Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning

What if finding your place doesn’t mean changing who you are? A little bat navigating an upside-down world. Two chickens tumbling through time. A beginning reader discovering “I can do this.” In Episode 213 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, these seemingly different adventures lead us to the same place: the joy of feeling capable, connected, and seen. I’m joined by Geisel Honor-winning author...

What if seeing the world through an octopus’s eyes could change the way we see our own? When An Octopus Named Houdini   landed on my desk, I devoured it in one sitting. I knew I wanted to meet the author behind this beautiful story of an octopus, a young girl, and a connection that reaches beyond words. In Episode 212 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, I welcome Zana Fraillon for a conversatio...

What happens when a Spooky Scout discovers that tonight’s camping trip falls under a full moon? Luna has a big secret, a backpack full of questionable supplies, and a story that reminds children it is absolutely okay to be a weirdo. About This Episode In Episode 211 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, I welcome author-illustrator Kimberly Shrack to celebrate her debut picture book, Spooky Scout...

What do paleontologists, exhibit designers, snow monkeys, haiku, picture books, and the fight against book bans have in common? They all begin with curiosity, and with the belief that young people deserve to ask big questions, see themselves in stories, and explore the world freely. About This Episode In Episode 210 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, we welcome Maggie Tokuda-Hall , author of L...

The football game may be tied, but everyone knows what they have really been waiting for --the drum majors, dancers, booming percussion, shining instruments, and unforgettable joy of the band taking the field. About This Episode In Episode 209 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane welcomes author and illustrator Shadra Strickland to celebrate her new picture book, Here Comes the Band ,...

What makes a day of the week your favorite? Swimming with Dad? Shabbat dinner? Chinese class? Fútbol with cousins? Grandma Day? What about trash day? In Our Favorite Day of the Week , ordinary routines become extraordinary windows into friendship, family, culture, and the joyful ways children see the world. About This Episode In Episode 208 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane welcomes...

What does it take to turn former farmland into a thriving wildlife corridor—and build a conservation movement where women, local communities, rangers, and global partners all have a role to play?  About This Episode In Episode 207 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane continues the Wild Tomorrow series with Tori Gray, Wild Tomorrow’s Development & Partner Relations Manager. Tori sha...

What happens when four kid detectives go undercover in Miami's graffiti underground to track down a protest artist who doesn't want to be found? You get Art Attack —the newest Sherlock Society mystery from Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti. About This Episode In this warm and lively return conversation, bestselling author James Ponti joins me to unpack his brand-new middle grade mys...

What if the right story can help a child feel seen, a quiet voice feel heard, and a classroom become a place of real connection? In Episode 205 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane welcomes beloved educator, librarian, author, and a magician of a book matchmaker John Schu for a conversation full of heart, hope, theater, joy walking, and the life-changing power of books. John has a rema...

What does hope look like when it is rooted in the land, carried home to your children, and shared through song? In Episode 204 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane continues the Wild Tomorrow series with two remarkable Green Mambas, Senzeleni Ngcobo  and Philile Mdluli . The Green Mambas are part of Wild Tomorrow’s all-women ecosystem-restoration team in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Th...

What if the best start to a school year is not a perfect one, but a caring one? In Episode 203 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane welcomes back author Trudy Ludwig to talk about her new picture book, A Not So Perfect Start — the first title in her new The Caring Classroom series. Trudy’s books have long helped children, families, and educators make the invisible visible, exploring to...

How do we help multilingual learners move beyond giving the right answer to communicating like scientists, historians, readers, writers, and thinkers? In Episode 202 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane welcomes Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh for a deeply practical, joy-filled conversation about making language instruction more explicit, more integrated, and more human for all learners. Be...

What does it mean to travel in a way that leaves places better than we found them? In Episode 201 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane sits down with Bryn Geddes , Senior Manager of Program Sustainability at Road Scholar, for a conversation that feels both practical and deeply personal. I've been fascinated by Road Scholar since I traveled to Antarctica with them -- and am delight...

