The Digital Backpack: Your Resource for Online Learning

The Digital Backpack

The Digital Backpack, powered by Michigan Virtual, is dedicated to sharing tips and tricks for teachers as they navigate their journey through online and blended learning. Join the host Jeff as he discovers new tools and resources for classroom use, talks to practitioners who are doing great things with their students, and has some fun! (Formerly known as "Campfire: Igniting Education with Blended Learning".)

  1. 02/17/2021

    Learning like an Innovator with The Henry Ford

    In this episode, we talk to Phil and Luice from the Learning and Engagement Team at The Henry Ford. We discuss research that indicates that humans are innately innovative, especially in difficult situations. Yet innovation tends to happen in clusters in specific locations in the U.S. So why is that? Is there a key that might unlock greater opportunities? How might educators harness the habits of an innovator to unleash the innovator in all of their students? This, and a special preview of a new Michigan Virtual podcast on this episode of the Digital Backpack. Here are some notes about the episode: Phil’s virtual background during our conversation was a photo of the Dymaxion House Exhibit at The Henry Ford Museum. Luci mentioned that her first virtual background she was displaying during our conversation was a photo of the clocktower, which is part of the museum building at The Henry Ford. The photo was taken from Greenfield Village during the Holiday Nights celebration in December 2020. Behind the Scenes: A View from the Clocktower. Luci changed her background to a picture of the Intersection of Innovation exhibit at The Henry Ford. Who Becomes an Inventor in America? The Importance of Exposure to Innovation - Cited by Lucie as a major research basis for the Learning and Engagement Team's work. inHub | Innovative Curricula and Learning Resources for Educators. Why inHub? - inHub's Mission Empower all learners to activate their innovative mindset to help build a better future. Create a virtual venue & educational community that extends The Henry Ford’s mission impact beyond our physical boundaries by leveraging advancements in our continuing digital transformation efforts.  Model i framework - Features lesson plans centered on the Actions for grades 3-12. At the end of this episode is a preview of a new podcast from Michigan Virtual called BRIGHT: Stories of Hope & Innovation in Michigan Classrooms. Be sure to check it out and subscribe!

    1h 27m

  2. 09/28/2020

    Design Thinking in Schools with Ariel Raz

    Ariel Raz is the Head of Learning Collaborations with the Stanford d.school k12 Lab. In this episode, we chat with Ariel about design thinking and how it can be used in K-12 schools to unlock innovation. Ken Dirkin, Executive Director of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute joins us to unpack our conversation with Ariel. Here are some notes about the episode: Learn about the Stanford d.school and the K12 Lab program Ariel supports Check out Ariel’s design thinking portfolio Learn about projects that the d.school is engaged in: School Safety, Deeper Learning Puzzle Bus, Designing the President Podcast PD is a great way to extend your learning while listening to the Digital Backpack. Make sure to subscribe to listen to future episodes!

    1h 15m

  3. 09/25/2020

    Why the Same Learning Model Won't Work for Every School with Adam Rubin

    Adam Rubin is a Founder and Partner with 2Revolutions, an education design lab. In this episode, we chat with Adam about his organization’s approach to supporting schools, districts, and education agencies to clarify goals for student learning, identify the barriers that are in the way, and use the design lab model to design and test methods that help make the shift happen. Rather than coming with the method in hand, Adam shares his view that it’s important to build solutions around the local context. Here are some notes about the episode: Unlocking the Future of Learning by Redesigning Educator Learning - This chapter by Adam and Ali Brown makes an argument for why rethinking professional learning has the power to transform education systems moving forward. 2Revolutions partnered with Virginia Beach City Public Schools to build an innovative and integrative community, this is a good example of the design lab model in practice. Podcast PD is a great way to extend your learning while listening to the Digital Backpack. Make sure to subscribe to listen to future episodes!

