Excitement & Curiosity in Science Edu with OpenSciEd's James Ryan

12/02/21 • 52 min

In our first episode for Season 3, we talk with friend, colleague, and former boss of both Tim and Karen from their Key Curriculum days, James Ryan.

James has an interesting career trajectory. He started as a math teacher, went into administration, then worked at Apple Computers as an analyst, programmer and lead, then as the VP of Professional Development and Marketing at Key Curriculum (where Tim and Karen worked with him), to STEM Director at San Francisco Unified School District.

His current role as Executive Director for OpenSciEd has him using all his vast experiences to build partnerships and revenue streams to support the creation and spread of science materials that align and support the Next Generation Science Standards. In this episode, James talks about OpenSciEd, development of the curriculum, successes and struggles, the mission/vision of getting quality science curriculum and materials into the hands of all students.

To learn more and for full show notes with links to resources mentioned, please visit https://www.180days.education/podcast.

You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter @180dayspodcast or subscribe to our newsletter for updates!

In our first episode for Season 3, we talk with friend, colleague, and former boss of both Tim and Karen from their Key Curriculum days, James Ryan.

To learn more and for full show notes with links to resources mentioned, please visit https://www.180days.education/podcast.

You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter @180dayspodcast or subscribe to our newsletter for updates!

Previous Episode

Lessons from Abroad - Expats in EDU with Corey Andreasen

Corey is a leader in the mathematics and statistics education communities nationwide. He has consulted and served as a writer on two AP statistics textbooks and written supplemental classroom materials for statistics teachers. Furthermore, Corey has facilitated workshops for mathematics teachers on a variety of topics, including Common Core workshops on modeling with probability and statistics. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Mathematics Council and on committees at the state and national levels. Corey has been teaching mathematics for more than 20 years. Many of those have been at North High School in Sheboygan, WI but he now teaches at the American School of the Hague. He has taught many grade levels and courses but he believes he would confess he has a soft spot for teaching AP Statistics. Corey shares his journey to becoming an expat and gives some insight into teaching in other countries as well as some tips for those who might be considering a similar career path. We hear how Corey came to the decision to move to another country to teach, and his different experiences in Qatar and the Netherlands. This includes teaching elementary for the first time, dealing with cultural differences, and different curriculums, resources and expectations. The journey includes trying to find positions for both a music and math teacher at the same time, and how connections and job fairs play such a role in finding international teaching jobs. Listen and learn more about Corey’s international experiences, as well as Tim’s, and get some good teaching tips and strategies along the way! To learn more and for full show notes with links to resources mentioned, please visit https://www.180days.education/podcast.

You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter @180dayspodcast or subscribe to our newsletter for updates!

Next Episode

AP Programs: Making Access for All Students A Priority with Dr. Greg Hessee

Karen and Tim speak to Dr. Greg Hessee. Greg shares perspectives on the current state of AP courses and the issues around access to AP opportunities for all students, not just a select few. Selection and placement into AP courses has been historically racist, and Greg discusses initiatives and ways to make access to AP courses more equitable and prevalent in schools and how to help schools and districts build a more robust AP program. He is currently a teacher at the same school as Tim, Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogota, Columbia, where he is also the Advanced Placement (AP) coordinator. Greg is an English teacher as well as the AP coordinator, was formerly the Program Director of the Colorado Legacy Schools Initiative, and has been a teacher and school leader in urban schools throughout the U.S., including New York, Austin, and Denver.

To learn more and for full show notes with links to resources mentioned, please visit https://www.180days.education/post/podcast-season-3-episode-2.

You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter @180dayspodcast or subscribe to our newsletter for updates!