Wildfire Education

In this special episode, Doris hosts a live panel discussion at the 2016 Cleveland Hawken Educators Workshop. Returning attendees Jeremy Wickenheiser, Mel McGee and Sarah Jensen discuss how they used what they learned to build successful programs at Denver School of Science and Technology, WeCanCode IT, and Nichols School. Doris: In 2014 Jeremy was in the first one. They’re going to introduce them...

In this episode, Tim and Alison recall the poor quality of the solutions presented to the first business CEOs in a semester and why the deliverables were not as important as the process. They also discuss how the use of an electronic portfolio captures student growth and fosters the critical skills of reflection and self-assessment. Tim: Coming off the heels of the end of the first semester togeth...

In this episode, Tim and Alison discuss the different types of presentations students experience in this course. They also explain how students shift away from their inclination to prove mastery of content and to the presentation of a compelling story. They discuss the extraordinarily high quality of student presentations in this course and how that develops. Alison: In the program, the students h...

In this episode, Tim and Doris discuss the critical role of technology in Hawken’s Entrepreneurial Studies program. Tim explains his beliefs on educational technology along with tools for teachers and practical ways to get started for the less “technically inclined.” Doris: So you know you’ve spent 20, 25 years as a history teacher. You’ve been an instructional technologist, you’ve been an author,...

In this episode, Tim and Alison discuss the importance of a growth mindset for teachers and students in this radically different method of teaching and learning. They also explain why answering questions with questions promotes critical thinking, problem-solving and student ownership of the learning. Alison: I’m curious what you do when, for example, a team is struggling in the midst of their prob...

In this episode, Alison Tanker reflects on being trained by Doris in Korda Method. They discuss the shift in mindset & practice necessary to create rich learning experiences. Doris and Alison discuss why teaching this course requires dynamic and flexible lesson plans and how it is completely different than teaching specific content in a traditional classroom. Doris: You just went through your...

In this episode, Doris explains why all learning must be relevant, meaningful and timely. To illustrate, she describes how she leveraged the shortcomings of student research in a first business problem in order to drive deep learning on the second business problem. Alison: Can you describe what it’s like to really teach this course? Doris: Yeah. So it’s funny, because I’ve been training you for th...

In this episode, Doris explains the process for building a program and how it can be grown in many different ways outside of a traditional classroom setting. She explains the role of piloting educational innovations and the importance of identifying which resources you have and which ones you need. Alison: So we’ve been talking a lot about the entrepreneurship course specifically that we’re in the...

In this episode, Doris explains the role of citizenship in Hawken’s Entrepreneurial Studies program and why she claims “we already have a social entrepreneurship class.” Doris describes how News Circle brings the rest of world into the class and the long-term, positive impact it has on the students. Alison: So a number of people often ask, “Do you have a social entrepreneurship course or part to y...

In this episode, Doris defines entrepreneurship as turning ideas into successful realities. She explains why an entrepreneurship class is a powerful vehicle for mastering skills and why the current celebrity of the label “entrepreneurship” threatens the educational quality of entrepreneurship education. Alison: So given your background, Doris, you were teaching math for a long time and now have de...

In this episode, Doris describes the Hawken Entrepreneurial Studies class from the student perspective. She explains how this style of “learning by doing” is different than traditional school and how collaboration plays a critical role in students’ growth. Alison: So take me through a challenge and what the students are actually doing day to day, at night, assignments, those sorts of things. Doris...

In this episode, Doris talks to Steve Blank, Stanford professor and creator of Lean LaunchPad ® about how students learn creative problem-solving for today’s world in courses that incorporate the same methodologies Steve designed for use by engineers, graduate school students and entrepreneurs. Doris: So we met a while ago, a few years ago and you were still at the point where you were training a...

