The What School Could Be Podcast: Recent Episodes
What School Could Be
Earlier this year I listened to two episodes of Phil Evans' Education by Design podcast. One explored the Iovine and Young Center, founded on the vision of Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, where challenge-based learning, design thinking, and entrepreneurship are redefining what public education can become. The other episode featured the International Baccalaureate's ambitious Systems Transformation pilot, where students tackle complex global challenges through systems thinking, interdisciplinary inquiry, and authentic assessment.
Although the two initiatives emerged from very different places, I was struck by how much they had in common. Both reject the idea that learning should revolve around subjects, standardized tests, and the transfer of information. Instead, they invite young people to grapple with messy, consequential problems, work collaboratively across disciplines, and develop the habits of mind needed to lead meaningful change in an increasingly complex world.
Today I'm reposting those two episodes here on the What School Could Be Podcast. It's my way of expressing my gratitude to Phil Evans—for his friendship, his collaboration, and for creating conversations that continue to move forward the education reimagined movement. I hope you'll receive these episodes in the same spirit in which they're offered: as gifts to be shared. If you are a podcaster, maybe you will consider sharing someone else’s awesome episode on your platform. As always, if you have thoughts or questions, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com. My thanks to my editor, Evan Kurohara and creative consultant, Mel Ching. And now, please enjoy these two episodes from Education by Design.
Earlier this year I listened to two episodes of Phil Evans' Education by Design podcast. One explored the Iovine and Young Center, founded on the vision of Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, where challenge-based learning, design thinking, and entrepreneurship are redefining what public education can become. The other episode featured the International Baccalaureate's ambitious Systems Transformation pilot, where students tackle complex global challenges through systems thinking, interdisciplinary inquiry, and authentic assessment.
Although the two initiatives emerged from very different places, I was struck by how much they had in common. Both reject the idea that learning should revolve around subjects, standardized tests, and the transfer of information. Instead, they invite young people to grapple with messy, consequential problems, work collaboratively across disciplines, and develop the habits of mind needed to lead meaningful change in an increasingly complex world.
Today I'm reposting those two episodes here on the What School Could Be Podcast. It's my way of expressing my gratitude to Phil Evans—for his friendship, his collaboration, and for creating conversations that continue to move forward the education reimagined movement. I hope you'll receive these episodes in the same spirit in which they're offered: as gifts to be shared. If you are a podcaster, maybe you will consider sharing someone else’s awesome episode on your platform. As always, if you have thoughts or questions, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com. My thanks to my editor, Evan Kurohara and creative consultant, Mel Ching. And now, please enjoy these two episodes from Education by Design.
Nobel Navigators is a global learning community founded by a way cool education revolutionary named Andrew Sachs. By revolutionary I mean the type of person who wants to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Andrew didn't set out to redesign this thing we call school. He more or less decided to ignore tradition and build something completely different. Nobel Navigators has a bold mission: helping young people around the world develop the technical skills, human skills, and leadership they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Young people from more than 180 countries come together online to learn, and teach. Thousands of young learners focus on design thinking, collaboration, coding, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, public speaking, and servant leadership, all while working on real projects and relevant subject areas. Nobel Navigators isn't trying to improve the traditional model of school. It has thrown out the traditional, obsolete model used in so many countries and is instead asking a much bigger question: What if we build a global learning community centered in purpose, empathy, and action?
Today's guest joins us from Afghanistan. Protecting her privacy was essential during my prep, and is essential today. We'll simply call her Rukhsar. There are no photographs of her in our promotional materials, only an artist's rendering. A few years ago, the Taliban barred her and all Afghan women from continuing a formal education, meaning the future Rukhsar had imagined was suddenly taken away. But that is only the beginning of her story. Through Nobel Navigators, Rukhsar discovered not only a way to keep learning, but a way to lead, to teach, and to serve. Today she organizes workshops for Afghan women, builds learning communities, mentors others, embraces AI as a tool for human flourishing, and has become a passionate advocate for empathy, servant leadership, and educational opportunity. Listening to her, it's impossible not to recognize that education is about far more than classrooms, diplomas, and test scores.
Neuroscientists tell us that our brains remain remarkably plastic throughout our lives, continually rewiring themselves in response to new ideas, new experiences, and new relationships. I suspect the same is true of our hearts. Today's conversation invited me to reconsider what learning is, what leadership is, what it means to become educated, and even what it means to be future ready. My hope is that as you listen to Rukhsar's remarkable story you won't simply learn something new. My hope is that, together, we'll discover the quiet joy of reconsidering what we thought we already knew. If you have comments, insights or questions, email me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com. As always, my boundless gratitude to our talented audio engineer and editor, Evan Kurohara, and our creative consultant, Mel Ching.
Listeners, earlier this year I participated in a virtual event called Eye on Student Protagonism, hosted by education author and consultant, Jennifer D. Klein. The format was simple. Invite young people to showcase their school projects, surround them with interested adults primed to listen, ask questions and offer insights. During this event Jennifer’s two student presenters were from a program called Gone Boarding, founded in a high school in the great state of Michigan. One of those students was a young woman named Harper Klassen. As I learned about, and from Harper I totally lost my educator mind. I felt like I had torn open a chocolate bar and discovered one of the five Willy Wonka Golden Tickets, the chocolate factory was Gone Boarding and Harper was Willy Wonka. At the end of the session I learned that Harper was about to graduate and had been accepted at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, which is in my home state. Her goal is to study business and bring Gone Boarding to the islands. Be still my educator heart. So what is Gone Boarding? Gone Boarding is a wildly engaging, project-based, student-centered program where young people design, build, brand, market and ride boards: skateboards, surfboards, snowboards and more, while learning the stuff schools often struggle to make real: science, math, design, entrepreneurship, communication, craftsmanship, confidence and teamwork. Founded by educator Bill Curtis, who noticed that some students valued snowboarding more than school itself, Gone Boarding flips the usual script. Instead of asking students to leave their interests, cares and passions at the door, it builds school around them. Students don't just complete assignments and take tests. They create products, present to companies, meet industry partners, test their own designs and discover that learning can be life-useful, unforgettable and very, very real. What began as an experiment in one Michigan high school has now expanded into more than a dozen states, with schools across the country adapting the model to their own communities and local board sports. In a world where educators spend endless hours debating student engagement, Gone Boarding has become one of the most intriguing examples of what can happen when schools start with passion, purpose and real work. More importantly, it offers a glimpse of what becomes possible when schools help young people develop the confidence to believe that their dreams are not too big. Bill Curtis wrote the following about Harper Klassen for this episode. “Harper Klassen is passionately pursuing her dreams! She embraced every opportunity Gone Boarding presented to her. She spent hours in the shop creating all types of boards and never missed an opportunity to get out and shred on the boards she made. When it comes to networking, Harper connected so naturally with all of our brand partners and continues to do so. Upon graduating from high school in Michigan, she is pursuing her dreams by attending the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to study business. Our "shredder of the year" is going to do big things and we are so proud of her!” As always, this show’s audio engineer is the talented Evan Kurohara. My thanks to our creative consultant, Mel Ching, and to Lynn Cvengros, who first introduced me to Gone Boarding and Bill Curtis. If you have questions or insights, email me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com.
RECOMMENDED: WATCH THE SHORT FILM, NOTHING BEFORE YOU LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE. AND, READ THE SHORT STORY, "MARRY ME, GEORGIA." Listeners, given my love of all things media production, I am super stoked to bring you today’s guest, Norah DeMello, a screenwriting major at Chapman University’s nationally renowned Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. She is a writer, aspiring filmmaker, and deeply reflective young artist whose relationship with storytelling began early, somewhere between the mountains and rivers of Northern California, stacks of beloved novels, and a home filled with music from bands like Radiohead, Pixies, and The Cure. She describes herself as “a nature girl through and through,” and there is something about the way she talks about art, film, music, and the human condition that makes it feel less like career preparation and more like a voyage of discovery. Norah is also a product of California public schools, including Placer High School in Auburn, where teachers recognized and nurtured her gift for writing long before she fully trusted it herself. Today, after transferring from community college into one of the nation’s most selective film programs, she is developing screenplays, directing short films, balancing multiple campus jobs, and learning how to build a creative life without tying her worth to perfection. Her work explores questions of connection, vulnerability, identity, and what it means to become fully alive, themes that seem deeply connected to her own ongoing process of becoming freer, more open, and more at peace with uncertainty. Mitch Weathers, author of “Executive Functions for Every Classroom,” founder of Organized Binder and a longtime friend of Norah’s father, wrote the following for this episode. “I want to begin by saying that I genuinely admire Norah DeMello. Not simply because of what she has accomplished, although those accomplishments are impressive, but because of who she is as a person. If you are fortunate enough to know Norah, what stays with you is not just her talent, but her authenticity, her courage, and her heart. I’ve known Norah her entire life. Her father, Dave, has been my closest friend since middle school. But over the last couple of years, I’ve had the chance to really get to know Norah herself. Watching her grow into who she is becoming has been inspiring. By most standards, Norah was on the “'deal' path. School came naturally to her. She earned outstanding grades in high school, received an academic scholarship, and enrolled at one of California’s most prestigious universities. But before the end of her first semester, she dropped out. I remember asking her about it, and her answer has stayed with me ever since. She simply said, “I just didn’t find my people.” There is something incredibly brave about a young person stepping away from the path everyone else celebrates in order to pursue a life that feels true to who they are. That decision wasn’t easy, and I know it came with uncertainty and struggle. But Norah chose authenticity over expectation, and that takes real courage. Since then, she has embraced a path in acting and screenwriting, and it’s been amazing to watch her flourish creatively. She has a natural presence both on camera and the stage, and in her writing. If you get the chance, make sure to watch the film Nothing, which she stars in. What I admire most about Norah is that she seems committed to truly living her life, not just performing the version of success others expect from her. And my sense is that somewhere along the way, she has found her people. As always, if you have feedback about this show, reach out to me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com. Audio engineering is provided by the talented founder of SOZEN Sound, Evan Kurohara. And, my eternal thanks to my podcast creative partner, Mel Ching.
Dr. Kyra Caldwell Templeton, the Atlanta Public Schools Program Director of Student Engagement and Co-Advisor of the Student Advisory Council, is someone I 100% trust when it comes to understanding what authentic student voice actually looks like inside a large school system. Her work centers on making sure students are not just heard, but meaningfully included in decision-making, and she has helped shape initiatives like the APS Student Advisory Council, where young people sit in real conversations with district leadership. When I asked Kyra if there was a student who embodied what this kind of engagement could look like at its best, she quickly named a young man named John Henry Collins. Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest urban districts in the country, serving a diverse student population across the city of Atlanta. Under its current strategic vision, APS is working to balance academic outcomes with deeper questions around student voice, belonging, and real-world readiness. It is looking at how schools prepare young people not just for college, but for life in a complex, rapidly changing world. John Henry Collins is a sophomore at North Atlanta High School, but that label only scratches the surface. He is an Eagle Scout who has led environmental restoration projects, a member of the APS Student Advisory Council, a production manager running lighting and sound for live theater, and a young person who has traveled extensively across all 50 states and more than 30 countries, often helping plan and manage those experiences himself. Across all of this, he is developing a rare combination of leadership, technical skill, and systems thinking. He is the embodiment of what folks in my home state of Hawaii call ma ka hana ka ‘ike, or in doing, one learns. Audio engineering is provided by the very talented Evan Kurohara of SOZEN SOUND. Our theme music comes from the master pianist, Michael Sloan. In this episode you will learn about a speech John Henry Collins delivered about his home city of Atlanta. Read that speech here. It will blow you away.
Listeners, this episode marks the beginning of what I am calling Josh’s Chapter Six. I am choosing this road less traveled because I’m less interested in talking about what school could be, and more interested in what happens when young people are actually given the chance to experience it, and explain it to us hidebound adults mired in 19th century teaching and learning. Good grief, at some point, we have to stop endlessly chewing on the idea of change and freaking change, which means getting out of the freaking way and letting the kids build their own navigation charts. I apologize for starting this episode in such a crabby state. In my defense, the more I listen to the kids the less I am willing to defend educators and education leaders who sit, fixed to a system that is over 100 years old and hopelessly outdated. Back in March, I had the chance to visit the EDGE microschool embedded inside Liberty Public Schools, just outside Kansas City. EDGE stands for Empowering Discovery of the Global Experience. What I saw was a learning environment built around global challenges, real-world projects, and a level of student agency that felt fundamentally different from the traditional classrooms sitting just down the hall. Same building, very different experience. It was during this visit that I met my two guests today. Scarlet Langhorst is a senior at Liberty High School and a leader within the EDGE microschool. Through her growing composure and patience in professional settings, and her ability to listen to understand rather than respond, Scarlet has developed a collaborative, eclectic and calm presence that makes her both effective and trusted within real-world teams working on real-world projects. Morgan Yeates is a junior at Liberty High School and also lives and breathes her time in EDGE. She is a student leader whose work spans Global Ties KC, the EW Kauffman Foundation, and multiple youth-led initiatives focused on access, culture, and creating meaningful third spaces for young people. Through her sharp debate skills and instinct for reading group dynamics, Morgan has developed the ability to communicate persuasively, adapt quickly, and step into whatever role a team needs in the moment. She pairs that with a self-aware, almost ironic understanding of her own voice, knowing how to use it effectively while staying attuned to when to lead and when to create space for others. Get ready for a doozy of a conversation, listeners because Scarlet and Morgan aren’t talking about the future of school as an idea. They’re living inside a version of it right now, while still navigating a traditional system just down the hall. And over the course of this conversation, we’re going to put them in some real positions, asking them to think like diplomats, designers, even decision-makers, wrestling with global conflict, questioning how schools actually work, and at one point, facing a choice that might sound hypothetical, but won’t feel that way in the moment. As always, you can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com. My episodes are edited by the very talented Evan Kurohara, of SOZEN Sound. My thanks to Mel Ching at Pililei Consulting, LLP, my JRP creative partner and co-producer.
The International School Manila, or ISM, is a K–12, nonprofit international school located in Bonifacio Global City in Metro Manila, serving more than 2,000 students from over 90 countries. With a curriculum grounded in American and international frameworks and culminating in the International Baccalaureate Diploma, ISM is designed to prepare students for top universities around the world. But beyond its academic rigor, the school is increasingly asking a deeper question, which is: What does it mean to be truly future ready? Through initiatives like its Futures Committee, ISM is working to become a more responsive, relevant, and student-centered learning community. My guests today are Kaelynn Liu, age 14, and Landon Zhou, age 17, both students at ISM and members of the school’s Futures Committee, where student voice is not just included, but elevated. Kaelynn is a deeply reflective, globally minded learner who brings intellectual curiosity and moral clarity to questions about identity, purpose, and the design of school. Landon is an experienced student leader whose engagement comes alive in real-world contexts, from organizing large-scale events to service work, and who speaks with honesty about growth, pressure, and what it means to become someone others can rely on. Together, Kaelynn and Landon offer a compelling window into student agency and what young people think about this thing we call school. Robert Landau, a former guest on this show and ISM’s Futures Committee consultant wrote the following for this episode: “As a consultant working with the Futures Committee at the International School Manila, my role is to help the community explore what it truly means to be a future-ready school. The Futures Committee guides The International School Manila’s journey toward a more relevant, responsive, and empowering education, preparing students not just for the world as it is, but for the world they will shape and inherit. One of the most important decisions we made was to include student voices at the table, not as participants, but as partners. Kaelynn and Landon embody everything we hope for in a future-ready learner: they speak with authenticity, question with courage, and engage others with purpose. They don’t just represent students; they elevate the conversation. Working alongside them gives me real hope that the future is not something to fear, but something already being shaped by remarkable young people like them.” As always you can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com. You can also reach me on LinkedIn. My talented audio engineer is SOZEN Sound's Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by pianist, Michael Sloan.
Listeners, Educators Rising is a national organization that develops future educators by supporting middle school, high school, and college students interested in the profession. Through chapters, leadership opportunities, competitions, and classroom experiences, it helps students build the skills and passion needed to strengthen the next generation of educators. Allianna Walters is a high school student from Spanish Fork, Utah and the 2025–2026 National President of Educators Rising. With experience as a student intern in early childhood, elementary, and special education settings, she is deeply committed to serving others through teaching. Grounded in faith, family, and purpose, Allianna brings a values-driven approach to leadership, advocating for future educators and for students who want to feel seen and supported. And yes, she has a few things to say about what school could be. My wingman and color commentator for this conversation is Jose Carrillo, former National Student President of Educators Rising and now a classroom teacher in Austin, Texas. In this episode, Allianna shares a personal vision for education rooted in identity, purpose, and care, then challenges us to rethink systems, from schedules to AI, and to act as good ancestors for the next generation. Our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara at SOZEN SOUND. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan. Questions or comments? You can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com or through the contact page at joshreppunproductions.com.
Two seniors from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Samantha Colvin and Marin Rosenthal, join me to explore what school could look like when student voice, learning science, and curiosity intersect. Samantha Colvin and Marin Rosenthal are seniors at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland and Student Research Fellows with the school’s Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL). Sam, a DMV native of Jamaican and African American heritage, brings creativity and cultural curiosity to her work in music, fashion, pop culture, and media, while building research and communication skills through the CTTL. Marin combines intellectual curiosity with initiative, completing Neuroteach Global training and helping lead a student research study on phone use and attention that informed school policy, and so much more. The CTTL translates Mind, Brain, and Education Science research into practical strategies that help teachers and students thrive. As fellows, Sam and Marin help design and conduct real research alongside educators and university partners. In this episode, they tackle technology and attention, question the purpose of homework, dance in their "red shoes" and explore the idea of “addition by subtraction,” removing low-value work so there is room for practice, creativity, and rest. The conversation circles back to a bold question for all of us: If you could redesign school, what would you change first? Our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara at SOZEN SOUND. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan. You can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com.
This episode addresses a question I’ve been chewing on for a long time: What happens when school stops treating creativity as an elective and starts treating it as the whole damn point? Story Xperiential is a national and global online visual storytelling experience, inspired by Pixar’s process and built by former Pixar and Khan Academy veterans, and my home state of Hawaiʻi was in on the action from the beginning. In 2021, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama became one of the first schools in Story Xperiential's Hawaiʻi pilot program, and students showed that storytelling can build real world skills, not just artistic tricks. The work is hands-on, learners create and exhibit story reels while learning story development, character, visual composition, storyboarding, sound and music editing, plus the skills that travel everywhere: communication, problem solving, and teamwork. My guests, brothers Nova and Skye Sonomura, did more than participate. They earned recognition, joined the student advisory team, and were later hired by Story Xperiential to improve the program and build the website experience for future learners. Nova lives in Japan and is enrolled in Brigham Young University's Pathway Worldwide. Skye lives in Honolulu and calls his path the school of hard knocks. Both are unmistakably lifelong learners. As Tony DeRose, one of Xperiential's founders put it, Nova showed up early as a creative force, and soon both brothers were helping lead the experience from the inside. Listeners, you’re in for a deep dive into the lives, loves, and passions of Skye and Nova Sonomura. As always, our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is by the pianist, Michael Sloan. You can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com.
Listeners, Mackenzie King is not here as my guest to perform “student voice.” She’s here to show us what governance and leading by learning could be. Picture a real school board meeting, with fiduciary responsibility, hard decisions, and adult-level accountability, then picture the board chair setting the tone, reading the room, and holding the mission steady. Now make that chair a high school senior. This is not a thought experiment. It’s a normal day at One Stone in Idaho, and Mackenzie King, Class of 2026, is the chair of its board of trustees.
If you have never heard of One Stone, you might assume it’s another shiny outlier. But One Stone is a serious learning organization making a serious bet: young people are citizens right now and school should be designed around that thought. Put students in governance and lead by learning roles and you change what “smart” and “leadership” mean, and you create the good kind of pressure that forces everyone to get serious about the purpose of school.
We start in Idaho, identity, family, language, and karate, then pivot into service and the quiet power of simply showing up for others. From there we go inside One Stone, how Mackenzie found her way there, how learning is assessed through competencies, BLOBs, and a Growth Transcript, and what practice she would stop in American schools because it steals tomorrow from kids.
As always, our episodes are edited by Evan Kurohara and our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan. You can reach me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com.
Bulldog Manufacturing is a student-run light manufacturing company inside Alden High School 60 miles south by southwest of Rochester, New York. It is a real shop with real tools, real deadlines, and real customers, where teenagers do CAD and design, quoting and invoicing, marketing and sales, production planning, quality control, and shipping, with money and reputation on the line. Max Marzec and Lydia Wrest are two members of Bulldog’s leadership team, and they are my guests today. Max is Bulldog’s CEO, so he’s carrying operations and customer accountability in ways that will feel familiar to anyone who has ever had to deliver on a promise. Lydia is Bulldog’s design director, living in that space where creativity meets constraints, where an idea has to become a thing that works and then become a thing that ships. They’re also full time high school students, which means they are constantly crossing a border between two worlds: the traditional classroom and a purpose driven environment where the work does not care about your seat time, but about your choices you make, minute to minute.
Here’s what’s coming, listeners. We’re going to start by dropping you into Bulldog Manufacturing on a busy day, a walk through the sights, sounds, and smells, the rhythm of a team moving with purpose, and the little decisions that make a shop either feel alive or feel like school pretending to be work. Then we’ll get specific about quality, what it means in their world, how they decide something is truly ready to ship, and what happens when the team splits on whether “good enough” is actually good enough. From there we’ll take on a transition most schools never name out loud: the switch from school mode to Bulldog mode. Picture them walking out of chemistry and then heading into customer driven work with real stakes. What changes in your body and brain as you make that switch? What do you start noticing that a typical class does not ask you to notice? We’ll go into leadership too, not titles, the moments when standards slip, a deadline gets missed, someone’s feelings are on the line, and you have to choose between being liked and being honest, and we’ll ask what principles Max and Lydia are trying to live by so Bulldog does not become school with a boss. We’ll also zoom in on each of them as individuals. With Max, whose family speaks both Polish and English, we’ll use his resume as an artifact, including the QR codes that link to websites he has built, and we’ll go deep on how an internship at a law office shaped the way he thinks about the path forward. With Lydia, we’ll talk about what it means to be trusted with real tools, real standards, and real consequences, and about moments when that trust became real through a decision, a mistake, or a standard she had to defend. We’ll talk about Lydia’s school trip to Italy and how it shaped the way she sees buildings now that she wants to become an architect, and we’ll also bring AI into Bulldog Manufacturing, where it can genuinely improve the work and where it introduces risk. And we’ll close by honoring the giants. Lydia will reflect on the trade lines in her family and what they taught her about real learning. Max will shout out Mr. Allen Turton and name one concrete way he wants to pay Allen’s coaching, guidance and mentorship forward to the next generation. Our audio engineer is the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by the master pianist, Michael Sloan. If you have insights or comments about this episode, email me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com.
Peter Gray, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College, wrote the following in the Washington Post. “I began to look at research, which showed and documented that beginning as early as the 1960s until now, there has been a continuous, gradual but huge increase in anxiety, depression, and, most tragically, suicide among school-aged children and teens. Over that period of time, children have also been less and less free to do the things that make them happy and build the kind of character traits — of confidence, of internal locus of control, of agency — that allow them to feel like ‘the world is not too scary, because I can handle what life throws at me.’ This kind of attitude requires independent activity to develop, and we have been offering less and less of that activity.”
Peter Gray’s powerful words are the perfect way to introduce today’s conversation with Pam Moran and Ira David Socol, two educators who have spent their careers pushing on a simple idea that feels obvious once you say it out loud: school should help young people find their voice, build real agency, and guide them as they learn how to influence their world and shape their futures.
Pam led Albemarle County Public Schools in Virginia from 2006 to 2018, a long run in superintendent years, and she was named Virginia Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.
Ira has lived an unusually wide-angle life in service, including work in New York City public safety and decades in public education as a technology and innovation leader, with a deep focus on Universal Design for Learning and environments that work for every kid.
Together, they have written and edited books that refuse to treat school as a neutral machine. In Timeless Learning, with co author Chad Ratliff, they argue that we should stop mistaking “great teaching” for learning, and instead redesign learning experiences so kids have choices, purpose, and time to do work that matters. In Designed to Fail, Ira makes the tougher claim; a lot of what we call school was built to sort, to rank, and to protect comfort for adults and advantage for some kids.
And in their newest book, an edited volume titled Real Learning, Real Accomplishment: Schools that Work for Kids, Pam and Ira gather stories from educators across the country who are moving from compliance to mastery, not by chasing one more initiative, but by changing the ecosystem, the expectations, the schedules, the spaces, the assessment, and the relationships that shape what kids actually experience.
So that is where we are headed. We are going to talk about student voice as more than a slogan. We are going to talk about what it means to trust kids, and what it costs when we do not. And we are going to keep pulling the conversation back to the practical question that sits under everything they do: How do we design and create systems of learning that put the learning in the hands of the young learners, with the adults on the side as coaches, mentors, guides and sponsors? One of the answers you will hear in the next hour is that we adults must, must, must do this design and development with the learners. We must treat them as co-creators and co-designers. Truly, we must Just Say Yes.
If you have thoughts or insights on this episode email me at joshreppunproductions@gmail.com. Our audio engineer is the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Courtney Joly-Lowdermilk is the founder and lead consultant of the Massachusetts based LLC, Bridge Educational Engineering, where she partners with schools, towns, and organizations to design cultures of belonging that strengthen engagement, performance, and retention. Her career sits at the intersection of education, disability access, and mental health—spanning classroom teaching, student support, and a decade leading college mental-health education. She helped design and build NITEO, a structured leave-and-return pathway for young adults navigating disability and mental-health challenges, and she’s authored practical guidance that makes pausing—and coming back—more humane. She’s partnered with more than 100 teams to shift programs, practices, and policies toward dignity and access. We begin by exploring where Courtney’s energy comes from, meaning that time during elementary school selling popcorn at her grandmother’s bingo hall, or later learning to read a room, and carrying that “be useful” through-line into a career built around people. From there, we head into the deep end: what it actually takes to make belonging operational. Courtney shares the design moves she’s seen turn compliance culture into places where people risk honesty, ask for help, and feel at home. Then we get into the radical idea hiding in plain sight: interruption. What happens when a young person needs to pause—and how do we build the return so it doesn’t become a cliff? Courtney draws from her work with leave-and-reentry pathways to name what makes a pause feel heavy versus what makes it a bridge back. In the second half, Courtney joins us as one of the featured voices in Ted Dintersmith’s new documentary, Multiple Choice. We talk about that simple sign on her office wall—“Work Hard And Be Nice To People”—and the not-so-simple question beneath it: how do families support ambition without becoming “college pushers” or shrinking a kid’s world into a single story of success? We widen the lens to a culture that’s drifted from “fix the schools” to “fix the kids,” and Courtney brings her REACH framework to the role confusion at the center of it. We even dip into the AI urgency narrative—what ticking-clock stories do to teen nervous systems—and what healthier, more human adult moves look like. We close with David Yeager’s 10 to 25 and the mentor mindset—high standards, high support—plus moments that reveal who Courtney is off the page: motherhood, a suitcase note that reads “good luck mommy,” and a shout-out that brings us back to her roots. It’s a conversation about agency, dignity, and designing the conditions for thriving. As always, this show is edited by the very talented Evan Kurohara.
If you visit WhatSchoolCouldBe.org, you’ll see The Innovation Playlist—a practical change model built on small steps that elevate learning and life outcomes by bringing communities together around a shared North Star, trusting teachers to lead, building on successes and best practices, and fueling the joyful, creative work of challenging students in ways that prepare them for life; the model includes five playlists aligned with the foundational themes of What School Could Be: mobilizing your community, student-driven learning, real-world challenges, assessments for deeper learning, and caring and connected communities. Remix #5 follows the familiar Remix format—an audio mosaic of short, potent moments from the archive that still vibrate with relevance—but this time my co-producer and I played a “favorite three” game, each choosing three guests who hadn’t been featured in a remix yet whose ideas stayed lodged in our minds and hearts; these aren’t necessarily the flashiest episodes or the ones with the most downloads, but the ones we kept referencing in side conversations, quietly sharing with friends, and returning to when we needed to remember why this work matters. If you’re new to the show, think of this as a curated highlight reel; if you’ve been with me awhile, it’s a year-end reunion with voices that helped shape where this podcast has gone. Across the hour, you’ll hear system leaders, classroom educators, builders, and families all wrestling with a shared question—what if school were truly organized around human flourishing, not just compliance and coverage?—with threads on student agency and durable learning, assessment that reflects what kids can actually do, youth mental health and the cultures we build at home and in classrooms, the power of community partnerships, and the courage to move beyond “this is the way we’ve always done it,” and together these six voices offer not a blueprint but a playlist for possibility you can carry back to your own context, whether that’s a classroom, a district office, a nonprofit, a campus, or a kitchen table where schooling is the topic of conversation. My co-producer, Mel Ching, who arranged the sequence, calls Remix #5 a Heart-Centered Arc—moving intentionally from the most intimate layer of learning (love, relationship, presence, and the stories that shape us) to broader frames of agency, trust, and system design, and finally to the visionary possibilities of imagination and investment in young people—like a circle of mentors: human first, then conceptual, then expansive—so settle in as we dive into Remix #5 of the What School Could Be podcast.As always, our episodes are edited by the amazing Evan Kurohara, with theme music by Michael Sloan.
There’s a moment in Roman Krznaric’s The Good Ancestor when he invites us to imagine the builders of medieval cathedrals: craftspeople who chiseled stone, hoisted beams, and shaped stained glass with the knowing certainty that they would never worship inside the completed structure. They worked not for immediate applause but for the generations they would never meet. Their legacy lived in the shadows cast by soaring buttresses, in the echoes of future choirs, in the possibility that one day, long after they were gone, someone would look up and feel awe. Krznaric calls this cathedral thinking: a way of acting that stretches our sense of responsibility far beyond the boundaries of our own lifetimes. It’s the discipline of slowing down enough to ask, “How will what I’m doing today ripple outward? What future am I shaping with the choices I make right now?” It’s a call to be not just good professionals or good leaders, but good ancestors. In education, this idea lands with particular force. So much of the work of learning—and of transforming systems of learning—has a delayed return on investment. Policies outlast policymakers. Classroom moments echo decades later in a student’s life. Innovations begun in one community can reshape what’s possible for learners across an entire generation. And the most courageous educators I know operate with an awareness that they are, in fact, building cathedrals: structures of opportunity, belonging, confidence, and human potential. That’s why, in my intake form, I ask a question about ancestor-work. I’m curious about the projects, commitments, or quiet acts of devotion that feel like cornerstones, things my guests are building that may not be fully realized until long after they’ve stepped away. And for this remix episode, I went back to six former guests who responded to that prompt with uncommon clarity, humility, and hope. Their answers were not just descriptions of work; they were expressions of purpose, of stewardship, of long-view leadership. What you’ll hear in the next hour is a mosaic of cathedral thinkers. People who are shaping systems and communities not for personal credit, but for the learners who will come long after any of us. Their voices remind us that the real measure of impact is time, not quarters, not school years, but generations. So if you are ready, I am ready. And if you have insights or questions, email me at MLTSinHawaii@Gmail.com, which is my podcast contact. As always, my gratitude to Mel Ching, the co-producer of these remixed episodes, Evan Kurohara, my talented editor, and Michael Sloan, the pianist whose music graces this show.
