The Dr. Will Show - Going All In with Blended Learning with Kristie Burk

On this episode of The Dr. Will Show, I hangout with Kristie Burk and chat about developing a blended learning culture within a school or district.

Kristie Burk is in charge of all of Downingtown Area School District’s cyber and blended learning programs, including a high school program for 4,000 students that was recently the subject of a Harvard Business School case study. She is passionate about helping veteran, traditional teachers grow and learn and was named Schoology 2016 Administrator of the Year.

Kristie has spent over two decades working as an English teacher in traditional, blended and online classes for several high schools and universities across the country. She has also been a computer programmer, a corporate technology trainer, a technical writer and editor, and an author of a test preparation book. You can follow her @KristieLBurk on Twitter or subscribe to her blog DtownTechChat.wordpress.com.

The Dr. Will Show - Beyond the Tenure Track with Dr. Fatimah Williams Castro

On this episode of The Dr. Will show, I hangout with Dr. Fatimah Williams Castro about careers beyond the Academy.

Fatimah Williams Castro, PhD is the founder and CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track, a career strategy and professional development-consulting firm that assists academics in leveraging their expertise to secure meaningful and successful work. She is a speaker, author, and career coach whose professional development guidance has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Scientific American, University Affairs, Rutgers Today, and numerous podcasts, and in her book Be Bold: Launch Your Job Search or Career Change with Confidence.

Dr. Williams Castro holds a doctorate in Cultural Anthropology from Rutgers University and bachelor’s degrees in Foreign Affairs and African American Studies from the University of Virginia. Awarded the nationally competitive Consortium for Faculty Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dr. Williams Castro serves as chair of the Workshops Committee of the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology and is a member of the Graduate Career Consortium and the National Postdoctoral Association. Additionally, Dr. Williams Castro is a former Associate Director at the University of Pennsylvania Career Services. She has spoken at various universities and organizations across the country to include Princeton University, Yale University, and the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity.

To book Dr. Williams Castro to speak at your next event, contact her at fatimah@beyondthetenuretrack.com.      

The Dr. Will Show - Blended with Penny Christensen

On this episode of The Dr. Will Show, I hangout with Penny Christensen. We talk about the successes and challenges of blended learning.

Educator since 1998, eLearning Specialist since 2009, Penny Christensen specializes in middle grades math, science, and content literacy. She is passionate about how technology can amplify the awesome parts of education. Penny has been blogging since 2010 at http://HotLunchTray.com  and Tweeting as @Pen63.

The Dr. Will Show - The State of Online Education with Dr. Jessica Fernandez

On this episode of The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Dr. Jessica Fernandez about the growth, success, and drawbacks of online education.

Originally from New York, Dr. Jessica Fernandez has made Florida her home for the past 16 years. She is passionate about education and is dedicated to impacting the community and in adding value to others through leadership workshops, seminars, and keynote speaking. Her career in education began working with at risk youth teaching them the life skills necessary to be successful, responsible young adults. Her passion led her to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Design for Online Learning, a Master of Education in Instructional Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Organizational Management. Her experience is multifaceted with roles including director of education, instructional designer, higher education online instructor, higher education face-to-face instructor, faculty trainer, and 6-12 business education teacher. Through these experiences and multiple perspectives, she has become a leader in the field of online education and hopes to instill her passion about online learning in others.

Social Media Links:

• Twitter: @elearning_geek

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandezjess• 

* Blog: www.elearninggeek.com

Follow Your Strengths: A Conversation with Danielle Leslie, Bandi Holmes, and Theresa Campbell

This is the first podcast I created. I spoke with Danielle Leslie, Brandi Holmes, and Theresa Campbell about embracing one's strengths. 

Listen to the episode here:

The Dr. Will Show - She's the Boss with Shinjini Das

On this episode of The Dr. Will Show, I hangout with Shinjini Das. The conversation was real and Shinjini held nothing back.  Grab yourself a cup of tea and be inspired to make the investment in yourself. Learn what it takes to be a Boss!

Shinjini Das, The Go-Getter Girl!, is the Founder and CEO of The Das Media Group, a boutique digital strategy consulting firm, global millennial influencer, strategic trilingual multi-media personality, keynote speaker, impact-driven industrial engineer, and Huffington Post contributor with a global social media following of 76K+ and interviews on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Sirius XM, Business Insider. She considers it an authentic privilege to impact her global audiences, shared her thoughts on broadening access to global girls' education with INC. Magazine, and was profiled in FORBES Magazineas a 24-year-old American CEO. Shinjini was honored to have been invited to moderate a panel at the 2016 Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters in recognition as a Global Hero for her internationally recognized advocacy work to empower women. Shinjini was invited to attend the 2016 Forbes Under 30 Summit as a game-changing entrepreneur innovating in the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, media, and business. Follow her globally eclectic journey @SpeakerShinjini and on www.shinjinidas.com.

