May 27, 2025 • 36 mins
The educational landscape is transforming before our eyes. As Principal Katie Ahmadzai reveals in this illuminating conversation, Christian education has evolved far beyond traditional classrooms into a diverse ecosystem serving each student's unique needs.
What drives parents to consider different educational models? Katie explores how the foundation of Christian education—recognizing each child as created in God's image—fundamentally changes how students engage with learning. Unlike an escape from the world, today's Christian education prepares students to impact it purposefully.
Beyond academic growth, Katie emphasizes how we must entrust our children to God while supporting their spiritual development. Through literature, science, history, and mathematics, students encounter God's beauty in every subject area.
Looking toward education's future, Katie shares her excitement for how technology—including AI—can create more personalized learning experiences while freeing teachers to focus on meaningful human connection. NorthStar's international character, connecting students from over 80 countries, creates a unique environment where students don't just learn about different cultures but learn with peers from around the world.
For brick-and-mortar schools and families seeking to supplement traditional education, NorthStar offers remarkable flexibility. From individual courses to innovative programs like their new Entrepreneurship 1 Live class, students can develop crucial self-management skills while engaging with a global community.
Whether you're seeking alternative education options, supplemental opportunities, or simply curious about where education is heading, this conversation provides valuable insights into nurturing both the minds and hearts of the next generation.
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Episode Transcript
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Stephanie Shafer (00:02):
Hi, this is Stephanie Shafer and you're
listening to the NorthStarNarrative, a podcast from
NorthStar Academy.
I want to thank you for joiningus.
I hope you're encouraged,challenged and motivated by what
you learned today.
Enjoy the story.
Hi everybody, thanks for joiningus today for our next episode,
(00:22):
where we're going to be talkingwith our principal at NorthStar,
Katie Amadzai, and we're goingto talk about just Christian
education in general, where it'smoving, what's happening, why
people may be choosing onlineschool versus brick and mortar,
or why not, and then we'll endup talking a little bit about
NorthStar and what NorthStaroffers to meet those needs that
(00:44):
parents and students have, andwhat's really cool about
NorthStar, I can add, around theglobe, because we're not just
US space, but one of ourfantastic attributes of
NorthStar is that students thatjoin NorthStar get to experience
so many different cultures andwhat life is outside of, maybe,
their hometown.
So I'm so excited to have Katiehere today.
(01:05):
And, yeah, if you are thinkingabout online school, it's going
to be a great podcast for you tolearn, so just stay tuned in.
So thanks, Katie, for joiningme for a few minutes today.
Katie Ahmadzai (01:16):
Thanks so much for inviting me.
It's always a fun time to beable to come and just talk and
visit and talk all thingseducation, yep, and you spend a
lot of time researching, readingconferences, networking with
people.
Stephanie Shafer (01:32):
So, Katie, you're a great person I know to
have on and share what ishappening with NorthStar and
with the education world, andalso we're going to do two
episodes, so we'll have anepisode that comes out after
this one.
We're going to talk a littlebit about state vouchers, what's
happening in the government,state governments, all of that.
So you'll definitely want tocheck that out so you can learn
a little bit and just make sureyou're staying up to date.
(01:53):
So, anyway, tell us what you'relearning right now with all of
your networking and just lookingat online education, the needs
that are out there, but alsojust education in general.
You might even talk a littlebit about the topic that some
people don't want to talk aboutAI, where that's going, yeah, so
what are your thoughts just onthe education world right now
(02:15):
and where it may be going in thenext five years?
Katie Ahmadzai (02:18):
Education and just the way that education is
changing right now and reallyjust being reevaluated.
I wouldn't say we need tonecessarily jump into education
and change it just for the sakeof change.
That's not the point at all.
But being able to look at whatis really the purpose of
education and dive deep intothat and then think about the
(02:39):
world in which we live and thinkare we accomplishing those
goals in a really authentic andhelpful way for our students,
who are walking into a futurethat's going to look a little
bit probably a lot differentactually, than maybe what I
walked into 20, 30 years agoright out of high school.
So I'll just kind of back up.
(03:01):
One thing that I'm reallyexcited about is the diversity
of Christian educationopportunities that are available
now for students.
I just want to start out that,like I did not grow up going to
Christian schools, I grew upgoing to public schools.
I had a wonderful experience inpublic schools.
I've taught in public schools,but there is something that I
(03:24):
think families are finding thatmaybe can be missing in public
schools and especially dependingin the areas in which they live
.
Just the nature of US schoolingis that every school district
is very different, and so thereare certain school districts
(03:44):
where education is thriving,public education is thriving,
where there are wonderfulteachers that are investing in
students and we see really goodfruit coming out of that
educational purpose.
There are places where that'snot necessarily the case, where
(04:05):
schools may not have the fundingor may just struggle finding
teachers who are qualified, andthat can be a real struggle for
families, because every familywants to provide the best for
their students' education.
I've never met a family thatdoesn't want to do that.
And what we're discovering isthat Christian education,
(04:28):
because of the root of the valueof God's love for us and the
fact that we are created inGod's image, as growing and
learning creatures, who are thencalled to be blessed, to be a
blessing, so we're also calledto be able to grow in a way that
we go out and impact ourcommunities and our world.
(04:49):
Sometimes just having this as acore drastically impacts the
way that students approacheducation and so being able to
provide families a place wherethat is the foundation of
education and provide studentsan environment and a community
(05:13):
where they are currently.
You know they're consistentlyencouraged along these lines
that they are not just like atest score in a state test.
They are an individual, and sowe see more and more families
recognizing this and looking atChristian education not just as
an escape, maybe, from the world, so that they can go into their
(05:36):
little bubble and be safe, butreally as a beautiful addition
to the education that they mightbe receiving in public
education, but that they're ableto add so much more context
around that and develop thestudent more holistically With
that.
We see a lot of diversity comingout in Christian education.
(05:58):
So we have classical schools,we have hybrid schools that are
in-person two or three days aweek and then parents are
homeschooling the other two tothree days a week.
We've got purely online schools, like NorthStar, that are
international in nature andstudents are getting to interact
with people from around theworld.
We have nature schools that arepopping up where they're
(06:19):
spending more and more time withyoung kids outside,
experiential learning schools ina Christian context and tech
and STEM-focused Christianschools.
I mean we really run the gamutof what's available and I think
that comes from a place of justknowing that every student is
(06:40):
different and wanting to be ableto feed into students' passions
and their gifts, to see themgrow for the glory of Christ and
for, ultimately, the impact ofthe world and the kingdom.
Stephanie Shafer (06:55):
I love that.
So beautiful, just thinkingabout each student as a
completely unique and individual, and God has made them so
beautifully, knitted themtogether.
Think about scripture, just theperfect way.
And so schools and educatorsyeah, recognizing that.
And options.
So I just think about, like,all the options you gave that
(07:16):
students can choose from, andonline school is one option, and
there's also, yeah, differenttypes of online schools, just
like brick and mortar schools,and so finding the place where
your student best fits.
One of the things that come tomind is sometimes, parents.
We probably do this in someways.
(07:37):
We have a plan for our studentor we think we know our
students' brain and what's bestfor them, but is that always
true, and should we makedecisions for them all the time?
