98: From Passion to Impact: Literacy Learning with Learning A-Z President Lisa O'Masta

Holly Owens (00:02):

Hello everyone and welcome to another amazing episode of Edup Ed Tech. My name is Holly Owens and

DaNadia Johnson (00:10):

My name is Nadia Johnson and we're your hosts.

Holly Owens (00:13):

We're so excited today because we have a wonderful guest who's going to tell us all things about learning. We have Lisa o Masta, and she's the present of learning A to Z. Lisa, welcome to the show.

Lisa O'Masta (00:25):

Thanks, Holly. Nadia, it's great to be here. Well,

Holly Owens (00:28):

We're really you. Yeah, we're really excited and we want to get into all the things about Learning A to Z, but first we want to hear about your journey into this space. So tell us a little bit about how you got here, all the different things, the windy path that most people take, and just give us some insights about your journey.

Lisa O'Masta (00:48):

Yeah, no, I've been very fortunate. I've been in the EdTech business for over 25 years, despite only being 20, which is just fascinating in and of itself, right? I'm

Holly Owens (00:59):

22.

Lisa O'Masta (01:00):

That's right in holding. And so really been very blessed in terms of my journey and in terms of ed tech, I'm now currently the president for learning A to Z, as you mentioned, and really serving students, elementary students, high school students in the K 12 space. It's really my mission, it's my focus as well, and just being able to support organizations in meaningful ways. And so very, very fortunate in all the organizations that I've been able to serve and now being able to do great work here at learning A to Z.

Holly Owens (01:34):

Oh, well you sound like I feel so, I don't want to say jealous, but I feel like that's awesome that you got to stay in this space for 25 years. A lot of the job hopping. I have conversations with my grandparents, they're like, why are you changing jobs so much? My grandfather worked for a giant food for 38 years, and he's like, I don't understand why you changed jobs every four or five years.

Lisa O'Masta (01:58):

Yeah, it's interesting though, even with those opportunities, you take different lessons and you continue to learn and grow. And the heart of EdTech in general is just people who are passionate about education and it's addictive of all my career and all the different jobs I've had, I can honestly tell you I'll never leave EdTech. It is just my heart and soul and you'll never meet an employee in this organization or in this industry that doesn't wake up every morning just excited about what we do.

DaNadia Johnson (02:30):

Absolutely. I was telling Holly I was battling the job market for about nine months very recently, and it was kind of like I was kind of opening myself into a learning design spot within corporate, but my heart was always in ed tech, so I kind of battled with that because I was like, I really, really want to stay in ed tech. I just love it so much and kind of like you said, I don't see myself leaving either. We're just too passionate about it. There's just too much passion and love involved for me to really want to leave. So I resonate with that. Totally resonate with that. So

Holly Owens (03:12):

In this journey that you've had in working in this industry, do you have anybody that you want to shout out before we start talking about all things learning aid? Is that helped you or inspired you along the way? It's probably a long list, I'm assuming, but anybody that

Lisa O'Masta (03:30):

Everybody can always point to that one teacher, that one teacher that changed their lives. Mine was actually in college my freshman year in college. Her name was Ms. Orel and she was the first person who really took the time and didn't just tell me what I was doing wrong, but actually told me what I was doing and how to really amplify that and then showed me here are the things I could do to continue to grow and develop, changed my world completely. I don't even know if people thought I was going to make it through college before I had her as a teacher and completely changed my trajectory. So I don't know if she's still teaching. I doubt it. I don't even know if she's still alive. But big shout out to Ms. Orle who really changed my life and my trajectory for my career and everything I've done since.

DaNadia Johnson (04:16):

Awesome. We really want to dig into, before we dig into learning A to Z, we really want to kind of know from you how do you define educational technology? Because that is kind of like what we're all about at ed up ed tech. So how would you kind of define that?

Lisa O'Masta (04:37):

Yeah, so I'm going to break ed tech into two categories.

