Personalized Learning and AI with Paul Thiessen Transformative Principal 589

In this episode, Jethro is joined by Paul Thiessen and we talk about a broad range of topics from Podcasting for the school community to AI and Personalized Learning. 

• The Daily - One topic, condensed in a short amount of time.
• Talking about events or different topics in our school (purple up and science of reading)
• Conversations with teachers about perceptions in the beginning, middle, and end of career. 
• Why focus on his specific community - parent coffees, video calls, etc. 20-30 people ended up showing up. Gave more flexibility
• The Puma Pawd
• Use Descript
• Jethro’s TEDxTalk about Attendance.
• Personalized Learning
  • Working with Education Elements
  • 32/40 educators really wanted to dive in to personalized learning. 
  • Synergy Podcast episodes on Transformative Principal
  • It’s about mindset
  • Change in education 
  • What impact can I make? 
• How does AI tie into personalized learning?
  • Embracing AI in education
  • Still need to have critical thinking to determine what is good information. 
  • AI can mark students’ progress in academic standards. 
  • It’s never going to be getting the students on board, it’s always about getting the adults on board. 
  • It’s not always easy to be successful. 
  • The unknown creates more anxiety than the known. 
  • The longer we push off the future, the less connected we will be with our kids. 
• How to be a transformative principal? Get into the classrooms. 

About Paul Thiessen

Paul is a passionate educator who is committed to providing students with a high-quality education. He is also a strong advocate for STEM education and believes that it is essential for students to be prepared for the 21st century workforce.Paul Thiessen is a 25-year veteran of the education field. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Waynesburg University in Southwest Pennsylvania, which he earned in 1999. Thiessen began his career as a third-grade teacher at Rachel Carson Elementary in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he taught for three years as part of Montgomery County Public Schools. In 2002, Thiessen moved to Loudoun County, Virginia, where he opened Hutchison Farm Elementary as a third-grade teacher. He later served as the Elementary Dean for LCPS at Hutchison Farm Elementary, which was his first administrator role. In 2008, Thiessen opened Liberty Elementary (South Riding, VA) as Assistant Principal. He was part of the team that started the STEM work at that school. In 2018, the school was named National STEM School of the year. In 2012, Thiessen became Principal of Pinebrook Elementary in Aldie, VA, where they have become a Personalized Learning School.

Thiessen is a passionate educator who is committed to providing students with a high-quality education. He is also a strong advocate for STEM education and believes that it is essential for students to be prepared for the 21st century workforce.

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.