Katie Ahmadzai (07:53):
Yeah, that gets really really in a challenging,
you know question.
I definitely think that there'sa place where, yeah, parents
end up, you know, making thefinal call, but I think it's
really important for us to knowour students and have
conversations with our students.
I have three kiddos in aregular conversation that I have
(08:14):
with them, picking up you know,people from schools.
What did you really enjoy aboutschool today?
Even thinking, you know, if youcould design a school, what
would it look like?
And my kids design verydifferent schools because
they're very different people.
So my oldest is more of anacademic, so she wants to be
(08:37):
reading, she wants to be inSocratic seminars, she wants to
be talking about the books andthe history and all the things
talking about the books and thehistory and all the things.
My middle child is much morehands-on learning and loves
science and outdoors, and so shewants to be able to be outside
and experiential learning andapplying what she's learned
(08:58):
gardening and all the things.
And my youngest is a little bitof a mix of both and all boy.
So you know, being outsidedefinitely sounds like fun to
him and so he just wants to beable to apply what he's learning
.
So if he can apply his math toPokemon cards, yay, you know.
(09:19):
If he can apply what he'slearning in science to going out
and knowing where to find whichbugs and identify the bugs and
identify the fish, you know, allthe better.
And so whether they're learninglike in a public school setting
, knowing this about your kids,I think is so valuable, even for
(09:39):
enrichment opportunities.
You know, knowing what I knowabout my kiddos, that's how we
pick extra stuff that we do onthe weekends or how we pick.
You know, summer camps are agreat enrichment opportunity and
as they get older and they getmore choice in high school with
elective courses, it allows themthen to know a little bit more
(10:00):
about themselves.
They've had time to think andreflect on how they like to
learn and what they like aboutthemselves.
They've had time to think andreflect on how they like to
learn and what they like tolearn, and then they can make
better choices for themselves,which we want students to be
owners of their learning.
We want them to be engaged, butbeyond an entertainment value,
(10:20):
engagement, we really want themto have ownership of their
learning.
Like this is what I want tolearn and I'm going to go and
learn it.
Now, there are times, you know,we come alongside and that's
why there are graduationrequirements, because not every
kid is going to be like, oh, andI really want to learn algebra,
that's going to be somethingthat we're like, well, we need
to learn algebra.
So we're going to do thatbecause it's going to help you
in other areas.
(10:48):
But whenever we can give themchoice, whenever we can instill
in them that curiosity andwonder that helps them develop
that love of lifelong learning,which you know is one of
NorthStar core values andsomething that I absolutely love
and want to encourage in all ofour students.
And I mean we have a hugeamount of electives too, and
that's part of the reason I lovethat our students, whenever
they get into high school, canreally think about, like, here's
(11:09):
an area astronomy I love.
Well, guess what?
We've got a science elective inthat area.
Or I really enjoy veterinaryscience or animals.
Well, you can take a veterinaryscience class.
So there are lots of optionshere that we are able to offer
and even supplement, maybe, whatfamilies are doing at home, if
(11:30):
they're maybe not close to aChristian school and they've
decided to homeschool, but theydon't maybe have access to
everything that their kids areinterested in.
That's a beautiful way thatNorthStar has been able to come
alongside families and help.
Stephanie Shafer (11:43):
Yeah, I love the reminders you just gave us,
but also bringing us back to thecore Standards do matter.
Diplomas, depending on theirnext steps, graduation
requirements all that matters,but just as much is the
uniqueness of your student andthe way they learn and getting
them engaged by knowing the waythat they learn.
(12:04):
Also, I can't help to think ofprayer as a mom.
How does prayer fit into all ofwhat you just shared?
Katie Ahmadzai (12:15):
Absolutely.
Yeah, that is something I feellike I every day drop off with
my kiddos.
That is, I feel like I pull outof every school parking lot and
pray for my kiddos and theirday, and to me that is so much
broader than you know.
(12:35):
God helped them have a good dayat school.
I mean, I want them to have agood day at school, but what do
I really want as a mom?
You know I want them to knowhow deeply they are loved by God
and allow that to startchanging their heart, um, and
and have that impact how theylove others and how they see the
world that God's created, um,and so being able to think
(13:00):
through that on on a parent endis one thing.
If you think about that througha Christian school lens, that's
a whole other way, because thatgoes into.
How do we then um, pray for ourstudents and then support them
in those prayers?
Because there is an element ofpraying that impacts the heart
(13:20):
that only God can do, and I'm sothankful for that, Because if
there's anything I've realizedas a parent, it's like you
really have limited access to,you know, designing your kid.
You know you would think like Icould punch in and do this exact
thing and I will get this exactkid out and that's just not the
way it works.
(13:40):
So prayer is a way that I knowGod is working in hearts and
minds.
But then as a Christian schooleducator, how do I come
alongside and support that?
How do I build wonder and pointstudents back to God in awe in
their science class or help themwrestle with some questions
(14:06):
that may be really hard inhistory or in literature, but
knowing that we're pointing themto the truth of who God is
through that and sometimes thoseexperiences you know, impact
hearts in ways we can't evenimagine Literature, science,
(14:27):
history, math, even we seebeautiful aspects of God through
those subject areas.
That again, because everystudent is God's love and His
beauty in all aspects of life,whether that's relationships or
(15:01):
content, area that that becomessomething that I think only God
can kind of open eyes to see.
Stephanie Shafer (15:11):
And no matter what campus our students are on
online brick and mortar publicchristian.
Um, there's more than just thecourses, because my husband
takes holton, who's inelementary school, he drives him
to school and drops him offevery day, and I know he always
prays with them on the way andhe talks about making an impact
(15:33):
on others, serving others.
And so I just recently foundout one of the ways, because I
was asking him questions aboutit Well, how are you doing this?
How are you making an impact?
And he says well, I challengemyself every day to open the
door for three people.
And he told me about that.
And so he came up with that allon his own, because Charlie
just tells him impact, you know,and then letting him be
creative about how he does that.
(15:54):
And so he came up with that allon his own, because Charlie
just tells him impact, you know,and then letting him be
creative about how he does that.
And so that just floored me.
I don't know which is so,because you have to
intentionally be thinking aboutthat.
So he, like, plans it out whenhe's going to try to open the
door, whether it's a teacher ora student.
He told me three, his threespecific door openings for that
day and I thought that's so cool.
(16:15):
So, even in that that they'relearning to be a servant, and so
just trusting God with ourkids' hearts, challenging them
and then praying for them, is so, so good.
It's not just about whatcourses am I going to pick?
How am I going to get my kidthrough high school?
What are they going to be?
I got to get them off mypayroll.
You know all the things thatmight come through our minds
(16:36):
because we do care about themand we do love them so much.
All right, that's some goodstuff, and I didn't know we were
going to go that directionreally.
But I think it's such goodreminders just for me and you,
as we're sitting here talkingabout it and challenging one
another, and these really are, Imean, the heart issues and what
(16:57):
God cares about and loves andgives us the opportunity to be a
part of all of these areas andplay a role.
So so cool, All right.
Talk a little bit about theonline education world, what
you're seeing and learning.
