Distance Learning Roundtable

Most Recent Podcast

March 1 2023

Distance Learning Roundtable
Distance Learning Roundtable
April 2023: Join us for episode 7 of the Distance Learning Roundtable: Meet our guest — Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education
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April 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 7 of our podcast and video show, Higher Ed Without Borders, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts.

Meet our guest: Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education

Today’s Topic: Get Ready for Change – Instructional Design Practices Through Meaningful Uses of Technology

About this episode: At the heart of innovation and social good are purpose, empathy, and a strong desire to make a positive difference in people’s lives.” Join Distance and Digital Learning Specialist,  global educator, and author Dr. Jennifer Williams for this interactive keynote session for distance learning organizations ready to activate positive change through engaging instructional design practices and meaningful uses of technology. Dr. Williams will share examples from her work in distance learning with schools and organizations worldwide from 149 countries and partnerships with the United Nations, the U.S. Department of State, the NYC Department of Education, LEGO, and Microsoft. Digital learning programs and tools will be modeled during the session for use in future-focused learning environments. Participants will leave with ready-to-go action plans to teach boldly and questions to consider in preparing for multiple futures and new shifts in teaching and learning.

Dean and Pat ask Jennifer: 

  • Pat: Jennifer, you have been an educator and instructional designer for most of your career with a wide variety of experiences worldwide. Share with our listeners some of the most memorable projects and the groups that were part of these.
  • Dean: Your book Teach Boldly: Using Edtech for Social Good has received high marks from educators. A reviewer on Amazon said, “This book is an excellent resource for educators looking to incorporate lessons for empathy into their classroom learning experiences that help students see their impact on the world. Tell our listeners and viewers about the book and what you tried to accomplish.
  • Pat: Jennifer, you will be presenting at our National Conference in Orlando this July. Can you give our audience a little teaser on your presentation and what they will learn if they join us?
  • Dean: You train future classroom teachers as a University Professor. What are the biggest challenges for K-12 teachers to use Educational Technology effectively?
  • Pat: Jennifer, we would like your thoughts about the future of distance learning in the K-12 world both from an educational technology perspective and, more importantly, as a teaching tool.
  • Dean: Jennifer, let me read what some of your colleagues have said about you: “Jen’s work is inspired by passion, and she is driven to share the message of engaged global learning for all students.”  “What really impresses me about Jen is just how amazing she is when presenting to large groups of people to motivate them to do social good.” Jennifer, what makes you so passionate about education?

About our Guest: ​Recognized as a transformational leader in education, Dr. Jennifer Williams has dedicated herself for nearly 25 years to the field of education through her roles as an education activist, professor, school administrator, literacy specialist, and classroom teacher. She speaks, writes, and consults on practices that develop global perspectives and social good through creative uses of technology. Her research interests include innovations in teaching and learning, equity and diversity in education, and social action. Jennifer is inspired daily by teachers and students who are catalysts for improving the world! Learn more at jenwilliamsedu.com.

About Jennifer’s book, Teach Boldly: Using Edtech for Social Good: Transformational education leader Jennifer Williams offers design- and empathy-driven practices to help teachers activate positive change in student learning. “Today’s students are ready to design, dream and MAKE the future,” says Jennifer. “Teach Boldly: Using Edtech for Social Good ” guides educators ready to apply innovative practices, meaningful technology use, and global collaboration to drive the change they want to see in the world. Readers will learn how to create a customized plan for education innovation, with strategies for constructing agile classroom environments, digital storytelling and communicating across lines of difference, and prioritizing feedback and active listening.” This book:

  • Showcases the power of narrative and highlights the need for storytelling in education.
  • Offers direction for seeking out authentic feedback and steps for iterating on ideas, emphasizing preservation of voice and creative expression.
  • Discusses learning space design through the lens of empathy and amplification of students’ voices.
  • Provides easy-to-implement ideas for transforming learning and classroom culture through space.

With inspiration from real-world peaceMAKERS in education, Teach Boldly invites readers to create ready-to-go action plans for themselves as educators, for classroom communities, and for the global community. Audience: K-12 educators

Explore more about the Distance Learning Roundtable:

About the Show: Join us monthly to learn about the future of online education in this powerful podcast series hosted by Pat Cassella, executive director of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), and Dean Hoke, managing partner Edu Alliance.

Meet the Hosts

About Pat: Pat Cassella has been a presence within the high-tech industry for more than 30 years with leadership roles in Sales, Marketing, Product Development, and Engineering. He has been involved with the USDLA for more than 15 years and is the Executive Director of the association. Pursuing his passion for engineering, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bridgeport and a Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of New Haven. He has spent the past 20+ years within the IP video communications market as a sales, marketing and product architect within the Government, Education, Corporate and Medical markets. Click here to learn more: USDLA.org.

About Dean: As the Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group located in Bloomington, Indiana, and the United Arab Emirates, Dean has decades of progressively responsible and visionary leadership roles in higher education, communications and online learning. He began his career in 1975 with Bellarmine University working in various roles, including admissions and external relations. In 1983 he entered the broadcasting field, serving as a senior executive for Public Broadcasting System stations. In 1998, he co-founded The Connected Learning Network and, in 2009, moved to the United Arab Emirates, serving in senior positions at Higher Colleges of Technology and Khalifa University before co-founding Edu Alliance in 2014. Click here to connect with Dean on LinkedIn.

Upcoming Podcasts

Previous Episodes
Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

March 2023: Join us for episode 6 of the Distance Learning Roundtable — Meet Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement

March 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 6 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet this month’s guests — Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement Today’s Topic: The New Era of Education Dean and Pat ask the authors:  Dean: Let’s startClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

February 2023: Dr. Peter Noonan, superintendent Falls Church City Public Schools, VA, stars in Episode 5 of the Distance Learning Roundtable

A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke— We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, industry experts come together to discuss the future of online education. Today’s Topic: How K-12 educators dealt with the pandemic and what the future of learning looks like for America’s superintendents Dean and Pat ask Peter:  Dean: Tell our viewers and listeners about theClick here to listen to the podcast!

Sunday, January 1st, 2023

Happy New Year! January 2023: In Episode 4 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet our truly amazing guest — Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

January 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Today’s Topic: How Lee is embracing the idea of “Backslash Forward” by celebrating the past and embracing the future of distanceClick here to listen to the podcast!

Thursday, December 1st, 2022

December 2022: Don’t miss Episode 3 of the Distance Learning Roundtable starring Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University

December 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University based in Salt Lake City, Utah Today’s Topic: How Western Governors University was ahead of the PandemicClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

November 2022: On Episode 2 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet Elliott Masie, the man who coined the phrase e-Learning

November 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Hello and welcome to the November episode of our monthly podcast and video show starring Elliott Masie, the founder of MASIE Innovations. Based in Saratoga Springs, NY, Elliott focused on how organizations can support learning and knowledgeClick here to listen to the podcast!

Saturday, October 1st, 2022

October 2022: Check out Episode 1 of the newest Inkandescent Radio Show — Distance Learning Roundtable, where experts gather to discuss the future of online education

October 2022: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, producer, Inkandescent Radio — Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable show on the Inkandescent Radio Network. As the show’s producer, I am thrilled to introduce you to the hosts of our newest program — Distance Learning Roundtable, the podcast and video show where experts gather to discuss the future of online education. Today you will meet the show’s hosts: Pat Cassella, the executive director of the United StatesClick here to listen to the podcast!