Learning Unboxed

When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and the world started shutting down, people suddenly had a whole bunch of new needs that they didn’t have before. As a result, people and organizations were forced to pivot and innovate so that they could not only survive the crisis but help people with their unique set of skills. So, what does that kind of forced pivot look like within a big organization? And...

Camp Invention is a STEM summer program for grades K-6 that turns curious students into innovative thinkers, and it’s a program that our host Annalies has a personal love and connection with — because, after her son attended Camp Invention, he came back with absolutely rave reviews. Our guest today is Krissy Hostetler, Education Team Specialist at the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) in Akro...

We’re frequently talking about how we can broaden a student’s perspective of the world and their role in it, particularly through the lens of STEM education, but how do we get kids thinking about social change? And then, how do we get kids to start taking action to change the world? It was asking himself that question—how can I make an impact?—that led Adam Morris to his current career as a social...

Our guest and our host have something in common this week: they both started exploring technology and the world of STEM after their parents brought home a Gateway 2000 PC! It really can’t be understated how impactful just being exposed to the idea of new technology — and being encouraged to play with it — can change what you think is possible with your life. That’s why Olu Ibrahim created Kids in...

We first talked about BioEYES — a K-12 science education program that aims to foster enthusiasm for science by offering students opportunities to explore life science through real-world applications using a hands-on approach to learning — back in episode 51 with the wonderful Jamie Shuda. Today, we're going to dive deeper into the nuts and bolts of the program with a conversation featuring a t...

Today’s episode is all about the intersection of art education, joy, and critical thought. Our guests, Raygan Barrett & Nicole Clevenger, are the co-founders of Wonderment, creators of curated art experience that help educators and parents cultivate creative thinking. But the program is about more than just art; it’s a combination of connecting to the world, connecting to each other, and learn...

This week, we’re talking about one of our favorite styles of education — one that asks students to get hands-on, roll up their sleeves, get in the weeds (among other things), and actively apply everything they’re learning. Specifically, we’re talking about Zoo Schools, which are just as cool as they sound.  Our guests are Emily Cunningham, a veteran science educator and an instructor at the Columb...

Raymond Alf Museum of Paleontology in Claremont, CA, is unique in that they’re the only nationally accredited Natural History Museum that's located on a high school campus, which also makes The Webb Schools one of the coolest high school campuses in the country. To learn more about this collaboration, we sit down with Andy Farke, a paleontologist and educator who involves high school students...

When Maurice Womack was a kid, he loved science fiction. Star Trek, Star Wars, Transformers, Voltron — pretty much anything an 80s kid could watch on Saturday morning that made him think about the world differently. This love for space ships and robots turned into imaginative play, which in turn turned into a passion for engineering. So, growing up, Maurice always knew he wanted to be an engineer....

This spring many families found themselves as defacto teachers, while trying to work from home and manage their families. It was heavy lift for all of us. But now what, schools out - summer is upon us but camps, parks and rec centers, and such may still be shut down -- what!! You mean more working, learning, playing.... Take a deep breadth, and learn a few valuable lessons from a seasoned Home Sch...

Tom Burden was an F-16 mechanic in the Air Force, and every day, one of the most painful parts of the job was having his tools slide off the aircraft. Lucky for the Air Force and all of the mechanics who came after him, this mechanical engineer made a decision: to solve that problem, no matter what. And, with some inspiration from his mom’s dashboard mount for her phone, he developed the Grypmat....

Today we’re going to talk about Restorative Practices and Responsive Classroom, a relatively new but incredibly powerful approach to formal educational spaces that utilizes a variety of social and emotional learning techniques. To learn more about what these practices are and what they look like in a classroom (even a virtual classroom), we sit down with Allison McMannis, a third-grade teacher at...

At some point growing up, kids discover dinosaurs — and most kids at least go through a phase where they love (if not obsess over) dinosaurs. So, today we're going to talk about dino digs and how they create an opportunity to learn about an entire career and a field of scientific study from an amazing expert. Our guests are JP Cavigelli, who organizes dino digs at the Tate Geological Museum at...

Fatima Bainazar and Katie Corbin are both college freshman, one at a large public university and the other at a small liberal arts college. What they now have in common, like so many college students around the globe, is a sudden and sometimes jarring experience with virtual instruction.  Listen in to learn from their experiences during a global pandemic.

The MATE ROV program is one of the most wonderfully unique, engaging, and fun expressions of STEM education that a student can participate in. The MATE ROV Competition uses remotely operated vehicles — AKA underwater robots — to inspire and challenge students to learn and creatively apply STEM principles to solve real-world problems and strengthen their critical thinking, collaboration, entreprene...

What do engineering and empathy have to do with each other and how we learn?  That’s the question we’re going to address in today’s episode with Melissa Higgins, who is the Senior Director of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) at the Boston Children's Museum. Melissa loves to create exciting hands-on, minds-on STEAM challenges that inspire children and educators to engage a...

Cleveland happens to be home to one of the most unique and innovative education initiatives in the country: The School of One, a flexible program that provides instruction to meet the student's needs — socially, emotionally, and academically — at one of eight sites within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. In this episode, we’re focusing on the site at The Foundry, which is actually n...

In previous episodes, we've talked about the importance of computer science and coding, the opportunities that open up for students when they do get exposed to this education, and how hard it can be for schools and teachers to really ramp up computer science programs. The good news is there are some amazing organizations out in the world that are trying to be partners in this space. And today,...

When our host Annalies grows up, she wants to be today’s guest: Emily Knapp, the conservation education coordinator at The Wilds, where she has access to a 10,000-acre classroom and facilitates some of the most amazing programs. In addition to sharing how Emily educates and engages the community through The Wilds, she has a ton of fantastic advice for parents who are, to their surprise, currently...

There’s incredible career potential in the fashion industry, and when you show that to a kid and you show them the variety of careers behind the scenes in the fashion industry, it can get those kids excited to learn. So, today, we’re sitting down with three of the people who are devoted to engaging kids and teaching them about the opportunities in this industry, especially in Columbus: Joe Brim, a...

Jeff is a PAST Teaching and Learning Coach as part of our School Design team and better yet, Jeff is a veteran virtual teacher with tons of experiences, do’s , dont’s and so much more for us to think about to be successful in making this switch.  • How does a teachers thinking need to change as we move quickly into online education? • How does student thinking need to change in response to this ne...

Mary is a PAST Teaching and Learning Coach as part of our School Design team and she gets asked about strategies for collaborative teaching all the time. On this episode we will explore the 5 most frequently asked questions about virtual collaboration in educational settings.   • What does it look like to work collaboratively in a virtual environment? • How will I be able to work with my colleague...

Are you looking for quick and easy tips on how to transition to working remotely? Give a listen to Kat Deaner, a remote working warrior -- after five years working virtually with teams and industries from around the globe Kat has a number of tips to make sure you can quickly and efficiently transition to a fully virtual environment.   • The virtual working environment  • Managing time • Avoiding d...

Sonya Pryor-Jones is the Chief Implementation Officer for The Fab Foundation, an organization with a mission to provide access to the tools, knowledge, and financial means necessary to educate, innovate, and invent using technology and digital fabrication. Their goal is to allow anyone to make (almost) anything, and the impact they’ve made over the past 10 years is powerful. The founders of The Fa...

There’s a common problem that pops up at the intersection of classic art and education: it’s challenging to make those collections accessible to a broad and diverse group of people. Art can feel intimidating to some, even exclusionary, but that really doesn’t have to be the case if we can make these spaces more inviting. Irma de Vries, Senior Staff Member for Families and Children in the Education...