The Friday Dive

In this episode of The Friday Dive, we visited Orange High School in Hillsborough, NC to speak with Mr. Xavier Adams, a Civics teacher there, and two of his students, Erica and Kayli, about their experiences with a student advocacy project they participated in. You'll hear about why and how Xavier developed the class assignment, what topics the students decided to advocate for, and the lessons they learned from researching the topics and speaking with legislators at the NC General Assembly. 
 
As always, if you would like to share a story about your educational experiences or who your favorite teacher is, please email us at fridaydivepodcast@ncsu.edu.

In our Season 2 premiere, we speak with Marie Himes (Friday Institute) and Brittany Long (Reedy Creek Magnet Middle School) who talk about two project-based learning activities they have led and developed. Both talk about the importance of hands-on learning, promoting the importance of student advocacy, and getting students prepared to tackle real-world issues early. 

Join us for Season 2 of The Friday Dive as we explore the topic of student advocacy and seeing how students are developing and using their voices to advocate for change at their schools and in their communities. We'll speak with both educators and students about the importance of student voice on current issues and how they have actively engaged with school leadership and communities issues.

In this episode of the Friday Dive, we spoke with Dr. Matt Reynolds, a teaching professor at NC State University and Duke University, and two of his students about their experiences using AI in their teaching practice. They give us their thoughts about AI in education, how AI has impacted their teaching and students, and why they think AI won't replace teachers in the near future. 

Tune in for a conversation between the Friday Institute's Amir Lawrence and Reedy Creek Magnet Middle School's Stephanie Raeman as they talk about the importance of teaching students the fundamentals of cybersecurity, AI, and computer science, especially at the middle school level.

In this episode of The Friday Dive, we spoke to two educators about how they motivate and encourage students to persist in the computer science field. Holly Laird, a computer science teacher in Wake County, and Russell Dirgo, a former computer science teacher and current employee at the Friday Institute, share their thoughts about the computer science and AI landscape, interactions they've had with current and former students, and encouraging their students to "stick with it" and not be afraid to fail. 
If you have any stories you'd want to share with us, or want to tell us about your favorite teacher, feel free to send us an email at kwinn@ncsu.edu (Kevin) or aarenas@ncsu.edu (Aaron).

In this episode of The Friday Dive, Dr. Ellie Ebrahimi, an Associate Professor from University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Kristin Calhoun-Minnis, a STEM teacher at Clinton City Schools, share insights on how early exposure to computer science builds problem-solving skills, creativity, and confidence in young learners—and why it’s never too early to start.

In our pilot episode of The Friday Dive, we invited Dr. Krista Glazewski, the Executive Director of the Friday Institute, to talk to us about the legacy of Bill & Ida Friday on North Carolina public education. She also shares her thoughts on the current educational landscape in North Carolina and how the Friday Institute has been collaborating with educators across the state. 
 
This podcast is sponsored by the NC State University Foundation Grant.