Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning
🎧 Adventures in Learning with Dr. Diane 🎧
Inspire curiosity. Spark creativity. Fuel a lifelong love of learning.
Are you an educator, librarian, parent, or STEM/STEAM enthusiast looking to make learning come alive for kids? Adventures in Learning with Dr. Diane is your go-to podcast for hands-on, joyful learning that connects STEM/STEAM education, multicultural children's literature, and real-world exploration.
Join Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor, educator and explorer, as she travels the world (literally and virtually!) to bring you conversations with award-winning authors, illustrators, educators, scientists, and STEM leaders. Each episode delivers fresh ideas, engaging stories, and practical tips to inspire early childhood and elementary learners—in the classroom, the library, or at home. Wonder, curiosity, connection, and play -- we bring the world to you!
🌎 Featuring:
- Innovative STEM/STEAM experiences
- Diverse children's book recommendations
- Strategies for inquiry-based, joyful learning through play
- Voices from around the globe that inspire the WOW
🧠 Perfect for:
Early childhood & elementary educators | School librarians | Homeschoolers | Caregivers | STEM/STEAM champions
🔗 Explore featured books: bookshop.org/shop/drdianeadventures
📝 Read full show notes: drdianeadventures.com/blog
💌 Have an idea or guest suggestion? Email: diane@drdianeadventures.com
👉 Subscribe, rate, and review to support more Adventures in Learning!
Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning
Little Women, Little Monsters, and Beth Is Dead: A Book Talk with the March Sisters from Riverside Center for the Performing Arts
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What happens when the actors in Little Women read modern reinterpretations (Little Monsters, and Beth Is Dead) of the very characters they’re bringing to life onstage?
Dr. Diane welcomes the March sisters from Riverside Center for the Performing Arts ’ Little Women for a lively conversation about sisterhood, performance, and reimagining classic characters. Sarah Mae Andersen (Meg), Ashlee Beary (Jo), Ella Schnoor (Beth), and Madison Cox (Amy) share how they found their way to theater, how they connect to their characters, and how reading modern versions of these familiar sisters deepens the story they’re telling onstage. We also discuss how Little Monsters and Beth is Deadoffer new ways to think about the March sisters while honoring the emotional core of Louisa May Alcott’s original story.
Timestamps
- 01:05 – Meet Sarah, Ashlee, Ella, & Madison
- 05:05 – Connecting to Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy
- 10:16 – Sisterhood, peacemaking, and character nuance
- 18:48 – First reactions to Little Monsters
- 24:39 – Beth Is Dead and the murder mystery twist
- 28:22 – Why Little Women keeps getting reimagined
- 36:13 – What’s currently bringing hope
Links
- Get tickets for Little Women at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts
- Follow Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, Sarah Mae Andersen, Ashlee Beary, Ella Schnoor, and Madison Cox on Instagram.
- Read Little Monsters by Máire Roche and Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet.
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If this conversation sparked wonder, gave you a helpful strategy, or offered a needed reminder of hope, please share it with a friend or colleague.
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*Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.
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