Author: communications

[Music]

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. You could say they are young bookworms aspiring to become authors. 

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside Barbara Stevens' 5th-grade classroom at South Jordan Elementary School, where the Wit and Wisdom language arts curriculum is helping students develop a love for language. In fact, Mrs. Stevens got them so excited about reading and writing, they decided to use their talents to become young authors. Listen and find out how.

[Music]

We are at South Jordan Elementary School talking with Mrs. Stevens and some of her students about their Wit and Wisdom project. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Wit and Wisdom and what's been going on.

Barbara Stevens:
Okay, so we were eager to get going on the Wit and Wisdom curriculum. The first book that we tried was in Module 2 called The Phantom Tollbooth, a book which I had actually not read before. It was fun because it started with the Abbott and Costello and talked about wordplay and how to play on words. You know, “Who's on First”, and they did that whole skit and analyzed it.

Then we jumped into the book, which does a lot of wordplay as well. And in there they had, you would name the characters crazy things like, they went to the abandoned elementary school and the principal was Mrs. McQuitter, or she was the mayor. So we took an exploded moment and modeled and wrote in that style. 

At first, I was really nervous when I told the kids. I don't usually let kids write in dialogue a lot. I let them write one-time dialogue, but this was like dialogue back and forth, back and forth. We had to teach them their separate paragraphs for each person who talks and all the commas, and the periods, and the quotation marks. I was hesitant to teach that, but we went ahead and they ended up actually loving it. Loving it so much that they were like, let's do more and I had to put extra credit. Okay, extra credit. You can do another one. Okay, extra credit. And so, yeah, I'll let them share their experience because they did really love the creative work that was behind it.

Anthony Godfrey:
So there were opportunities for them to learn exactly how to write dialogue with all the tools, all the punctuation that goes with that.

Barbara Stevens:
Yes, it was embedded into the curriculum. And, you know, I've been teaching for a bazillion years, but I had never done that before, so I really had a little bit of cold feet about it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's talk about your bazillion years of teaching. I know that you've taught in other states, other schools.

Barbara Stevens:
I actually am a retired teacher from Denver Public Schools.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Barbara Stevens:
And then decided to come back and Mr. Eardley was kind enough to give me an opportunity to come back with some people I already knew here. And, yeah, I'm back in the classroom.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you are an early adopter of Wit and Wisdom. So as a retired teacher who worked in another district, I really admire that you're diving in on a new program. Tell me, just for those listening who may not understand what Wit and Wisdom is, tell us a little bit about what that involves and why that brought you to the Phantom Tollbooth as a result.

Barbara Stevens:
Yeah. Well, I kind of enjoy the curriculum because it takes you into places that you haven't been before, you know. I mean, even myself doing something I had never done before, I grew and the kids grew from it, and we benefited together, learning together. Wit and Wisdom has four modules. It was just brought in, just adopted this year, right?

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Barbara Stevens:
And then we went ahead and jumped into module three with the wordplay unit. We've actually moved on now into the Civil War unit, so we're doing expository once again, which is kind of a grim reality after doing wordplay.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, right. Right.

Barbara Stevens:
But we really enjoyed just the opportunity that this curriculum has taken us into learning new things. 

Anthony Godfrey:
It's part of the literacy curriculum, but it covers a lot of other topics, connects it to a lot of other subjects, and provides all the books that go along with those lessons.

Barbara Stevens:
Yes, and it has language arts embedded into it as well. There's a little language arts lesson attached to each lesson as well. We have writing and reading, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, writing and reading and...

Barbara Stevens:
And language arts.

Anthony Godfrey:
All bundled together.

Barbara Stevens:
And, did I forget, social studies.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Barbara Stevens:
Because right now we're in Civil War, and we'll do Chief Joseph for the first module next year.

Anthony Godfrey:
And when you can layer all of those things and connect them to each other–

Barbara Stevens:
Oh, it's amazing. I love the way it has content that you can sink your teeth into, you know, that you really are learning content at the same time you're learning skills.

Anthony Godfrey:
Whereas in the past sometimes it was just disparate paragraphs and isolated sentences that didn't really connect to broader meaning, but now you described well just how layered that learning can be.

Barbara Stevens:
Exactly. We were doing noticings and wonderings that we were doing in social studies, and they were looking at this book on the Civil War, and I said, "What kind of noticings do you have?" And Lily raised her hand, she's not here, but she said, "Yeah, I'm noticing that history is a dark place." I said, "Yeah, it can be."

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, it can be.

Barbara Stevens:
It's a good noticing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, it can be. Tell me again about the exploded moments. What exactly does that involve?

Barbara Stevens:
Yeah, so back to Phantom Tollbooth, they had to have a character that was out of Abandon Elementary School, so they had to pick a name of the character that would go to a school that was like an abandoned elementary school. So it was a play on words with that, and they had to have dialogue back and forth with someone at the school, and they had to have a little problem that they would overcome and a little situation that they were in.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Barbara Stevens:
Yeah, using wordplay.

Anthony Godfrey:
What can you tell me, what's the overview of the Phantom Tollbooth? What's it about?

Barbara Stevens:
It's about a boy who is lackadaisical, he's not passionate about anything. Then he goes into an adventure, into a made-up land, I guess, and he meets all the Lethagarians.

Anthony Godfrey:
The Lethagarians?

Barbara Stevens:
Yeah, he goes into the Doldrums and he meets the Lethagarians, and he learns to start thinking for himself, which gets the wheels moving on his car so he can move. He goes to Dictionopolis and Digitopolis, and he rescues Rhyme and Reason at the end. And so it's all play on words, very whimsical.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Sounds fun.

Stay with us. When we come back, students from Mrs. Stevens' classroom read some of their writing.

[music]

Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's talk to the students about their experiences with the book. So tell me your name and tell me your favorite part of the book.

Noah:
My name's Noah, and my favorite part was all the adventure. It had a lot of adventure and the quests from it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, awesome.

Lizzie:
My name's Lizzie, and my favorite part is when Milo meets Tock, the watchdog.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Milo meets Tock, the watchdog. Okay. Tick tock, as in tick tock, yeah? Okay.

Halle:
I'm Halle, and my favorite part is when he goes into the Doldrums because he's just so adventurous.

Benson:
My name is Benson, and my favorite part is probably all the things you have to do to get out of Trouble.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it sounds like there's wordplay throughout the book, and is it kind of a puzzle to be solved a little bit, it sounds like? Okay. Tell me, can you think of some of the wordplay, some of the puns or the jokes in the book that you thought were particularly funny?

Noah:
Yeah, in all the characters, they would have a name, and like on Tock, he was a watchdog, and he had a watch inside his body, and he'd keep track of all the time, and he'd get mad when somebody would kill time or waste time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. Wow. Kill time, waste time, and a watchdog. I've never thought of all those things together. That's awesome. How about you?

Lizzie:
When Milo jumped to conclusions, he actually jumped to the island Conclusions.

Anthony Godfrey:
I need to read this book. This sounds so cool. Okay, tell me your favorite.

Halle:
Their names was probably my favorite because they were just so like, you would never really think of them that much.

Barbara Stevens:
I remember you really liked the demons when they showed up. They had a Tenacious Tedium where they got stuck doing tedious tasks and couldn't get out. He was one of the demons.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Very cool.

Benson:
My probably was the demons that would like, they would have different names for their reasons why. Like, you have to do that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Okay, cool. Wow. This sounds like quite a book. So, we're going to start right over here with Noah, and I'd like you to talk about what writing project you chose and then read like a favorite paragraph of yours, a favorite part of what you wrote.

Noah:
It was fun. You had to make up your own teacher, student, principal, whatever, and my mine was a teacher and it's Mr. Disorder and I'll read a little bit of mine.

Anthony Godfrey:
Mr. Disorder? Yeah. Okay.

Noah:
It was always out of order. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Noah:
My name is Milo and this is Tock answering Milo. 

‘So far he did not like the classroom. There were also a lot of ungraded papers on the teacher's desk. “Hi” grumbled Tock. “Why is there nobody in the classroom, Mr. Disorder?”