What happens when two beloved picture book creators, Caldecott Honorees, and longtime friends with very different artistic styles make a book together? In Episode 200 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, host Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor welcomes acclaimed authors and illustrators Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal for a warm, funny, and thoughtful conversation. Together, they offer an exclusive lo...

What does it take to protect wildlife when the work is dangerous, the stakes are high, and hope has to be built every single day? In Episode 199 of the Adventures in Learning Podcast , Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor continues the Wild Tomorrow series with Assistant Reserve Manager Sibiya Siyabonga for an honest and deeply human conversation about ranger life, anti-poaching work, community trust, and th...

What does it look like when conservation becomes a long view, a daily practice, and a promise to the future? In Episode 198 of the Adventures in Learning Podcast, Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor welcomes Kevin Jolliffe , reserve manager at Wild Tomorrow , for a rich conversation about rewilding, restoration, community partnership, and the patience it takes to care for a landscape over time. In Part 3 of...

What do you call a life filled with service, curiosity, humor, and love? In Episode 197 of the Adventures in Learning Podcast, Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor shares a deeply personal tribute to her father, Dr. Edward John Jackson , a quiet hero whose life touched military service, higher education, community leadership, and family in lasting ways. This episode honors Dr. Jackson’s journey from a diffic...

What if a children’s book could travel through time and connect generations of storytellers? Join Dr. Diane as she welcomes back acclaimed author Emma Otheguy to discuss her enchanting new book, Adventure in the City of Stories , the enduring power of school librarians, and why stories are the ultimate secret weapon for building human connection. Summary In this episode, Dr. Diane sits down with h...

What if the key to helping children learn to write, count, and grow wasn’t more pressure but more play? In this episode of Adventures in Learning , Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor welcomes developmental therapist and early childhood advocate Sola Zaccheus for a rich conversation about fine motor development, developmentally appropriate practice, and the power of purposeful play. Sola shares her path fro...

What if one oak tree could help kids fall in love with science, story, and their own backyards? In Episode 194, author Maria Gianferrari and illustrator Diana Sudyka share how their new picture book Just One Oak turns a single tree into a whole universe of keystone species, climate conversations, and everyday nature joy, from city parks to schoolyards. Summary In this episode of Adventures in Lear...

What if saving wildlife starts with school lunches, backpacks, and bush walks? In Part 2 of the Wild Tomorrow series, community leader Aphiwe Notshaya joins Dr. Diane to share how a community partnership approach to conservation in rural South Africa is feeding preschoolers, supporting orphaned and vulnerable children, opening doors to university, and building real climate resilience—one partnersh...

Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate ( The One and Only Ivan , Wishtree , Odder ) returns to talk about her newest book, Wombat Waiting —a free-verse “destiny dog” story set against California wildfires. We dive into climate change with hope, why picture books still matter for big kids, how to reach reluctant readers, and why “weird is wonderful” might be the best antidote to both peer pressure an...

What happens when a 17-year-old decides STEM should work for everyone—not just some students? In Episode 191, Dr. Diane talks with Amritha Praveen , founder of Amethyst Changemakers , about creating inclusive STEM kits using Universal Design for Learning, distributing over 250 kits to Title 1 schools, placing third at the International Science and Engineering Fair, and why resilience and empathy d...

"Any book a child loves is a good book," but when a teacher says she has to "sneak in" Number the Stars , something is broken. Dr. Diane welcomes Dr. Karen Huff , chair of the Shenandoah University Children's Literature Conference , to celebrate 40 years of fighting for books that matter. We discuss the importance of honoring diverse voices and creating communities of read...

What happens when two people leave corporate life behind and start solving conservation problems one practical need at a time? In the first episode of an ongoing seven-part series, Dr. Diane talks with Wild Tomorrow 's co-founders John Steward and Wendy Hapgood about turning boots, socks, and urgency into a wildlife corridor in South Africa. This episode is about conservation, community, and...