Why would parents even lookinto this, research it?
Why would they make thisselection versus brick and
mortar?
Katie Ahmadzai (17:21):
So, yeah, over the past five years right, it's
hard to believe we're going fiveyears since we went into COVID,
and so during that time we'veseen a huge shift in A what
parents think about onlineeducation, and a lot of that has
been based on their experienceof what happened during COVID
and their local schoolingsituation.
And then also just technologycontinuing to grow and it's
(17:46):
amazing.
I mean AI in the last two tothree years has just rapidly
impacted the way that we dothings as a society and will
continue to do so.
I mean, there's no evidenceotherwise at this point in time.
So whenever I think about thestate of online learning, the
first thing that pops into mindis just to kind of combat maybe
(18:10):
a little bit of pushback afterCOVID.
Covid was hard, and I want toacknowledge that, and being at
home was really hard forstudents and for families and a
lot of times for the teachers,who had to pivot within like a
couple of days notice.
They were not prepared to gointo an online setting and,
(18:37):
furthermore, every school didthings a little bit differently,
so some schools tried to dowhat we would say a very
synchronous version of school.
So you're going to be onlinefrom 8 am until 3 pm, just like
you were in class from 8 am to 3pm.
Others went kind of the otherextreme, which is very
asynchronous, which is just likeI'm going to throw out some
assignments and you just kind ofget those assignments done and
(19:00):
good luck.
And so all of that extreme hasreally impacted the way that
families may have experiencedonline education or what they
may think about it, becausethey've heard stories from other
people.
What we're finding is there'sdefinitely been a push to go to
(19:24):
have a more human element inonline education Back whenever
NorthStar started 27 years ago.
Stephanie Shafer (19:31):
Sometimes, once we got past 25, I kind of
lost count.
Katie Ahmadzai (19:35):
I started thinking about like technology
was limited.
It limited the amount ofhumanness really we could access
.
We could write letters back andemails back and forth to
students.
Students sent in very staticdocuments to us and thankfully,
(19:58):
with the way that technology hasadvanced, we can now make
online education much more humanand I feel like NorthStar has
done a really good job at movingthat direction over the past 27
years, consistentlyre-evaluating and seeing how we
can move forward bit by bit.
So now most online education itenvelops a social aspect, so
(20:18):
some way for the student and theteacher to interact.
In some schools that involves,like, students interacting with
each other more outside of aclassroom setting.
That again depends by theonline school, by the online
(20:39):
school.
Some online schools have movedmore towards project-based and
some have moved kind of morealong a more traditional path
and it goes back to a philosophyof education and it's not that
one's great and one's horrible.
They are just differentphilosophies and different
families, you know, may valuedifferent things and so it's a
value situation.
I feel like NorthStar has donea really good job at being able
to kind of blend these together.
(21:01):
There is an understanding atNorthStar that some base
foundational knowledge andunderstanding of concepts is
important.
There is also a greatunderstanding that students need
to be able to apply whatthey're learning so that they're
able then to transfer itoutside of, like I know how to
do a math problem as long as I'msitting in math class, you know
(21:23):
.
So they can transfer it to likeoh, maybe they're in science
class and there's something thatthey need that math skill for,
they'll know how it applies, andso the way that we have written
our curriculum has allowed formore of that.
(21:53):
Where I see online school goingthat is exciting to me is
educational opportunities forstudents and then allow more
space for human interaction.
So where I see it growing isindividualization.
Ai can be used to help studentstarget, maybe, areas where they
have struggled in the past.
(22:14):
Students target, maybe, areaswhere they have struggled in the
past.
It allows them also, maybe, totarget some areas where they
would like to go deeper thanother students are.
So that enrichment area, whichin the past has taken teachers a
lot of time to be able toindividualize for students on
you know who maybe don't aren'twalking down the middle of the
road, is what we call it ofeducation, which is a lot of
(22:35):
where we like aim standardizededucation content towards.
We're able to use technologytools to help us meet needs on
either side and in so doing,those students then are able to
stay more engaged with the classas a whole, and the teacher is
(22:56):
also freed up, because theywould have spent hours and hours
trying to work onindividualizing assignments or
readings or whatever to matchevery single student.
If you can imagine that in anonline classroom, you know of
hundreds of kids that would havetaken so long.
But to be able to do it a lotmore quickly then frees up the
(23:19):
time for the teacher to investmore time to spend one-on-one
with kids and to reach out andtalk to them and see how they're
doing.
So I'm excited about thatelement of where online school
will continue to grow and go inthe next few years.
Of course, that's to be donewith caution.
You know it's not somethingthat you rush into, and we
always consider student onlinesafety as a really important
(23:41):
element of that.
But it is something that trulyexcites me because of the
opportunities, if it can be donewell, of what's available.
Stephanie Shafer (23:52):
Yeah, that's so good.
So much good information.
All right, what's one otherthing you can share before we
wrap up that you're reallyexcited about for education?
Katie Ahmadzai (24:03):
I think the way that we as a society uses AI is
going to force us to re-evaluatehow our students need to engage
with their education.
And that excites me because it'svery easy in education to kind
of do things the way that we'vealways done them, because they
feel safe and they do haveoutcomes.
(24:24):
We're able to.
We've got lots of test data foroutcomes.
But knowing that our studentsmay need different skills, I
think is kind of forcing us tolook at what.
What does it look like to bemore project based, to be more
authentic learning opportunity,to build more authentic learning
opportunities for our studentsand our kids, and to me that's
(24:47):
valuable because that usuallyinvolves engaging with others
and engaging with theircommunities and engaging in
their world with some reallydeep critical thinking.
And that is not a change Ithink will happen overnight.
But I think, just like I said,the way AI is impacting the way
(25:08):
society works, it's forcing usto wrestle with that a little
bit more and in so doing there'smore motive to try some new
things and see how they work,and we just don't know until we
try.
But this has been a goodmotivating factor to kind of
push more in that direction.
Stephanie Shafer (25:28):
And I know how much you enjoy and value
reflection, so us taking timereflecting on the past and then
reflecting on what we'relearning and how yeah, we're to
use these tools that are beforeus in a really faithful way that
helps our students is important.
All right, so I know thatyou're really split between your
(25:50):
love for in-person thatcommunity, the brick and mortar,
but also the online world andall that that brings.
Some you've shared, some youhaven't about your love for both
.
So, thinking about that, howand why would brick and mortar
schools want to take advantageof some online opportunities,
(26:13):
like through NorthStar and otheronline schools?
Katie Ahmadzai (26:16):
So I think this is a wonderful way for brick and
mortar schools to A help theirstudents build skills of
learning that are different thanskills that they would learn in
the brick and mortar in-personclassroom.
It does really promote studentsto be able to work on their
(26:38):
time management, to be able totake ownership of their learning
in some different ways.
Like they learn to beresourceful in how they research
and do they.
They have to ask themselvesquestions like did I really
understand what I read?
Like, if I didn't, what am Igoing to do about that?
How do I advocate for my ownlearning and take that ownership
(26:59):
?
So I think those are valuableskills that students develop.
On the other hand, it againdepends on the school in which
your students are engaging.
