The Good Life EDU Podcast

The Good Life EDU Podcast is dedicated to discussing all things education in the state of Nebraska and across the US. This program is presented by the Nebraska Educational Service Unit's Coordinating Council.

The Good Life EDU Podcast is a education podcast hosted by Andrew Easton, with 254 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Andrew Easton hosts The Good Life EDU Podcast, a education show with 254 episodes published.

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  The Good Life EDU Podcast

  Leadership Credibility: Five Ways to Build Trust, Connection, and Culture

  Sep 29, 202635 min

  What makes a school leader credible? It isn’t simply the title they hold or the expertise they bring to the role. Leadership credibility is built through the everyday ways leaders earn trust, connect with others, communicate what they value, and contribute to the culture of their schools. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew welcomes Tara Gossman of ESU 4 and Ernie Valentine of ESU 7 for a conversation centered on the five domains of leadership credibility: trustworthiness, competence, dynamism, immediacy, and forward thinking. Together, they explore what each of these areas can look like in practice—from following through on commitments and communicating effectively in brief everyday interactions to being genuinely present with staff, creating opportunities for feedback, and continuing to grow as an instructional leader. Whether you are new to school leadership or have years of experience, this conversation offers an opportunity to reflect on an important question: How are the people you lead experiencing your leadership—and what kind of culture is that helping to create? Resources: The conversation draws from the work of Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey on leadership credibility, along with additional resources Tara and Ernie have used to support administrators in their regions.

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  The Good Life EDU Podcast

  Reading, Identity, and Student Dignity: What Adolescent Literacy Requires

  Sep 18, 202636 min

  Literacy development doesn’t end when students learn to read, and supporting adolescent readers requires attention not only to skills, but also to identity, confidence, and dignity. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Dr. Naomi Watkins, Secondary English Language Arts Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education, for a conversation about what adolescent literacy truly requires. Drawing from her experiences as a middle school English teacher, literacy researcher, instructional coach, and statewide leader, Naomi explores why literacy development must continue well beyond the elementary years. She unpacks the differences among foundational literacy, content-area literacy, and disciplinary literacy, while illustrating how students need different kinds of support as texts, expectations, and learning contexts become more complex. The conversation also examines the deeply human side of literacy. For adolescents who have struggled with reading for years, those experiences can shape how they see themselves as learners. Naomi discusses the importance of preserving student dignity, building confidence through meaningful skill development, and providing intervention that is targeted, effective, and designed to help students move forward. Andrew and Naomi also consider the systems that make this work possible from strong Tier 1 instruction and specialized intervention to helping educators across content areas recognize the role language plays in learning. Ultimately, the conversation points to literacy as more than an academic skill. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and story help young people make sense of themselves, others, and the world around them.

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  The Good Life EDU Podcast

  Beyond the AI Hype: What’s Actually Working in Classrooms

  Sep 14, 202638 min

  What are educators actually learning about AI in the classroom after several years of experimentation? In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance and co-host of the ChatEDU podcast, for a grounded look at the classroom practices beginning to emerge around artificial intelligence. Rather than focusing on predictions about what AI might do for education, Matt shares what teachers and students are already doing and what appears to be working. The conversation explores examples ranging from AI-supported tutoring and multimodal learning to flipped classroom experiences, custom chatbots that pressure-test student thinking, and students using AI to solve authentic, real-world problems. One particularly useful framing is “human first, AI in the middle, human last” designing learning so that students begin with their own thinking, use AI strategically to challenge or extend it, and ultimately return to human reflection, discussion, and creation. Matt and Andrew also discuss the importance of scaffolding AI use rather than assuming students instinctively know how to use these tools well. That includes giving students low-pressure opportunities to practice, helping them critically evaluate AI responses, providing exemplars, and creating learning experiences where AI supports deeper thinking rather than simply completing the work for them. Another helpful framework explored in the episode is thinking about AI as a clerk, colleague, or coach. Is the tool simply doing a task for us? Is it serving as a thought partner that challenges and extends our thinking? Or is it helping us develop a skill over time? That distinction offers educators and students a practical way to reflect on whether AI is replacing cognition or contributing to it. The conversation also turns to the broader “techlash” surrounding screen time and educational technology. Matt argues for a more nuanced approach that acknowledges the genuine risks associated with AI and digital tools while also resisting blanket rules that treat all screen use as equal. Instead, he encourages schools and communities to examine the purpose and quality of technology use: reducing low-value screen experiences while preserving opportunities where technology enables meaningful learning, creativity, empathy, collaboration, and problem solving. Connect with Matt Mervis Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance and co-host of The ChatEDU Podcast: https://www.skills21.org/mattmervisbio

