ClassCast Podcast Ep.017 features Sam Mull, a Programming & Community Engagement Coordinator with Loudoun County Public Libraries and all-around Renaissance man, talking with host Ryan Tibbens about his love of libraries, his education (including GIS), kayaking, hiking, concerts, woodworking, reading great books, being a good person, and more. This episode is longer than was originally planned because Sam has so many interesting ideas and diverse experiences.  Five shorter highlight clips are available separately, but for those who want to hear it all (as you should), this full episode is for you.
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In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.017, host Ryan Tibbens speaks with Sam Mull, a Programming & Community Engagement Coordinator at Loudoun County Public Library. Sam discusses returning to the library after completing college, how he uses his schooling, learning on the job, and what makes libraries great. This clip has much to offer young adults navigating school and job decisions, taxpayers curious about library services, and -- most of all -- an intriguing look at some of the programs and services that Sam (and the libraries) have to offer. 

In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Episode 017, host Ryan Tibbens talks with Sam Mull, a former student and current Programming & Community Engagement Coordinator for Loudoun County Public Library, about GIS education (see ClassCast #015 w/ Mike Wagner), his college journey, & seeking direction after college (related: ClassCast #013 w/ Ryan Orr, DropDeadPreMed.com). If you enjoy this clip, watch for more highlights plus the full audio throughout the week!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)

Check out two highlight clips from ClassCast Podcast Episode 015, featuring host Ryan Tibbens and GIS leader, science teacher, curriculum designer, and expert weather forecaster Mike Wagner.

In this highlight from ClassCast Podcast Episode 015, lead GIS teacher and curriculum developer Mike Wagner discusses the implementation and value of geographic information system classes in schools.  Every school should strive to offer GIS classes like Mike suggests because of the kind of inquiry-based, career-skills focused opportunities they provide (not to mention dual enrollment college credits). Check  out this clip to learn more! 
For more information about LCPS GIS, check Twitter (@LCPS_GIS) and the LCPS GIS website (https://www.lcps.org/Page/212324).
For more information about using ArcGIS Online and the manual that Mike Wagner wrote, check http://learn.arcgis.com/en/educators .

In this highlight clip from Ep.015, expert weather forecaster and GIS teacher Mike Wagner discusses the science (and art) of weather forecasting and why good forecasters should be cautious and conservative. Check out Everyday Weather Services on Facebook for the best snow day (and major event) forecasting in Northern Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, and throughout the MidAtlantic region.

ClassCast Podcast Episode 014 is our FIRST solo recording, featuring Ryan Tibbens discussing parts of his philosophy on teaching, why to teach, how to focus on skills, and the on-going purpose of this podcast. This was recorded in about 25 minutes with no notes or pre-planning, but there's a lot to think about, both in regard to the purpose of school and to how teachers teach.  If you enjoy this episode, please send us suggestions for future topics/questions at readthinkwritespeak@yahoo.com or via the comments section below. 

Episode 013 of the ClassCast Podcast features host Ryan Tibbens and teacher, author, and innovator Beth Konkoski discussing the value of school, challenges in the modern classroom, student stress and pressures, innovative instruction, administrative initiatives, how cultural changes have undermined classroom education, and more.  The episode is now available to stream/download on Spotify, iTunes, iHEARTradio, Google Podcasts, YouTube, this websites, and other common streaming services.  Beth will likely return as a guest on a future episode, so please leave your questions and suggestions in the comments! 

Corrections/References 

• The Yuval Noah Harari book referenced is actually Homo Deus.  Here's what Harari has to say about grading: "The modern educational system provides numerous other examples of reality bowing down to written records. When measuring the width of my desk, the yardstick I am using matters little. My desk remains the same width regardless of whether I say it is 200 centimetres or 78.74 inches. However, when bureaucracies measure people, the yardsticks they choose make all the difference. When schools began assessing people according to precise marks, the lives of millions of students and teachers changed dramatically. Marks are a relatively new invention. Hunter-gatherers were never marked for their achievements, and even thousands of years after the Agricultural Revolution, few educational establishments used precise marks. A medieval apprentice cobbler did not receive at the end of the year a piece of paper saying he has got an A on shoelaces but a C minus on buckles. An undergraduate in Shakespeare’s 
  day left Oxford with one of only two possible results - with a degree, or without one. Nobody thought of giving one student a final mark of 74 and another student 88."
• Grading, as we think of it, wasn't even conceived of until the late 1700s, didn't begin to take on modern forms and labels until the late 1800s, and didn't come into widespread use until the first half of the 1900s. Check out a history of grading in US Education.
• High school valedictorians (whose unweighted GPAs usually hover at or near 4.0) actually have an average GPA of 3.4-3.6 in college, slightly higher than the 3.2 claimed in this episode. Here is a reference to one study on the subject. 
• Millionaires/CEOs of major businesses tend to be C+/B- students in college. Check it out. 
• Click this link to learn more about (or purchase) Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath. 

Follow us at facebook.com/ReadThinkWriteSpeak, @rtwsNOW on Twitter, YouTube as ReadThinkWriteSpeak, and on Spotify, iTunes, iHEARTradio, Google Podcasts, and other popular streaming services as "ClassCast Podcast." 

In this highlight clip from Episode 005 of the ClassCast Podcast, teacher and debate coach Jim Dunning questions host Ryan Tibbens about his motivations to become a teacher and students' motivations for learning in school.  

ClassCast Podcast Episode 011 showcases a discussion with Ryan Orr, a technology consultant, public health enthusiast, former premed student, and the founder of Drop Dead Premed, a mentoring and support service for premed students considering academic and professional changes in lieu of medical school. A former student of our host, Ryan Patrick Tibbens, Ryan Patrick Orr (coincidence, no relation) reflects on his high school and college experiences, ways to improve school, premed, public health, bioethics, and influential reading. 

One part of the discussion links public health to ethics and the famous Trolley Problem thought experiment.  For listeners who are unfamiliar, we strongly recommend you both check the link above AND consider your own responses.  Plus, the thought experiment goes better with visuals aids.

This episode offers great perspectives on the premed track, college transfers, finding a career, consulting, science, books, school, and much, much more!  Please enjoy this wide-ranging discussion, and let us know what questions or topics you'd like us to address in the future!  

DON'T FORGET -- Every episode of the ClassCast Podcast is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, iHeartradio, YouTube, and www.ClassCastPodcast.com! 

In this first clip from ClassCast Podcast Episode 011, Ryan Orr -- owner/operator of DropDeadPreMed.com, public health enthusiast, tech consultant, and former student of our host, Ryan Tibbens -- addresses the MCAT and the daunting tasks that await all who plan to become doctors.  Check out this quick clip now, and watch for the full episode this weekend. 

This special edition of the ClassCast Podcast features segments from Episodes 009 and 010 to help voters in Loudoun County's Blue Ridge District learn more about their candidates for the school board.  Both candidates, Ram Venkatachalam (R) and Ian Serotkin (D), were gracious enough to make time in their busy campaign schedules to meet with our host, Ryan Tibbens.  Listen to these highlights and check out the full episodes for an even better look at each candidate!