Schools like NorthStar that areinternational, in which
students regularly have accessto interact with one another.
To me, that's extremelyvaluable because it's so easy to
(27:22):
get in a bubble and you knowyour students, you know your
peers at your school, but maybeyou don't know how people live
in other parts of the world andour student body is so diverse.
But over 80 countries on aregular school year and over the
years I think we've reachedover 110, 120 different
(27:43):
countries, you know, if wecounted way, way, way back each
other's stories.
That widens their understandingof the world and it widens
(28:04):
their understanding of whatGod's doing in the world and
what God may be calling them todo in the world.
And so to me that's extremelyvaluable because it's not even
the matter of like I've metsomebody on the street from
another country.
It's like I'm learning withthat person, so we're learning
together.
We're on a common learningjourney and I'm learning from
(28:25):
that person and they're learningfrom me.
So what I'm bringing isimportant for this other student
living in Uganda, and then whatthe student in Uganda is
bringing to the class isvaluable for me.
I'm learning from them too, andtogether we're moving forward.
And so, whenever you can havethat combination, it's a whole
different layer of education andlearning for our students, an
(28:49):
experience that, yeah, moststudents aren't going to be able
to travel to Uganda whilethey're in high school, but if
they can meet students fromUganda and they get pictures and
they get to see how otherpeople live, that starts
cracking those doors and it justallows us to see the world in a
whole new way.
Stephanie Shafer (29:06):
It's so important because our world is
smaller and smaller every daywith how we have the technology
to be really close and learn.
So that is important.
If you're listening, hear it,maybe replay that part so you
can catch it.
Okay, as we really wrap up,because there's so many
questions I could ask, I lovelearning right alongside you.
(29:27):
So parents that are listening,that have their students in
brick and mortar but want themto have some sort of online
experience, what can they do?
How can they go to the brickand mortar schools and ask them,
convince them you need to checkout a school like NorthStar
Academy and how you can partner.
And also, as you answer that,throw in a couple sentences
(29:50):
about our new opportunity withentrepreneurship that we are
heading to, that brick andmortar schools could take
advantage of.
Katie Ahmadzai (29:58):
Sure.
So one thing is really just tobe able to have the conversation
.
We have affiliate schools fromall over the world as well, so
you can actually go to ourwebsite and look up affiliate
schools and you can share thatwith your school.
The key thing, I think, is justbeing willing to have the
conversation.
So it may be that you want yourstudent to be able to take a
(30:21):
language class that the schooldoes not offer, and so we have
students who maybe they're justone or two students at the
school who are taking courseswith us and that's because they
couldn't access it in anotherway.
At the school and the schoolshave are usually like yes,
that's a great opportunity foryou to be able to do that.
They often find a time in theschedule which is what we would
(30:45):
recommend as well where there'sa dedicated time in the day
where that student is working onNorthStar, and so that student
is active in NorthStar andinteractive with our school
community during that time andworking on the class.
Sometimes it's a biggeropportunity for your school to
grow and offer new things.
So you may realize that yourschool's having a hard time
(31:07):
finding a certain teacher for asubject area maybe some AP
classes.
Maybe you've got a group ofadvanced kids who really like US
history and they were hoping totake AP US history.
That is something that we couldhelp you with, so we could
actually take on like a class ofkids in a certain area.
They would again be mixed inwith the rest of our students
from around.
So in discussion boards andthings like that, they're going
(31:29):
to be having conversations, butit allows them to access a being
it, like I said, being able todevelop those skills of
executive functioning we call itbut time management, of
ownership of your learning, ofadvocating for yourself and your
learning.
But it also allows them tointeract with our amazing
teachers.
For one thing, shout out toNorthStar amazing teachers.
(31:50):
You have a variety of differentinternational experience as
well as students from around theworld.
That being said, if you wantsomething a little bit more
structured.
So in most of these cases ourstudents would go into our
asynchronous program and theywould kind of be self-paced
throughout their work and ourteachers would be interacting
with them again on a regularbasis and they would interact
(32:12):
with their peers through theirwork in the course.
We also have NSA Live, which isa cohort model and so a course
that we're offering this yearthat you talked about was the
entrepreneurship class, and this, to me, goes right along with
what I was talking about, aboutwhat excites me about education,
(32:32):
about it being authentic, aboutit being applicable, about it
requiring critical thinking andcollaboration skills.
So this class is going to be acohort model.
It meets once a week, liveTuesdays at 11 am, central time,
and it's Entrepreneurship 101.
It will go through the entireschool year, from the end of
August through the month of May,and through that time students
(32:56):
are going to work on learningabout, and what an
entrepreneurial mindset means,what that looks like in everyday
life, about identifyingopportunities, about the purpose
the kingdom purposes behindentrepreneurship, of being able
to help others and move yeah, beable to promote good for others
(33:20):
.
And then they are actuallygoing to have like an internship
in the second semester wherethey launch or help launch a
business, and these can be ahuge variety of different ideas
out there.
It might be individual to yourcommunity, or it might be
something where they collaboratewith students internationally
(33:42):
on a business.
So I'm really excited.
I cannot wait to see what ideascome out of the diverse student
population that we have.
But if you are part of a brickand mortar school and you're
like I would love to have aclass like that, if you would
reach out to us, we would loveto see if we could facilitate a
class at your school, eitherseparately, or bring you into
(34:06):
that 11 am slot that we alreadyhave set up.
If you have three or fourstudents that would like to be a
part of that, that goes alongwith, like cohorts of or
homeschool co-ops as well.
I think that would be anamazing experience.
It's open for ninth through12th graders, so the variety of
ages is important.
The diversity of backgrounds isimportant Again.
(34:27):
We're going to be iron, thatsharpens iron, and so we need
that diversity in there.
We want to be able to thinkdifferently and bring different
skills and passions to the tablein that class.
Stephanie Shafer (34:37):
Yeah, that's so good.
We're super excited to find outmore Stephen Carter's podcast.
Check that out.
It was out a few weeks ago andso hear it.
It's dynamic what he's doing inthe entrepreneurship world and
brick and mortar schools and nowwith online working with
NorthStar.
All right, we've had some greatinformation today.
Thank you, Katie.
(34:57):
Share this podcast.
There's parents out there thatneed to hear it, need to be
motivated, might have some ofthese same questions and can get
some answers.
You might have more questions.
Contact us.
Katie would love to talk to you.
You can email us at info at NSAdot school and we can get the
email whatever questions youhave to who that needs to go to.
(35:17):
So share, share and there's somany good podcasts that have so
many different topics that we'verecorded some really cool
stories, some great wisdom fromeverybody, great wisdom from,
yeah, so many different walks oflife hearing from our students.
So definitely check out somepodcasts and make sure to share,
because people need to knowwhat God is doing around the
(35:39):
globe.
Katie Ahmadzai (35:40):
Thanks, Katie.
So much my pleasure.
Thanks for inviting me and,yeah, I'd be happy to talk with
anybody anytime about amazingthings that are going on at
NorthStar and do want to shoutout like.
As a parent, one of the keythings that I would pay
attention to if I'm looking atan online school is how students
interact with the community, sobeing able to listen to some of
our student podcasts give you agreat picture of that, so that
(36:01):
would be a wonderful way to do alittle bit of research on your
own.
