The Bluegrass Standard

The Bluegrass Standard

The HPE Hangout hit the road for the Kentucky SHAPE conference in Lexington, KY, and this one's all about how Kentucky does a conference. Matt and Steve were both there and both presented. Ian missed it, busy back in Wisconsin setting up his own conference, Best Practices in Stevens Point (July 27 to 29, still time to register). He'll get to Kentucky one day. If nothing else, for LaDonda's BBQ. Sharp sessions, great socials, hospitality about as good as it gets. We sat down with three people who make Kentucky SHAPE go: past presidents Jamie Sparks and LaDonda Porter, plus Jordan Manley on the HPE Collective and the Nexus community he co-founded, where it stands and where it's headed. With some Kentucky flavor mixed in. Show Links: KY SHAPE Homepage -⁠ ⁠https://kyshape.org/⁠⁠⁠ [https://kyshape.org/] KY SHAPE - Twitter - ⁠https://x.com/KY_SHAPE⁠ [https://x.com/KY_SHAPE] KY SHAPE - Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/kyshape⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/kyshape] Special Guests Ladanda Porter: ⁠https://x.com/lporterPE?s=20⁠ [https://x.com/lporterPE?s=20] Kentucky Q - BBQ Food Truck - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/kentucky_que/?hl=en⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/kentucky_que/?hl=en] Jamie Sparks: ⁠https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/subjects/health-and-physical-education/2016/09/meet-kdes-coordinated-school-health-team/⁠ [https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/subjects/health-and-physical-education/2016/09/meet-kdes-coordinated-school-health-team/] Jordan Manley - ⁠jordan@hpecollective.online [⁠jordan@hpecollective.online]⁠ Sign up for the HPE Collective: ⁠https://www.hpecollective.online/⁠ [https://www.hpecollective.online/] Steve Chapin’s #KYSHAPE26 [https://x.com/search?q=%23KYSHAPE26&src=typed_query&f=live] Presentations: Making Nutrition Education Taste Better - ⁠https://tinyurl.com/10ChefKYSHAPE⁠ [https://tinyurl.com/10ChefKYSHAPE] Creating a Student Health Fair - https://⁠tinyurl.com/HFairKYSHAPE⁠ [https://tinyurl.com/HFairKYSHAPE] Matt Hagedorn and Maria Schneider’s #KYSHAPE26 [https://x.com/search?q=%23KYSHAPE26&src=typed_query&f=live]Presentation: Flip the Fridge - ⁠Flip the Fridge⁠ [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17sW-rEcpZmSzz33EmDRIKH877yFRFHPqQuDzy0E1gWI/edit?usp=drive_link] Hosts Stephen Chapin - ⁠https://x.com/stephenchapin⁠ [https://x.com/stephenchapin] Matt Hagedorn - ⁠https://x.com/TALLMADGEHEALTH⁠ [https://x.com/TALLMADGEHEALTH]

AI, It's Complicated

In our fourth episode, we finally tackle the topic looming over every classroom: AI. We brought in Kevin Mason to help us figure out whether artificial intelligence is the teaching partner we always wanted or the fastest way to think our students out of thinking for themselves. The conversation kicks off from two blogs that, on the surface, read like opposite takes: Matt's "Intention Is Everything" and Kevin's "A Brain-Based Case Against AI in Health Class (and beyond)." Dig in, though, and they're not actually fighting. Matt makes the case that AI is a tsunami already at the door (the Geek Squad days make an appearance). Kevin counters with the brain science behind why struggle is where real learning lives, and what happens when we offload it. Put the two side by side, and you land in the same place: slow is fast, a free-throw analogy, and a hard look at treating AI as a tool instead of a transaction. We also catch up on what's good and what's tough, Ian gives the Milwaukee Brewers an ad read they never asked for, and we close things out on vinyl, blind pulls, and why flipping a record might be the best wellness move you make all week. Real talk for health teachers, by health teachers. Show Links Matt Hagedorn Blog - Intention Is Everything [https://slowchathealth.com/2026/05/29/intention-is-everything/] Kevin Mason Blog - A Brain-Based Case Against AI in Health Class (and beyond) [https://slowchathealth.com/2026/06/01/a-case-against-ai-in-health-class/] Follow Kevin Mason on X - x.com/mrmasonhealth [http://x.com/mrmasonhealth] Project Zero Thinking Routine [https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines] Commencement Speeches [https://www.npr.org/2026/05/20/nx-s1-5822419/ai-colleges-commencement-booing] A.I. Doc Video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkPbV3IRe4Y] Book - Empire of AI - Karen Hao [https://www.amazon.com/Empire-AI-Dreams-Nightmares-Altmans/dp/0593657500] Best Practices Link [https://www.uwsp.edu/continuing-education-and-outreach/homepage/customizable-services/conference-planning/2026-best-practices-in-health-and-physical-education-conference/] - Stevens Point, WI - July 27-29, 2026 Hosts Stephen Chapin [https://x.com/stephenchapin], Ian Lacasse [https://x.com/Mr_L_health], Matt Hagedorn [https://x.com/TALLMADGEHEALTH]

Her Risk...Our Reward!