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  The Good Life EDU Podcast

  Different, Not Deficient: Neurodivergence, Student Strengths, and the Power of a Teacher | NeMTSS Summit Preview

  Sep 7, 202633 min

  In this installment of The Good Life EDU Podcast’s NeMTSS Summit preview series, Andrew Easton is joined by Jonathan Mooney, advocate for those who learn differently and founder and CEO of the Divergent Impact Fund. Jonathan shares his own experience growing up as a neurodivergent learner—struggling to read, spending much of his school experience feeling like the proverbial square peg in a round hole, and internalizing messages about what he could not do. He also explores the shift from viewing dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence primarily through a deficit lens toward recognizing them as naturally occurring differences that can bring both genuine challenges and meaningful strengths. The conversation also moves from mindset to practice. Jonathan challenges educators to focus less on “fixing” students and more on changing environments so that different learners can thrive. He introduces the idea of benign indifference—responding to challenging behavior without turning that behavior into a judgment about the child—and discusses how educators can pair clear expectations and consequences with relationships, respect, and an unwavering belief in students. Jonathan will continue these ideas at the NeMTSS Summit, where his keynote will challenge participants to think differently about learners who do not fit traditional expectations, while his breakout sessions will focus on what educators and leaders can do differently through concrete changes in practice, policy, and learning environments. Resources & Connections NeMTSS Summit Learn more about the upcoming Summit and registration: https://nemtss.unl.edu/2026-summit/ Jonathan Mooney Learn more about Jonathan’s advocacy, writing, speaking, and other work: JonathanMooney.com

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  The Good Life EDU Podcast

  Leading with Intention: Policy, Guidance, and Local Decision-Making Around AI in Schools

  Aug 27, 202640 min

  In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Bill Bass, an award-winning educator, author, and national leader in instructional technology and literacy, for a conversation about how school and district leaders can thoughtfully navigate AI implementation. Bill serves as Innovation Coordinator for Parkway School District in St. Louis and has held leadership roles with ISTE and the National Council of Teachers of English. Rather than framing AI as something schools either fully embrace or completely avoid, Bill encourages leaders to begin by understanding their local context. He shares the importance of gathering input from teachers, students, families, IT staff, and community members in order to understand current practices, concerns, capacity, and attitudes toward AI. The conversation explores the difference between AI policy and AI guidance, including why districts may benefit from broader emerging technologies policies that can remain relevant as tools continue to evolve. Bill also shares why guidance should be practical, contextual, and connected to a district’s existing values, such as a portrait or profile of a graduate. Andrew and Bill also discuss the urgency of helping students develop thoughtful experiences with AI now, while they are still supported by educators who can help them ask better questions, make mistakes safely, and think critically about the implications of using or not using these tools. Later in the episode, Bill emphasizes that no one needs to position themselves as an AI expert. Instead, educators and leaders can create space for honest conversations about how AI is being used, what safeguards are in place, and how schools can tell their own story before someone else defines it for them. The episode closes with a preview of Bill’s upcoming work with Nebraska educators around the NCTE guidance for AI in English language arts, including how national-level guidance can support classroom-level decisions and help teachers make AI-related conversations more actionable. Resources Mentioned: SupportED AI resources: https://nesupported.org/artificial-intelligence/ NCTE AI guidance for English language arts: https://ncte.org/working-ela-ai-framework/ Bill Bass on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williambass/

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