Episode #7 Preparing Students for Careers  Click Here to Listen

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Guest: Gwen Janke – Director of College and Readiness at CESA 10

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Heidi and Gwen discuss the goal of preparing students for college and careers and how that looks systematically. The concept of career planning and what it actually looks like at elementary, middle and high school levels.

Assisting students with gaining experiences to help shape what their goals are.

Its about academic and also work-skills readiness.

Working not only with students, but with educators too

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Episode #6 Handling Stress within the Classroom Community  Click Here to Listen

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Guest: Amy Scheel-Jones: Coordinated Care Services Incorporated

Amy’s organization provides management services and assistance to a variety of organizations and she specifically focuses on educators and administrations.

A major focus is stress and pressures that teachers, students, parents and the entire school community feel.

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Dealing with various pressures is sometimes unavoidable so harnessing that feeling can be necessary but also coping when its overwhelming.  Providing and recognizing the resources needed. This also includes lingering impacts of the pandemic, specifically for children.

 

What do youth need to have that feeling of “safety” and the importance of valuing “you”

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Episode #5 - Technology  Click Here to Listen

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Jess Richards and Sarah Radcliffe are talking technology education within the school system. These two teachers discuss how they integrate technology into student’s lives and how it will prepare them for the future. Not only the mechanics of using things like laptops, but smart ways to utilize the internet to search for proper information and later on search for colleges and jobs.

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How does A.I. factor in?

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Episode #4 - Graduates Returning as Teachers  Click Here to Listen

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Altoona graduates work their way into the teaching staff at the Altoona School District. Teachers discuss the methods of learning for students, the technological resources used for skills development, and the precautions taken towards being safe on the Internet.

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Episode #3 - From the perspective of Teachers   Click Here to Listen

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We meet a couple of Altoona teachers, their career path and what they do within the district. This is a great opportunity to hear from teachers themselves.

Colleen Chemelik (7th grade social studies) and Jen Bain (4th grade) sit in on this episode.

 

Among topics they discuss...

-Focusing on the why and the process

-Teachers being a part of a team

-The best thing happening in education now

- Even with all the changes, what has stayed pat in education over the years.

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Episode #2 - Co-Curriculars  Click Here to Listen

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On this episode, we’re talking athletics and more! Activities Director Elissa Upward and Tommy Tomesh, a student-athlete,  join Heidi.

 

Elissa tells us her career path and while she is heavily involved in sports, it was another passion with arts and design where she started.

 

We hear all that Tommy is involved in and the benefits he feels he is getting from them. What future goals and aspirations does he have?

 

Why are “co-curriculars” so important for not only the future for participants but are also a positive to the present to a schools eco-system?

And remember, co-curricular offerings go far beyond athletics!

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Episode #1 - Career Planning    Click Here to Listen

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The EduCast podcast debuts with the Heidi talking with Sarah Radcliffe, the Director of Future Ready Learning at the Altoona School District.

So what is Sarah’s role and what does she oversee? It covers a few areas and the includes career planning.

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How her own personal experience of pivoting can be applied to assisting students map their own career paths.

Viewing graduation as the “starting line” as opposed to a conclusion to education.

 

What are the indicators for future success educators are focused on?

 

Apprenticeships, internships and gaining experience.

 

The program and pathway to learning about career development the Altoona Schools have implemented, starting in elementary school.

Currently, what are the most popular careers among students?