Lead, Learn, Grow Podcast

Lead, Learn, Grow Podcast

The Lead, Learn, Grow podcast is the intersection of leadership and educational technology. This podcast highlights the importance of leadership and educational technology and how they can support the learning process. Lead, Learn, Grow guests will be inspiring leaders in their field. The podcast is created and hosted by veteran educator and school leader Nate Moore. Find the website for the Lead, Learn, Grow Podcast here:

Episode 10: Lead – Seth Edgar

Seth Edgar has been in the security operations field for the past decade. He is an expert in technology leadership and is no stranger to the challenges of working in a technical environment. In this episode we talk about the value of having a plan in place should a data breach occur, a few simple reminders for employees to keep their data secure, and how to be efficient & effective when leading a technology department during remote work.

Episode 9: – Grow: Todd Bloch, @blocht574

Todd Bloch is a successful middle school teacher who has spent 2 decades perfecting his craft. We talk about staying connected with students when away from the building, the importance of regular routines without the structure of a normal school day, and the value of distance learning.

Episode 8 – Learn: Kevin Hustek, @khustek

Bio: Kevin Hustek is the Director of Technology at Warren Woods Public Schools in Warren, Michigan. Having spent more than 15 years in various positions in the technology services department as well as being a long standing member of MACUL and MSBO, Kevin brings a unique perspective to the table.

Kevin joins Episode 8. He talks about the value of not disrupting the school day with technology upgrades, how to let your teachers know that you support them, and why technicians need be present in school buildings during the week.

Episode 7 – Lead: Du Bui, @DueyBui

Bio: Du Bui is an Educational Technology Consultant for the Jackson County Intermediate School District in Jackson, Michigan. His job is to plan educational technology training for teachers and to support them in any ed-tech needs they have. In addition, he also promotes and supports teachers with teaching practices such as project-based learning and blended learning.

Du joins Episode 7. We talk about educational technology best practices, how video games can support the learning process, and the excitement and surprise of eSports at the high school level.

Episode 6 – Grow: Jesscyca Mathews, @jessycamathews

Bio: Jessyca Mathews is a high school teacher in Flint, Michigan who has used her voice and her story to inspire students and move them to action. Jessyca has written poetry and a play to bring community and national attention to the Flint water crisis. Her students have been moved to use creative expression to channel their responses to the crisis. They have also developed collaboration with students in Lansing, Michigan, finding the power of their collective voices to advocate for clean water.

She also is a blogger for Teaching Tolerance and has been nominated for 2017 Social Justice Activist of the Year with the National Education Association. She also is the 2018 Secondary English Teacher of the Year with Michigan Council of Teachers of English and received the 2018 Teacher of Excellence award from the National Council of Teachers of English. She currently is the Region 5 Teacher of the Year for the state of Michigan, and was a finalist for Teacher of the Year, MI, 2019-2020.

Jessyca Mathews joins Episode 6 on the Lead, Learn, Grow podcast. We talk about the importance of sharing your voice as an educator, how her practice has evolved over her career as a high school teacher, and how she inspires her students to find the perfect book.

Episode 5 – Learn: Adrianne Rose, @Rose_Teacher

Bio: Utilizing educational technology to boost learner success is Adrianne’s passion as an educator. After graduating from Hope College with a degree in Special Education, she knew her role as an educator would include advocating for student needs and embedding assistive technology into student lessons. In 2015, Adrianne earned her Master’s Degree in Learning and Technology, where she studied the effects of blended video instruction. In addition, she has earned her Google Certified Educators Badge as a Level 1 and Level 2 educator. Adrianne has taken a lead role as a presenter at international, state and local conferences such as, ISTE, MACUL, GoogleFEST, Learning on The Lakeshore, Ottawa County “What Works!” and Grand Haven Area Public School Professional Development.

Adrianne Rose is the guest on Lead, Learn, Grow Episode 5. We talk about what it takes to takes to get smart about assistive technology in the classroom, where to go for assistive technology help, and what inspires her practice.

Episode 4 – Lead: Nick LeTarte, @nletarte

Bio: Nick LeTarte is in his 16th year serving as a French teacher at the high school level. He has taken groups of students to France in the past and will soon return to Paris, France with another group of high school students. He is also an experienced vlogger creating high quality and interesting vlogs for the past two years. Find Nick’s vlog here.

Nick LeTarte is the guest on Lead, Learn, Grow Episode 4. He highlights the importance of telling your story through vlogging and also shares insight to how he creates entertaining, humorous, and high quality content for his vlogs.

  • Why vlogging? -You’ve got to tell your story
  • The beginning: Making videos at the high school of events
  • Production of a vlogging (using LUTS, lighting, music)
  • Working with music and copyright concerns
  • Using drones to take aerial video for vlogging
  • Editing a vlog: Getting things right
  • Equipment to get started vlogging
  • Teacher Carpool Karaoke: Including teachers
  • Including students in his vlog
  • Student lip dub: Planning, getting it done
  • Vlogging advice: If you’ve got a cell phone you can do it 
  • How to keep growing as a vlogger

Episode 3 – Grow: Lissa Brunan, @LissaBrunan

Bio: Lissa Brunan is the owner and Chief Engagement Officer for Engaging TECHniques, an Ed Tech consulting company. She’s a former MS Math teacher who transitioned to the world of professional development a little over a decade ago. Along with being a Google Certified Trainer, she has certifications from six additional ed tech companies. Her mission is to help educators improve instruction by integrating quality educational technology that can increase student engagement and learning.

