Off-Trail Learning

Michelle Jones, associate professor of Organizational Behavior and Leadership at Concordia University and founder of the Wayfinding Academy (wayfindingacademy.org), talks with host Blake Boles about the need for radical and affordable alternatives in higher education, her experiences as a business professor, and the new 2-year program she’s starting in Portland, Oregon.

Will Richardson, author of “Why School?” (willrichardson.com), talks with host Blake Boles about information abundance, Minecraft, helping young people harness technology intelligently, why students should be allowed to use cell phones during tests, and how teachers and schools can adapt to the Internet era.

Carsie Blanton, a singer-songwriter, blogger, and lifelong unschooler (carsieblanton.com), talks with host Blake Boles about making a living as a musician, the virtues and drawbacks of college, and lessons that unschooling taught her about building a career.

Kenneth Danford, executive director and co-founder of North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens (northstarteens.org), talks with host Blake Boles about supporting teenagers who don’t like school, what “self-directed learning” means, the value of dropping out of junior high, nature versus nurture, parenting, and the challenge of funding a small alternative education organization.