What Is Smart?

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Dr. Elizabeth Dean—an educator, leader, and researcher who’s spent over 15 years shaping what school could and should look like.

Lauren Kaufman is currently serving as a district leader for a school district in Long Island, New York.  With two decades in education, she has served as an assistant principal, elementary instructional coach, an elementary and middle school reading specialist, new teacher mentor coordinator K-12, creativity camp enrichment program supervisor, and a 2nd and 5th-grade classroom teacher.

CJ Reynolds has been a classroom educator almost 20 years, teaching high school Literature and The History of Hip-Hop in West Philadelphia. He is also the author of Teach Your Class Off and the creator of the Real Rap with Reynolds YouTube channel.Reynolds' book and YouTube channel are aimed at giving viewers an authentic glimpse into what it looks like to teach high school in the inner city while at the same time helping new and veteran teachers be the teacher they always wanted to be. His bare-bones teaching philosophy is simple: In the classroom relationships are king, and education is only ever about the students.

Chad Ostrowski started his career in education when he was chosen as one of only 50 individuals in Ohio to be granted the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship. Through this fellowship, he received his Master’s in Science Education and gained intensive training and expertise in STEM education, Problem Based Learning, Inquiry based instruction as well as other cutting edge educational methods.

Helping educators create classrooms & communities of deep & joyful learning. Dr. Lori McEwen is doing the work on the ground to support teachers when they need it most.

Trevor Boffone is Lecturer in the Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program at the University of Houston, USA. His work using Dubsmash and TikTok with his students has been featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, Inside Edition, and Access Hollywood, among numerous national and local media platforms. ...

Cynthia is a Nationally Certified Interpreter with a degree in American Sign Language. She currently works as an interpreter and is the owner of Sign Baby Sign LLC serving teachers across the United States with sign language resource tools at ASLTeachingResources.com.

TOM SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION FOR FUTURE READY SCHOOLS. HE HAS TESTIFIED BEFORE THE U.S. CONGRESS AND HAS APPEARED ON VARIOUS TELEVISION AND RADIO SHOWS. MURRAY SERVES AS A REGULAR CONFERENCE KEYNOTE, AND HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN NAMED ONE OF “20 TO WATCH” BY NSBA, THE “NATIONAL/GLOBAL EDTECH LEADER OF THE YEAR”, THE “EDUCATION THOUGHT LEADER OF THE YEAR”, THE “EDUCATION POLICY PERSON OF THE YEAR” BY THE ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND ONE OF THE TOP 100 INFLUENCERS IN EDUCATION BY DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. HIS LAST TWO BOOKS, LEARNING TRANSFORMED AND PERSONAL & AUTHENTIC, HAVE BOTH REACHED BEST-SELLER STATUS.

Joshua is the author of Aspire to Lead, Podcaster, leadership coach, education presenter, and Podcast Network Manager for the Teach Better Team. You can stay connected by following @Joshua__Stamper on Twitter and Instagram, or by visiting his website www.joshstamper.com. You can book Joshua for a keynote or school-based training by contacting Jeff Gargas at [email protected].

Educator and mentor with a mission to promote viewpoint diversity & critical thinking in high school education. His latest project  @Patterdox  is working to scale critical thinking education across the world.

Rae Hughart is the CXO for the Teach Better Team, Former Executive Director of the Association of Illinois Middle-Grade Schools, TEDx Speaker, Educator, and author of “Teachers Deserve It” and “Teach Better” books.

Paul Emerich France is a National Board–Certified Teacher, literacy specialist, keynote speaker, and author of Make Teaching Sustainable, Reclaiming Personalized Learning, and Humanizing Distance Learning. His work with #SustainableTeaching stems from this principle: to make teaching sustainable, we need to first and foremost value the humanity of teachers and create conditions in which they can thrive.

MAVERIK EDUCATION is owned and operated by Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., an international author and presenter with over 25 years of experience working in education as a classroom teacher, a site administrator, an education program specialist with a state education agency, and a staff development trainer who produces and provides professional development, guidance and support for teachers and school leaders.

Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD retired after leading the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri for 34 years and is now the Emeritus Head of School. He is currently a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and teaches in the Educational Leadership program, preparing prospective principals. He also led the ISACS New Heads Network and founded the Non-Profit Management Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Hoerr has written seven books, and his newest, The Principal As Chief Empathy Officer: Creating A Culture Where Everyone Grows, was published in December of 2022. He has written more than 170 articles, including “The Principal Connection” column in Educational Leadership Magazine from 2004 to 2017.

Meet Lindsay Titus, a beacon of transformation and empowerment in the world of education, joining us on the 'What is Smart?' podcast. After navigating through her own journey of stress and burnout, Lindsay had a profound realization: true change begins from the inside out. With her rich background as a classroom teacher, behavior specialist, and board certified behavior analyst, Lindsay now dedicates her expertise to coaching educators.

Chad Ostrowski started his career in education when he was chosen as one of only 50 individuals in Ohio to be granted the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship. Through this fellowship, he received his Master’s in Science Education and gained intensive training and expertise in STEM education, Problem Based Learning, Inquiry based instruction as well as other cutting edge educational methods.

Danny Joe LaBrecque is the creator and host of the preschool series "Danny Joe’s Tree House,” which streams on Sensical.tv from Common Sense Networks, backed by Common Sense Media. You can also find the show on Youtube Kids and coming VERY soon to EPIC, the world's largest digital library. He has been in the field of early childhood development for 20 years as a preschool teacher, museum curricula developer and creator of children’s media. You can find Danny and his amazing cast of characters here: Danny Joe's Treehouse on Sensical: https://www.sensical.tv/shows/danny-j... Danny Joe's Treehouse on Youtube Kids: https://youtube.com/@dannyjoestreehou...   / @uc_ghloqecydrzizuchvwayw   You can find his grown up show "Cookies For Breakfast" here: @DannyJoesTreeHouseGrown-ups and wherever podcasts are available!

Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer, PhD, is an Associate Dean in the TTU Graduate School and an Associate Professor in Curriculum and Instruction. Her research emerges at the intersection ofEducational Technology, Pedagogical Innovation, Personalized Learning, Engagement, and Global uses of Technology in STEM. Greenhalgh-Spencer explores practices of using technology and pedagogical innovation to create engaged learning in both formal and informal learning spaces, and in both national and global contexts. She explores issues in the STEM pipeline, and also researches embodied and transdisciplinary learning practices that increase engagement for all populations in STEM courses. Greenhalgh-Spencer also researches blended /personalized learning (BL/PL) and the ways that BL/PL can create diverse pathways and increased opportunities for all students. This has, most recently, translated into an increased focus on teacher retention and student support in areas where teacher turnover is an issue.

On today's episode, we talk with Debbie Tannenbaum and Tech Educator, author, coach, and mentor in the education and educaton technology space. We learn what she believes "smart" is and how she gets through to educators who at times can fight the introduction of tech tools thatcould very well help them in meaningful ways.

On this episode, we talk to Tom Coyle about the future of learning, AI, soft skills, and of course the big question to Tom, what is smart?

On today's episode we talk with Dr. Damian Bebell, Assistant Professor @ Lynch School of Education and Human Development @ Boston College. Dr. Bebell has over 20 years of experience helping schools and policymakers with data, technology, and empirical research to support educational initiatives. Today Dr. Bebell is asked the title question, What Is Smart?