powerED Up Ken Ehrmann

Dr. Matt Rhoads is an educator, coach, and leader well-grounded in the ed-tech space.  He supports teachers and leaders on a daily basis and has not lost a connection to what is realistic. The conversation covers many topics, but he dives deep into specific topics. When asked tough questions, he provides great answers.  No fluff.  Tune in and follow along with Matt's journey and learn how to integrate more data and more technology into your classroom.



In This Episode We Cover:


How to effectively utilize technology in the current state of education.
Strategies for incorporating station rotation in a hybrid and blended teaching environment.
How the necessity of education technology has gleaned light and tools that dramatically improve effective instructional strategies.
Improving exit slips with digital formative assessments.




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Eric Combs is a middle school band teacher coming off one of the greatest experiences of his career, visiting the White House as the 2020 Illinois Teacher of the Year. He has created an experience in a beginner-level band that is so unique, it has become copied worldwide. He is focused on student growth, student achievement, and student motivation. He worked diligently to create this program to a point where students drive the experience, and he is guiding them to true achievement.

In This Episode We Cover:


The importance of data and the impact on instruction.
How to use flipped instruction to enhance classroom experiences.
What it takes to provide students with an individualized instructional experience.
Flipped instruction and self-paced structures improve student rapport and relationships with teachers.
When you do not teach for mastery, students fall behind and never catch up.
The positive impact on self-paced instruction has impacted the interest in band and retention in the program.
The utilization of check-ins to track student progress and guide them towards their next targets.


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Running a successful school district is a complete operation of multiple departments, some including adults who are not certified, educators. The role of IT is vital for teachers to run a successful classroom.  Teachers, students, and parents all depend on reliable and effective technology.  There is so much that goes into the infrastructure, applications, and devices we use day in and day out. It is important for teachers to communicate effectively with the IT department and work collaboratively.

In This Episode We Cover

Defining ed-tech and how all the components of IT work collaboratively together.
Simple guidelines to decide whether or not to use an application in the classroom.
Applications IT are used to support teachers.
Developing tech literacy and setting goals for how to effectively instruct teachers and students.


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Reaching Show 50 was a big milestone for us, and we wanted to take time to reflect on the experience.  We spent time saying thank you to our listeners and our guests. We reflected on some of the most impactful moments from the show and our favorite quotes from previous guests. We've had so much inspiration from amazing educators and we want to continue to make sure we bring those moments, stories, and principles to our audience.

In This Episode We Cover

What show 50 meant to each Matt and Ken.
How our guests generated the same results, creating amazing classrooms, but accomplished it through so many different paths.
The differentiated type of teachers we've had on our show.
Matt and Ken share the lessons that stuck with them most and how it has impacted their day-to-day work with students and teachers.
Taking a leap of faith in the classroom and picking up the pieces along the way.


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Creating an atmosphere to inspire and foster student passion is a challenge every teacher faces.  Claire Clifford leads elementary through high school students in musical performances and class. Claire showcases her diverse expectations as a teacher transitioning from elementary music class, to high school vocal choir, to a community musical production, and preparing all of those students for a winter concert! She works tirelessly to create amazing productions, but the real beauty is in the daily learning that takes place each day in her classroom.  

In This Episode We Cover: 


The use of the Hungarian Kodaly (Ko-die) method. 
Managing the multiple responsibilities of a music teacher and how that translates to the regular education classroom. 
How to incorporate cross-curricular learning opportunities in music class. 
Using teachable moments to develop background knowledge in other content areas. 
Transitioning ownership from the teacher to student, and the challenges we see as teachers in those transitions. 
Involving student choice in the curriculum and content of the classroom.


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Planning creative lessons is a skill every teacher can develop. We dive deep into a conversation specifically on how to plan creative lessons. It starts with knowing your why, what do you hope to accomplish and what are the learning targets? There will be failures, and that is okay! Our students are providing us feedback whether they intend to or not; we just have to look for it.  Planning creative lessons can be time-intensive, but it doesn't need to be and we talk about exactly how.

In This Episode We Cover:


Step one in planning a creative lesson starts with key questions and keeping your sights set on the original instructional goal.
Failures are commonplace, and we hear specific lessons that failed with Ken.
Criteria for what "failure" actually is with creative lessons and how to determine if it failed or succeeded.
Using colleagues and students to reflect on the success of a lesson.
Planning creative lessons can be a simple tweak in the lesson, as well as, time-intensive.  We talk about both and when each is appropriate to use.
Ken describes exactly how and where he gets his ideas for all of his creative lessons.  It might not be exactly what you would think or what you want to hear!​


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