If you navigate to WhatSchoolCouldBe.org, you will find in the nav bar the words, The Innovation Playlist. What is this? The Innovation Playlist is a powerful change model based on small steps that elevate learning and life outcomes. It brings your community together to build consensus on your North Star. It trusts teachers to lead the way, build on successes, draw on best practices, and do what you take joy in, challenging your students in creative, distinctive ways that prepare them for life. One of the playlists is called student-driven learning. Imagine your children, your students, fueled by intrinsic curiosity and motivation, enthusiastically learning without your constant oversight? Student-driven learning gives educators the time to truly guide, inspire, and encourage deeper learning. When we empower students to do bold, creative work, they develop distinctive higher-order competencies. Yet, creative work demands different, more authentic assessments. In this 3rd 2025 remix my co-producer, Mel Ching and I focus on the voices of students I interviewed over the past few years. These are young learners who have struggled in traditional learning environments, but thrived when immersed in student-driven learning and the quest to be assessed deeply, and authentically. These are young people who refuse to be sorted and ranked by standardized test scores. They live and breathe relevant, authentic learning spaces, both inside and outside of this thing we call school. So if you are ready, I am ready. As always, if you have insights or questions, email me at MLTSinHawaii@Gmail.com, which is my podcast contact. The What School Could Be Podcast is edited by the very talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes of the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
If you navigate to WhatSchoolCouldBe.org, you will find in the nav bar the words, The Innovation Playlist. What is this? The Innovation Playlist is a powerful change model based on small steps that elevate learning and life outcomes. It brings your community together to build consensus on your North Star. It trusts teachers to lead the way, build on successes, draw on best practices, and do what you take joy in, challenging your students in creative, distinctive ways that prepare them for life. One of the playlists is called Caring and Connected Communities. What is this concept? In normal times, students can’t learn effectively without social and emotional support. During the COVID 19 pandemic, this support was imperative. Here is 2025, with the United States experiencing intense turmoil, the need for caring and connected communities is even more acute. Yet too often, social and emotional priorities get lost in the blur of curriculum, test scores, out-competing classmates, and being judged against standards of perfection. We can and must do better. In this episode, we hear segments from previous conversations that feature guests who live and breathe the concept of caring and connected communities. There are six segments in this episode and I will provide a short introduction to each one. So if you are ready, I am ready. And if you have insights or questions, email me at MLTSinHawaii@Gmail.com, which is my podcast contact. As always, editing is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
Before I deliver my introduction to this episode, I want to acknowledge my co-creator and inspiration for what you are about to hear today. Her name is Mel Ching and she is amazing. Director of Community Engagement for What School Could Be and producer/host of our YouTube live series, "The Big Think," Mel and I have been co-creating on projects for almost four years. Thank you, Mel.
Okay, listeners, if you navigate to WhatSchoolCouldBe.org, you will find in the nav bar the words, The Innovation Playlist. What is this? The Innovation Playlist is a powerful change model based on small steps that elevate learning and life outcomes. It brings your community together to build consensus on your North Star. It trusts teachers to lead the way, build on successes, draw on best practices, and do what you take joy in: challenging your students in creative, distinctive ways that prepare them for life.
One of the playlists is called Real World Challenges. What is it? Imagine an educational landscape where students are not merely recipients of knowledge, but passionate investigators delving into the depths of authentic, engaging, and intricate questions, problems, and challenges. When you incorporate Real-World Challenges into your curriculum, students are empowered to actively engage with real-world complexities, become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators. These students don’t just absorb information; they apply their learning in impactful ways and have the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the world around them, whether at an individual, community or organizational level.
In this episode, we hear segments from previous conversations that feature guests who live and breathe the concept of real-world challenges. There are five segments in this episode and I will provide a short introduction to each one. So if you are ready, I am ready. And if you have insights or questions, email me at MLTSinHawaii@Gmail.com, which is my podcast contact. As always editing is provided by the very talented Evan Kurohara.
Dr. Carole Basile is the Dean and a professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, the largest college of education in the nation. Since 2016, she has led efforts to redesign the educator workforce through team-based models that honor learner variance and expand the possibilities of teaching. Before ASU, she served as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and held faculty and leadership positions at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Houston. Carole is co-author of The Next Education Workforce: How Team-Based Staffing Models Can Support Equity and Improve Learning Outcomes, and has published widely on teacher preparation, systems change, and school–community partnerships. With a career that also includes 15 years in business management and organizational development, she brings a rare blend of entrepreneurial spirit and educational vision .
Erin O’Reilly at the University of Montana, a previous podcast guest, wrote the following about Carole for this episode. “Her work in reimagining the teacher workforce is truly inspiring. Through innovative, team-based teaching models, she and her team are not only transforming how schools operate but also reshaping the future of education. As a teacher educator and researcher, I’ve been deeply influenced by her vision and dedication. Witnessing the tangible impact on teacher retention and job satisfaction has given me renewed hope and affirmation in my own work designing systems and curriculum to better support aspiring educators.”
So listeners, let’s get to know Carole before we dive into the deep end of education, teaching in teams, and teacher training pathways. We start with music. Carole has been listening to A History of Rock in 500 Songs. It’s not just about riffs or hit singles—it’s about rock as a cultural movement, full of experimentation, disruption, and variance. When she listens, is she a fan? A learner? A dean leading one of the largest colleges of education in the country? Likely all of the above.
Then we rewind to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where school came easily but wasn’t especially engaging. Her entrepreneurial father shaped her worldview—teaching her to manage people well and stay open to ideas. His influence still guides her leadership.
Carole’s career is anything but conventional: student teaching in Philadelphia, a master’s in counseling, 15 years in business, then a doctorate that brought her back to education. Along the way, a boss once told her being interested in “a lot of things” was a flaw. But David Epstein’s Range would disagree—and Carole’s life proves it.
From there, we’ll talk about variance. Not just as a math term or biblical one, but as a philosophy of education: every learner moves at their own pace, in their own way. ASU’s Next Education Workforce is putting that into practice—moving beyond the “one teacher, one classroom” model to teams of educators who bring diverse strengths.
We’ll also touch on ideas like “loonshots” and “possibility thinking,” and ask Carole to paint a picture of what team-based classrooms feel like—for students, teachers, and families. And we’ll close with a shout out to those whose shoulders she stands on.
So buckle up. From Jefferson Airplane to Jefferson County, from Harrisburg to Arizona, this conversation is about rock and roll, variance, teaching in teams, and the future of education itself.
Post production editing provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is by pianist, Michael Sloan.
Listeners, if you are inclined to go to the Red Bridge school website, which I hope you are, and you click on Our Team in the NAV bar, you will find the following bio for Orly Friedman, Red Bridge’s founder: “When I began teaching in 2007, I wanted to expand real opportunity for kids, and since then both opportunity—and the skills to seize it—have shifted; technology lets more people create and connect, but it only matters when learners have the know-how and confidence to use it—that is, agency. Agency sits at the heart of Red Bridge: while traditional schools reward compliance, we reward initiative. Students don’t just receive information—they drive their own learning—and they show up eager, day after day. Designing for agency means reworking school systems and structures; the experience won’t mirror your K–8 memories, yet the essentials remain: caring teachers, hands-on projects, academic challenge, and the joys every child loves—field trips, the Halloween parade, and more. Our tactics are fresh, but our values are rooted in a long line of progressive educators—John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Deborah Meier—and in the last fifty years of cognitive science and psychology, translated daily by a skilled team.” I will note here that before launching Red Bridge, Orly was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Transcend. She was a founding team member at the Khan Lab School and has degrees from Yale University, George Mason University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Mason Pashia, the producer of Getting Smart’s podcasts and page editor and producer for Getting Smart’s blogs (and by the way, I recommend reading everything and listening to everything that comes from Getting Smart), wrote the following for this episode: “When you step inside Red Bridge, a San Francisco-based K-8 microschool, you immediately recognize that you're in a place that LOVES learning. Imagine kindergarteners with the agency to shape their own days and their own curiosities. Picture a curriculum built around 'noticing'—empowering students to connect, find and solve problems in their community. Red Bridge is a place where personalized, competency-based and high-agency learning is so much more than a soup of buzzwords; it's a daily practice that's nurturing a new generation of changemakers. Schools like Red Bridge are signals from the future, showing us not only what school could be, but what school can be.” And finally, here is an excerpt from a letter written by a former student of Orly’s, before she founded Red Bridge, that I think is so beautiful: “Hi Ms. Friedman, I hope you're doing well! I wanted to reach out and thank you for being such an amazing third-grade teacher at Murch all those years ago, and to let you know that I'm now becoming a teacher. I'll be teaching fourth grade in Aurora, Colorado, and school starts next week (ahhhhh!). I wrote about your class (featuring the green pouf) on my application for Teach for America, and I'm planning to have a Funky-Monkey-style shared writing project in my class as well. I just wanted to send a quick note before the year starts to say thank you for being an inspiration to me. I would also appreciate any first-year-teacher tips you might have! Thanks for everything, Olivia.” Our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
For this 150th celebration my guest on the 101st episode, Emma Reppun (married and now Emma Jean George) and I decided she would interview me. Fun! The following is how she described, on LinkedIn, the episode and her experience being the host of the show. "Today I had the immense honor and privilege of interviewing my dad, Josh Reppun, the Executive Director of What School Could Be, for this 150th 'Talk Story' edition of the What School Could Be Podcast. If you've ever tuned into his show, you know that my pop is a master of crafting thoughtful questions based on an incredible amount of research for each and every guest he sits down with. As someone who has never been in the host chair before, it was a formative experience for me to attempt to offer him the same level of structured inquiry, while balancing my giddy delight as his daughter to be behind the mic! As this day comes to a close, and I marvel at what a meaningful opportunity this has been, I want to say a wholehearted mahalo to all the previous guests on the pod; it was you who helped me shape and craft my approach as I listened and re-listened to your amazing conversations in preparation for this moment. And a special shout out and thanks to Parul Punjabi Jagdish, Jennifer Ahn, Steven Shapiro, Nancy Shapiro Rapport, and Roman Krznaric, whose episodes sparked some of my favorite questions. And lastly, but certainly not least, my hat is off to you Ted Dintersmith, the executive producer of the acclaimed film, Most Likely to Succeed and the catalytic driving force that launched my beloved father into the happiest and most fulfilling years of his life." Our episodes are edited by the peerless, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
INSTALL THE OUR FAMILY CULTURE APP FROM YOUR FAVORITE APP STORE AND USE THE PROMO CODE: WSCB.
Today my guests are Steve Shapiro and his sister, Nancy Rapport, veteran educators in the Great State of Ohio.
During his 34 years as a public-school educator, Steven Shapiro emerged as a national thought leader in experiential learning. His acclaimed podcast, Experience Matters, featured national experts including Daniel Pink, Tony Wagner, and Father Greg Boyle. In addition to his work as a high school teacher/program director/district leader, Steve trained teachers at Ohio State University, provided professional learning for educators in emerging democracies (including Poland, Ukraine, and South Africa), and was a regular keynote and conference speaker. At all stages of his career, he has been committed to designing powerful experiential learning opportunities that transformed the lives of students and teachers alike. Steve’s most important work, however, was partnering with his wife Susan to raise their three (now adult) children.
Nancy Rapport spent the majority of her 34-year public-education career as a school counselor, supporting students and parents in navigating the challenging “middle years.” Her leadership roles in professional development and crisis management showcased her ability to identify needs, empathize with various stakeholders, and deliver results. As a certified Hudson Institute coach, Nancy has extensive training in coaching and human development. She leads courses on learner mindset and question thinking for the Inquiry Institute, helping adults pursue a life of curiosity, inquiry, and possibility. Nancy brings a wealth of experience in both child and adult learning to her role as co-founder, with Steve, her brother, of Our Family Culture. Most importantly, she is the proud parent of two adult children, Emily and Jacob.
Dr. Michelle Pledger is the Founder of Living for Liberation and Director of Liberation at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, where she leads work at the intersection of equity, community, and student-centered learning. A nationally recognized educator, author, and freedom facilitator, Michelle has spent her career helping schools and systems reimagine learning as a liberatory act. She also serves on the advisory board for Our Family Culture, and knows Steve and Nancy well. She wrote the following just for this episode: Steve Shapiro is one of the most humble, helpful, human-centered people I have ever met. We first met during a podcast interview and became instant friends. He speaks truth in love and is intentional in his actions. More importantly, he has a heart for young people and their families. And all of that goodness must run in the family because his sister, Nancy is a treasure trove of empathy, humor and patience. And I trust anyone who is willing to Karaoke with me, no questions asked! I'm thrilled that the What School Could Be community will benefit from Steve and Nancy’s lived experience as educators, parents, and co-founders of Our Family Culture.
Our episodes are edited by the peerless, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Listeners, imagine waking up to a school day with no bells, no rows of desks, no rigid timetable of subjects broken into 50-minute chunks. Instead, you open your laptop or step into a learning space that feels more like a studio, a lab, or a mission control center than a traditional classroom. Your day begins by checking in with your learning coach, not to be told what to memorize, but to map out the goals you set for yourself, goals tied to real-world challenges, not just assignments. Maybe you’ll spend the morning collaborating with peers from five continents on a project to design an accessible renewable energy solution for a community you’ve interviewed over video calls. After a break, you join a live session with an astrophysicist or a social entrepreneur—an expert whose job it is not to lecture, but to provoke questions and offer guidance. In the afternoon, you dive into a self-directed sprint: researching, prototyping, refining. You’ll log reflections, track your growth across competencies, and connect your work to global sustainable development goals. And all along the way, you’ll be developing not just knowledge, but the habits of curiosity, collaboration, and self-direction that define lifelong learners. This is a glimpse into the School of Humanity, an ambitious experiment in reimagining what learning can look like when it’s no longer bound by the old industrial model. My guest today, Raya Bidshahri, is its founder and CEO. Drawing on her background in neuroscience, her passion for human flourishing, and her conviction that education must be designed for the future—not the past—Raya has built a model that blends purpose, agency, and global connection. In this conversation, we explore what it takes to create a learning ecosystem that feels alive, human-centered, and relevant—and why she believes every learner deserves the chance to be the architect of their own education.
Raya is an award-winning serial education entrepreneur. She is passionate about utilizing education as a tool for sustainable development and human progress. She has expansive experience in designing, facilitating and scaling innovative education programs. Among many other awards, Raya is listed by the BBC as one of the most inspiring and influential women on Planet Earth. As always our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is by the master pianist, Michael Sloan. (NOTE: This episode was inspired by my viewing of the incredible PBS series, A Short History of the Future.)
No joke, listeners—today’s guest, Erin O’Reilly, grew up in Missoula, Montana and attended Mount Jumbo Elementary, Rattlesnake Middle, and Hellgate High. Hashtag best school names, ever. And now, full circle, Erin is shaping the future of education from right there in the heart of Big Sky Country.
At the University of Montana Erin is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning where she prepares preservice teachers through courses like Ethics and Policy Issues, Educational Psychology, Social Studies Methods, and field experience seminars. She is also an Instructor for the Office of Student Success and TRiO teaching courses like You at UM - First Year seminar and College and Career Success, supporting students transitioning into college and leaving with their degree.
She’s also a doctoral candidate pursuing her doctorate in Teaching and Learning.
What brought Erin to this podcast, though, is her growing body of work around teaching in teams—a practice she’s researching, writing about, and living through a book she co-authored titled “team ED”. She’s posing powerful questions about how collaborative teaching models can strengthen schools, support teachers, and—maybe—keep more of them in the profession, which, by the way, will be the subject of her dissertation.
In the classroom, Erin mentors and supports future educators, helping them prepare not just for their first field placement, but for the real, messy, beautiful work of teaching. Her vision is bold, meaning learning that is inclusive, personalized, and rooted in community. She’s helping to build ecosystems where innovation, equity, and shared practice can thrive.
In preparing for this conversation, I read through several letters written on Erin’s behalf. One described her as “a reliable colleague known for her focus on preparing strong and adaptable classroom teachers.” Another spoke to “the creativity she pours into her preparation,” her ability to “create thoughtful and caring learning environments while also adhering to rigorous goals,” and her work to “address individual differences and reach diverse learners.” Another letter called out the “virtual library” she built for her students—complete with a personal avatar and curated DEI-aligned resources—as a reflection of her thoughtful innovation. Another letter noted, simply and powerfully: “She cares deeply about making the world a better place through education.” But the line that lingered with me was this: “She is highly professional in all her endeavors, and her work is invaluable to our department.” High praise indeed.
Nick Salmon, one of Erin’s co-authors wrote the following for this episode: “When I first met Erin ten years ago, I knew she saw the future of learning differently. In a room of men talking about the bureaucracy of school, Erin was the only woman talking about the integration of technology, resilience, and integrated learning experiences. That first encounter led to collaborating on the educational vision of a small school, and then our article on furniture whispering. When the opportunity to create the book teamED emerged, Erin O’Reilly and Mar Cano were the obvious co-authors.”
And finally there was this—from one of Erin’s students:
“You’ve truly been an inspiration in my life and helped me feel human and worthy when I didn’t. I’ve had more than one bump in my journey to become a teacher, and all of the understanding, warm welcomes, and support helped me more than you know.”
Our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Listeners, buckle up. You’re about to meet a Virginia public school superintendent whose mother referred to him as Tom Sawyer, and for good reason. Dr. Jason Van Heukelum has been rallying people around bold visions since his earliest days in Rochester, New York. We can only imagine him convincing friends to join some backyard adventure, or today, getting entire communities to reimagine high school. Jason is someone who knows how to design and build—and bring others with him.
He’s also the kind of educator, coach, guide and mentor who sees transformation not as a someday ideal, but as a here-and-now imperative. His 27-year journey includes teaching math, coaching sports, leading middle and high schools, and directing an American international school in La Paz, Bolivia. He brings deep systems experience, from classroom to central office, and a rock-solid belief that the secret to great schools lies in pairing high expectations with a deep connection to community, where so much of learning happens.
Today, he’s the superintendent of Winchester Public Schools in Virginia and the driving force behind something extraordinary: the Emil and Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center, a cathedral to possibility and purpose that redefines what high school could be. No bells. Just young people walking through doors into real-world learning and a buffet of multiple choices.
But before we get there, we’re heading to Algonquin, Canada, where a young Jason portaged a canoe across miles of wilderness. We’ll linger in Ecclesiastes, the Old Testament book that moves him, even on the hardest days, to rejoice in the work and find meaning in the mystery. We’ll talk about "The Speed of Trust," why relationships drive change, and what Jason means when he says, “The most important lessons we learn cannot be measured by standardized tests.” We’ll dive into the Shihadeh Center, his strategic vision for Winchester, and how his grad school capstone is becoming real through collaborative, school-based services.
We’ll explore cathedral thinking, the future of public education, and the courage it takes to build innovation that lasts. And in the end, we’ll honor the wisdom of a mentor named Penny Hedrick, whose support Jason carries with him every day. To close these show notes I’ll quote from a letter written on Jason’s behalf: “The best leaders make everyone around them better. The best leaders improve the organization they lead, cultivate passionate and loyal followers who believe in their vision, and pave the way for future leaders to carry on their work when they are gone. Jason Van Heukelum is one of the best leaders I have had the opportunity to work with.”
Our episodes are edited by the talented audio engineer, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
Crystal Clark is a passionate and dedicated educator based in Kemmerer, Wyoming, with over two decades of experience in early childhood and elementary education.
Currently serving as both a K–6 Instructional Facilitator and teacher in Lincoln County School District 1, she is a dynamic leader who thrives at the intersection of curriculum development, instructional coaching, and educator support. Crystal is deeply committed to hands-on, project-based learning and has played key roles in the RIDE initiative, the Rural Teacher Corps Program, and her district’s PLC and Building Leadership Teams. RIDE PD is supported by 2Revolutions.
Crystal's work is rooted in meaningful collaboration, whether she’s mentoring new teachers, leading curriculum alignment efforts, or helping educators analyze data to drive classroom practice. Having received multiple professional educator certifications, she brings a research-informed approach to literacy and learning. Above all, she is known for cultivating warm, supportive environments where both students and teachers can thrive.
And today, we’re going to stretch this story out across time and place—from Crystal’s childhood in a Wyoming town of 3,000 to her leadership in one of the state’s most ambitious education innovation efforts. Crystal and I talk about how the way we teach math can unintentionally create a sorting system, and why Crystal believes love of math starts in the earliest grades. We’ll explore what it truly means to coach teachers, how her deep roots in the Kemmerer community shape her impact, and why working side-by-side with educators—not above or outside—makes all the difference. Crystal will share how a single student helped define her “why,” and we’ll get a window into her vision for what Wyoming’s students could become when we remove barriers and build systems around relationships. You’ll also hear about a statewide showcase that puts hope on full display.
You’ll hear about a children’s book manuscript Crystal wrote, a diamond-sized breakthrough in her professional practice, a new approach to SEL called BARR, and how it all comes back to mentorship and belonging. And when Crystal answers my final question with two names—Nikki Baldwin and her husband, Shane—you’ll understand exactly why I wanted to bring her voice to this podcast.
What you are about to hear is not just the story of one educator—it is the story of what happens when roots run deep, when relationships guide the work, and when courage meets a commitment to community. Crystal Clark reminds us that transformation isn’t a theory. It’s a practice. It’s personal. And it’s happening—in Wyoming, and maybe, just maybe, in a school near you.
The WSCB Podcast is edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is the pianist, Michael Sloan.
Jennifer Ahn is the executive director of Lead by Learning. She lives with her husband and children in northern California. The reason I asked Jennifer to be on this show is because I read an incredible book in 2024 titled Street Data. Carrie Wilson, the author of chapter 7 of Street Data and the former executive director of Lead by Learning wrote the following for this episode.
“I remember over a decade ago, after Jennifer Ahn interviewed for a program associate position with us at Lead by Learning, I had this strong sense that there was nothing she couldn't do. So there are countless wonderful things to know about her. The first, which you are likely to detect in this conversation, is a combination of wicked intelligence and joyful spirit. There is a brilliant dynamism to her approach. She brings grounding, compassion, and clarity, which are much-needed qualities of leadership in these uncertain times. Showing up this way, she creates the conditions that allow for vulnerability, and also for an expansive sense of possibility and creativity. In working this way, Jennifer has made invaluable contributions to Lead by Learning and to public education. Jennifer designed and implemented the Lead by Learning Certificate Program, she built robust partnerships with Social and Emotional Learning departments and Expanded Learning teams, she pioneered Lead by Learning’s work with the Chicago Public Schools Fund, she created Lead by Learning’s Anti-racist Affinity Networks, and she developed a dynamic team of program leaders who are skilled at creating spaces that hold the complexity of what it means to lead, teach, and learn together. I am forever grateful for the way Jennifer continues to lead and develop Lead by Learning.” As you prepare to dive into this conversation, listeners, ask yourself if the true revolution in education isn’t happening in classrooms—but in the minds and hearts of the educators themselves. What if the way forward isn’t more training, more compliance, or more performance metrics—but a profound act of unlearning, re-seeing, and reconnecting? Jennifer Ahn believes that professional learning should be more than a box to check. For her, it’s about mending and reinforcing—yes, like sashiko stitching, which she is learning—and about letting art, dance, and story shape our understanding of what it means to grow, together. Most of all, Jennifer sees the deep value in being willing to be disturbed. Finally, listeners, Jennifer Ahn wrote the following words in an online article she shared with me: “In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer writes that “It’s such a simple thing but we all know the power of gratitude to incite a cycle of reciprocity.” Ahn goes on to say, When educators appreciate one another’s perspectives and they see how their collective perspectives lead to action, they feel empowered to spread it across their system.” As always, our episodes are edited by the amazing Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
Emine Naz Can is a university student born and raised in Turkey who sees herself as citizen of the world. Emine is not simply studying industrial engineering—she’s actively engineering the future of education as one of the first students in a phenomenon called Nobel Navigators. Her journey is one of bold imagination and quiet courage, of bridges built between cultures, communities, and ideas. She’s the founder of Paridoc Academy, a reimagined learning experience that invites students to be seen, heard, and prepared for life beyond the classroom. And as I just mentioned, she has been an integral part of Nobel Navigators, where education transformation is not just a goal, but a daily practice. Nobel Navigators is a global social-learning community where youth come to learn, lead, and succeed. It emphasizes collaboration on local and international projects, helping students progress from learners to global leaders. By mastering technical, soft, and leadership skills, and cultivating cultural awareness and empathy, Nobel prepares students to thrive in the 21st-century global economy. This approach has aligned seamlessly with Emine’s passion for creating educational systems that are both equitable and relevant. Andrew Sachs, the founder of Nobel Navigators wrote the following for this episode: “Emine joined Nobel Navigators in 2021 as one of our first youth from Turkey. She was shy but deeply passionate about learning, connecting with others, and helping people. She believed she could achieve much more in the right learning environment, and over the next four years, she created that environment not only for herself but for thousands of other youths around the globe. Emine developed a wide range of skills, including sales, networking, marketing, negotiation, and promotion, while also growing into the action-oriented, empathetic leader our world needs. She stands as a role model for countless youth and as living proof of the incredible potential young people have to become compassionate, capable leaders.” In this conversation, we’ll step into Emine’s global perspective and explore how her upbringing has shaped a deep love for true teamwork—even through the surprising lens of American flag football, which she plays in Istanbul. We’ll travel through her values, her inspirations, and the questions that keep her moving forward. You’ll hear how James Clear’s "Atomic Habits" has guided her toward the power of small, consistent changes, and how these “tiny gains” have compounded into the leader she is today. We’ll examine the contours of equal access, the weight of purpose, and the fire of passion—unpacking what education could become when it is built to serve all learners, not just a select few. Emine reminds us that meaningful change often starts with the little things—a kind gesture, a word of encouragement, a coffee run, a teacher who listens. And from these moments, we can build a world where school is not a system of sorting, but a space of becoming. So join us for a conversation that lifts, challenges, and inspires—a conversation about education, identity, and the kind of future that doesn’t just happen, but is designed with care and intention. As always our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara, and our theme music is by the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Listeners, imagine a student who always loved school—not just for the grades or the gold stars, but for the challenge, the structure, the sense of accomplishment. A student who moved frequently as a kid, not worried about making friends, but determined to succeed academically. A student who “played school well,” but, looking back, remembers teachers more than lessons, relationships more than curriculum. That student was Rebecca Parks. Rebecca doesn’t just believe in education—she lives it. From a K-12 experience that set the stage for her passion to teach to the defining “failure moments” that forged her resilience in college, Rebecca’s journey has been one of learning, leading, and, most of all, reimagining what’s possible. And at the heart of her mission? A bold idea: that learning should be rooted in place, connected to the real world, and designed to spark curiosity and wonder. Her dissertation, The Impact of a Place-Based Environment on Elementary Students, is a call to action. It examines the power of place-based learning, where students don’t just sit at desks but engage with the world around them. She explored the country’s most innovative schools—Teton Science Schools in Wyoming, the Zoo Academy in Nebraska, Missouri’s WOLF Academy and many more—places where learning is hands-on, immersive, and deeply connected to the community. But she didn’t stop at research. As principal of Southview Elementary in southern Missouri, Rebecca led a school that became a state-recognized model for collaboration and professional learning. And in 2019, she took her vision even further, launching LENS—Learning and Exploring through Nature and Science—a groundbreaking school within a school, where a select group of third and fourth graders engaged in a non-traditional, science, nature-focused and archeology oriented curriculum while still meeting state standards. Her story is about breaking free from the factory model of education, embracing curiosity, and fostering a culture of learning that is real, meaningful, and alive. Today, we step into that story with her. So get ready; this is more than a conversation. It’s an invitation to rethink what’s possible in education. An invitation to consider what school could be, and what could be school. As always our episodes are edited by sound engineer, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Imagine a school, not just built with bricks and mortar, but with hope. A place where students don’t just learn—they lead. A space where innovation isn’t a buzzword—it’s the foundation of every single day. Today on the What School Could Be Podcast, we step into the future of education with two visionary leaders who happen to live and work in the Great State of Rhode Island: Bryan Byerlee and Heather Breton. Heather grew up in Rhode Island, raised by a village—her grandparents, her teachers, and a community that shaped her into the educator she is today. She’s a believer in the power of connections, curiosity, and personalization—because no two students should or will ever walk the same path. Currently she is the principal at Rhodes Elementary in Rhode Island’s Cranston Public Schools. Bryan, also a Rhode Island native, found inspiration in the relationships he built while in school and on his life’s journey. I ask him to reflect on how hope, the state motto of Rhode Island and not just an abstract idea, is built from relationships, from moving at the speed of trust in a school culture where every voice matters. Bryan has been and continues to be the principal at Garden City Elementary, which is largely the focus of this episode. Together, they stand at the heart of Garden City Elementary, a groundbreaking school designed by Fielding International not just for students, but with the entire Garden City community. Imagine a place where learning spaces flex and shift, where nature meets design, and where education is reimagined through the lens of choice, autonomy, and well-being. In this episode, we’ll talk about what it means to design a school around students instead of fitting students into a school. We’ll explore the discomfort of change, the thrill of transformation, and the small, human moments that create lasting impact. We will address questions such as: How do learning environments contribute to deeper and collaborative learning? What does it look like when kids take charge of their own learning journeys? And how can the physical spaces we build today shape the communities of tomorrow? And if you think this episode is just about one school, think again. This conversation is about the future of education itself. Nathan Strenge, the Senior Learning Designer at Fielding International wrote the following for this episode: “I recommended Bryan and Heather for the What School Could Be Podcast because of their remarkable leadership during the launch of Garden City School. They embraced learner-centered teaching, empowering others to transform practices and shift from isolated classrooms to collaborative environments where student agency and joy flourish. Their lived experience exemplifies the heart of what school could be." So fasten your seatbelts, listeners; here is my conversation with Heather Breton and Bryan Byerlee. The show's audio is engineered by Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by pianist, Michael Sloan.