“Why? I just let them go early. School is just a waste of time. Learning is useless. It's a piece of cake, not learning everything.” answered Mr. Disorder as he was walking across the room.”’

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. I love that. Noah, do you hear idioms and wordplay differently having read this book and gone through these lessons with Mrs. Stevens?

Noah:
Yeah. Learning, well, all of it means more. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Do you notice them more than you used to? 

Noah:
A lot. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, Lizzie, tell us about what paragraph you wrote.

Lizzie:
My paragraph was about Mr. Deserted who's a teacher and Milo joined his class. 

“Mr. Deserted, can I speak with you?” Milo questioned. 

“What do you need, kid?” He grunted in reply. 

“Why did you give everyone an F-? I worked hard. I at least got one right. It's like you didn't even try. Did you?” Milo whispered in his sad voice. 

“I didn't. It's way easier, kid. You'll learn that someday.” Mr. Deserted replied in a deep, booming voice.

“But then they have nothing to look forward to after all that hard work!” Milo shouted in anger as he clenched his fists.

Anthony Godfrey:
What was your idiom?

Lizzie:
It's later on. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, it's later on.

Lizzie:
It's Mr. Deserted. 

“Mr. Deserted looked around clearly not wanting to spill the beans.”

Anthony Godfrey:
That's really good dialogue and you read it very well also. I could see that you had really thought through those characters. That's great. Okay, Halle, tell us about your passage here that you wrote.

Halle:
So mine is about where I named this kid Quitter and it's about where the demon meets Quitter and Milo. My favorite paragraph is,

"Milo, if we die, tell my mom and dad that I love them and that I don't know why I have bad grades. I like to finish every assigned paper halfway through," said Quitter faintly.

“Okay, I will. And if I die, tell my mom and dad I love them too”, said Milo.

Anthony Godfrey:
Very nice. Lots of drama in just those few lines. There's a lot going on. And I've said paragraph, but there's a new paragraph for every line, as Mrs. Stevens so clearly pointed out. So did you find that making new paragraphs and putting all that punctuation in was difficult at first but got easier along the way? Okay, Benson, read your passage to us and tell us what you wrote about.

Benson:
So I wrote about my character as a teacher, Mr. Left, and he did not like to finish things all the way.

‘Milo and Tock and Mr. Left were in a dark and gloomy school with bad food. While Milo turned to Mr. Left and asked, "Why do you like reading books?" 

“Because you can learn a lot from them,” said Mr. Left, as he closed the door and came back to his chair.’

Anthony Godfrey:
Very cool. Mr. Left, I like that because there's always things left undone. This seems like really fun schoolwork. Tell me what it's like to be in Mrs. Stevens' class. I'll bet a lot of fun things happen in there. Tell me about what it's like to be in her class.

Noah:
It's a lot of fun because you get to read the book and you have the lesson for every chapter, and you can review all of it and understand it more.

Lizzie:
Mrs. Stevens explains the lessons clearly so we know exactly what to do.

Halle:
We have a lot of fun doing projects in school, and sometimes we can work with partners, and it makes me want to look forward to school.

Benson:
She's helped me become a better writer and typing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you're all very lucky to be in her class, I can tell you that. Talking about exploding moments, is there a favorite moment in class that you can think of? She's teaching you a lot, that's for sure. Any moments you want to explode?

Noah:
All of the writing projects, and we have to make up our own characters and their personalities.

Barbara Stevens:
I really like the way they just sparked up once the book got to the demons. They were like, "Oh, forget this Abandon Elementary, we want to write about the demons." That was interesting because I said, "Yeah, go ahead, you can do it in your extra credit, get those demons in there." Then later in the curriculum, we saw that they were going to do another exploding moment with the demons. I think the curriculum knew where they would be, peaking their interest.

Anthony Godfrey:
Good.

Barbara Stevens:
You guys like the demons.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you all did a great job writing. Aside from the writing and the reading, what are some other things that you've loved in Mrs. Stevens' class?

Noah:
Science. We get to do a lot of projects in science. The other years we don't really do a lot of stuff, but now we actually get to do it in real life.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hands-on, real experiments.

Barbara Stevens:
Most of that is FOSS. It's the district curriculum.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great.

Barbara Stevens:
Still sticking with the curriculum.

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. Fantastic.

Barbara Stevens:
They're growing the wheatgrass right now and got the worm habitats going. The butterflies are coming next.

Anthony Godfrey:
Worm habitats. I must have been sick for the worm habitat part of fifth grade. I missed out on that.

Lizzie:
I like social studies and we always do Kahoots before the real test.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. I love Kahoots. Do you get more points if you're fast on the Kahoot?

Lizzie:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for you?

Halle:
I also like social studies because you can learn more about the history and everything behind it.

Benson:
I probably like science too because of all the fun activities we get to do. When we get to see catterpillars turn into butterflies or have the worms get bigger.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's one of your favorite moments from this year?

Barbara Stevens:
Well, I love this class. We have a really good cohesive class. They're great kids. I think one of our passions is we do a lot of history. We talk a lot about history. That's why I was so excited about Witten Wisdom because I love history. It takes it deeper by having the content in your reading and writing program. It fits pretty much hand in glove with the way we like to learn, the way we like to teach. I've been excited about that.

We also do nature walks, don't we? We like to go on nature walks. We've done one down to the fishing ponds. We do rotations there. This was in FOSS. They like to have a nature part at the end of their investigations. We walk the neighborhood sometimes. We had a fun time when we walked the neighborhood. We were supposed to look for landforms that were made with natural resources. We came across Sawyer's house on that walk. He had a bunny in the backyard. Halle caught the bunny. It was his pet bunny that he just kept in the backyard. It's kind of a good moment. That was fun. We did it again the next week.

Anthony Godfrey:
Lots of great things happening. That's really cool. I think you all realize just how lucky you are to be in Mrs. Stevens' class. We're very lucky to have her here at South Jordan Elementary. I'm lucky to get to sit with you and hear your writing and hear about your experiences in fifth grade. I think you're all fantastic authors and great learners. Thank you so much for spending time with me today.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the mos important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

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[Music]

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They may not be learning about baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, or Reggie Jackson, but some fourth-grade students at Jordan Ridge Elementary School have their own fun with collectible Utah history trading cards in the classroom.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside Jennifer Romriell's classroom, where students make their own trading cards based on someone or something in Utah history. It was a lesson that made learning about people and the past really come alive.

[Music]

We're here with Jennifer Romriell talking with her about her fourth-grade class and their project on Utah history trading cards. I have loved being in your class. I've only been in there a few minutes, but it's really been fun. You have them very well organized and trained, by the way.

Jennifer Romriell:
Yeah. Thanks. 

Anthony Godfrey:
It was it was obvious that you create a space very intentionally for them to prepare to be successful in an assignment, ask their questions, share their ideas, and then you throw it out to the whole class. What do you think? Is that an idea that's going to match up? I really admire the way you have your classroom organized and your class procedures and you're obviously making the most of your time with the students. 

Jennifer Romriell:
Thank you. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, yeah, it's and every student I talk to loves being in your class and that's no surprise. Tell us about this particular assignment and what you've been learning about Utah history. 

Jennifer Romriell:
So I'm not a native Utahan and so I actually am learning just as much as the kids are as I'm learning about Utah history and all the connections. 

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm not a Utah native either so I've always felt behind. 

Jennifer Romriell:
Yes, yes, and then I came to fourth grade. I was in the district for a while and then moved overseas and then came back and I was thrown into fourth grade being like I've never– I don't know Utah history. I have to teach it now. Then one way to throw yourself into it is I volunteered to be part of the state social studies curriculum that are writing the lessons. So that forced me to learn more about those historical events. 

I think history is an amazing fun part of learning and to make it more fun is to connect it first. To use primary sources and then to see if they can create something out of it. So essays are one thing we use for creating, but we've done comics, we've done poster boards, we've done movie trailers, we've done plays. We've created our own plays. So today, because we're summarizing all of the strands, I wanted to just kind of do a good summary before we move on to the now and do trading cards. I don't know about the rest of the state, but fourth grade they're kind of dabbling into Dungeon and Dragons is like this big thing. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, right. 