Lissa Brunan is the guest on Lead, Learn, Grow Episode 3. She shares her desire to keep growing as a learner, the importance of keeping your passion as a teacher, and her expertise teaching teachers how educational technology can support their classroom practices.

  • Life as a former middle school math teacher
  • Find ways to engage and make things fun for students
  • Build relationships with the students and differentiation
  • How to get better at presenting, organizing your content for large groups and adults
  • Continue to grow, refine your presenting skills
  • The importance of keeping your heart as a teacher, use visual supports
  • Maybe use something other than PowerPoint for delivering information (Peardeck.com)
  • Keep learning from your social network, personal learning network
  • Starting-up an EdTech consulting business – how it gets done
  • How to keep growing as a consultant
  • Be specific with certifications that are truly valuable to your craft
  • How to get non-tech staff on-board with technology in the classroom 
  • Coach people at their own pace – using Google Classroom as a resource for beginners allows 1 on 1 time
  • Keeping yourself motivated is easy when you want to see adult students grow
  • Google certification is worth the work, but be prepared to study and work for the certification
  • Lissa talks about her WHY
  • What books Lissa is reading right now…

Episode 2 – Learn: Bill Albrecht, @MisterAlbrecht

Bio: Bill Albrecht is the lead-learner and principal in a K-4 elementary school. Previously he was an assistant principal at a 4th – 8th grade middle school. He is a former 1st grade teacher who has experiences serving as a special education teacher, behavior interventionist, and a dean of students. Bill is also a former high school football coach and seasoned baseball umpire. He loves to read, train dogs, coach and play sports. Bill is an aspiring doctoral student.

Bill is the guest on Lead, Learn, Grow Episode 2.  He shares how learning something new every day supports his practice serving as a principal in his first year in a K-4th grade building. He also shares why culture is important to his relationship with staff, students, and parents.

  • Background as a dog trainer and how it connects to his role as a teacher and administrator
  • Great dog names!
  • Bill’s typical day as an elementary principal in a K-4 building
  • Get to work early, start the day, be present, be available to staff, students, parents
  • Bill started a spring early in his current building and how that was helpful in the learning process as a leader
  • What to get right from the start of day one
  • Bill has experience as an baseball umpire and how it helped his role now as a principal
  • Culture is important and how to grow it – take care of the little things
  • The culture will be modeled by the leaders
  • Don’t get caught admiring the problem, how important your network is to growing
  • Use your network to grow, reach-out to other professionals for support
  • Keeping your staff fire-up up through the dark days of winter
  • Un-staff meetings are helpful to keeping staff moving forward without having to meet face to face
  • It’s important to sometimes just listen to staff and not try to have a solution
  • What to change about the job
  • What Bill’s reading now…

Episode 1 – Lead: Scott Pryzystas, @CoachPTown

Bio: Scott Pryzystas has been teaching in Grand Haven Area Public Schools for 10 years. He has taught Young 5s-12th grade throughout the district in various buildings in various classes such as Physical Education, Adapted PE, Triathlon Training, and Weight Training. He also coaches high school cross country, junior varsity basketball and middle school track. Scott is a member of the Michigan Governors Council of Fitness, Health and Sport and has served on several committees with Michigan High School Athletic Association. He has also served on SHAPE Michigan’s Board of Directors for the last five years. Scott resides in Grand Haven, Michigan with his wife Renee, and two sons, Calyx and Krew.

Scott Pryzystas is the guest on Lead, Learn, Grow Episode 1. He shares his experiences serving as a dynamic teacher-leader and that technology is an important part of a successful PE classroom.

Part 1.

  • Scott talks about his daily schedule and what it’s like to be a dynamic, enthusiastic elementary PE specialist
  • The elementary PE schedule that Scott follows at 2 different schools including teaching a class and a half of students in specials
  • Scott has taught across K-12 PE classes in his district
  • How to include the community in his PE classes – “Take Your Parent to PE Week” & “Take Your Parent to PE Week”
  • It’s important for the entire department to be on the same page, to be focused
  • How to get the job and how to keep growing in the job
  • Using social media (Twitter) has been an aid to grow a network
Part 2.
  • Scott talks about his WHY – making PE relevant, lifelong fitness
  • Connect with all stakeholders so there is buy-in at every level
Part 3.
  • Technology in PE? YES YOU CAN!
  • Scott uses projectors, music to project and motivate students to move in PE
  • Assessments with technology in PE
  • Visually, self evaluation for students is key
  • Using GIFs to teach learning cues
  • Get your time back with pre-recorded GIFs to teach students movement
  • Google Slides in PE to stay organized and in-class visuals
  • Differentiate with technology in PE
Part 4
  • How Scott encourages his colleagues to use technology in their spaces
  • The importance of presenting to colleagues about tech tools – no more sit and get
Part 5
  • Scott talks about how to stay motivated and what book he’s reading now
  • Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best by Alan Stein

Lead, Learn, Grow Trailer

  • Lead, Learn, Grow Podcast Trailer — Here is the trailer for the Lead, Learn, Grow Podcast. If you are interested in leadership and educational technology then consider subscribing to the podcast.