Listeners, a little over a year ago I attended a leadership conference here in my home city of Honolulu. At that conference the keynote, a futurist named Richard Yonck referred to a book he felt the 1000 business leaders in the audience needed to read. The book he referenced is The Good Ancestor, by Roman Krznaric. Five minutes after Yonck's reference Krznaric’s book was on its way to me via my Amazon app. The Good Ancestor changed the arc of my life and shifted my thinking about education 180 degrees. So it is with great pleasure that I bring to you today my interview with its author. In this episode I delve deep into the mind of one of the most thought-provoking authors of our time. Roman Krznaric is a public philosopher, social change advocate, and, as noted, the author of the influential book The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World. His work challenges us to reimagine how we approach the future, prioritize intergenerational justice, and rethink the systems that shape our lives—including and maybe most importantly, education. We begin with a walk through the world’s first Empathy Museum, an initiative Roman founded, which invites visitors to step into the shoes of others—literally and figuratively. From there, we explore how his own intercultural experiences as a young student in Hong Kong sparked a lifelong commitment to empathy and connection. Then, we geek out on Roman’s acclaim as a writer. The Good Ancestor has garnered praise from luminaries like The Edge of U2 fame, who called it “the book our children’s children will thank us for reading.” We discuss how such heartfelt endorsements fuel his mission to inspire long-term thinking. Subsequently, we turn our focus to the intersection of education and the ideas in The Good Ancestor. How can teachers incorporate concepts like Wade Davis’ ethnosphere into cross-disciplinary lessons that encourage students to think across time? How might legacy thinking, cathedral building, and imagination as a skill become the core of a reimagined curriculum? Roman shares actionable insights that educators can bring to life in their classrooms today.
We also discuss bold ideas for governance, such as transitioning from nation-states to city-states, and how such shifts could empower students to design systems rooted in deep democracy and sustainable futures. And we explore the potential of a course modeled after Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future, deputizing students as “ministers” tasked with addressing humanity’s greatest challenges.
Finally, listeners, as I write approximately 8 billion humans are alive on Earth. Over 50,000 years approximately 100 billion have already died. And, approximately 7 trillion humans will be born in the next 50,000 years. This episode is dedicated to the just born, and yet unborn.
Sophie Halliday, a dear friend and the executive director of the Laulima Foundation here in Hawaii said the following for this episode: “The Good Ancestor has been an important part of my thinking as both a citizen of the world and as an educator. I was profoundly moved by Krznaric’s call for us to extend our time horizon when it comes to decision-making to shift towards acorn thinking, taking into consideration the interests of future generations. His work translating and amplifying indigenous knowledge and wisdom has deeply influenced my work with youth - a core mindset that we seek to instill in our Laulima Foundation youth advisory board members is a generational mindset: We ask, How might we infuse our decision-making to take into account future generations yet to be born?" Our episodes are engineered and edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
Back in June of last year, listeners, my daughter, Emma got married in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. The day after her wedding my wife and I got coffee and breakfast at a Nevada City coffee joint. While I was in the restroom Cheryl spotted a guy wearing a floppy hat reading and writing at one of the shop’s tables. The book he had open was John Hattie’s Visible Learning. She rushed to get me as I emerged from the restroom and excitedly shared what she had spotted. We sashayed over to the guy and struck up a conversation about his reading of Hattie. As it turned out, the gods were watching over me that morning because the gentleman, Tony Frontier, was and is a colleague of John Hattie. Tony and I traded contacts and later, at my request, asked Mr. Hattie if he would be on my show. Long story short, John Hattie and Tony Frontier are my first guests of the 2025 season. I could not be more stoked, honored, pleased and privileged.
Professor John Hattie is a researcher in education. His research interests include performance indicators, models of measurement and evaluation of teaching and learning. Hattie became known to a wider public with his two books Visible Learning and Visible Learning for Teachers. Visible Learning is a synthesis of more than 800 meta-studies covering more than 80 million students. Visible Learning is the result of 15 years of research about what works best for learning in schools. He has been called “possibly the world’s most influential education academic.”
I asked ChatGPT for a quote about John Hattie and it came with this: “John Hattie is a beacon of educational insight, illuminating what truly works in the classroom with unparalleled clarity and evidence. His groundbreaking work in Visible Learning has redefined how we understand impact, empowering educators to transform learning outcomes worldwide.” Thanks, ChatGPT, and I could not agree more. You can find more on John Hattie at the website of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, in Australia.
Tony Frontier is an award-winning educator who works with teachers and school leaders nationally and internationally to help them prioritize efforts to improve student learning. With expertise in student engagement, evidence-based assessment, effective instruction, teacher reflection, data analysis, and strategic planning, Frontier emphasizes a systems approach to build capacity and empower teachers to improve each student’s schooling experience. Prior to his work as a consultant, Frontier served as an associate professor of doctoral leadership studies at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he taught courses in curriculum development, organizational learning, research methods, and statistics. As a former classroom teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, an associate high school principal, and the director of curriculum and instruction for the Whitefish Bay School District, Frontier brings a wealth of experience to his writing and research. His latest book, AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders will be published later this year through ASCD. As a professional musician and photographer, Frontier is always listening and looking for metaphors in the arts and humanities to help participants make authentic connections to the opportunities and challenges teachers and school leaders face each day.
As always, our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara, and our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!
If you are listening to this episode on the day of its release, it is Christmas Day, 2024, listeners, and you are welcome! My Christmas gift to you is Sean Duffie, who, frankly, is a crazy awesome and amazing educator in the great state of Michigan. Sean is a Project Next PBL, and Spanish-Immersion teacher at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Along the way he has served as Adjunct Professor of Spanish at Grand Valley State University and before that, he was a Fulbright English Teacher at Villablanca High School in Madrid, Spain, where he taught 7th and 8th grade learners while building a bilingual program and developing literature workshops. As a Project Next PBL teacher, department and program chair he has played many roles, including helping learners experience 21st-century learning essentials through authentic project experiences. He co-taught projects and inquiries with world history, biology, geometry, English, environmental science, and art. Sean coaches a 25-member high-school writing club and slam team that meets weekly and publishes a literary/arts magazine every school year. His experience training as a Louder than a Bomb! national organizer cemented his passion for injecting intersectionality and youth voices into his teaching and writing. Working side-by-side with students, he helps them become adults who will work to bring the marginalized to the center in whatever realm they work and live in. Sean holds an Education Specialist pre-doctoral degree in Education Leadership, as well as a Master's in Spanish Curriculum and Instruction from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, where he was fortunate enough to emphasize 20th century and contemporary Caribbean poetry. Wendy Zdeb, the Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals had this to say about Project Next: “While observing the Project Next student presentations, I was struck by their professionalism, confidence, and impressive depth of knowledge. These students demonstrated a remarkable ability to connect literature to history, geography, and culture, showcasing an understanding far beyond the book's storyline. Equally impressive were the employability skills on display—articulate communication, collaboration, organization, and creativity—skills that are essential for success in any career. It was clear they had engaged deeply with their learning, both as individuals and as teams.” Lynn Cvengros, our What School Could Be Global Innovation Synergist and the person responsible for bringing Sean to my attention shared this comment she heard from one of Sean’s students: “"Project Next has helped me in ways that I couldn't even imagine. Going into high school I was a very poor public speaker. Project Next taught me how to speak with confidence in front of large crowds and how to develop social skills." As this year comes to a close I want to express my gratitude to my team - Evan Kurohara (audio engineer) and Michael Sloan (theme music) - for their tireless support of this show.
My guest for this episode is LeeAnn Kittle, the director of sustainability programs for the Denver Public Schools.
LeeAnn showed up on my radar screen because of a headline in EdWeek’s weekly newsletter. The headline read, "This Leader Partners With Students to Build a More Sustainable Future for Her District." At EdWeek’s website I discovered two more articles about LeeAnn, and vowed then and there to track down her contact and invite her to be my guest on the show.
For the past several weeks I have been doing a deep dive into LeeAnn’s life, and work. She is an extraordinary human with a mile wide, and mile deep resume, all of which indicates she is a warrior for Planet Earth, and a powerful advocate for student voice.
Describing her more formally, she is a strategic professional who has built sustainability programs in higher education and K-12 for over 15 years. She has a Master’s in Business Administration and a B.S. in Environmental Science. She is passionate about educating and inspiring her community on sustainability initiatives to address pressing climate issues.
She works hard to change the narrative from climate crisis to one of bold action, innovation, and accountability. LeeAnn has implemented green roofs, rooftop solar, community solar, building and fleet electrification, natural resource management, and student engagement.
She has served on several boards across the front range including organizations such as US Green Building Council, Recycle Colorado, and the Colorado Association for School District Energy Managers. She also took part in NREL’s Energy Executive Leadership Program and was recently named Energy Manager of the Year for the Central and South US through the Association of Energy Engineers. Most of all, LeeAnn is a strong advocate for the power and the promise of public education.
I spent some time researching the team LeeAnn built for the Denver Public Schools Sustainability program. Wow, their collective commitment to Planet Earth and opportunity-based learning for young learners put a charge in my battery that will last for months, I am sure.
From LeeAnn's online biography I noted that she grew up in Cleveland catching frogs, kicking a soccer ball, and holding her own among her three brothers. When she’s not feeling the constant shame of failing to get through her inbox, she can be found spending time with her family, watching The Wizard of Oz, or letting her creative juices flow through art or fashion.
These episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our music comes from the vast catalog of my college roommate and master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Mitch Weathers is a brilliant educator, author of the book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom and the founder of Organized Binder. Organized Binder is an evidence-based MTSS Tier 1 universal solution. It provides a structured environment with clear expectations and routines, exposing students to goal setting, reflective learning, time management, study strategies, and organizational skills. It aligns with Universal Design for Learning and supports Least Restrictive Environments, or LREs. You know listeners, I graduated from high school in 1976 with a 2.6 GPA and awful SAT scores. My first year of college was a massive success if you consider drinking and playing rugby the object. After dropping out of college I became, for the next 15 years, a chef and then a hotel manager. Eventually I finished my undergraduate degree and earned a, yes, 4.25 GPA. Why? Because what I gained over those years as a chef and hotel manager was an elevated set of executive functions never taught to me when I was in this thing we call “school.” Evan Beachy, a senior strategist at one of the largest independent schools in the country, is the reason I have Mitch on the show today, and he had this to say for this episode: “I first met Mitch a couple of years ago, through a mutual friend. Though we’ve been meeting monthly ever since to dive into our work, ideas, personal and professional struggles, and engage in general intellectual discourse on education, we have never met in person. But our connection runs deep. Mitch is a snowboarder, a runner, a father, an entrepreneur, an author, and a connector. In a world where we must embrace technology, analog interaction and the hands-on practice of building resiliency is more important than ever. Thus, Mitch’s work with executive functioning is vitally important; far more important than mere content or scope and sequence. Studentship, the habits and practices of being a student - executive functioning in neuro-scientific parlance - are more vital than ever in today’s educational landscape and Mitch is among those leading the charge". A principal at Sequoia High School in CA wrote the following about Mitch: “My first interactions with Mitch were when he was a new teacher in our district and I was his BTSA support provider. I remember being struck from the start by what an incredibly gifted educator he already was. Mitch not only put much time into planning his classroom instruction so that he maximized learning and minimized distractions, but he was also able to successfully convey these goals to kids. Every lesson began with the end in mind and students were given clear steps as to how to fulfill the day’s objectives. Every lesson closed with students writing about what they had learned that day and Mitch would use these writings to inform the next day’s instruction. Equal only to Mitch’s sound pedagogy is his ability to work with students. In short, he is a kid whisperer. Mitch consistently treats his students with the respect due to scholars and they respond in turn. From kids who end up at Stanford, to those who will be the first in their family to graduate from high school, all students love Mitch and strive to do well in his care.” Editing for this episode is provided by the amazing and talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
I am totally stoked to welcome to the show Mahealani Jackson, a remarkable 17-year-old senior at Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu. Joining as my color commentator is Hannah Grady Williams, Chief Rebel at d'Skills, who alerted me to this extraordinary young person who was part of her first all-virtual IMPACT10 cohort powering up kids on AI. Mahealani's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Despite her young age, she has already lived experiences equivalent to multiple lifetimes. From her early years as a skilled planner of Disneyland trips with her parents to her current pursuit of graduating from high school and college simultaneously, Mahealani's story is one of determination, resilience and incredible self awareness. In Hawaiʻi where this show originates, we have a saying: Ma Ka Hana Ka Ike: in doing one learns. Mahealani lives and breathes and walks in the light of this proverb. In today’s conversation we delve into Mahealani's philosophy of life, shaped significantly by Joseph Murphy's book, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. Murphy’s book has influenced Mahealani’s approach to success and her refusal to be limited by others' achievements. Mahealani also shares insights into her educational experiences, highlighting two influential Kamehameha Schools teachers who fostered her growth mindset and created memorable learning environments. As a participant in the first all-virtual d'Skills IMPACT10 program, which took place in early 2024 when she was only 16, Mahealani has subsequently developed core skills that make her an instant asset to any company. Her drive for efficiency and unique approach to tasks, even those unfamiliar to her, set her apart. However, Mahealani also candidly discusses the challenges she faces, expressing that school has become "a burden to my dreams, not a supporter." Ouch, these words hurt my heart. Today’s conversation also explores Mahealani's thoughts on college preparation, her vision for a Student Bill of Rights, and her perspective on the role of AI in education, among other topics. She shares her experience helping her boyfriend build a ChatGPT bot for his nursing studies, demonstrating her forward-thinking approach to technology in learning, and her deeply layered humanist tendencies. Throughout this conversation, listeners, Mahealani's self-awareness, critical thinking, and passion for learning will knock you out. Her story offers an open window into what school could be, and what could be school as seen through the eyes of an exceptional learner who is actively shaping her own educational journey and breaking out of the box that is traditional education, which we know tends to crush creativity and imagination. And as frosting on the cake, you will hear previous guest, Hannah Grady Williams chime in with her insights on Mahealani, much like a one-person Greek chorus. Frankly, Mahealani, Hannah and I had way too much fun doing this live to tape interview at the the Mike and Sandy Hartley Math, Science & Technology Complex, podcast studio at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. As always, this episode was engineered by Evan Kurohara. My thanks to Jon Pennington at MPI for helping to arrange for studio time.
Listeners, I could not be more excited to share with you that my guest for this episode is Dr. Kyra Monèt Caldwell Templeton. Currently, she is Program Director of Student Engagement, an inaugural position with the Atlanta Public Schools, which serves over 50,000 students in 195 schools with nearly 4000 teachers. Remarkably, the student-teacher ratio in the Atlantic public schools is a very low 12.6. An important caveat here: for this episode Dr. Caldwell Templeton is not speaking on behalf of the Atlanta public school system. Dr. Caldwell Templeton's journey in education includes degrees from Spelman College, Capella University, Georgia State University and Mercer University. Any walk through her resume will result in you knowing, listeners, for sure, that she is a passionate lifelong learner. Her teaching journey includes positions at Cobb County’s Sprayberry High school, the KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School, McEachern High School, also in Cobb County, and Marietta City Schools. Along the way she co-founded Radiant Educational Services, LLC, a national educational empowerment consulting group that provides customized professional development, coaching, strategic planning, curriculum design and evaluation for academic and non-profit institutions. She has also been an advocate for professional development. She was awarded the National Council for Teachers of English, Teacher of Color Award and has presented at several county, regional, and statewide professional development initiatives in which she discussed Performance Assessment, Writing Across the Curriculum, Grammar Integration in the Literature Classroom, Multi-Modal Instruction, as well as other relevant educational topics. Editing for this podcast is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is from the catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review and rating wherever you get your podcasts!
[During this episode reference is made to the work of mural artist, Dave Loewenstein. Here is his work.] At the Global Nomads Group website their vision, mission and about begins with this paragraph: “In 1998, four college friends had an idea to connect young people across the globe to foster dialogue and forge meaningful connections. They had heard about the emergence of video conferencing technology and thought maybe they could use it to link classrooms.” What happened over the next decades, listeners, is the subject of this episode. My guest today is Sandra Stein, Chief of Programs and Learning at the Global Nomads Group. Sandra is a passionate educator, writer, scholar, and justice advocate who leads staff and youth in the design, delivery, and assessment of Global Nomads Group’s unique programs. She is the author of two books on education policy and practice, and her writing has appeared in leading periodicals. She has a doctorate in Education from Stanford University and a long and deep teaching resume. The best way to introduce Sandra to you, listeners, is to use the words of individuals who have written about her. A program coordinator in Korea wrote, “One of her exceptional skills is her ability to tackle heavy topics such as bias and women's rights in such an effortless manner, sustaining everyone’s engagement and nurturing discussions. Her extensive knowledge and experience in curriculum development and instructional material design ignited a passion in me to dig deeper in this path. Dr. Sandra is one of those once in a lifetime individuals who come into your life and help you reach a reckoning by dissecting your life, your biases, and infusing you with energy to reach for your potential.” A former programs coordinator at Global Nomads had this to say about Sandra: “Beyond her technical and leadership skills, Sandra has a unique talent for fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment. She introduced me to the world of accessibility, teaching me how to ensure that all the content I create, the language I use, and the way I live are as accommodating and inclusive as possible. I learned about the impact of ableism and how it can affect the lives of those around me, and I carry this knowledge with me wherever I go.” And finally, a student who first met Sandra at Grinnell College said this: “What stands out most about Sandra is her unique approach to feedback. She has a way of making every conversation feel like a two-way dialogue, where both parties are learning and growing. Sandra is direct and honest, but her feedback never feels harsh or discouraging. Instead, she has a remarkable ability to frame constructive criticism as part of a broader, thoughtful discussion. She always takes the time to understand the effort and thought behind the work, valuing the person just as much as the final product. Her feedback isn’t just about what needs improvement—it’s about recognizing potential and encouraging growth, which made every interaction with her feel empowering and insightful." Our show's audio engineer is the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Hey listeners. I have never done this before, so I hope you enjoy. This is a short, four-minute preview of upcoming episodes, the shows that will close out 2024. Fasten your seatbelts!
Today my guest is Theresa Tate, who currently teaches, guides, coaches and advises kids at the Orchard View Innovative Learning Center in Michigan. Theresa is a guest on this podcast because of a recommendation made to me by Chris McNutt, one of the founders of The Human Restoration Project, which just held its annual, virtual, Conference to Restore Humanity. Chris wrote the following for this episode: “Theresa Tate is an incredible educator with an unwavering support of students who have nowhere else to turn. In our focus groups at the Orchard View ILC, students consistently described Theresa's classroom as a "family," expressing reluctance to leave the nurturing space she has created upon graduation. And she is a fierce advocate for disabled and neurodivergent students, dedicated to building a more inclusive and supportive future.” Nick Kunnen, Theresa’s Director at the Innovative Learning Center wrote the following for this episode: “As her co-worker, friend, and supervisor, I can not say enough about Theresa Tate. She continues to amaze me with her passion and drive to connect with her students and to provide them with not only a quality learning experience but also a space that is safe and welcoming. Theresa's ability to openly share her own story helps everyone around her feel comfortable and connected.” Theresa noted to me that she decided at a young age (once she got past the combination firefighter-ballerina-marine biologist phase) that she wanted to be a teacher. There were a few factors that influenced her decision, one being her mother, who, though started as a teacher but became a mail carrier, encouraged Theresa to follow the teaching path. The other factor had to do with getting a ticket to college - becoming a teacher was that ticket and the start of a process of becoming the remarkable educator she is today. At Spring Arbor University Theresa earned her BA in English with a minor in Spanish while being named, in her secondary education concentration, as the E.P. Hart Honors Scholar. Among the many accomplishments listed in her resume related to the Orchard View Innovative Learning Center, these several jump out as wonderful gemstones. Theresa founded a Creative Writing Club during her last semester that had regular after-school attendance of 5-7 students who enjoyed exploring and experimenting with new forms and genres. She served as Vice President of Orchard View Education Association, which gave her the opportunity to learn a great deal about the relationship between the District and the Association and how both work to improve the field for teachers and students. By the way, listeners, What School Could Be is doing some major work in the great state of Michigan. This is why I am so pleased to bring you this episode. As always, this show's audio engineer is the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Inspired by the Liger Leadership Academy, which, by the way, I featured in a previous episode, Cambodia’s Future Foundation, known as the CFF was created with the ultimate goal of "nurturing leaders and changing lives." In 2014, CFF identified and selected a cohort of ten, 16-year-old students with two years of high school before graduation. CFF recognized that, due to financial limitations, these students did not and would not have the funds to attend university after high school. This stark reality affects thousands of young Cambodians destined to drop out of school to work in factories or farms, marry at a young age, or move to a bigger city to find work. CFF students successfully realized their potential and made decisions that positively impacted their lives, the lives of others, their community, and their country. After screening hundreds of candidates, a young woman named Sokvy Vin stood out with her bright smile and the grit and perseverance to succeed. I am thrilled that Sokvy is my guest on today’s episode. She was selected and would become the first in her family to graduate high school and attend university. Her ambitious CFF service project aimed to provide sanitation facilities to four economically disadvantaged families, including a single mother with AIDS and two young children. Happily, every CFF student has graduated from a Cambodian university and is gainfully employed. One CFF student is now a high school chemistry teacher. Due to her ambition and motivation, CFF collaborated with the foundation SHE-CAN, from whom Sokvy Vin received a full scholarship to the University of Portland, where she is now in her senior year. Robert Landau, one of the founders of Cambodia’s Future Foundation wrote the following for today’s episode. “Sokvy Vin’s journey from rural Cambodia to the University of Portland exemplifies the transformative power of investing in human capital, education, and perseverance. I first met Sokvy in 2013 when she was a 16-year-old high school student in Kampong Speu Province. Her excellent English and confidence stood out as we launched Cambodia's Future Foundation. Despite challenges, Sokvy exceeded expectations, earning scholarships to a Cambodian university and later to the University of Portland. I've watched her embrace new experiences, from her first international service trip to initiating a basketball project, which included building a basketball court along with uniforms and equipment in her hometown. Sokvy's story of grit and paying it forward makes her an inspiring role model, showing that with determination and support, one can overcome challenging circumstances to achieve their dreams.” Editing for this episode is provided by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Months ago a colleague of mine alerted me to an EdWeek article titled “An Unorthodox Plan to Pay Students to Write Curriculum Is Raising Achievement,” which described some very unusual work being done by Dr. Kate Maxlow, an educator on the East Coast. The article opens with this: “Kate Maxlow admits to being the ‘first person in the room to get bored.’ As a teacher, she worked overtime to keep her elementary students engaged but privately wondered if some content is just destined to be dry. She changed her mind the day her daughter—sick with a 100-degree fever—pleaded to be allowed to go to the last day of summer math camp. The 10-year-old had spent a week learning about patterns and writing code, and the work was set to culminate in a big escape-room challenge. Maxlow, the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the Hampton City schools on Virginia’s eastern coast, wished all students would be so excited by their classwork that a sick day would come as a bitter disappointment. ‘I’ve always thought that schools need to do a better job of being innovative and engaging students, but I figured there were just some subjects you can’t make fun,’ Maxlow said. ‘I realized then that it’s possible to do, even if it’s not easy or obvious.’” So, awesome listeners, what you will hear over the next 70 minutes is a deep dive into Dr. Maxlow’s life, her work, the way she thinks and her hopes and dreams for education. And, I am excited to share, back in 2020, Dr. Maxlow received the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Leadership Award for her work coordinating efforts to innovate the Hampton City Schools curriculum. As always, our episodes are edited by the talented audio engineer, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by pianist, Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review and rating wherever you get your podcasts.
Article Links:
Hollywood to Hampton
Student Evaluations of Curriclum
The FLEx Program
Kate Maxwell Consulting
[I am releasing this episode while in Nevada City, CA, where my daughter, Emma Reppun (now Emma Jean George), my 101st episode, just got married to her now husband, Jaden. It was a joyous occasion - so in that spirit, I release this 129th episode.] This episode features two guests and largely focuses on the What School Could Be, 2Revolutions masters program in Learner-Centered Schools & Systems, which is geared towards innovative educators seeking to develop capacity as teacher leaders, instructional coaches, and supportive leaders working towards educational transformation. My guests are 2Revolutions’s Senior Consultant, Catherine Thorn, and Wai’alae Elementary Public Charter School Curriculum Coordinator and Instructional Coach, Kim Ah Soon, who will graduate from the aforementioned masters program in July, 2024, a few weeks after this episode airs. Catherine Thorn has nearly 20 years of classroom and educational leadership experience. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Boston University and an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts. She completed a The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Leading and Learning in a Competency-Based System at Southern New Hampshire University; this program was a product of a collaboration between Southern New Hampshire University and 2Revolutions. Over the course of 20 years Catherine has held numerous positions as a classroom educator and an education leader and change agent in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. Now a Coach for 2Revolutions, Catherine has co-facilitated state-level professional learning communities focused on leveraging performance assessment as evidence of graduation readiness and served as an adjunct professor for Spalding University. Catherine is leveraging her passions and experiences in implementing competency-based, student-centered learning to support 2Revolutions’s Graduate programs and Communities of Practice. The best way for me to introduce Kim Ah Soon is to read from a letter of recommendation written on her behalf by Mary Wenstrom, the CEO of the school she works at, which is Waialae Elementary Public Charter School. Mary wrote, “She has been an educator for 34 years and has been willing to learn, unlearn, and relearn. She possesses a genuine warmth and empathy that allows her to connect with educators at all levels, from veteran teachers to those just starting their careers. Kim doesn't simply connect; she leads. She exhibits a unique blend of empathy and knowledge. She can readily understand a teacher's challenges and frustrations, yet she also possesses the pedagogical expertise to offer insightful solutions. This makes her coaching sessions incredibly valuable, as teachers feel both heard and supported in their journey towards growth. She has a talent for building capacity within her colleagues, empowering them to become more effective educators.” One of Kim’s student’s parents once wrote, “You're a real person in a world where real people are hard to find. And when my son needed you, when I needed someone even though I tried so hard not to need anyone, you were there. You were my friend when I needed a real one. Beautiful and high praise, which is why I am glad to have Kim on this show. Prior to her position at Waialae Elementary Public Charter School Kim taught for more than 23 years at Ben Parker Elementary and Hawaii Technology Academy. She is also active in several organizations working to prepare kids for the workforce of today, and tomorrow, including the Pilina Education Alliance. Post production provided by Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please leave us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts!
Today's conversation is with Kris Swett, who wrote the following: “My passion is for the alternative. Making sure schools can better serve different students' needs, my life's work is to create alternative educational models. Conventional schooling is falling by the wayside and technology, and a global community becomes our new reality. We cannot teach the students of the future with the ways of the past." Though Kris has held a number of roles in education today’s episode is going to focus a great deal on his time as the principal at South Valley High School, which became, under his leadership, Big Picture Ukiah. It is a remarkable story, listeners, worthy of your time. Kris has a masters in education from Cal State Chico with an emphasis on Curriculum and Instruction and School Leadership. His bachelors is in political science with an emphasis in international relations and economics, also from Cal State Chico. Kris writes, “I am a Northern California native and the son of an elementary school teacher and union leader. I am described as restless and always full of new ideas. My path to becoming a principal was not a straight journey. I began my adult life as a Bartender and Manager of a Michelin rated restaurant in rural Northern California. I then became a high school teacher, teaching mostly social studies with a smattering of English, math, independent study, and physical education. I love being with students and challenging them to think. They showed their appreciation for me by selecting me as the 2007 Teacher of the Year.” Robert Landau, who first introduced me to Kris as together they launched what is called IMPACT, a project that exists at the cutting edge of what school could be and what could be school, wrote the following about Kris for this episode. “In August 2020, I, along with many others, believed that the worldwide pandemic might spark a global transformation in education. While this didn't fully materialize, I designed a framework for the future called IMPACT. While searching for thought partners, a trusted friend, Scott Paulin, recommended I meet Kris Swett. The rest, as they say, is history. Kris is a dynamic, passionate, and determined change agent. It has been wonderful to find someone so committed to leaving theory behind, rolling up his sleeves, and getting in the trenches to make schools better and more equitable for all students. It is an honor to pass my baton to Kris Swett.” Editing for these episodes is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan. Please leave us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts!
Listeners, Real World Learning is a Kansas City-based initiative, incubated at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, in partnership with the community, that works to prepare its region, students, and employers for the future. Through immersive experiences like projects and internships with leading employer partners, students get a head start on achieving their career goals at an early age. I learned about Real World Learning through its facilitator at the Kauffman Foundation, educator in residence, Bill Nicely. Eventually, after being knocked out by what Real World Learning is doing in the Kansas City area, I asked Bill to name someone to be a guest on this show. He named Sarah Renfrow, who teaches at Ray-Pec High School and works as a consultant for the Kauffman Foundation. Bill Nicely wrote the following about Sarah for today’s episode. "True 'Master Teachers' are an amazing gift. And even knowing this, to say that Sara Refrow is a Master Teacher is to make a significant understatement. Sarah is or course, a master teacher, one of the best I've observed. She is also a master teacher of teachers. The best I’ve observed. Her understanding of how to strategically integrate Client Connected Projects into core content high school courses is amazing, but it is her ability to help teachers do the same that is her true talent. When done well integrated Client Connected Projects are synonymous with Competency Based Learning and can very quickly become over complicated and burdensome for teachers. Sarah's real skill lies in simplifying the process to manageable pieces while conveying a low pressure, 'just try it' disposition. The result for teachers is they not only learn a new and better way to engage students, they also find themselves equally engaged themselves especially as they transition from teacher to facilitator of learning. All the while, Sarah, in a whispering kind of way, checks for understanding and moves to the next step in the process. Before you know it, teachers are implementing with fidelity and students are not only learning content, they are discovering new things about themselves and the world around them. It is this approach and her talent that has helped to catalyze the Kansas City’s Real World Learning Collaborative. Some day, when we step back and ask ourselves, 'how did this initiative take hold to benefit so many students,' one response will surely be; 'we had Sarah Renfrow.'" Editing for this show is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Andrew Culberson lives and works in New Brunswick, which is one of the 13 provinces that make up Canada. Andrew is a learning specialist for the New Brunswick Department of Education, with a focus on school counseling, mental health and high school change. He has been working in leadership roles in schools and in education and early childhood development over the past 18 years. In many ways Andrew embodies and thrives on what we at What School Could Be care deeply about, which is the building of caring and connected communities. Andrew’s resume is long, and deep. A careful reading suggests he is a coalition builder, a counselor with strong listening and empathy skills, a motivational leader who understands that moving change forward starts with building lasting relationships with the educators, parents and greater communities that will actually carry out that change. Andrew has a BS in Science and Biology, a BA in Education and a Masters in Education Counseling from the University of New Brunswick. Robert Landau, a previous guest on this show and a What School Could Be consultant and coach working with Andrew wrote the following for this episode: “In his role as a Comprehensive and Developmental School Counselor within Education Support Services for the Province of New Brunswick schools, Andrew Culbertson embodies the essence of a champion, advocate, and facilitator for educational innovation and transformation. The foundation of his impactful work is aptly encapsulated in the word ʻsupport.ʻ Andrew's fervent belief is that every student is entitled to an educational experience that nurtures their potential and fosters a sense of inclusion and success. Having had the privilege to collaborate with him on an innovative alternative education project that introduced micro-courses to high school students, I witnessed firsthand the profound respect and admiration he commands. Andrew's unique combination of strengths—ideation, maximizing, strategic planning, and connectedness—makes him a dynamic force of nature in educational support and development.” Kimberly Bauer, the former Director of Learning and Achievement for the New Brunswick Education and Early Childhood Development, English speaking sector has called Andrew a highly committed visionary, a relationship builder, a networker, a results oriented and future focused leader. Those are some pretty awesome accolades. Editing provided by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Meet Lee Fertig, the Head of School at the Nueva School in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lee has more than 30 years of leadership and teaching experience in a wide variety of educational settings including five international schools in Ethiopia, Brazil, Spain, and Belgium, a leading independent school in New York City, and a voluntary integration public magnet school in Minneapolis. In addition, for many years Lee has been training at the Principals’ Training Center (PTC). You will hear more about the PTC in a moment. Lee has taught in the College of Education at the University of Minnesota, and is a guest speaker on contemporary educational issues at a wide variety of community events. Nueva School is a place that brings together gifted students from across the Bay Area to engage in a Pre-K through 12 educational program anchored by a community that is caring and compassionate. It is this unique combination of academic and social-emotional learning that makes Nueva the school that it is and has been since 1967. At the core of what Nueva means by developing learners and thinkers who are ‘bridgers’ across perspectives is the ability of its students to engage in deep learning across disciplines, to understand different ways of knowing about a particular concept, and to break down and reconstruct systems that frame how we learn about things. It is a school and community dedicated to learning by doing and learning by caring. Robert Landau, a former guest on this show wrote the following for this episode, and I quote. “During my recent visit to Nueva School, I witnessed Head Lee Fertig's exceptional ability to interact and network. Seamlessly engaging with parents, teachers, and students, Lee demonstrated a relational, respectful, and encouraging demeanor, making everyone feel known and included. His smart, intuitive, and passionate approach and commitment to the future make him an educator I truly respect and admire.” Because Lee and I dive into the Principals Training Center in this episode, I asked Robert Landau to say a word about it as well. Robert writes, “Since its inaugural session in 1985 and first summer session in 1989, the Principals Training Center has stood as a beacon of excellence in educational leadership development, nurturing the potential of countless school leaders across the globe. It emboldens them with cutting-edge strategies, a deepened understanding of educational leadership, and a global network of peers. The PTC's unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in leadership training remains unparalleled, genuinely embodying the pinnacle of professional development for educational leaders.” Editing provided by Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan.