Social Media Links:

• Twitter: @SpeakerShinjini
• Facebook: @SpeakerShinjini
• Instagram: @SpeakerShinjini

Getting Connected: Developing a Personal Learning Network of Support for Future Ready

On Monday, November 21, I had the privilege to have a virtual sit down with Tom Murray, Director of Innovation for The Alliance for Better Education. As part of the Future Ready initiative, Tom hosts a series of webinars on a variety of issues in education. 

During our conversation, we talked about becoming a connected educator. Learn more about the purpose of the webinar below: 

Getting Connected:
Developing a Personal Network of Support

PanelistsWill Deyamport III, Ed.D., Instructional Technology Specialist, Hattiesburg Public School District (MS)Tom Murray, Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools, Alliance for Excellent Education

Please join Future Ready Schools® (FRS) for a webinar that is part of its Leadership Hub, a one-stop-shop of professional learning opportunities for school leaders.

Over the past few years, there has been tremendous buzz on teachers using various social networking sites, such as Twitter, for professional learning. Recent peer-reviewed journal publications about the uses and benefits of teachers getting connected, and the isolation so many teachers feel across the country, speak about the successes and challenges many educators face when seeking a professional network online.

As an instructional technologist, Will Deyamport will share research-based strategies and personal anecdotes to effectively engage, share, and design one’s own personal learning network (PLN).

FRS’s Tom Murray and Dr. Deyamport will discuss various aspects of PLNs, including

• findings from research studies on developing a PLN;
• personal anecdotes and experiences with building and sustaining a vibrant PLN; and
• strategies, tools, and other resources available to assist teachers, schools, and districts in getting connected.

Watch the webinar and please share with your Personal Learning Network.

The Dr. Will Show - Getting Unstuck with Dr. Stephanie Barnes Taylor

On this episode of The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Dr. Stephanie Barnes, President of Fabulous University, about getting unstuck and making things happen in your life.

Dr. Stephanie Barnes Taylor is the CEO of The Fruition Group, LLC, a company that specializes in personal excellence, leadership and strategic planning solutions.   She is a Harvard educated attorney with over 16 years of corporate experience.  During her tenure as a corporate executive, she has acquired skills that have enabled her to personally develop leadership skills in aspiring leaders and professionals. Throughout her vast career she has gained experience in organizational and leadership development, project management and corporate strategic planning activities. Her passion is to inspire excellence in others. Stephanie is a woman who sees the possibility in life and embraces the opportunity to excel.  She has a proven track record of coaching and transforming employees into high-producing leaders. Stephanie works with women to help them find their inner leader through her transformational coaching program, Fabulous University—where women learn to lead with brilliance! Stephanie helps women to have a fabulous career, business, and life! Being fabulous is to live and lead boldly, brilliantly, and vividly. Dr. Stephanie Barnes Taylor is also a published author and has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Personal Excellence Magazine, and the Huffington Post.  More information regarding her books and blog series can be found at www.stephaniebarnestaylor.com.

The Dr. Will Show - Got My Mind On My Money and My Money On My Mind With Financial Expert Dominique Broadway

On this episode of The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Financial Expert Dominique Broadway about getting one's finances in order.

Dominique Broadway is an award winning Personal Finance Coach, Speaker, Finance Expert and the Founder of Finances Demystified & The Social Money Tour. Dominique has received various accolades such as the Top 30 Under 30 in Washington DC, the DC Future Business Leader of America Businessperson of the Year and the Top Financial Advisor for Millennials in the US.

Dominique’s demystified financial advice, has been highlighted on Yahoo!, Huffington Post, Forbes, USA Today, Black Enterprise, Marketwatch.com, Ebony Magazine, Levo League, Refinery29 and other media outlets. She has a strong passion for working with young professionals, entrepreneurs and people of all ages to bring their Dreams2Reality.

Guest Blog Post: Pursuit of Ed.D. Online by Jerod Phillips, M.Ed.

