In this episode, we welcome Michelle Hirschy to continue our digital wellness series and explore how social-emotional learning and digital wellness intersect in the lives of children and adolescents today.Michelle serves as the Director of Wellness at La Jolla Country Day School, where she leads a comprehensive PreK–12 wellness program focused on preventive mental health, student development, and whole-child well-being. With more than 17 years of experience as a school counselor across three states, Michelle specializes in adolescent development and helping students build the mindsets, skills, and supports they need to thrive both online and offline. Throughout the conversation, Michelle shares practical insights on:Helping students develop healthy relationships with technologyCreating balance in a digitally connected worldThe role SEL plays in digital decision-makingPreventive mental health practices for schools and familiesSupporting parents as they navigate screen time, social media, and adolescent developmentMichelle is also a sought-after speaker on topics including digital wellness, youth risk assessment, health and advisory curriculum, and preventative mental health initiatives. In addition, she co-hosts the parenting podcast Growing Through It alongside Dr. Nicholas Chan, where they discuss research-based strategies for raising children in today’s complex digital landscape.As both an educator and mother of two daughters, Michelle brings a thoughtful blend of professional expertise and personal perspective to this important conversation about helping young people cultivate wellness, resilience, and balance in a technology-driven world. Host: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff Westbrook Original Music by Adam G-F How you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this episode, we welcome Yonty Friesem and returning guest Luke Jacob to continue the series on digital wellness. Together, they unpack the concept of empathy—what it is, how it has evolved, and why it’s more complex than we often assume. The conversation explores empathy as a multi-dimensional skill and examines its critical role in supporting gifted students, especially within today’s digital environments.Yonty Friesem is the executive director of the Media Education Lab and the founding director of the MA in Media for Social Impact at Columbia College Chicago as part of an effort to shape more equitable and trauma-informed practices of media and community engagement. Yonty’s publications include the theory of inclusive dialogs via youth media they call digital empathy. In 2022, Yonty co-founded the Illinois Media Literacy Coalition and co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Media Education Futures Post-Pandemic. Yonty serves as a member of the international global board of UNESCO Information and Media Literacy Alliance.Lucas Jacob is an educator with more than 30 years of experience across PreK–12 settings, a published writer and poet, former Fulbright Scholar, and former co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Media Literacy Education. His work focuses on the intersections of media, learning, and human development.Host: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this second installment of a series on digital wellness and media literacy, we continue our conversation with educator, writer, and scholar Lucas Jacob to explore how these evolving fields intersect with gifted education. Together, we unpack foundational definitions, discuss how rapidly changing digital environments impact learners, and emphasize the importance of cultivating mindsets—not just skillsets—to help students thrive. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how media literacy and digital wellness shape social, emotional, and cognitive development, and why these conversations are especially relevant for supporting gifted students in a fast-changing world.Lucas Jacob is an educator with more than 30 years of experience across PreK–12 settings, a published writer and poet, former Fulbright Scholar, and former co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Media Literacy Education. His work focuses on the intersections of media, learning, and human development.Host: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this first installment of a series on digital wellness and media literacy, we welcome educator, writer, and scholar Lucas Jacob to explore how these evolving fields intersect with gifted education. Together, we unpack foundational definitions, discuss how rapidly changing digital environments impact learners, and emphasize the importance of cultivating mindsets — not just skillsets — to help students thrive.Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how media literacy and digital wellness shape social, emotional, and cognitive development, and why these conversations are especially relevant for supporting gifted students in a fast-changing world.Lucas Jacob is an educator with more than 30 years of experience across PreK–12 settings, a published writer and poet, former Fulbright Scholar, and former co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Media Literacy Education. His work focuses on the intersections of media, learning, and human development.Host: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Gwen Cooper, Middle School Head and Secondary Placement Director at Avery Coonley School, to unpack the process of evaluating secondary school options for gifted students.We explore how families can thoughtfully navigate public, private, parochial, and boarding school choices—while keeping the individual needs, passions, and social-emotional development of gifted learners at the center of the conversation. Dr. Gwen Cooper holds a doctorate in education and serves as the Middle School Head and Secondary Placement Director at Avery Coonley School. She works closely with families to guide them through the high school selection, application, and registration process, helping identify environments where gifted students can truly thrive.Host: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss. 