My guests for this episode are The River School’s Dr. Christane Connors and Dr. Sharlene Ottley. The River School is located on MacArthur Boulevard in Washington, DC. The pillars that The River School stands on, listed at their website, include the following: a commitment to progressive education, a play-based, child-centered thematic curriculum, a commitment to diverse and inclusive classrooms and active learning. So how does The River School stand out from similar independent, progressive elementary schools? One to three students in each class live with hearing loss, which means children learn there are different ways to think, to feel, to process information, and to express themselves. A classroom where difference is the norm advances social-emotional learning and promotes an ethos of caring, engagement, and support that extends beyond the classroom. Its unique co-teaching model is unique, and having a master’s level educator and a speech-language pathologist together in each classroom has greatly impacted and enhanced the language, literacy and social outcomes of its students. Dr. Christiane Connors is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at The River School. Previously, she was Director of Civic Engagement and Senior Projects at Edmund Burke School where she led a school-wide initiative to integrate social justice pedagogy across the school’s curriculum, instruction and administration. Christiane was an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Education & Human Development. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University. Christiane has a daughter who is a cochlear implant user, thus, she is aware of the challenges parents face in navigating the hearing intervention landscape starting with diagnosis, through cochlear implant candidacy and rehabilitation. For over 10 years Dr. Sharlene Ottley has served as Director of Community Outreach and Research at The River School. She completed graduate studies in Speech-Language Pathology at Gallaudet University with an emphasis in Pediatric Aural Rehabilitation. Prior to The River School, Dr. Ottley worked in a variety of early intervention, school-based and outpatient settings providing services to children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including those with hearing loss and Spanish-English bilingual students. She completed her Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Howard University with a focus on children with cochlear implants from bilingual Spanish/English speaking homes. Dr. Ottley oversees the research, assessment, and DEIB efforts at The River School, develops community based partnerships and programs, and has a passion for improving services for children and families from marginalized and underserved communities. Listeners, this is the first time I have featured a school that specializes in supporting young learners who are HH, meaning hard of hearing. Today’s guests embody what we care deeply about at What School Could Be, which is caring and connected communities. The River School is a lifeline to countless families, which is what makes this episode so special.
Editing was provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review and rating wherever you find your podcasts!
Links:
Our Ocean Palau - Mia Kami
Why The River School?
My guest for this episode is a Fairfax County Public Schools music teacher, Annie Ray. For many of you listeners, her name will immediately ring a bell. To introduce Annie, I am going to read verbatim from a National Public Radio online article posted on February, 7th, 2024. “GRAMMY Awards don't only go to the people who produce and perform songs. For just over a decade, they've also been given out to those who teach others how to make music. The Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, recognizes those who have made a "significant contribution and demonstrate a commitment to music education." This year it went to Annie Ray, the performing arts department chair and orchestra director at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. She was honored for her efforts to make music accessible to all students, particularly those with disabilities. Ray got to attend the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, take selfies with pop stars and bring home both a $10,000 prize and matching grant for her school's music program. But speaking with NPR's Morning Edition, she said she doesn't consider the award to be hers at all. "This is the students' award," she said. "I'm just lucky enough to have been a part of their journey and their process and to have been taught by them." Listeners, you all know that the five themes of the What School Could Be movement are mobilizing your community, student driven learning, real world challenges, assessing for deeper learning and caring and connected communities. Annie Ray’s story might be the greatest example of an educator, or education leader I have interviewed on this show who is tapping into all five themes Annie’s resume in the arts is long and very deep. In addition to two degrees in music from the University of North Texas, she develops training programs and workshops for disability and inclusion at a remarkable organization called String Wise. She is a frequent speaker at conferences on the arts, and I will share with you that my favorite of her topics is titled, Harpe Diem: the Harp in Your Everyday Classroom. How cool is that title? In addition to her GRAMMY Music Educator award and other awards, in 2022 she was named the Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Fairfax County Public Schools. Best of all, Annie’s students say that at times she is “unhinged.” Given this word is the way most of my former history and economics students would describe me, I felt an immediate sense of kinship with my guest. Annie lives in Virginia with her husband, also a musician, and their two young daughters, Eloise and Millie. Editing for this episode was provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalogue of pianist Michael Sloan. Please leave us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts. [NOTE: THE 2ND AND 3RD MUSIC INTERLUDES IN THIS SHOW COME FROM A PERFORMANCE OF BALMAGE'S "GREATER THAN" BY THE BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR ORCHESTRA. YOU CAN HEAR THE FULL PIECE HERE. THE 1ST MUSIC INTERLUDE IS ANNIE RAY PLAYING THE HARP IN CONCERT WITH HER HUSBAND, IRVING.]
My guest for this episode is Garrett Smiley, the co-founder of Sora Schools, a description of which, frankly, is very hard to pin down. Sora is an online learning experience, but beyond that, it is a complex and fabulous answer to the question, What could school be? So that you, listeners, know what you are in for in this episode, I am going to quote directly from Sora’s website. “Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs and goals of all students, while delivering a program that is empowering, engaging, rigorous, and relevant. Our approach is founded on inquiry-based and interdisciplinary learning to give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects, based on real-world challenges and problems. We use a mastery-based approach to evaluate learning, allowing students to demonstrate skills and abilities at their own pace and in multiple contexts while fostering intrinsic motivation to deepen understanding. Students have multiple opportunities and avenues by which to demonstrate their learning. The primary methods of learning are Expeditions, Activities, and Independent Study Projects." Ted Dintersmith, the producer of the film Most Likely to Succeed and the author of the book, What School Could Be, said the following for this episode: "History has shown us that many of the biggest boldest innovations come from young visionary entrepreneurs. A few episodes ago, this show featured one such entrepreneur, Hannah Williams, with her d'Skills initiative. Today the show features the remarkable Garrett Smiley, founder and CEO of Sora Schools. Garrett is out to change the world of education, and he will do exactly that. You'll be blown away by his vision of a school that truly prepares kids for their futures, and by his plans to reach one million kids. In addition to being a fantastic entrepreneur, Garrett is just a wonderful person. You’re in for a fascinating discussion. Editing is provided by the amazing Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.
What Place Does Love Have in the Classroom? by G. Smiley
My guest is Allie Wong, a PBLWorks National Faculty member who is extremely passionate about Project-Based Learning, mainly because as a graduate from a PBL high school herself, she has seen firsthand the benefits of student-centered, authentic and real world learning. From 2012 through 2022 Allie worked as a math science instructor, as a dean of students, as school director and as a graduate school of education instructor at High Tech High, the network of elementary, middle and high schools made famous by the acclaimed film Most Likely to Succeed. Her specialties include differentiated instruction, multidisciplinary projects that incorporate math, collegial coaching techniques and much more. Allie also developed a successful approach to collaborative design that lifts student voices in the project design process. Allie holds her B.S. in Liberal Arts from Soka University of America, a masters in teaching and curriculum from the University of Pennsylvania and a masters in educational leadership from the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. She is a practicing Buddhist, lover and grower of plants, and mom to several dogs and a rabbit. Editing was provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Theme music by Michael Sloan. Please leave us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts!
Today's guest is Sarah DeLuca, a K-1 early childhood educator at Hanahauʻoli School in Honolulu, where she has been teaching and learning with and from her students, colleagues, and families since 2009. Sarah was born and raised in Honolulu and graduated from ‘Iolani School. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon in International Studies and her masters in teaching at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has lived and studied in Italy and enjoys traveling to spend time with extended family there. Terry George, the Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi based Harold Castle Foundation wrote the following for this episode: "Sarah DeLuca brings intentionality and a deep love of children to her work as an educator in a progressive school. As a parent, I got to experience this firsthand when I saw how my own children grew as curious and confident learners while in her class. Sarah really works to reflect on her teaching practice, and to do so not alone, but with other educators. How wonderful would it be if teaching were a team sport every day, where teachers worked together, talked with one another about teaching strategies, and adjusted their curriculum after seeing what works best for the children under their care! A curious learner herself, Sarah recently returned from a year in Italy where she intensely studied the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning. Listeners to this podcast you are in for a treat!" Editing services provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Theme music provided by the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Blogs by Sarah DeLuca:
BEAUTY AS A WAY OF KNOWING: THE ENVIRONMENT AS THE THIRD EDUCATOR
BEAUTY AS A WAY OF KNOWING: THE 100 LANGUAGES OF CHILDREN AND THE ATELIER
BEAUTY AS A WAY OF KNOWING: THE AESTHETIC DIMENSION
My guest today is Hannah Grady Williams. Hannah grew up in North Carolina as the oldest of seven homeschooled children and started college online through College+ when she was 14, meaning she graduated from high school and college, with a degree in international business, at the same time. Hannah notes that by roughly grades seven and eight, she was mostly teaching herself, although she did have outside instructors for some subject areas. She shared with me that most of her “education” came from one subject: speech and debate, where, simply by preparing for frequent competitions, she learned research, public speaking, communication, teamwork, efficiency, history, public policy, and even science. In a few minutes, you are going to get a taste of Hannah’s verbal acumen. Hannah’s journey towards founding a company called d’Skills began in a blue pickup truck when her father handed her, at age 12, the phone so that she could close a deal on a piece of real estate. Now, as a 25-year old Native Digital, Hannah is Chief Rebel at and founder of d’Skills, a VC-backed start-up shifting students from test prep to life prep. It's a hub, perhaps the hub where motivated teens learn new digital skills and convert them into real-world projects, helping them leave high school with more experience and connections than most college graduates! The vision is to equip one million high schoolers with impact portfolios that will help them forge their own paths in life and lead the country in leveraging AI for good. Our editor is the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalog of master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please give us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.
Joann McPike is the Founder and Board Chair at THINK Global School (TGS), a traveling high school, and much more. In September of 2010, TGS began its first semester in Sweden with 15 students hailing from 11 countries. The traveling high school has since visited every continent except Antarctica, hosted dozens of influential guest speakers, campaigned for human and environmental rights, mounted art exhibitions, created thousands of essays, blog posts, and videos, sent graduating students to university, and fostered lifelong friendships between students from around the globe. Check out TGS's YouTube channel. A foundation established by McPike provides long-term funding for TGS and allows for broad cultural and economic diversity within the student body, ensuring that promising global citizens from all walks of life will have the opportunity to make the TGS experience their own. But the TGS's vision goes beyond serving its students. With an emphasis on education through experience, service as citizenship, and sharing best practices with other educational institutions worldwide, TGS aims to not only shape students who are informed, engaged, and inspired, but also to leave a positive impact on both the world of education and the world at large. Chris Balme, the acclaimed author of Finding the Magic in Middle School and the triple founder of schools in California and Japan said this about my guest today: “Joann leads with boldness, style, and bravery. She and her team have built one of the most unique and compelling schools on the planet. It's like an ideal version of the United Nations, exceptionally diverse, practicing place-based and project-based learning at very high levels. Today it's beginning to more directly influence and train schools around the world, and it all started with her willingness to think big and think differently.” Editing services provided by Evan Kurohara's Søzen Audio. Our theme music is provided by the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
This 2021 remastered Game Changer conversation is with X in a Box CEO and former Pixar executive Elyse Klaidman, educator Jorge Flores, and student Matteo Aldon. They focus on the remarkable Story Xperiential program, a nine-week course that takes participants behind the scenes at Pixar, and helps students become remarkable story-tellers. Their 2021 pilot cohort had 350 participants across the US and Canada, with a whopping 92% completion rate. Story Xperiential was created by Elyse Klaidman, Tony DeRose, and Brit Cruise, who previously developed Pixar in a Box. All three have extensive experience in film and education; Klaidman and DeRose each spent more than twenty years at Pixar, and Cruise developed beloved content at Khan Academy. Elyse Klaidman noted, “For a long time, we’ve known that education has fallen short in preparing people for the jobs of today and tomorrow. With college tuition and loans becoming more unattainable for many families, students are turning to alternative programs to launch their careers. That means demand for high quality, affordable, project-based virtual apprenticeships is at an all-time high. In the time that Story Xperiential has been available, we’ve seen doors open for participants who have completed our course and developed a portfolio piece. And while the program has obvious advantages for students, companies will be the ultimate beneficiaries of exceptional, well-prepared talent.” This Game Changer session was hosted by Ted Dintersmith and — adding great perspective to the conversation — Keri Putnam, who was the transformational leader of the Sundance Institute for eleven years. Editing was provided by Kim Dilts and Evan Kurohara. Music provided by Michael Sloan.
EL Education was born out of a collaboration between The Harvard Graduate School of Education and Outward Bound USA. What started as a concept has grown into a movement. Its mission is to create classrooms where teachers can fulfill their highest aspirations and students achieve more than they think possible, becoming active contributors to building a better world. In its core DNA, EL Education is all about this one question: What if school served a higher purpose? Over the last ten years EL Education has received hundreds of nominations for its EL Education Educator Awards. I am thrilled to have as my guests today the two winners of the 2022 EL Education, Educator Award: Annie Smith and Tom Rochowicz. Annie Smith was a kindergarten teacher at Polaris Charter School in Chicago, Illinois and the recipient of the 2022 Klingenstein Teacher Award. She is now the primary instructional coach at Polaris. In 2022 Tom Rochowicz was the Principal at WHEELS, a New York City Outward Bound School, the recipient of the 2022 Silverberg Leadership Award and the 2014 Teach For America National Teaching Award. Tom is now the NYC Public Schools - Consortium, Internationals, and Outward Bound District Deputy Superintendent. Our editor is the talented Evan Kurohara. Theme music is provided by the master pianist, Michael Sloan. You can find Michael's music on Spotify, Apple and all the major music platforms.
Pittsburgh has spawned two major contributions to educating our youth: Mr. Rogers and Remake Learning, which will be the focus of today's rebroadcast of a What School Could Be Game Changer conversation back in 2021. You will meet Remake Learning’s founder, Gregg Behr, and co-author Ryan Rydzewski of their book about Mr. Rogers, When You Wonder, You’re Learning, released in 2021. You’ll be flooded by childhood memories, and marvel at how the values of Fred Rogers pointed us to such an inspiring vision of education. This 2021 Game Changer conversation was hosted by Ted Dintersmith: author, film producer, innovation expert and 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award. Gregg Behr is the executive director of The Grable Foundation, and a father and children's advocate whose work is inspired by his hero, Fred Rogers. Ryan Rydzewski is an award-winning author, reporter, and speechwriter whose science and education stories span everything from schools to space travel to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Show Links
Remake Learning
When You Wonder (Book)
The subject of today’s episode is not a school in the traditional definition of the word. It is a learning hub, a learning studio, a series of experiences and creative moments in time, if you will, that lives on the outer edges of education, but should, in my humble opinion, be in the DNA of every public, private and charter school in the US and the world. Today we travel to 450 Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge, Massachusetts to see and hear about NuVu Studio, a place so remarkable it could be called the 8th wonder of the education world. To take us through the story of NuVu today we have one of its co-founders, Saba Ghole. At the time of my prep for this episode Saba’s co-founder, Saeed Arida, was in Costa Rica, so we decided that she would be the voice of NuVu’s story for this episode. Saba Ghole is an architect and urban designer turned education and technology entrepreneur. She received her Masters in Urban Design at MIT. As the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of NuVu Studio, Saba leads an innovation center for middle and high school students. NuVu’s focus on creativity and experimentation sets the stage for students to collaborate with experts on projects ranging from new medical technologies to interactive games, brainwave-generated music and art and much, much more.
SHOW LINKS
NuVu YouTube Channel
Saba Ghole: Nurturing a Beginner's Mind
Formbionics
NuVu's Creative Process
NuVu News
Belonging Film / Art in Public Space
More on Saba Ghole
NuVu on Vimeo
I encourage all listeners to watch this short video before listening to the episode. Richard Boerner, the Superintendent at the American School in São Paulo, otherwise known as Graded, is leading his faculty, students and extended community on an Homeric and epic voyage of discovery into learner-centered, deeper learning. In this episode, find out how. For the past 30 plus years, Richard has held a variety of administrative and teaching positions in an array of international and US educational settings. At Graded, Richard launched the Graded Learning Lab: Advancing Education Beyond Boundaries. The Learning Lab provides innovative instruction in deeper learning - embedding the science of learning in everyday practice. Richard received the 2023 Association for the Advancement of International Education, Dr. Keith Miller International Innovation Leadership Award for leading Graded’s efforts in the systematic implementation of deep, learner-centered education. A colleague of Richard’s, international school thought leader, Robert Landau said the following about Graded and Richard for this episode: "The Graded School’s vision statement: 'Individuals empowered to reach their potential and positively impact the world,' speaks accurately and appropriately to the sum total of Richard’s career. As a fellow international educator and futurist, and through many encounters with him at conferences and meetings I have greatly admired Richard’s accomplishments. The Graded School has always pushed boundaries - I believe because the school continues to select the cream of the crop among the best progressive leaders in the world. Richard has consistently earned my respect and admiration as a fearless leader. It’s wonderful to see a fellow international school leader on this podcast. I look forward to hearing what is current and fresh in Richard’s magnificent mind.” Editing for these episodes is provided by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from master pianist, Michael Sloan. Find his albums on all the major music platforms.
Frankfurt International School (FIS) student, Sophia Dietrich has an international background that includes being born in Denver, Colorado, growing up in France, then growing up again in Germany. A senior at FIS, she has already developed an international mindset and, interestingly, a passion, dare I say, for Japanese culture and its values of harmony, tranquility, purity, and respect. It is safe to say Sophia is a globalist who has a broad and deep understanding of the world, and education. And, she aspires to be a teacher. FIS student, Vama Kothari was born in India, but carries an American passport. She has lived half of her life in Germany, and is a junior at FIS. She has also lived in China, and, briefly, in New Jersey. She has traveled extensively to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and other parts of Europe. With her family, and in part because of her place of birth, she celebrates many Indian festivals and eats Indian food almost daily. She is an avid reader and tennis player, and as I learned during an FIS, February 2023 symposium on AI, well versed in what’s happening in the world. What you are about to hear is a gesture of respect on my part, meaning I pulled no punches with my questions, despite the fact I was talking to two high school students. In the end this is a marvelous conversation that ranges across a multiplicity of topics, including purpose versus passion, all things generative AI, the value of a deep sense of self when one is a young learner and much, much more. As I have done with previous episodes involving more than one guest, I spoke to Vama first, then, after the first break, I spoke to Sophia. After the second break I brought these two awesome change makers together for some reflections and final thoughts. My huge thanks to Jessica Russo Scherr at FIS, Vama's and Sophia's teacher, for helping to arrange this episode. Our theme music comes from master pianist and recording artist, Michael Sloan. Find Michael's music at Spotify and Apple Music. Please leave us a review and a supportive comment wherever you find your podcasts.
Today my guest is Dorothy Maxwell, an educator in face-to-face and online teaching and learning for more than 50 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Education from the University of Maine, a Master’s Degree in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine. She has served as President of the National Business Education Association, the Eastern Business Education Association, the New England Business Education Association, and the Business Education Association of Maine. Dorothy was the 1994 Maine Teacher of the Year and has been recognized by the Milken Family Foundation with its National Educator Award. Moreover, she received the National Secondary Teacher of the Year Award from the National Business Education Association. The primary reason why I wanted Dorothy on this podcast is that she is the Vice Chair of the Board, a site coordinator and a teacher for a remarkable organization called Virtual High School Learning, which has been around more than 20 years. VHS Learning, a nonprofit organization, provides supplemental online classes to high schools and students. It offers schools a way to expand their catalogs without incurring the full cost of a class for which there may be limited demand. That in turn has helped many schools offer the full suite of classes that students might desire, in spite of budgetary pressures. It’s been a valuable way for many institutions to expand their course catalogs and dip their toes into online learning. Back in 2015, after the debut of the acclaimed film, "Most Likely to Succeed," the filmʻs producer, Ted Dintersmith, with his co-author, Tony Wagner, wrote the book by the same name. In the hardcover education, on page 204 and 205, Ted and Tony wrote about VHS Learning, citing it as an exemplar of both online learning and education reimagined.
On these two pages Ted and Tony noted that Tedʻs daughter, Sterling Dintersmith, took one of VHS Learningʻs courses while she was in high school. I contacted Sterling and asked her to share her thoughts about her experiences in the history course she took. Here is what Sterling said.
“About a decade ago I took a history course at VHS about the early European explorers of North America. Each week we would have a different discussion question that each student would answer in a forum. Then, we would each respond to each other's writings. We got really into it! I can still remember logging in multiple times per day to check what people were saying and to engage in lengthy debates on the different topics. I ended up spending way more time and energy in the course than was required because I just enjoyed engaging with my peers and hearing so many different perspectives. Plus, the teacher made sure to use the study of history to highlight and investigate themes that are relevant to society today and to our personal lives. Therefore, we all felt like what we were learning mattered and was relevant. We bought into the class and we poured ourselves into the class.“ Editing for this episode is provided by Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Today I am going to share with you a special something, a very short special something. One of my former podcast guests, Jonathan Medeiros (NBCT, Kauai High School) reached out to me to see if I might join his high school students who were using podcasts as a way to demonstrate their learning in a language arts class. I was only too happy to say yes. That virtual session, last spring, 2023, was marvelous. I shared the story behind my show and they shared the projects they were working on and how a podcast could be a way to demonstrate their knowledge and skill development in the language arts. Later, Jonathan sent me their finished podcasts, which I listened to and provided written feedback on. Jonathan and I decided it would be way cool if I had my editor, the very talented Evan Kurohara, work his magic and turn one of these student podcasts into a special episode. So what is the context behind the short, student-generated episode you are about to hear? Jonathon writes: In my language arts classes, I often ask students to put texts in conversation with each other, to notice when one text might be commenting on, criticizing, responding to, or expanding on another. As students begin to understand, notice, and appreciate that conversations are taking place all around us, across borders and time, we practice joining these conversations as well. This past school year, one way we tried to do this was by creating podcasts. Students had very few guidelines for this project but were trying to sharpen their abilities to develop and communicate insights. They had to think about audience and purpose; they needed to consider the wider conversations they might be joining through their podcasts. The group featured here envisioned a series of conversations around “big” topics. In this episode, they take a closer look at how social media influences our perceptions of love and what impacts our parents have on our ‘love lives.’ In this conversation, students take you on a journey through what they think it means to be in....love. So, listeners, here are Jonathon Medeiros’s students reflecting on the nature and meaning of love. Enjoy.
Today my guests are Jonathon Medeiros and Natalie Lalagos. In the spirit of my episode with the folks at Embark Education in Colorado, I talk to Natalie first, then Jonathon, then I bring them together for some reflections and final thoughts.
By way of context, the Social Justice Education in Hawai‘i Project is a joint initiative of the Hanahauʻoli School Professional Development Center and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s college of Education. It is aimed at growing the capacity of local educators to inspire youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy. Made possible by the generosity and forward thinking of Jana and Howard Wolff, The Social Justice Education in Hawai‘i Project works to ensure that more teachers, administrators, counselors, and other school practitioners have access to high-quality professional development programs and resources needed for effectively carrying out social justice education initiatives in the state of Hawai‘i.
This includes opportunities to learn more about the Southern Poverty Law Center’s critically acclaimed Learning for Justice materials, resources, and professional development opportunities. Launched in 2022, a new and exciting component of the overall project is the Hawai‘i Social Justice Educator Award – a financial award program that aims to support the growing work of social justice educators in the 50th state.
The first Social Justice in Education Award went to two remarkable educators: Natalie Lalagos, a Spanish teacher at Kealakehe High School in Kona, and Jonathon Medeiros, a language arts teacher at Kauai High School on the island of Kauai.
Jonathon Medeiros is a National Board-certified high school teacher who has been teaching and learning about Language Arts and rhetoric for 17 years with students on Kauaʻi, where he was born and raised. He and his students learn together about curiosity, community, and place. They build deeper connections to each other and the places they live by being curious about where they live, the stories of those places, and then following those curiosities. Jonathon is the former director of the Kauaʻi Teacher Fellowship, a poet, essayist, and also writes frequently about education, equity, and the power of curiosity. He enjoys walking, paddling, surfing, building and spending time with his brilliant wife and young daughters.
One of Jonathon’s students once wrote, “This AP English Language Composition class is the first class that has truly changed the way my brain is wired to perceive learning. Because of this class, the pressures of trying to do everything the right way have disintegrated, and left me with nothing to do but enjoy what is being taught. I've learned that everyone in this class has something to offer, whether it would be insights into their own ways of thinking, or their personal experiences that make them who they are. Throughout this work, I've learned to be more perceptive.” What a great testimonial from a former student!
Natalie Lalagos is no stranger to the Social Justice in Education Project. She was one of the twenty-four participants in the Leaders of Social Justice in Education: Theory to Practice course in the spring of 2020 where her social justice work blossomed. She is a National Board Certified Spanish teacher at Kealakehe High School on Hawaii Island who is always looking for opportunities to celebrate multilingualism. She has worked in public education for the last eleven years. She is a Hawaii State Teacher Fellow and received the 2023 Southwest Conference on Language Teaching Language Teacher of the Year award. With her passion for globalizing her classroom and teaching practice, and being involved in her community, she currently supports new teachers and runs the Seal of Biliteracy program at her school. Off campus you can find Natalie on her stand up paddle board or doing improv at the Aloha Theatre just outside Kona.
One of Natalie’s fellow educators, the proverbial “teacher across the hall,” wrote the following about her: “Natalie is a “total package” in the sense that she is a visionary, a coordinator, an empath, and a doer. She has high expectations for both her students and fellow educators, and leads by example. Not only is she passionate about pushing herself to acquire new knowledge and skills, but she is also extremely hands-on and serious about sharing her wealth of knowledge with others. She is curious about many things, and both sincere and respectful when approaching new situations. When Natalie asks how you are doing, it is not a mere formality; she is truly in tune to every bit of information that is shared.”
Editing for this episode was provided by Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from master pianist and recording artist, Michael Sloan.
Listeners, I could not be more stoked to share that today my guest is Michael Nachbar, the Executive Director of the Global Online Academy, otherwise known as GOA, a pioneering network of more than schools and educators reimagining learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. Michael was appointed the executive director of GOA in 2011, its inaugural year. Since 2011 he has collaborated with global educational institutions to develop a network of over 100 schools in more than 40 countries, enhancing access to quality online education worldwide. GOA is an international consortium of public, independent, charter, and international member schools. Member school students have full access to GOA's online education course catalog. Member school teachers have the opportunity to design and teach student courses and have access to GOA's professional learning courses and programs.
Prior to founding GOA, Michael served as Lakeside School’s middle school assistant director (Lakeside is an independent school located in Seattle, Washington), and worked in a variety of roles, including teacher, curriculum coordinator, and director of technology at the Village Community School in New York City. He holds a B.A. in both English and Psychology from Indiana University, and earned an M.A. in Education Leadership through the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Michael started his career in education as a Teach for America corps member, teaching high school English in Roma, Texas. Editing for this podcast is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review and give us a rating at your favorite podcast app.
This is the 5th in a series of special episodes that come from the Game Changer and Big Think speaker series in the WhatSchoolCouldBe.org archives. Keep in mind the audio comes from Zoom calls and YouTube webinars, so expect a couple bumps and knocks along the way. On the other hand, the conversations you will hear are incredible for their depth and insight into what school could be, and what could be school. In this episode Dr. Sandra Chapman joins What School Could Be hosts Kapono Ciotti and Susannah Johnson for an inspiring conversation focused on helping educators of infants through adolescents apply an identity-conscious and developmentally appropriate approach to teaching and caring for children. Dr. Chapman will also share interventions with educators that can interrupt bias and contribute instead to identity-safe environments. Sandra "Chap" Chapman, EdD is the Founder of Chap Equity, an organization rooted in the belief that, through teamwork, we can learn more about ourselves and others; discuss and discover the foundational research needed to address the needs in a community; create conversations that support individuals where they are and confront barrier issues; and create actionable steps towards building stronger educational communities. Dr. Chap facilitates workshops on racial identity development, racial microaggressions, implicit bias, identity and racial anxiety, stereotype threat, and hiring in education and with teams in various types of organizations. Embedded within each concept are tools for helping individuals override unconscious phenomena linked to identity and better connect behavior with values. This episode was edited by Kim Dilts and Evan Kurohara. Theme music provided by Michael Sloan. To join the What School Could Be global online community go to Community.WhatSchoolCouldBe.org.