Jennifer Romriell:
I'm trying to connect to the kids. I have some sporty kids that do hockey, baseball, and soccer and they have trading cards for sports. So one way to connect with them is to do a trading card for history. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Pokemon cards are a little bit of a trading card also. 

Jennifer Romriell:
Yes, that’s huge. That’s a good point. Yeah, same connection. 

Anthony Godfrey:
No, I love that. I love that. I think it's a really cool activity and what I like is that they got to choose some favorites. They got to choose a favorite figure so they're thinking through all of the things that they've learned. Some of them wanted to do more of an event like the atomic bomb or downwinders or something. 

Jennifer Romriell:
I didn’t even think about that. I might want to trade or change the trading cards to be like oh it could be even events. When I opened up the class I was like yeah, that's not a person that's a whole event and that's really cool that they are teaching me. So next year I'm going to change those cards.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it was fun to see that creativity. What are some of the things that you've taught this year that have really stood out for them that really captured their imagination? 

Jennifer Romriell:
I think especially when students lead the instruction they're so curious about things. I love diving into the eight sovereign nations. They really loved researching and kind of following the path throughout the whole history strands. 

Anthony Godfrey:
The eight Native American sovereign nations within Utah.

Jennifer Romriell:
Yeah, because normally like we would learn about it before colonists or Spain came or whatever and then you kind of are done. But we've been tracking how it's been influential and infecting the Native tribes throughout the whole strands and that's been really cool for them to reconnect over and over again. Having that foundation of oh, the Paiutes in the southern or the Skoll Valley tribe or this and that and that makes sense why they moved here and all that reservation treaty and it was really cool that they're making those connections that I've seen stronger this year than previous years I've taught.

I'm a big advocate for International Women's Month. You probably saw them, they're like can we do these women?

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I saw the Helen Keller essays. They were so good. I love that you pointed those out to me. They're posted there on the wall. I learned some things about Helen Keller that I did not know. 

Jennifer Romriell:
Right? They did really well with those essays. We call it our word graffiti and they have to post it up there. I think they were the highest-scoring and the longest they've done. So there are five-paragraph essays. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Some of them were two pages. 

Yeah.:
I know. 

Anthony Godfrey:
That was really cool. 

Jennifer Romriell:
And we used Utah Compose so I didn't have to grade at all. I was able just to enjoy it. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes. I'm glad I noticed. I noticed that it was pointing things out. I was wishing for that back in the 1900s when I was teaching writing. You know that's a nice touch. 

Jennifer Romriell:
Yeah. So I love learning about I think women's suffrage in Utah is huge. We were pioneering literally and figuratively at that point and so that was a huge thing we did. The whole month was attributed just to that. Better Days 2020 is a website that has happened with Utah. I went in to talk about all those women and so they really have this huge connection with that.

We do a lot of hands-on with the fur trappers and the mountaineer men because they carved out Utah, named it with the rendezvous. And then also modern day. We did one lesson on the downwinders and it was just interesting how connected they were because some of their grandparents were around. 

I always do messages to parents so that they can connect and know that we're learning about this topic so this is the time to talk to your kids about it. There's a connection. I was surprised how connected my class was to that part. So that was something I didn't think was going to have a huge connection but because grandparents lived in southern Utah there were a lot of connections with that. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I have a connection as well. It's interesting. I read an article once about the difference between history and memory. It turns into history when no one's alive who was around for it. 

Jennifer Romriell:
I like that. 

Anthony Godfrey:
But it's still memory. So you're still covering some things that fall in that category and that they have a connection with. Like you said you're really helping them make connections with the even older history of Utah where it's all kind of piecing together for them. 

It was fun to see their enthusiasm for this project as a culminating project. I saw a little silent hand clapping at the desk and some fist pumps when you said “Yes, what you want to make your trading card about, that qualifies.” The double fist pump that their favorite subject in Utah history. 

Jennifer Romriell:
That’s the goal, right?

Anthony Godfrey:
That's so great. It's so great. As you were working on the statewide curriculum, and I admire that you dove in. “I don't know as much about this as I want to so I'm going to help at the state level.” I think that's fantastic. What are some of the things that stood out to you as a non-native Utahan as elements of Utah history that are particularly important to have in the curriculum?

Jennifer Romriell:
I think Utah, because it was a state so late in our nation, it does have a really cool history of pre-statehood. I find that fascinating because there was so much going on in Utah even before it became a state. Which is very unique to a lot of the states we have in America because normally, it's like we colonize, we're here and then we're a state. But we had a delay on that and it was really cool to teach that connection and to dive deep into the sources. 

I think Utah is also unique, having grown up in Michigan and Oregon those are my other states I've lived in, where there is this love of history. So when I dive deep into the state curriculum I'm able to find primary sources really easily and I think that ignites student curiosity. When you show them, for example, we did a lesson on the railroad and we showed them Ogden before the railroad and then we showed them Ogden post railroad. They're able to look at city plans and be like “Whoa, look at the growth. Look at the difference. Look what the railroad did to Ogden”. And then Corinne was a railroad city and then the railroad went away from that city. And they're able to compare before and afters and say “Oh, the railroad when it left that city, what a huge difference”. Because Utah is so unique in how it loves history, it's amazing how many primary sources that you can have and give to the kids. 

There's a site, I Love Utah, that the kids who need extension work, my talent and gifted kids– whenever I do a topic I can send them safely to that site and be like these are what we're learning about. Here's what we're doing. Create a slide or an essay or something and you're going to present it to the class. So they're able to do a passion project on that as I'm scaffolding with the rest of the class. 

Anthony Godfrey:
I did talk with a student who talked about making a slideshow and doing it with a team member and she loved working with another student and putting together those slides. That's really fun. Jennifer Romriell:
And they can think critically that way and ask those questions, right? Something we say in my class is ‘there's no shame or blame when we learn history. When you know better you do better.’ So it's been really cool to train them to learn about our history and be like “Okay I know I wouldn't make those choices, but I can't shame or blame what they did because that's their time period”. It's been cool to have them be like you know when we talk about Native Americans in boarding schools for example or we learned about the Japanese internment camps in Topaz. You can see this conflict they have, but then we always say “okay no shame or blame this is what history tells us. You can have opinions on it, but we need to analyze it like historians. What are some things you're seeing?” They're 10 and 11 but they're able to do it. It's really cool. Hopefully it trains them for the future to have good civil dialogue and debate.

Anthony Godfrey:
Certainly. Now you also told them that you want everything to be creative, careful and colorful.

Jennifer Romriell:
Careful, colorful and creative.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, careful, colorful and creative. I got it in the wrong order.

Jennifer Romriell:
When I taught kindergarten that's the thing I kept with me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hey, kindergarten has a lot of lessons that apply throughout life. 

Jennifer Romriell:
It does. It does.

Anthony Godfrey:
Careful, colorful and creative. Starting with careful. I love it. That’s great.

Jennifer Romriell:
Yes and they know it.  I check it I'm like “oh, try again”.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, students being in your class every minute is time well spent. 

Jennifer Romriell:
It needs to be, right?

Anthony Godfrey:
You are making the most of it and it's really fun to see your energy and the enthusiasm the students have for learning in your class. 

Jennifer Romriell:
The kids were super excited to show off what they learned and what they know. To brag about it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, it's my pleasure.

Stay with us. When we come back we'll talk with some of Jennifer Romriell’s students and talk about their trading cards.

Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
Introduce yourself and tell us what you're doing on your trading card.

Evelyn:
So I'm Evelyn and on my first one I did Peter Skene Ogden. He was a fur trader or fur trapper and mountain man. I did him because Ogden is his last name and he has a town name after him and so I think that was really cool. So I did that for him. Then for my second trading card I'm kind of doing the event of women's suffrage in Utah because we learned all about it in March so we know a lot about it. So I'm gonna draw like them speaking about how they should be able to vote and stuff like that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit about women getting the vote in Utah. What did you learn about that last month?

Evelyn:
So we learned about Susan B. Anthony and her connection to Utah and how she helped us become one of the voting states. And we learned about Emmeline B. Wells and how she was Utah's leading suffragist. And Eurithe K. LaBarthe the first woman to vote, Martha Hughes Cannon the first—

Anthony Godfrey:
She was the doctor, is that right?