One day in late 2013, I remember vividly a conversation that I had with my associate principal about educators pursuing advanced degrees. At the time, I was in the second to last class of my Masters in Educational Leadership,and I was set to graduate in May 2014. He was discussing with me his reasoning behind pursuing his doctorate degree, but what stood out to me the most was a statistic that he gave me. He stated that only between 3% and 4% of the U.S. population holds a doctorate degree, and that he wanted to be a part of that elite class of Americans. His logic was that this degree proved that he wanted to attain the highest degree possible for his profession. As I finished up my graduate program, I could not get that statement out of my head from my assistant principal as I thought about it almost daily after I heard it. Considering the fact that my wife and I have 3 young children and various church obligations weekly, I never thought that devoting 3 or more years to a doctorate degree would be feasible. I told my wife about my thoughts surrounding pursuing a doctorate degree. Her response was one of love and great support. As we prayed about it, she said that she thought that I should try to pursue the degree immediately after my graduate program was complete since I would still be in “grind mode.”

In my area, the schools that offer a doctoral degree in my field are Delaware State University (my alma mater) and Wilmington University. They have great programs, but my busy schedule with coaching football in the fall in addition to family and church obligations had me very hesitant. I would not mind giving up coaching football in order to pursue this dream, but if it was a way where I didn’t have to, I was open to that as well (coaching football is one of my great passions). My next option was to explore online programs that would meet my educational needs in addition to being flexible with my schedule. This is where the power of Twitter and being connected came into play to influence my decision as to where to attend school. Anyone that I followed on Twitter with a Doctorate Degree or pursuing one was asked about their program. One of the members of my PLN, Dr. Will Deyamport, had a link to his dissertation on his profile so I clicked on it just to see what his research was about and what I was getting myself into. When I saw that his school was Capella University, it brought that key conversation with my assistant principal once again to the forefront of my mind because in that conversation, he had told me that his wife was finishing her doctoral degree at Capella University. I sent Dr. Will a message to inquire about Capella University. He gave me awesome insight into the school, withholding nothing. After I spoke with Dr. Will, I reached out to my assistant principal’s wife to get a second opinion on Capella University. The conversation with her confirmed and enhanced everything that Dr. Will told me about the University.

I eventually applied and was accepted to Capella University after I completed my graduate degree. I began my first class in August 2014, and the journey has been rewarding up to this point. Due to everything being completely online, I have been able to work at times that I schedule and are convenient for me. The professors are very knowledgeable, helpful, and encouraging. They are readily available to help whenever you need them. I have been blessed with a great cohort that spans the globe. With the different backgrounds from the different geographic locations comes dynamic perspectives that enhance the learning process. It feels like I am pursuing this degree with a group of connected educators (actually I am since we are completely online) as we communicate often in the course rooms, and we constantly challenge each other’s thinking in order to push each other towards deeper understanding and reflection. I just finished my last class in June. The online learning platform has worked perfect for me and my situation. The main course, the dissertation, is the only thing that awaits me now. Since it is an action research dissertation, it will be undertaken in my current work setting. The only thing that would change that is if I am offered an assistant principal position between now and the beginning of the school year in late August.

My wife has been a tremendous support system during this process. I try to spend as much time with her and the kids as possible, which has lead to completing many assignments after everyone goes to bed and before everyone wakes up in the morning. The sacrifices have been huge in order to pursue this degree. Some family and friends are intrigued by the amount of activities and functions that I have had to miss due to coursework. Some don’t understand, but I must reach the finish line. I have been successful in every class by staying focused and diligent. If I had it to do all over again, I would not do anything differently. Capella University, in addition to Twitter, has transformed me into a huge proponent of the online learning platform. It takes you beyond your current geographic location and places you among professionals from all over the world. My pursuit of a doctoral degree completely online has cemented in my mind what personalized learning should look like and how it should push one beyond their wildest dreams.

About the author:

Jerod Phillips is the Dean of Students at Central Middle School in Dover, Delaware. In this role, he supervises and monitors student conduct within the school and handles routine disciplinary matters and assists in empowering teachers to assume responsibility for classroom management and student discipline. He is passionate about using his role to develops positive public relations between the district, school, students, parents and the overall community. At his school, he is also the Head Football Coach. He believes that being a connected educator can help take one’s career to unprecedented heights. He aspires to become an administrator in the near future. He has a B.S. in Finance and Banking from Delaware State University, a M.S. in Educational Leadership from Purdue University, and he is currently in the dissertation phase of his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Management at Capella University. Jerod is a proud husband and father of 3 (2 daughters and 1 son), and he is very active in his church.

The Dr. Will Show - Betting On Yourself with Business Strategist Kelly Roach

On today's episode The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Business Strategist Kelly Roach about becoming an entrepreneur.

Kelly Roach is the host of the top rated podcast Unstoppable Success Radio, an International best-selling author, and the CEO of Kelly Roach Coaching.

As a former NFL Cheerleader and Fortune 500 Executive where she was promoted 7 times in 8 years, Kelly brings a powerful combination of proven and profitable business growth strategies coupled with the mindset, wellness and productivity practices required to help entrepreneurs build a profitable business around a life they absolutely love.

