How A Dad Turned Gaming Into Belonging For Kids

How New Computer Science Standards Prepare Students For An AI World

What did you think of the episode? Send us a text! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2245327/fan_mail/new] AI can write code now, so what exactly should computer science class teach next year, or five years from now? We sit down with Jigar Patel, Director of Innovation and Special Projects at Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11, to get practical about what’s changing in K-12 computer science education and what should stay non-negotiable.  We unpack the big shift happening inside the revised CSTA computer science standards and why the next wave goes beyond block coding. Think machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, systems and network security, plus “computing and society” so students can grapple with ethics, bias, policy, and the environmental impact of technology. We also talk about how CS teaching may become more student-driven and discovery-based, which raises real questions about teacher prep, certification, and how schools build strong learning experiences from elementary through high school career pathways like cybersecurity, software development, and AI.  Then we head straight into equity: what happens when students are asked to learn programming but do not have reliable internet at home? Jigar shares an intriguing direction using Raspberry Pi and local open source models to explore an offline AI tutor for Python and debugging support, alongside the bigger concerns of affordability and student data privacy. We close with a hard truth: so many classroom tools still rely on a small handful of large language model providers, and that concentration matters.  If you got value from this, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review. What do you think every graduate should know about AI and computer science? Want to send us a show idea or just say hi?  Email us at: thechangedpodcast@gmail.com!

Science For All Learners

What did you think of the episode? Send us a text! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2245327/fan_mail/new]  If "science time" in your self-contained classroom means the same weather chart and life cycle unit on repeat, this one's for you. Educational consultant Karri Kessler joins us to explore what rigorous, accessible science instruction can actually look like for autistic support and intensive support classrooms — and why comfort routines can accidentally replace real learning. We dig into Pennsylvania's alternate assessment (PASA), the DLM system, and the STEELS shift, while keeping the focus on what matters most: scientific practices, questioning, and protecting access for every learner — no matter how they communicate.  Want to send us a show idea or just say hi?  Email us at: thechangedpodcast@gmail.com!

How A Dad Turned Gaming Into Belonging For Kids

What did you think of the episode? Send us a text! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2245327/fan_mail/new] A kid who barely talks suddenly lights up over a video game and a whole new path opens. We sit down with educator Josh Bound from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to trace the personal moment that changed how he sees autism, connection, and what students actually need from school to feel safe and known. What starts as a dad trying to reach his son becomes a mission to help the quiet kids in the corner find a place to belong. We follow the unexpected rise of a school gaming club that begins with one PlayStation and quickly turns into a community. Josh explains why games create a “neutral third thing” that makes conversation easier, how simple rules like introducing yourself can build real social skills, and how this kind of practical social emotional learning (SEL) beats worksheets every time. The story also moves into student leadership and service, including charity projects that help classmates through illness and loss and show how paying it forward can come back in ways you never expect. Then the focus turns to post-COVID education. Josh argues that post-pandemic students are different and schools need daily, realistic support for communication, self-control, and relationship building. He shares One Up EDU, a streamlined SEL curriculum that uses familiar games like Uno, Candy Land, War, and Rummy with easy “trigger and action” prompts that any teacher can run, plus school kits and training designed to avoid drive-by professional development. If you care about student belonging, neurodiversity, classroom community, and practical SEL strategies that work, this conversation will give you ideas you can use right away. Subscribe, share with an educator friend, and leave a review with the game you’d bring into school to help kids connect. Want to send us a show idea or just say hi?  Email us at: thechangedpodcast@gmail.com!

What If Curiosity Were The Curriculum

What did you think of the episode? Send us a text! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2245327/fan_mail/new] Jackie Harris has lived science in places most students never see: transfusion medicine in a hospital blood bank, vaccine production at Merck, and then the fast-paced reality of a middle school classroom where your time is never really your own. That journey gives her a grounded take on what students actually need from science education: not a pile of facts, but science literacy they can use for health, public health decisions, and a future shaped by technology and AI. We dig into STEELS and why phenomenon-based learning changes the whole feel of science class. Starting with a phenomenon like the Aurora Borealis invites students to wonder first, then build explanations, vocabulary, and models as they go. Jackie connects that approach to the real world, where teams collaborate, problems are messy, and “having the answer” matters less than knowing how to investigate, troubleshoot, and communicate. Along the way, we talk about how science can become a gateway that pulls reading, writing, math, and critical thinking into something students actually want to do. If this conversation sparks ideas for your classroom or your district, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can find it. What’s one phenomenon you’d use tomorrow to get kids asking better questions? Want to send us a show idea or just say hi?  Email us at: thechangedpodcast@gmail.com!

Ryan Reynolds Isn’t Here, But Career Readiness Is

What did you think of the episode? Send us a text! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2245327/fan_mail/new] Ever wish career readiness felt real, local, and within reach for every student? We sit down with Debbie Reynolds, VP of CCA Works at Commonwealth Charter Academy, to unpack how a statewide cyber school built hands‑on pathways that match the economies right outside students’ doors. Debbie’s lived in nineteen homes across multiple states, and those moves shaped a grounded view of what schools share, where they differ, and how to create opportunity that travels well. We trace the origin of AgWorks in Harrisburg’s farm belt, TechWorks in Western PA’s innovation corridor, and MedWorks in Malvern’s healthcare and pharma hub. Debbie opens the doors to these labs: a K‑12 aquaponics facility that produces a literal ton of lettuce, clinical mannequins and anatomage tables for high‑fidelity healthcare practice, and robot dogs and arms that bring automation to life. Because CCA is cyber, access scales—virtual field trips, shipped STEM kits, and mirrored resources let a student in Erie explore med tech and a learner in Pittsburgh grow produce on a tower without leaving town. Threaded through the tour is a philosophy that makes pathways stick: normalize failure as feedback, model the risks we ask students to take, and never assume background knowledge. Debbie’s stories—from DC policy work as an Einstein Fellow to running STEM camps in China—show how credibility grows when educators do hard things, then narrate the process. We also tackle union vs. non‑union cultures, funding differences, and the trade‑offs families make between roots and mobility, all with an eye on one outcome: students choosing futures with confidence, not guesswork. If you care about workforce development, STEM education, CTE, AI and robotics in schools, or just want practical ways to widen access without diluting rigor, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with the one lab or pathway you wish you had in high school. What should every district build next? Want to send us a show idea or just say hi?  Email us at: thechangedpodcast@gmail.com!