How can education be a way to create more belonging and contribution for young people? Today, I have the delight of sharing Nikolai Pizarro of Raising Readers. For full show notes, visit: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2023/07/17/episode83/

How might teachers respond when truth seems to be increasingly devalued in what young people read online? I am joined by Erin Oxland to discuss this question and many others along the way. Erin Oxland is the First Vice President, Lead Negotiator, and Grievance Officer for the Kawartha Pine Ridge Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. Prior to stepping into this fascinating role (which we totally get into, by the way), Erin was a middle school teacher in Port Hope Ontario. In her practice, she prioritized authentic, rich, and relevant learning experiences for her students, which included deeply investigating the intersections of fake news, media literacy, and journalism. Whether you are interested in exploring one teacher’s experience with critical media literacy or hearing about her transition from the classroom to being an elected union official, this conversation has something for everyone. For full show notes, visit: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2023/07/04/episode82/

This episode was originally published on the Teaching Writers Speak podcast—which is part of the Toronto Writing Project. I am a producer of this show and so it felt necessary to not only formally introduce Teaching Tomorrow listeners to the show, but also to transplant this conversation as a way to explain some of the questions behind the research project I am wading into. To check out The Toronto Writing Project: https://www.torontowritingproject.com/ To listen to all of the Teaching Writers Speak podcast episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/teaching-writers-speak/id1615880288

How can educators nurture a functional democracy when young people struggle to find reliable sources of information? To dig into this question, I am joined by Ken Boyd from CIVIX Canada. For Full Shownotes, Visit: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2023/05/29/episode80/ Ken Boyd is the Director of Education at CIVIX, a Canadian charity that develops experiential learning programs to help students develop skills and habits of informed citizenship. He researches and develops materials for two programs: PoliTalks, a program that helps students develop the skills needed to have constructive discussions about political and social issues, and CTRL-F, a digital media literacy skills program that helps students identify mis- and disinformation online. He also runs training sessions and workshops with teachers and students to teach them about digital media literacy and how to navigate an increasingly complex online world. Ken holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Toronto. Before moving to the non-profit sector, he taught philosophy at a number of universities across Canada, and was most recently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Southern Denmark, where he worked on research projects about the barriers to communicating scientific information online. He is also a writer of public philosophy, and a regular contributor to The Prindle Post, a digital publication focused on ethical issues in the news.

How is digital literacy related to social justice? Today on the show I have the honour of sitting down with a leading thinker in education, Dr. Kristen Hawley Turner. Dr. Kristen Hawley Turner is a professor of education at Drew University and she is the director of the Drew Writing Project, which is a chapter of The National Writing Project. In this conversation we explore the terrain of digital literacy, its links to social justice, and how teachers must reimagine what our essential job descriptions are if we are going to meet the needs of the learners in our classrooms. As we are both parents, Kristen and I also get into our roles with our children and what can be done in the home to augment and reinforce critical digital literacy to help our young people thrive. I think you will find yourself nodding along in agreement as you listen to Dr. Hawley Turner explains her work and thinking in this conversation that I am so delighted to share with you. For Full Shownotes (and all the links to things mentioned), visit: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2023/05/16/episode79/

Back in the fall of 2021, I left my dream job for another dream: to dig deep into questions that I had been just scratching at throughout my classroom teaching experience. Well, now almost two years into my PhD program (and over a year since my last update episode–you can find that one on episode 67), I’m here to share the highlights, the challenges, the hiccups, and the mini-victories.

Anita Li is the publisher, founder, CEO, and editor in chief of The Green Line Toronto: a hyper local independent news outlet. I first encountered her when I had my students watch her TedX talk on the power of digital journalism–and not only did my Grade 8 class at the time deeply appreciate her message on digital composing, but they kept coming back to her ideas related to why representation matters in newsrooms. In this interview we cover a lot of ground: we get into the ever-evolving nature of journalism, how growing up in Scarborough prepared her for a career of curiosity and connection, as well as some of the ways that the shift towards digital composing may have transformed writing for the better. For full show notes, visit: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2023/05/16/episode77/

What is the relationship between writing, teaching, and hosting a podcast? Today on the show I sit down with the Teaching Writers Speak podcast host, Ty Walkland. For full show notes, visit: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2022/06/20/episode76/

What does it mean to be called to the teaching profession and how can we sustain that passion when things get hard? Today on the show I am in conversation with Margaret from My Call to Teach. - In this episode, we talk about starting an edu-business making resources (or solutions) for teachers - Her top business advice for other teachers (that's actually also great teaching advice) - Finding unselfish self-care in a challenging profession - How to give students a memorable end of year experience For full show notes, go to: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2022/06/07/episode75/

How can Gay-Straight alliances support students and make schools more inclusive spaces for all? Today on the show I speak with GSA advisor and coach James Potteiger There is a lot happening in schools right now that put our LGBTQ students at risk. So I’m thrilled to get to share this conversation I had with James about his work with GSAs. James has been running at GSA at his school in Pennsylvania for the past two years and he shares the ways the alliance has improved his school for all students, the role that the GSA plays for young people in his school, and James’ journey towards running the GSA––which is especially powerful to hear since he identifies as a straight, white, cis-gender man with an Evangelical background. I left this conversation feeling inspired, hopeful, and so deeply grateful for how people like James are making all of our schools better places. For the show notes, visit: https://cohort21.com/teachingtomorrow/2022/05/24/episode73/

How can teachers use journalism and reverse mentorship to transform student learning? Today on the show I am joined by Dr. Ed Madison to explore this question and so much more. For full shownotes, visit: