Fully Charged

What do stories of wizards and monsters, of extraterrestrials and other worlds teach us? Do they? There's a reason why books like Hobbit or Out of The Silent Planet are being taught in schools. It's not what you might think.  This is a slightly longer podcast because there's so much to unpack. Trinity Wright discusses these with her guest, Taylor Guinan who talks about some of the deeper reasons as to why fantasy and science fiction literature matter. The darker themes in literature - think Dante's Inferno, Homer's The Odyssey, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - actually help young people come to a place of understanding when they confront complex, and sometimes bad things in the real world.  It is such a great topic we may return to it with a discussion of who gets to choose the books we read. Stay tuned!

We're taking on a crazy important topic of AI. It's the part of AI that you've been hearing in the news (or soon will) that's affecting not only all school, but also the entire world. I', Ms. Wright, and my two guests are Ms. Mateski  from the English department and Dr. Collings from the science department. Both serve on the academic team which I am also part of.  Specifically, we're talking about content generation or automation using an app called ChatGPT, which for now is free. It's terrifying, or empowering, depending on  which side of the spectrum you approach it. It brings up the eternal issues of copyright and plagiarism, but also creativity and automation. We know you'll enjoy this show!

Another live podcast inc the gym! Trinity Wright and Angelo Fernando co-host this podcast. At the table is the new Assistant Principal of Benjamin Franklin High School, Kristine Pullins.  Also on the show is senior at large, Vance McMillen. Mrs. Pullins talked about the shared vision among everyone at the school. This is her 6th year at the school. There's plenty of advice to go around, in keeping with the morning Opening Ceremony, during which this podcast was recorded! This podcast is also featured on Radio 201, the podcast from the computer lab.

Trailer for Episode 12 of Fully Charged, featuring Vance McMillen.

Strange things happen in science today. More to the point, stranger things are happening in the science classes of Dr. David Collings, our science teacher at Benjamin Franklin High School where he's also a Curriculum and Instruction Specialist. In this podcast Trinity Wright asks him what brought him across the pond from the land of Watson and Crick to Arizona. What floats his boat?  This podcast talks about why the new science standards rock; why it blends so well into a classical school model, and how we have turned things on their head so that students could experience science in new ways.  If you like this podcast, please check out other episodes on Fully Charged on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts.  

Take a peek into the Fine Arts program at Benjamin Franklin High school through the eyes of two students, Dexter Cruz and Emily Cook. They are actively involved. Dexter recently hosted our talent contest, Franklin's Got Talent. He and Emily have been in our recent musicals, too! How do they juggle their extracurricular life and academics? What keeps them fully charged, so to speak? In this podcast Trinity Wright talks to them about all this, as well as their long term goals. 

Math is one of those subjects that you get, or it makes your eyes roll. But wait! Listen to how math teacher, Mrs. Karly Chasteen puts it. And wait, there's more - listen to what Bo Smith, a senior at Benjamin Franklin High School says about how his career plans have been launched. Almost literally! Math, says Mrs. Chasteen was 'static' until calculus came along. In fact she admits it seemed boring to her until she got "the full picture" of what exactly it could do. "Calculus gives us to look at how things are changing - which is the real world." By this, she means the movement of water, or the flow of traffic. Even at Costco, where she once worked, she says they use math to understand customer volume. In this special episode, Trinity Wright brings together the teacher and the student, and lets you see why (and how) math fits into a classical school. Enjoy the show!

Schools are opening everywhere around us. But there is more to education, says coach Todd Cook, than the bells and whistles of a school. "We're giving students a success map," he says. It sets us apart, and defines what we call the Charger Way. In this podcast Trinity Wright and Mr. Cook discuss what educating the whole person means. "Why can't school choice mean a parent could take a student to that kind of school that doesn't focus on just one feature? You'll love this frank discussion. 

It's a lot to manage this thing called Time. Not just as adults but as teenagers. Especially when transitioning into 'school mode' from 'summer mode.' That juggling act called Time-Life Balance is a work in progress. Between sports practice, making TikToks, and homework....  In this episode host, Trinity Wright talks to Jim Bryant who teaches 12th grade Government and Economics. They share their own struggles with procrastination, and the 'aha' moments of time management. Students will benefit from listening to some ideas about how --and why - to plan ahead. From people who've been there, done that.  

Everyone has a definition of 'happiness' - and we may not all agree to them. But what could 'Felicitas' involve, in a way that makes sense? In this podcast we talk about why we often need guardrails, not simply to restrict our freedoms, but to keep us responsible, even while we are in the 'Don't worry, be happy' mood.   There's a push by the 'Me-Me-Me' culture is seldom fulfilling. And the antidote is.... Well, you'll have to listen to the show to find out what we think.

This may be an unusual topic for a school podcast. But it's time we addressed that uncomfortable topic: Conflict. How do we handle it? We call it the anti-Will Smith method, if you recall the altercation between Chris Rock and Will Smith at the recent Oscars.  "So I'm a student, and I'm in my class, and my teacher does something that makes me upset. What do I do?" There are two common responses: Immediate outburst, and delayed outburst. We take on some scenarios that you might find are useful to deal with this situation. We teachers remember what it felt like when we were students. We have all learned from how we handled sticky situations, in both good and embarrassing ways. "Do difficult things," says Ms. Dressel, but don't get into the habit of conflict avoidance. Find out more - Enjoy the show!

How do we eliminate that 'negative charge' around us, and practice positivity? In this podcast, hosts Ms. Christina Dressel and Ms. Trinity Wight talk about the challenges we all face at school, and in life, and how we might diffuse those charges.  They should know. This show is called Fully Charged for a reason!

Sometimes people say what's on their mind when frustrated. They need to emote in the moment and say things that, in hindsight, shouldn't have been said. Easier said than done, right? Everyone experiences ranting in some form or another.  In this episode Ms. Dressel and Ms. Wright talk about an experience on a flight. Not exactly air rage, but something close to it. Once the temperature of the moment came down there was compassion and mercy. Clementia, in other words! 

Leadership comes under many labels. Courage. Authority. Daring to be different. Breaking the mold. In this episode of Fully Charged, Trinity Wright introduces us to someone who at a very young age demonstrated 'spiritual authority - or Auctoritas - when the odds were against her. Listen to how Elizabeth Eckford chose to attend school, despite the angry protests outside her school.  Eckford went on to serve the country in the US Army, became  journalist, and history teacher!

On this first episode of 'Fully Charged,' a 10-minute podcast about student achievement, hosts Christina Dressel and Trinity Wright talk about what it wholesomeness and health (the virtue of 'Salubritas') means. With anecdotes from real student experiences, and an event both hosts experienced on a flight, they discuss how to cope with mental health and other struggles.