S.A.F.E. Topics (safetopics)

The S.A.F.E. Topics and (Re)Teach podcasts have teamed up to have an authentic and unscripted conversation with our colleagues about "Anti-Racism."

In Part 3, we focus on "The Hope"--what sources of energy, inspiration, and motivations we tap into to sustain the work of "Anti-Racism" in community college. Our colleagues Oswaldo Ramirez (Counseling), Doc Rachel Hastings (Communication Studies), Denise Stephenson (Faculty Director of the Writing Center), and Chad Tsuyuki (English Composition and Creative Writing) join Bruce, Sean, and curry for this discussion.

Sean and curry take a break from talking about books to explore the learning (and moshpits) modeled at punk rock festivals.

On this episode, the SAFE Topics team continues its conversation with faculty on the topic of linguistic bias! The question we started with was: how do we welcome diverse voices and prevent privileging one dialect over the other? Join hosts Sean, curry, and Mana along with Maria Figueroa (English), Denise Stephenson (Director of Writing Center), Eric Robertson (Communication Studies), and Andrea Petri (International Languages) as we go into part two of this great episode!

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapters ”Feminist Scholarship” and "Language" in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

In part two of this episode, “All the C’s - A Visit from the Cultural Curriculum Collective,” the SAFE Topics Podcast team continues the one word conversation about classrooms. Join our hosts Sean, curry and Mana as they get into the topic of classrooms with Shawntae Mitchum (Sociology), JahB Prescott (Letters), and Angela Senigaglia (AHS English)!

The goal of this episode is to have an authentic and unscripted conversation about an NYT article by Kevin Roose titled, "We Need to Talk About How Good A.I. Is Getting," because websites that write papers for students is alarming and because websites that write papers for students is amazing.

Read Roose's article (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/technology/ai-technology-progress.html)

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/safetopics

Finally, here's some more cool, nerdy teacher stuff written after Sean and curry recorded this episode:

AI-Generated Essays Are Nothing to Worry About (https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2022/10/24/ai-generated-essays-are-nothing-worry-about-opinion)

Machines Can Craft Essays. How Should Writing Be Taught Now? (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/10/26/machines-can-craft-essays-how-should-writing-be-taught-now)

Thanks for listening!

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by thinking first about the awesome learning moments we design for (in any course we teach). 

Sean and curry talk about the steps each will take to transition their current onsite classes into online spaces. Starting with instructor and student needs, we explore the possibilities of teaching and learning remotely.

Welcome to another crossover episode with WritingwithMachines, a rad group of English teachers who get together to discuss technology, teaching, and composition.

In this WritingwithMachines conversation, my colleagues and I explore technologies in history that have shifted the way writers process and produce texts.

To explore more, check out our blog post for this episode and others at https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/writingwithmachines/ 

The goal of this episode is to have an authentic and unscripted conversation about topics and issues related to one word, "syllabus." Our colleagues Annie Ngo (business), Shawn Firouzian (math), Rica French (astronomy), and James Garcia (sociology) joined Sean and curry for this episode.

…and how do you spell it? Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about research, common practices, and what seems worth trying.

In this third episode of The S.A.F.E. Topics Podcast, we continue the dynamic and fluid concept of leaders with current student leaders. Our hosts Sean and curry are joined by Amir Naranjo (Sociology; student ambassador; BSU) and Mana Tadayon (Computer Science; President of Associated Student Government; Math & Science Tutor) in an unscripted conversation about issues related to one word, "leaders."

In this episode of our special series, "Going Remote," Sean and curry talk with Rob Bond (history) and Billy Gunn (film) about the media we turn to for entertainment, for truths, and for social proximity during a time of social distance. We ask Rob and Billy about what the humanities have to offer now and how the humanities might change afterward, from novels to films to podcasts to videogames.

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about how to tend community-spaces in synchronous and asynchronous activities.

In this episode, we are joined by a second student voice to continue our series on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Sean and curry are joined by current MiraCosta student, Haillie Hill (Theater), to get a student perspective on UDL.

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapter ”Essentialism and Experience” in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

In this episode, the SAFE Topics team has a conversation with faculty leaders at MiraCosta who are charged with developing an Ethnic Studies program. We ask why about the political context, the timing, and the salient characteristics of Ethnic Studies, and how an Ethnic Studies department will benefit students and faculty campus-wide. Join hosts Sean, curry, and Mana along with Maria Figueroa (English), JahB Prescott (English), Tyrone Nagai (English), Alicia Lopez (Sociology), and Steven Moreno-Terrill (Sociology) as we get into this topic!

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about the course outline of the record.

In this episode, the SAFE Topics team host a debate among with MiraCosta students and faculty over spring break. We ask why about the value of breaks and the costs of interruptions. We share the realities of workloads carried into breaks. And question what exactly it is we need a break from in the first place. Join hosts Sean, curry, and Mana along with Daniel Ante-Contreras (English), Carson Arias (mechanical engineering major), and Kayla Kamani (psychology & film major) in an argument over keeping or abandoning spring break!

In this episode, we are joined by a student voice to continue our series on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Sean and curry are joined by MiraCosta alumni and current UCSD student, Madeline Cooperman (Sociology), to get a student perspective on UDL.

Sean and curry finish discussing bell hook's "A Revolution of Values" and "Embracing Change," Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

In this episode of the S.A.F.E. Topics podcast special series on “Going Remote”, hosts Sean and curry chat with Ghada Osman, the Interim Mental Health Counseling Supervisor of Health Services at MiraCosta College. Ghada shares telehealth resources available to students and addresses the stages of coming to terms with ongoing crises.

Welcome to another crossover episode with WritingwithMachines, a rad group of English teachers who get together to discuss technology, teaching, and composition.

In this WritingwithMachines conversation, my colleagues and I explore the writer’s voice, technique, and materials that encode values, and ask: what shapes human expression?

To explore more, check out our blog post for this episode and others at https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/writingwithmachines/ 

Sean and curry take a brief break from talking about books to explore the teaching and learning (and choke-holds) modeled in Jiu Jitsu training.

In this episode of the SAFE Topics Podcast, we are joined by faculty members from MiraCosta’s Cultural Curriculum Collective (CCC) to have a one word conversation about classrooms. Join our hosts Sean, curry and Mana as they get into the topic of classrooms with Shawntae Mitchum (Sociology), JahB Prescott (Letters), and Angela Senigaglia (AHS English)! Listen in to part one of this two part episode!

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about what class community looks like and what role assessment plays when you teach this shit for the first time.

Welcome to another crossover episode with WritingwithMachines, a rad group of English teachers who get together to discuss technology, teaching, and composition.

In this WritingwithMachines conversation, my colleagues and I reflect on the literacy skills and reading processes we teach in our composition classes.

To explore more, check out our blog post for this episode and others at https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/writingwithmachines/

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing, starting with how to make a podcast about our process.

In this episode, we talk with faculty in an unscripted conversation about issues related to one word, "bootstraps." Our colleagues Alexis Tucker Sade (anthropology), Nery Chapeton Lamas (computer science), and Tony Burman (rhetoric and composition) joined Sean and curry for this episode.

The S.A.F.E. Topics and (Re)Teach podcasts have teamed up to have an authentic and unscripted conversation with our colleagues about "Anti-Racism."

In Part 2, we focus on "The Work"--what "Anti-Racism" looks like for teaching, learning, and governance in community college. Our colleagues Oswaldo Ramirez (Counseling), Doc Rachel Hastings (Communication Studies), Denise Stephenson (Faculty Director of the Writing Center), and Chad Tsuyuki (English Composition and Creative Writing) join Bruce, Sean, and curry for this discussion.

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapter "Theory as Liberatory Practice" in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about contract grading, rubrics, and the roles teachers play as coaches and building inspectors.

In this episode, we continue our series on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Sean and curry are joined by Kimberly Coutts (District Research Analyst) to get their perspective on Universal Design for Learning.

Sean and curry take a second attempt to discuss Sean Michael Morris' ”Not Enough Voices," in An Urgency of Teachers.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

In this episode, we talk with students in an unscripted conversation about issues related to one word, "syllabus." The student contributors are Sam Mayorga (Biomanufacting Major), Melissa Ortega (Social Justice and Equity Center Intern, Sociology Major), Andre Idso (Sociology Major), Josef Emmenegger (Performing Arts Major), and Suzy Morales Benitez (Social Justice and Equity Center Scholar, Sociology Major) joined Sean and curry for this episode.

Sean and curry discuss Sean Michael Morris' ”Not Enough Voices," in An Urgency of Teachers.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

The SAFE Topics team is back! We are kicking off season 3 with a series of interviews with some folks around the MiraCosta College campus. The team interviewed students, staff and faculty about their experiences about what’s making them happy to be on campus and some of the realities we’re still dealing with. Join hosts Sean, curry and Mana in our season 3 premiere episode! 

Part two is here! Our latest episode with students was so good that once again we had to split it into two parts. Continuing on in this episode, we are joined by students from various Academic Success and Equity (ASE) Programs to talk about creating culture in the classroom! Our hosts Sean, curry and Mana are joined by several students including Helen Leinani Highland-Coslow (Mana, English/Literature), Dannia Saldivar (Mana, Liberal Arts: Math and Science), Jose Luis Mendez (UPRISE, Film/Theater), Jocelyn Rogers (RAFFY, Communication), Natalie Salgado (PUENTE, Sociology), Ian Clark (Umoja, Spanish), and Campbell Reyes (Mana, Art History). Join us in listening to part two!

In the latest episode, hosts Sean and curry introduce and welcome Mana Tadayon, the SAFE Topics newest co-host! Mana first joined us as a guest on the One Word Conversation with students on “Leaders” (S2E3). Today Mana joins the team as a student co-host and we can’t be excited enough! Listen in and join us in welcoming Mana!

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapters ”Confronting Class," "Eros, Eroticism..." and "Ecstacy" in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

In this episode, we talk with faculty in an unscripted conversation about issues related to one word, "relationships." Our colleagues Bruce Hoskins (sociology), Zulema Diaz (literature and composition), Adrean Askerneese (counseling), and Scott Fallstrom (Faculty Director of the Math Learning Center) joined Sean and curry for this episode.

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about the student experiences with content and the teacher experiences with assessment at the midsemester moment.

In the final episode of our special series, "Going Remote," Sean and curry talk with Lisa Lane (history), Eric Robertson (communications), and Jim Sullivan (English composition) about pedagogy in a season of remote instruction and what we should do over the summer to prepare for "real" online classes in the fall.

Sean and curry talk about NoFX's "180 Degrees" song to prepare to attend a punk rock show.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

In this episode, the SAFE Topics Podcast team went live during the Equity Online day put on by the C3 Teaching and Learning Center and Online Education and were joined by leaders from the Academic Success and Equity (ASE) program to talk about their experiences and adjustments over the last year. Join hosts Sean, curry and Mana and special guests Don Love (Coordinator and Counselor of Umoja), Coach Keli Ross-Ma’u (Coordinator and Counselor of Mana; Coach of Rugby Team), and Cindy Arce (Interim Student Services Coordinator for ASE) as we go over the hardships, challenges and positives of the past year.

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapters ”Building a Teaching Community" in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

Welcome to another crossover episode with WritingwithMachines, a rad group of English teachers who get together to discuss technology, teaching, and composition.

In this WritingwithMachines conversation, my colleagues and I explore how our experiences reading in different modalities form our thinking, writing, and metacognition.

To explore more, check out our blog post for this episode and others at https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/writingwithmachines/

In this episode, the SAFE Topics team had a conversation with faculty members on the topic of ungrading. We explore ideas like deconstructing traditional grading, assessment being a conversation, meeting resistance, and self reflections. Join hosts Sean and curry alongside Joe Salamon (Physical Science), Chad Tsuyuki (English), Virginia “Gin” Schwarz (English & Literature), and James Garcia (Sociology) as we talk about the world of ungrading. This episode is one for the books! Keep an eye out for Part 2 coming in the Spring ‘22 semester!

Access the transcript for this episode

In this episode, the SAFE Topics team has a conversation with faculty on the topic of linguistic bias! The question we ask is how do we welcome diverse voices and prevent privileging one dialect over the other? Join hosts Sean, curry, and Mana along with Maria Figueroa (English), Denise Stephenson (Director of Writing Center), Eric Robertson (Communication Studies), and Andrea Petri (International Languages) as we go into part one of this great episode!

In the eleventh episode of the S.A.F.E. Topics podcast, hosts Sean and curry check-in with students about their learning experiences and their lives in our ongoing special series, “Going Remote." We chat with Ashley Chacon (Sociology), Aaron Blanchett (Sociology), Frank Rivas (Sociology), Jessi Perreault (Studio Arts), Glenna Trone (Math & Science), and Trent Stechschulte (Finance).

In this episode we continue our series on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Sean and curry are joined by Catherine Walker (Computer Science) and Liesl Madrona (CE Instructional Designer) to get a different perspective that focuses on UDL as a framework for equality and equity.

In this latest episode, we aired our first live recording during the Spring 2021 flex week! Hosts Sean and curry asked a panel of MiraCosta faculty including Himgauri Kulkarni (Biology), Leila Safaralian (Math), Casey McFarland (Kinesiology), Billy Gunn (Film), and Edward Pohlert (Faculty Director of Retention Services): what's working, what's challenging, and what should students expect as we all prepare for another semester of remote/online teaching and learning?

In this second episode of The S.A.F.E. Topics Podcast, we explore the dynamic and fluid concept of leaders. Our hosts Sean and curry are joined by Maria Figueroa (Chair of Letters), Luke Lara (Counseling and Academic Senate President), and Joe Salamon (Physics Chair) in an unscripted conversation about issues related to one word, "leaders."

The goal of this episode is to have an authentic and unscripted conversation about bell hook's Teaching to Transgress, starting with her "Introduction." Sean and curry reflect on what it means to be and become engaged in the classroom.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

In this bonus episode, the S.A.F.E. Topics team speaks with Deborah Reeves (music, podcast club advisor, and student intern coordinator) about what its like to start a podcast produced by faculty and students and continue to work collaboratively in uncertain times. Listen to meet our amazing team members: Kelly Barnett (producer, audio engineer), James Garcia (brand manager, social media director), curry (English composition, S.A.F.E. Topics Co-Host), and Sean (sociology, S.A.F.E. Topics Co-Host).

This episode is part two of the series about academics as a culture. We continue our conversation into whether or not academic disciplines and academia as a whole have a culture. Our hosts Sean and curry were joined by some awesome MiraCosta faculty members that included Jade Hilde (Letters), Alexis Tucker Sade (Anthropology), Rica French (Astronomy), Karl Cleveland (Media Arts & Technology), and Rick Cassoni (Computer Science & Information Technology). Listen in as we conclude this awesome series.

The S.A.F.E. Topics and (Re)Teach podcasts have teamed up to have an authentic and unscripted conversation with our colleagues about "Anti-Racism."

In Part 1, we focus on "The Talk"--what "Anti-Racism" means for teaching, learning, and governance in community college. Our colleagues Oswaldo Ramirez (Counseling), Doc Rachel Hastings (Communication Studies), Denise Stephenson (Faculty Director of the Writing Center), and Chad Tsuyuki (English Composition and Creative Writing) join Bruce, Sean, and curry for this discussion.

In the seventh episode of the S.A.F.E. Topics podcast, hosts curry and Sean continue the special series on “Going Remote” with a conversation on the support our students and faculty can expect once classes resume. We were joined by Lise Flocken (Transfer Center), Edward Pohlert (Tutoring & Academic Support Center), and Denise Stephenson (Writing Center) through Zoom.

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapter ”Holding My Sister's Hand” and "Feminist Thinking" in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

Sean teases curry's lack of stimulating course design as they discuss ”Digital Critical Pedagogy" from An Urgency of Teachers.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

In this episode, Sean and curry share their stories about going to college and discuss how their experiences may be similar and different for people thinking about college in a post-pandemic era. We will return to our conversation on bell hook's Teaching to Trangsress soon. Next chapter, "Paulo Freire"! Can't wait!

The goal of this episode is to have an authentic and unscripted conversation about bell hook's "Engaged Teaching," Teaching to Transgress. Sean and curry finish discussing the chapter as they strive to know and think about how to apply hook's call to vulnerability and self-actualization.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

Sean and curry talk with Jim Julius, the director of distance education at MiraCosta, about what faculty and students should know about "remote instruction." We ask Jim to clarify what expectations are being placed on faculty and on students, and we discuss various resources created to support remote teaching and learning.

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking with Sean's students about their experiences and ideas about teaching and learning in flexible, hybrid modalities.

In the fourth episode of The S.A.F.E. Topics Podcast, we change up the format from our one word conversation to an ongoing series with universal design for learning (UDL). Our hosts Sean and curry are joined by Aaron Holmes (Access Specialist DSPS) and Jeff Higginbotham (Faculty Director DSPS) in an unscripted conversation on "Designing Classes for All Learners: Possibility or Pipe Dream."