In this episode, Steve Blank interviews Doris for his radio series, “Entrepreneurs are Everywhere.” Hear what Doris learned as an immigrant, engineer and entrepreneur that led her to develop her different models for teaching and learning. Entrepreneur-turned-educator Steve Blank is credited with launching the Lean Startup movement. He’s changed how startups are built; how entrepreneurship is taugh...

Alison: So I was doing after school, weekend workshops, things like that. I focused on building an entrepreneurial mindset, and I remember in those early conversations when I was first coming on board, you kept saying how important it was to you that this was a high school course for academic credit. I wonder if you could explain more about why that is so important to this. Doris: Okay, actually,...

In this episode, Doris recalls the process of designing and building Hawken’s Entrepreneurial Studies program in a high school and why using real business problems should be core to entrepreneurship programs. Doris and Tim also discuss the role of the Lean LaunchPad Methodology and Design Thinking and why it’s so important to “get out of the building.” Tim: When you were planning this program, I k...

In this episode, Doris Korda explains strategies for bringing real-world learning into the classroom without the use of guest speakers. She decries the use of trickery or external motivation to get students engaged in their own learning and highlights the value of working on urgent business problems as a way to master skills. Alison Tanker: You talk all the time about the importance of using real...

In this episode, Alison Tanker explains the path that led her to the Assistant Director position at the Miller Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Hawken School. She shares her background in social entrepreneurship, international development, female empowerment and entrepreneurship education. She explains how she discovered that entrepreneurship can be empowering while working with social ent...

In this episode, Doris describes the “decision filter” she uses for choosing which businesses will work with the students. She discusses the reasoning behind her “rule of three” and explains why students must relate to the problem and see the CEO as a role model. Alison: So being that these business problems are so critical to the entrepreneurships class, how do you find those problems? Doris: Wel...

In this episode, Tim Desmond explains the path that led him to the Assistant Director position at the Miller Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Hawken School. He explains how being a risk-taker and divergent thinker led to his epiphany of “learning by doing.” Tim discusses the role of writing in the class and how he strives to improve students’ communication skills in a changed world. Doris:...

In this episode, Doris explains how she uses real, local startups in Hawken’s Entrepreneurial Studies program. She details one semester’s line up of businesses, the challenges posed and expectations for the student-designed solutions. Alison: Doris, can you give me an example of the business challenges that you used in past semester for business 1, two and three to give a sense of what that looks...

In this episode, Doris chronicles the journey of two specific students through Hawken’s Entrepreneurial Studies program. She elaborates on those who have not thrived in traditional school and explains what the experience did for them as learners and emerging adults. Alison: This is really a model for doing school better. It’s often what you say and the words you use. I was hoping you’d give some e...

In this episode, Doris Korda elaborates on the shift in the workplace where employers increasingly value skills–like teamwork and collaboration–over the possession of content knowledge. Doris and Alison discuss why “you can’t get an A by yourself” and the role of direct, honest feedback in the classroom. Alison Tanker: So Doris, tell me about the importance of teaming in this course. I know we hav...

In this episode, Doris describes the Entrepreneurial Studies class offered at Hawken School. She explains the role of real business problems in addition to the “final project” and how this highly developed curriculum fosters real-world skills in students. Alison: So Doris, can you tell me a bit about the current course? Doris: Sure, this semester course that we’re teaching. Yes. The basic structur...

In this episode, Doris and Alison discuss the Hawken School Entrepreneurial Studies program and how it is uses the Korda Method for learning and teaching. They reveal how a rigorous, academic program using real and urgent business problems is different than teaching “how to run a lemonade stand” or the traditional business class. Alison: So Doris . . . Doris: Yeah? Alison: What is this program? If...

In this episode, Doris explains why our current educational system doesn’t work anymore and why skills mastery matters more for today’s students than it ever has before. She discusses how her career of teaching and entrepreneurship have led her to create a new method for teaching and learning.   Alison: So Doris, why did you do this? Where did this come from? Doris: Yeah. Gosh, this came from...