Unrulr Podcast

In this episode of the Unrulr podcast, we dive into a conversation with two incredible high school students from Marymount School in New York City. They share their unique experiences in the classroom, specifically highlighting how their Physics Honors class, led by Eric Walters, is breaking the mold of traditional education. Through hands-on labs, real-world applications, and unconventional asses...

Join us in this inspiring episode of the Unrulr podcast as we sit down with Janice Ikeda, the founding executive director of Vibrant Hawai’i, and Amylia-Rae Gandolf, coordinator of the ʻOAKA program. Discover how Vibrant Hawai’i is breaking down silos, empowering youth, and transforming communities through innovative engagement and collaboration. Learn about their unique approach to fostering comm...

In the 22nd episode of the Unrulr Podcast, we dive into a compelling conversation with Tom Thorpe, director of REDI Lab at Colorado Academy, and his remarkable student, Simone. Tom shares insights into the innovative REDI Lab program, emphasizing the power of student agency and personalized learning. Simone discusses her impactful project aimed at improving mental health education for children. Li...

In the 21st episode of the Unrulr Podcast, we sit down with an educator and her student to discuss how documentation and reflection can help learners value learning for learning's sake, rather than focusing only on final products and grades. Angela Stockman is an international education consultant and author of over 7 books on education documentation & reflection. Maggie Burns is a graduat...

In the 20th episode of the Unrulr Podcast, we delve into the art of leadership and vulnerability with Carlos Moreno, Co-Executive Director of Big Picture Learning. Co-hosted by Kwaku Aning, this episode explores how leading with heart and embracing vulnerability can transform educational leadership. Carlos shares his personal journey and insights into the importance of leading with love, care, and...

Learning is not just about the acquisition of knowledge; it's about connecting passions, creating, and living the experience. In the 19th episode of the Unrulr Podcast, we talk shop with Andy Dutton, a technology and CTE teacher at Willow Creek Middle School, who seamlessly blends his love for sneakers, photography, and education. Andy shares his journey from aspiring engineer to influential e...

In a new segment of the Unrulr Podcast, Evan Harris joins us to co-host to explore AI in education. This time, our special guest is Nicolas Gertler, a first-year Yale University student and AI ethicist. Nicolas is making strides in the field of ethical AI, particularly for marginalized communities. At Yale, he's at the forefront of AI ethics workshops and plays a key role in developing resourc...

In an new segment of the Unrulr Podcast, Evan Harris joins us to co-host to explore AI in education. In this episode, we are joined by Eric Hudson— Eric is an educational strategist who has shaped innovative learning and assessment programs globally, leveraging his expertise in learner-centered and competency-based approaches. With a rich background in teaching and leadership, he now influences ed...

Whether we're 50, 15, or 5, we learn best by doing, we have more fun when learning is active. In the 16th episode of the Unrulr Podcast we talk to Independent Schools Experiential Education Network's (ISEEN) Executive Director, Shoshanna Sumka, about how ISEEN partners with schools and learning communities and how she and her team are designing the ISEEN Winter Institute. She gives tips an...

In the 15th episode of the Unrulr Podcast, Dana Jones discusses her philosophy of education, which centers around allowing students to drive their own learning and fostering curiosity. She shares her role as the Learning Through Internships (LTI) coordinator and advisor at a Big Picture Learning school, where she facilitates internships and real-world mentorship opportunities for students based on...

In the 14th episode of the Unrulr Podcast, we sit down with Phu Tranchi, the Director of Community and Engagement as well as Experiential Learning at Oakwood School. We discuss the importance of experiential learning, student agency, and creating a sense of possibility for students. Phu advocates for shifting the traditional structure of education towards a more experimental, risk-taking approach...

In the 13th episode of the Unrulr Podcast, we explore the value of reflection for design-thinking with John Nash, the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky and who also runs the Laboratory of Design Thinking (aka the DLAB). Join us as John shares his experience of incorporating reflection and metacognition into his design thinking course, using Unrulr...

In the 12th episode of the Unrulr Podcast, we delve into the world of experiential learning with Kelly Fast, the incoming Director of Academics and Experiential Programming at Cascades Academy. Formerly the Director of Experiential Learning at Notre Dame De Sion, Kelly shares his insightful journey from an English teacher to an advocate for hands-on, real-world learning experiences. Join us as Kel...

Join us in the 11th episode of the Unrulr Podcast as we engage in a conversation with Kwaku Aning, Director of the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking at the San Diego Jewish Academy, and Mike Yates, Senior Product Manager at the Reinvention Lab at Teach for America. Our guests share a common love for D'Angelo's "Voodoo" and the magical collective known as the Soulq...

Join us in the 10th episode of the Unrulr Podcast (double digits!), where we have an inspiring conversation with Deidre Roemer, the newly appointed superintendent of South Milwaukee. In this episode, Deidre shares her unique philosophy of education that focuses on fostering curiosity and inspiring learners. Discover how her experiences as a special education teacher helped her find the hidden bril...

Annie Makela is the founding director of the Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Hillbrook School, where she is focused on promoting student dignity, agency, and opportunity through social entrepreneurship. She joins us to share about her journey of starting a social entrepreneurship program while collaborating with other school administrators to align values across the school. Storytellin...

Austin Scholar is a high school student who hasn't had a teacher since fourth grade. She has attended alternative schools for most of her life, where she has been given the agency to take ownership of her learning. Outside of school, she is an education writer who shares her perspectives and advice for parents to help their students thrive. In a little over a year, she was able to build a larg...

Mallory Morris is the Associate Director of Learning Design at Digital Promise. She is an educator and school leader who is thinking about how we redesign schools and implement greater equity. She joins us to share about creating inclusive, equitable, and joyful spaces in educational institutions that learners and educators ACTUALLY want to show up to.

Danny Rankin is a teaching assistant professor at the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. He joins us to share about his philosophy of teaching through making, giving authentic feedback, and providing opportunities for students to follow their own curiosity to make learning as joyful and relevant as possible. Check out Danny's work: dannyrankin.co Learn more about the Whaaat...

Mike Yates joins us to chat about his journey of building an impressive career in edtech. Mike currently works in the Reinvention Lab at Teach for America and as a consultant for edtech startups. You may have heard him speak at SXSW Edu or on the TEDx stage. Mike's philosophy of education is simple— education should happen in the real world with real people. He also shares his perspective on h...

In this podcast, we have Ivan Cestero of Portal Schools sharing his takeaways from SXSW 2023 and his top tips for attending these conferences and getting the most out of them. We also delve into the important topic of bridging the education to career gap and how to prepare your students for the job market. He shares his philosophy of partnering high school students with industry partners to get st...

In our third podcast episode, we chat with Trinity Asing— entrepreneur, college student, and long-time friend of ours. Trinity shares her learning journey and career pathway, starting from an experiential learning project in high school, to participating in a youth entrepreneurship camp (Nalukai Academy), to now running a sustainable maker's market in Hawaiʻi (Mauka Market). She also shares he...

In our second podcast episode, we chat with Angela Stockman— author, instructional designer, teacher, and consultant. Angela shares her perspective on how to foster a culture of authentic documentation in a learning community. She shares that multimodality is the answer to getting a diverse group of learners to become engaged with their learning, and how Unrulr can be a powerful tool for capturing...

In our first podcast episode, we chat with Garreth (Gary) Heidt of Perkiomen Valley High School, founder of NOVA Lab . Gary shares his journey of starting NOVA lab in order to make learning more human-centered. He shares that a big part of his philosophy is "ungrading", or going gradeless, and some advice for starting the ungrading journey, including creating a culture of authentic feedb...