Rafranz Davis

She’s kinda the reason for this podcast. When I think about people with fascinating interests or interests and passions I don’t completely understand, I think of Rafranz Davis. I’ve known her for years but her recent foray into all things BTS captured my curiosity. I’m grateful to have Rafranz tell us about why and how BTS has impacted her life.… Read the rest

She’s kinda the reason for this podcast. When I think about people with fascinating interests or interests and passions I don’t completely understand, I think of Rafranz Davis. I’ve known her for years but her recent foray into all things BTS captured my curiosity. I’m grateful to have Rafranz tell us about why and how BTS has impacted her life.… Read the rest

NEW Theme Music from Producer Doug The Rundown She describes herself as a “Dreamer, Blerd, Educator, Disruptor of Ridiculousness, STEM & Digital Access Advocate.” Rafranz is a former math teacher, former district director of professional and digital learning, and the author of “The Missing Voices in EdTech: Bringing Diversity Into EdTech.” She came on the pod to talk about the use of technology in today’s classrooms and all the ways teachers and school systems drop the ball when it comes to implementing educational technology in an effective and equitable manner. The Wind Down Rafranz is a BTS aficionado; she recommends you cop their latest album: Map of the Soul: 7 Going Further Rafranz’s 2018 CUE Keyonte The Socials Rafranz on Medium @RafranzDavis The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play and is brought to you by Alaska Airlines Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Today we speak with the author of The Missing Voices in Edtech: Bringing Diversity into Edtech. Rafranz Davis. Rafranz is an instructional technologist and national speaker that uses her voice to challenge those in education communities on topics of edtech, equity, and diversity in education.  In this episode we speak with Rafranz on what experiences she’s had that shaped her beliefs and values on education, she shares what she thinks diversity is and what it is not, how we should teach students first and foremost, and how we educators can learn a thing or two from boy bands!  You’ll Learn:  What Rafranz says is Diversity and what it is NOT.  How we should teach students first and foremost.  how we educators can learn a thing or two from boy bands! Show notes: makemathmoments.com/episode43 Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessment

In this episode I am joined by someone whom I look up and find to be an inspiration in many ways. I first met Rafranz Davis in person when she was a coach at the Google Innovator Academy in Toronto in 2016. After an amazing conversation with her over lunch one day, followed by some great learning Rafranz led for the group, I was enamored. She is a speaker, author, technology advocate, and BTS Fangirl who shares the personal side of her story. Don't miss this amazing episode with Rafranz Davis. You can learn more about her at www.rafranzdavis.com

In this episode, Mike and Glen dig into teacher walkouts in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and elsewhere. They talk about what is next for the students of Stoneman Douglas, and talk life and K-pop with Rafranz Davis!

In episode 57, Dan and Michael talk with Rafranz Davis about real tech.

What’s required to build support for change in a diverse community? How do you tackle the big issues around change, when so many small ones are gathering momentum?What does it take to ensure that the day-to-day distractions that every school leader has to address don’t distract you from maintaining a focus on long-term sustainable change?In this episode of the Modern Learners Podcast, Will, talks with Rafranz Davis who is the Executive Director of Professional and Digital Learning for Lufkin ISD. She is also a highly regarded speaker at education and technology conferences across the U.S.Rafranz’s passion for creativity and student centered learning has driven her work in supporting Lufkin’s transition to taking more innovative approaches to teaching and learning through integrated computational thinking, makerspaces and community driven personalized professional learning.When Rafranz is not disrupting the status quo in East Texas, she can be found connecting with the global education community as an advocate for STEM education, teacher voice, digital equity and diversity in edtech.Highlights from their conversation include: The steps to a more student-centered and self-directed learning environment. Just how much agency should students have? How can a leader find a balance between where they philosophically fall on that spectrum of possibilities, and where your school district realistically will fall. How might you resolve the gap? The importance of leadership knowing that you don't have to allow a state or a score to dictate who you are as a school, but rather you look at what learning can be, and that defines your identity. How important is it to have a vision for what change will look like in the end? What role should does passion and interest play?  In looking at teachers as learners, how does passion play a role in teachers as learners first of all? How important is it to share work, and to make that work transparent? What does it take to nurture a culture shift, so that’s about more transparency and more sharing? Setting priorities around the right tools. If teachers are using tools in the classroom that were completely outdated, and you don’t have wifi coverage, what can you do about that? What are some of the dispositions that leaders of change need to have?  What are the most important qualities that people who are devoted to or really passionate about change?  What do they need to have in their make up? The importance of being connected, and how that should be a priority at every level and across all staff. Reading books, doing research, participating in action research; the value in having to extend beyond what your domain is. How we keep diversity in the mix not just in terms of race and gender; to keep people that come from different point of views, different spaces at all times. Why being uncomfortable is a good thing. How do you think technology can amplify a change in practice? The importance of connecting and learning with and from people from other places, other cultures.  Why we should do more to encourage our classrooms to connect and learn from and learn with and not just connect to fix. Is technology for learning more of an opportunity or a challenge for schools? The urgent need for our students to understand that the world is bigger than the zip code they live in. Why it is so important that we see kids developing as learners as much if maybe not even more, as they’re developing being learned?Links to Topics Mentioned in this Podcast@RafranzDavisMinecraftGoogle HangoutLukin ISDMaker Spaces and Maker Culturewww.willrichardson.com www.modernlearners.com@willrichardsonTranscript for the showWhat do you need to build support for change in a diverse community? How can you tackle the big issues, when so many small ones are gathering momentum?Specifically,

On this episode, I chat with Rafranz Davis about everything education.

OMG you guys.  Talking to Rafranz is like talking to the friend you’ve been missing for years who is so impressive it makes you babble. Episode 2 We hit on growing up and reading her first book by a black author, segregation, #educolor, body image,  teaching her children, and surviving the zombie apocalypse. This Week’s Syllabus: To Read:  Can I say everything Melinda writes?  But particularly this piece for the Atlantic on why white kids need diverse teachers.  (Also, I mistakenly call her Melissa in the podcast cause I am the worst.  It’s Melinda. I’m Sorry.) To Listen:  Is there any other option?  Lemonade. To Watch:  (Well, also, Lemonade but)   Fermat’s Room.  I am showing this movie to my third period seniors and I love that it is not only a great and addictive thriller but it’s about people doing math, in Spanish.  This vine about Sexual Assault Prevention Month.  NSFW Person Rafranz thinks everyone should follow on twitter: Zac Chase