Be a Better Ally: critical conversations for K12 educators Tricia Friedman

Explore how Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) in schools can leverage cutting-edge AI research tools to enhance their advocacy and information design efforts.

Specifically, this episode is an exploration of three powerful AI tools - Elicit, ChatPDF, and Consensus - and how they can be used to amplify the GSA's voice and impact.

Those three resources are further explored inside of a free guide, which listeners can download:
https://shiftingschools.lpages.co/ai-powered-research/

Reach out to Tricia: Tricia (at) shiftingschools (dotcom) with questions about that guide or the January Shifting Schools AI Playground.

Learn more about that www.shiftingschools.com

We are celebrating the one year anniversary of one of my favorite books by the amazing Angeline Aow and Dr. Sadie Hollins

Celebrating milestones is so important, so this week we return to a recap of the Book Launch Party for Dr. Sadie Hollins and Angeline Aow's book "Becoming a Totally Inclusive School: A Guide for Teachers and School Leaders." In this conversation, the co-authors provide readings from their book and field questions from the live audience.

Order your copy of the book: https://www.routledge.com/Becoming-a-Totally-Inclusive-School-A-Guide-for-Teachers-and-School-Leaders/Aow-Hollins-Whitehead/p/book/9781032136745

Email me tricia (at) shiftingschools (dot com) to tell me more about a book you think is worth celebrating!


Learn more about Eduspark as mentioned at the top of the episode: https://eduspark.world Explore Tricia's free online course with Eduspark on Media Literacy and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: https://eduspark.world/courses/media-literacy-for-lgbtq-inclusion

For a transcript of this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-3hNAfTPxDKpxu23W11Qa9ph7SsvtQm5WGqVQ_zI0Ro/edit?usp=sharing

Explore the profound impacts of digital literacy and political engagement initiatives by CIVIX, and discover resources that can transform classrooms into hubs of critical thought and respectful discourse.

This week Tricia switches gears and points you to an episode from her other show: Shifting Schools podcast with her co-host Jeff Utecht.
Learn more at www.shiftingschools.com

We sit down with Dimitri Pavlounis, the Director of Research at CIVIX. Our discussion unravels around two pivotal programs at CIVIX: CTRL-F and PoliTalks, which are meticulously crafted to bolster digital literacy and political awareness among the youth.

Our guest explores the resources and tools available for educators aiming to ignite engaging political discussions in classrooms. They share a vision of nurturing students to practice active listening, perspective-taking, and respectful self-expression, laying down a robust foundation for contextual awareness in political discourse.

Links:
- [CIVIX Official Website](https://civix.ca)
- [CTRL-F Program Overview](https://civix.ca/programs/ctrl-f/)
- [PoliTalks Program Overview](https://civix.ca/programs/politalks/)
- [Center for Research And Evidence on Security Threats](https://www.crestresearch.ac.uk)

Dimitri Pavlounis is the Research Director at CIVIX, a Canadian educational charity dedicated to building the skills and habits of active and informed citizenship among youth through experiential learning opportunities. As part of his work, he helped manage the development and evaluation of CTRL-F, a digital literacy program aimed at helping students navigate our polluted information environment. Prior to joining CIVIX, he completed his PhD in Media Studies at the University of Michigan.

Discover the ten pivotal reasons why GSAs should embrace AI literacy and the role they play in bias mitigation, representation, and inclusive research. Explore probing questions to guide GSA groups on their AI discovery journey. Let's explore ways to boost activism, and advocacy within the AI landscape from an LGBTQ+ perspective.

Want to enter to win a free seat at the 3-Week Cohort?
Learn more about the cohort:
https://www.shiftingschools.com/

Enter to win by emailing:
tricia (at) shiftingschools (dot com)

Explore the free slideshow with all the resources discussed:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTtt_kco-Nvr1TdSvfklqJ_skqJjEMiRVqNX7xbXVhcq0Lep1BaUV66Bvs3E9QPoVkuBTtBR3w5OmAN/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

In light of Halloween being just around the corner, we are bringing you a repeat episode that explores a remarkable seasonal text to explore with the YA fans in your life!