Evelyn:
I think that was the first legislator of Utah. The first woman one. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Great. Yeah, that's awesome. Well, you're learning a lot. Is history your favorite subject?

Evelyn:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
What other things have you learned about Utah here in your class with Mrs. Romriell?

Evelyn:
We did Native Americans at the beginning of the year. Then for traders and mountain men and then we kind of worked on like the pioneers and pre-expansion. Then we did women's month and now we're kind of— and then we did statehood and yeah. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Very good. Impressive. What do you like most about being in Mrs. Romriell’s class?

Evelyn:
I think it's because it's fun. I love her history lessons because they're so fun and I think it's so I've learned the most in her class.

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. Well, thank you very much. Good luck. This looks great. Have you ever been to Ogden by the way? 

Evelyn:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you? Okay, so you’ve been to his town?

Evelyn:
I think.

Anthony Godfrey:
Perfect. All right thanks very much.

Evelyn:
Thank you!

Anthony Godfrey:
Good job. Okay, introduce yourself and tell me what you're working on here. You have two trading cards you've already filled out.

Natalie:
So my name is Natalie. For my first one I'm doing a little bit about the downwinders. I said that the downwinders was atomic bomb testing. So my modern influence is that my teacher told us that she had cancer that made me sad. My second one was about the camps for Japan and stuff. Because the camps held anyone who had Asian ancestry or looked Asian or is Asian because they thought that they could be a threat because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Or like a spy.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you chose kind of some difficult things that happened in Utah's history. I really like your drawing here of a an American flag, a Japanese flag and then you have a school here. Tell me about that.

Natalie:
So they asked if they could at least teach their children, and then they said yes. So that's why they have like a school. But it's not as big as ours.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right. Okay, so it's a smaller school that they asked for to be able to have at that encampment. So you drew an atomic bomb here and then there's an explosion here. Tell me about the testing and and what you learned about downwinders.

Natalie:
Well, I learned that it hits southern Utah and around Cedar City.

Anthony Godfrey:
What have you liked most learning about Utah history? I saw you were really excited about this assignment. What have you liked most about Utah history?

Natalie:
I like Utah history because I can learn and maybe help the future.

Anthony Godfrey:
Fantastic. What's it like being in Mrs. Romriell's class?

Natalie:
I love it.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you love most about it?

Natalie:
I met a lot of other friends and Mrs. Romriell is a really good teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
What makes her such a good teacher?

Natalie:
She listens and helps everybody.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much. This looks great.

Natalie:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Introduce yourself and tell me what you've decided to put on your trading card.

Ezra:
My name is Ezra and what I've decided to put on my trading card is James Beckwourth.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you know about James Beckwourth? What did he do to influence Utah history?

Ezra:
He was a mountain man, he was a miner, a army scout, rancher, a businessman and also an explorer. He discovered a path in the high Sierra Nevada.

Anthony Godfrey:
So I see you've already kind of drawn him here. I like that. That looks good that's a pretty good likeness of him. He's got his goatee going on there. Is he the most interesting person to you in Utah studies?

Ezra:
One of the most interesting, yes. 

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the other figures in Utah history that you found interesting?

Ezra:
Susan B. Anthony.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the Susan B. Anthony connection to Utah.

Ezra:
So Susan B. Anthony helped women have the right to vote in Utah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me what it's like being in Mrs. Romriell's class.

Ezra:
It's very nice. You get to do many lessons that most of us like. And Mrs. Romriell is really nice. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, thank you very much. Introduce yourself and tell me about your trading card.

Tessa:
So my name is Tessa and I can't really draw but this is Susan B. Anthony.

Anthony Godfrey:
Why did you choose Susan B. Anthony?

Tessa:
I don't know, I just think she represents Utah the best.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you like about me being in Mrs. Romriell's class?

Tessa:
She's a really fun teacher and I love her social studies class the most probably.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that your favorite subject?

Tessa:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's your favorite thing that you've learned in social studies?

Tessa:
All about the world wars. So we did these slides and we did like Japanese camps and stuff and like African Americans. That was probably my most favorite act to do, making the slides with partners.

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. It's fun working with partners isn't it?

Tessa:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much. Good luck on your project.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is one of the highest and most prestigious honors given each year, recognizing school districts who are transforming education through the use of cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence in the classroom. Competing against school districts from all corners of the world, Jordan School District was a top 2024 winner in the International Society for Technology in Education or ISTE Awards.

On this episode of the Supercast, we talk to members of the Digital Learning team helping Jordan be a changemaker, shaping the future of education with the proactive and innovative use of technology.

We're here at the Salt Palace today on the last day of the UCET Conference to talk with a couple of the participants from Jordan School District, and when I say participants, they were a serious part of what's happening here and will be going into the future. So introduce yourselves and talk a little bit about your role here at UCET.

Kiera Beddes:
Hi everybody, my name is Kiera Beddes. I'm on the Digital Teaching and Learning team, and I'm also on the UCET Board, and what Dr. Godfrey was hinting at, going forward, I'm going to be the UCET President. So next year's conference I'll be heavily involved in, and this year's conference I obviously worked with the board to help organize everything and to see this fine event as you have now experienced.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, I've experienced it for a couple of years in a row now, and it really is fabulous, and I love the number of Jordan School District teachers and coaches and district personnel that I run into in the hallway. We have really good representation.

Kiera Beddes:
Yeah, it's almost like a family reunion, because like every corner you turn you're like, “it's someone else from my district”, and it's amazing. And speaking of people in our district, our other guest today.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, Krista.

Krista Gibbons:
I'm Krista Gibbons. I'm a teacher and a coach, and this is my first year I came and actually presented. So I always love coming to UCET and all the wonderful things you learn here, but I braved out this time and I decided to do a presentation on coaching.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell everyone what your role looks like in Jordan School District before we talk more about what you did here at the conference.

Krista Gibbons:
Yeah, for sure. So I am a virtual middle school teacher at the new JVLA Academy. So I work with a lot of students in the online virtual environment, which is tons of fun. And then I'm also a coach at my school and digital specialist at my school.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I heard you packed them in today at your presentation. Tell me about that.

Krista Gibbons:
I did. It was actually very surprising for me. I thought I was going to be in a small room with a couple of people. And then all of a sudden it was a huge room. I had around 100-plus people that were in there, which is amazing to realize how important coaching is and how it is a field you can rely on others. So that was fun. But yeah, it was a packed house. It made me a little nervous to start out the day. I can take an auditorium filled with teenage middle schoolers, but adults kind of creep me out. It makes me a little nervous.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, there are lots of adults who would be terrified of speaking in front of middle school students. So that's true. You have a great range of skills to be able to present to both. Tell me about some of the points about coaching that you made today, because some people may not fully understand the importance of coaches and the role of coaches.

Krista Gibbons:
So coaches, just like being on a team where you watch and you help and you observe and help them find their strengths and then build on those strengths. So being a coach is just being that extra support for teachers. My presentation was on coaching smarter, not harder, and using all the tools you have at your disposal in Google Suites and other tools that our district provides us. Just really using those to your advantage to make it a great experience for you as a coach and also for teachers. And helping the teachers realize they can succeed and that when things get difficult, they can fall back on a toolkit that they already have and just rebuild from there. And so that was kind of my main focus points.

Anthony Godfrey:
Fantastic. I'm really glad to have you in that role. And I'm really glad that we have Kelsey Peak in place. I've been so thrilled to see how the virtual schools have thrived. Of course, enrollment goes up and down as people have needs throughout the year even, but we've started to see what the pattern is. It's just such an important option for students to have the ability to learn online when they need to. For some, it works best for them all the time and some find themselves in particular circumstances that allow them to learn best virtually.

Krista Gibbons:
Yep. It's really an exciting thing to be a part of.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, Kiera, tell us a little bit more about UCET. You've been on the board. How long have you been on the board? And I'll just tell people, we are here talking with you on the cusp of your presidency because your rule and your reign will begin shortly. This conference is just about over, which means that your role as president will kick in. Tell us about UCET for those who don't know what it is, what's it focused on, how long has it been going, and what do you hope for the future as president.