If you're thinking, isNorthStar going to be a good fit
for my student, that would be agreat way, yeah.
Stephanie Shafer (36:08):
And lots of other podcasts about NorthStar
you can find, so search ourstuff.
We have hundreds.
All right, talk to y'all nexttime.
Thank you so much for listeningtoday.
If you have any questions forour guest or would like
information about NorthStar,please email us.
At podcast at nsaschool, welove having guests on our show
(36:32):
and getting to hear theirstories.
If you have anyone in mind thatyou think would be a great
guest to feature, please emailus and let us know.
And don't forget to subscribeso you don't miss out on
upcoming stories.
Hi, this is Stephanie Shafer and you're
listening to the NorthStarNarrative, a podcast from
NorthStar Academy.
I want to thank you for joiningus.
I hope you're encouraged,challenged and motivated by what
you learned today.
Enjoy the story.
Hi everybody, thanks for joiningus today for our next episode,
(00:22):
where we're going to be talkingwith our principal at NorthStar,
Katie Amadzai, and we're goingto talk about just Christian
education in general, where it'smoving, what's happening, why
people may be choosing onlineschool versus brick and mortar,
or why not, and then we'll endup talking a little bit about
NorthStar and what NorthStaroffers to meet those needs that
(00:44):
parents and students have, andwhat's really cool about
NorthStar, I can add, around theglobe, because we're not just
US space, but one of ourfantastic attributes of
NorthStar is that students thatjoin NorthStar get to experience
so many different cultures andwhat life is outside of, maybe,
their hometown.
So I'm so excited to have Katiehere today.
(01:05):
And, yeah, if you are thinkingabout online school, it's going
to be a great podcast for you tolearn, so just stay tuned in.
So thanks, Katie, for joiningme for a few minutes today.
Katie Ahmadzai (01:16):
Thanks so much for inviting me.
It's always a fun time to beable to come and just talk and
visit and talk all thingseducation, yep, and you spend a
lot of time researching, readingconferences, networking with
people.
Stephanie Shafer (01:32):
So, Katie, you're a great person I know to
have on and share what ishappening with NorthStar and
with the education world, andalso we're going to do two
episodes, so we'll have anepisode that comes out after
this one.
We're going to talk a littlebit about state vouchers, what's
happening in the government,state governments, all of that.
So you'll definitely want tocheck that out so you can learn
a little bit and just make sureyou're staying up to date.
(01:53):
So, anyway, tell us what you'relearning right now with all of
your networking and just lookingat online education, the needs
that are out there, but alsojust education in general.
You might even talk a littlebit about the topic that some
people don't want to talk aboutAI, where that's going, yeah, so
what are your thoughts just onthe education world right now
(02:15):
and where it may be going in thenext five years?
Katie Ahmadzai (02:18):
Education and just the way that education is
changing right now and reallyjust being reevaluated.
I wouldn't say we need tonecessarily jump into education
and change it just for the sakeof change.
That's not the point at all.
But being able to look at whatis really the purpose of
education and dive deep intothat and then think about the
(02:39):
world in which we live and thinkare we accomplishing those
goals in a really authentic andhelpful way for our students,
who are walking into a futurethat's going to look a little
bit probably a lot differentactually, than maybe what I
walked into 20, 30 years agoright out of high school.
So I'll just kind of back up.
(03:01):
One thing that I'm reallyexcited about is the diversity
of Christian educationopportunities that are available
now for students.
I just want to start out that,like I did not grow up going to
Christian schools, I grew upgoing to public schools.
I had a wonderful experience inpublic schools.
I've taught in public schools,but there is something that I
(03:24):
think families are finding thatmaybe can be missing in public
schools and especially dependingin the areas in which they live
.
Just the nature of US schoolingis that every school district
is very different, and so thereare certain school districts
(03:44):
where education is thriving,public education is thriving,
where there are wonderfulteachers that are investing in
students and we see really goodfruit coming out of that
educational purpose.
There are places where that'snot necessarily the case, where
(04:05):
schools may not have the fundingor may just struggle finding
teachers who are qualified, andthat can be a real struggle for
families, because every familywants to provide the best for
their students' education.
I've never met a family thatdoesn't want to do that.
And what we're discovering isthat Christian education,
(04:28):
because of the root of the valueof God's love for us and the
fact that we are created inGod's image, as growing and
learning creatures, who are thencalled to be blessed, to be a
blessing, so we're also calledto be able to grow in a way that
we go out and impact ourcommunities and our world.
(04:49):
Sometimes just having this as acore drastically impacts the
way that students approacheducation and so being able to
provide families a place wherethat is the foundation of
education and provide studentsan environment and a community
(05:13):
where they are currently.
You know they're consistentlyencouraged along these lines
that they are not just like atest score in a state test.
They are an individual, and sowe see more and more families
recognizing this and looking atChristian education not just as
an escape, maybe, from the world, so that they can go into their
(05:36):
little bubble and be safe, butreally as a beautiful addition
to the education that they mightbe receiving in public
education, but that they're ableto add so much more context
around that and develop thestudent more holistically With
that.
We see a lot of diversity comingout in Christian education.
(05:58):
So we have classical schools,we have hybrid schools that are
in-person two or three days aweek and then parents are
homeschooling the other two tothree days a week.
We've got purely online schools, like NorthStar, that are
international in nature andstudents are getting to interact
with people from around theworld.
We have nature schools that arepopping up where they're
(06:19):
spending more and more time withyoung kids outside,
experiential learning schools ina Christian context and tech
and STEM-focused Christianschools.
I mean we really run the gamutof what's available and I think
that comes from a place of justknowing that every student is
(06:40):
different and wanting to be ableto feed into students' passions
and their gifts, to see themgrow for the glory of Christ and
for, ultimately, the impact ofthe world and the kingdom.
Stephanie Shafer (06:55):
I love that.
So beautiful, just thinkingabout each student as a
completely unique and individual, and God has made them so
beautifully, knitted themtogether.
Think about scripture, just theperfect way.
And so schools and educatorsyeah, recognizing that.
And options.
So I just think about, like,all the options you gave that
(07:16):
students can choose from, andonline school is one option, and
there's also, yeah, differenttypes of online schools, just
like brick and mortar schools,and so finding the place where
your student best fits.
One of the things that come tomind is sometimes, parents.
We probably do this in someways.
(07:37):
We have a plan for our studentor we think we know our
students' brain and what's bestfor them, but is that always
true, and should we makedecisions for them all the time?
Katie Ahmadzai (07:53):
Yeah, that gets really really in a challenging,
you know question.
I definitely think that there'sa place where, yeah, parents
end up, you know, making thefinal call, but I think it's
really important for us to knowour students and have
conversations with our students.
I have three kiddos in aregular conversation that I have
(08:14):
with them, picking up you know,people from schools.
What did you really enjoy aboutschool today?
Even thinking, you know, if youcould design a school, what
would it look like?
And my kids design verydifferent schools because
they're very different people.
So my oldest is more of anacademic, so she wants to be
(08:37):
reading, she wants to be inSocratic seminars, she wants to
be talking about the books andthe history and all the things
talking about the books and thehistory and all the things.