My guest for this 110th episode is Kentucky’s Dr. Carmen Coleman. Boy-oh-boy, did I look forward to this conversation, and enjoy prepping for it! Back in April of this year, 2023 I finally had the chance to meet Dr. Coleman in person at the Deeper Learning Conference, held at High Tech High. I felt like I had just met the Jane Goodall of student-driven learning. Dr. Coleman is Kentucky bluegrass through and through. Her first teaching job was at the elementary school her mom taught at, and she attended. Not only has she been a teacher, principal, college professor and superintendent in Kentucky, she was the Superintendent of the Danville Independent School District, the Chief Academic Officer for the Jefferson County Public Schools and is now the Chief of Transformational Learning and Leading for the Ohio Valley Education Cooperative. Professor John Nash at the University of Kentucky wrote the following wonderful words about Carmen, for this episode. "I often say that the only barrier preventing schools from reaching their full potential is the will of the adults leading them. It's not an overly complicated concept - you simply have to want to make a difference. Carmen Coleman is living proof of this principle. These last twelve years, I found not just a colleague, but someone who inspires me to continue to advocate for meaningful change in education. I’m certain I’m not the only one who feels this way. The entire state of Kentucky is fortunate to have Carmen's visionary leadership.” Editing for this podcast is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review and give us a rating at your favorite podcast app.
Today my guest is Cerina Livaudais, a computer science coach, mentor and guide, and education leader at DreamHouse Academy Ewa Beach, on the West Side of the island of Oahu in Hawai'i. DreamHouse was founded by a team of individuals led by Alex Teece, a former guest on this show and a brilliantly innovative leader who worked relentlessly to get DreamHouse’s charter application passed. Alex recently handed over the reins at DreamHouse to Ryan Mandado, whose name will come up at the end of this conversation. Michael Sarmiento, Purple Maiʻa Education Director said the following about Cerina: “She has reminded me that teaching is about connection. Connection to your students, connection to your content, connection to your culture, connection to you colleagues, connection to your community, and most importantly connection to a purpose that is bigger than yourself. Cerina gathers all of these connections and creates a magical learning space where her students are brave enough to do challenging things because they know they are valued and loved.” Editing for this podcast is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by Michael Sloan.
Fasten your seatbelts, listeners. Jeff Hotle is an innovative, creative educator with 45 years of experience as a teacher, principal, technology director, school director and designer of pioneering learning models. Originally from the United States, Jeff has been living in Qatar, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia and New Zealand working in the field of education since 2006. He has been with Liger Leadership Academy as its Director of Learning since 2013 and is passionate about education and the promise it provides to the learner, the community and the world. (He retired in early 2023.) His goal is to ignite curiosity, inspire a love of learning, and motivate children to fulfill their potential through project-oriented and opportunity-based experiences. Our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Music is provided by my friend and master pianist, Michael Sloan. If you love this episodes please rate the show and give us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Huge thanks to Robert Landau and Lene Jensby Lange for helping coordinate my interview with Jeff.
This is the fourth in a series of special episodes that come from the Game Changer and Big Think speaker series in the What School Could Be archives. Educators worldwide are striving to connect their students to classrooms and experts in ways that humanize the world while preparing them to thrive in the 21st century. In this re-mixed, re-mastered Game Changer conversation, Jennifer D. Klein, author of The Global Education Guidebook, takes us through the steps and strategies needed to set up equitable global partnerships that benefit all learners, founded in the tenets of global citizenship and global competency. Hosted by What School Could Be’s Susannah Johnson, the Director of Global Curriculum and Coaching Development, and Kapono Ciotti, the Executive Director, this conversation ranges across a number of topics and themes, which will inspire you. A product of experiential project-based education herself, Jennifer D. Klein taught college and high school English and Spanish for nineteen years, including five years in Central America and eleven years in all-girls education. In 2010, Jennifer left teaching to begin Principled Learning Strategies, which provides professional development to support authentic student-driven global learning experiences in schools. She has a broad background in global education and partnership development, student-driven curricular strategies, inclusivity, and experiential, inquiry-driven learning. As a former head of school with extensive international experience, Jennifer facilitates dynamic, interactive workshops for teachers, leaders and students, working to amplify student voice, to provide the tools for high-quality project-based learning in all cultural and socio-economic contexts, and to shift school culture to support such practices. Jennifer is also committed to intersecting global project-based learning with culturally-responsive and anti-racist teaching practices, and her experience includes deep work with schools seeking to address equity, take on brave conversations, build healthier communities, and improve identity politics on campus. Jennifer’s first book, The Global Education Guidebook, was published in 2017, and her second book, The Landscape Model of Learning, co-authored with Kapono Ciotti, was released in July, 2022.
This episode covers a wide range of issues in education, most notably design thinking and generative AI. John B. Nash is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky. He teaches a range of courses on school technology leadership, design thinking and research methods. His current research agenda investigates how technology, innovation and policy interact and influence schools and educators in different contexts. John is also a director of the UCEA Center for Advanced Study of Leadership for Technology in Education (CASTLE) and the Laboratory on Design Thinking in Education (dLab). John is the former Associate Director for Evaluation at the Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning (SCIL), where he conducted applied research on improving program evaluation in grant-funded initiatives, and the former Associate Director of Assessment and Research at the Stanford Learning Laboratory, where he examined the effects of innovative technologies on learning. Our episodes are edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Music is provided by my friend and master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Whole Child, Whole Life author, Stephanie Malia Krauss writes, “I am a mom [and now two-time author] with a background in education and social work. Through my experiences teaching and running a school, I know getting young people to succeed academically does not always mean they are healthy, happy, or ready for what comes next. This was true in my own life. As a high school dropout, I needed people and opportunities within and beyond school to help me live and learn. Today I work at the intersection of education, youth development, workforce development, and human services. My work and writing focuses on what young people need to build lives and futures they love. I am fortunate to work with brilliant leaders across the US to advocate for and build systems, structures, policies, and practices to make that possible.” Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts!
Humans have always been creative hustlers—problem solvers who seek to live beyond the limits suggested by society. Yet we live in a world where the place you were born, the amount of money you have, and the level of melanin in your skin indicate a precise path you are expected to follow. Too many of us silence our creativity and let our hustle calcify as we settle for the roles assigned to us. In this special episode, moderated by What School Could Be's Susannah Johnson and Kapono Ciotti, you will hear Olatunde Sobomehin and Sam Seidel, co-teachers of the Creative Hustle course at Stanford University, help you identify and navigate your own creative path that leads from your gifts—your unique combination of skills—to your goals, where you make a living doing things that matter. Sam Seidel is the K12 Lab Director of Strategy and Research at the Stanford d.school, and co-author of four books, including Creative Hustle, Changing the Conversation About School Safety, Hip Hop Genius 2.0, and Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education. Olatunde Sobomehin is the CEO and co-founder of StreetCode Academy, a Silicon Valley-based non-profit that offers free tech classes to communities of color. Olatunde is a proud graduate of Stanford where he majored in Urban Studies, led a public speaking class in the Engineering department, and played on the top 25 Men's Basketball Team, where he was also voted Most Inspirational Player in 2003.
Today my guest is Julia Fliss. Julia is an educator, activist, world changer, lifelong learner, creative, and yogi who lives and teaches middle level learners at a school in the mountains of Evergreen, Colorado. She has made it her life’s mission to advocate for student voice, agency, and the power of transformative pedagogy and global collaboration within our current education system. Julia and I share a common superhero named Zoe Weil, the founder of the Institute for Humane Education and the author of The World Becomes What We Teach. Zoe, for this episode writes, "Julia Fliss is the kind of teacher most of us wish we had had, even just once in all the years we were in school. A teacher who believed in us so deeply that we discovered who we could be through her reflected eyes and constant encouragement. A teacher who wanted to know us so that we could better know ourselves and pursue our passions. A teacher who created a class culture so bustling with enthusiasm, kindness, and cooperation that we could truly thrive. A teacher who made learning come alive and inspired us to make a difference in the world. A teacher who helped us to think deeply as well as to act ethically. A teacher so positive and loving that we had a role model for life." Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts! To contact me with questions or comments navigate to the contact page for this show.
The following conversation happened on December 1st, 2022 via Zoom. Kapono Ciotti and I hosted a panel of four brilliant futurists who discussed the need to educate not one, but multiple generations of teachers and students who will intentionally shape the future of society, resulting in a world that is more just, more equitable, and fully sustainable, and do it in a way that avoids negative, unintended consequences. This panel did a remarkable and wonderful job unpacking all that is what school could be, and could be school. Our four panelists were: Dr. Kristin Alford is the Director of the Museum of Discovery (MOD.) at the University of South Australia: Laura McBain is the Co-Interim Managing Director at Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (d.School) and the Co-Director of the K12 Lab at Stanford’s d.School in California: Zoe Weil is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), and a pioneer in the comprehensive humane education movement. Zoe calls Maine her home. Dr. Aubrey Yee is a futurist, systems thinker, and passionate advocate for positive social transformation in Hawaii is a facilitator and coach for Our Beloved Futures, among many other pursuits and passions. Editing for this episode is provided by Evan Kurohara and Kim Dilts. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts!
The Milken Family Foundation writes, "Esther Kwon has worn many hats in her years at Daniel K. Inouye Elementary School. Currently an assistant principal, Kwon looks for innovative ways to enhance students’ educational experience in and out of the classroom. As assistant principal, she is an integral part of the school’s administrative leadership team, helping to drive the instructional program and meet overall academic goals. Last year she piloted the Pineapple Academy, a distance learning option for 12 area elementary schools. Kwon’s fifth graders started each day with 'Pineapple Talk Time,' where they chatted, listened to music played by 'DJ Kwon,' and set their intentions for the day with one of the four classroom norms: be present, be respectful, be curious, be responsible. Students served as co-teachers, helping to summarize learning and share key ideas in the online chat panel. Kwon encouraged students to follow their passions, pairing them with high school students to create projects for the state’s elementary STEM fair. In the program’s inaugural year, 100% of Kwon’s students showed growth on diagnostic assessments, with 80% meeting or exceeding grade level targets in language arts. Kwon shared her learning practices with peers and invited state leaders into her online classroom to showcase what effective virtual instruction looked, sounded and felt like." Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts!
Listeners, meet Miguel Gonzales, Brian Hyosaka and Megan Parry, three visionary and articulate education leaders at Embark Education and Embark, the School in Colorado. "At Embark Education, we are rooted firmly in radical trust, fostering relationships, and shifting mindsets, while expanding to explore the profound potential of learner-centered education for youth and adults. Embark, the school, is a micro middle school in North Denver embedded in two small businesses – Pinwheel Coffee and Framework Cycles. Embark supports students to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self in an environment that is learner-centered, integrated, and embedded." Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts!
Stephen Ritz is a South Bronx educator and administrator who believes that students shouldn’t have to leave their community to live, learn, and earn in a better one. Moving generations of students into spheres of personal and academic successes they have never imagined, while reclaiming and rebuilding the Bronx, Stephen’s extended student and community family have grown more than 165,000 pounds of vegetables in the Bronx while generating extraordinary academic performance. Named a 2015 Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, Stephen’s accolades include a 2014 Greenius Award, 2014 Green Difference Award, 2013 Latin Trends Award, ABC Above and Beyond Award, Chevrolet / General Motors National Green Educator Award, USS Intrepid Hometown Hero Award, NYC Chancellor’s Award and various others. Stephen has consistently moved attendance from 40 percent to 93 percent daily, partnered towards thousands of youth jobs in the Bronx and captured the United States EPA Award for transforming mindsets and landscapes in NYC. A strong advocate for Project Based Learning, he is currently working on embedding the concepts of sustainability, food, energy and environmental justice into K-12 programming and beyond. This special episode was edited by Evan Kurohara and Kim Dilts. Music is provided by Michael Sloan.
Today my guest is Paul Balazs, the Theory of Knowledge teacher, Student Activities Coordinator, Wipeout Crew founder and advisor, and Milken Award Teacher of Promise - among many other things - at Henry J. Kaiser high school in East Honolulu. Listeners, as always, I spent two weeks preparing for today’s conversation. In the end I must have had 30 questions I wanted to ask Paul, but in a painful process, and in the interests of time, I had to narrow them down to just 9 or 10. Ouch!
So here is what I will not be asking Paul Balazs in this interview, though some of these topics might come up anyway in his responses to my chosen questions. I was not able to ask him why the following awards have great meaning to him: the Donald and Astrid Monson Award, the League of Women Voters award and the Aloha Award, which recognizes individuals in the global surfing community who are ambassadors of the Aloha Spirit. Frankly, to hear the complete list of things we did not have time to cover, listen to my intro to the episode! My editor and sound engineer is the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts.
The very well traveled educator, Emma Reppun was raised between the hills of Marin County, California and the Koʻolau Mountains of O'ahu, in Hawai'i. In college she studied sociology at UC Santa Barbara where she received the first inkling that teaching would be her life’s work. In the following years she was trained in the ways of Forest School and Nature Connection by her mentors at Vilda and Earthwise Education, and became a Wilderness First Responder through the National Outdoor Leadership School, or NOLS. During that time she discovered a deep love for working with early-childhood aged children and decided to pursue a graduate degree in education, through the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute, which she completed in 2021. Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts.
Ted Dintersmith, at his website, writes, "I have an unusual vantage point on the future of our children and our nation. I spent my career in the world of innovation [and venture capital], and my track record there suggests I might know a bit about it. And over the past decade, I’ve immersed myself in the world of education. I don’t claim to have the expertise our classroom teachers have, and I respect their insights — celebrate them, actually. But I have insights into the world our children will live in as adults, and the ways this future ought to affect the way we educate children. I fight every day to do what I can to help give children a creative, uplifting education that prepares them to lead lives of purpose. Make no mistake, the challenges are serious. But so are the opportunities." Ted is the Executive Producer of the acclaimed film, Most Likely to Succeed, co-author of the book, Most Likely to Succeed (with Tony Wagner) author of the book, What School Could Be and the founder and funder behind all the work being done at WhatSchoolCouldBe.org, including this podcast. Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts.
Dr. Cara Chaudron is a math enthusiast born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i. She teaches 6th grade math at the School For Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, known as SEEQS, a public charter school near and dear to my heart. I have done two previous episodes with SEEQS faculty, including Zoe Ingerson and school founder, Buffy Cushman-Patz. Dr. Chaudron is a shining example of what it means to teach for deeper learning. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
My guest today is Annie Evans, the Director of Education and Outreach for New American History at the University of Richmond in the great state of Virginia. Annie is a National Geographic Society Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, a National Geographic Certified Educator and Trainer, a Co-Coordinator of the Virginia Geographic Alliance and a great writer/blogger. She has over 30 years of classroom and educational leadership experience and she designs curriculum and facilitates professional learning for K-16 teachers and museum educators. Her focus is on Historical Thinking Skills, Geo-Literacy, Instructional Coaching, Project-Based Learning, and Performance Assessments. Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts!
Today my guest is Ali Pressel, a truly remarkable and impressive educator who teaches, guides, mentors and coaches young people in the St. John's County School District in Florida. She has masters in science from University of Maryland and a bachelors in Environmental Sciences and Human Ecology from Rutgers University. She is a leader in career academy education and develops innovative ways to engage students in their local community and help them make connections between the natural world and their personal human stories. She actively collaborates with community partners to ensure real-world applications of natural resources management, citizen field science, and internship opportunities for her students. A member of the Teacher Advisory Council with National Geographic Education, she frequently shares National Geographic initiatives to enhance student experiences and enable them to become future leaders and change-makers of tomorrow. Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts.
Today my guest is Rob Strain, coming to us from Oakland, California. This is his first time as a guest on a podcast! Working chronologically, Rob has done internships in Botswana, at NASA and at a refugee camp in Philadelphia. He taught in the 1st grade at a Bay Area public school, served in multiple roles at Teach For America, GripTape, the Catalyst Fellowship and at Transcend. Rob co-founded the Inspiration Project and is about to launch a rebranded consultancy called Lemon Battery. And that is just the half of it. Alison Kerr, a partner at Transcend writes: "Rob was able to bring out ideas I didn't even know I had. One of his biggest superpowers is this insane ability to generate ideas across different topics. Then he's able to take all that and synthesize so beautifully. He's got an ability to take complex or unrelated information and make it user-friendly." Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review wherever you get your podcasts.
Today my guest is Brendan McCarthy. Brendan’s resume is complicated, so bear with me. He is currently working on a masters in education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. Prior to that, he has degrees from Parsons School of Art and Design and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He also taught at Parsons, which is what we are going to focus on today. His undergraduate degree in mathematics is from Columbia University and he graduated as the valedictorian at Gonzaga College High School. Recently, he was a scholar in residence at Hanahauoli School where he developed a remarkable gathering for 217 elementary school kids titled I Want to Know What Love Is: A Progressive Film Festival. And, he is working on an informal degree in surfing, love and fun. Among the zillions of interesting things about Brendan’s life and work as an educator, we note that he was born in, Nairobi, Kenya. Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review in your wherever you get your podcasts.
Today my guest is Erik Swenson, the Student Service Coordinator and Project Teacher at West Hawaii Explorations Academy PCS, fondly known in Hawaiʻi as WHEA. WHEA began when a Hawaiʻi island high school teacher built a famous solar car team that raced across Australia, the continental US and Europe. From that experience came first a school within a school, and then, in the year 2000, the chartering of WHEA as a public startup, Hawaiʻi Island high school. Erik describes himself as an analytical, data driven critical thinker with a diverse skill set applicable in varied educational settings. He sees himself as a big picture thinker with a bias towards practical action. He endorses a procedural based theology, loves project-based learning and authentic assessments, and is devoted to student needs and providing equitable access to learning for all. He also describes himself as environmentally conscious with a deep understanding of Hawaii’s aquatic environment gained from years of experience. As always, our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. Our post production engineer and editor is the talented, Evan Kurohara. Please give us a five star rating and review in your favorite podcast app!
So what will you hear in my conversation with Hawaii's Governor, David Ige? Over the next 75 minutes you will hear him talk about his passion for education and his involvement in a start up high school in his home community of Pearl City; how his degrees in engineering and business shaped his approach to appointing members of Hawaii’s Board of Education; his thoughts on No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top and the Every Student Succeeds Act; the creation of his Blueprint for Public Education; his strong feeling that education is at its most innovative when local communities are empowered to shape teaching and learning and school governance; how Hawaiʻi, as a result of the pandemic, could become a model for learning over distances and remote work, and how he turned federal COVID education relief funds into an innovation grant program (GEER) 37 teams are using to reimagine what school and what education could be. Editing for this episode is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of music by master pianist, Michael Sloan. Please support this show by giving us a rating and writing a review in your wherever you get your podcasts.
Jackie Freitas teaches the natural sciences and agriculture at Leileihua High School on the Island of Oahu in the state of Hawaiʻi. But really, she is doing much, much more than that. She is cultivating, nourishing, and shaping the minds and hearts of the next generation of young farmers, engineers, coders and makers who will move Hawaiʻi from unsustainable mono ag to a more diverse and organic AgTech approach to feeding the local population. Jackie is changing lives, developing a love of place and culture, engaging her young students in real world challenges and student-driven learning and literally helping Hawaiʻi solve its food sustainability issues. She is the evidence that supports any argument that innovation in education comes from the grassroots, from the rank and file, from the teachers on the ground. Metaphors abound, but don't take my word for it. Listen to the episode. Post production editing is provided by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by the master pianist and my friend of 40 years, Michael Sloan. Please give us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts!
Dr. Kristin Alford has a Bachelor's Degree in Minerals Processing Engineering and a PhD in Ferrosilicon Corrosion in Dense Medium Plants from the University of Queensland. Dr. Alford, a futurist, also has a Master's in Strategic Foresight from Swinburne University. Yes, there is an interesting difference between being a futurist and having a degree in strategic foresight, whose connotation has a bias towards action. Most importantly, Dr. Alford is the Director of the Museum of Discovery at the University of South Australia. Stay tuned because Dr. Alford and I are going to take you on a magical mystery tour that dives deep into what learning could be. This episode was edited by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is by the master pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this show, please give us a rating and review in your favorite podcast app.
My guest today is Parul Punjabi Jagdish, who came onto my radar screen because of a talk he gave in Las Vegas attended by one of my previous guests, Robert Landau. Currently, Parul is the CEO of AIME Mentoring, Inc. (USA), a global movement founded in Australia. Parul’s resume is long, and deep. So what is AIME Mentoring? In 2004, AIME founder Jack Bancroft sketched an idea of a social network for good, one that connected university students as mentors with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students in Australia, building bridges between two different groups, to lead to educational equity, exchanges of worth and value, and for the mentors a deeper connection to a different lived experience. To learn more, dive into the episode! My editor is the talented Evan Kurohara. Theme and interlude music is provided by master pianist, Michael Sloan. If you love these episodes, please give our series a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.
In his 21 years at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, Kevin Matsunaga has taught over a thousand students how to use cameras and editing software, and how to conduct interviews and tell stories. He emphasizes that the digital media program also teaches students important life skills, like how to work in teams, meet deadlines, communicate effectively and solve problems. “Our goal has never been to produce that next Spielberg,” he says. “It’s always been to just give them opportunities that they would never have had in a regular classroom.” Says Aaron Schorn, “Being a teacher in this world is being a jazz musician. You know your standards, you know how to perform, and then you just free form it based on your student population." Schorn co-founded Nalukai Academy Startup Camp, a free 10-day technology, entrepreneurship and design boarding camp offered to high school students each summer on Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu. Experienced entrepreneurs serve as consultants, and students develop products, business plans and investor pitches. In 2017, David Sun-Miyashiro started HawaiiKidsCAN, a local advocacy chapter of the 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now, which advocates for equitable learning environments for all students. Phoenix Maimiti Valentine, a former participant in a HawaiiKidsCAN program and now a board member, says Sun-Miyashiro mentored her to speak to her Wai‘anae Coast community about better education. “David was supporting me the whole time,” she says. “He’s one of the most amazing teachers I’ve met. He encourages students and he pushes them to do things that maybe they hadn’t imagined they could do. He urges them to share their voice and their opinion with the world.”
Ashley Mika Ito-Macion is an educator at Kanoelani Elementary School in Honolulu and a proud Hawai‘i State Teacher Fellow. She has a passion for helping her colleagues and working to create opportunities for educator growth. Ashley also was recently awarded Teacher of the Year for the Pearl City-Waipahu Complex, which is in Honolulu, Hawai'i! She is also the founder of the Hawaiʻi Distance Learning Forum For the University of Hawai'i at Manoa College of Education Ashley writes: This is one of my favorite funny stories. In my senior year of high school, I had to take an extra class. I chose Early Childhood Education, thinking it was the class where you got to take care of a fake baby. It turned out to be a class about creating lesson plans and working with students. I went home to tell my mom that I think I found my passion in teaching. She also mentioned that she wanted to become an educator when she was younger. I got this overwhelming feeling and just knew I was meant to be an educator. Editing provided by Evan Kurohara, music by Michael Sloan.
“Over her years at High Tech High, Laura McBain (now at the Stanford d.School, K12 Lab) did almost every job it was possible to do - teacher, principal, graduate school instructor. She can hold her own in any conversation about policy, standards, school design, school change. But the most important thing about Laura is she is all about FUN! Having it, creating it, sharing it. She never loses sight of the fact that learning has to be fun to be engaging. She wants learners of all ages to have those "WOW, that's amazing" moments. And she makes them happen, all the time.” ~ Larry Rosenstock, Founder, High Tech High
Links:
Educator as Futurist: Moving beyond “Preparing for the future” to “Shaping the future”
New View EDU Episode 19: The Role of Failure and Risk in Designing Deeper Learning
Stanford d.School K12 Lab
Design Thinking
Laura McBain: Build Relationships With Students Early
Human Bias Is Everywhere in Tech. To Fix It We Need to Reshape Computer Science Education.
Laura McBain - Twitter
Dr. Cara Chaudron is a math enthusiast born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i. She teaches 6th grade math at the School For Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, known as SEEQS, a public charter school near and dear to my heart. I have done two previous episodes with SEEQS faculty, including Zoe Ingerson and school founder, Buffy Cushman-Patz. Dr. Chaudron is a shining example of what it means to teach for deeper learning and student engagement. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
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Since 2015 Emily McCarren has served as Punahou School’s Academy Principal. Punahou is the largest, and one of the oldest private schools in the United States. Originally from Vermont, Emily graduated from Colby College in Maine where she majored in Spanish and Biology. She served as captain of the Alpine ski team and lacrosse team. Emily holds two master’s degrees: Spanish Literature and Educational Leadership. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Hawaiʻi, where her dissertation examined the role of teacher care on a student’s online learning experience. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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Today my guest is Lipoa Kahaleuahi, innovative educator, deep thinker, champion surfer and the executive director of Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike (also known as Hana Build), a truly remarkable experiential learning program on the island of Maui. In this conversation, Lipoa and I range widely over a number of topics, including the remarkable way her life is a literal representation of the phrase, “it takes a village.” This episode was edited by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music and musical interludes come from the vast library of master pianist, Michael Sloan. To help spread the word about this podcast, please give us a rating and review in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
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Ayana Verdi is an educational leader and mother of two who, with her husband John in 2016, established the Verdi Eco School to provide hands-on educational experiences for children in the historic Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne, Florida. The school quickly grew to become the first K-8 urban farm school in the southeastern United States and has now expanded to include high school learners. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
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In the About section of his amazing resume Chris McNutt, co-founder of the Human Restoration Project and a digital art and design educator from Columbus, Ohio wrote: “I’m obsessed with revolutionizing education to meet the needs of students. Instead of standardized tests and rote learning, why not create equitable, authentic, and relationship-centered experiences where students can flourish? Let students lead their educational pursuits.” “Quiet” is the name of the musical interlude piece for this episode, composed and played by Michael Sloan. My editor and audio consultant is the talented, Evan Kurohara. Please leave us a review and or rating in your favorite podcast store.
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“The best thing about Denise Karratti is not even all of the things she does, it is the way she does them-with complete openness, grace, warmth, and a collaborative spirit. Denise is grounded in our place and invested in all of the people who contribute to our communities. She is a connector and an innovator, and is going to be an incredible administrator in the near future.” (Kristen Brummel, Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellows Coordinator) Crimson is the name of the musical interlude piece for this episode, composed and played by Michael Sloan. My editor is the talented, Evan Kurohara. Please leave us a review and or rating in your favorite podcast store.
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My guest today is Chad Carlson, the Director of Research and Design at One Stone Lab School in Boise Idaho. Chad is one of the most innovative, creative and imaginative educators and education leaders ever to come across my radar screen. To say he, and One Stone Lab School work “outside the box” is a vast understatement. In all ways, Chad and One Stone dispense with boxes and approach students as bundles of joyful potential and promise, as agents of their own lives and futures. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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Today, I welcome back to the show Dr. Mark Hines, the Director of Kupu Hou Academy, and the founder of the Mid-Pacific Explorer program at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. To his friends and colleagues, Mark is a Jedi warrior who uses The Force to help public, private and charter school educators find their inner deeper learning practice. To support this show, please give us a rating and review at your favorite podcast store.
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You have heard the phrase “drinking from a firehose,” right? Well, listeners, you are about to have one of those firehose moments. Fasten your seatbelts because the next hour is going to get pretty crazy. Janelle Field is the PK-12 Teaching and Learning Engagement Coach at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Public Schools located in central Minnesota. When I interviewed her, it was 3 degrees Fahrenheit in her neck of the woods. But inside her schools, the heat was on and the learning was happening, big time.
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In this first episode of 2022, I speak with Hawaiʻi Technology Academy’s (HTA) Shiloh Francis, a remarkable history and government teacher. HTA is a blended learning charter school with seven campuses on four Hawaiʻi islands. Shiloh has leadership roles in two HTA professional development cohorts: The Teacher-Leader Cohort and the Center for Love and Justice Cohort, among many other projects and roles. She is relentlessly focused on student-driven, real world learning. This episode is edited by Evan Kurohara. Our music is a gift from the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
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(This is a re-release of my episode number 69 with Mid-Pacific Institute’s, Dr. Edna Hussey.) Dr. Edna Hussey is a passionate and dedicated educator committed to the advancement of an educated citizenry, children’s rights to quality learning AND the professionalism of teachers. Mention Dr. Hussey’s name anywhere in Hawaiʻi and you will get mad respect and admiration. Folks say she operates at a different level, which I am sure she would humbly reject. She KNOWS what school could be because she has done it, repeatedly. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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My guest today is Darciann Baker, a faculty member at the Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi campus. Darciann is a Native Hawaiian woman, born and raised in Hawaiʻi. Her entire career has been dedicated to the perpetuation of the Hawaiian language. It is an endeavor she has held close to her heart ever since she found her Hawaiian identity when she was 15 years old. (The special oli, the Hawaiian chant that blesses this episode was written and performed by Kalei ‘A’arona Lorenzo, my guest’s high school classmate and basketball teammate. Mahalo, Kalei for this beautiful beginning to a wonderful episode.) Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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Speaking of a thousand points of light, my guest today is the deeply insightful, Dr. Julie Mowrer, Acting Director of the Center for Community Engagement at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Dr. Mowrer is also the Director of the English Language Institute (ELI), also at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the founder of the Bonner Leadership Program.
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Speaking of a thousand points of light, my guest today is Wes Adkins, a math teacher at James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach, the largest school in all of Hawai‘i. He proudly works in an inclusion classroom, promotes self-paced learning environments, and implements project based learning assessments. Nipsey Hustle and Vector90 inspired him to work in STEM education and teach students the skills for locally minded entrepreneurship. A first generation college graduate and a film buff all his life, Wes recently won a $25,000 Education Innovation Teacher Challenge grant for his proposal to have his students create the Ewa Beach Drive-In. The award was given by Farmer’s Insurance Hawaii and the Public Schools of Hawai’i Foundation. Wes sees launching a drive-in cinema as a great way to harness his students’ varied interests and help them develop diverse skills, from engineering the movie screen to curating and creating films, and developing business plans, computer apps, even recipes for the snack bar. “The possibilities are limitless,” Wes notes. “I’m a firm believer that if you can just find something that you love, you can learn about the rest of the world through that thing that you love.” Wes is also deeply interested in culturally responsive pedagogy, ethnomathematics and the “gamification” of learning, especially math. A Teach for America corps member, Wes is in only his third year as a math teacher. “You wouldn’t know that he is a math teacher because he integrates so many things,” James Campbell High School Principal, Jon Henry Lee once said. “And that’s what’s going to make the learning that much more powerful for the student. It comes from these integrated projects where you connect the dots. He captures their imagination first. A lot of students, the second you talk about geometry or math and things like that, sometimes it turns them off, right? But if you talk about a project that incorporates all the things they care about, whether its the marketing, pulling together the engineering, creating stories … that’s what clicks with students,” notes Principal Lee. Wes hails from California and his wife is from Japan, so Hawai’i is a perfect midway point for their growing family. His first year at James Campbell High School was disrupted by the pandemic, but his students are now fully back on campus. Wes has an undergraduate degree in film and digital media production from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a masters in culturally responsive education from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa. My editor and creative consultant is Evan Kurohara. Theme music is provided by my friend of 40 years, Michael Sloan. You can find his music, 12 albums and over 100 songs in Spotify, Apple Music and all the other major music platforms. Please stay safe and healthy, listeners, and please get vaccinated. A hui hou, and take care.
