Meet the RoboKind Professional Learning Team!

One part of the magic of the RoboKind program is our team of Professional Learning Specialists. They’ve traveled the country and met virtually with you to ensure you’re maximizing implementation with your students.

The team just engaged in a Professional Learning panel. You can watch the recording here!

Meet your RoboKind Professional Learning Specialists!

Dr. Lisa O. Kershaw- PL Lead

• Where are you from?

  • Columbia, SC

• What’s an interesting fact about yourself?

  • I started raising chickens and find myself, unexpectedly really liking them like pets!

• What’s your education background/why are you passionate to be in Special Education now?

  • Bachelors of Arts: Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science: Psychology, Masters in Divergent Learning, Doctoral in Educational Administration. I have a son with special needs, and have always had a passion for working with differently abled individuals, even from the time I was in elementary school. I talked too much in class so they used to send me to the special needs class to read to the students and to support them in their class.

• How long have you been a RoboKind PL Specialist?

  • Since 2022

• What do you love about RoboKind and what do you love about being a PL Specialist?

  • From the first time I got to see the Robokind program through to today I am still amazed at the curriculums and the impact they have on students. I love being the PL Lead because, just as I love teaching teachers, I love leading a group of professionals who have the same passion I do and who excel in their work to support teachers.

• What’s a favorite story from one of your Professional Learning sessions?

  • My favorite part of professional learning session, in general, is when teachers get to see the robot/avatar and the expressions and they automatically start imitating the same expressions without even knowing it! It is fascinating because that is the same impact we see in the students using the program, and how quickly they respond to the program.

• What’s a tip/trick you would like to provide our implementers?

  • Start small and practice with a demo student before you start with your own students. You being more comfortable in using the program helps your students to be more comfortable.

Kim Hill

• Where are you from?

  • Alabama & Michigan!

• What’s an interesting fact about yourself?

  • I am an avid baker and have even won a few blue ribbons...but I personally don't eat sugar!

• What’s your education background/why are you passionate to be in Special Education now?

  • BS in SPED from The University of Alabama...Masters in Curriculum and Instruction...Certified Reading Specialist...Linguistics Certification... I started my career working with deaf and hard of hearing students. After many years, my career moved in the direction of reading acquisition where I became involved in the creation of The Alabama Reading Initiative. I chaired the Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Committee and the Reading Intervention Committee and Co-chaired the Oral Language Development Committee. I have always had a heart for those who required something a bit different in education to reach their full potential. After many years in leadership positions at the district and state level, I moved to educational publishing. Since my retirement almost two years ago, it is pure joy to be back working with teachers who have the greatest impact on students and families.

• How long have you been a RoboKind PL Specialist?

  • Approximately a year.

• What do you love about being a PL Specialist?

  • I love being able to give teachers hope that there is a way to overcome many of the challenges they face in their classrooms.

• What’s a favorite story from one of your Professional Learning sessions?

  • My favorite so far....after a session in Clay County, Alabama, a teacher came up to me and said these words..."Thank you for not expecting us to know everything in one session but making sure we know what to do tomorrow. That gives me hope that I can do this."

• What’s a tip/trick you would like to provide our implementers?

  • Practice the phonics assessment before you sit down with students.

  • Have everything "ready to go if at all possible" before students come to start a session.

  • It may be wise to start with the avatar since many young children cannot transfer information from the robot's screen to the student device. Then one can transition to the robot by using it in a group setting one day a week (Students are then VERY excited to use the robot).

Diana Spence

• Where are you from?

  • Clinton, IN

• What’s an interesting fact about yourself?

  • I have visited 49 states and just need to see Alaska

• What’s your education background/why are you passionate to be in Special Education now?

  • I have earned 3 degrees in education. I recently retired from school administration. I have always been drawn to students that need the little extra attention. I want to bring joy and excitement to their life journey. My brother was disabled so I know first hand the deep need to find alternate ways to learn.

• How long have you been an RoboKind PL Specialist?

  • I am currently in my second year as a PL specialist with RoboKind.

• What do you love about RoboKind?

  • I love the impact I see RoboKind makes. I love sharing success stories of students that I know personally. RoboKind changes lives.

• What’s a favorite story from one of your Professional Learning sessions?

  • I was able to see a student engage with Milo for the first time. I will never forget his giggle!

• What’s a tip/trick you would like to provide our implementers?

  • Make the lessons important. Display milo and friends throughout your classroom. The image can prompt conversations that are reminders of skills they have learned.

Lexie Squadroni

• Where are you from?

  • New Jersey

• What’s an interesting fact about yourself?

  • I have twins!

• What’s your education background/why are you passionate to be in Special Education now?

  • I have been in education for 10 years. I have taught everything from prek-5th grade, intervention, SPED, inclusion, etc. I am extremely passionate about special education because I have a special needs sister and feel that she was not given the same chances throughout her schooling as her peers/as she should have been, so I work to make sure every child of every ability gets a fair and individualized education so that they are set up for success.

• How long have you been an RoboKind PL Specialist?

  • This will be my 3rd year!

• What do you love about RoboKind and what do you love about being a PL Specialist?

  • RoboKind has created curriculums and resources for teachers and students that are truly changing the way special needs students learn. I feel so lucky to showcase all RK has to offer to teachers.

  • I love being a PL specialist because I truly enjoy connecting with other educators. I find it so important to connect with the teachers and educators before fully diving into our session and I am confident that I build a cohesive and comfortable learning environment.

• What’s a favorite story from one of your Professional Learning sessions?

  • A group of educators I have worked with twice now- the first session we went through the security drills in the situational modules and the second session she was so happy to share that she ran those lessons whole class the week of a safety drill and she saw such a positive change in her students when the drills happened after these lessons.

• What’s a tip/trick you would like to provide our implementers?

  • Use the RK controller to establish RK in your classroom! If you don't have the time right away to jump into the curriculums or you are just trying to figure out what students would benefit best from the program, utilize the RK controller- use it in morning meeting, transitions, code a calming rhyme or your student's names. There are so many ways to utilize the controller and it helps showcase RK as a tool in your classroom.

Shaye L.

• What’s an interesting fact about yourself?

  • I am learning to speak a third language

• What’s your education background?

  • I worked as a paraprofessional for a year before teaching Special Education for five years and then working as a Title I Reading Interventionist for a bilingual school for three more years. I am very passionate about the field of Special Education and continue to support students with Dyslexia through Orton-Gillingham based tutoring.

• How long have you been an RoboKind PL Specialist?

  • 8 months

• What do you love about RoboKind?

  • I love working with the RoboKind team! Everyone is passionate about the schools and students we serve. Training teachers and school staff who are making a daily impact on students by using RoboKind is very rewarding.

• What’s a favorite story from one of your Professional Learning sessions?

• • I loved traveling to Montour School District, PA and seeing their students thrive while using Milo and the avatar!

• What’s a tip/trick you would like to provide our implementers?

  • Keeping all of your phonics materials labeled and organized in drawers or buckets near your teaching center makes facilitation easy.