This week UEN Homeroom is pleased to welcome Rushton Hurley, the founder and executive director of Next Vista for Learning, to the podcast. In our conversation we focus on how teachers can effectively develop opportunities for students to create videos in class. Topics included in the discussion are: How teachers can use student video projects to engage kids in learning. How film festivals promote student work. How much technical know-how teachers need to help with student video projects and the basic essentials teachers need to get started. How video projects are particularly effective during blended or online learning and more...

UEN's Homeroom welcomes Sam Mitchell, an school technology specialist from the Granite School District to discuss the impact that podcasts are having on learning. We share our favorite podcasts, provide tips for finding great podcasts, and explore ideas for learning with podcasts.

Jared and Dani are back with another UEN Homeroom. This time we're joined by Sarah Young, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Utah State Board of Education. The conversation touches upon fun topics like what your Zoom background looks like to when is the appropriate time each day to get dressed. Sarah provides information about how USBE is helping districts deal with addressing student technology needs, how the Digital Teaching and Learning program has helped Utah prepare for distance learning, and what schools may look like next year.

In the next installment of the Learn @ Home series, UEN Homeroom talks with Scott Wihongi, principal of Murray High School. As the school year nears completion, we talk about topics like: how to provide the class of 2020 a sense of closure, connecting with students and parents who are struggling during this time, and helping the community stay strong in the face of challenge.

Kathleen Riebe, School Technology Specialist in Granite School District and State Senator from Cottonwood Heights, joins the Homeroom on location from the State Senate floor to discuss her journey from the classroom to the Senate. We also talk about the current legislation that involves education and share ideas for getting teachers involved in the political process.

In our Back to School series, UEN Homeroom visits with Shanna Bingham, a Kindergarten teacher from the Granite School District. During our conversation we talk about the issues surrounding returning to school and look back at remote learning from last year. Topics in the podcast include: how to build relationships with students and parents, the need to connect with students using video and more, how to move your in-person curriculum online, and many more. Mrs. Bingham is described as "Mary Poppins if she taught Kindergarten" - listen to this interview and you'll fall in love with her positive outlook on education.

Dani and Jared are pleased to welcome Shannon Ririe Lyon, UEN Super Trainer and Computer Programming Guru, to UEN Homeroom this week. During our conversation on the Hour of Code we discuss topics like: why the Hour of Code is such a successful program, how teachers can get started with computer programming beyond Hour of Code, the benefits of having students get involved with computer programming, and how students can grow intellectually through programming.

As we move into our 3rd season of UEN Homeroom,the two Jareds (Covili and Fawson) catch up with the guys from Skill Struck. Our conversation focuses on the importance of providing students with real world opportunities to show what they know. We also discuss how student internships can provide opportunities for schools to connect with their local communities, the need for students to prepare for post-school employment, and the impact Skill Struck has in helping students learn computer programming.

Tami Pyfer, the Education Advisor to the Governor, joins us as we kick off the 2019-2020 school year. As part of our conversation we discussed the state of education in Utah, the role of the Education Advisor and how she works on behalf of Utah teachers, and the need for teachers to share the good things they are doing in their classrooms.

In this episode of UEN Homeroom,Jared and Dani are pleased to welcome Tim Eernisse, Vice President of the National Education Telecommunications Association (NETA). As part of our conversation we tackle such topics as: the role that public media can play in helping people of all ages learn, how local public media stations make a difference in their educational communities, the future of public media, how public media and education partner with one another to benefit classrooms, and what was the original color of Oscar the Grouch.

Even during summer break, UEN Homeroom is working hard to bring another interview to our listeners. This week Tod Cracroft, the principal of Oakwood Elementary in Granite School District, discusses how school culture is built. We talk about the importance of building relationships, how music can help students connect to school, and how culture is at the heart of a successful school.

This week UEN Homeroom is pleased to welcome Todd Call, Educational Coordinator for the Digital Teaching and Learning Grant at the Utah State Board of Education. Our conversation focuses on the impact of the DTL grant and how Utah schools are using the program to improve education throughout the state. While once considered a technology hardware grant, the DTL program has made big strides to bring instructional coaching and professional learning to our classroom teachers.

This week we attended the annual UCET conference. This conference allows educators from across Utah to learn and share their examples of technology integration in the classroom. Jared was the "man on the street" as he was able to talk with conference goers, both new and experienced, to find out what they learned at this year's UCET.

Jared Covili and Fernando Lara from UEN present to virtual attendees about podcasting at the 2021 Utah Coalition for Educational Technology Conference.
Come learn how to share your voice through podcasting. This session will provide you with essential information on creating your own podcast and sharing it with your audience. We'll share technical tips, provide advice for developing your own style, and answer your questions. Look behind the scenes at UEN Homeroom and learn our secrets.

As part of our UCET Live series, Jared, Dani, and Fernando participated in the Utah Podcasters Unite panel discussion. They were joined by the hosts of three Utah education podcasts to chat about all things audio and education. Jake from the Teaching Literacy Podcast, Quin from Edtrex Rewind, and Tracy from Little Things First are all Utah educators who started podcasts to influence classroom learning.

This week UEN Homeroom is pleased to rebroadcast the Utah Podcasters Unite panel discussion from the UCET Conference. Jared, Dani, and Fernando were joined by the hosts of three Utah education podcasts to chat about all things audio and education. Jake from the Teaching Literacy Podcast, Quin from Edtrex Rewind, and Tracy from Little Things First are all Utah educators who started podcasts to influence classroom learning.

This week Dani and Jared welcome Valentina Arismendi Chirinos to UEN Homeroom. Valentina is a student at the University of North Carolina who recently presented at the Adobe Max conference on the topic of Digital Literacy. Our conversation focused on topics such as: how young people define digital literacy, the role that digital literacy plays in developing critical thinking skills and how Adobe digital tools help students explore digital literacy through creating online projects.

Dani and Jared are excited to welcome Victor Karkar to UEN Homeroom this week. Victor is the CEO and cofounder of Scrible, an educational software that seeks to tackle the massive research and writing skills crisis among America’s students. During our conversation, we address such topics as: why it is vital that students are able to research effectively, how Scrible helps students determine what is good, relevant and correct information, and how schools can help students understand misinformation vs information.

Jared, Dani, and Fernando take a look back at Year Two in UEN Homeroom. We share some of our favorite moments and give out some annual awards. The biggest question is: which of the UEN Homeroom staff will give themselves an award? Listen to find out.

This week Jared and Dani continue our Learn @ Home series by talking with Zachary Sloan, a special ed teacher at Copper Hills High School in Jordan School District. During our discussion we cover topics like: how to help seniors make it to graduation while being socially distant, keeping relationships going with students who need connection, and making the transition to using an LMS on a daily basis and how these tools will impact future teaching.