The goal of this episode is to have an authentic and unscripted conversation about bell hook's "Engaged Teaching," Teaching to Transgress. Sean and curry can barely make it through a few pages as they grapple with hook's call to "teaching as a practice of freedom."

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about what tools, methods, and creative solutions seem doable this first go-around.

In the eighth episode of the S.A.F.E. Topics podcast, hosts Sean and curry continue the special series on “Going Remote” with a conversation about movement, mindfulness, pet grooming, and "attitudes of gratitude." We chat with Casey McFarland (Kinesiology, Health & Nutrition), Jeff Murico (Philosophy & Religious Studies), Rachel Hastings (Communication Studies), and Thao Ha (Sociology) in Zoom (where else?).

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapter "Paulo Freire" in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

This latest episode is part one of a two-part series about academics as a culture. We delve into the idea of whether or not academic disciplines and academia as a whole has a culture. Our hosts Sean and curry were joined by some awesome MiraCosta faculty members that included Jade Hilde (Letters), Alexis Tucker Sade (Anthropology), Rica French (Astronomy), Karl Cleveland (Media Arts & Technology), and Rick Cassoni (Computer Science & Information Technology). This episode was so good that we had to split in two parts! Join us and listen in.

In this episode of the SAFE Topics Podcast, the team goes into the topic of anonymity in the classroom. Join hosts Sean, curry, and Mana along with our special guests, Tyrone Nagai (Letters and Pre-Transfer), Krista Byrd (Psychology), and David Bonds (Mathematics) as they get into the topic of having cameras on vs. having cameras off.

In this episode, we talk with students in an unscripted conversation about issues related to one word, "bootstraps." Our friends Jacob Blas, Matthias Tirona (soc), Kennedy Monterroza (psych), Victor Alpizar, and Monique Morales (soc) joined Sean and curry for this episode.

Hey Safe Topics listeners. This episode is a crossover with WritingwithMachines, a rad group of English teachers who get together to discuss technology, teaching, and composition. 

Our content needs a new home, and Sean and I feel the issues and pedagogies we talk about in WritingwithMachines fits well here in SAFE Topics. Hope you like enjoy :-)

In this WritingwithMachines conversation, my colleagues and I explore articles, podcasts, or other sources that help us think about generative AI tools

To explore more, check out our blog post for this episode and others at https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/writingwithmachines/

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about lessons learned in content delivery and building community in parallel modalities.

The student voices are back! In this episode of the SAFE Topics Podcast, we are joined by students from various Academic Success and Equity (ASE) Programs to talk about creating culture in the classroom! Our hosts Sean, curry and Mana are joined by several students including Helen Leinani Highland-Coslow (MANA, English/Literature), Dannia Saldivar (MANA, Liberal Arts: Math and Science), Jose Luis Mendez (UPRISE, Film/Theater), Jocelyn Rogers (RAFFY, Communication), Natalie Salgado (PUENTE, Sociology), Ian Clark (UMOJA, Spanish), and Campbell Reyes (MANA, Art History). Let’s listen and learn from these students.

Sean and curry discuss bell hook's chapters ”Building a Teaching Community" in Teaching to Transgress.

Please rate this episode and subscribe! And share your thoughts with us on Twitter  https://twitter.com/safetopics or email safetopics@gmail.com

In this episode, we talk with students in an unscripted conversation about issues related to one word, "relationships." Julie Astorga (English), Domonique Brown (nursing), and Abby Lau (medical administration) joined Sean and curry for this episode.

In the tenth episode of the S.A.F.E. Topics podcast, hosts Sean and curry continue the special series on “Going Remote” with a conversation about the economic disparities and opportunities our students are facing. We chat with our business and accounting colleagues Christina Sharp (Business Administration), Mike Deschamps (Accounting; Career & Technical Education & Workforce Development), and Nate Scharff (Business; Career & Technical Education & Workforce Development) in Zoom (where else?).

In this finale episode, we end the season with student voices discussing the good and bad of the distant learning experience during the past year. Our host Mana is joined by an Associated Student Government (ASG) colleague, Kayla, to talk about online learning in the past year and the challenges that students had to overcome to become successful. At the end of this episode, our hosts have a special message for all of our listeners. Join us in our season two finale episode of the SAFE Topics Podcast, and thank you all for your ongoing support!

Sean and curry try to figure out this new HyFlex teaching thing by talking about instruction, media, and student generated content they have planned for their fall courses.