Links:
- Drive-in Theater Article
- Drive-in Theater Site
- Spark and Inspire Film
- Hawaiʻi Public Radio Interview
- MANGA High
- Ethnomath
- YayMath!
- Pixar in a Box
- Durable Skills
- The TFA Learning Lab
Episode Theme Music by Michael Sloan
Editor and Creative Consultant, Evan Kurohara
The post 76. Meeting Students Where They Are At, With Wes Adkins appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Dr. Tammy Jones is a Project Coordinator for PLACES Hawaiʻi at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, supporting teachers on the Waiʻanae Coast to develop place-based curricula. She is also the curriculum developer and co-facilitator of Try Think, a program run in the state correctional facilities and sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities. Dr. Jones has worked closely with Dr. Thomas Jackson and the Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education to promote Philosophy for Children Hawaiʻi, known as p4c. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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I have wanted Kevin Matsunaga on my podcast for a long, long time. Kevin never imagined he would follow in his father’s footsteps and become a teacher. He found his calling as the digital media teacher, coach and guide at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on the island of Kauaʻi, and his students have won too many national video competitions to count. In 2007, the Hawai’i Department of Education recognized Kevin with a Kauaʻi District Teacher of the Year award. The impact he has had on kids in our public schools since 2007 is simply staggering. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
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A college football defensive end and a philosopher meet at a bar. The defensive end asks, “What’s the meaning of life?” The philosopher replies, “Missed tackles, my friend. To many missed tackles.” Dr. Chad Miller is a former NCAA football star, our 2012 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year, a National Board Certified teacher, and currently a Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Institute for Teacher Education. Dr. Miller also serves as the Director of Teacher Development at the University’s of Hawaii’s Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
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It’s hard to rank all the things I love about Russell Motter – history teacher, lover of great music, epic thespian, good cook, creative innovator, Atlanta Braves and Falcons fan, among others – but the fact he mixes a mean Sazerac, my favorite cocktail, sits at the top of the list. Russell and I taught together in the history department at ‘Iolani School from 2010 to 2014. When I say taught together, I mean it literally. We team-taught US History, merging our two classes into one very cool section that at times traveled to the outer edges of innovation in education and what history could be. (To see a very cool video about our work, click here.) But I get ahead of myself. Russell has a BA and a masters in history from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has been teaching in the history department at ‘Iolani School for 26 years, and was its department head from 2005 – 2013. Russell and I co-founded and co-directed the Education Innovation Lab at ‘Iolani School during the 2013/2014 school year. He has been a curriculum consultant for Punahou School’s PUEO program; he coordinated ‘Iolani’s capstone program for two years. Currently he is the course leader for ‘Iolani’s APUS history program. Russell has also taught at the college level here in Honolulu. If you ever have a chance to read Russell’s resume you will see that he has a miscellaneous projects section a mile long. Highlights include working on a team that brought technology to ‘Iolani’s campus in the form of a K12 iPad 1:1 program, the second school in Hawaii to do so. I also served on that team with Russell. It was a blast. More than anything, in my humble opinion, Russell’s work bringing incredible guest speakers to ‘Iolani School is a highlight. Speakers include Barbara Field, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, John Hope Franklin (a personal hero of mine), Wynton Marsalis and Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer Prize Winning author of the incredible book, The Warmth of Other Suns. Oh, I almost forgot, Russell, originally from the Great State of Georgia, acts in local theater productions here in Honolulu, is a master mixologist and, in an earlier life, was a hotel bellman. To say he has lived a rich and intentional life is an understatement. My editor, creative consultant and sound engineer is the wondrously creative, Evan Kurohara (SØZEN), a self-taught audio engineer and producer born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. He is currently working in Honolulu and aspiring to reach new heights by dedicating himself to exceptional quality work through creative and analytical meticulousness (his words!). Our original theme music is provided by my friend of 40 years, virtuoso pianist, Michael Sloan. Michael has produced 12 albums with over 100 songs and is featured in Apple Music, Spotify, and all the other major music platforms. You can also find his work at his YouTube channel. He has listeners in over 100 countries and over 2000 cities, to date. Songs featured in this episode include, “A New Day,” “Oasis,” “Mysterious Dancer” and “Fuchsia.” There are two other clips of songs downloaded from a open source site: “Pass the Plate” and “On the Rocks.” Please support this podcast by providing a rating and review at your fav podcast app! The What School Could Be in Hawaiʻi podcast is funded by Ted Dintersmith and WhatSchoolCouldBe.org. Please stay safe, keep wearing your masks in crowded public spaces, and please get vaccinated. Until next time, mahalo, a hui hou!, and please be in good health.
Theme music provided by Michael Sloan
Editing and creative consulting by Evan Kurohara
The post 72. Russell Motter: Renaissance Man, Raconteur, Teacher and Mixologist Extraordinaire appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Speaking of 1000 points of light, today my guest is Lianna Lam, who is passionate about community and public schools, viewing both as places to seed and cultivate Aloha! Lianna’s love for public schools sprouted from her time at Ahuimanu Elementary School on the Windward Side of O’ahu, where she benefitted from loving and dedicated … Continue reading "S3:E2 Of Piko Pals and Green Labs, with Lianna Lam"
My guest for this first episode of our 3rd season is Dr. Edna Hussey, a passionate and dedicated educator committed to the advancement of an educated citizenry, children’s rights to quality learning AND the professionalism of teachers. Mention Dr. Hussey’s name anywhere in Hawaiʻi and you will get mad respect and admiration.
Continue readingThe post 69. Reading The World, with Dr. Edna Hussey appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.
What does it mean to be the daylight for someone? Erin Medeiros is an epic educator at Kanuikapono Learning Center, a K–12 Hawaiian-culture-focused school in Anahola on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi. Erin seeks renewal in literature and hiking, biking, or playing at the beach with her educator husband, Jonathon and their two daughters. She views teaching as a deeply creative profession and encourages her students to develop their attention to the past and present, to observe and question life. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
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What must schools do to build caring and connected communities? What is student-driven learning? What learning challenges are authentic and real-world? What must schools do to help students become fully human? What does it mean that “school is in but class is outside”? How can schools help students and staff navigate the complexities of this age of acceleration? Why put Yertle the Turtle on trial? Today my guests are Wrayna Fairchild and Melissa Montoya, two charter school educators selected for the Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellows program. To introduce them I am going to read the section of the Public Charter School Commission’s newsletter announcing their appointments to the cohort. “The Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellows Program brings together outstanding public school educators from across the state and provides teachers with peer and community engagement skills, tools to facilitate focus groups, along with communication and advocacy strategies. The program is run out of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s Leadership Institute. The competitive applications process includes submission of narratives, recommendations and an interview. When asked why she applied for the Fellowship Program, Melissa Montaya (Kamaile Academy) said, ‘… I wanted to be a part of an organization that wants to elevate teachers, outside of my own organization. I believe in collective and collaborative teams, so I am beyond ecstatic to engage in opportunities that support public education on a larger scale. Hawaiʻi deserves a system that promotes excellence at all levels of education.’ Wrayna Fairchild (Voyager Public Charter School) said she applied for the program, ‘because I want to further develop as a teacher-leader. I have been fortunate to take on a teacher-leader role at my school and have had the opportunity to participate in national teacher-leader cohorts. Applying to be part of this special group that supports education at the state level seemed like a great fit for me.’ She added, ‘Hawaiʻi has some amazing, talented educators. By helping to connect these teachers, and working to support their classroom efforts, the practice of all is elevated.'” As always, our original theme music and post production is provided by Daniel Gilad of DG Sound Creations in Honolulu. Please stay safe, friends! Continue to wear your masks where required and please, please get vaccinated. Until next time, a hui hou!
The post 67. Two Epic Teacher-Leaders, Melissa Montoya and Wrayna Fairchild appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
What does wise school leadership look, sound and feel like? How do we, as a nation, unleash the creativity, the imagination, the innovation that we seem to know already exists in every kid from birth? What’s the core idea behind the creation of K-12 pipelines to fields in STEM and space? Why work so hard to create these pipelines for kids? What does it mean to live effectively in a human made world? Profoundly impacted by the Challenger disaster, twenty years ago, Art and Rene Kimura created Future Flight Hawai‘i, a space-themed educational program, while Art, a former teacher and school administrator, was assigned to the Office of Space Industries, part of the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. When that office was closed in 2002, the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium adopted Future Flight Hawaiʻi as the centerpiece of its K-12 educational programs where it continues to grow and touch the lives of so many. With their ongoing affiliation with Hawai‘i Space Grant, Art and Rene have created a whole host of educational and public outreach activities that have reached an estimated 150,000 students, their parents, and teachers. Their work includes K-12 educational programs, science nights, courses for teachers, grants, and participation in local, national, and international engineering educational programs. For a sampling of programs Google search online for Future Flight Hawai‘i, or Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Day, or Astronaut Lacy Veach Day and/or Robotics in Hawai‘i. Former Hawai’i Governor Linda Lingle, in her 2008 State of the State Address, called Art Kimura the father of Hawai‘i robotics, which is epic. In 2015 Art and Rene were named as Living Treasures of Hawaiʻi. The Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium posted the following comment online in that moment: “The HSGC ohana extends our heartfelt congratulations to Art and Rene Kimura upon being named Living Treasures of Hawai‘i. Among six recipients, the Kimuras were recognized as visionary educators and proponents of science. Bestowed by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai‘i, the Living Treasure Award recognizes and honors individuals ‘who have demonstrated excellence and high standards of achievement in their particular fields of endeavor, and, through their continuous growth, learning and sharing, have made significant contributions towards enriching our society.'” As always, post production and original theme music was provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Please stay safe, everyone! Wear your masks and for the love of the gods, please get vaccinated.
The post 66. Hawaii’s Living Treasures, Art and Rene Kimura appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Part II: What does it mean to live in an “open source society”? What impact is the so-called Age of Acceleration having on your school age children? When did the blue collar, white collar paradigm start to shift? What does it mean to be “cognitively fit”? What is the impact on kids of being hyperconnected but totally alone? Why will going to college or pursuing a postsecondary credential increasingly feel like shopping on a poorly organized Amazon? A few weeks ago Stephanie Malia Krauss published her first book, Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World. Within hours it had rocketed to the top of Amazon’s education category. Why? This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
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What is parent coaching professional development and how does it help build healthy learning communities? What are co-created rubrics and what is the long term impact of films like Most Likely to Succeed? Serena Cox was a Comprehensive School Improvement Resource Teacher, in the Kauai Complex Area but now is back at Waimea Canyon Middle School as Vice-Principal. She was the Kauai Island Teacher of the Year and a teacher of the year at two middle schools in South Carolina. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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Fasten your seatbelts, listeners. This episode is going to blow your mind. Buddy Leong is a senior at Punahou School, which likely makes him 17 or 18 years old. Judging by his LinkedIn profile, he has accomplished more in his short life to date than most of us have accomplished in our lives combined. I think it’s best if I let Buddy introduce himself via the “About” section of his LinkedIn page. Buddy writes, “I’m an aspiring social entrepreneur, youth leader, and investor.” Now that I have teased you, listen to the conversation! This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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When I called Robert Pennybacker a “Renaissance Man” during my interview he seemed not to know why I attached the term to him. I can say with some confidence that folks in Robert’s network see him as exactly that. He is a poet, writer, producer, director, traveler, technologist, deep thinker and the very definition of both a specialist and generalist. He is also one of the founders of HIKI NŌ, arguably the most remarkable state student news network on Planet Earth. This is no joke, listeners; I am not engaging in hyperbole. There are lots of student news programs around the nation, but none with the mission and vision, nor the scope and reach of HIKI NŌ. A USC Film School graduate, Robert has driven HIKI NŌ forward for 10 years now, the last year a remarkable pivot during this Covid-19 pandemic. He is the Vice President of Learning Initiatives at PBS Hawai’i, where HIKI NŌ lives. This program’s impact on kids is simply staggering and today we are going to hear how it was built and what drove Robert to move it forward. Robert Pennybacker’s resume is long and deep. Early on he was a local television marketing director. In late 2000 he started his own advertising/production company called Pennybacker Creative, LLC, then joined PBS Hawaiʻi as Vice President of Creative Services in late 2007. His awards and recognition include the 1984 Regional Emmy Award for Television Promotional Spots; 3 Pele Awards (Hawaii’s ADDY Awards) for excellence in advertising; he oversaw the promotional campaign for one of the most successful network affiliation switches ever (when Hawaii’s NBC affiliate switched to FOX). Robert is an independent filmmaker who has written more than 20 documentaries about life and people in Hawaii. As I wrote earlier, he is a poet and writer. In 2007 he became the Vice President of Creative Services at PBS Hawai’i and oversaw all local programming, on-air promotion, interstitial production, station branding, and the production of on-air fundraising for the station, as well as management of personnel. Robert and I go back pretty far. We played high school football together back in the 70s at Punahou School. He was a tight end, I played center, which makes this moment special for me. As always, our post-production and original theme music is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Check out Daniel’s website to learn more, or to book him for your next music gig. If you love these episodes please write us a review and rate us in your favorite podcast store. Stay safe, wear your masks and get vaccinated when it is your turn. And bring kindness and compassion into the world!
The post 62. Robert Pennybacker, Hawaii’s “Can Do” Renaissance Man appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Kalei ʻAʻarona-Lorenzo is a kumu, or teacher of music, culture and Hawaiian language at the Kamehameha Schools Maui campus. She is the 3rd educator from this campus, including middle school teachers, Kui Gapero and Ululani Shiraishi, that I have featured in this series. She is a shining example of an educator with both a laser focus and a beautiful, big and expansive view of life, learning, love and humanity. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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This was Florence Scott’s first podcast interview so it was understandable that she would text me after the fact asking if it was normal to be rethinking her responses to my questions. In some ways, her text to me illustrates at the deepest possible level who Florence is: A deeply reflective educator who lives and breathes relevant learning. Florence, who teaches at Hawai’i Technology Academy’s Kauai campus believes with all her mind and all her heart that learning is constant day in and day out, year in and year out. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
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What do we do about kindergarten teachers quitting their jobs, citing top down “seat time” mandates as…child abuse? And in what ways did teachers become learners again because of Covid-19? These and other questions are addressed by Jeanne Wilks who served as the Interim Head of Holy Nativity – a small, independent school in East O’ahu – from July 2019. After leading the school during the challenges of transition and COVID-19, the board appointed her permanent Head of School. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
The post 59. Why Small Schools are Epic, with Jeanne Wilks appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.
Part I: What does it mean to live in an “open source society”? What impact is the so-called Age of Acceleration having on your school age children? When did the blue collar, white collar paradigm start to shift? What does it mean to be “cognitively fit”? What is the impact on kids of being hyperconnected but totally alone? Why will going to college or pursuing a postsecondary credential increasingly feel like shopping on a poorly organized Amazon? A few weeks ago Stephanie Malia Krauss published her first book, Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World. Within hours it had rocketed to the top of Amazon’s education category. Why? This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.
The post 58. “Making It” Author, Stephanie Malia Krauss: Part 1 appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.
What do teachers need from their administrators? According to Jonathon Medeiros a bit of magic. What magic, you ask? Jonathon writes: “Too often, while teachers are reaching toward our students, inviting them in and making them feel valuable, administrators are planning meetings in air-conditioned offices by filling time slots and checking compliance boxes instead of thinking about who their teachers are, what we might need, what we bring to the table. These are opportunities missed.” Jonathon has been teaching and learning about Language Arts and rhetoric for 15 years with his students on Kauaʻi. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator!
The post 57. Teacher Surfer Writer Builder Poet: Jonathon Medeiros appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.
What can we educators do to insure that kids coming out of elementary school don’t have their natural, innate curiosity, creativity and ingenuity crushed out of them by middle school, and later, high school? What is student-driven learning and what is the real meaning of student agency? In this episode I interviewed Matthew Tom, a teacher and media specialist at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School in central Honolulu on O’ahu. Matthew engages his students in ways I find completely inspiring and want everyone to know about. He is the Faculty advisor for Stevenson’s media service organization, which specializes in event photography and producing digital media content for the school. Matthew’s program seeks to build and maintain a positive campus culture, excite students about photography and videography, and build student skills in digital media production. Matthew is also the faculty advisor for Tusitala, which is the Literary and Arts Magazine at Stevenson recently recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English. Tusitala means “the teller of tales” in Samoan and is the name Samoans gave to Robert Louis Stevenson when he traveled there. Matthew has taught or been an edtech specialist in Hawaii, Japan and Washington. His undergraduate in English is from Willamette University. He has a masters in curriculum and teaching from the University of Oregon and is currently in a professional practice, doctoral program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. Matthew’s teacher website is an absolute wonderland of student exhibitions of learning and imaginative curriculums. In the years ahead Matthew will be one of Hawaii’s leaders when it comes to students owning their learning journeys. As always, our theme music and post production is provided by Daniel Gilad of DG Sound Creations. For more on Daniel, or to book him for your next music gig, check out his new website or Facebook page. Please stay safe, wear your masks and bring kindness into the world. Until next time!
The post 56. Traveling to Two Moons, with Matthew Tom appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
What does it mean when we talk about “capturing” learning (as if learning is some sort of fish in the sea)? What is the relationship between student and teacher when student-driven learning sits at the core of the classroom, or learning space? It’s these and other essential questions Fred Delse and Will Reppun tackled when they decided to found and develop the learning capture app, Unrulr, which is now being tested and used by public, private and charter schools here in Hawaiʻi. “What makes Unrulr special is that it speaks the language of social media, which is the parlance of today’s youth. Being able to express yourself with words, pictures, videos and other formats means that you can paint a really unique picture of who you are and what you’ve done.” (Evan Beachy) Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.
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On October 25th, 2020 the Honolulu Star Advertiser published a column by Susannah Johnson, founder of Individualized Realized LLC, co-founder of IMPACT Bound and former educator at Assets School. The column was titled: Reimagining education with purpose is needed in a pandemic, and for the future. In this Teacher Voice Special #3, Susannah reads her … Continue reading "S2: Teacher Voice Special #3: Susannah Johnson"
In an October 28th, 2020 blog post at XanEdu Jonathon Mederios wrote about about curiosity as a planning tool for educators. It’s a fabulous blog post. Here, in this Teacher Voice Special #2, he does an out loud “semi dramatic” reading of his post. It is my intention that when educators publish in public places, I … Continue reading "S2: Teacher Voice Special #2, with Jon Medeiros"
My guest today for this final episode of Semester 1 of Season 2 is Aaron Jamal Schorn, Nalukai Foundation Program and Academy Startup Camp Director, and Capstone Coordinator at Hawai’i Preparatory Academy on Hawai’i Island. At Nalukai, Aaron creates and implements curriculum, hustles to find mentors and teaches digital storytelling. Outside of Nalukai he is focused on creating student-centered systems to authentically tell the story of learning communities. Aaron has published articles on local magazines including this one about teaching in the time of COVID. At Hawai’i Preparatory Academy (HPA) he teaches Digital Journalism and Social Entrepreneurship courses that are centered around Product-Based Learning, the Lean Startup methodology, project management, and building digital brands. His classes are supported by mentors across industries working directly with students on their products. Aaron’s professional background is in international business, digital storytelling, operations, management, UX/UI, and content creation. Most importantly, Aaron is the Capstone Coordinator at HPA, which gives kids in the 5th, 8th and 12th grades the opportunity to build a project that elevates and improves their surrounding communities. Aaron’s work on capstone programs is pioneering and will globally shape the way these types of opportunities are given to students in the future. Back in February, 2020 his 90 capstone students were moving intently towards the second half of their projects. Then, COVID-19 hit and everything went upside down. Undeterred, not only did HPA students execute pandemic pivots and complete their projects, they also completed their public exhibitions of learning, this time in virtual spaces built and designed by Aaron. I was one of the observers invited into these digital exhibition spaces. It was…epic. In this Semester 1, Season 2 capstone episode Aaron and I dive deep into what school could be, what learning could be, what student agency would be if we turned ownership of learning over to them. As you listen to Aaron, note the joy in his voice when he talks about Hawaiʻi and the ways his students are shaping its present, and future. Aaron is a dear friend who has inspired me to jump higher and reach further towards this show’s credo, which is “100% by Yesterday.” As always, our show’s theme music, and editing is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel, or to book him for your next music gig, navigate to his Facebook page. If you love this episode, please give us a rating and review at your favorite podcast store. Semester 2 of Season 2 starts again in February. Until then, stay safe, wear your masks, stay physically distant from one another and please, bring kindness into the world. We need more.
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Metamorphosis, dragon flies, Hoʻokipa writers, coffee talks, Poetic Couture, Carol Dwek and finding the Filipina within, oh my! My guest today is Jannica Breslin in an episode I am calling my Teach for America Special. This is a partnership with Jill Baldemor, the Executive Director of Teach for America Hawai`i. When I offered Jill the opportunity to name a TFA Hawaiʻi alum to be on this podcast, after some consideration, she named Jannica Breslin. There have been many TFA alums as guests on this podcast, but none specifically named by TFA Hawaii’s top brass, which is way cool. Jannica is a middle school language arts teacher at Konawaena Middle School on Hawai‘i Island. She was a 2009 Teach for America corps member, which would make this her 12th year in education. Jannica was in the same cohort year as Justin Brown, who I interviewed on this podcast for Season 1. TFA Hawaiʻi Executive Director, Jill Baldemor said the following about her pick for this episode: “Jannica is a humble local girl, a public school graduate of Farrington High School, and not as well known, but definitely a bright light in her approach and leadership, which has been especially apparent during COVID. She was one of the first teachers to proactively stand up informal teacher collaboration groups to share best practices in distance learning and she’s helped her school a bunch in the transition.” In this episode Jannica and I ranged across a variety of subjects including her passion for writing, her love of vulnerabilities and growth mindsets, her Aloha for TFA and what it takes to get middle school kids excited about words. She is funny, thoughtful (there are long pauses between my question and the start of her responses) and she cares deeply about children. Jannica teaches with another, former podcast guest, Shawna Gunnarson. What an extraordinary opportunity for kids in Kona to learn from Shawna and Jannica! As always, our theme music and editing is done by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. You can learn more about Daniel at his Facebook page. I am super pleased to note that 41 out of 41 listeners have given our podcast a 5 star rating. We appreciate this very much and thank you for the wonderful written reviews. If you love these episodes with remarkable and innovative educators and education leaders, please give us your own rating and write us a review at your favorite podcast store.
The post 53. Writer, Poet, Teacher, Mother, TFA Alum: Jannica Breslin appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
What exactly is student voice? This question has become the hot topic in public, private and charter schools here in Hawaiʻi, for which I am glad. Sometimes the conversation revolves around giving students agency over their learning. At other times we talk about public exhibitions of learning and the ways students might articulate what they know and what they can do. Conversations around student activism, especially around ways to encourage kids to be politically active, seem fewer and farther between. I wonder sometimes if we are afraid to encourage this kind of deep community involvement for fear that parents might object or schools might feel liable. My guest today is Kawika Ke Koa Pegram, a recent graduate of Waipahu High School now matriculating at American University in Washington, DC. Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.
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I have learned, as a podcast host, that some episode interviews are question and response, and some conversations are more…intimate. My episode here with Ululani Shiraishi is decidedly the latter. Ululani gave me a gift during this interview, a phrase I will use in my life going forward: Working at the edge of your seat. She comes from a place of part frenzy crazy, and part deliberate intentional. And she is always, always working at the edge of her seat. This conversation touched on what it means to be 100% wife, 100% mother, 100% teacher all at the same time; the purpose of getting a graduate degree; the energy generated when one is forced to “pivot” (to use an overused Covid-19 term); the current revolution in education and the crazy cool things going on at Kamehameha Schools, Maui Campus; the special things that happen when we leave just a little room for margins in our lives, and much more. This will easily go down as one of my favorite interviews in either the 1st or 2nd season of this podcast series. There were times when I forgot I was recording the thing. Ululani is a treasure, a luminous and effervescent being on an epic personal and professional journey. More on Ululani Shiraishi: she is a Kamehameha Schools Maui, middle school language arts teacher who is deep into SEL, Hawaiian culture and trans-disciplinary teaching and learning. She is on the KSBE Maui Middle School Leadership Team and is a close partner with Kui Gapero, one of my early guests on this podcast in Season One. Ululani is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools’ Keala‘ula Innovations Institute, which is a creative learning program where Kamehameha Schools teachers focus on professional development. The program spotlights learning in terms of creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking, skills that are essential for students to succeed today and tomorrow. Ululani also taught in Hawaii’s public schools as a National Board Certified Teacher. At Kamehameha Schools Maui, she is an ardent believer in simultaneously teaching the heart and intellect of kids through engaging inquiry-based learning experiences. She is currently working on a graduate degree in student learning and well-being. Hope, self-efficacy, curiosity, and good old fashioned hard work drive her teaching and life. My huge thanks to Evan Reppun Beachy, who directs the Kealaʻula Institute for recommending Ululani. As always, our theme music and post-production editing is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel check out his Facebook page. If you love this episode please give us a rating and review in your favorite podcast store. Take care, be safe and bring kindness and compassion into the world.
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Chris Balme, my guest for this episode, writes: “Middle school is one of life’s great forks in the road. As the time when puberty begins and thus incredible neurological changes are taking place, middle school has an outsized impact on child development. For some students, it’s the time they begin to find their voice, their social identity, their sense of self in a bigger world.” Chris is the founder of the Millennium School and the Argonaut School in the Bay Area. He is also a warm, funny and caring educator who wants make “school” all that it could be. Editing done by your host, Josh Reppun using Alitu.
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The Kupu Hou Special: When I asked my dear friends, Mark Hines and John Cheever at Kupu Hou Academy to recommend a Kupu Hou friend and supporter to interview for this podcast, they both immediately and enthusiastically recommended Po’o Kumu Kaulana Smith. Kumu Kaulana is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School located near the ocean in a small township on the northeast shore of Hawaiʻi Island. Laupahoehoe serves approximately 300 students from pre-school through 12th grade. Kumu Kaulana has worked with Hawaii’s students in public education and the community for many years. She came to Laupahoehoe Charter School with experience in the fields of Special Education and Administration. She has experience with a variety of student-centered learning programs, interventions, and support services in partnership with an array of organizations including the Foundation for Excellent Schools, the Pacific American Foundation, the Hawai’i Network of Learning Communities, the High Tech Youth Network, and Kupu Hou Academy. She also participates with parent and community groups in enhancing student and school development, including Laupahoehoe Governing Board, WASC Accreditation and the Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools. Previously, Kumu Kaulana served at Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School in Special Education and as Student Services Coordinator. From the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, Kumu Kaulana has a Bachelor of Arts in English. From Chaminade University in Honolulu she has a Master of Education in Special Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership. In this conversation we ranged across education in ancient Hawaiʻi to the broad expanse of project-based learning. My editor, show consultant and sound engineer is Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Daniel, an amazing musician, created the original theme music heard in these episodes. To learn more about Daniel or to hire him for YOUR next music gig, check out his Facebook URL.
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My guest today is Mathieu Williams, our 2019 State Teacher of the Year who constantly strives to be…better. It’s why I love the man, why I admire him so much, why everyone in Hawaiʻi, public, private, charter and community admires him so much and why his students love working with him. He is the ultimate guide, coach, sponsor and mentor of our Hawaiʻi youth, and for that, we are all grateful. Mathieu is the Director of the Hawk Media Program at Kealakehe Intermediate near Kona. His students edited this and all my early episodes.
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To be a learning coach, a teacher-leader, an educator coach and an expert on kids with special needs, some on the autistic spectrum, you have to be a deeply empathetic person…right down to your core. Danielle Mizuta has empathy in spades. Empathy is in her DNA. I have known this for a long, long time. She and I got our graduate degrees about the same time, in the late 90s. Over the years she has been a tremendous supporter of my @MLTSinHawaii “movement,” at film screenings, event design sessions and professional development workshops. So it is with great pleasure that I present Danielle here, today as my second season’s 6th podcast guest. Over these 90 minutes we ranged through teacher capacity building, the best of service-learning, a chapter she wrote for a recently published book from the Ahimsa Center (see her photo) and the promises we should be making to our public, private and charter school kids. And much more. If you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review at your favorite podcast platform. Here is more info on Danielle. Danielle Mizuta, MEd, taught special education in the Hawaii State Department of Education for 13 years. She has taught and co-taught in fully self-contained, resource, and inclusion classrooms in elementary and high school settings. Danielle earned two Masters in Education degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Educational Foundations in 2004, and in Special Education and Teaching in 2007. She served as a State Level, Lead Mentor for the Hawaii DOE mentoring beginning teachers new to the profession in their first to third years. She also supported complex area Induction Coordinators with their mentors, mentor forums, and beginning teacher PLCs (Professional Learning Communities). Danielle also trained master teachers in mentoring skills to support new teachers at their schools in instructional mentoring, coaching and observation and analyzing student work. Additionally, Danielle completed a term as a Hawaii Hope Street Fellow and Regional Teacher Fellow Coach with Hope Street Hawaii. Currently she serves as an Instructor for Leeward Community College and a Learning Support Specialist at Punahou School, supporting faculty, staff, and families of students with learning differences. As always, our original theme music and episode post-production is by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel’s work, explore his Facebook page. Take care, wear your masks, maintain social distancing and be kind to one another!
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In schools, as in life, the commodity in shortest supply is time. How we spend our time is how we enact our values (SEEQS.org). Buffy Cushman-Patz and I have known each other for a long time. Mere words cannot capture the enormous respect I have for her and the work she has done in our community. And, it was my high privilege to be on the team she assembled to write SEEQS charter. So what is SEEQS? It’s the School for Examining the Essential Questions of Sustainability, a secondary public charter school in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi founded in 2013. It currently serves approximately 180 students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades (though its charter calls for the eventual creation of a high school). SEEQS offers a community-focused, interdisciplinary project-based, tuition-free secondary school experience for Oahu families. This episode is different than any that come before. I decided to use Buffy’s resume and record of accomplishments to build questions that would help the two of us examine the genome, the DNA of her school. The result is not a deep dive into the weeds, but a marvelous hot air balloon trip to 30,000 feet above our object, with strands of SEEQS DNA floating around us like lovely clouds. More on Buffy: In 2010-2011 Buffy was honored with an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. She served her fellowship year at the National Science Foundation’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. Buffy completed her Masters in School Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in May 2012. She has been a strong and clear voice for education redesign in Hawaii. She is a member of the Hawai’i Innovative Leadership Network and a mentor to other public, private and charter school leaders in this state. Ted Dintersmith once said, on live TV, that he could have filmed his acclaimed documentary, Most Likely to Succeed at SEEQS, which is the ultimate compliment. – As always in this 2nd season, our theme music and post production editing was provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel, or to hire him for your next music gig, check out his Facebook page. I hope you enjoy this conversation! If you do, please give us a rating and review in your podcast store.