Kiera Beddes:
Yeah. Okay. So, I mean, long story short, UCET has been around forever it feels like. Probably not forever, but way before I became a part of it. I started getting involved with UCET, I want to say 2017, 2018 is when I started attending the conference. And I was like, "Where has this been all my life?" And because I love the conference so much, I, like, Krista, started putting in some sessions. And then I was like, "How can I get more involved?" And then I ran for the board. And then I ran for the board again. I always make the joke that I was like, "Third time’s the charm." And it was because it was the third time that I ran that I got on the board.

The board is an amazing support group- it's not all me. I keep saying that because people have been reminding me all throughout the conference these past two days, they're like, "It's your turn next." And I was like, "Yes, it is." But it's not just me, it's the board of, we have about 20, 22 people on the board. And together with everybody else, we make magic happen.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's fantastic and I know you're going to do a great job. Tell everyone what UCET stands for and what is it really focused on?

Kiera Beddes:
Yeah, thank you for reminding me. So UCET stands for the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology. And we're an educational nonprofit, so we're not like a business or anything. We're just a volunteer group of educators who come together to help celebrate and focus on the effective use of educational technology in the state of Utah. So not only what's the latest and greatest, but how can we use these tools in the best ways possible for our students. So on our board, we have representatives from across the whole state. So we have rural schools represented, we have a virtual school representative, we have people from the state board, as well as different districts across the state, all together for that common purpose of how can we help technology be a better part of the learning process.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's really exciting to see those who are more on the instructional side, some who are more on the technology end of things coming together. And like you said, from the state, from small districts, from large districts, and I'm really proud of the level of representation from Jordan. Talk to me a little bit about that.

Kiera Beddes:
Yeah, we sometimes joke that it's kind of the Jordan show on the UCET board, just because we have so many people, and I say so many, there's like three or four of us on the board currently. Every year, there's elections and four new people get voted on. But having, I think, Jordan being a part of those conversations of like, how can we share best practices? How can we highlight what's going on across the state? I think is really important. And it also is a moment to kind of toot our horn as Jordan District, we're saying like, "look at what we're doing. This is awesome." We also want to like share the spotlight with other people, but  every chance I get I'm looking at, “Hey, look at what Jordan's doing, look at our teachers.” And we're all doing it for the kids, which is the real focus.

Anthony Godfrey:
We do have an incredible group of educators who really are focused on providing the best access to technology and the best instruction that is enhanced through technology for our students. With that purpose of having better learning outcomes, and more exciting experiences for our students.

Kiera Beddes:
Well, and Krista, like with your situation being in all virtual school, I think you in your school, more than anybody, can speak to this, right? It's not about the tool. It's about how you use it in instruction.

Krista Gibbons:
Oh, no, that really is because you can have a Nearpod or you can have like a Canvas site set up. But it's all about helping the students not become consumers, but creators. That's like the big shift you have to make with technology because it's easy to consume. Kids sit on TikTok and you know, Vines all day and can consume hours of material, but they never create. And so that's what I love about UCET as well, especially in our district. That creative, inventive initiative we have as a district that we're encouraged to be brave and try new things and to do things that help the kids learn better. So that's also fantastic.

Anthony Godfrey:
We do work hard to create that environment. And folks like the two of you are the ones who really make that possible for the teachers that you work with because you provide the pathway forward. They're interested, they're curious, and you give them the tools they need to make that possible.

Stay with us. When we come back more with the Jordan School District Digital Learning team.

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org

Anthony Godfrey:
I think it's important what you said about the tool. It's a tool for connecting more effectively with a teacher. That's really what it means. Some people might think that for example at our virtual academy, the schools that make that up, maybe there's less contact with a teacher. I would suggest there's way more. There's a lot of individualization and there's a really deep connection just because a lot of the things that are associated with a brick and mortar classroom are kind of pared back. You can really focus on that connection with a student. Really focus on those learning outcomes and it's really exciting to see.

Krista Gibbons:
It really is. And like you said, the tool that allows you to do that. I've done things I would have never dreamed about doing in a brick and mortar, especially with giving voice to students. They've created their own podcasts on like lesson reviews and things that they can read and share with each other and it would never–it just is such a fun environment.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's very different from what people might picture virtual learning to look like because it's not our pandemic side of the road, let's see what's in the trunk sort of learning. It's very focused on an intentional approach to creating a very unique learning environment that's centered on the individual needs of students in a way that really isn't possible through other methods.

Krista Gibbons:
Yep, and I love how it gives our students a voice. I just answered an email earlier today where I have a student who's in a little bit more of a difficult situation going in and out of the hospital. So she created her plan and said "Okay this is what I was able to accomplish this is what I would like to accomplish." She created the path and then I'm just going to support her along it to get the education which is very different than what you could do in a brick and mortar. I think it makes it more independent and stronger advocates for themselves in a learning environment.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you can think about the role of technology and education and instruction. You can talk about virtual learning and how UCET helps expand our creativity and think about learning in different ways. But really, it comes down to those individual student stories about how they were able to learn in ways that they wouldn't have been able to otherwise and I'm just really excited.

I just saw Jared Covelli walk by. I heard someone call him the mayor of UCET, speaking of the Jordan School District participation. So we have the president, new presenter and the mayor all represented within a few feet of us.

We're here right now at a booth at UCET that is set up for us to just walk up put in the memory card and record the old podcast. It's pretty exciting to be able to just walk up and do that. So I just love being here. It's a great atmosphere and I'm so thrilled to have the two of you involved the way that you have been. Any other thoughts about technology in education in Jordan School District?

Kiera Beddes:
Mostly I'm just excited about all the creative ways teachers are using technology. I'm excited for all the potential that they have to focus on student learning, personalizing it. I think back to one of our conversations, I think during the summer, when you said you want Jordan District to be like the Cheesecake Factory menu instead of In ‘n Out. That has stuck in my brain. Kind of the same approach for UCET right? We want to have as many different offerings and pathways and strands and anything for our attendees, our teachers so that they can get what they need out of this conference. So that they can put into practice all those awesome things right away in their classroom. It's exciting to see Krista present this year and I hope next year and from here on out. And before you know it, Krista, you can be UCET president too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Krista, we were here when it was first mentioned.

Krista Gibbons:
There we go.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, your path has been set.

Krista Gibbons:
No, but I was just gonna– like adding on to that it's the tools you get here. What I love about UCET is it's the fact that anything you get here you can immediately go and apply. I have learned things today that I'm automatically going to go start putting into my lessons here. And that then also I think speaks to our district that we are an inventive district. We are not stagnant. There's so much conversation with education being stuck in one place, but I love our district for pushing forward and pushing those bounds and being like we can be better. Let's do better.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. Thank you Krista for diving in and being willing to be part of the what was initially an experiment with Kelsey Peak and is now just an essential part of who we are as a district. Thank you for sharing that with the hundreds of people who attended your event there.

Kiera, we have long celebrated your move to Jordan School District and I'm very grateful to have you here and for the impact you have on so many teachers and students.

Kiera Beddes:
Well, I love it and I'm so glad you're able to come to the conference and to record the Supercast on location.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you both very much and we'll look forward to seeing you out there and all the great things that are happening.

Kiera Beddes:
Yes, awesome. Wonderful. Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It's called the Mustang Battalion at Herriman High School, and it is the first Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, or JROTC, program in Jordan School District. 

On this episode of the Supercast, meet some of the students involved in the program, and hear how it is teaching them valuable leadership skills that will last a lifetime. Listen and find out what the JROTC program is and what it is not, as they celebrate their first full year at Herriman High.

[Music]

We're here with Sergeant Wilson at Herriman High School. You've completed one year of teaching JROTC here at Herriman High. How does it feel to be at the end of year one?

Sergeant Wilson:
It's exciting that we've made it this far. You know, it's been up and down. A lot of work getting into starting the program. We're excited for what's going to happen next year as the cadets grow and we get more cadets. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your experience first of all and what led you here to help start this JROTC at Herriman High. 

