Adam McMickell, Director of Student Achievement in Ogden School District, joins us to talk about personalized learning in Ogden. In this episode we discuss what professional development should look like, how does badging and certifications play a role in professional learning, and how Ogden is trying to meet the needs of their teachers by giving them a personalized approach to learning.

This week in UEN Homeroom we're pleased to welcome Amanda Del Balso, Manager of the Google Certified Coaching Program, and Chris Leighty, an Instructional Coach from Oklahoma. Our conversation centered around the new Google Certified Coaching Program and how it can help improve classroom instruction. As part of the conversation, we discussed how coaching provides teachers with the support they need, the role Google can play to help educators, and we learned about the Google Certified Coaching curriculum.

In one of our Lost Episodes, Jared and Dani connect with Amanda Souza, Manager of Community Partnerships for the Southwest with Girls Who Code. During our conversation we cover topics including: the role that Girls Who Code plays in Utah, the need for gender equity in computer programming, the skills that students develop in Girls Who Code, and the need for teachers and schools to get involved in teaching computer programming to students.

UEN Homeroom wants to help you get burned in with education. This week we welcome Amber Harper, the Burned In Teacher, to talk about teacher burnout and how to re-energize educators. Our topics include: the reasons that teachers suffer from burnout, the three types of burnout and their characteristics, how to overcome anxiety and frustration as a teacher and more.

In our new episode of Homeroom we are joined by, Kerri Hopkins and Anne Dibble from the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program to discuss how all teachers can bring more art into their classrooms. We learn how arts can improve academic performance across all subjects, the need to overcome our fears when expanding into the arts, and the different programs available to Utah schools through BTSALP.

This week UEN Homeroom welcomes Chris Jones and Nadia Pflaum, from KUTV's Beyond the Books series. We discuss the role of media in education, how citizens can get involved in education oversight, and where all the great stories about education originate. We're lucky to Jared Fawson sub for Dani for this conversation.

In this week's UEN Homeroom,we talk with Brandon Jacobsen, the CTE - IT Specialist for the Utah Board of Education, about the changing face of computer science in our schools. We discuss topics like: how is computer science being presented to Utah students, the role of computer science in all curriculums - not just STEM, what the job market looks like for students with a CS background, and more.

Dani and Jared are pleased to welcome Bri DeLeon and Richard Thomas, from Latinos in Action, into the Homeroom this week. During this powerful episode we discuss topics such as: How do we talk to students about racism? What does systemic racism look like in the education system? How do we encourage schools to celebrate diversity? How do we include parents and families into conversations about racism? And what are some strategies that can help create a more inclusive environment for faculty and students?

In this episode of UEN Homeroom,Dani and Matt are joined by ULEAD program director McKell Withers and the 6th grade teachers at Greenwood Elementary. Listen to learn more about the ULEAD education initiative and how these successful educators and their students have become "Bright Spots" in their school district.

Dani and Jared are excited to have Brittney Cummins, Senior Education Adviser to Governor Cox, as a guest on UEN Homeroom this week. Brittney provides us with the State of Education in Utah and she shares her experience in her new role helping education. Topics include: how educators are excelling in Utah, the roll that government plays in providing assistance to education, the Governor's education agenda moving forward, and how Utah schools are overcoming the pandemic.

On this episode of UEN Homeroom,Dani and Matt are joined by Alfonso Mendoza, an EdTech professional, podcast host and educator. The three of them discuss using EdTech to build community and inclusivity.

In this episode, Matt and Dani talk with two groups of teachers about their experiences with burnout. They first talk with teachers from Ben Lomond High School in Ogden and then discuss the same topics with educators from the rural Piute School District. Listen to hear how burnout affects the educators in similar ways and how they are combatting it.

In this episode of the Homeroom,Camille Cole and Michelle Shimmin from Canyons School District drop by to discuss the impact of having structured classroom discussions with students, peers, and leadership. We look at the role of using sentence starts, how to get started and help students follow guidelines, and the importance of being honest and open when sharing.

Jared and Dani are back with another episode of UEN Homeroom. This week they welcome Charlie Fitzpatrick, K12 Education Manager at ESRI, to the podcast to discuss using digital mapping to help students explore the world around them. Their topics include: how educators use digital maps to change the way we teach students about the world around them, the ways GIS provides students with good problem-solving skills, free software available to Utah teachers and students from ESRI, and the role ESRI will play in that future of technology in our schools.

In another of our Lost Episodes, Jared and Dani meet with Chris Larsen, Director of Educational Technology for Granite School District and UCET President Elect, to discuss the impact that UCET has on classrooms throughout Utah. We talk about the different activities that UCET provides educators, the need for professional learning in education, and the future of UCET moving forward.

On this episode of UEN Homeroom,Dani and Fernando chat with Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors, Clief Castleton and Milo Maughan. These Utah educators share their STEM teaching experiences that led them to apply to the SETI Institute’s Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program.

Clint Stephens, SEDC's trainer-extraordinaire, join UEN's Homeroom to discuss how technology has helped rural teachers improve student learning. We talk about the difference when a teacher is the Science department for the school, what technology tools are helping rural teachers, and how the regional service centers are impacting education in rural Utah.

Jared and Dani are back with another Learn @ Home episode of UEN Homeroom. This week we are discussing what distance learning looks like with Cody Spendlove, Edtech Director of Alpine School District. As part of our conversation we talk about how to provide devices to a district with 80,000 students, how to keep kids safe online while working from home, and the best practices teachers are using to engage students in an online learning environment.

In this episode of UEN Homeroom, Dani and Matt are joined by Matheson Junior High Assistant Principal, Kamaal Ahmad. We learn how his sports and coaching background has shaped his leadership style and find out what he enjoys about being involved in his community.

This week we took UEN Homeroom on the road, literally, as we met with Cory Henwood, Digital Teaching and Learning Coordinator for Iron School District, from the front seat of a car. During this discussion we covered topics such as: providing students with choice, using technology to empower students, and Launch High School, Iron's soon-to-open competency based high school.