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In this episode of the Certell Connects Podcast (NCSS 2021 Edition) Fred Fransen speaks with Phoebe Hillemann about the power of interacting with real stuff! For more info: NCSS 2021 Virtual Conference November 15-21, 2021 Tickets: www.socialstudies.org   Phoebe Hillemann is the Teacher Institutes Educator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. She organizes the Museum’s national summer teacher institutes, and leads a range of online and in-gallery programs for teachers and students. She is interested in creating learning experiences that are interdisciplinary, inquiry-based, and inclusive.

Fred Fransen and Kenneth C. Davis talk about some of the lessons we should have learned in history class. For more info: NCSS 2021 Virtual Conference November 15-21, 2021 Tickets: www.socialstudies.org BIO: Kenneth C. Davis is the New York Times–bestselling author of Don’tKnow Much About® History, which gave rise to the “Don’t Know Much About®”series of books, and America’s Hidden History. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents and Five Black Lives, a Finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction and a Notable Book of the American Library Association in 2017. His book More Deadly Than War, was also named a Notable Trade Book for YoungPeople by the Children’s Book Council/National Council for the Social Studies. His latest work, Strongman: The Rise of FiveDictators and the Fall of Democracy, was named a “Best Children’s and YoungAdult book of 2020” by the Washington Post and among the “Best YoungAdult Books of 2020” by Kirkus Reviews. Davis has also written for the New York Times, Washington Post, and Smithsonian magazine, among other publications. A frequent guest on national television and radio, he has appeared on CBS ThisMorning, Today, and NPR. Davis was also featured in the CNN 2020documentary “Pandemic” about the 1918 influenza outbreak.

Enjoy this episode of the Certell Connects Podcast (NCSS 2021 Edition) as Fred Fransen talks with Leslie Hayes, VP of Education at New-York Historical Society, about the tools and resources the New-York Historical Society offers teachers across the nation.   For more info: NCSS 2021 Virtual Conference November 15-21, 2021 Tickets: www.socialstudies.org   Bio: Leslie Hayes is the Vice President for Education at the New-York Historical Society, where she oversees a robust set of history and civics programs and curriculum materials for students, teens, teachers, and more. Leslie has worked in and around the museum and social studies education fields for 15 years and is a passionate advocate for connecting young people and educators to the rich resources museums have to offer.

In this episode of the Certell Connects Podcast (NCSS 2021 Edition) Fred Fransen speaks with Dr. Florian Feucht, Founder of Thinking Habitats, about how to bring current events into the social studies classroom. For more info: NCSS 2021 Virtual Conference November 15-21, 2021 Tickets: www.socialstudies.org   Bio: Florian C. Feucht is a full professor of educational psychologies and peace education at the University of Toledo and the founder of Thinking Habitats. He received a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas/ USA in 2008 and a PhD in Curriculum Development and Research from the University of Oldenburg/ Germany in 2006. His area of expertise is curriculum development in the overlaps of cognitive psychology and educational technology. Currently, his work focuses on reading comprehension, critical thinking, news media literacy, and civic engagement in high school students. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ffeucht/ Their Front Porch Experience is an innovative school curriculum and integrated professional development program that uses the local news media as a tool to help students build the critical skills currently missing from the classroom and the workplace. This is what we present at NCSS. This project is funded by a federal grant and in collaboration with different social studies and english language arts high school teachers, social studies consultants, and school principals. The Front Porch Experience uses local newspapers as main reading and learning materials; students learn to differentiate between fact and fiction, establish the trustworthiness of knowledge sources, etc and create their own capstone experience based on their own cause. // The Front Porch Experience - thinking tools for schools. We developed it with my team at Thinking Habitats. Overall our projects focus on the development of research-based learning environments and assessment tools fostering critical thinking and problem solving. Our mission is to empower people with thinking tools to lead successful lives and contribute to the well-being of their communities. R&D focuses on interactive technologies and artificial intelligence to create individualized learning pathways and ensure equitable access for all learners. We do a lot of rapid development of curriculum and learning apps (prototyping) in schools in Michigan.

Enjoy this episode of the Certell Connects Podcast (NCSS 2021 Edition) as Fred Fransen speaks with Ed Finney about the most important things teachers need to focus on when it comes to technology in the classroom.   Bio: Ed Finney is currently the District Technology Integration Specialist for Schodack Central Schools. He has taught Social Studies at Maple Hill Jr and Sr High school in Castleton, NY for 24 years. Ed was named the Gilder Lehrman 2020 New York State History Teacher of the Year and the 2020 NYSCSS Outstanding Middle School teacher of the year. He is an active member of the National Council for the Social Studies Technology Leadership team and the chair of the New York State Council for the Social Studies Technology Committee. Ed holds numerous ed-tech certifications and has been asked to share and present his expertise with teachers around the country.   For more info: NCSS 2021 Virtual Conference November 15-21, 2021 Tickets: www.socialstudies.org   Enjoy!