Sergeant Wilson:
Well, this is my 11th year that I've taught Junior ROTC and going through the program and teaching and seeing the changes that it instills in students, no matter what they're doing, and the fact that they just come up and say thank you, I made it because of this class. I have a lot of passion for this program. When the principal had talked to me about starting the program here, I wanted to make sure that it started off strong because it's such a good program. If I could put an ROTC program in every high school, I would put one in every high school. 

Anthony Godfrey:
When we first met about probably a year ago to talk about the possibility of bringing the program here, you told me about some of the things students can learn from this program. There may be the impression that this is only preparation for people who are then going to enlist in the military, but there are a lot of important life lessons and qualities that students can learn as part of a JROTC program. 

Sergeant Wilson:
When I talk to parents, a lot of parents look at it and they simplify it as it's a life skills class. As we look at the different things that youth, young people that are getting ready to go out into the world need, a lot of it is just they need confidence. Confidence in themselves, the understanding of how things work, the fact that they can make change, they can make changes in their communities. And so we give them through trial and error and step by step, not only the ability to do that and the understanding of how it works, but the confidence to do that. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, giving them a sense of efficacy. I talk about that a lot, that when you work hard, when you learn things that you didn't know before and you put them in action, you can change the world and you can make an impact on the people around you. For those who are unfamiliar with an ROTC program, what type of experiences can a student expect to have in a class over the course of the first year as a cadet? 

Sergeant Wilson:
As a cadet, the first year they're going to learn a lot about themselves. Who are they? Because if you don't know who you are, it's hard for you to be an effective leader and lead others. As a leader, you need to know and understand the subordinates, the ones that work for you and you can't do that effectively if you don't know who you are.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the activities that they would expect to be involved in?

Sergeant Wilson:
Oh, that's a long list. We learn a little bit about discipline because we have uniforms and stuff that they wear and a lot of it is attention to detail. What the uniform is supposed to look like so that when you go out and present the colors at a ceremony or something, you look nice, dressed, and professional. So we learn about that. We learn a lot about Teen CERT disaster medical, what to do in a disaster. This is a lot of hands-on. We learn a little bit about physical fitness. We learn how to plan a schedule. What does my schedule look like? We look at time wasters. We look at how to better organize and you basically plan your year. That's one of the fun things about ROTC is it's a program that's run by students. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Now you have cadets that come from across Jordan School District and from outside of Jordan School District as well. Tell me about this first batch of students that you've been working with here. 

Sergeant Wilson:
It's an amazing group. We have a senior that is graduating out of Bingham High School this year. I have a senior out of Copper Hills and I have a senior here out of Herriman High School that are some of my main key students when they came in. They just started taking responsibilities for stuff which is one of the fun things about the program. I have two students that have come from the Granite District to come over and be part of this program and looking at next year I have students that are coming from just about every school here in the Jordan District, every high school. 

Anthony Godfrey:
We're going to take the listeners inside the activation ceremony. Explain what the activation ceremony is all about. This was your first to be involved in right? 

Sergeant Wilson:
This was our first. So each year we have an end-of-year ceremony that kind of is a culmination of everything that they've learned in that year. This year being an activation ceremony the cadets have learned the basics of being in the program and what it's going to take. They met those requirements to do that presentation and they actually received their flag and so they were presented with the flag saying we are an official ROTC program and you've met the requirements. So next year what's going to happen is we're going to have a change of command ceremony. And every year after this it'll be a change of command where the outgoing commander will pass on the flag to the incoming commander. 

Ceremony MC:
Ladies and gentlemen the Executive Officer of Salt Lake City Recruiting Battalion and Regional Representative for Training and Doctrine Command, Major Lucas. 

Major Lucas:
Yeah, I just want to take a few moments here. I'll make it short because I know how hard it is to hold those rifles and flags for a long period of time. I've been in there with generals are speaking but yeah JROTC I'm excited to be here. JROTC is a great program. It really teaches leadership and patriotism in our youth. It’s so desperately needed.

Ceremony MC:
Ladies and gentlemen please rise and pay the proper respect as the colors pass through the gym. 

Ladies and gentlemen approaching the PA stand is Cadet Captian Diekmann, the Commander of the Herriman Mustang Battalion. The Colorguard led by Cadet Sergeant Jacob, comprised of cadets from Copper Hills, Herriman, and Bingham High Schools.

Ladies and gentlemen, Cadets of the Mustang Battalion.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit about the patriotic element of being in a JROTC program. 

Sergeant Wilson:
Well, we just had the end of school they finished up their service learning project which they set up for the community to come out and see and have little lessons on flag etiquette. We went through all the parts of flag etiquette, displaying the flag, how to show respect to the flag, and even retiring flags and what meets the criteria of needing to be retired as a flag. They like to go out and be part of parades. Veterans Day parades, Memorial ceremonies. They also got to participate in a memorial dedication of a monument in Draper for Gold Star families and so they really get to get out and be part of these different patriotic groups. 

Anthony Godfrey:
That's great. So it's a connection to the community and a connection to their country. 

Sergeant Wilson:
Yes. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you very much for coming to Herriman High School and making this possible. Your bringing your experience has really helped propel this program forward very rapidly and I know it's going to continue to grow. 

Sergeant Wilson:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back more with the JROTC program at Herriman High School.

Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education, CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment or for a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right we're now talking with the commander of Herriman High School's JROTC program. Please introduce yourself. 

Miriam Diekmann:
Hi, I'm Miriam Dieckmann, the commander in charge of everything.

Anthony Godfrey:
In charge of everything. Tell me what everything entails. Tell me some of the things you've been able to do as commander here. 

Miriam Diekmann:
Well, I get to oversee the teams. So like we split up who's in charge of what team and who kind of makes sure things are running smoothly, but we kind of do that together. Then we make sure events are going well. So like we had two big projects, one that Sergeant Wilson mentioned, the service learning project where we retired a bunch of flags. And then we had a different project where we uploaded and made marching videos so our cadets could have reference material to practice. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the other cadets in the class. What is it like being a part of a class like this and forming these friendships? 

Miriam Diekmann:
So a lot of it you have to put in a lot of hard work, but the friendships and family you make is very rewarding. So some people won't do their jobs and other people will have to fill in but it's kind of worth it sometimes because at the end of the day, you're all friends and so you kind of like forgive each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
It was fun to be part of the activation ceremony with you. You walked me through it in advance, helped me rehearse and we got to unveil the flag. Tell me about that. Are you excited about how it turned out? 

Miriam Diekmann:
No one had seen the flag except Sergeant Wilson so I got to be part of unveiling that. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the activation ceremony. How did that feel for you? 

Miriam Diekmann:
I was kind of really nervous because I was like “Well, I'm already kind of like a commander but now we're having a ceremony to like make it official”. And so I felt kind of weird because it was like a lot of spotlights on me. But it was fun. And like the flag, like seeing it for the first time, I was like “Oh my goodness, like we finally have our flag like showing that we're a battalion”. It was really exciting to see it and we were all very impatient for the past week knowing that it was sitting in the classroom and then not being able to see it. We were very impatient. 

Anthony Godfrey:
So you're saying Sergeant Wilson can keep a secret? 

Miriam Diekmann:
Yeah. 

Anthony Godfrey:
That doesn't surprise me. The flag’s here in the corner of the classroom. It looks fantastic. It's a great design and it's something to be proud of to be here on the ground floor. What's next for you? What do you want to do from here? What has this class inspired you to do beyond high school? 

Miriam Diekmann:
So I'm contemplating joining the National Guard and from there, I don't know what I want to do. Part of me wants to go to medical school but I don't know so we'll see. I feel a copycat to my best friend who's doing the same thing but I don't know.

Anthony Godfrey:
So there's a lot of options that seem possible after being in JROTC. 

Miriam Diekmann:
Yeah. 

Anthony Godfrey:
So if someone is listening, what would you tell them if they're thinking maybe I should try? This it's a lot of work. I'd have to go to another school maybe for part of the day what would your advice be to them?

Miriam Diekmann:
Do it. My advice would be to do it. Because at the end of the day if you don't like it then you don't like it and you don't have to do it, but you're never going to know unless you try so you might as well do it. 

