EL Education Podcasts

Podcasts by EL Education

EL Education is a national nonprofit that partners with educators to transform K-12 schools and districts into hubs of equitable opportunity. Guided by a multi-dimensional vision of student achievement, we support all students to cultivate their unique genius and contribute to a better world. EL Education offers research-proven resources and practices, including the acclaimed EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum, Core Practices, and aligned professional learning. EL Education was founded in 1991 and currently reaches 1.1 million students in diverse communities across the country in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at ELEducation.org. 

Episodes

  1. 04/25/2022

    Series Premiere: What is Crew? (Part 1 of 2)

    In this introductory episode, Host Roel Mason-Vivit will dive into the question, "What is Crew?" He  shares some of his own perspectives on Crew structure and culture and offers us a window into what Crew sounds and feels like. Roel's guest is a media producer, Rosa Gaia, who has visited and made multimedia work about over 30 schools practicing Crew across the country. She presents an original song-essay that gives an overview of Crew that uses audio illustrations, verbal explanations, samples of real Crew recordings, and instrumental performances from middle school Crew members . Rosa visits Escalante school in Colorado, and hears from a Crew leader and teacher of 30-years of teaching experience, John Hise. We also talk to his students, Canyon and Dallen, and hear recordings of their Crew meetings. Roel then connects with the school he helped open in Chicago, Polaris Charter Academy. We visit a daily crew session and a special yearly Crew Community event.  Roel reunites with a former student, Mikael, who speaks of the impact of Crew on his life. Original music, audio engineering and mixing on Crew Not Passengers is by Sean Brennan. Produced and edited by Rosa Gaia. Thumbnail Artwork by Jada Walters, a high school student and Crew member at Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in Queens, NY. Audio clips featured in the heartbeat song and throughout the episode include: - Conway Elementary School in Escondido, California, - Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in Queens, New York, - Fox Creek Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado. - Meadow Glen middle school in Lexington, Kentucky. - River Bluff High School in Lexington, Kentucky. - Capital City Charter School in Washington, DC. - Casco Bay high school in Portland, Maine. - Launch Expeditionary Learning School in Brooklyn, New York. - Hollis Innovation Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. - Springfield Renaissance in Springfield, Massachusetts. - Amana Academy in Alpharetta, Georgia - Polaris Charter Academy in Chicago, Illinois. The Crew heartbeat song featured instrumental performances by Adeline, Gianna, Destiny, Tomeh, Malia and Lizzie at the Expeditionary Learning Middle School ELMS in Syracuse, New York. ELMS musicians were directed and recorded by their teacher, Megan Hirsch. To learn more about our organization and to find additional crew resources, please visit eleducation.org and to hear additional episodes of the podcast and learn more about implementing Crew, check out EL Education's Crew Navigator. This interactive course will give you tools and strategies to understand, prepare for, practice and improve Crew at your school. Find it at https://eleducation.org/what-we-offer/curriculum-services/online-courses

    34 min
  2. 04/25/2022

    The Practice of Crew (Part 2 of 2)

    This episode dives into the practice of Crew: structures, strategies, behaviors, and mindsets that support  a school community and the individuals within it. Host Roel Mason-Vivit  meets with Ron Berger for a conversation that echoes a typical Crew meeting structure: greeting, reading, activity, debrief.  In Part 1, Ron and Roel share their advice and reflections on the practice of Crew, and share their personal journeys of learning to teach, lead, and live with their whole selves.  In Part 2, Ron and Roel speak to students and teachers practicing Crew across the country across all grade bands. The complete episode can be found in EL Education's Crew Navigator, an interactive course that will give you tools and strategies to understand, prepare for, practice and improve Crew at your school. Find it at https://eleducation.org/what-we-offer/curriculum-services/online-courses   Ron Berger is the Senior Advisor at EL Education and is the author of 8 educational books, with his latest focused on Crew. Ron speaks nationally and internationally about student character, teaches at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and most importantly, has spent over 25 years leading Crew himself as a public school teacher. Roel Mason-Vivit is EL Education's Director of Partnerships for the Midwest region, and the co-founder of Polaris Charter Academy in Chicago, IL. Original music, audio engineering and mixing on Crew, not passengers is by Sean Brennan. Produced and edited by Rosa Gaia  Thumbnail Artwork by Jada Walters, a high school student and Crew member at Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in Queens, NY.

    22 min

About

EL Education is a national nonprofit that partners with educators to transform K-12 schools and districts into hubs of equitable opportunity. Guided by a multi-dimensional vision of student achievement, we support all students to cultivate their unique genius and contribute to a better world. EL Education offers research-proven resources and practices, including the acclaimed EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum, Core Practices, and aligned professional learning. EL Education was founded in 1991 and currently reaches 1.1 million students in diverse communities across the country in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at ELEducation.org.