Rachelle Dene Poth on Charting a New Course

For 24 years, Rachelle Dene Poth has taught French, Spanish, and technology in the Riverview School District near Pittsburgh. She is an attorney with a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology and leads the ISTE Teacher Education Network. She is an edtech consultant, podcast host, a regular contributor to Getting Smart, and author of four books. 

In Unconventional, she urges experimentation with non-traditional learning experiences to engage every student. In The Future Is Now, Rachelle urges starting with relationships and “gladiating together.” Her book of quotes, In Other Words, will inspire educators to grow.  

Rachelle’s most recent book, Chart a New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World was published by ISTE. The five chapters are packed with practical advice: 

1. Connections and Presence: on building awareness, connections, and responsible online behavior. 
2. Team Up: social and emotional learning is a team sport. 
3. Create and Connect: fostering strong communication skills 
4. Show What You Know:  on digital storytelling 
5. Create Global Connections: developing empathy; connecting students with other students around the world

Key Takeaways:
[1:26] Going in the way-back machine, Rachelle shares why she studied French at Penn State.
[3:33] When and why Rachelle began to study Spanish.
[4:38] Having just wrapped up her 24th year at Riverview School District, Rachelle shares some of her thoughts around how quickly time flew by.
[5:19] The origin story of how Rachelle became interested in ed-tech and why she became an ed-tech consultant.
[7:09] How Rachelle thinks of her role as a teacher and how it has evolved over the course of her 24-year career.
[9:15] Rachelle shares her go-to writing strategies and hacks.
[11:24] What motivated Rachelle to publish a book of quotes (In Other Words: Quotes that Push our Thinking).
[12:58] About Rachelle’s book, The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead, and her experience with writing three books at the same time.
[14:07] What is ‘gladiating together’?
[14:42] About Rachelle’s book, Unconventional: Ways to Thrive in EDU, and how it provides practical advice for getting started with unconventional learning experiences for all students.
[15:53] Advertising and sponsorship opportunities available through Getting Smart.
[16:24] About Rachelle and ISTE’s collaboration on Chart a New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World.
[17:04] About ISTE’s tried and true process for peer-reviewing books.
[18:22] A summarization of Rachelle’s advice from chapter 1 of Chart a New Course, “Connections and Presence: Navigating the Digital World”.
[20:17] A look at Chapter 2: “Team Up: Relationship Building and Social-Emotional Learning.”
[21:41] How Chapter 3, “Create and Connect: Fostering Communication Skills,” gave teachers and readers a broader view of new communication skills.
[23:23] What Chapter 4, “Show What You Know: Bringing Stories to Life,” covers.
[24:30] About the last chapter in the book, “Create Global Connections: Learning Together and Exploring the World.”
[26:42] Ed-tech lightning round! Tom asks Rachelle: Will AR and VR ever live up to the hype as a learning medium in schools? Does Rachelle use Google Expeditions and other similar tools? What are her thoughts on AI and machine learning? Does she believe that machine learning will impact administrative applications?
[29:30] The challenges that come with schools opening back up this fall.
[29:54] Is coding more of a language or a job skill?
[30:58] Are a lot of Rachelle’s students on TikTok? Is the world beginning to shift from print to video?
[31:53] Some of Rachelle’s favorite apps that help create or leverage sustained learning relationships.
[33:10] Rachelle shares words of encouragement for teachers who are undecided whether or not they want to return to the classroom this fall.
[35:30] Tom thanks Rachelle for joining the podcast.

Mentioned in This Episode:
Rachelle Dene Poth
Rachelle Dene Poth’s LinkedIn
Rachelle Dene Poth’s Twitter
Posts by Rachelle Dene Poth on GettingSmart.com
ISTE Teacher Education Network
Chart a New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, by Rachelle Dene Poth
In Other Words: Quotes that Push our Thinking, by Rachelle Dene Poth
The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead, by Rachelle Dene Porth
EduGladiators
Unconventional: Ways to Thrive in EDU, by Rachelle Dene Poth
[email protected] — Email Jessica to learn more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities with Getting Smart!
Google Expeditions
Nearpod
DreamBox
i-Ready
Achieve3000
Flipgrid

For more, see:

• How Can We Make the Most of Synchronous and Asynchronous Time in Distance Learning? 

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