Anthony Godfrey:
And it sounds like from your experience and from what Sergeant Wilson described there are a lot of things that you'll learn and a lot of experiences you'll have that you don't expect. 

Miriam Diekmann:
Yeah. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Now are you a senior or junior? 

Miriam Diekmann:
I'm a sophomore. 

Anthony Godfrey:
You're a sophomore. Well, Commander you do not seem like a sophomore and you've got plenty of time to figure out what comes after high school but you're taking more JROTC next year I'm guessing. 

Miriam Diekmann:
Yes for the next two. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. Well, that's great . Thank you very much for talking with us and good luck with everything going forward.

Miriam Diekmann:
Thank you. We're now talking with First Sergeant Morris. Introduce yourself, please.

First Sergeant Morris:
Yeah, I'm Cadet First Sergeant Morris. This is my second year with JROTC and I'm the senior ranking NCL here. 

Anthony Godfrey:
So you attended Taylorsville last year I assume and then you've been here for the second year. 

First Sergeant Morris:
Yeah, so I go to school at Hunter High School and then I attended JROTC at Taylorsville last year and then I transferred here to Herriman this year. 

Anthony Godfrey:
You're following Sergeant Wilson here.

First Sergeant Morris:
Yes, I am. 

Anthony Godfrey:
I don't blame you for that one bit so we're glad to have you here at Herriman. Tell me about your experience in JROTC these last two years. 

First Sergeant Morris:
It's been lots of fun. I've learned a lot here about leadership, and a lot of life skills, and just bonding and being able to make friends and to have like another family. 

Anthony Godfrey:
It sounds like you've learned to rely on other people. How does it feel to really feel a part of this and feel connected to these folks? 

First Sergeant Morris:
It feels great because I know that I always have people to back me up and people that I can rely on to help me with what needs to get done. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about some of the disaster preparedness or other skills that you've learned. Do you feel better prepared if things go wrong?

First Sergeant Morris:
We spent an entire quarter learning about disaster preparedness. It's called Teen CERT so it's Community Emergency Response Team. So if there's any event where first responders are overwhelmed your CERT people will go and assist them. So in a large disaster such as an earthquake here in Utah, CERT. members would go out and do search and rescue and they will help treat the wounded and set up areas for people to recover. Without people doing CERT we wouldn't be able to effectively recover from a disaster.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sounds like there are some essential skills involved. 

First Sergeant Morris:
Yes. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you're obviously learning some great lessons here and doing a great job. Congratulations on the work you've done to this point and good luck going forward. 

First Sergeant Morris:
Thank you. 

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with Corporal Londelius. You graduated this year. Tell me about your experience in JROTC.

Corporal Londelius:
I don't know. I really loved the program and it really gave me the opportunity to like tap into the leadership skills that I didn't know I had. I really enjoyed this program because it kind of forced me out of that safety bubble I've created over the years. And it's forced me to be able to communicate with people and reach out to my cadets to make sure they're up to date with the information we have. It's allowed me to become more confident in myself in a sense. 

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. That will serve you well throughout your life. 

Corporal Londelius:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
It sounds like you have learned a sense of responsibility or deepened sense of responsibility. Corporal Londelius:
Yes. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about how that feels. You talked about making sure that things are going well for others around you.

Corporal Londelius:
Yeah. So since I was a squad leader for a little bit, I was in charge of a group of cadets and I had to make sure their grades were in check, not just mine. So I had to reach out and make sure they're doing the assignments that need to be done. It kind of forced me to not really focus on myself but my team and see how we progress as a team rather than how good I'm doing. Because now I kind of look at everything like, okay, how is this going to affect someone else though? How is this going to help them and myself at the same time? 

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a tremendous skill, a great perspective to have. What are your plans now post-graduation? 

Corporal Londelius:
So I'm planning in a few months to serve an LDS mission and then once I come back from that, I will be enlisting into the Marines.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you know where you're going yet?

Corporal Londelius:
I do not. I have not turned in any papers yet but I am getting close. 

Anthony Godfrey:
And then when you return, you want to enlist in the Marines.

Corporal Londelius:
Yeah. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that something you had thought about doing before joining JROTC? 

Corporal Londelius:
Yes, I've been planning to join at least the military for a while now and I just recently found out that Herriman finally has had a JROTC program. So I was like, “Okay, I'll sign up for that” and it's kind of sad because it's my first and last year that I was able to do JROTC but it's like bittersweet. 

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm sorry we didn't get it here earlier for you but I'm glad we got you on the tail end of your time in high school. So did this deepen your desire to be part of the military going forward? 

Corporal Londelius:
Yes, having been in color guard and being the color guard commander when we went to do like our first color guard, I kind of got a little emotional because seeing how the people were reacting to us presenting the flags and all that, it just kind of set me more in stone that, “Okay, I do want to serve my country. This is something I want to do in the long run.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I think you have great things ahead that's really exciting. What do you want to try to do in the Marines? Is there a particular focus for you? 

Corporal Londelius:
I am focusing on going into the aviation field of the Marines but I'm not sure how that will go with my eyesight and all but as long as I'm able to serve in the Marines and serve my country on time with pretty much anything I get put into. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Fantastic. Well, best of luck with everything going forward.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

[Music]

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Some say he is one of the coolest teachers on campus and his lessons push students to achieve their highest potential in the gym and in life.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Ridge View Elementary School to find out why physical education teacher Taylor Wright seems to really have “the right stuff” when it comes to getting students excited, engaged, and out of their comfort zones to do their very best.

Taylor Wright:
Alright now do big waves, big waves, big waves, big waves. It's a workout, it's a workout. Stop, just look, look. Alright, we're going to go up when I say “up”. Okay, I'm going to say put the hands up and we're going to go up.

Anthony Godfrey:
We are on the back field of Ridgeview Elementary School with Taylor Wright, physical education teacher extraordinaire. Thanks for spending time with us today.

Taylor Wright:
Thank you sir, thank you. It's an honor to be here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the activity that we just witnessed. That was a total blast just to watch those first graders having so much fun with you out here.

Taylor Wright:
Yes, sir, the parachute, we've been doing it all day and I've done it with most of the young kids. Sometimes things get off the rotation schedule and so forth, but the kids love this and the game that we play at the end that the kids love as well. It's awesome, it teaches them to work together and it also teaches them to– it's a good workout, it's actually a good workout.

Anthony Godfrey:
What I thought was really cool about it is they're having so much fun they forget that they are actually exercising. I need to figure out how to do that for myself to forget that I'm exercising. You made it so much fun for them, so engaging and interactive, they're talking with each other, they're having a great time and they're getting a break from being in the classroom which I think prepares them to be even more effective as they're learning at their desk.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir, yes sir. As you know there's a lot of studies that show that a certain amount of movement every day is good for your brain. This one is stuff that hopefully they'll never forget. Like you said, when you walked in you knew that you remember the parachute.

Anthony Godfrey:
I remember the parachute.

Taylor Wright:
I remember the parachute, and I try to do stuff that they'll remember. And that this would be hard to do with your family, but I always try to do stuff that if I was a student in my class I would enjoy and I would look back fondly upon and actually could do with my own family. So that's what I try to think about.

Anthony Godfrey:
I have to say that you have taken the parachute experience to the next level. I think all we did is we lifted the parachute, climbed under it and then tucked it under and sat down on it.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
But you had this game where they're running around trading places and it's a rainbow parachute, very large.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
Listeners can probably picture their handles on the outside so each student has a handle and they're by a color.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
So then you call out blue and everybody lifts the parachute and the blues run around and trade places.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
And then they get their spot and they race around the outside sometimes like a duck, duck, goose almost.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's so engaging and they're just having a great time every second. You seem to be having a great time every second as well.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. This is– and I've told you this. I don't like missing school. I never miss because I love the kids. I mean it's such an awesome atmosphere here. Ms. Doleac, everybody. I needed help filling some balls with air earlier, which I was using all day, and our maintenance guy Scott went out of his way to help me. It's just such a– it's just– I can't explain and I've told you this. I get emotional talking about it. It's just such an unbelievable place to work and it's very person-centered, very student-centered and it's real you know and it makes my life. I mean honestly, Ms. Meredith our principal will tell you like I get sad when we have long times off. You know I really enjoy being here.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that and it's obvious in the way that you interact with the students and I've talked with you over the years. You've come up to me and talked about how much you love what you do and it's really exciting to see it firsthand for the first time.

