What does it mean to be “good” with technology? What are the 5 hidden habits of tech-savvy teens? How can educators and parents support technology learning habits in young people?

In this episode, we sat down with Cassidy Puckett, assistant professor of sociology at Emory University. Cassidy is the author of REDEFINING GEEK: Bias and the Five Hidden Habits of Tech-Savvy Teens. Cassidy brings us research findings on digital equity; tangible tips for supporting young people of all backgrounds as they navigate (and build) technology; and suggestions on how we adults can reframe our understanding of what is the root cause of the STEM pipeline issue.

Connect on Social Media:

• Twitter: @CassidyCody | #RedefiningGeek
• Instagram: @redefining.geek
• LinkedIn: Cassidy Puckett

Check out Cassidy Puckett’s research, books, and more on her website!

Additional Resources:

• PBS NewsHour interview: As colleges and universities drop admission tests, what’s the impact on enrollment?
• Read the book: Redefining Geek Bias and the Five Hidden Habits of Tech-Savvy Teens

Use the code UCPSOC for 20% off the book.
A portion of the proceeds goes to Urban Promise Academy in Oakland, CA!

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Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a certain issue? Send us your questions! Your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/LetsK12BetterMail!
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Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley.
The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.

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“Social Studies is the curriculum of how we live our life.” YES!

In this episode, we sat down with veteran educators Joe Schmidt and Nichelle Pinkney, co-authors of Civil Discourse Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities. How do we leverage intellectual discomfort to grow and challenge ourselves and each other? What is the role of civil discourse in the social studies classroom and in other important spaces? Joe and Nichelle discuss how we work together to be better and why we need to build the skills to courageously engage in challenging and transformative conversations.

Connect on Social Media:

• Follow Joe on Twitter: @madisonteacher
• Follow Nichelle on Twitter: @msnikki_p

Purchase the book or get professional development:

• Purchase the book Civil Discourse Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities
• Find the companion website with resources for classrooms and communities
• Bring Joe Schmidt and Nichelle Pinkney in for professional development!
• Joe Schmidt’s website

Send us your community letters!

Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a certain issue? Send us your questions! Your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/LetsK12BetterMail!
*Love our podcast? Rate. Review. Share!

Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley
The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.

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Social media isn’t going anywhere. And neither is technology. So how do we help kids learn leadership skills and interpersonal skills so they can have successful social media experiences

In this episode, we sat down with Jennifer Casa-Todd teacher-librarian, author, and co-founder of the Global Education Student Chat to discuss how parents and educators can support young people as they explore the digital space.

Connect on Social Media:

• Twitter: @JCasaTodd
• Twitter: @GlobalEdSsChat | #GlobalEdSsChat
• Instagram: @raisingdigitalleaders

Check out Jennifer Casa-Todd’s books and other publications on her website or via her linktr.ee!

Learn more about student voice and how to support student leadership on social media on the #GlobalEdSsChat website: https://globaledsschat.com/

Send us your community letters!
Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a certain issue? Send us your questions! Your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/LetsK12BetterMail!
*Love our podcast? Rate. Review. Share!

Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley

The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.

Support the Show.

How does chronic stress impact the brain? How does play support pro-social behavior in kids? What are misnomers about Title 1 schools? How can we better equip new teachers working in high-challenge schools so they can meet the needs of the students in their communities? How do we tell the difference between poverty stressors and brain function and learning disabilities or ADD, ADHD?

Grab a pen and get ready to take notes! In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Karyn Allee, veteran educator and Assistant Professor of Education at Mercer University to discuss education equity, increasing play in schools, and shifting our mindset around how we help schools in communities that are experiencing more challenges.

Connect on Social Media:

• Twitter: @karynallee | #PlayInSchoolIsAnEquityIssue
• Instagram: @KarynAllee
• LinkedIn: Karyn Allee, PhD

Check out Dr. Karyn Allee’s publications on ORCID or her Google Scholar Page!

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Search for an accredited Early Child Care Center/Preschool via the NAEYC link to help families find good daycare: https://families.naeyc.org/find-quality-child-care
• Harvard Center on the Developing Child Podcast (The Brain Architects) and Resource Library

Send us your community letters!
Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a certain issue? Send us your questions! Your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/LetsK12BetterMail!

Love our podcast? Rate. Review. Share!

Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley

The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.

Support the Show.