Our first guest, and she came ready to flip the script. Jessica Matheson joins us for episode three, and we tried something different. We had some questions for her, but she brought her own for us, too. The result is a real back-and-forth about health education and how it actually fits into everyday life. We get into risk and the bigger chances each of us has taken, swap our favorite parts of conferences unrelated to the sessions, and pull some genuinely useful advice from Jessica along the way. Less interview, more conversation. Our first time having a guest on, and a good sign of where this is headed. Episode Links Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) [https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-youth/hecat/index.html] Hawaii Health Education Standards [https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/Health%20and%20Nutrition/HealthStandards.pdf] MN Health Education Standards [https://education.mn.gov/mdeprod/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dDocName=PROD098432&RevisionSelectionMethod=latestReleased&Rendition=primary] - Draft Jessica Matheson - @CoachMatheson [https://x.com/CoachMatheson] The Blueprint [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WWGIveKjCWiWyWlHSQucGaX8Secx42a86gMRJB62mQ4/edit?usp=sharing] — What I Teach, Why I Built It, and How to Make It Yours Hosts Stephen Chapin, [https://x.com/stephenchapin]Ian Lacasse⁠ [https://x.com/Mr_L_health], Matt Hagedorn [https://x.com/TALLMADGEHEALTH]

To PD or Not PD, That is the Problem

Why don’t more health and PE teachers show up to professional development? What’s actually stopping them — and how do we get more people in the room? Matt, Ian, and Steve dig into the real talk on PD: the presenter pipeline problem, the university disconnect, the funding equity gap, and the burnout reframe that flips the whole conversation on its head. Plus a community member who survived 55 minutes of CPR, an art teacher shout-out, and a substitute teacher ad read that may have come from somewhere real. Ann Hagedorn’s A View from the Lobby makes an appearance. Summer PD plans get mapped out, and a preview of Episode 3 brings our first guest — with a twist. Links in the show notes. Say Something Project [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bXdwu0HCsn9eBlCKK8LiMQdH-sVg2QGM8W9qx0JJP6I/edit?usp=sharing] A View from the Lobby: The Unseen Pulse of Pedagogy – #slowchathealth [https://slowchathealth.com/2026/05/04/a-view-from-the-lobby/] Professional Development Opportunities June 10-12 SHAPE Iowa Conference [https://fs19.formsite.com/IAHPERDwebsite/form10/index] June 24-25 SHAPE KY Conference [https://kyshape.org/2026-conference/] July 27-29 - Best Practices in Health and Physical Education Conference - Continuing Education and Outreach | UWSP [https://www3.uwsp.edu/conted/Pages/Best-Practices-in-Health-and-Physical-Education-Conference.aspx]

HPE Hangout - Is This Thing On?

In this very first episode of HPE Hangout, three health teachers from three different states hit record… and figure it out as they go. Get to know the voices behind the podcast as they share their journeys into health education, what brought them to the classroom, and why they’re passionate about skills-based health. Expect a mix of laughs, real talk, and a little bit of “are we actually doing this?” energy as they kick things off with absolutely no budget—but plenty of heart. They also dive into what listeners can expect from future episodes, including engaging classroom ideas, conference conversations, and honest discussions about the realities of teaching health today. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or just getting started, this episode is your invitation to join the conversation—and celebrate the work of Health Educators everywhere. Podcast Hosts - Matt Hagedorn - Health Education Teacher (Talmadge HS, Tallmadge, OH) - 2026 SHAPE Midwest TOY, SHAPE Midwest Recorder Ian Lacasse Health and PE Teacher (Madison West HS, Madison, WI) - 2021 WHPE TOY, SHAPE Midwest President Elect, Best Practices in HPE Conference Coordinator Stephen Chapin Health and PE Teacher (St. James HS, St. James, MN) - 2026 SHAPE America Health TOY, MNSHAPE Health Division VP