learn more from Jaime through her collective works and the #31DaysofARVRinEDU initiative, visit her website at https://www.arvrinedu.com/

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