Welcome to Activated Learning, a Podcast produced by Blue Ridge PBS in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education and in collaboration with the Virginia Society for Technology in Education. In each episode, host Tom Landon, Director of Educational Innovation for Blue Ridge PBS, talks to leading educators about what gets them energized and excited as we tell stories of using technology to inspire student engagement.
Season Two will feature conversations with national leaders in blended learning, award winning teachers, librarians, and guests from the Virginia Department of Education and VSTE. Recorded on location around the Commonwealth and in the Blue Ridge PBS podcast studio, ActiVAtED Learning's goal is to demystify instructional technology for teachers, parents and administrators.
New episodes will be released every two weeks.Season One is available in our online archives, on the ECHO Channel and wherever you get your podcasts.
Check them out here or on ECHO. Also available on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.
Coming Up:
March 19 - Episode 207 Listen Watch
Connecting with students through Project Based Learning, and VA Teacher of the Year Avanti Yamamoto
Jeanne Dodd is an instructional technology specialist with Virginia Beach Schools, and she and one of her students joined us during the VSTE conference to talk about a podcast they created for families of veterans. Next we traveled to Hanover County to meet Avanti Yamamoto, the 2025 Virginia Teacher of the Year, to learn how her love for teaching shines through to her students.
April 2 - Episode 208 Listen Watch
Teaming Up to Create Technology Rich Lessons
Whether they're called coaches, ITRTs or STEM teachers, Virginia is blessed with technology leaders in schools who help teachers implement tech in classrooms. On this episode of ActiVAtED Learning, we visit educators who are teaming up to give kids meaningful, technology rich experiences. Guests include Liz Lynch of Patrick Henry Elementary in Martinsville, a finalist for the Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science Teaching, and Sarah Schaffner and Chrissy Richmond from Gainsville Middle School in Prince William County.
MORE TO COME...
Listen or Watch Previous Episodes in Season Two!
SEASON TWO PREMIERE! Listen Watch
Guest: Michelle Kress, Instructional Technology Innovation Specialist
The Anatomage table is an advanced real-human-based education system that utilizes scans of actual cadavers to help students understand the systems of our bodies through 3D modeling. ActiVAtED Learning host Tom Landon visited Prince Edward County to talk to Michelle Kress, Instructional Technology Innovation Specialist to learn more about how students in this rural community are benefitting from this state of the art instructional tool.
Episode 203 Listen Watch
Blast Off With NASA Resources
Betsy McAllister is the STEM Teacher Specialist with Hampton City Schools, and she's also the Teacher in Residence with the National Institute of Aerospace. In that role she helps connect scientists at NIA and NASA with classroom teachers and students. One initiative involves data collected by students and shared with the scientific community. She joins host Tom Landon to talk about the ways that teachers can use top notch resources from NASA eClips and GLOBE with their students.
Episode 205 Listen Watch
AI in the Classroom
Rachelle Dene' Poth is a teacher, instructional technologist, and attorney who was an early adopter of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom. She joins host Tom Landon to talk about how teachers can dip their toes in the water when using AI, and about her own journey as an educational leader. The episode was recorded at the 2024 VSTE Tech Splash event in Abingdon, VA.
Episode 206 Listen Watch
Launching AI in Louisa County Public Schools
Launching any new technology like AI in a school division can be difficult, but it's a lot easier when you first build a culture of collaboration and innovation. 2024 Virginia Superintendent of the Year Doug Straley and 2 time VDOE CTE Excellence Award winner Kenny Bouwens share how Louisa County's "Team LCPS" approach is resulting in widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence and the process they used to get there.