Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

According to author and education researcher, Heather Clayton Stake r, "schools can be a microcosm of the world that we want our children to grow up to create themselves. One starting point is to shift the power structure so that children are given agency and ownership to drive their own learning. Part of the shift from a teacher-led to a student-driven mindset will come from giving students multi...

Even without COVID-19, leading a class, school or district isn't easy. You have to be focused on what matters most. Key to that, as argued here by Superintendent of Port Washington, NY schools, Dr. Michael Hynes , is knowing your North Star – your values, why you're going what you're doing, what you're trying to achieve, and what your non-negotiables are.

The traditional high school transcript reinforces outdated modes of education, limits learning to single subjects, and impedes the pursuit of educational equity. It sorts students through narrow measures such as grades and GPA. Ben Rein of the Mastery Transcript Consortium explains why the Mastery Transcript is a dramatic alternative. It supports each student in exploring varied pathways to future...

Our current system of education is broken. The structures and practices starting with our federal system, down to the states, to the districts, to the schools – including most of higher education – do not support or incentivize innovative ways of engaging students that encourage them to pursue their interests and passions, and develop the skills necessary to contribute to a better world. Dr. Chris...

When the Gallup organization measured student engagement in school, they found that engagement drops from 5th grade on. Only about half of students in middle school reported high levels of engagement and about one-third of high school students reported the same. Why are our students increasingly disengaged? In this conversation, Dr. Eric Toshalis who for the past three decades has served public ed...

In this episode, we talk with Gregg Brown . Gregg spent 30 years in the telecommunications industry.  He became an instructor at the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) where he taught marketing and economics using Profession Based Learning.  In 2017, Gregg became the CAPS Network Coordinator to support the growing number of programs using the CAPS Model. Here, Gregg explai...

In this episode, we talk with Patrick Cook-Deegan . Patrick is a leader in reimagining adolescent education through the lens of purpose learning. He is the Founder and CEO of Project Wayfinder . Project Wayfinder imagines a world where adolescent education is designed for all students to develop lives of meaning and purpose. It partner with educators to design innovative learning experiences that...

"It's all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story that enhances our quality of life." Here we are fortunate to chat with two amazing guests: Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander . Ben is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Youth Orchestra. Rosamund is a therapist and an accomplished painter. They are the authors of The Art of Possibility — a life-chan...

What's it like to sense on a spiritual level that the work you're doing isn't the work you're supposed to be doing? Lorraine Flower's transformation story from corporate executive to corporate change agent – someone who brings the power of spirituality and consciousness into the workplace – is not typical of the business executive burnout stories that we're used to hearing. Lorraine was quite happ...

One of the ongoing changes we're increasingly experiencing is artificial intelligence: the simulation of human intelligence in a machine. Simply put, machines are quickly becoming "intelligent" enough to do many tasks that humans used to do. The implications are enormous, especially relative to the work we will do going forward and how we will do it. And, as our guest Professor Ed Hess explains, t...

How in touch are you with your deepest values? How much are you leading your life in alignment with them? Author Shelley Paxton tells her story of awakening in Soulbattical: A Corporate Rebels Guide to Finding Your Best Life . Shelley went from a position of corporate power and prestige with one of the world's most iconic brands to the depths of near self-destruction. Only a recurring nightmare aw...

How can educators help to develop the leader in every child? Educators Todd Nesloney and Adam Dovico explain.

What qualities do successful school systems share. Education journalist Beth Hawkins gives her perspective from what she has seen in her extensive reporting.

Education transformation evangelist, Jaime Casap , asks – and begins to answer – "What's holding us back as a nation from truly reforming our education system?"

In this episode, "human-focused" thought leader, Mark LeBusque – educator, trainer, speaker, podcaster, author, coach – asks and answers a provocative question: "What would happen if I treated my colleagues like human beings?"

Sometimes circumstances are the catalyst for driving a change that you never anticipated. Assistant Principal, Jamahl Hines relates his experience in this story of transformation.

If you could ensure that students develop one skill in school, what would it be? Educator and attorney, Colin Seale , argues for thinking critically.

The world is rapidly changing. So, too, are the needs of tomorrow's workforce. How do we change education accordingly? Education reformer Grant Lichtman explains.

How do you lead people effectively when nothing is as it used to be? Principal JoAnne Duncan explains that connecting with people begins with listening.

Innovation is often described in terms of its process – the mechanics of harnessing ingenuity. David Price (OBE) points the spotlight on the people powering the process.

What distinguishes good teachers from "the best" teachers? (It's not content knowledge.) Thought-leader of change in education, Dr. Robert Quinn provides an absorbing answer.

How might we figuratively break down the walls of the classroom and share ideas in an effort to improve teaching and learning? Ben Owens , CEO of Open Way Learning explains why and how we need to do just that.

How do we best prepare kids to succeed in today's fast-evolving world? STEAM coordinator Andrew Sachs explains how part of the answers comes down to one word: teamwork.

A lot of times when we ask why we are doing something in education a certain way, we get the answer "Because we've always done it that way." One educator who challenges that assumption is Melissa Romano , candidate for Montana State Superintendent of Instruction. And she challenges that assumption with a question that asks us to stop and think, "Are we doing what's best for kids now?"

The educational research is pretty clear: two critical factors move the student success dial the most (1) understanding how teachers think about their instruction and student learning, (2) how students learn, and the intersection of the two. Educational researcher Professor John Hattie explains.