My middle child is much morehands-on learning and loves
science and outdoors, and so shewants to be able to be outside
and experiential learning andapplying what she's learned
(08:58):
gardening and all the things.
And my youngest is a little bitof a mix of both and all boy.
So you know, being outsidedefinitely sounds like fun to
him and so he just wants to beable to apply what he's learning
.
So if he can apply his math toPokemon cards, yay, you know.
(09:19):
If he can apply what he'slearning in science to going out
and knowing where to find whichbugs and identify the bugs and
identify the fish, you know, allthe better.
And so whether they're learninglike in a public school setting
, knowing this about your kids,I think is so valuable, even for
(09:39):
enrichment opportunities.
You know, knowing what I knowabout my kiddos, that's how we
pick extra stuff that we do onthe weekends or how we pick.
You know, summer camps are agreat enrichment opportunity and
as they get older and they getmore choice in high school with
elective courses, it allows themthen to know a little bit more
(10:00):
about themselves.
They've had time to think andreflect on how they like to
learn and what they like aboutthemselves.
They've had time to think andreflect on how they like to
learn and what they like tolearn, and then they can make
better choices for themselves,which we want students to be
owners of their learning.
We want them to be engaged, butbeyond an entertainment value,
(10:20):
engagement, we really want themto have ownership of their
learning.
Like this is what I want tolearn and I'm going to go and
learn it.
Now, there are times, you know,we come alongside and that's
why there are graduationrequirements, because not every
kid is going to be like, oh, andI really want to learn algebra,
that's going to be somethingthat we're like, well, we need
to learn algebra.
So we're going to do thatbecause it's going to help you
in other areas.
(10:48):
But whenever we can give themchoice, whenever we can instill
in them that curiosity andwonder that helps them develop
that love of lifelong learning,which you know is one of
NorthStar core values andsomething that I absolutely love
and want to encourage in all ofour students.
And I mean we have a hugeamount of electives too, and
that's part of the reason I lovethat our students, whenever
they get into high school, canreally think about, like, here's
(11:09):
an area astronomy I love.
Well, guess what?
We've got a science elective inthat area.
Or I really enjoy veterinaryscience or animals.
Well, you can take a veterinaryscience class.
So there are lots of optionshere that we are able to offer
and even supplement, maybe, whatfamilies are doing at home, if
(11:30):
they're maybe not close to aChristian school and they've
decided to homeschool, but theydon't maybe have access to
everything that their kids areinterested in.
That's a beautiful way thatNorthStar has been able to come
alongside families and help.
Stephanie Shafer (11:43):
Yeah, I love the reminders you just gave us,
but also bringing us back to thecore Standards do matter.
Diplomas, depending on theirnext steps, graduation
requirements all that matters,but just as much is the
uniqueness of your student andthe way they learn and getting
them engaged by knowing the waythat they learn.
(12:04):
Also, I can't help to think ofprayer as a mom.
How does prayer fit into all ofwhat you just shared?
Katie Ahmadzai (12:15):
Absolutely.
Yeah, that is something I feellike I every day drop off with
my kiddos.
That is, I feel like I pull outof every school parking lot and
pray for my kiddos and theirday, and to me that is so much
broader than you know.
(12:35):
God helped them have a good dayat school.
I mean, I want them to have agood day at school, but what do
I really want as a mom?
You know I want them to knowhow deeply they are loved by God
and allow that to startchanging their heart, um, and
and have that impact how theylove others and how they see the
world that God's created, um,and so being able to think
(13:00):
through that on on a parent endis one thing.
If you think about that througha Christian school lens, that's
a whole other way, because thatgoes into.
How do we then um, pray for ourstudents and then support them
in those prayers?
Because there is an element ofpraying that impacts the heart
(13:20):
that only God can do, and I'm sothankful for that, Because if
there's anything I've realizedas a parent, it's like you
really have limited access to,you know, designing your kid.
You know you would think like Icould punch in and do this exact
thing and I will get this exactkid out and that's just not the
way it works.
(13:40):
So prayer is a way that I knowGod is working in hearts and
minds.
But then as a Christian schooleducator, how do I come
alongside and support that?
How do I build wonder and pointstudents back to God in awe in
their science class or help themwrestle with some questions
(14:06):
that may be really hard inhistory or in literature, but
knowing that we're pointing themto the truth of who God is
through that and sometimes thoseexperiences you know, impact
hearts in ways we can't evenimagine Literature, science,
(14:27):
history, math, even we seebeautiful aspects of God through
those subject areas.
That again, because everystudent is God's love and His
beauty in all aspects of life,whether that's relationships or
(15:01):
content, area that that becomessomething that I think only God
can kind of open eyes to see.
Stephanie Shafer (15:11):
And no matter what campus our students are on
online brick and mortar publicchristian.
Um, there's more than just thecourses, because my husband
takes holton, who's inelementary school, he drives him
to school and drops him offevery day, and I know he always
prays with them on the way andhe talks about making an impact
(15:33):
on others, serving others.
And so I just recently foundout one of the ways, because I
was asking him questions aboutit Well, how are you doing this?
How are you making an impact?
And he says well, I challengemyself every day to open the
door for three people.
And he told me about that.
And so he came up with that allon his own, because Charlie
just tells him impact, you know,and then letting him be
creative about how he does that.
(15:54):
And so he came up with that allon his own, because Charlie
just tells him impact, you know,and then letting him be
creative about how he does that.
And so that just floored me.
I don't know which is so,because you have to
intentionally be thinking aboutthat.
So he, like, plans it out whenhe's going to try to open the
door, whether it's a teacher ora student.
He told me three, his threespecific door openings for that
day and I thought that's so cool.
(16:15):
So, even in that that they'relearning to be a servant, and so
just trusting God with ourkids' hearts, challenging them
and then praying for them, is so, so good.
It's not just about whatcourses am I going to pick?
How am I going to get my kidthrough high school?
What are they going to be?
I got to get them off mypayroll.
You know all the things thatmight come through our minds
(16:36):
because we do care about themand we do love them so much.
All right, that's some goodstuff, and I didn't know we were
going to go that directionreally.
But I think it's such goodreminders just for me and you,
as we're sitting here talkingabout it and challenging one
another, and these really are, Imean, the heart issues and what
(16:57):
God cares about and loves andgives us the opportunity to be a
part of all of these areas andplay a role.
So so cool, All right.
Talk a little bit about theonline education world, what
you're seeing and learning.
Why would parents even lookinto this, research it?
Why would they make thisselection versus brick and
mortar?
Katie Ahmadzai (17:21):
So, yeah, over the past five years right, it's
hard to believe we're going fiveyears since we went into COVID,
and so during that time we'veseen a huge shift in A what
parents think about onlineeducation, and a lot of that has
been based on their experienceof what happened during COVID
and their local schoolingsituation.
And then also just technologycontinuing to grow and it's
(17:46):
amazing.
I mean AI in the last two tothree years has just rapidly
impacted the way that we dothings as a society and will
continue to do so.
I mean, there's no evidenceotherwise at this point in time.