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Dan Gaudiano is the Academy Science Department Head at Punahou School. He has a BA in geology from Colgate University. At the University of South Carolina Columbia he earned an MS in geology, and then a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Dan has written in scientific journals, authored scientific papers, been a coastal geologist and a scientific researcher. He was the lead coordinator for a water conservation project in Hawai’i and has been a curriculum resource teacher with an emphasis on technology integration. (Catch this article in the Punahou Bulletin to know more about ways Dan thinks “beyond the classroom.”) A number of my colleagues have mentioned Dan’s seminal presentation on student stress at the 2019 Schools of the Future Conference. Most of all, what you get from reviewing Dan’s body of work so far is that he cares deeply about kids and learning. There is no doubt that he has a growth mindset and is continually developing his teaching practice. In this interview Dan and I talked about inch deep and a mile wide, vs. posthole learning. We talked about student travel and his own trip to Samoa as part of the Malama Honua voyages. We went deep into capstone projects, design thinking, competency-based learning and what it takes to build communities of practice. It was a marvelous conversation. If you like it, please give us a rating and review at your podcast store! As always, this episode was edited by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Find out more about Daniel at his Facebook page. This series is funded by Ted Dintersmith, the author of the bestselling book, What School Could Be.
The post 45. Coastal Erosion and Other Subjects, With Dan Gaudiano appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
“All Good Things Are Wild and Free” (Henry David Thoreau). As it turns out this episode is four years in the making. At the very start of my work with Ted Dintersmith and his film, Most Likely to Succeed, Christina Hoe, a humanities teacher at Le Jardin Academy, reached out to me via an intermediary and asked to bring all 77 of her students to my 2nd MLTS screening in January, 2016. What followed was a wild and crazy ride that resulted in her students doing a deep dive into education. Four years later, Christina is my interview guest! How cool is that? Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.
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Hey everyone, this is the What School Could Be in Hawaii podcast. I am your host, Josh Reppun. From time to time it is my intention to highlight educator voices as they pop up across media platforms in Hawaiʻi. Whether these voices come to my attention in a blog, guest posts on Civil Beat online, op-ed … Continue reading "S2: Teacher Voice Special #1: Matthew Tom"
At the end of this episode Waikiki Elementary School educator, Lory Peroff read the following excerpt from a poem: The people I love the best, Jump into work head first, I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, Who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, Who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, Who do what has to be done, again and again. (Marge Percy “To Be of Use”) In so many ways, Percy’s stanza captures what Lory thinks, what she feels and how she approaches each day with her family, her faculty colleagues and her student learners. On several occasions Lory has described herself as “doing things I didn’t know I couldn’t do.” Amen, Lory! Lory’s journey, in this episode, starts with the Pease Corps in Uzbekistan, moves to Tonga, then to Boston and ultimately to Hawaiʻi. Along the way her focus is relentlessly on kids. She has taught 4th and 5th grade in Honolulu and in Taiwan. Her undergraduate degree, from the University of Colorado, is in the arts and psychology. She has a masters in elementary education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she earned a 4.0 GPA. While at the University of Colorado she did an exchange program in Ghana, West Africa. Lory has lived and worked on multiple continents. Her worldview is expansive and she has great range. Lory is an advocate for teachers as writers, and has written extensively on life and learning for Honolulu Civil Beat, Medium, Education Week and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She is a distance swimmer and runner, and loves to travel. Most of all, Lory is hugely respected in public, private and charter school circles in Hawaii. Her voice is clear and strong. She is #publicschoolproud and a leading light for whole child instruction. (Post production and original theme music provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Creations. To learn more about Daniel’s work, or if you are interested in hiring him for your next music gig, email him at dgcreations808@gmail.com or navigate to his Facebook page.)
The post 43. The Epic Journey of Lory Peroff, So Far appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Matthew Lynch and I recorded this interview back on March 24th, just as the Covid-19 “shelter-in-place” lockdown began in Hawaiʻi. What we planned to do in person suddenly had to be done via Zoom. The resulting audio is pretty sketch, but wow, Matthew and I covered some serious ground over a 90-minute conversation. Matthew is the Director of Sustainability Initiatives for all 10 campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system. Four years ago we met at a special Ted Dintersmith-hosted gathering at PBS Hawaiʻi. At the time I recall Matthew telling me, to my utter astonishment, that the UH systems had no sustainability degree. In Hawaiʻi? What? Matthew’s job at the time partially included helping students cobble together classes that might result in the perception of sustainability expertise. Since then, wow!, Matthew has come along way and accomplished so much. To know the details of his journey you will need to listen to the episode! Over 90 minutes Matthew and I covered a range of topics, including ways Covid-19 will profoundly change living, and learning at every level. Matthew also serves as the President of the Board of Directors at Kahumana Organic Farm, and as Sustainability Measures Co-Chair on the Board of Directors for Hawaii Green Growth, which is a public-private partnership. The Office of Sustainability at the University of Hawaiʻi functions as a backbone organization, working across UH campuses to complement, support and enhance the incredible sustainability work that has been emerging over the past decade. Matthew’s office provides coordination capacity for campuses to share information and resources with each other and accelerate action to strengthen the environmental, social, cultural and economic health of our islands’ communities. To learn more about Matthew’s work, click on the University’s website. Post production for the What School Could Be in Hawaiʻi podcast is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Daniel is also the musical director for our episodes. His original music creations are sprinkled throughout the episode timeline. To learn more about Daniel’s work, or to hire him for your next music gig, email him at DGcreations808@Gmail.com, or visit his Facebook page.
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Daniella Lopez White is a graduating senior, Class of 2020, at James Campbell High School on the West Side of Oahu. She is also a member of the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders. On December 1st, 2019, well before our Covid-19 pandemic began and before Hawaiʻi moved to distance learning, Ms. White wrote a column in … Continue reading "Student Voice Special #1: Daniella Lopez White"
Imagine a place where your lead elementary school teacher is a trained ballerina with a propensity for breaking out the dance moves during a lesson. Look no further than Maui and Heather Baylosis, a creative, imaginative and innovative teacher at Hawaiʻi Technology Academy’s Maui Campus. HTA is a seven-campus public charter school (on four islands) that uses a blended learning model. Over more than an hour’s interview Heather and I ranged across topics related to blended learning, differentiated instruction, distance learning in the time of Covid-19, teaching the “whole child” and team building at the elementary level. Editing by DG Sound Creations.
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In Part 2 of this episode, Brian Dote, the Chief Innovation Officer at Mid-Pacific Institute in Hawaiʻi, dives deep into ideas and concepts around educator professional development, the so-called “21st century transcript,” the wild and wonderful things happening at Waipahu High School, how he deliberately and intentionally worked to develop his skills, habits and dispositions, and his proximity to the Black Swan event that was the first iPhone. Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.
The post 40. Here’s to the Crazy Ones, with Brian Dote (Part 2) appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.
Brian Dote has been orbiting near “Black Swan” (type) events all of his professional life. To qualify as a “Black Swan,” an event has to be: Completely unpredictable and rare: Hugely impactful: People love to say after the event, we saw it coming (which they didn’t). Brian worked on Steve Jobs’ team that designed, built and launched the first iPhone, which changed the arc of and accelerated the course of history. He also worked near the center of the Human Genome Project, which equally changed mankind’s understanding of…mankind. Later in his career, he was selected as Mid-Pacific Institute’s (a cutting edge independent school in Honolulu) first Chief Innovation Officer, where, over five years, he shifted its faculty and students into exploration of virtual and augmented reality, maker mindsets, artificial intelligence and enhanced robotics. Along the way he was named as one of Hawaiʻi Business Magazine’s “20 for the Next 20,” meaning an influential figure who will help shape the future of the 50th State for decades to come. At Brian’s LinkedIn page we read: “Shall we play a game? How about a nice game of chess? Ahhh WOPR. =) I was a child of the 80s and from the popular movies of my youth spawned a love for computers and programming. I had a voracious appetite for all things programming. In elementary school I learned AppleSoft BASIC and programmed my own Choose Your Own Adventure/Zork games. In high school I went on to learn FORTRAN and satisfied my senior year math requirement by taking a class in “computer math.” Neither I nor my teacher knew what that heck that was, LOL, but it was a lot of fun and since then I’ve always been a life-long learner. I strongly believe, if you are not learning, you’re dying. And I’ve got too much left to do to die now! After getting my Master of Science in Information Systems, I made my way to Silicon Valley and worked at a DSL provider, bioinformatics/genomics/proteomics company, Cisco Systems, and finally, at Apple. I have a passion for innovation and problem-solving and I’m always the person in the room that tries to use a different lens to solve the hard problems. I aim to leverage my diverse toolbox of skills and experiences to bring a unique perspective. That’s how I ended up with five USA patents for my work on the amazingly talented team building some of the first mobile web software for the world’s first iPhone. I am the lead mobile developer (iOS/Swift) at Ecobot, an early stage startup that has received $1.1 million in funding to-date. Ecobot allows environmental consultants to swiftly enter field data via their mobile device, access the data for report building, and automatically generate regulatory PDFs. I have a strong passion for the intersection of technology and education and I love to provide time and expertise in these areas. I am a board member of the Education Incubator, a member of the Innovation Committee at PBS Hawaii, and a member of the Advisory Board for the Academy of Industrial & Engineering Technology at Waipahu High. I was a 2017 honoree in Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the next 20 and a Webby Honoree for my web development work on Springfield Town Center in 2009. My specialties include: UI and UX design, customer journey mapping and workflows, Swift development for iOS, visual design, responsive design principles, website optimization, CMS, JavaScript, AJAX, HTML, CSS, Git/Github, DevOps principles, JIRA, Confluence, and an enthusiastic Slacker, err, user of Slack. While I don’t know everything, there is nothing I can’t learn, and master quickly. Except maybe baking. To learn more about why Brian was named “20 for the Next 20,” click here.
The post 39. Here’s to the Crazy Ones, with Brian Dote (Part 1) appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
In one of my longer episodes Robyn Vierra, the Director of Global Education at Punahou School, and I range across a wide variety of subjects, including a day in the life of her 4th grade classroom, what it really means to have a global perspective, the dangers of “keeping it simple” during the 2020 Covid-19 crisis, models of distributed work in this 21st century, Kozol’s “Savage Inequalities,” competency-based learning and what it means to let kids be the change they want to see. Robyn is also the Associate Director of the Wo International Center at Punahou School. Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.
The post 38. Being the Change They Want to See, with Robyn Vierra appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.
Meet Rob, Colin, Abbie and Miki, collectively known as the Cacace family. Colin and Abbie are a couple of wonderful rowdy kids, Rob works at the Myron B. Thompson Public Charter School and Miki is OUR Hawaiʻi 2019/2020 Milken Family Fund Award winner from Ewa Makai Middle School. It is hard to put into words what Miki has already accomplished in her career as a teacher, guide, mentor, coach. All the boxes – student agency, experiential learning, teacher collaboration, intentional design, problem-based learning, challenge-based learning, social and emotional inclusion, product-based learning, individualized inquiry, teacher as marketing agent – have already been checked. But Miki, in so many ways, is just getting started, which is what the folks at the Milken Family Fund recognized this year. More than anything, Miki desires a strong connection with her students, which is not an easy thing in a middle school with 1400 students. But under the guidance of one of Hawaii’s truly brilliant public school leaders, Ewa Makai Principal, Kim Sanders, she is making manifest a phrase that can all too often come off as cliché: Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. My middle school experience was dismal at best. One of the outcomes of preparing for this episode, and interviewing Miki, was that I longed to be back at school and in her coding classes. This is the highest compliment I can pay her! From the online announcement of Miki’s award by Milken, we get these awesome words: “In Miki Cacace’s yearlong coding class at Ewa Makai Middle School in Oahu’s Ewa Beach district of Honolulu, students learn by doing rather than watching. They create games and apps, wire their own micro: bits and troubleshoot device issues, building foundational skills they will need for 21st century careers. Cacace, a math teacher, volunteered to expand her curriculum with the coding class. Students had already chosen their electives, but Cacace promoted the new class during lunchtime, selling it as a fun and exciting alternative. Students signed up in droves, knowing that whatever Cacace was teaching, they were in good hands. She developed the curriculum with a combination of three days of summer training, resources from Project Lead the Way and Code.org and her trusted cache of instructional strategies. Cacace’s students invite friends to try out their apps, offer constructive suggestions and vote for their favorites. Cacace showcases the group’s work at Coding Night, where parents and siblings check out students’ creations. In Cacace’s class, students build confidence and practice problem-solving, decision-making and collaboration skills. During field trips to the Microsoft and Apple stores, students talk to professionals about their STEM backgrounds. Many of Cacace’s students start the year unsure of how their studies connect to their future lives and careers; Cacace bridges that gap. Building a pipeline of students who excel in computer science is a priority: Cacace is working with her peers at the district’s elementary and high schools to create a K-12 computer science program, and an advanced coding class for Ewa Makai has been established as well. She mentors new teachers and is an active member of CSTA (Computer Science Teachers Association).” To learn more about Miki, click here. FYI, this episode was recorded via phone bridge to a studio in Hawaiʻi during the Covid-19 crisis. My thanks to Daniel Gilad for engineering the audio at Thunder Studios Hawaiʻi.
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I first met Justin Brown four years ago at a small Most Likely to Succeed film screening at West Hawaiʻi Explorations Academy just outside Kona. After the film, Justin (who mentors, guides and coaches kids in Kealakehe High School’s CTE, STEM and maker spaces) sat at the far end of a small panel examining the essential questions raised by Ted Dintersmith’s film. He spoke last in the first round and I recall being instantly blown away by his global understanding of public, private and charter school education. Justin is already a big guy with a big and bushy red beard, but heart is the size of California. He cares deeply about the kids he teaches and guides. He believes deeply in their agency, their ability to chart their own courses. He believes kids are complicated bundles of potential energy waiting to be unleashed at “school.” At conferences and gatherings over the past four years I have seen Justin do things with kids that put him way, way outside the box. He says, in this interview: “Improv is the defining skill of the 21st century. Empathy is the defining mindset of the 21st century.” How’s about them apples? In this episode Justin and I explore some of the biggest questions (IMHO) of education today. Why don’t more kids like school? What does it mean to fly a plane while building it? Are we preparing kids for the complex moral and ethical questions of 2020 and beyond? What about upskilling, and reskilling preparation in schools? What will “school” be in 10 or 20 years? What’s the role of the generalist and the specialist here in the 21st century? And much more. From Justin’s resume we get: “Justin Brown currently serves as the CTE Coordinator, STEM Academy Director, and lead adviser to over two dozen STEM & Citizenship programs at Kealakehe High in Kona, Hawaii. Traveling frequently with students, Mr. Brown was the lead advisor for over 40 competitions last year and his team won several births to international championships. Coming from five generations of educators, he has planned to work in education policy since the age of 10. Before entering the classroom, Mr. Brown worked as a jazz/classical bassist and believes that improvisation remains the essential skill for 21st-century success. He is an ASCD National Emerging Leader: Stanford FabLearn Fellow: Lemelson-MIT Excite Award Recipient: Woody Flowers Recipient: Hope Street Group State Fellow: National Board Certified Teacher.” To learn more about Kealakehe HS click here. This episode was edited by Marlon Utrera Jr., a 7th grader at Kealakehe Intermediate School near Kona.
The post 36. Fasten Your Seatbelts: It’s Justin Brown Time appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
As the COVID-19 crisis began to roll over Hawaiʻi, I reached out to a group of trusted education friends and asked for the names of potential guests who could speak clearly to the conceptual, and technical nature of so-called distance learning. Very quickly my colleagues suggested Leslie Witten, and glad I am that they did. Leslie is an education technology specialist at Le Jardin Academy, a medium sized independent school on the Windward side of Oahu. She has a BA from UCLA in ethnomusicology and a M.Ed. from National University with an emphasis on 21st century learning and teaching methodologies and constructivism. She has been involved with Hawaii’s Schools of the Future project since the very beginning. Leslie describes herself on LinkedIn as: “Dynamic, positive, experienced educator, technology and library media specialist; highly competent, collaborative, and innovative; proven track record in creating twenty-first century learning communities. Enthusiastic, committed professional with a deep passion for providing people of all ages with opportunities to reach their own potential. Active life-long learner of best practice in education.” I divided this episode into two parts. Part 1 is more about the social, emotional and conceptual issues related to distance learning and learning at home. Part 2 is more about the technical elements of virtual learning, and about the lingo. I hope this episode proves useful to parents, educators and education leaders both in Hawaiʻi and outside the state. To learn more about Leslie, click on her LinkedIn page.
The post 35. Leslie Witten Knows Distance Learning appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
To say Whitney Sayuri Aragaki speaks passionately about education is to make a vast understatement. Over a wide ranging conversation about learning “holistically,” indigenous ways of knowing and doing, teacher empowerment, building educator capacity, preparation for 21st century workspaces, student engagement and what makes her hometown, Hilo, so special, her voice came through, time and again, loud and very clear. Whitney is a science teacher at Waiakea High School on Hawaiʻi Island. In a personal statement she wrote: “My overarching aspirations in the next twenty years of my career aim to: 1) contextualize science and math education to be grounded in both western and indigenous ways of knowing: 2) continue to empower teachers to gain greater control over their curricula, and: 3) reestablish teacher credibility to make decisions for the school and district systems.” Whitney is a PhD Candidate in Curriculum Studies at the College of Education at UH Manoa. She has a MS in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science. Her thesis title was: “Detection of susceptibility to risk factors for type-2 diabetes mellitus in a multi-ethnic community in Hawai‘i.” She graduated from Summa Cum Laude from the school were she now teaches, Waiakea HS. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and a teacher of the NCAC model-certified Public Services Academy. In a Hawaiʻi Department of Education newsletter she wrote: “When we allow students, at any grade level, to create their learning spaces and engage in projects aligned to their needs, they rise to the challenge, exceed expectations, and develop a strengthened sense of belonging in their community.” Amen, Whitney. Amen! To learn more about Waiakea HS, click here. If you love this podcast, please give us a rating in Apple Podcasts.
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In part 2 of my interview with Wasfia Nazreen, we explore a range of issues related to her life as a climber, her leadership in the outdoor world, the elevation and education of women, and her relationship with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. If you are reading this episode description before you listen to the interview, I recommend you watch her short, award winning film, produced by Apple, Inc., and National Geographic. Wasfia was in Hawaiʻi in the Spring of 2020 for a series of school and pubic speaking events sponsored and organized by Hawaiʻi Technology Academy, a blended learning charter school with seven campuses on four Hawaiʻi islands. My huge thanks to HTA’s Mary Wenstrom for reaching out to make Wasfia available for this podcast. From Wasfia’s website we learn: “Wasfia Nazreen is the only woman to hold the simultaneous titles of National Geographic Explorer & Adventurer. Although she is known for being the first Bangladeshi and Bengali in the world to climb the Seven Summits or, the highest mountains of every continent, her passion has always been driven by causes close to her heart. She has won numerous national and global awards for her activism and commitment to empowering women through the field of adventure. She was named by Outside magazine as one of 40 women in the last 40 years who have advanced and challenged the outdoor world through their leadership, innovation, and athletic feats, and by Men’s Journal as one of the 25 most adventurous women of the past 25 years. She is the founder of Osel Foundation, which empowers marginalized girls from Bangladesh through the outdoors.”
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What a privilege to interview Steve Sue (in his Kaimuki, Honolulu kitchen, ergo the sounds of traffic and songbirds) for one of my “on the road” episodes. Steve is the “Chief Lemon Head” at Lemonade Alley, a youth entrepreneur program, and Chairman of Bizgenics Foundation, a Hawaii-based 501(C)(3) nonprofit. In a wide ranging, hour-long conversation, Steve and I tackle some of the pressing issues related to entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, imagination and business in K-12 education. Steve’s energy is infectious, and his optimism is reassuring. He is quick on the draw and sees everything from a 360 perspective. While most of his time is dedicated to Bizgenics, he’s also active in several technology-based ventures largely through SaaS Ventures. His career includes 25 years as a story expert, conceptualist and startup guy in entertainment, hospitality, food service, retail, product and software development. Steve holds a BA in design from UCLA and a JD from UC Berkeley. One thing Steve learned in law school was that he didn’t want to be a lawyer. But his legal education has served well throughout his career. And while he began his career in the family home-building business, he soon proved more valuable as a designer eventually branching out into a global career creating theme parks, live entertainment productions, corporate theater events, retail environments, restaurants, product brands and mega-resort casinos. The combination resulted in a blend of skills from business through marcom strategy, with Steve becoming known as a branding expert. He donates most of his time to Bizgenics Foundation, provider of youth innovation and entrepreneurship programs including Lemonade Alley, Project Lemon Tree (an eco-STEM program), BizzyB.com (a Cloud-based project-based learning platform), HaccUp (an app development accelerator) and STEMCities (a community change management platform). To ensure that Bizgenics programs remain relevant, Steve serves on a number of advisory boards including the National Ecosystem Advisory Council (EAC) for the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice (SLECoP), Hawai’iloa EcosySTEM Cabinet, A’o Aloha Social Emotional Learning Collaborative, Hawai’i State Workforce Development Council, James Campbell High School Academy Advisory Board and Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawai’i. Steve also mentors at Aloha Chapter, Scouting BSA (Steve is an Eagle Scout), UH Entrepreneurs and Blue Startups. If you love this episode, please give us a rating in Apple Podcasts.
The post 32. Steve Sue Makes a Very Tasty Lemonade appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Wasfia Nazreen absolutely loves life. This became very clear during my interview with her for this 12th the-road-episode. She is funny, insightful, deep, kind and compassionate, among other qualities. My questions revolved around finding freedom, the role of mindfulness in schools, learning to make decisions and think critically in life threatening situations (as in climbing massive mountains), how teachers can become guides and mentors, and how she documents her life, thoughts and insights. If you are reading this episode description before you listen to the interview, I recommend you watch her short, award winning film, produced by Apple, Inc., and National Geographic. Wasfia was in Hawaiʻi for a series of school and pubic speaking events sponsored and organized by Hawaiʻi Technology Academy, a blended learning charter school with seven campuses on four Hawaiʻi islands. My huge thanks to HTA for reaching out to make Wasfia available for this podcast. From Wasfia’s website we learn: “Wasfia Nazreen is the only woman to hold the simultaneous titles of National Geographic Explorer & Adventurer. Although she is known for being the first Bangladeshi and Bengali in the world to climb the Seven Summits or, the highest mountains of every continent, her passion has always been driven by causes close to her heart. She has won numerous national and global awards for her activism and commitment to empowering women through the field of adventure. She was named by Outside magazine as one of 40 women in the last 40 years who have advanced and challenged the outdoor world through their leadership, innovation, and athletic feats, and by Men’s Journal as one of the 25 most adventurous women of the past 25 years. She is the founder of Osel Foundation, which empowers marginalized girls from Bangladesh through the outdoors.”
The post 31. Climbing Summits and Exploring Questions with Wasfia Nazreen: Part 1 appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
In this episode, we hear from Micah Hirokawa, Head of School at Hakipu’i Academy Public Charter School, and Derek Minakami, Principal at Kaneohe Elementary School. These two schools are literally a couple miles apart on Oahu’s Windward Side. Both Derek and Micah are members of the Hawaiʻi Innovative Leaders Network. Both have much to say about what student-centered education looks, sounds and feels like. Both are passionate about grounded and relevant life-long learning. This episode was edited by students in the Hawk Media Program at Kealakehe Intermediate outside Kona.
The post 30. Derek and Micah: Two Student-Centered School Leaders appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.
Where do we start with Melissa Handy? Well, we start with the fact that her parents, in Pennsylvania, were both teachers. Even better, her father was her 5th grade teacher. Melissa writes, “My love for education started sprouting young.” I have known Melissa for a bunch of years, so it was pretty special to have her on this podcast. Needless to say, I had been looking forward to the moment for months. Melissa is a brilliant, brilliant thinker, and doer. Goodness, is she a doer! She is the Education Technology Director at Le Jardin Academy, a small independent school on the Windward Side of O’ahu. She is the Past President of the Hawaiʻi Society for Technology in Education. She is a champion robotics coach, and International Baccalaureate Examiner, a WASC Commissioner and one of the founders of the Hawaiʻi Education Leadership Summit, which is now HAIS’s Leading Schools of the Future conference. Should I continue? Of course! Melissa prefers not to refer to herself as a teacher. Rather, she is the ultimate guide, coach, facilitator and mentor for her students. Her kids “ride bikes” and she runs behind them as they learn to navigate thinking, doing and collaborating. She has a larger-than-life personality of an artist, a wonderful laugh and a mind sharp like a knife. She knows how to solve problems like no one else I know. So give this episode a listen as Melissa and I dig deep into 10 epic questions about life and learning. To learn more about Le Jardin Academy, click here. To read a wonderful article co-written by Melissa about maker spaces vs. maker mindsets, click here. To learn more about Leading Schools of the Future in Hawaii, click here. If you love this podcast, please give us a rating in your favorite podcast store!
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Shawna Gunnarson has a heart as big as Montana. She exudes compassion, humor, kindness, innovation, creativity and imagination; on top of all that, she and her Mom founded the Dancing Goat Sanctuary, a place for wayward animals, energetically guarded by Starsky & Hutch, two frat-like goats. Oh yes, and she is an epic educator at Konawaena Middle School on Hawaiʻi Island (otherwise known as the Big Island), which is what brought her to this podcast. Shawna has worked with special education kids, taught in an AVID program, built education technology programs, served in her complex area administrative office, built science programs and guided/mentored other educators as a Hope Street Group Teacher-Leader Fellow, among other accomplishments. Listen as Shawna and I explore her work and her learning journey. If you love this episode, please give us a rating and comment in your favorite podcast store. From a Partners in Development online newsletter we learn: “Shawna Gunnarson is an educator and lifelong learner. As a teacher at Konawaena Middle School, Shawna leads students, and sometimes teachers, in learning about college and career readiness and applying technology in a variety of situations. In her other life, Shawna is a certifiable CoffeeGeek, helping to operate her family’s soil to cup coffee farm. The farm hosts an organic farming internship program where students from middle school through college age have the opportunity to explore connections among plants, soil, air, water, and animals (including the human kind). Tinkering and design thinking in the garden is actively encouraged, and fixed mindsets are forbidden! The farm also hosts a sanctuary for abused, abandoned, and unwanted sheep and goats. This is where Shawna serves as head wrangler for a variety of feathery, furry, and fabulous critters.”
The post 28. Of Goats, Anthropology and EdTech, with Shawna Gunnarson appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Listen to my guest, Zoe Ingerson and you will hear a strong, clear, articulate and intelligent voice for student agency, the joy of learning (and writing), inquiry-based, discovery-based education, teacher collaboration, intentional school design and what school could be. Zoe is Hawaii’s 2020 Charter School Teacher of the Year, but more than that, she is the embodiment of her school’s mission and vision. She teaches at the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability. This episode was edited by students in the Hawk Media Program at Kealakehe Intermediate, near Kona.
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Lori Kwee has been changing the lives of kids for more than 30 years, and for that the State of Hawaiʻi and a legion of parents surely are very grateful. After listening to this episode, you will find it easy to imagine what it’s like being at Ala Wai Elementary in the presence of this mentor, guide and sponsor of young children. You will find it easy to imagine her kids saving the Vaquita dolphin, developing a school culture that nurtures bullies towards kindness and compassion, and diving deep into the essential questions of life and learning. One of the reasons Lori can do what she does is the support of her visionary Principal, Michelle DeBusca. Situated in central Honolulu, Ala Wai Elementary is leading the way as Hawaiʻi becomes a model to the world of innovation and creativity in education. In a personal statement Lori writes: “I have 30 years of successful teaching in the elementary public school levelI am actively involved in leadership and collaboratively working with others to enhance students’ achievement and success. In 2018-2019, I was honored with the National Life’s Life Changer of the Year Grand Prize Finalist award for work on Bully Prevention through kindness, love, compassion, forgiveness, and strategies to manage emotions. I strongly believe in empowering leaders to find their voices with self-confidence and passion. Building relationships and partnerships with students, families, colleagues, staff, and community members are priorities that I value. I am skilled in teaching reading, writing, project-based learning with student-led inquiry, and yoga. Currently, I teach yoga to students and faculty/teachers at Ala Wai School. Social emotional learning is important to me so I incorporate aspects of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management into my lessons, presentations, and lifestyle. My students and I have a business to share aloha and kindness: We sell #ShareAloha T-shirts and Jars of Aloha. The profits go to our Ala Wai School “Peaceful Oasis” for everyone to thrive with peace and gratitude.” To learn more about Ala Wai Elementary, click here.
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The first thing that jumps out at you when Chris Stapleton speaks is how passionate he is: About school, about life, about cultural context, about education technology and about what happens when kids from Korea come to study in Hawaiʻi (and vice versa). In this new format for Season 1, Semester 2, which I am calling “Ten Questions For,” Chris defined the role of international schools, tackled the big issues of our New Pacific Century, zeroed in on what makes for great education technology, and raised objections to using the word “project” so much. Oh, and he took on a half-dozen other questions as well. His voice is clear and his responses thoughtful. I am thrilled that he is emerging as one of Hawaii’s education leaders. From the Asia Pacific International School’s website, we learn: “Mr. Stapleton graduated from Wheaton College with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Before attending Wheaton College, Mr. Stapleton grew up in a missionary home in the Philippines where he anchored his faith in Jesus Christ. After graduating he received teaching licenses in Illinois and Colorado. After moving to Colorado to teach 6th grade, Mr. Stapleton furthered his education at the University of Colorado. At the university, he studied curriculum and instruction as well as technology, and he graduated with his master’s degree after two years. Mr. Stapleton taught sixth grade for two years and fifth grade for two years. Since graduating from the University of Colorado, Mr. Stapleton was invited to become a part of their faculty. He has taught educational technology classes at the university as an adjunct professor. Mr. Stapleton has been an assistant coach to girls’ varsity volleyball and boys’ club volleyball for four years. In addition, he founded a media club, which has allowed students to practice logo design, animation, audio recording, and movie-making. Mr. Stapleton believes that student engagement and attentiveness are vital for a successful education. He enjoys fusing technology with education to achieve greater engagement. Mr. Stapleton and his wife love to travel, play games, and build community.”