DaNadia Johnson (04:40):

So

Lisa O'Masta (04:41):

At its most basic level, ed tech is digital resources that are provided for educators to support student outcomes. But then I want to categorize it with great EdTech. So there are plenty of EdTech companies out there. I don't believe there's as many great EdTech companies, and I feel that really the distinguishing factor on a great EdTech company is a solution that's designed with the teacher at the heart of the conversation, easy to use is obviously very important, engaging with intent. So you see a lot of gamifications, but really engagement with intent is the big part of that impact. Making sure that it's supporting the differentiation as it relates to the different students and the flexibility that the teachers really need to own that classroom. And I think teacher led first in making sure that the teacher has that ownership in the classroom is a big part of that. And then really providing meaningful data that's actionable recommendations around that. And so it is, in my mind, I'm going to focus on great ed tech. There's plenty of ed tech out there that really kind of expands the impact, the efficiency, the effectiveness of the students, the teachers, and the learning outcomes. And that's really to me, what kind of cultivating that autonomy and that support for a teacher is most important.

(06:04):

Oh, you said

Holly Owens (06:04):

A lot of great stuff there.

DaNadia Johnson (06:05):

Yeah, a real

Holly Owens (06:08):

Veteran expert we got here.

(06:11):

That's awesome. Yeah, and I think also too, when you're defining a tech people automatically I feel like your brain goes straight to a smart board or an overhead projector. Now I'm dating myself, but that's what you go straight to when really nadia's laughing when really it's just this technology comes secondary to the educator. The educator has to do a really good job with it. Like you said, there are good ed tech companies and then there's other ed tech companies who aren't necessarily focused on the learner and the end user for support. So I'm glad you pointed that out.

DaNadia Johnson (06:46):

Yeah, same. I was going to say, I feel like a lot of ed tech companies focus a lot on the learner and they're student centered, which we want to be student centered, but at the same time, we don't want to forget about the person who's facilitating the learning and what they need as far as being able to continue that effectively for the learner. So that's definitely a good point.

Holly Owens (07:12):

All right. It's that part of the episode, Lisa. We want to know all the things about learning A to Z. This is the part where learning A to Z shines. You tell us everything, tell the audience. So describe your product, the services you offer and how you help institutions and organizations and education.

Lisa O'Masta (07:28):

Well, I mean that is my favorite subject to talk about, Holly, so thank you for asking. You're Welcome.

Holly Owens (07:35):

We didn't send you any questions earlier and you've never listened, right? No,

Lisa O'Masta (07:40):

Never. So learning A to Z is an organization focused on K six. So we support elementary, we have a strong focus on literacy resources, and we've been functioning for really supporting teachers for over 20 years. And so really have that strong relationship and understanding of how students and teachers are engaging with each other and then how we can best support. We are a teacher focused resource with the intent of giving the teachers many of the resources, the experience, the understanding, the intel to be as effective as they can be in their classroom. And so we are most known for our products reading A to Z or as Raz is often known, or Raz Kids. We actually have over 12 million students that are benefiting from the reading A to Z and RAZKIDS platforms. And we have just recently launched some new products, foundations A to Z, which is built on the science of reading from scratch.

(08:38):

And so really looking to support those teachers who are making that transition in terms of having those conversations and supporting them. We also have another product called writing A to Z that was also just built and reading and writing is such a combined conversation. Oftentimes you think of them as separate, but they're very much tied to each other. And then we also focus on our new Spanish and E L L programs to really support some of those emerging trends. We continue to see and supporting our teachers together to help students wherever they are in their processes. We really focus on our value as really easy to use. We're flexible, affordable, we really focus on making sure research-based resources that are enabling teachers to adapt their resources for the individual students. And that goes to why teacher at the center is so important because it's really easy to say, here's a formula, here's a transaction. But the learning A to Z products are designed to give teachers the control and the flex to be able to adapt to all the different students while also making sure it's an engaging tool for students and engaging resources. And so I'm really excited about what we do and just kind of how we support teachers to drive learning meaningful literacy outcomes for their students.

