{"podcast":{"title":"Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators","slug":"shifting-schools-conversations-for-k12-educators-721439","podcast_index_feed_id":721439,"rss_url":"https://shiftingourschools.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://www.shiftingschools.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/1/2/2/b/122be1b60ba51c69d959afa2a1bf1c87/shifting.png","author":"Jeff Utecht","episode_count":300,"summary":"Shifting Schools is a thought-provoking podcast that explores the latest trends, strategies, and tools in K-12 education. Hosted by educators Jeff Utecht and Tricia Friedman, the podcast provides a platform for teachers, administrators, and education thought leaders to share their experiences and insights on how to improve teaching and learning. From innovative approaches in classroom management to leveraging technology for personalized learning, Shifting Schools tackles the most pressing issues facing K12 educators today. Whether you are a seasoned teacher or a new educator, this podcast will inspire you to think outside the box and shift your educational approach. Tune in to Shifting Schools to gain new perspectives, share ideas, and join a community of passionate educators who are committed to making a positive impact in the lives of their students. Follow us at @shiftingschools on Twitter and @shiftingschoolspod on Instagram and Tiktok","last_synced_at":"2026-07-19T14:21:10.479438+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/shifting-schools-conversations-for-k12-educators-721439"},"episode":{"title":"The perfect middle grade book for readers during The World Cup","slug":"the-perfect-middle-grade-book-for-readers-during-the-world-cup","published_at":"2026-07-13T11:21:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/shifting-schools-conversations-for-k12-educators-721439/the-perfect-middle-grade-book-for-readers-during-the-world-cup","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/shifting-schools-conversations-for-k12-educators-721439","url":"https://pod.shiftingschools.com/","audio_url":"https://pdrl.fm/f0d9c7/pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shiftingourschools/13th_july_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=621226","summary":"Award-winning author Christina Diaz Gonzalez joins Tricia to discuss Offside , her new bilingual middle-grade graphic novel about soccer, friendship, ambition, identity, and finding the courage to use your voice. Although soccer brings the characters together, Offside is also a story about young people learning to form their own opinions rather than simply inheriting the assumptions of the adults around them. Christina explains why she wanted her characters to have real agency, including the ability to challenge gender stereotypes, rethink competition, navigate conflict, and sometimes help their parents see the world differently. The conversation also examines how much may be happening beneath a young person's behaviour. A student who appears selfish, overly ambitious, withdrawn, or uncertain may be responding to pressures at home, shifting friendships, injury, loneliness, or the fear of no longer knowing who they are. Christina shares the thinking behind writing a graphic novel in which English and Spanish appear together as part of the characters' lives rather than as separate translations. She also discusses Palmer, a young athlete who must reconsider his identity after an injury keeps him from playing. Through writing and journalism, he discovers another way to participate in the game and another way to create change. Tricia and Christina also talk about the literary complexity of graphic novels, Christina's highly improvisational writing process, her earlier career in law, and the habit that continues to fuel her creativity: asking \"What if?\" about the people, stories, and possibilities she encounters. In this episode: • Why young people should be trusted to navigate conflict and form their own views • How Offside challenges gender stereotypes and inherited assump…","meta_description":"Award-winning author Christina Diaz Gonzalez joins Tricia to discuss Offside , her new bilingual middle-grade graphic novel about soccer, friendship, ambi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1305,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/shifting-schools-conversations-for-k12-educators-721439/episodes/the-perfect-middle-grade-book-for-readers-during-the-world-cup/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/shifting-schools-conversations-for-k12-educators-721439/the-perfect-middle-grade-book-for-readers-during-the-world-cup.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}