Spotlight 4 Success
We're shining a light on education success stories and talking about current trends and topics of importance to the education community. Join us in conversation!
Episodes
158 episodes
Esports, Python, And AI
A hallway chat at LACUE 2025 turns into a masterclass on making technology serve learning, not the other way around. We sit down with Louisiana educator Anthony Swallor, who teaches math and physics, runs Python courses, coaches esports, and ke...
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Season 1
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4:48
Punnett Squares Walked So Mitosis Could Run
What if state test prep didn’t feel like test prep at all? We sit down at LACUE in New Orleans with tech facilitator and veteran biology teacher Christina Verberne to unpack a simple, repeatable system that turns anxiety into confidence and pra...
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Season 1
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7:08
ABC Testimonial | Errika McBride | LACUE 2025
Errika McBride gives her testimonial about her experience with ABC products. Website: spotlight4success.com
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Season 1
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0:41
We Came For Beignets, Stayed For Score Gains
A school doesn’t climb a letter grade by accident. We sit down with Richwood Middle’s Errika McBride to unpack how intentional coaching, aligned resources, and purposeful technology helped move the needle on state assessments—and why the work c...
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Season 1
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3:55
Robotics, CTE, And Real Gains
What turns a struggling school into a rising one? We sat down with Richwood Middle School educator Roderick Hannibal at LACUE in New Orleans to unpack a practical blueprint: combine structured study, hands-on robotics, and clear career pathways...
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Season 1
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2:46
Libraries Beyond Books
Think a library is just shelves and a reference desk? Spend a few minutes with us and librarian Jenny Lao from Richland Library Northeast, and watch that picture shift. Recorded at the South Carolina Library Association gathering in Columbia, o...
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Season 1
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3:34
Books, Beasts, And Borrowed Time
Curious how a zoo brings the wild into your local library? We sat down with Andrea Robichaud, education specialist at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, at the South Carolina Library Association to share how summer reading themes transform into lively,...
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Season 1
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4:14
Charleston Libraries Rebuilt
Big change doesn’t happen by accident. We sit down with Charleston County Public Library’s chief deputy director to unpack a county-wide transformation powered by a $108.5 million referendum, deep community trust, and a clear operational backbo...
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Season 1
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9:36
What Happens When Children Choose Their Own Books
A gym full of kids, a stack of fresh books, and a mascot who can turn a story into a celebration—this is how reading becomes a lifelong habit. We sit down with Margaret Jackson of Cocky’s Reading Express to explore how a joyful, high-energy mod...
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Season 1
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4:10
Story Walks That Get Kids Reading
Imagine a picture book unfolding along a sunny park path, each page waiting around the next bend. That’s the magic behind story walk signs, and we sit down with Meghan Beehler from Lark Signs to explore how this simple idea turns movement into ...
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Season 1
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3:35
STEM For Every Student
The future of work isn’t waiting, and neither are we. From a bustling floor at the South Carolina Library Association Conference, we sit down with Collin Robinson, executive director at 21st Century Ed, to unpack a simple idea with big ambition...
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Season 1
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10:08
How A New Librarian Builds Community Through Open Mic Programs
Ever wondered how a simple open mic can change the feel of a library? We sit down with Brittany Smith from Richland Library Sand Hills—freshly launched into her graduate studies at the University of South Carolina—to explore how handing the mic...
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Season 1
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3:28
Mindfulness For Kids At The Library
A busy conference hallway can spark the best ideas, and our conversation with Tiffany Williams proves it. As the Children’s Services Manager at the Heard St. Andrews Library in the Charleston area, Tiffany has built a practical approach to chil...
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Season 1
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3:56
A Student’s First Look At Librarianship
Ever wonder how a career in libraries begins? We’re on the floor at the South Carolina Library Association conference in Columbia talking with USC student Bobbi Elmore about the moment a middle school volunteer shift became a calling and how th...
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Season 1
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2:31
Coding Starts Young
Ever wonder how a six-year-old learns to think like a programmer? We sit down with Barbie Day of Pratt Elementary to explore what early computer science looks like when it’s playful, structured, and genuinely empowering. From color-matching com...
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Season 1
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6:29
How A Smart Board Sparked A Career In EdTech
A single smart board changed everything. That first taste of interactive teaching sent Jill White from a third grade classroom toward a master’s in educational technology and, ultimately, into the role of technology director for Porter Consolid...
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Season 1
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2:56
ABC Testimonial | Kari Damron | OKSTE 2025
Kari Damron gives her testimonial about her experience with ABC products. Website: spotlight4success.com
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Season 1
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2:23
Teaching ELA With Heart, Tech, And Targeted Test Prep
The energy of OKSTE buzzes in the background as we sit down with fifth grade ELA teacher Kari Damron from Sayre Elementary, and the conversation goes straight to the heart of classroom life. Kari paints a vivid picture of a pivotal year where k...
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Season 1
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6:16
Field Trips That Fund Futures
What if the best classroom is just down the road? We sit with Rebecca Barefoot from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to reveal how a million-dollar Field Trip Fund is sending students to museums, aquariums, state ...
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Season 1
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7:14
Middle Years Matter
Middle school isn’t the hallway between “cute” and “chaos”—it’s the proving ground where students decide who they’re becoming. We sit down with Anna Crooke, a veteran educator and board member for the North Carolina Middle Level Educators, to u...
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Season 1
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6:15
Six Sessions, One Mission
If you’ve ever wondered how a single moment can reroute a life, Joe Pizzo’s story will stick with you. We caught up in sunny Charlotte at NCMLE, where Joe and his colleague Ken Pasic submitted six session ideas—and were shocked when all six wer...
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Season 1
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9:56
Seeds Before the Harvest
A spark in a science lab. A brave ask for help in a lunchroom. A reminder from a keynote to keep planting seeds even when the harvest feels far away. This conversation from NCMLE in Charlotte brings the heartbeat of school to the surface as we ...
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7:40
Guardrails, Not Shortcuts
What if your classroom AI refused to write the paper—and taught students how to think instead? We sit down with Brittany Ordu from TrekAI at the Gacis conference in Athens, Georgia to unpack a teacher-built, student-centered platform that puts ...
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Season 1
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6:06