DaNadia Johnson (10:02):

I Could

Lisa O'Masta (10:03):

Go on, but I don't think you want me to,

DaNadia Johnson (10:06):

And I can attest to that because I've used reading A to Z for many years as a literacy coordinator and interventionist, and also running my own tutoring business. I used reading A to Z to help students, and it just is a wonderful resource for exactly what you said. It really helped me to be able to facilitate learning effectively for my learners. So without giving away too much information, we don't want all of your secrets at learning A to Z, but I kind of heard you mention a few things that you have that are coming up, but are there any new things on your roadmap for the upcoming year for learning A to Z, any new things that you're going to be pushing out to teachers or instructors across the country?

Lisa O'Masta (10:56):

I mean, of course. And

DaNadia Johnson (10:57):

I'm

Lisa O'Masta (10:57):

Super excited to share, and Nadia, I love hearing that you were a prior customer or that you used to use our reading suite products and that you've had a great experience with. It just makes my heart smile, so thank you for sharing that. So one of the biggest transitions that we're really looking to support our customers and teachers with is the science of reading and how we can help them on their journey. Our products have considerably evolved over the last few years as our teachers are still learning how to use it. What does it mean? What does science of reading mean and how we can help them evolve. And so I talked about foundations A to Z earlier, which we launched last year, and which is a specifically built product for the science of reading. But on top of that, the products that people are used to using, the reading as you talked about, reading A to z, Raz plus razkids, those products have also evolved and we're meeting customers where they are and helping them on that journey for science of reading to support that.

(11:57):

And so one of the things I worry about right now is when you hear things talking about science of reading, it's oftentimes focused solely on phonics or foundational skills. And as so many people know, the science of reading is so much more than that. It is about foundations, it's about decoding, it's about all of those components, but it's also about vocabulary. It's about fluency, it's about comprehension. And those elements are often right now lost in the conversation. And so one of the exciting things about what we have done in what we are doing as you talked about kind of that roadmap, is we have those foundational skills. We have those decodables within the reading suite and RAs plus, but then we also have those comprehension focus and we have those vocabulary elements. And so a big part of our roadmap and where we're going with that is the ability to bring all those together in a meaningful way and really be able to show the path for a teacher, especially a teacher who's just trying to figure out what the science of reading is all about and how do we say, Hey, here's where you are.

(13:01):

Here's what you're used to doing now let me help you transition that. Let's put in some built-in professional development into the product itself on demand. So it's there for you in terms of that creating that background knowledge and that fluency for your students and for yourself in your own learning. So super excited about all of that. The other thing I want to mention, I'm sorry, the other thing I want to just quickly mention is a big focus around data security and making. We're talking a lot about it this year. We're talking a lot about it. And a big part of what we're focused on is making sure that we are taking care of our customers, our students, and all of that data.

Holly Owens (13:40):

Love it. Lot's of great stuff happening. If you hear a dog barking, she makes some appearances. She's completely blind. She's going to be 15 in about

Lisa O'Masta (13:51):

Two weeks,

Holly Owens (13:53):

And she just barks to let us know that she's here. So, so you should feel special because little made appearance in your episode and it's going to stay because we we're all authentic here, so we keep it the same, but you all are doing a lot. Third, she needs to be on the zoom,

DaNadia Johnson (14:09):

Honorary,

Holly Owens (14:09):

Honorary.

DaNadia Johnson (14:10):

I

Lisa O'Masta (14:10):

Love it. I feel very honored.

Holly Owens (14:14):

So I didn't bring my mic back going. One of the things I was going to ask about is these learning path for teachers. So you said the professional development is going to be built into the tool. So if you don't feel confident about your skills and going through the science of learning, it's going to take you and kind of scaffold your way through so that you can support students.