What is action civics? Why is student voice so important, especially right now? How can we use informed civics and action civics more efficiently together? How can we expand our understanding of what equity in civics could mean? So many questions!

Civic education plays an important role in building a more inclusive, participatory, and equitable democracy. In this episode, we sat down with Elizabeth Clay Roy, CEO of Generation Citizen, a national nonprofit committed to providing youth with the knowledge and skills they need to actively participate in our democracy.

Connect with Generation Citizen on Social Media:
Twitter: @GenCitizen
Instagram: @GenerationCitizen
LinkedIn: Generation Citizen
Facebook: Generation Citizen

Get resources to support your young civic participants!

• Democracy Doesn't Pause resource for educators and families
• Generation Citizen website
• Too much money in politics, and not enough in democracy by Elizabeth Clay Roy via The Hill

Send us your community letters!
Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a certain issue? Send us your questions! Your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/LetsK12BetterMail!
*Love our podcast? Rate. Review. Share!

The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.
Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley

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What makes current events so important? Where does news intersect with history? How do we find resources to support important civic conversations? What should parents understand about the importance of social studies and civic education, current events, or media literacy? In this episode, we sat down with David Olson, the Director of Education at Retro Report, a non-profit media company dedicated to connecting history to today’s news. Learn more about this wonderful resource and what David has to say about social studies, current events, and media literacy!

“What’s On Your Mind?”

Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a certain issue? Send us your questions! Your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

We mentioned the following resources:

• Frontline PBS Film - American Reckoning
• Classroom materials via Retro Report Education page
• Sign up for the free webinar “Tools for Teaching Immigration and Migration” scheduled for Wednesday, April 13th from 7 - 8 PM ET. Register here: bit.ly/TeachingImmigration

Connect on Social Media:

• David Olson on Twitter (@davidjohnolson)
• Retro Report on Twitter (@RetroReport)

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/LetsK12BetterMail!
*Love our podcast? Rate. Review. Share!

Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley.

The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.

Support the Show.

We started our podcast to discuss K12 education as a project and a response to COVID-19 with our first episode, “Schooling Through An Apocalypse.” What’s changed in education since lockdown happened in March 2020? Lots!

In this episode, we discuss Virtual Academy, how schooling has evolved over the last two years, and more. Mom gets feedback on her parenting during the pandemic… and there is a bird by our window looking for love. (Shoutout to the Vernal Equinox! What, whaaat!!!)

Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a particular issue? Send us your questions! Tell us “What’s On Your Mind?” your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

Listen to the episode that started it all, Season 1, Episode 1!
Schooling Through An Apocalypse.



Our community question touched upon education and Black students and educators. Here's what Amber's reading that she mentioned in the episode...
Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching by Jarvis R. Givens
The Education oF Blacks in the South 1860-1935 by James D. Anderson

Love our podcast? Rate. Review. Share!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/LetsK12BetterMail!

Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley
The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.

Support the Show.

Welcome to season 3 and Happy Black History Month! We open up the season with a discussion on current events, books we’re reading, and how we plan to set the tone for this upcoming season.

FYI… we are working on a new sound setup. We haven’t learned it all yet and appreciate your patience. We are attempting to capture all the nuances of the conversation by recording the whole table.

Don’t forget to tell us “What’s On Your Mind?” Are you saddled with a troubling situation? Curious to hear what we think about a certain issue? Send us your questions! Your query may end up on the Let’s K12 Better podcast in our community letters section. Send your celebrations and questions to this form or email us: LetsK12Better@gmail.com!

We mentioned the following articles:

• AirTag stalking: Alleged victims speak out as privacy concerns mount over new Apple tracking product
• Police arrest protesters who remained at US-Canada bridge
• 5 Ways Young People are Using Discord

We are reading the following books:

• Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning Book by Cathy Park Hong
• Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris
• Feminist AF: A Guide to Crushing Girlhood by Brittney Cooper, Chanel Craft Tanner, and Susana M. Morris
• Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching by Jarvis R. Givens
• The Education oF Blacks in the South 1860-1935 by James D. Anderson

We discussed the criminalization of Black girls. Please read this article to learn more: The Criminalization of Black Women Starts Early

More on news and media literacy:

• Play iCivics NewsFeed Defenders!
• Learn more National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)

Music written and produced by Garvey Mortley

The Let’s K12Better podcast is written and produced by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Garvey Mortley, Naima Mortley, and Sofia Mortley.

Support the Show.