    36 min

  4. 09/08/2020

    Diversity: Understanding self and embracing the conflict with Dr. Jay Marks

    In this episode, we chat with Dr. Jay Marks, Diversity and Equity Consultant with Oakland Schools (Michigan). We discuss the topics of race, culture, social justice, and inequities that exist in the K-12 system. We discuss how Dr. Mark’s experiences have shaped him over his 30-year career in education, the approach and impact of the work he’s currently doing, and he provides recommendations for how individuals can contribute to more inclusive school systems. Here are some notes about the episode: You can register for workshops, facilitated by Dr. Marks and his colleagues, within Oakland Schools’ Professional Learning Calendar. If you are interested in learning more about topics discussed in this episode, the Climate Culture category might be of particular interest to you.  Dr. Marks quotes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s. Related to this sentiment, Dr. King spoke about the construct of time, it’s constructive and destructive power, and urged good people to not wait on April 14, 1967 during his speech that day at Stanford University. Dr. Marks distinguishes between not being racist and anti-racist. There is a large body of literature to be absorbed on this topic. Being Anti-Racist from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture is a good primer to begin your journey if you’re just starting out. Dr. Marks suggested forming affinity groups as a means for white educators to learn more about racism, anti-racism, and to explicitly examine the impact of whiteness on the K-12 system. Dr. Marks discusses leveraging privilege in ways that give voice to those who are marginalized. We recommend developing your skills as an ally to be explicit in doing this work. How to Be an Ally from Teaching Tolerance is a good place to start learning. NEA EdJustice engages and mobilizes activists in the fight for racial, social and economic justice in public education. The Black Lives Matter at School section contains resources for engaging in racial justice activism as an educator. In the Unpack, Jeff makes references to deep culture, implicit bias, and cultural frame of reference. If you’re interested in learning more about culturally responsive teaching, we recommend reading Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain by Yvette Jackson. In The Unpack, Justin recommends listeners check out the podcast series, Nice White Parents.

    1h 16m

  5. 05/20/2020

    SEL During a Pandemic w/ Lauren Kazee

    In this episode, we chat with Lauren Kazee about the impact COVID-19 is having on our social and emotional wellness. We discuss what social-emotional learning (SEL) is, how it’s been used to help students in schools, and how we can all benefit by understanding and living by the basic tenets of SEL especially during times of high stress and trauma. We also welcome Justin Bruno in his official debut as co-host of the Digital Backpack! Here are some notes about the episode: Lauren provides an overview of social-emotional learning, focusing on the ability of both children and adults to identify what they are feeling and how their emotions impact their actions and interactions with others. Prioritizing SEL, she explains, allows students to put themselves in a better frame of mind and is conducive to more successful academic learning. We discuss how a universal SEL focus can be implemented in a multi-tiered system of support to serve all students as a “preventative” approach, as well as how it can be more targeted to serve students with different and greater needs. While we don’t have a wealth of available data yet because of its recency, we know that the Covid-19 crisis can be especially trying for students and families, as evidenced by an increase in call volume to crisis hotlines. We also know that the teaching profession is already among the most stressful occupations in the country, so it's incredibly important for educators to prioritize their own social and emotional wellbeing in order to better serve students. Educators are thinking outside of the box and in creative ways to show students that they care for and support them, helping maintain an emotional connection during a difficult time. We also mention a recent blog series that Lauren authored that focuses on SEL as it pertains to parents, which provides an overview of the concepts and practical tips for integrating social-emotional learning during this time of school closures. If you’re interested in learning more about SEL to support K-12 students, the Michigan Cares portal provides families and educators with free digital lessons designed to help students develop the skills required for social, emotional, and mental well-being. Podcast PD is a great way to extend your learning while listening to the Digital Backpack. Make sure to subscribe to listen to future episodes!

    42 min

  6. 01/02/2020

    Engaging with STEM and the Community

    In this episode, we’re joined by Spencer Kiper, a STEM educator and the 2019 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year. We focus our conversation on STEM education, the opportunities that have come along with state teacher of the year platform, and how he’s leveraging his opportunities to support his students. Justin Bruno joins to help unpack the conversation with Spencer. Here are some notes about the episode: Check out Spencer’s Professional Website. Podcast PD is a great way to extend your learning while listening to the Digital Backpack. Have thoughts about something you heard on this episode? Leave a voice message to tell us about it! Your voice message could appear on a future episode. Make sure to subscribe to listen to future episodes!

