Advertise on podcast: READ Podcast

Host Harri Ramkishun welcomes Dr. Joan McGettigan and Bernie McCormick to discuss generative AI in K–12, reflecting on pandemic-era tech shifts and New York City DOE’s moratorium for lower grades. Dr. McGettigan reflects on 1:1 tech rollouts and how it underdelivered due to insufficient investment in teacher training and urges an intentional pause to address pedagogy, screen-time concerns, cognitive offloading, and rapid AI change. Bernie McCormick praises the pause, emphasizing the need for assessment and classroom practice changes, and significant data-privacy risks tied to LLM terms of service and upstream vendors. They share Windward examples: teacher-built AI resources like a fifth-grade marine research hub, gamified study tools with actionable data, supplemental texts to build background knowledge, and controlled tools like SchoolAI for debate coaching; they also discuss potential use of Snorkel AI for guided, feedback-driven problem solving. Both stress professional learning and time for educators and highlight AI’s potential to democratize tutoring through school-supported Socratic coaching.    00:00 Welcome to READ  00:15 Guest Introductions  00:30 Educational Technology Backgrounds  02:59 AI in Education  03:45 NYC DOE AI Moratorium  09:25 Data Privacy Concerns  11:12 Guardrails for School Leaders  14:07 AI in the Classroom  19:46 Teacher as Agent  24:37 Teacher Monitoring and Feedback  28:54 Gamification and Differentiation  30:38 Snorkel Tool Example  34:38 Dyslexia Awareness Month  34:54 Final Thoughts for Educators  38:28 Closing Remarks  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

Introducing the refreshed READ Podcast and Fall Offerings from The Windward Institute.  Hosts Dr. Alison Leveque and Marcus Soutra introduce the refreshed READ podcast from The Windward Institute, now continuing as a bi-monthly series connecting listeners with researchers, educators, and thought leaders in education and child development. Marcus shares his background as a dyslexic educator and former leader of Eye to Eye (now the Neurodiversity Alliance), while Alison describes her path from classroom teaching to reading specialist and literacy researcher focused on dyslexia support. They highlight the need for evidence-based literacy practices and practical professional development, preview upcoming episodes, and discuss Institute courses on literacy, expository writing, multisensory reading instruction, morphology, progress monitoring, and instructional games. They also describe customized school partnerships, share literacy gains tied to writing work, and promote October’s free reading screening and the November 18 Fall Community lecture with Dave Anderson on ADHD.    00:00 Welcome to READ 00:24 Meet Marcus Soutra 01:35 Allison’s Literacy Journey 03:53 Why Dyslexia Matters 06:10 Teachers Need Tools 08:10 What’s Next on READ 10:14 Fall Courses Overview 12:03 Partnering With Schools 13:35 Bronx Success Story 17:14 Teacher Intentions 20:34 Community Events and Wrap Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

Host Dr. Alison Leveque introduces the READ podcast and a conversation about effective professional development (PD), The Windward School’s PD structures, the “Mississippi Miracle,” and current PD trends. Betsy MacDermott-Duffy shares the COMPASS framework for research-based PD: tying learning to content, making it ongoing, modeling with metacognition, active participation, advice/feedback through coaching, shared collaboration, and self-reflection, emphasizing student outcomes and fragile transfer without sustained support. Colleen McGlynn describes Windward’s layered PD system, including assistant teacher training, weekly Friday PD, and monthly content meetings guided by teacher needs, coordinator coaching, and research trends, with time to practice and follow up. Dana Carr-Ford and Kinjal Nicholls discuss Mississippi’s fourth-grade reading gains, attributing success to structured literacy, preservice reform, universal screening, strong accountability including a third-grade gate, and sustained training, then highlight growing focus on writing, executive function, AI limits for struggling readers, and emerging “math wars.”   00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:38 Meet Betsy MacDermott-Duffy 01:26 Why PD Often Fails 02:29 COMPASS Content Focus 04:50 Ongoing Follow Up 07:26 Modeling In Action 09:32 Practice And Participation 10:34 Feedback And Coaching 11:49 Collaboration And Reflection 16:34 Top PD Researchers 19:05 Windward PD Workshops Plug 19:18 Meet Colleen McGlynn At Windward 20:23 How Windward Plans PD 25:01 Measuring Impact And Iterating 28:35 Advice For Busy Teachers 30:39 Five Strategies Takeaway 31:28 Mississippi Miracle Explained 34:06 Marathon Mindset and PD 35:10 Accountability and Third Grade Gate 37:25 Structured Literacy Framework 38:35 Applying Lessons to New York 41:53 Writing Instruction Returns 44:42 Executive Function Skills 46:04 AI Limits in Learning Support 48:00 Math Wars and Explicit Teaching 49:39 PD Takeaways and Call to Action 51:47 Closing Summary and Courses Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