In this episode, we welcome back Lisa Wiltz and Eric Youngquist, who explore the essential role of play, simulation, and gamification in supporting gifted learners of all ages. This episode reframes play—not as downtime, but as developmentally essential, academically rich, and socially transformative.Lisa Wiltz - With 39 years of experience, Lisa has taught preschool through early elementary and specializes in early childhood development and gifted education. She holds degrees from Illinois State University and National Louis University, has presented nationally on play-based learning, and currently teaches Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4. Her passion: helping young learners build the social-emotional and cognitive skills that form the bedrock of future learning.Eric Youngquist - Eric is in his 22nd year of teaching middle school social studies. With degrees from NIU and St. Xavier University, he brings learning to life through strategy, debate, and simulation. He coaches both a strategic gaming club and a debate team and is committed to using games to build communication, reasoning, negotiation, and empathy.Listeners will explore:Why play is the foundation of learningHow games and playful learning support creativity, problem-solving, cognitive flexibility, and emotional developmentWhat empathy development really looks like from preschool through middle schoolHow educators can balance academic demands with meaningful playReal examples of simulations and games that deepen learning, engagement, and rigorHost: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this episode, we welcome Lisa Wiltz and Eric Youngquist, who explore the essential role of play, simulation, and gamification in supporting gifted learners of all ages. This episode reframes play—not as downtime, but as developmentally essential, academically rich, and socially transformative.Lisa Wiltz - With 39 years of experience, Lisa has taught preschool through early elementary and specializes in early childhood development and gifted education. She holds degrees from Illinois State University and National Louis University, has presented nationally on play-based learning, and currently teaches Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4. Her passion: helping young learners build the social-emotional and cognitive skills that form the bedrock of future learning.Eric Youngquist - Eric is in his 22nd year of teaching middle school social studies. With degrees from NIU and St. Xavier University, he brings learning to life through strategy, debate, and simulation. He coaches both a strategic gaming club and a debate team and is committed to using games to build communication, reasoning, negotiation, and empathy.Listeners will explore:Why play is the foundation of learningHow games and playful learning support creativity, problem-solving, cognitive flexibility, and emotional developmentWhat empathy development really looks like from preschool through middle schoolHow educators can balance academic demands with meaningful playReal examples of simulations and games that deepen learning, engagement, and rigorHost: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this episode, we welcome Allison Yunkun, a doctoral candidate and an elementary educator and from The Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove, Illinois. Allison shares insights about the Leadership Academy, a program designed to develop authentic leadership skills in gifted students from grades 2–4.The conversation explores how the academy helps young learners understand leadership beyond titles—focusing instead on empathy, collaboration, and purpose-driven action. We also discuss the intentional design behind this initiative, how it supports diverse leadership styles (including introverted leaders), and how social-emotional learning (SEL) connects deeply to leadership development.Later in the episode, a student participant from the Leadership Academy joins to offer a firsthand perspective on what it’s like to learn and practice leadership as a gifted student. Host: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Maha Zayed and Lora Dudek of The OCD and Anxiety Center to discuss the many ways anxiety can show up in children and adolescents. Together, we explore a scale of intensity to help distinguish between healthy anxiety and clinical anxiety. We also highlight why it’s so important for parents and teachers to understand anxiety—recognizing the signs early can make a critical difference in supporting children’s emotional well-being, learning, and development. Listeners will also gain practical strategies to help students manage anxiety more effectively in both home and school settings.www.theocdandanxietycenter.comHost: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.

In this episode, we welcome Darrell Maskell, who shares how he teaches writing to his gifted students. We explore his instructional techniques and process, the executive functioning skills embedded in his approach, and some of the remarkable outcomes that have emerged in his classroom.Darrell Maskell has taught third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students for twenty-seven years in both the UK and the US. He began his career as an electrical engineer before transitioning into education at the age of twenty-eight. He started teaching in London public schools and has since worked in three private schools for gifted children. In 2007, he was recognized with both the Positive Promotions Midwest Teacher of the Year and the Sam’s Club Teacher of the Year awards.Teacher Resource: Darrell Maskell’s Fantasy Writing Plannerhttps://www.fox32chicago.com/news/class-project-inspires-palatine-fifth-grader-to-publish-her-own-bookHost: Meghan McCarthyCo-Producers: Adam Metcalf and Jeff WestbrookOriginal Music by Adam G-FHow you can be involved:Subscribe to The Gifted Ed PodcastEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the podcast team to let us know of any topics that you would like discussed. Additionally, you can use this form to let us know that you would like to appear on an episode as a guest and what topic(s) you would like to discuss.