Taylor Wright:
I feel like every day I have to up my game. If I had we had fun last time I don't want it to be lower so I want to keep it going.

Anthony Godfrey:
You do have a lot, you have about 30 feedback machines right over there that will tell you whether it's working or not immediately.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. Immediately.

Antony Godfrey:
Well, it certainly is working today. And every video I've seen, every time I've interacted, it's obvious to me how much you care about the kids and providing them with an unforgettable experience. Now you have not always taught elementary you taught secondary before.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about that experience compared with this one.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. So I started my career as a high school teacher. I got into football coaching. I coached at several colleges and then I got back into teaching in middle school and things. And then you know, this is the best. This is the best job I've ever had. I worked off the field at the University of Wyoming. I worked at Central Missouri. I taught high school like you said for three years and I had wonderful relationships. I still have students or players I coached reach out to me years later. I started teaching back in 2009. So all those things I love I'm thankful for that. But this is the best teaching job I've ever had. To teach elementary school kids is the absolute mecca of this for me. I mean I get to– Ms. Meredith will tell you I go in there at lunch every day and talk to– I literally just enjoy interacting with them. You know, making jokes, messing with them, just having that feedback. All these kids know me really well.

The relationships you can build with students at any level are great and they're different. Secondary kids are more able to understand things and that nature but here you can if someone’s sad and I talk to him, it can help their day. I mean yeah, and I do try to teach them that. I tell you what, our school is so great. I mean I was teaching a class earlier and I remember it was a kindergarten class and so we were doing an activity and I was like “okay guys it's going to be difficult.” It was this parachute activity. I was like “I wonder if you can do it?” And someone yelled out “I can do hard things” or “we can do hard things” and I love that.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that.

Taylor Wright:
So I try to you know teach them that. Like the process of doing something is to just be the best version of yourself and then do it that way and not even worry about like you know if we win or lose. We just focus in the moment and do our best. And I'm telling you like it's been the greatest job I've ever had.

Taylor Wright:
Well, you are a huge positive impact on these students and you have the advantage of getting to know every student every school.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
And this is a huge school.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're well over a thousand students–

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
–for those who are listening here at Ridge View. And we are splitting the school next year to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade going to another building and we'll still have K-3 here and you'll be here at Ridge View continuing these great activities.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. I'll be here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, what do you hope that students take away from their time in PE classes with you?

Taylor Wright:
You know the thing I try to hope is that they take– there's a saying Maya Angelou and other people say it “No one remembers what you said or did that they remember how you made them feel.” So I hope they remember someone who had a positive attitude. Who always came ready to be a beacon of good energy. I think the kids know because I'm always playing like every game I have, I'm participating with the kids. I mean that sounds crazy but literally, I'll either referee or I'll play part of the game and I hope that they just know that like you know this is how you live. You live by just enjoying yourself and also just participating. Being an active participant in what you're doing. Just put all your energy in what you're doing at that given moment. Nothing else matters. You're living in the present and that's where the juice of life is I think. And I hope that the kids know that and I think a lot of them kind of a little bit do.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Absolutely. You are tapping into that feeling in elementary students where they're making the most of the moment and putting their whole selves into what they do.

I had to step away for a phone call for a second.

Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
Important decision. Talking with a couple of people. We came to the decision and I walked right back to the joy. I wanted to get off that phone call as fast as I could to get it back to that group of kids interacting with you and having a great time.

Now you have a lot of space here. You've also got a big hill. Have you been able to use the hill to your advantage?

Taylor Wright:
You know what? So the recess usually stays on this here. We do play a game on this hill right here. So this is what we'll play a game where I'll tell a story. The kids, little kids love things like that even more than this. A lot of times they'll like stories and things that you make up. Yeah. And so we play a game called a bull a burst. I'll tell a story and it usually involves them and it will usually involve somehow that they're a name. Which is what they really care about. And as I'm telling it, it'll be like, okay, I took Miss Hatch’s first-grade class outside. We were outside. We heard something. We heard a boom. And I looked to my left. I looked to my right and it was a bullet burst. And then the kids have to run up the hill, touch the fence, yell, whoo, and then come back and sit down. And of course, you don't want to be the last one to get down. So we actually do play the hill here and the kids love it. And games like that, the kids will request that a lot. So yes, sir.

Anthony Godfrey:
I can only imagine how fast they are running and how hard they are trying not to be the last one to run and sit down.

Taylor Wright:
Yes. One, two, three. Up. All right. Down, down, down, down. Sit on it. Sit on it. You got to sit on it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back more with Taylor Wright and his students.

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org

Anthony Godfrey:
My level of exercise is generally walking from the car to a conference room but I believe that you are getting quite a bit of exercise just as a part of your day. Tell me about how you feel at the end of the day.

Taylor Hatch:
Everyone knows me and you know I work with folks with special needs when I'm not teaching. So a lot of times I'll leave and go there and I'm telling you I always feel like I had a HIIT exercise high intensity because I do this all day. And this is actually light. But I love it. It helps me and the kids. Like I said, if you're willing to play with the kids and actually get out there and do that, it amps everything up. The kids really enjoy that. And I love that. I wouldn't want to. What you do, your organization, your ability to lead, the tone that you set is world-class. I like getting out here and doing this kind of stuff. You know, you have a much bigger-picture perspective. And if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. And your vision and leadership is unparalleled.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with some of the first-grade students in Coach Wright's class. Tell me your name and tell me what you love most about Coach Wright's class.

Motlee:
My name is Motlee and what I like about most of Coach Wright's class is that he makes up fun games.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's one of the best games that you play in his class?

Motlee:
Every one. Everything

Anthony Godfrey:
All of them were fun?

Motlee:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. How about you?

Giselle:
My name's Giselle and I love Shark Attack.

Anthony Godfrey:
Shark Attack. How does Shark Attack work?

Giselle:
Well, you have to have a stick and you have to tag somebody and then they have to sit down and whoever gets a ball, then they have to stand up.

Anthony Godfrey:
That sounds fun. How about you?

Aaron:
My name's Aaron and I love trying to jump the rope.

Anthony Godfrey:
Jump the rope? How does that work?

Aaron:
You have to jump like a rope.

Anthony Godfrey:
You hold it in each hand and flip it around and you jump when it hits the ground? How many times can you do it in a row?

Aaron:
Twenty.

Anthony Godfrey:
Twenty? That's pretty awesome.

Penelope:
My name's Penelope and my favorite thing to play with Coach Wright is bullet burst.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what's bullet burst? Is that the one with the story?

Penelope:
Yeah, with the story and when he says bullet first we go up there and see who’s the first one to get down the hill.

Anthony Godfrey:
What is it like having Coach Wright for a teacher? What's he like?

Penelope:
Great.

Anthony Godfrey:
Giselle, what's Coach Wright like?

Giselle:
He is mostly fun and nice.

Anthony Godfrey:
Aaron, what's Coach Wright like?

Aaron:
He's fun. He's really nice and he's the best teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the stories that he uses in class.

Aaron:
Like when we're playing the game bullet burst, he says sometimes he uses our names. He like tells a little funny jokes and when he says, when he's at the end he just yells bullet burst.

Anthony Godfrey:
And then you run as fast as you can.

Aaron:
Yeah, and me see who can get down the fastest.

Anthony Godfrey:
You guys think you can outrun him?

Students:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, you can, huh?

Students:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, you guys are pretty fast.

Students:
I've done it before.

Me too.

I did a Fun Run with our teacher. I did the most laps in the whole class.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how many laps was that?

Student:
Ten.

Anthony Godfrey:
You did ten laps?

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
The most of your class, huh?

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you beat Coach Wright?

Student:
He didn't do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, he didn't do that one?

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Student:
He didn't do the Fun Run.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for talking with me guys.

Students:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.