In this episode of the Teacher Fellows Podcast, hosts Ryan Rarick and Lauren Merkley are joined by Brooke Anderson and Stephan Seabury, members of the Utah Teacher Fellows leadership team. The conversation focuses on the importance of understanding and effectively utilizing data in the education system. Brooke discusses her role as a data scientist and stresses the significance of framing data to support teachers rather than judge them. Stephan emphasizes the need for policymakers to both see and feel the impact of data through compelling stories. The episode highlights practical steps for teachers to engage with data and policymakers, advocating for more transparency and accessibility in data presentation to inform better educational policies. Join us in this episode, as we learn there is more to data than meets the eye.
In this episode of the Teacher Fellows Podcast, hosts Ryan Rarick and Lauren Merkley are joined by Brooke Anderson, a data scientist from Jordan School District, and Stephan Seabury, a social studies teacher and James Madison Fellow for 2023. They discuss the importance of integrating data with policy to enhance the teaching profession. They explore how data can be reframed to empower teachers, the role of storytelling in making data impactful for policymakers, and actionable steps teachers can take to engage in policy-making processes. The guests emphasize the need for accessible, transparent data and the critical role of context in interpreting it.
00:00 Introduction and Host Welcome
01:14 Meet the Guests: Brooke Anderson and Stephan Seabury
02:23 Brooke Anderson on Data Science in Education
03:11 Empowering Teachers with Data
05:23 Using Data in Policy Conversations
09:20 How Teachers Can Get Involved in Policy
14:58 Making Data Transparent and Accessible
22:09 Concluding Thoughts and Takeaways
25:37 Closing Remarks and Podcast Information
GUESTS ON EPISODE:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Utah State Legislature Website - https://le.utah.gov/