Lisa O'Masta (14:37):

Think about it as you have an understanding of what you're trying to accomplish, you understand? So let's say you took letters, which is a science of reading, a great science of reading program that really teaches how to teach the science of reading. So you've completed that. Now the question is what materials resources do I need? And so we've built all of our programs and are continuing to evolve them. So it's built on the way Lexio was constructed. So you have those teaching resources and we have those little reminders built in. So let's say you're going through what you've now learned how to do and the letters instructions provided that. And now I can have a clip, a two minute clip from an expert that's saying, Hey, when you're doing this, remember this, that and the other, and here's how you're going to do it. These are the types of instructional units you're going to want to use. These are the kinds of resources that you're going to want to apply here based on X, Y, and Z, from little Jimmy going through that process. And so it's mini clips that'll enable that person to be able to get what they need when they need it On

Holly Owens (15:46):

Demand right there on the spot. I love it. I taught secondary, God bless elementary educators.

DaNadia Johnson (15:55):

That's

Holly Owens (15:55):

All I have to say. That is not where I wanted to be. And now I teach grad students, so I'm never going back to the younger folks, no offense. But I mean, this is something that is changing. I can already tell from Nadia, sharing her experience, changing the landscape for people. And it was kind of sad. The high school I used to teach at, students used to graduate without being able to read. And I don't know how that happened. I don't know in the district. Scary, Right? It is. It really is. So I'm glad that tools and resources like learning A to Z exists to mitigate that. That shouldn't be happening for anybody. And they should never feel like they went through a whole process K to 12 and didn't learn how to read. I mean basics number one. But absolutely love what you're doing. I'm

DaNadia Johnson (16:45):

Excited to check out the science of reading based content. I know that there's so much around the science of reading and some of it can be overwhelming for educators. So I think it's great that there is something out there that will continue to just support them and making this transition. And I say transition because not everybody is kind of on board with science of reading. But I think the more and more that we continue to talk about it and talk about its significance and how great it is for education and for reading, I think many people are going to need a resource like this. I think it's one of those things like it's becoming a very big thing to help teachers and help reading initiatives in the classroom. So I'm super excited to kind of dig into it. I'm a little bit more,

Lisa O'Masta (17:40):

I'm excited for you too. I'd love to hear your thoughts once you take a look at it, Ian. Yeah,

DaNadia Johnson (17:44):

For sure. Awesome.

Holly Owens (17:46):

All right, we're coming. It goes by fast when you're having fun. So this episode already flew by. We have two really three final questions for you, Lisa. So we want to know is there anything that we missed? And obviously we want you to come back and give us updates about things that are happening, anything we missed, anything else you want to share about learning A to Z? And then we want you to be a fortune teller. And with your experience in EdTech, we want you to tell us what the future of EdTech looks like. So do we miss anything? And then tell us about the future.

Lisa O'Masta (18:19):

I don't necessarily know if you missed anything. I do want to reinforce one thing I said just briefly, which is the importance of EdTech as it relates to connecting the different pieces and parts of, in this case, literacy instruction. I think so often we see things in silos. We're going to focus on one thing. We're going to focus on decodables, we're going to focus on phonics, we're going to focus on vocabulary, and it's the power of when all those pieces come together. And one of the things that we thrive on at learning A to Z is bringing those pieces together. We have the phonics, we have the vocabulary, the comprehension, just teaching a student the basics of learning how to read through phonics. That's the starting point, and we definitely want to provide that, but it has to go beyond that. It has to teach them the love of reading, the love of learning, the love of writing, because reading and writing come hand in hand as we talked about earlier.

(19:13):

And so that's such an important part of what I think we can provide. And then Nadia, you had mentioned something that I wanted to point back at, which is just kind of boosting what folks are going to be needing over the next couple months. There are so many great core curriculums out there right now that are supporting science of reading, but there are oftentimes gaps and everybody knows it. And Nadia, you've been teaching for a long time. There's always gaps. And so we really see ourselves as that boost. Where do we fill in the gaps to really making sure that when you're doing those core implementations that we can jump in there and make sure, hey, you have this, Hey, do you have this? And providing that. So fortune teller, I'm going to pull out my glass ball, which I don't know, Holly. That's how working it is, how effective it is.