So whenever I think about thestate of online learning, the
first thing that pops into mindis just to kind of combat maybe
(18:10):
a little bit of pushback afterCOVID.
Covid was hard, and I want toacknowledge that, and being at
home was really hard forstudents and for families and a
lot of times for the teachers,who had to pivot within like a
couple of days notice.
They were not prepared to gointo an online setting and,
(18:37):
furthermore, every school didthings a little bit differently,
so some schools tried to dowhat we would say a very
synchronous version of school.
So you're going to be onlinefrom 8 am until 3 pm, just like
you were in class from 8 am to 3pm.
Others went kind of the otherextreme, which is very
asynchronous, which is just likeI'm going to throw out some
assignments and you just kind ofget those assignments done and
(19:00):
good luck.
And so all of that extreme hasreally impacted the way that
families may have experiencedonline education or what they
may think about it, becausethey've heard stories from other
people.
What we're finding is there'sdefinitely been a push to go to
(19:24):
have a more human element inonline education Back whenever
NorthStar started 27 years ago.
Stephanie Shafer (19:31):
Sometimes, once we got past 25, I kind of
lost count.
Katie Ahmadzai (19:35):
I started thinking about like technology
was limited.
It limited the amount ofhumanness really we could access
.
We could write letters back andemails back and forth to
students.
Students sent in very staticdocuments to us and thankfully,
(19:58):
with the way that technology hasadvanced, we can now make
online education much more humanand I feel like NorthStar has
done a really good job at movingthat direction over the past 27
years, consistentlyre-evaluating and seeing how we
can move forward bit by bit.
So now most online education itenvelops a social aspect, so
(20:18):
some way for the student and theteacher to interact.
In some schools that involves,like, students interacting with
each other more outside of aclassroom setting.
That again depends by theonline school, by the online
(20:39):
school.
Some online schools have movedmore towards project-based and
some have moved kind of morealong a more traditional path
and it goes back to a philosophyof education and it's not that
one's great and one's horrible.
They are just differentphilosophies and different
families, you know, may valuedifferent things and so it's a
value situation.
I feel like NorthStar has donea really good job at being able
to kind of blend these together.
(21:01):
There is an understanding atNorthStar that some base
foundational knowledge andunderstanding of concepts is
important.
There is also a greatunderstanding that students need
to be able to apply whatthey're learning so that they're
able then to transfer itoutside of, like I know how to
do a math problem as long as I'msitting in math class, you know
(21:23):
.
So they can transfer it to likeoh, maybe they're in science
class and there's something thatthey need that math skill for,
they'll know how it applies, andso the way that we have written
our curriculum has allowed formore of that.
(21:53):
Where I see online school goingthat is exciting to me is
educational opportunities forstudents and then allow more
space for human interaction.
So where I see it growing isindividualization.
Ai can be used to help studentstarget, maybe, areas where they
have struggled in the past.
(22:14):
Students target, maybe, areaswhere they have struggled in the
past.
It allows them also, maybe, totarget some areas where they
would like to go deeper thanother students are.
So that enrichment area, whichin the past has taken teachers a
lot of time to be able toindividualize for students on
you know who maybe don't aren'twalking down the middle of the
road, is what we call it ofeducation, which is a lot of
(22:35):
where we like aim standardizededucation content towards.
We're able to use technologytools to help us meet needs on
either side and in so doing,those students then are able to
stay more engaged with the classas a whole, and the teacher is
(22:56):
also freed up, because theywould have spent hours and hours
trying to work onindividualizing assignments or
readings or whatever to matchevery single student.
If you can imagine that in anonline classroom, you know of
hundreds of kids that would havetaken so long.
But to be able to do it a lotmore quickly then frees up the
(23:19):
time for the teacher to investmore time to spend one-on-one
with kids and to reach out andtalk to them and see how they're
doing.
So I'm excited about thatelement of where online school
will continue to grow and go inthe next few years.
Of course, that's to be donewith caution.
You know it's not somethingthat you rush into, and we
always consider student onlinesafety as a really important
(23:41):
element of that.
But it is something that trulyexcites me because of the
opportunities, if it can be donewell, of what's available.
Stephanie Shafer (23:52):
Yeah, that's so good.
So much good information.
All right, what's one otherthing you can share before we
wrap up that you're reallyexcited about for education?
Katie Ahmadzai (24:03):
I think the way that we as a society uses AI is
going to force us to re-evaluatehow our students need to engage
with their education.
And that excites me because it'svery easy in education to kind
of do things the way that we'vealways done them, because they
feel safe and they do haveoutcomes.
(24:24):
We're able to.
We've got lots of test data foroutcomes.
But knowing that our studentsmay need different skills, I
think is kind of forcing us tolook at what.
What does it look like to bemore project based, to be more
authentic learning opportunity,to build more authentic learning
opportunities for our studentsand our kids, and to me that's
(24:47):
valuable because that usuallyinvolves engaging with others
and engaging with theircommunities and engaging in
their world with some reallydeep critical thinking.
And that is not a change Ithink will happen overnight.
But I think, just like I said,the way AI is impacting the way
(25:08):
society works, it's forcing usto wrestle with that a little
bit more and in so doing there'smore motive to try some new
things and see how they work,and we just don't know until we
try.
But this has been a goodmotivating factor to kind of
push more in that direction.
Stephanie Shafer (25:28):
And I know how much you enjoy and value
reflection, so us taking timereflecting on the past and then
reflecting on what we'relearning and how yeah, we're to
use these tools that are beforeus in a really faithful way that
helps our students is important.
All right, so I know thatyou're really split between your
(25:50):
love for in-person thatcommunity, the brick and mortar,
but also the online world andall that that brings.
Some you've shared, some youhaven't about your love for both
.
So, thinking about that, howand why would brick and mortar
schools want to take advantageof some online opportunities,
(26:13):
like through NorthStar and otheronline schools?
Katie Ahmadzai (26:16):
So I think this is a wonderful way for brick and
mortar schools to A help theirstudents build skills of
learning that are different thanskills that they would learn in
the brick and mortar in-personclassroom.
It does really promote studentsto be able to work on their
(26:38):
time management, to be able totake ownership of their learning
in some different ways.
Like they learn to beresourceful in how they research
and do they.
They have to ask themselvesquestions like did I really
understand what I read?
Like, if I didn't, what am Igoing to do about that?
How do I advocate for my ownlearning and take that ownership
(26:59):
?
So I think those are valuableskills that students develop.
On the other hand, it againdepends on the school in which
your students are engaging.
Schools like NorthStar that areinternational, in which
students regularly have accessto interact with one another.
To me, that's extremelyvaluable because it's so easy to
(27:22):
get in a bubble and you knowyour students, you know your
peers at your school, but maybeyou don't know how people live
in other parts of the world andour student body is so diverse.
But over 80 countries on aregular school year and over the
years I think we've reachedover 110, 120 different
(27:43):
countries, you know, if wecounted way, way, way back each
other's stories.
That widens their understandingof the world and it widens
(28:04):
their understanding of whatGod's doing in the world and
what God may be calling them todo in the world.
And so to me that's extremelyvaluable because it's not even
the matter of like I've metsomebody on the street from
another country.
It's like I'm learning withthat person, so we're learning
together.