    57 min

  7. 09/23/2019

    Digital Well-being

    In this episode, we chat with Keith Tramper about digital wellbeing. We discuss what digital wellbeing is, how it relates to our lives, and how teachers and students might benefit from being mindful of their own digital wellbeing. We also review apps from  Apple and Google that help support digital wellbeing goals and Stacey Schuh joins us to help us unpack the conversation with Keith. Here are some notes about the episode: Keith talks about the concept of a mentoring gap that exists between children and adults in online spaces. Carrie James is part of Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She discusses the mentorship gap in Disconnected: Youth, New Media and the Ethics Gap. Keith learned about this concept through Digital Citizenship in Action by Dr. Kristen Mattson. Here's the relevant excerpt from page 10 of Mattson's book: In online spaces, we have come to accept a mentorship gap between children and adults. As noted by James (2014), we feel an obligation to tell our students the "rules of the road," but policy, fear, expectations, or curricular priorities keep us from jumping in the passenger seat and guiding our students as they navigate new digital terrain. So how can we close this mentorship gap? How can we ensure that we are teaching all aspects of citizenship, digital citizenship included, through life experiences and not solely through lecture? As educators, part of our responsibility is to create time and space for this type of learning to occur. Keith shares that he’s part of a Digital Wellbeing Project to support teachers and students. If you’re interested in helping out, express your interest in the Digital Wellbeing Project Interest Form. We mention that a middle school in Jeff’s past school district has started a new student cell phone policy this year. The school is Stevenson Middle School in the Wayne-Westland Community School District. WDIV Local 4 Detroit reported on the policy. Keith mentions that he attended a session that I facilitated at the 2019 Lake Michigan Tech Conference. Supporting Learning with Student Agency in Mind is the name of the session. The article Part 1: What Do You Mean When You Say “Student Agency”? heavily influenced my design of the session. Here's a good primer on well-being in general and a video about the PERMA model of positive psychology. Podcast PD is a great way to extend your learning while listening to the Digital Backpack. Have thoughts about something you heard on this episode? Leave a voice message to tell us about it! Your voice message could appear on a future episode. Make sure to subscribe to listen to future episodes!

    1h 10m

  8. 08/23/2019

    Strong Student Relationships in Online Courses

    In this episode, Jeff chatted with Kevin Santer, Lead instructor with the Career & Technology department at Michigan Virtual. Kevin shared his story about coming to education after a successful career in the computer science industry and how he’s been able to build meaningful relationships with students as a fully online instructor. Here are some notes about the episode: CatCat is a web app that Jeff reviewed in the episode. It offers learning pathways and the means to curate learning pathways, which feel like short courses. It can be used to curate pathways for teachers or students as learners. Jeff concludes that its biggest plus might be for professional learning. Shortly after his interview for this episode was recorded, Kevin Santer was named 2019 Michigan Virtual Online Teacher of the Year. Much of our discussion this episode centered around what it’s like to teach secondary students online. The Teacher Guide to Online Learning might be a good read if you have little or no familiarity with online learning and have an interest in helping online learners be more successful. Kevin discussed developing his own chrome extensions to support his team and, eventually, all educators. Chrome extensions are small software programs that customize your browser’s abilities in some way. To get thinking about how you might use chrome extensions, House of #EdTech podcast episode 15 Must-Have Chrome Extensions for Educators 2019 offers a good intro to using chrome extensions for education. Have thoughts about something you heard on this episode? Leave a voice message to tell us about it! Your voice message could appear on a future episode. If you like listening to this podcast and want to apply and explore the concepts a little more deeply, consider joining us in Podcast PD (Screencasting, the Future of Education or Google Forms, Failure-Free Failing & CBE). Make sure to subscribe to listen to future episodes!

    59 min
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The Digital Backpack, powered by Michigan Virtual, is dedicated to sharing tips and tricks for teachers as they navigate their journey through online and blended learning. Join the host Jeff as he discovers new tools and resources for classroom use, talks to practitioners who are doing great things with their students, and has some fun! (Formerly known as "Campfire: Igniting Education with Blended Learning".)

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