Head of School of The Windward School and Executive Director of The Windward Institute, Jamie Williamson, speaks to New York State Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon about Dyslexia Advocacy Day at the New York State Capitol, created to build understanding, center student stories, and connect families with legislators. They discuss progress in public awareness and funding, implementation fidelity, and misconceptions about individuals with dyslexia. AM Simon highlights policy efforts including the Right to Read Act, universal screening, higher-ed teacher training requirements, revised exams/regulations, and supports like micro-credentials and communities of practice, emphasizing early screening paired with effective intervention and sustained, practical training. Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

In this special LEAD on READ edition of READ Podcast, Head of The Windward School and Executive Director of The Windward Institute, Jamie Williamson, sits down with former New York City Schools Chancellor Dr. Meisha Porter and Assemblymember Robert Carroll ’04, Windward alumnus and advocate for students with dyslexia. Together, they discuss why literacy must remain at the center of New York City’s educational priorities, especially as new leadership emerges.    From personal stories to policy insights, this powerful conversation highlights the necessity of evidence-based literacy practices, screening for dyslexia, teacher support, and community advocacy, and how all of this can shape a more equitable, literate future for all New York City students and beyond. Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together. This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been immersed in it for years.  In the final episode of this series, we dive into implementation where we bridge research, classroom, and systems. Our experts offer key pillars for supporting teachers and schools bring the evidence on literacy to practice. You will gain  takeaways from bringing Virginia's universal screening legislation to practice with Carlin Conner, PhD, Senior Research Scientist at Virginia Literacy Partnerships at UVA.implications for robustly building teacher knowledge and skills through professional development with Jasmine Rogers, EdD, researcher and professional development expert at DC Reading Clinic.a comprehensive synthesis on how to create effective systems for literacy change with Margie Gillis, EdD, founder of Literacy How.Thank you for joining our special READ Podcast series: What We All Can Learn About Reading, Together. You can also tune into this series at The Windward Institute's YouTube page. We invite you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together. This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been immersed in it for years.  This episode brings the research on reading development into the classroom as we examine effective reading instruction. You will learn about evidence-based reading instruction through an integrated lens with Young Suk-Kim, EdD, Professor at UC Irvine. a deeper dive into multicomponent instruction with Maryanne Wolf, EdD, Professor-in-Residence and Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA.the implications for interventions for children who continue to have difficulty learning to read with Stephanie Al Otaiba, PhD, Patsy and Ray Caldwell Centennial Chair in Teaching & Learning and Professor at Southern Methodist Universityapproaches to empower multilingual and bidialectal learners with Young Suk-Kim, EdD, and Jasmine Rogers, EdD, researcher and professional development expert at DC Reading Clinic.Thank you for joining our special READ Podcast series: What We All Can Learn About Reading, Together. You can also tune into this series at The Windward Institute's YouTube page. We invite you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together. This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been immersed in it for years.  This episode explains the research on universal screening for risks of reading difficulties. As states around the country continue to introduce universal literacy screening programs in schools, you will learn about the evidence supporting the rationale and benefits through a public health lens. In this episode, you will learn about a definition of universal literacy screening and its benefits on student outcomes with Jay Russell, EdD, Associate Director of the Haskins Global Literacy Hub at Yale University.the characteristics of effective literacy screeners with Marilu Gorno-Tempini, MD, PhD, Director of the Language Neurobiology laboratory of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and the UCSF Dyslexia Center.the role of screening and progress monitoring within coherent assessment and data systems with Jamie Williamson, EdS, Head of School at The Windward School and Executive Director of The Windward Institute.the research on screening for emergent bilingual students learning to read in English with Laura Rhinehart, PhD, Assistant Researcher at the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA.implications for translating screening policy into practice with Carlin Conner, PhD, Senior Research Scientist at Virginia Literacy Partnerships at UVA.Thank you for joining our special READ Podcast series: What We All Can Learn About Reading, Together. You can also tune into this series at The Windward Institute's YouTube page. We invite you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together. This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been immersed in it for years.  This episode explores why some children struggle to read and dives into diagnosed disabilities including dyslexia and developmental language disorder. You will learn about  factors that can contribute to reading difficulty through a whole child lens with Cynthia U. Norris, PhD, a researcher at Florida State University.the role of language in reading development and variability with Kate Cain, PhD, professor at Lancaster University.the characteristics of dyslexia and developmental language disorder (DLD) with Tim Odegard, PhD, Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies and Professor of Psychology at Middle Tennessee State University and Norma Hancock, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at SAiL Literacy Lab at MGH Institute.ways to understand reading difficulties in readers learning to read in English with Laura Rhinehart, PhD, Assistant Researcher at the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA.Thank you for joining our special READ Podcast series: What We All Can Learn About Reading, Together. You can also listen to this series at The Windward Institute's YouTube page. We invite you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together. This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been immersed in it for years.  This episode dives into the reading brain and the development of reading skills over time. You will learn about the reading brain with Dr. Joanna Christodoulu, Director of the BEAM Lab at MGH Institute of Health Professions.brains of children who struggle to read with Dr. Nicole Landi, Director of the Landi Lab at University of Connecticut.stages of reading development with Alexis Pochna, Director of The Windward Institute.role of language in literacy development with Dr. Mindy Bridges, Associate Professor, Hearing and Speech at University of Kansas Medical Center.reading and multilingual learners with Dr. Claude Goldenberg, Nomellini & Olivier Professor of Education, Emeritus, at Stanford UniversityThank you for joining our special READ Podcast series: What We All Can Learn About Reading, Together. You can also listen to this series at The Windward Institute's YouTube page. We invite you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What we all can learn about reading, together. This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and  experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been immersed in it for years. Episodes will dive into the reading brain and literacy skills develop over time.why some children struggle to read, dyslexia, and other language-based learning disabilities. the power of early screening for reading difficulties, why it matters, and what it looks like in action.high quality reading instruction and intervention.implications for school systems and professional development.You can also tune into this series at The Windward Institute's YouTube page or subscribe wherever your get your podcasts. We invite you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