(20:00):

The biggest thing I can say with confidence and yet with a lot of questions is artificial intelligence. I think AI is not going anywhere anytime soon. I'm sure anybody you've had an asked this question to is probably saying very similar things. And I just think there's such an exciting opportunity. I know there's risks, and I know it's scary, and I know it's scary for schools and for students and for parents, but there's such an important value in terms of how can we use leverage these tools to help teachers be more efficient, to help students learn, to help districts be more efficient. I know at learning A to Z and at Cambian Learning, which is our parent company, we do a lot of focus on leveraging AI tools to support the instructional practice, to support teachers in that way. And I am sure we're not the only ed tech thinking about that. I know we're not the only ed tech thinking about it. And I really would be surprised if in a year from now, not every ed tech out there is talking about how they're leveraging AI to better support their students, their classrooms, their teachers and families. And we didn't talk about families a lot, but we can't discount the importance that, how that engages with families as well, and that interaction from supporting them.

Holly Owens (21:20):

I

DaNadia Johnson (21:20):

Can't imagine teaching in a world with AI now that I'm out of the classroom. I'm just sitting here. If I was teaching during this time, how would I incorporate this? And I think it's awesome though that EdTech companies are starting to really think about how to kind of use AI in a way that's going to support teachers and students. Because I would definitely need guidance if I was a teacher. I would absolutely not know how to utilize AI in a way that would make sense and kind of ease it in there. So I think that's great. I really do. I am excited to see how more AI is used within that education space, especially within K 12. Well,

Lisa O'Masta (22:11):

And I think that one of the biggest fears it'll replace teachers, which is in my opinion, silly. I mean, we go back to what I told you was the game changer. When you asked me who, it's always a teacher, you ask any student, and it's not because that teacher provided an instructional lesson. It's not because she taught you your multiplication tables, it's because she cared about you as a person. It's because she invested in you, and I shouldn't say she. Teachers are invested in you. And so I think so much fear is, oh, AI is going to replace the teacher. I think all AI is going to do is provide the teacher more time and opportunities to create those absolutely meaningful connections with students, which in my mind, in the world of ed tech, that's what we're designed to do. We're here to help make those relationships, make time for those relationships, not to replace a teacher in any way.

DaNadia Johnson (23:00):

Yeah,

Holly Owens (23:01):

Absolutely.

DaNadia Johnson (23:01):

I

Holly Owens (23:02):

Would've 100% been type in chat G P T, and I know that's not the only ai.

DaNadia Johnson (23:07):

Put

Holly Owens (23:08):

A lesson plan together for blank every day of my teaching life.

DaNadia Johnson (23:12):

That

Holly Owens (23:13):

Would've been my MO because it's like a first year teacher and I'm lengthening the episode here, but that's okay because I'm going off on a tangent. Learning the content and then coming up with great activities and then teaching the content, then evaluating and going back. It's such a lot of time. So if I had the plan out and then I could have just planned an activity and then did it, and then feedback, so much time is saved.

DaNadia Johnson (23:38):

Yeah, it, it would be interesting to Use AI now as a teacher.

Holly Owens (23:46):

Interestingly enough, I tell my grad students when they're writing papers or putting together an outline for a course they're creating, I tell them to use chat G P T. I'm like, get the outline. At least get the outline from it. So I love it. Well, Lisa, we can't thank you enough for coming on the show. It's been a great conversation. We definitely want to have you back to tell us what's going on at learning A to Z in a few months so that we can get all the updates and share with the audience. And we're going to have everything in the show notes about learning A to Z, where to connect with you. So go there to find all things out about learning A to Z. And Lisa, Well,

Lisa O'Masta (24:21):

Thank you both, Holly. Nadia, it's been a pleasure and I look forward to being welcome back. Thank you both.