We're on a common learningjourney and I'm learning from
(28:25):
that person and they're learningfrom me.
So what I'm bringing isimportant for this other student
living in Uganda, and then whatthe student in Uganda is
bringing to the class isvaluable for me.
I'm learning from them too, andtogether we're moving forward.
And so, whenever you can havethat combination, it's a whole
different layer of education andlearning for our students, an
(28:49):
experience that, yeah, moststudents aren't going to be able
to travel to Uganda whilethey're in high school, but if
they can meet students fromUganda and they get pictures and
they get to see how otherpeople live, that starts
cracking those doors and it justallows us to see the world in a
whole new way.
Stephanie Shafer (29:06):
It's so important because our world is
smaller and smaller every daywith how we have the technology
to be really close and learn.
So that is important.
If you're listening, hear it,maybe replay that part so you
can catch it.
Okay, as we really wrap up,because there's so many
questions I could ask, I lovelearning right alongside you.
(29:27):
So parents that are listening,that have their students in
brick and mortar but want themto have some sort of online
experience, what can they do?
How can they go to the brickand mortar schools and ask them,
convince them you need to checkout a school like NorthStar
Academy and how you can partner.
And also, as you answer that,throw in a couple sentences
(29:50):
about our new opportunity withentrepreneurship that we are
heading to, that brick andmortar schools could take
advantage of.
Katie Ahmadzai (29:58):
Sure.
So one thing is really just tobe able to have the conversation
.
We have affiliate schools fromall over the world as well, so
you can actually go to ourwebsite and look up affiliate
schools and you can share thatwith your school.
The key thing, I think, is justbeing willing to have the
conversation.
So it may be that you want yourstudent to be able to take a
(30:21):
language class that the schooldoes not offer, and so we have
students who maybe they're justone or two students at the
school who are taking courseswith us and that's because they
couldn't access it in anotherway.
At the school and the schoolshave are usually like yes,
that's a great opportunity foryou to be able to do that.
They often find a time in theschedule which is what we would
(30:45):
recommend as well where there'sa dedicated time in the day
where that student is working onNorthStar, and so that student
is active in NorthStar andinteractive with our school
community during that time andworking on the class.
Sometimes it's a biggeropportunity for your school to
grow and offer new things.
So you may realize that yourschool's having a hard time
(31:07):
finding a certain teacher for asubject area maybe some AP
classes.
Maybe you've got a group ofadvanced kids who really like US
history and they were hoping totake AP US history.
That is something that we couldhelp you with, so we could
actually take on like a class ofkids in a certain area.
They would again be mixed inwith the rest of our students
from around.
So in discussion boards andthings like that, they're going
(31:29):
to be having conversations, butit allows them to access a being
it, like I said, being able todevelop those skills of
executive functioning we call itbut time management, of
ownership of your learning, ofadvocating for yourself and your
learning.
But it also allows them tointeract with our amazing
teachers.
For one thing, shout out toNorthStar amazing teachers.
(31:50):
You have a variety of differentinternational experience as
well as students from around theworld.
That being said, if you wantsomething a little bit more
structured.
So in most of these cases ourstudents would go into our
asynchronous program and theywould kind of be self-paced
throughout their work and ourteachers would be interacting
with them again on a regularbasis and they would interact
(32:12):
with their peers through theirwork in the course.
We also have NSA Live, which isa cohort model and so a course
that we're offering this yearthat you talked about was the
entrepreneurship class, and this, to me, goes right along with
what I was talking about, aboutwhat excites me about education,
(32:32):
about it being authentic, aboutit being applicable, about it
requiring critical thinking andcollaboration skills.
So this class is going to be acohort model.
It meets once a week, liveTuesdays at 11 am, central time,
and it's Entrepreneurship 101.
It will go through the entireschool year, from the end of
August through the month of May,and through that time students
(32:56):
are going to work on learningabout, and what an
entrepreneurial mindset means,what that looks like in everyday
life, about identifyingopportunities, about the purpose
the kingdom purposes behindentrepreneurship, of being able
to help others and move yeah, beable to promote good for others
(33:20):
.
And then they are actuallygoing to have like an internship
in the second semester wherethey launch or help launch a
business, and these can be ahuge variety of different ideas
out there.
It might be individual to yourcommunity, or it might be
something where they collaboratewith students internationally
(33:42):
on a business.
So I'm really excited.
I cannot wait to see what ideascome out of the diverse student
population that we have.
But if you are part of a brickand mortar school and you're
like I would love to have aclass like that, if you would
reach out to us, we would loveto see if we could facilitate a
class at your school, eitherseparately, or bring you into
(34:06):
that 11 am slot that we alreadyhave set up.
If you have three or fourstudents that would like to be a
part of that, that goes alongwith, like cohorts of or
homeschool co-ops as well.
I think that would be anamazing experience.
It's open for ninth through12th graders, so the variety of
ages is important.
The diversity of backgrounds isimportant Again.
(34:27):
We're going to be iron, thatsharpens iron, and so we need
that diversity in there.
We want to be able to thinkdifferently and bring different
skills and passions to the tablein that class.
Stephanie Shafer (34:37):
Yeah, that's so good.
We're super excited to find outmore Stephen Carter's podcast.
Check that out.
It was out a few weeks ago andso hear it.
It's dynamic what he's doing inthe entrepreneurship world and
brick and mortar schools and nowwith online working with
NorthStar.
All right, we've had some greatinformation today.
Thank you, Katie.
(34:57):
Share this podcast.
There's parents out there thatneed to hear it, need to be
motivated, might have some ofthese same questions and can get
some answers.
You might have more questions.
Contact us.
Katie would love to talk to you.
You can email us at info at NSAdot school and we can get the
email whatever questions youhave to who that needs to go to.
(35:17):
So share, share and there's somany good podcasts that have so
many different topics that we'verecorded some really cool
stories, some great wisdom fromeverybody, great wisdom from,
yeah, so many different walks oflife hearing from our students.
So definitely check out somepodcasts and make sure to share,
because people need to knowwhat God is doing around the
(35:39):
globe.
Katie Ahmadzai (35:40):
Thanks, Katie.
So much my pleasure.
Thanks for inviting me and,yeah, I'd be happy to talk with
anybody anytime about amazingthings that are going on at
NorthStar and do want to shoutout like.
As a parent, one of the keythings that I would pay
attention to if I'm looking atan online school is how students
interact with the community, sobeing able to listen to some of
our student podcasts give you agreat picture of that, so that
(36:01):
would be a wonderful way to do alittle bit of research on your
own.
If you're thinking, isNorthStar going to be a good fit
for my student, that would be agreat way, yeah.
Stephanie Shafer (36:08):
And lots of other podcasts about NorthStar
you can find, so search ourstuff.
We have hundreds.
All right, talk to y'all nexttime.
Thank you so much for listeningtoday.
If you have any questions forour guest or would like
information about NorthStar,please email us.
At podcast at nsaschool, welove having guests on our show
(36:32):
and getting to hear theirstories.
If you have anyone in mind thatyou think would be a great
guest to feature, please emailus and let us know.
And don't forget to subscribeso you don't miss out on
upcoming stories.
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