In this episode of All Things Marketing and Education, we sit down with Shawn McCusker, Senior Director of Professional Learning at EdTechTeacher, to discuss his passion, civic engagement. We ask him about some of his favorite tips and takeaways from the book Becoming Active Citizens, which he co-wrote with Tom Driscoll. He provides practical ways to encourage active citizens in the classroom by creating authentic, engaging learning experiences, emphasizing the need for students to actively participate in government meetings and simulations to truly understand how government works.
Shawn highlights the positive impact of quality civic engagement on communities, such as increased voter turnout and improved quality of life. He encourages educators to prioritize civic education and suggests ways for school leaders to support its integration into all subjects.
Questions covered:
What does “meaningful civic engagement” mean, and why is it crucial today?
How do you define action civics, and what role does it play in empowering students to become active participants in their communities?
How can service learning enhance traditional classroom learning and foster student civic engagement?
What advice do you have for teachers who want to incorporate this into their curriculum? What are some small and big things they can do?
Can you share some success stories or examples of students who have been positively transformed through your approach to Civic Education and the use of technology?
Here's the full transcript of Shawn’s podcast episode.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Becoming Active Citizens: the book Shawn co-wrote about the topics discussed in this episode
Formative: a tool Shawn likes to use for quizzes and data management
zSpace: a tool Shawn discusses; VR technology with no headsets
Kialo: a civics tool that Shawn likes to use for debate and critical thinking
GoWhereYouGrow: Shawn’s blog chronicling his adventures in education
Digital Equity in K12 Education: A Conversation With Beth Holland: a related podcast episode
Get in touch with Shawn: Twitter/X | Threads | Instagram | LinkedIn
Elana Leoni, Host
Elana Leoni has dedicated the majority of her career to improving K-12 education. Prior to founding LCG, she spent eight years leading the marketing and community strategy for the George Lucas Educational Foundation where she grew Edutopia’s social media presence exponentially to reach over 20 million education change-makers every month.
Shawn McCusker, Guest
Shawn McCusker is an author and Senior Director of Professional Learning at EdTechTeacher he has 25 years of experience as a teacher and leader in public, private and alternative schools. Shawn is the author of Becoming Active Citizens, winner of the 2022 Foreword INDIES Gold Award for Education. His column “The Tech Savvy Classroom” appeared in Digital Learning magazine. As a teacher and expert in technology integration his lessons and student products have been featured in the Journal, Educational Leadership and the Huffington Post. In 2006, he was recognized as a finalist for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2016 he was named a Top Trailblazing Educator on Twitter by eSchoolNews. He has been a keynote and featured speaker at conferences across the US.
About All Things Marketing and Education
What if marketing was judged solely by the level of value it brings to its audience? Welcome to All Things Marketing and Education, a podcast that lives at the intersection of marketing and you guessed it, education. Each week, Elana Leoni, CEO of Leoni Consulting Group, highlights innovative social media marketing, community-building, and content marketing strategies that can significantly increase reach, relationships, and revenue.
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