Kate Cain, PhD, joins the READ Podcast to explain the latest research on reading comprehension and shares practical, daily ways that teachers can promote critical literacy skills. Dr. Cain reflects on her research journey and expertise, exploring the multidimensional nature of reading comprehension and the role of oral language development in literacy. In this episode, you will learn about: Reading comprehension as an active, integrated processCritical markers of oral language and comprehension development from early childhood through adolescenceWays teachers can intentionally model and foster comprehension skills like comprehension monitoring, making inferences, and critical thinkingConsiderations for EdTech tools and apps that support planning and instructionDr. Cain offers concrete, feasible insights about comprehension and oral language that educators can apply across any grade or content area. The Windward Institute invites you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time, READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

This LEAD on READ episode features Dr. Amy Murdoch, Assistant Dean of Reading Science at Mount St. Joseph University. Starting her career as a school psychologist, Dr. Murdoch has been a leader in reading education, driving systemic change and empowering teachers through the science of reading. In this episode, Dr. Murdoch discusses adopting a systems-level perspective and fostering collaboration among all stakeholders to instill change.leveraging consistent data as a tool to inform instructional practices, monitor progress, and advocate for evidence-based approaches.empowering educators with a deep understanding of the science of reading to enhance student outcomes and increase teacher agency and growth.Dr. Murdoch shares powerful insights for any teacher, school and district leader, administrator in higher education, and policymaker.  The Windward Institute invites you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time, READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba joins READ to share her expertise in literacy interventions, the impact of social-emotional development on learning, and the future of reading education research. A leading researcher and professor at Southern Methodist University, Dr. Al Otaiba has led and collaborated on key studies on literacy and learning disabilities. In this episode, she discusses a framework for applying interventions in schools.the role of social-emotional learning and growth mindset in reading development.an integrated approach to dialogic reading for building language, emotional, and reading skills.how teachers ensure fidelity in applying instructional practices, including managing classroom behaviors and discourse.current gaps in reading science and her hopes for its future.This episode offers practical strategies for educators and emphasizes the importance of structured literacy, data-driven decision-making, and supporting teachers to improve literacy outcomes. Learn more about "The Science of Intensive Reading Interventions" at The Windward Institute's Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lecture, featuring Dr. Jeanne Wanzek. The Windward Institute invites you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time, READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org

Ola Ozernov-Palchik, PhD, joins READ to discuss her work in dyslexia, neuroscience, and early literacy policy. She explores the paradox of dyslexia—why early identification is critical yet often delayed—and how neuroimaging research uncovers the brain's role in reading development and challenges. In this episode, you'll learn: What neuroscience studies reveal about reading acquisition and dyslexiaHow research informs universal screening and early literacy policiesThe successes and challenges of translating research into advocacy and practiceDr. Ozernov-Palchik's work bridges research, education, and advocacy, offering insights into the future of reading science and education. The Windward Institute invites you to share your top bookmarks from this episode by connecting with us on Instagram @thewindwardinstitute, or Facebook.  Subscribe to READ's newsletter for access to monthly episodes: Subscribe Until next time, READers!  Produced by The Windward Institute, a division of The Windward School (NY). www.thewindwardinstitute.org