Many educators (and parents) believe that teaching kindergarten online is impossible. Young children are assumed to lack the attention span, tech skills, or maturity to thrive in a virtual setting. During the pandemic, even seasoned teachers struggled to keep their youngest students engaged.

In this episode, Nancy Grim, a veteran early childhood educator from Tucson Unified Virtual Academy, brings a burst of energy and creativity to bust that myth wide open. With a background in theater and a deep understanding of child development, Nancy shares how she transforms her virtual classroom into a joyful, engaging, and student-centered space for kindergartners and second graders. From puppets and props to emoji-based emotional check-ins and student-led tech tutorials, Nancy shows how virtual learning can be more than effective—it can be magical.

Listeners will learn:

• Why puppets, costumes, and unexpected props boost engagement and emotional connection for young learners.
• How to build tech independence and classroom culture—even in kindergarten.
• How second graders can lead peer learning and contribute to a thriving virtual community.
• How embracing creativity and play helps students make academic and cultural connections from home.

If you’re an early elementary teacher, school leader, or curriculum designer wondering how to support younger learners online, Nancy’s practical strategies will spark ideas and shift your thinking. Share this episode with a colleague, try one new engagement prop in your next session, and remember: joy is a tool, not a luxury, in digital classrooms.

Episode Links

• Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Host Links

• Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
• Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

Too often, educational change is approached with a top-down, impersonal strategy—especially in virtual settings. Leaders are handed new tools, frameworks, and mandates but given little space for reflection, values alignment, or the flexibility needed to make change stick. The result? Burnout, survival mode, and disjointed systems that don’t serve students or educators.

In this episode, Dr. Tovah Sheldon—school design strategist at Michigan Virtual and leader of the Leadership Coaching for Innovation initiative—unpacks how true transformation begins with the adults in the system. With warmth, insight, and a deep coaching mindset, she guides us through what it really means to center leadership development around the human experience. From redefining change through “rugged flexibility” and allostasis, to bridging the gap between personal and organizational values, Dr. Sheldon makes the case for slower, deeper, more reflective innovation. She shares stories of golden moments, challenges us to pluralize transformation, and gives us a clear pathway toward leading with clarity, purpose, and empathy.

If you’re leading innovation—especially in virtual or hybrid environments—listen in for insight on:

• Why “rigid” systems fail in dynamic environments, and how to lead with adaptive stability.
• How to help leaders and teams surface their core values and use them to drive sustainable change.
• The habits and actions that define innovators—and how they play out differently in virtual spaces.
• Why going deep before wide is essential for lasting, scalable impact.
• How “small-i” innovations build momentum toward big transformation.

Episode Links:

• Leadership Coaching for Innovation at Michigan Virtual
• Brad Stulberg on Rugged Flexibility and Allostasis
• Henry Ford Innovation Hub – Phil Grumm’s Work

Additional People and Concepts to Link:

1. Brad Stulberg
   Referenced for the concepts of allostasis and rugged flexibility.
   🔗 https://www.bradstulberg.com
2. Phil Grumm and Henry Ford Learning Institute / Innovation Hub
   Credited as the origin of the Habits and Actions of Innovators framework.
   🔗 https://inhub.thehenryford.org/
3. Dr. Jay Marks
   Mentioned for his insight: “Lots of little moments lead to momentum.”
   🔗 https://www.nuatc.org/about-us/mentors/jay-b-marks-ph-d/
4. Ellen Langer
   Referenced for her ideas on mindfulness, scientific uncertainty, and contextual truth.
   🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Langer
5. 3P Learning (Project-, Problem-, and Place-based Learning)
   Discussed in relation to innovation in virtual programs.
   🔗 Resource from Michigan.Gov
6. Cynthia Coburn
   Cited for the depth before breadth concept in educational change.
   🔗 https://sesp.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/cynthia-coburn.html

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

Too often, distance learning gets dismissed as fragmented or disjointed, seen as a patchwork of tech tools rather than a cohesive educational system. Teachers feel pulled in too many directions, and programs struggle to sustain impact beyond the novelty of going virtual.

In this episode, Dr. Chris Harrington - leader of the EmpowerEd Research Institute, AccredVEd, and Digital Learning Works - shares how real transformation happens when virtual education is approached as a system. From curriculum to leadership to parent engagement, Chris lays out what it means to create a student-centered, coherent virtual learning ecosystem. He introduces specialized accreditation processes, discusses how to build systems around people - not tech - and shares inspiring stories from the field, including how one virtual program helped a struggling student graduate against the odds.

If you’re building - or rebuilding - a distance learning program, listen in for insights on:

• Why cohesion is the key to long-term success in virtual education.
• How to lead systems change with clarity, equity, and community buy-in.
• The power of specialized accreditation to elevate—not just evaluate—program quality.
• What it really means to put relationships at the center of digital learning.

Episode Links:

• Digital Learning WORKS
• EmpowerEd Research Institute
• AccredVEd

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.