On this episode of the podcast we hear from Shelly Page (with a brief intro from Alex Brown)as she walks us through the process of bringing the soon-to-be-released collection 'Night of the Living Queers' to bookshelves everywhere.

Pre-order your copy now

bookshop.org/p/books/night-of-t…?ean=9781250892980

Connect with Shelly and Alex:

twitter.com/shelly_p_writes

twitter.com/gravity_fail09

Get $25 off the Media Literacy and Inclusion Course by using promo code "BABA25" on checkout

www.shiftingschools.com/store-2/p/med…and-inclusion

Also mentioned in this episode:

lgbtqreads.com/2023/06/19/most-a…ly-december-2023/

In this episode Dr. Kraft shatters misconceptions and reveals the power of gaming for building social-emotional skills. How can educators effectively integrate gaming into their SEL programs?

Are You Ready To Unlock the Power of Gaming? The power of gaming can be harnessed to forge strong peer connections among students. By instilling the elements of gaming in social-emotional learning, students can be encouraged to reflect on their emotions and reactions in gaming scenarios, apply insights to real-life contexts, and foster belonging within their peer groups. Thus, far from being a mere recreational activity, gaming can be a potent tool for facilitating improved student well-being and social-emotional growth.

Learn more about our amazing guest:

Dr. Kristen Craft has served as a teacher, principal, and district administrator in public education for the past 27 years. A champion of students, Dr. Craft is currently the Scholastic Esports Specialist for Generation Esports. She helps normalize esports in education by supporting schools and districts to create a scholastic esports pipeline.

Mentoring educational leaders, teaching aspiring principals at the university level, presenting at multiple conferences, and connecting with leaders across the country, Kristen knows the impact leaders can have on a school or district. The culmination of her time in administration at both levels represents a lifetime of love spent in the greatest profession.

She is the Gaming Concepts Podcast host and has been featured in several ed leadership podcasts and publications.

Kristen was named the 2021 Kansas Principal of the Year.

Twitter – @KristenEsports @GamingConceptsU @JoinGenEsports @HSELesports LinkedIn – KristenEsports, Generation Esports

Links explored in this episode

‍LGBTQ Students Finding Hope in Declining Mental Health via Esports in Schools

https://www.gamingconcepts.gg/

Huge thanks to our amazing Sponsor for this episode!

Mackin


For highlights from this conversation:




00:17:21 – Esports and Marginalized Populations The guest highlights the positive impact of esports on marginalized populations, specifically LGBTQ+ students. She mentions a study that showed significant growth in self-esteem among students who had mental health moments integrated into their gaming concepts curriculum.

00:18:13 – Rapid Transformation with Esports The guest discusses the transformative effects of implementing esports in schools. She shares the results of a study where students showed tremendous gains in self-esteem within just ten weeks. Esports provides a sense of community and inclusivity for students who may feel marginalized.

00:22:12 – Leadership Skills and Career Opportunities The guest emphasizes that esports develops leadership skills


00:31:16 – Creating a Welcoming Culture Dr. Kraft emphasizes that adding initiatives like Esports can create an inclusive and welcoming culture in schools. It is essential for educational leaders to see and fight for all students, rather than discounting or shaming them.

00:31:52 – The Role of Educational Leaders Dr. Kraft reminds leaders that their focus should be on the students, not themselves. Turning a blind eye to the needs of students is not who educational leaders should be. They should actively advocate for and support all students.

00:32:15 – Ending on a Powerful Note Tricia thanks Dr. Kraft for sharing her expertise and passion. The conversation serves as a reminder that it is ultimately about the kids and their well-being. Dr. Kraft’s insights provide inspiration for educational leaders to prioritize the needs of students.