About This Episode Dr. Erin Bailey talks with Benjamin Strouse, award-winning children’s author and co-founder of GZM Shows, about the power of immersive audio storytelling to engage young people and open pathways into reading, writing, and deeper learning. Strouse shares how his work in books, serialized audio drama, and educational storytelling brings complex stories to life for children and families. They discuss the creative and educational possibilities of audio fiction, the role of curiosity and imagination in literacy, and how stories can give educators meaningful ways to engage students in literary analysis, critical thinking, and creative expression. The episode also explores how listening to a great story can become a gateway to reading. What You’ll Learn How immersive audio fiction can engage tweens, teens, and families. Why original storytelling can support literary analysis and critical thinking. How listening experiences can lead young people toward reading and writing. What makes serialized stories compelling across classrooms and communities. Ways educators can use high-quality storytelling to deepen literacy engagement. Chapters 0:00 — Reading Inspires introduction 0:42 — Meet Benjamin Strouse 4:00 — From children’s books to immersive audio 10:00 — Building serialized stories for young listeners 18:00 — Storytelling, imagination, and literacy 26:00 — Bringing audio fiction into classrooms 34:00 — What reading inspires 38:59 — Closing Resources Benjamin Strouse — Award-winning children’s author and co-founder of GZM Shows. Hey, Boy — Strouse’s picture book, recognized by The New York Times and Kirkus Reviews. GZM Shows — Immersive audio fiction and educational storytelling for tweens, teens, and families.

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast, Zach sits down with Claire Drolet, Access Services Librarian and Assistant Professor at Delaware Valley University, to talk about her journey from being an AI skeptic to finding practical ways to use the technology without abandoning the values that made her skeptical in the first place. Claire shares the project that changed her perspective: a diversity audit of her university library's roughly 900-book leisure reading collection. What traditionally required librarians to manually sample a fraction of a collection became an opportunity to combine her own expertise with AI. Using ChatGPT and custom bots in BoodleBox, Claire developed a workflow that helped her analyze books in minutes rather than hours while still requiring her judgment and information literacy throughout the process. The conversation explores why using AI well can actually demand more critical thinking, not less. Claire discusses prompt refinement, verifying outputs, understanding where models fail, and why educators don't necessarily need to embrace AI to recognize the importance of understanding it. Claire and Zach also explore what assessment should look like in an AI-enabled world and whether traditional assignments like the 12-page term paper are still the best way for every student to demonstrate learning. For educators who remain skeptical of AI, Claire's story offers a different path forward: you don't have to become an AI evangelist. You can experiment, question the technology, maintain your standards, and decide where it genuinely makes your work better.

Have you ever stayed silent in a meeting, only to hear someone else share your idea and receive all the praise? Or perhaps you've worked with a leader who dominates every conversation, leaving little room for anyone else. Both behaviors can come from the same place: insecurity. In Episode 8 of The Humility Advantage, J. Alexander explores Quiet Confidence: How to Speak Up Without Arrogance or Shrinking. Drawing on a memorable experience as a young Marine Corps captain, real-world healthcare leadership scenarios, and personal reflections, J. explains why authentic confidence isn't about being the loudest person in the room. It's about knowing your worth, speaking with clarity, and remaining humble enough to listen. In this episode, you'll discover: Why insecurity can cause leaders to shrink or dominate. What a Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant taught J. about leadership presence. Why quiet confidence matters for healthcare communication and patient safety. How to communicate concerns without arrogance or defensiveness. Two practical tools: the Clarity Script and the Curiosity Cue. Why you don't need everyone's approval to remain confident in your worth. One powerful reminder: "You don't have to dominate the room. You don't have to disappear from it. You just have to show up, know your worth, and make your contribution." Develop the person first, then the leader. Explore leadership coaching, speaking engagements, and organizational culture development at https://excelerateyoucoaching.com. Follow The Humility Advantage on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share this episode with a leader who needs to hear that their voice matters. Less ego. More impact.

Some people call them Soft Skills. Others call them Life Skills. Schools call them Social Emotional Learning Rob calls them Boost Skills - the skills that put today's youth in the driver's seat of their own future. Connect with Rob: Website: https://boostprogram.com/ Listen to the Podcast, subscribe, leave a rating and a review: Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/essential-soft-skills-for-young-people-w-rob-heller/id1614151066?i=1000800708631 Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/6J2uo049VOc8X5LD2s7aQI?si=E_eGgkSSQISB13ATAxF7LA https://open.spotify.com/episode/6J2uo049VOc8X5LD2s7aQI YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkPr6dtxLgg

What can day schools learn from boarding schools? In this episode, David Cicero talks with educational consultant Jeffrey R. Quebec about the surprising relationship between structure and independence—and why young people may become more independent not when we step back, but when we provide the right support around them. They explore the role of relationships, community, and the boarding-school advisor model, and what day-school leaders might borrow to ensure students have adults who know them beyond the classroom.