Presented by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, Award-Winning Author and Educator, Butterfly Heart Books; Laura Ordoñez, Head of Podcast Ratings and Reviews, Common Sense Media; and Victoria Saylor, Senior Manager, Education and Community Partnerships, Common Sense Media
Moderated by Jennifer Ehehalt, Sr. Regional Manager, Common Sense Education

Sponsored by Common Sense Education

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Watch Vicki Saylor, Senior Manager of Education and Community Partnerships at Common Sense Media, for a very special conversation with international award-winning author and bilingual educator Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, the co-creator of Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes, the companion book to the Academy Award-winning movie Coco. Also joining the conversation is Laura Ordoñez, Head of Podcast Ratings and Reviews for Common Sense Media.

During this interactive edWebinar, we share ideas on how to celebrate diversity in the classroom and beyond by using books and podcasts to help educators connect with students and families in authentic ways, helping to preserve cultural awareness and build bridges of communication. We provide you with Common Sense’s “best of” lists for powerful podcasts and multicultural books that break barriers as we come together to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-12 teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, and education technology leaders.

About the Presenters

Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford is an international award-winning bilingual children’s book author who shares her experiences of growing up in a multilingual, multicultural environment. Roni weaves intergenerational and intercultural awareness and acceptance amongst all peoples throughout her stories. With over 150,000 books sold, Roni is most widely recognized for the award-winning book she and her son co-wrote, Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes, for the Disney/Pixar Academy Award-winning movie, Coco.

A lifelong bilingual educator, Roni puts her creative passion into writing, with the intention of creating books that become learning tools to help preserve the history, languages, and cultural traditions of her communities. Her goal is to continue building bridges of acceptance, communication, diversity, and self-confidence through her stories, and promote the elimination of discrimination. She hopes that through her stories, people will embrace their similarities and respectfully acknowledge their differences. Roni and her husband of over 30 years reside in the Sonoran Desert near the border town of Nogales, AZ, where they both grew up.

Laura Ordoñez is Head of Podcast Ratings and Reviews for Common Sense Media. In her role, Laura has spearheaded the creation and launch of the first-of-its-kind comprehensive podcast ratings and reviews channel, grounded in child-development principles and research. She continues to manage the growing library of podcast reviews on site, develop relationships with podcast industry professionals, and define partnerships and opportunities in the kids and family space.

After spending 10 years as a communications specialist in the health and wellness industry, Laura decided to follow her passion for writing and storytelling, shifting her career path to the world of journalism. She received her BA in journalism from San Francisco State University. Before joining Common Sense Media, Laura worked as a podcast producer, host, and project manager for a Bay Area startup, creating a platform to help parents gain knowledge and confidence in raising their children. Her work is centered on highlighting diversity, equity, and inclusion with the goal of serving underrepresented and underserved audiences.

Victoria Saylor is the senior manager of education and community partnerships at Common Sense Media. She works collaboratively with school districts, early childhood programs, and community organizations to engage families for digital citizenship, fostering a whole community approach to digital wellbeing. In her role at Common Sense Media, Vicki uses her extensive background in education to create relevant content and equitable learning opportunities for diverse audiences, advocating for all families. In her free time, Vicki enjoys cooking and traveling with her family and hiking the beautiful trails of the Arizona desert.

About the Moderator

As Sr. Regional Manager, Jennifer Ehehalt designs and delivers high-quality professional development opportunities for educators across the country. She spotlights thought leaders by creating and moderating conversations on timely topics relevant to digital teaching and learning. When attending Jennifer’s edWeb sessions, participants know they’ll leave with concrete strategies from the field, including how to build a positive school culture, how to use straightforward templates to guide challenging conversations, and family engagement implementation ideas.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Digital Learning & Leadership community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Common Sense Education develops high-quality digital citizenship programs and digital teaching resources, providing educators and students with the digital learning tools they need to harness the power of technology for life.