Michael F. Shaughnessy

Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, New Mexico

1)      Rae , what exactly is BAM and how does one access it ?

BAM is an acronym for “body and mind.” It began as an abbreviation for my online radio program, “Body, Mind and Child” and has since become the name of our network. BAM Radio Network  has grown from a single program to the world’s largest education radio network online. We now have eight other hosts, each with her or his own “beat,” covering such topics as leadership strategies, education reform, and teaching teens and tweens. We also produce the radio programs for 16 of the country’s top education associations, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the International Reading Association, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National Head Start Association. All anyone has to do to access any of these radio programs is go to our website!

2)      Who are some of the individuals that you have had appear on this program?

I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege of interviewing some of the giants in the fields of early childhood education, child development, play research, the neurosciences, and more. Among them have been noted educators and authors David Elkind and Lilian Katz, neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford, creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson, and Bob Bigelow, a former NBA player who is now a youth sport consultant.

3)      What seem to be the concerns that parents, and teachers have brought to your attention?

Children’s behavior is always a major concern of both parents and teachers, so we’ve visited that topic multiple times, exploring different aspects of it, such as self-regulation, the development of empathy, and bullying prevention. The demise of play is also on the minds of parents and teachers, so we’ve created a separate Movement & Play channel that captures interviews on such topics as recess (its decline and the use of its withdrawal as punishment for children), organized sports (the age at which they should begin, and what they may or may not offer children), and the need for rough-and-tumble and fantasy play.

Standardized testing, the demise of creativity, the need for naptime in preschool, bilingual education, and the pros and cons of worksheets are among the other issues we’ve tackled. You recently participated in a roundtable discussion that asked the question “Is Standardized Testing Producing a Creativity Crisis?”

4)      What kind of function do you serve for principals and administrators?

As I mentioned, we produce the radio programs for the national associations for elementary and secondary school principals, each of which addresses a different topic every month. Additionally, we have a Directors Channel, along with the Educators and Parents Channels, on the network. Featured here are many of the interviews hosted by Holly Elissa Bruno, whose show is called “Heart to Heart Conversations on Leadership.”

5)      What seem to be the “hot topics“ in education right now?

Many of the concerns I cited above are also among the hot educational topics. School reform and student achievement, of course, are topics of much discussion these days. Allison Zmuda’s “Insider/Outsider” show specifically tackles these issues.

We make a concerted effort to stay not just on top of the latest educational issues but a step ahead. Our goal at all times is to extend the conversation beyond what others may have had to say about such issues and to provide a 360-degree perspective of them.

6)      What kind of sources would you find at your internet site?

In addition to the hundreds of interviews available for listening, we have our own social networking site. BAM! Street can be accessed from the Community tab and is a wonderful place for parents, teachers, and experts to connect. Here they can exchange information and ideas and stay on top of “next” practices in the education field. Unlike other social networking sites, BAM! Street is specifically for those interested in education!

7)      What is your http site?

Your readers can find us at http://www.bamradionetwork.com.

      What have I neglected to ask ?

We’re reaching an audience of people who are passionately committed to education, as we are. I hope your readers will join us there and take advantage of the words and wisdom of the experts who’ve taken their time to share their thoughts!