EDVIEW360

During this episode of EDVIEW360, we welcome Dr. Ann P. Kaiser, renowned professor at Vanderbilt University and one of the nation’s leading experts on early language development. With decades of groundbreaking research, Dr. Kaiser has illuminated how the earliest years of language learning—long before children enter school—lay the foundation for reading and academic success. Her work bridges developmental psychology, linguistics, and education, offering educators and administrators a holistic framework for understanding how language, cognition, and environment interact to shape learning outcomes.
Listeners will gain practical insights into how responsive adult-child interactions, linguistically rich environments, and intentional teaching strategies can transform early language development and, ultimately, reading proficiency. Dr. Kaiser’s contributions have not only advanced the science of reading but also provided educators with actionable tools to support diverse learners from the start.
Listeners will learn:
Why language development in the first three years is a powerful predictor of later reading success
How biology and environment interact to influence children’s language growth
The role of responsive, linguistically rich adult-child interactions in accelerating development
Practical strategies for supporting oral language skills in preschool and early elementary classrooms
How early language differences can signal later reading challenges such as dyslexia or developmental language disorders
Ways educators can strengthen oral vocabulary, syntax, and phonological awareness to support struggling readers
How social-emotional and cognitive development are intertwined with language learning
Why intentional teaching of language foundations is essential for equity and long-term student achievement

Join author and respected mathematics expert Dr. John Woodward for a provocative look at how technology—from microcomputers to AI—has shaped, challenged, and often overpromised its impact on math education. Drawing on decades of research and classroom experience, Dr. Woodward explores how shifts in computing power, curriculum design, and student motivation has influenced what we teach, how we teach it, and why it matters.
This session will begin by drawing on historical trends in educational computing to today’s much discussed and possibly overhyped promise: Can AI tutor students in math in ways that match if not exceed human capabilities? Parallels to this kind of promise can be found during the last 45 years since microcomputers emerged in education in the early 1980s. Dr. Woodward will also drill down into what tutoring and curriculum mean in light of AI.
 
What You’ll Learn
How technology has historically influenced math instruction—and what’s different about AI
Why motivation and mindset matter more than ever in today’s tech-saturated classrooms
Why tutoring students who are struggling with this week’s material in math is a different issue from meeting the instructional needs of students who are months or years behind grade level
What educators should consider before adopting AI tools for math learning

During this insightful episode of EDVIEW360, literacy expert Dr. Antonio Fierro joins us to unpack the critical role of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) frameworks in ensuring explicit, Structured Literacy instruction reaches every learner. Dr. Fierro provides a clear, operational definition of language and explains the importance of embedding oracy across all language systems and across all tiers of instruction. His perspective highlights why collaboration between language and literacy is not optional—it is foundational to building equitable systems that serve all students.
Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how Structured Literacy can be implemented with fidelity across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction, and why oracy, when intentionally embedded, is foundational to reading proficiency. With a special emphasis on English learners, Dr. Fierro challenges educators to rethink how language and literacy intersect, and how intentional, evidence-based practices can transform outcomes for diverse classrooms.
What You’ll Learn
How a clear, operational definition of language strengthens MTSS by promoting coherence and consistency across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction
Why oracy must be intentionally embedded across language systems and instructional tiers, rather than treated as a standalone or developmental component
How Structured Literacy instruction, when aligned with oracy, better supports reading proficiency—particularly for English learners
Practical ways educators can foster meaningful collaboration between language and literacy to improve outcomes for all students

In this powerful episode, two of the most respected voices in literacy education—Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Tim Odegard—come together to discuss the urgent need for systemic change in how reading is taught, understood, and supported across the U.S. Drawing from decades of research, policy work, and classroom experience, they explore the persistent gaps between what science tells us about reading and what many educators are still expected to implement. Their conversation is candid, evidence-based, and deeply rooted in a shared commitment to literacy as a civil right.
Dr. Moats reflects on the evolution of her work, including the impact of her seminal paper “Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science,” and the barriers that continue to prevent widespread adoption of structured literacy. Dr. Odegard brings a complementary perspective from his leadership at the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, highlighting the importance of teacher preparation, data transparency, and the moral imperative to serve all learners—including those with dyslexia. Together, they challenge assumptions, clarify misconceptions, and call for courageous leadership at every level of education.
Listeners will walk away with a renewed understanding of what it means to teach reading well, and a renewed understanding of what is necessary to capitalize on the lessons of reading science.. This episode is essential for educators, administrators, policymakers, and advocates who want to move beyond buzzwords and toward meaningful, measurable change.
What Dr. Moats and Dr. Odegard will discuss: 
Why “Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science” remains relevant today
Priorities for improving implementation of evidence-aligned instruction
Why higher education holds the key to sustaining literacy reform and preparing future teacher educators
What the national landscape of dyslexia laws reveals about progress—and what’s still missing in impact research 
Why current policies overemphasize foundational print skills while neglecting morphological and etymological depth in spelling and word study 
How oral language and comprehension continue to be overlooked in screening, curriculum adoption, and teacher preparation 
What Kansas and Ohio’s systemic literacy blueprints teach us about building coherent, statewide literacy systems

Join this fascinating discussion about intensive intervention and how educators can best help students who struggle with literacy, including English learners. Our guest Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan will share inspiring and useful insights about the topic. As Cárdenas-Hagan says, “Literacy is a human right, and all students, including those who are linguistically diverse, should have access to Structured Literacy.” Our discussion about this instructional approach will illustrate how it is the bridge to equity, because it includes the foundational skills of reading and writing in addition to the development of oral language and comprehension in an explicit and systematic manner. 
This lively discussion with Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan will explore: How students who struggle with learning to read need extended opportunities for learning and practice; Ways educators can appropriately intervene at Tier 2 and Tier 3; How multilingual learners benefit from the use of cross-linguistic features within this instructional approach. 
Listeners will learn:
Adjustments all teachers can make for ELLs
How to apply research to practice
How to collaborate for better results and better outcomes
Why more interdisciplinary work is needed in intervention