Kelly’s passion and purpose is in helping entrepreneurs around the world achieve exponential profit, sales and income growth.

Kelly runs business coaching programs, mastermind groups, online courses and does private consulting with individuals and organizations.

The Dr. Will Show - Networked Professional Development with Val Brown

On today's episode of The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Val Brown about Personal Learning Networks.

Val Brown, Coordinator of Leadership Development. In her current position, Val supports teacher leaders and aspiring administrators through targeted professional learning experiences. Her other passions in education include teacher leadership work with the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) and recruiting and retaining teachers of color. She is a member of the 2016 ASCD Emerging Leaders class and was named Seminole County Teacher of the Year in 2013.

The Dr. Will Show - Personal Branding with Melissa Powell

On today's episode, I chat with Melissa Powell about personal branding.

Melissa Powell is the Founder and CEO of Pocmi, Inc. The company's mission is to promote peace through innovation and diversity, and to increase the availability of talented individuals to employers, who through innovative immigration processes can now choose from a global pool. She is a proponent of the belief that diversification can lift nations and lives by her mantra that if we all win, we all win. With a Masters degree in International Business, an MSc. in Construction Management and a BA. in Architecture, she has applied her dynamic knowledge base and concepts of building and creating things, to the realm of international business. With this, she has been able to help in the growth of various organizations through strategic thinking and human capital management. She currently focusses on helping companies find, hire, move, and engage global talent.

Through the evolution of her profession and offerings, Melissa has had a wealth of experience with personal branding. In this episode she gives us insight on what it truly means to have a personal brand and why you should consider it for your professional development.

Melissa Powell can be reached at:

twitter: @melissapowellco

instagram: @melissapowell.co

Facebook: facebook.com/melissapowellco

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/powellmelissa

Web & Blog : www.pocmi.com

Resources:

• - Google search "Color Psychology" for many tools on choosing good colors to suit your message
• - BryanJNoel.com is a strategist that helps to formulate personal brands and create your visual palette.
• - Strikingly.com, Squarespace.com, Wix.com or Wordpress.com to easily create your site and track how your users interact with it.
• - Creating a logo / or other branding materials: Fiverr.com (user: skydesigner has been good to me), 99Designs.com, canva.com 
• - Printing business cards: Jukeboxprint.com 
• - Instagram content creation tools: Canva, Over.

Happy branding!

The Dr. Will Show - Yoga with Cazoshay Marie

On today's episode of The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Cazoshay about her practice and the world of yoga.

Cazoshay Ward is an Alaska-grown certified yoga instructor and raw vegan foods chef currently located in Portland, Oregon. She shares her knowledge of holistic health and wellness by traveling to teach her unique events and classes and through her blog, DID with Cazoshay. Cazoshay also spent time serving as a Goodwill Ambassador to the Republic of the Gambia, West Africa, bringing donations of medical and school supplies to hospitals and schools. She has volunteered teaching yoga at many different events and locations including Covenant House Alaska and the International Center for Traditional Childbearing's 2015 Black Midwives and Healers Conference. She is truly a lover of Jesus, Earth & People and loves to encourage others in their wellness journeys. As a wellness professional, her goal is to make access to sustainability and holistic wellness available to all communities and individuals, especially through her Community Hip Hop Yoga classes. Her motto is #HaveMatWillTravel, and you can check out her website at www.DIDwithCazoshay.com for information on upcoming events and classes.

Website: www.DIDwithCazoshay.com Twitter/Instagram/Periscope/Snapchat: @cazoshay_marie YouTube: youtube.com/DIDbyShay

The Dr. Will Show - Future Ready with Tom Murray

On today's episode of The Dr. Will Show, I speak with Tom Murray about Future Ready Schools.

Tom serves as the Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools, a project of the Alliance for Excellent Education, located in Washington, DC.

He has testified before the United States Congress and works alongside that body and the US Senate, the White House, the US Department of Education and state departments of education, corporations, and school districts throughout the country to implement student-centered, personalized learning while helping to lead Future Ready and Digital Learning Day. Murray serves as a regular conference keynote, was named one of “20 to Watch” by NSBA, and was recently named the “Education Policy Person of the Year” by the Academy of Arts and Sciences at the 2015 Bammy Awards.