Today we interview Dr. Gayle Pagnoni. She is the Program Director at the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance at Rice University. Our conversation today is focused around her work in the research, education, and outreach to advance the cause of religious tolerance and pluralism. Enjoy!  

In this episode of the Certell Connects Podcast we speak with Karen Murphy, PhD about how we can help transform young people into civic actors. She will be hosting a talk on this topic at the National Council for Social Studies Virtual Conference this weekend.  Karen Murphy is the director of international strategy at Facing History and Ourselves, a nonprofit educational and professional development organization. She has worked in many countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, France, the U.S., and South Africa. She writes and speaks about the role education plays in the development of stability, peaceful coexistence, and the process of reconciliation.    

Our guest today is Antoinette (Toni) Rochester. She is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Education (Urban Education) at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She is also the Graduate Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Her interests include addressing issues of equity amongst minority students and the intersection between race, policy, and education.  Toni's NCSS Presentation discusses how to use primary and secondary visual sources to teach African American and Latinx history. Often, when African American history is introduced, it is not taught in conjunction with America's Latinx history. However, scholars such as Paul Ortiz have explored how teaching African American and Latinx history simultaneously is more of an accurate representation of Black and Brown citizenship history. Thus, for our presentation, we intend to discuss how teachers can use visual sources from the Library of Congress and other historical databases to begin said counter-narrative and to expound students learning on the coalition African Americans and Latinx formed with one another. 

Today we interview Dr. Shanedra Nowell, Associate Professor of Social Studies at Oklahoma State University, to discuss her upcoming presentation covering the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre at the NCSS Virtual Conference.

Today we interview Zach Lowe to discuss his upcoming presentation at NCSS Virtual Conference. Zach will be leading a session that explores the current state of education for LGBTQ teachers and students. Activities and discussions will center on current research and the impact of the marginalization of LGBTQ content in day-to-day instruction. Attendees will walk away with resources that can be used to facilitate LGBTQ content and help better support their LGBTQ students. Enjoy the show!

Harrison Painter, Chad Hudson, and Julie Nesbit share their thoughts about the incredible first season of the Certell Connects Podcast. The Certell team is so proud to be building a community of teachers helping teachers. 

Certell Civics Project graduate Ruben Brown talks about how the course helped him go from a prisoner without a future to productive citizen who loves his country. 

Kansas City high school teacher Ed Michalski shares his 4+ years of experience using the Certell materials in the classroom.

Jim Flanagan and Harrison Painter speak with Benjamin Volpe about how the Certell Civics Education Project has helped him return to society after being released from incarceration. After spending 15 years in prison Benjamin now proudly serves as Director of Political Affairs for Leading Returning Citizens, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused solely on the individual needs of each Returning Citizen. We want to break the cycle. All of us have different needs. We encounter varied barriers upon release. While housing may be an issue for one person – it may not be for another. Finding a job that will allow you to support your family may be an issue for some, while restoration of family relationships will be a priority need of others. Yet, finding the support of someone who understands the emotions of a long timer being released may be an issue for many. The LRC, Inc. staff is uniquely dedicated on assisting you in meeting your individual needs.

The Certell team talks with Kim Holder, a professor at the University of West Georgia. The conversation revolves around innovation in teaching, where students are when it comes to politics, and dealing with anxiety when public speaking.

In this episode of the Certell Connects Podcast we speak with Jacob Lukach. Jacob a younger teacher at Chesterton High School and a former student of Certell's Curriculum Coordinator Julie Nesbit. Mr. Lukach shares what it's like to be a newer teacher dealing with the current challenges of remote learning during the pandemic school shutdown.

Today our special guest is Kaley Billick - Guidance Counselor at White River Elementary School located in Noblesville, IN.  We speak with Kaley about dealing with the mental health of students, teachers, and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also offers up some great tips to how stay healthy and maintain a positive outlook during these challenging times.

Today the Certell team speaks with Carol Rubel - Student Teaching Supervisor at the University of Scranton. Carol Rubel shares a unique perspective about teaching during the COVID-19 crisis thought a combination of her career in public education and experience as a community activist and volunteer. She is a nationally recognized speaker and author, and believes in the inherent potential of individuals, all of whom need to be sustained and mentored as they work to become their “best selves.” Her career accomplishments include creating the vision behind a nationally recognized educational model for at-risk teens. In her role in higher education, Carol continues to supervise and mentor beginning teachers; she also coaches school leaders in problem-solving and decision-making.

https://certellconnects.org - In this episode of the Certell Connects Podcast we are honored to connect two high school superintendents working hard to lead their schools through remote learning during lockdown. Our guests are Dr. Johnny Berry - Superintendent of Arab City Schools in Alabama and Dr. Derek Arrowood - Superintendent of Hamilton Heights Schools in Indiana.

On today's episode of the Certell Connects Podcast we are excited to have Dr. Russ McCullough of Ottawa University as our guest. Dr. McCullough is the Director/Founder of the Gwartney Institute and is host of the Faith and Economics podcast. Listen in as he shares how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact us from an economist point of view and uncovers the mystery behind the toilet paper shortage of 2020.