Murray’s experiences in K–12 digital leadership, which include implementing a 1:1 program, BYOD, blended learning, and a K–12 cyber school where he served as the director of technology and cyber education for the Quakertown Community School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, have been recognized nationally. A former school principal and teacher, Murray is passionate about proper digital learning implementation and personalized professional learning. In 2015, Murray co-authored and released Leading Professional Learning; Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers (Corwin, 2015). In addition to his role at Future Ready, he serves as a thought leader and school district consultant for digital learning implementation and transformation. Previously, he was the recipient of the Blended Schools Network Leadership Award, named one of the top 16 “forward thinking EdTech leaders in the country,” named one of the “top 100 influential voices in education,” has been featured in Tech & Learning magazine’s Leadership Profile, THE Journal, and has appeared on various television shows. Murray’s cyber- and blended-learning programs have been highlighted by Forbes.com, T.H.E. Journal, District Administration magazine, Project Red,Tech & Learning magazine, the Innosight Institute, and iNACOL, among others, and on Digital Learning Day in both 2013 and 2014. 

Connect with Tom on twitter at @thomascmurray. 

The Dr. Will Show - Professional Associations in K12 with Layla Allahverdi

On today's episode, I speak with Layla Allahverdi, from ASCD about professional associations in K-12 education.

Layla Allahverdi is an educator advocate and program manager for ASCD Affiliates, Emerging Leaders, Connected Communities, Professional Interest Communities, and Student Chapters. These ASCD constituent programs cultivate and enhance the leadership capacity of educators, at all levels, to support the whole child and to elevate the profession. She also serves on a team that supports Teach to Lead, an initiative jointly convened by ASCD, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and the U.S. Department of Education.
Layla earned her master’s degree in International Education and Training at American University in Washington, DC.

Follow Layla on Twitter at @LaylaJuneEDU

For more information about ASCD, visit www.ascd.org

At minute 17:45 to minute 20:18, we experienced some technical difficulties with the broadcast. Please fast forward to watch the show in progress. 

The Dr. Will Show - So You Wanna Be A Consultant with Dr. Charlene Rousseau

On today's episode of The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Dr. Rousseau about her experiences as a consultant. She shares information valuable to teachers who have an interest in taking the leap to consulting.

Dr. Rousseau earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Capella University, her Master of Science degree in the same field from Carlos Albizu University, and her Bachelor of Arts General Psychology degree from Florida Atlantic University. Her research interest areas are Adult Learning, Distance and Online Education, Training and Development, Learning and Organizational Development, Diversity and Inclusion, and Work Life Balance. Her published work, Balancing Work, Family, and Student Roles: A Phenomenological Study of the Adult Female Online Learner includes research examining a combination of the aforementioned topics.

Dr. Rousseau has clocked over 30,000 hours in curriculum design and has over 13 years training, facilitation, speaking, coaching, and L&OD consulting experience in multiple industries including Corporate Settings, Automotive, Sales, Finance, Insurance, Government/ Military, University Education, and Call Centers to list a few. Her learning and organizational development programs have led to the development of over 10,000 professionals over the past 13 years.

As President of Envisionary Development Consulting, LLC, a thriving performance management consultancy, Dr. Rousseau partners with her clients to deliver impeccable, top quality L&OD solutions that minimize turnover and maximize performance saving her clients time, money, and resources.

Dr. Rousseau conducts executive coaching, provides learning and organizational development consulting, facilitates executive training sessions and team building initiatives, manages training curricula design, and has led complex L&OD projects for the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Food Safety Inspection Services, Department of Education, Department of Defense, Office of Personnel Management Center for Leadership Development, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, US Army Corps of Engineers, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Florida Small Business Development Center, National Guard Bureau, JM Family Enterprises, International Movement Network, SonicLoop and other government and private sector clientele both locally and internationally.

Webinar: The 3 Benefits of Technology that Schools Overlook

In case you missed my webinar for Schoology, you can now view it on my blog. Please leave a comment.

The Dr. Will Show - Common Core Abs with Donna from Lift It Up Fitness

On today's episode of The Dr. Will Show, I chat with Donna Luetjen, from Lift It Up Fitness, about living a healthy lifestyle.

Donna first became a fitness trainer in 1995 when she was 22 years old. In 2002, she became a teacher and taught Social Studies at the secondary level. While maintaining her love for all things fitness, nutrition, and education she is passionate about helping hard working, stressed out women create a healthy lifestyle that involves simple, daily habits that can really move the dial. Through a three-pronged approach that involves mindset, nutrition, and movement, Donna helps women cut through the confusion and misleading information in the diet and fitness industry by educating them on how to balance their lives by creating a healthy lifestyle that follows her 3E protocol- efficient, effective, and enjoyable. She is a certified personal trainer through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and holds a Master's Degree in Education. Donna is “Lift It Up Fitness” on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, and Instagram. Find out more about Donna by visiting her blog/website at www.LiftItUpFitness.com