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It’s not often one gets to talk to a brilliant scientist about college admissions and Paul Tough’s book “The Years That Matter Most,” Ken Jennings vs. an artificial intelligence, an internship at Google vs. a Harvard undergraduate degree, Stanford University’s wondrous document “Uncharted Territory,” and the incredible insights of excellent indigenous science. Even better is the fact that I caught all of this conversation on tape and can present it here in this podcast. Dr. Helen Turner is the VP for Strategy and Innovation at Chaminade University, a small, private college sitting on a lovely hillside above the city of Honolulu. Her resume is 14 pages long; she is a brilliant thinker and articulate spokesperson for things in K-12 and higher education we should all be excited about. (And in a couple cases, such as CRISPR being driven “underground,” very concerned about.) She has a strong bias towards action and innovation. Over a 90-minute interview, which will be released in two parts, Helen and I dug deep into what I called Ten Questions With Helen Turner. Yes, in couple cases we cheated by adding in bonus questions! This recording was done in a special dual-person soundproof phone booth at the Entrepreneurs Sandbox, managed by the one and only BoxJelly Co-Working team. So enjoy, and please give us a rating in your favorite podcast store! From Chaminade.edu we learn: “Dr. Turner is an internationally-regarded researcher in molecular immunology. As well as her position at Chaminade, she holds academic affiliations with the John A. Burns School of Medicine and Department of Microbiology at the University of Hawaii and serves on numerous scientific advisory boards. She collaborates with an extensive network of scientists nation-wide and has trained numerous graduate students for careers as biomedical investigators, science administrators and academics. Previous to her Chaminade appointment, she was an Associate Director of Research at The Queen’s Center for Biomedical Research in Honolulu. Current projects in the Turner laboratory focus on mast cell ion channels as novel targets for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory pathologies, and on the molecular mechanisms by which cannabinoid compounds act as modulators of the immune system. Dr Turner’s relatively young laboratory has been strikingly successful at winning grants from private foundations (The Leahi Fund for Pulmonary Research, The Victoria and Bradley Geist Foundation, The Culpeper Biomedical Pilot Initiative, and the Queen Emma Research Foundation), and from Federal sources (National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergic and Inflammatory Disease, and the Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence). In addition to her efforts in seeking funding for her own program, Dr. Turner acts as an invited grant reviewer for the NIH, the British Welcome Trust, and several other funding bodies. Dr. Turner trained at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories and received her Ph.D. from the University of London in 1998. Following a post-doctoral period at the Beth Israel Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, she assumed her position at Queens in 2000. While at Queens, Dr. Turner was head of a team of 10 scientists, whose efforts centered around the biology of mast cells. These immunocytes are central to inflammatory responses and are key players in pathologies such as asthma, eczema and multiple sclerosis.” For more on Dr. Turner’s work, go to Chaminade’s website.
The post 24. Ten Epic Questions for Helen Turner, Part 2 appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
It’s not often one gets to talk to a brilliant scientist about artificial intelligence, college admissions, David Epstein’s book, “Range,” the scary questions of biology and the incredible insights of excellent indigenous science. Even better is the fact that I caught all of this conversation on tape and can present it here in this podcast. Dr. Helen Turner is the VP for Strategy and Innovation at Chaminade University, a small, private college sitting on a lovely hillside above the city of Honolulu. Her resume is 14 pages long; she is a brilliant thinker and articulate spokesperson for things in K-12 and higher education we should all be excited about. (And in a couple cases, such as CRISPR being driven “underground,” very concerned about.) She has a strong bias towards action and innovation. Over a 90-minute interview, which will be released in two parts, Helen and I dug deep into what I called Ten Questions With Helen Turner. Yes, in couple cases we cheated by adding in bonus questions! This recording was done in a special dual-person soundproof phone booth at the Entrepreneurs Sandbox, managed by the one and only BoxJelly Co-Working team. So enjoy, and please give us a rating in your favorite podcast store! From Chaminade.edu we learn: “Dr. Turner is an internationally-regarded researcher in molecular immunology. As well as her position at Chaminade, she holds academic affiliations with the John A. Burns School of Medicine and Department of Microbiology at the University of Hawaii and serves on numerous scientific advisory boards. She collaborates with an extensive network of scientists nation-wide and has trained numerous graduate students for careers as biomedical investigators, science administrators and academics. Previous to her Chaminade appointment, she was an Associate Director of Research at The Queen’s Center for Biomedical Research in Honolulu. Current projects in the Turner laboratory focus on mast cell ion channels as novel targets for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory pathologies, and on the molecular mechanisms by which cannabinoid compounds act as modulators of the immune system. Dr Turner’s relatively young laboratory has been strikingly successful at winning grants from private foundations (The Leahi Fund for Pulmonary Research, The Victoria and Bradley Geist Foundation, The Culpeper Biomedical Pilot Initiative, and the Queen Emma Research Foundation), and from Federal sources (National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergic and Inflammatory Disease, and the Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence). In addition to her efforts in seeking funding for her own program, Dr. Turner acts as an invited grant reviewer for the NIH, the British Welcome Trust, and several other funding bodies. Dr. Turner trained at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories and received her Ph.D. from the University of London in 1998. Following a post-doctoral period at the Beth Israel Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, she assumed her position at Queens in 2000. While at Queens, Dr. Turner was head of a team of 10 scientists, whose efforts centered around the biology of mast cells. These immunocytes are central to inflammatory responses and are key players in pathologies such as asthma, eczema and multiple sclerosis.” For more on Dr. Turner’s work, go to Chaminade’s website.
The post 23. Ten Epic Questions for Helen Turner, Part 1 appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
What’s the best thing I can offer educators and community members as we start the New Year 2020? The unmistakably clear voices of two remarkable students at the very beginning of their life-long learning journeys. In this episode, meet Phoenix Maimiti Valentine and Dayevin Bunao; both are student advocates-in-training with HawaiiKidsCAN, an innovative nonprofit that seeks to help students dive deep into the legislative process…that they might help shape the future of Hawaiʻi and level the playing field for everyone in this state. Phoenix and Dayevin are both graduates of Nalukai Academy, one of Planet Earth’s most innovative product-based summer camp programs. Phoenix describes herself as a “ʻŌiwi student filmmaker and creative, an optimist, a Home Schooler and HawaiiKidsCAN We Are Voices of Excellence (WAVE) alumni: My student short films are culturally based and have been screened in international film festivals around the world including Hawaiʻi, Seattle, Washington, abroad in Italy, Greece, Brazil, Slovenia, Czech Republic, the Russian Federation and London.” Dayevin thoughtfully notes, “I am a recent high school graduate who is finding my way with internships and volunteer opportunities. I am taking a gap year to learn more about my passions and how I can contribute to the education innovation space. I am an intern at Education Incubator, and volunteer with HawaiiKidsCAN on special projects and WAVE as an Alumni Facilitator. Together, these two special people are the hope of a generation, seeds growing into strong trees capable of wisely withstanding the high winds of our “Age of Acceleration,” a term coined by the New York Times Tom Friedman. Along the way, they are guided, mentored, coached and sponsored by David Miyashiro, the Executive Director of HawaiiKidsCAN, his understudy, Aisha Heredia, and a host of community members who care deeply about kids. So give a listen, and comment if you have time! To learn more about HawaiiKidsCAN, click on this link. If you love this podcast, please give us a rating in Apple Podcasts.
The post 22. Yes, Hawai’i Kids CAN! appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
I taught Amber Strong her Advanced Placed United States History 25 years ago. Recently, we came onto each other’s radar again and began working on some projects related to educator professional development. As we do this work, I continue to reflect how many kids’ lives have been impact by Amber’s work over the past two decades. The number has to be enormous, and is beyond staggering. Equally amazing has to be her impact on young educators getting advanced degrees and teacher certifications at the University of Hawaiʻi, College of Education, where she serves as a faculty member. And in 2019, a new chapter began: Amber is now the Director of Hanahau’oli School’s Professional Development Center, which is offering intimate and targeted PD around teaching social justice, climate change, art, equity and much, much more. (My father attended the 2nd grade at Hanahau’oli, back in 1920.) So it is with great pleasure that I give to you, esteemed listener, this “on the road” episode. Amber has much to say, and it is all worthy of your attention. From the UH Manoa website we get: “Dr. Amber Strong Makaiau is currently the Director of Curriculum and Research at the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education. For over ten years, she taught secondary social studies in the Hawaii State Department of Education. Her achievements include, National Board Certification in 2006, the Hawaii International Education Week – Honolulu Advertiser 2004 Outstanding Global Educator Award, the Oceanic Outstanding Educator Award in 2005, and the 2011 Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Culturally Responsive Teaching. Her current projects include a brand new secondary level Philosophical Inquiry course, developing the emerging field of deliberative pedagogy, and a new approach to research ethics education. Dr. Makaiau enjoys speaking, writing, engaging in intellectually safe communities of inquiry, and advocating for the betterment of education in Hawaii and beyond.” To learn more about Hanahau’oli School and its Professional Development Center, click here.
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As soon as I walked on Stacie Kunihisa’s campus I knew something different was happening. Two student ambassadors guided me on a tour of classrooms and project spaces, and spoke to me at length about how campus culture had changed as a result of a “movement” called Choose Love. Both felt that kids were related to each other in ways not seen before. Kanoelani Elementary is a carnival of interesting ideas and concepts in motion. I saw a full hydroponics garden next to one building, and heard about a series of “academy pathways” based on student inputs. Everywhere my ambassadors took me people seemed to be moving with great intent. Learning…is clearly front and center at this school. At the helm is a self-described “dreamer,” Principal Stacie Kunihisa, who grew up and went to school just down the road. In 2019 Stacie and Kanoelani Elementary hosted a Jessie Lewis Choose Love Movement conference on campus. Its 400 seats sold out in less than two weeks. Clearly there is a growing thirst for SEL training and ideas about how to grow more compassionate public, private and charter school cultures in Hawaiʻi. So what Stacie has to say about her journey, with her faculty, staff, students and parents, is important. She is a leader we can learn from. From Kanoelani’s website we learn the school is an “innovative community of leaders, risk takers and warm-hearted citizens who empower the best in each other. We the community of Kanoelani, strive to: Foster the growth of developing the whole child: Collaborate to set and achieve goals: Provide a dynamic environment to maximize students’ potential: Promote empathy and respect towards others.” Stacie was recently named 2019 Hawaiʻi National Distinguished Principal. She also received the $25,000 Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award, which annually recognizes outstanding public school principals in Hawaiʻi for their efforts to provide high-quality learning opportunities for their students. To learn more about Stacie’s work, and what school could be, read her blog. Merry Christmas, podcast fans!
The post 20. Kanoelani Elementary Chooses Love appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
When I first heard Dan Kinzer planned to walk the entire circumference of Oʻahu in order to find its “genius,” I immediately concluded I had to have him on this podcast. Even better, for this 7th “on the road” edition I wanted to catch him on the last day of his two-week walkabout. And so it happened. About 9:00AM on a Monday, as he walked his final miles along Kalanianaʻoli Highway in the morning Hawaiʻi sun, Dan, a cup of coffee in hand, paused in my dinning room and fielded my many questions. We talked about planet walking, exploring Antartica, his projects at international schools around the world and his love of deeper learning. Oh yes, we talked about the “genius” he found in every corner of this island of Oʻahu during 21 days of walking. Dan is a special thinker whose mind knows no limits. He is deeply devoted to justice, level playing fields, sustainability, service-learning, biomimicry and student agency. While standing up his Pacific Blue Studios, he serves on the Governing Board of an extraordinary public charter school called SEEQS. From SEEQS.org we get this wonderfully concise bio of Dan: “An avid traveler and adventurer, Daniel Kinzer spent a decade living, working, and learning in international schools, non-profits, and social enterprises across more than 60 countries on seven continents. Since graduating from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Psychology and Neuroscience, he has focused on nurturing explorers and change-makers by growing a learning ecosystem that can inspire and empower them. From 2016-2019, Daniel served as the Director of the Luke Center for Public Service at Punahou School in Honolulu, and as a Teacher Fellow for National Geographic and Ecology Project International. He is currently completing a master’s degree in the field of biomimicry where he’s concentrated on marine ecology and innovative solutions to climate change and ocean-related challenges, as well as applying biomimicry to complex social issues, especially reimagining education. As of 2019, Daniel is launching and co-creating Pacific Blue Studios: a Pacific network of community and place-based, youth-led, design and impact studios leveraging biomimicry, indigenous perspective and cutting-edge technologies as vehicles to help realize a sustainable, resilient, regenerative and inclusive future in Hawai’i, across the Pacific, and around our Blue Planet.” To learn more about Pacific Blue Studios check out Dan’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielkinzer/.
The post 19. Finding the Genius of a Place, with Dan Kinzer appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
In this last episode of Season 1, Semester 1, Trish Morgan takes our listeners on a magical mystery tour of her Innovative Invention Imaginarium, a maker space and technology laboratory built with a sizable award from Farmer’s Insurance, and with the helping hands of her middle school students at Honolulu’s Stevenson Intermediate. It is not in Trish’s DNA to see limits; she apparently fears nothing and sees each waking minute in and out of school as another opportunity to guide, coach and mentor young people towards the better angels of their nature. Her kids are making many things: Most notably, at least this year, they are making prosthetic and accessibility devices for real clients. Yes, fingers for a classmate born without them: A bionic hand for a school alum who fell victim to nectrotizing faciitis (flesh-eating bacteria): A wearable, all-purpose sensor for a young woman who lost her sight. And much, much more. Trish, in her resume, describes herself as an “Innovative, hands-on, and compassionate educator, offering fourteen years of experience in teaching, counseling, professional development, and teacher leadership. Highly qualified English Language Learner (ELL) and Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) teacher, with proven expertise in leading students toward academic and personal excellence. Equipped with outstanding ability to make learning accessible to all students through differentiated teaching strategies, positive encouragement, and individualized support.” In terms of awards and grants, we know this about Trish: 100K Farmers Insurance Dream Big Teachers Challenge National Grant: 2017, Lex Brodie’s Above and Beyond Award: 2019, Hawaiʻi Society for Technology in Education, Making It Happen Award: State of California $10K Best Buy Teach Grant. Trish is from California, where she got her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California State University in Hayward (she graduated cum laude). To learn more about her Imaginarium, Google Trish Morgan; she has been in the news – TV and print – in Hawaiʻi, a lot.
The post 18. Trish Morgan’s Magical, Fantastical Imaginarium appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Paul Singer has strong opinions about education, but he comes by them honestly. He spent nearly 30 years as Head at The Country School in Los Angeles, then another 11 as Head at Assets School in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. His experiences in school at a very young age still shape the way he sees the world, and teaching and learning. Paul has been one of Hawaii’s most vocal advocates for individualized, differentiated “meet students where they are” instruction. His life experiences shape the way he thinks kids, the real world and “school” could and should intersect. Now retired from active duty as a head of school, Paul has formed Singer and Associates LLC, which will serve as a progressive education consultancy platform. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools. From Assets-School.org we hear: “Under Singer’s leadership, Assets acquired the land rights to the school’s campus near the airport and negotiated a merger with the Academy of the Pacific to acquire their Alewa Heights campus, which now houses the Assets High School. He launched the school’s first major capital campaign in decades, already resulting in a new K-4 Village and plans for subsequent efforts on both campuses. His commitment to meeting students where they are also resulted in new after- school and summer programs as well as outreach across the state, sharing Assets’ techniques and strategies with teachers from public and private schools….Singer’s retirement marks the end of a distinguished career as a gifted, progressive educator who has long championed meeting students where they are — academically, developmentally, socially, and emotionally.” Paul served on the faculty at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for 30 years; he taught in the College of Education Teacher Training Program; he served for 10 years on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He served on accreditation committees for the California Association of Independent Schools for 15 years, serving as Chair for many of those years. He holds a B.A. in Sociology, an M.A. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education, and an M.A. in Educational Administration and Supervision from CSUN. He has also completed doctoral coursework in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Southern California. [Episode music from https://filmmusic.io “I Can Feel it Coming” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).]
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I first met Sandy Cameli during a facilitated protocol discussion on synchronous, vs. asynchronous professional development. Her passion for education filled the conference room with energy and spirit. Since then I have witnessed her, many times, facilitating sessions on teacher-leadership; I always come away inspired. In this episode Sandy and I dive deep into professional crushes (on noted education authors), tri-level professional growth, identity of leadership, those special kids we remember always, and how teacher-leadership shifts school culture towards student voice, teacher collaboration and intentional school design. Oh yes, we also talk about how happy days keep the grouchies away! Sandy Cameli got her Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) in Elementary Education at Linfield College in Oregon. She has a Master’s of Education Degree (MEd) in Special Education from the University of San Diego, and a Doctor of Education Degree (EdD) Instructional Leadership from Argosy University in Honolulu. She has been a classroom teacher, lecturer, resource teacher, teacher-leader and much more. She is the Co-Owner of “The Chalkboard,” a retail and tutoring center in Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi, supporting teachers and students in K-8th classrooms in West Hawai’i schools. Today, she is the Facilitator of Na Kumu Alaka’i Academy, a program of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education Leadership Institute. She is also the current President of the Hawai’i Association of Middle Level Education (HAMLE), and has been published widely. I am forever grateful to Sandy for being such a steadfast supporter of the @MLTSinHawaii “movement.” To learn more about teacher-leadership in Hawaii’s schools, go to https://vimeo.com/362658356. Follow Sandy on Twitter at @DrCameli and @TLA808.
The post 16. Sandy Cameli, Coach of Teacher Leaders appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Kristie Fetterly knows first hand how an innovative, imaginative, creative, caring, empathetic teacher bucking the traditional in education can change a young person’s life. Back in the day, a certain Mr. Bergh played that role when Kristie started her senior year in high school. Today, as the Site Director for Hawaiʻi Technology Academy’s Maui Campus (HTA), she is bravely and boldly leading her school community into a bright future full of possibilities and great promises. A member of the 2nd cohort of the Hawaiʻi Innovative Leaders Network, facilitated by PBLWorks, Kristie has her eye firmly fixed on what makes young people most likely to succeed, and what school could be locally, nationally and globally. HTA uses a blended learning model, which grants agency to kids to work on things that matter and are relevant to their lives, individually and collectively. Kristie has a Bachelors in Secondary Education from Pacific Lutheran University: a Masters in Education from University of Washington, Tacoma: an Educational Specialist Degree from Walden University, Baltimore, Maryland: she is working on an Advanced Educational Leadership Certification from Harvard University. Shannon Stanton, Instructional Design, Kent School District, who knows Kristie said the following: From the beginning, it has been apparent that Kristie’s strengths as an educator are more than a list of what she has accomplished. It is how she approaches her work that matters. Kristie is an advocate for teachers as leaders and learners. To learn more about Hawaiʻi Technology Academy, go to https://hi.myhta.org.
The post 15. On Being Bold And Brave with Kristie Fetterly appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Cecilia Chung, otherwise known as CC, is Hawaiʻi’s 2020, State Department of Education, Teacher of the Year. In this 5th on the road episode, CC and I dive deep into her thoughts on Ted Dintersmith’s film, Most Likely to Succeed, her remarkable education journey, how she became an EdTech Jedi coach, her views on student data, student voice, teacher collaboration and celebration, intentional school design, and the meaning of her selection as our teacher of the year. CC currently teaches and learns with an awesome group of sixth graders at Kaimiloa Elementary School in Ewa Beach, Hawaiʻi. She has also worked as a technology integration coach for grades K-6. She is a proponent of student voice and agency for (all) students and loves dialoguing about this topic with others. CC is passionate about working with other educators; she leads and facilitates a variety of workshops for and with the education community. An alumni of the Hope Street, Hawaii State Teacher Fellow program, she has facilitated education-related data collection and focus groups and worked as one of the planning leads for a complex wide teacher conference called Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching (ECET2). CC is a strong believer in the importance of elevating and celebrating teachers, encouraging teachers to tell their stories via platforms like Twitter and blog posts. She most recently wrote, “Teachers: You Could Be Anywhere Else,” published on Medium. She is President-Elect for the Hawaii Society for Technology in Education (HSTE). She has monitored and provided content for her school Twitter and Instagram handles. She is a self-proclaimed foodie, an accessible introvert and a bookworm! Her Twitter handle is @MSChung808. Oh yes, and she is my former student, now very special friend.
The post 14. Cecilia Chung, Hawaii’s Epic Teacher Of The Year appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Doug Hiu IV is a young guy, but he has already lived quite a life. In this episode Doug shares his journey from tough childhood to extraordinary middle school teacher at Kamehameha Schools, Kapālama Campus on the island of Oahu in Hawaiʻi. Doug is an “all in” educator – his students go on quests, dig deep into essential questions and participate in epic exhibitions of knowledge. His teacher website is a garden of delights, an Alice in Wonderland of exclamation points and references to projects, challenges and problems his students tackle on a daily basis. Doug is also well versed in current literature authored by the world’s leading education lights. Born Douglas AhKop Hiu IV, he is of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Caucasian decent and the second oldest of three siblings. Doug grew up in Maunawili Valley on the wet and windy, Windward Side of Oahu; from 5th to 8th grade he attended six different public schools before landing at Kahuku Intermediate and High Schools, where he wrestled, played football and graduated in 2001. He earned his BA in sociology, and a masters in education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. Doug has four children with his wife, Tamzen. In addition to teaching, he coaches wrestling and practices in various combat sports. He is a graduate of the Keala’ula Institute for Strategy and Innovation, a tri-campus Kamehameha Schools initiative headed up by Dr. Evan Beachy, who has been featured on this podcast.
The post 13. Doug Hiu IV, Living Breathing Education appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Kay Sturm is one of the most intentional people I have ever met. I knew this from observing her practice years ago when she taught at The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability. It’s still true today as she works to stand up and make fly The Umi Project, whose vision is to bring people and ideas together through intentionally designed education. Listen as Kay and I work through deeper learning, essential question-based learning, communities of practice and much, much more. From Hawaii to Alaska, Kay has had a diverse array of experiences and roles in education. Kay received her Doctorate of Education from the University of Southern California; her dissertation focused on the “Facilitation of Authentic Teaching and Learning in a PBL Environment.” She is an adjunct faculty professor for the University of Southern California, Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, and works as the lead education consultant with clients partnered with The Umi Project. She is also a National Faculty member for the national organization, PBLWorks, under the Buck Institute for Education, and facilitates PBL101 workshops around the country. In 2016, she was named Charter School Teacher of the Year in the State of Hawaiʻi. Kay started as a special education teacher at Waianae High School on the island of Oahu. She has worked at both the middle and high school level in the classroom and at the leadership level, as an instructional coach and coordinator for student-focused experiences. She is passionate about teaching content through the lens of sustainability, project-based learning and place-based education. Kay now lives in Alaska, but travels extensively, and intentionally. Learn more about The Umi Project at https://www.theumiproject.com.
The post 12. The Umi Project, Intentionally Born appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Robert Landau has served in almost every capacity imaginable, in schools and public, private and charter education at large. He describes himself as a futurist, but in truth, he is a wizard at “school renovations.” What is a “school renovation,” you ask? Listen to this on the road episode to find out. More than anything, Robert loves his students of all ages, a fact evident when visiting him at Maui Preparatory Academy, where he is Head of School. As recently as 2017, he was the executive director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, an organization that preserves and strengthens private school education in Hawaii. Subsequently, he started his own education consulting business, “Two Roads Education.” Robert worked with not only private schools but also charter schools and the state Department of Education. Prior to that, he lived and worked abroad for more than 40 years in countries such as Switzerland, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, China, Cambodia and Singapore. He was a teacher and administrator in a variety of international schools, which were English-medium schools for students representing an average of 60 nationalities from the business, diplomatic, entrepreneurial and private sectors. The schools he worked at ranged from 45 to 4,000 students. He also helped start the first international charter school in the United States in Monterey, California.
The post 11. Investing in Human Capital, with Robert Landau appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
PBLWorks and Kupu Hou Academy (a program out of Mid-Pacific Institute, a medium sized private school on Oahu in Hawaiʻi) are two of the best known project-based, inquiry-based, challenge-based, essential question-based, place-based, culture-based, multiple intelligences-based, teaching and learning PD programs in Hawaiʻi. Leading those programs are Mark Hines, Leigh Fitzgerald and Lisa Mireles. Combined, the deeper learning knowledge of these three individuals is simply staggering. Listen as I dig deep into philosophies of education and best professional development practices with people who are all about the kids. And I do mean all. Currently a Director of District and School Leadership for PBLWorks, Lisa Mireles works with school leaders and complex areas across the state of Hawaii who want to transform student learning experiences using project based learning as the primary lever. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science/International Relations and a Master’s in Education from the UCLA along with a doctorate in Learning Technologies from Pepperdine University. Mark Hines is the Director of Kupu Hou Academy (KHA), which develops and implements programs for teachers and leaders with a focus on Deeper Learning practices. KHA focuses on progressive and research based instructional, assessment and leadership practices including PBL, Inquiry and Deeper Learning. Mark was the the Director of Mid-Pacific eXploratory (MPX) and the Academic Technology Chair at Mid-Pacific Institute. MPX is a grade 9 and 10 program that focuses on integrated, community project-based learning. Students build authentic projects and work on community issues while integrating math, science, technology, language arts, social studies and the arts. In all, he has taught science, math and been involved with technology planning for 38 years. In 2019 Mid-Pacific Institute welcomed a new Vice President of Academic Affairs, Leigh Fitzgerald. She joined Mid-Pacific with 15 years of experience in teaching and educational administration rooted in deeper learning practices. Fitzgerald was most recently executive director of the largest charter school in the state, Hawaii Technology Academy. Prior to leading the school, she was a teacher at Lahainaluna High School and later teacher and principal at Maui Preparatory Academy. Leigh grew up in Cape Cod, MA, and graduated from Brown University (Education and American Civilization) and Harvard University (Education Administration, Planning and Social Policy). To learn more about these programs go to www.midpac.edu and pblworks.org.
The post 10. Three Global Deeper Learning Superheroes appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
If I were to line up all the people I know who understand individualized learning, Susannah Johnson stands at the front…by a lot. After a career in business she moved to the classroom; the lives of kids have been impacted ever since. She is the kind of teacher (meaning guide-on-the side, sponsor, coach, mentor) I would have thrived with when I was in school 40 years ago. After 12 years in business (fitness management positions and exercise instruction), and years in the classroom at Assets School in Honolulu, she recently formed her own consultancy, called Individualized Realized, LLC. Susannah now works with public, private and charter schools on several continents to help educators and education leaders realize student-driven learning. She has a Master of Education degree in Instructional Leadership from Chaminade University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Southern Illinois University. She is a frequent Schools of the Future conference presenter: “The Chaotic Classroom” in 2012, “Unlocking the Exceptional Mind” in 2014, “Individualized Realized” and “Critical Thinking through Individualized Learning” in 2016, and “But Hawaii is Already Diverse” in 2018. To learn more about her work, go to www.individualizedrealized.com.
The post 9. Susannah Johnson is Individualized And Realized appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Alex Teece and his team worked for three years to turn DreamHouse Academy (located in West Oahu) from an idea into a reality. Listen as Alex and I explore how he and his partners designed and developed a public charter school focused on the fusion of identity, leadership, place, culture and student agency. The Hawaiʻi Public Charter School Commission rejected Alex’s first application. Undaunted, the DreamHouse team went back to the drawing board, revamped their academic and financial plans and built community support. Today, 100 students are six weeks into the first year of this innovative, imaginative, creative school. Alex brings educational leadership, finance, fundraising, and teaching experience to DreamHouse, and is currently a full-time doctoral student at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his black lab puppy and traveling with his wife to experience new foods, cultures, and places.
The post 8. The Dreams of Alex Teece appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Zach Morita takes a very real world, very experiential and progressive approach to music education at Niu Valley Middle School on the east side of Oahu in Hawaiʻi. His students commission musical scores from local artists, compete in Olympic events, collaborate with local chamber music ensembles and much, much more. Listen as Zach and I explore the DNA of music appreciation and exploration, his approach to project-based learning and portfolio assessments, and why his philosophy of teaching and learning music, and life moved me emotionally. Zach is in his 12th year as a music teacher at Niu Valley Middle School. He is a recent winner of the 2018 Farmers Insurance $100,000 Dream Big Teacher Challenge. Zachary has taken student performance groups to New York, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Texas. In the summer of 2019, the Niu Valley Middle School Concert Band performed at the Australian International Music Festival in the Sydney Opera House. He has conducted and directed student groups at the 2017 New York Wind Band Festival in Carnegie Hall, the 2016 National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, the 2014 American School Band Directors Association Conference, and the 2012 Winter Guard International Percussion World Championships. Active in the Hawaii music community, Zach is past Treasurer and ongoing Solo/Ensemble Chairperson for the Oahu Band Directors Association, Associate Music Director of the Honolulu Wind Ensemble, and President/Founder of the Hawaii Youth Percussion Ensemble. Zachary is sponsored by Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks & Mallets, Grover Pro Percussion, and Pearl/Adams Musical Instruments. This is quite a resume for someone just getting started in his teaching career. Send feedback to me, your host, Josh Reppun at MLTSinHawaii@gmail.com.
The post 7. Zack Morita, Jedi Music Man appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Luke Ritchie is the Head of School at the Annesley Junior School – tagline: Heritage, Values, Innovation – in Adelaide, Australia (population 1.4 million). Annesley was a school on the brink of collapse not long ago. In this On the Road episode Luke and I talk about how he and his staff, his faculty, his parents and his students transformed Annesley into one of the fastest growing schools in the region. The backdrop of our conversation is the 2019 Leading Schools of the Future pre-workshop for the 2019 Schools of the Future Conference. Luke came to Hawaiʻi to participate as a “leader-mentor” at this pre-conference workshop (attended by 140 public, private and charter leaders) focused on deeper learning and assessments. Listen as Luke outlines the steps he and his community took to redesign and rebuild Annesley into a school focused on student-centered learning, faculty leading as professionals and diverse learning environments. Along the way, hear about the “Crunchy Cafe,” nature hikes with mathematicians and other wonders of student focused school culture. At some point a Myna Bird screams at us. We recorded this episode outside at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center! After Luke and I finished recording, I told him I wanted to attend elementary school again at Annesley.
The post 6. Luke Ritchie Knows School Transformation appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
In this first On The Road episode of the What School Could Be in Hawaiʻi podcast, you will hear a wide ranging conversation about grades, transcripts, rubrics, assessments and topics related to knowing and measuring student learning. Dr. Evan Reppun Beachy is Senior Education Consultant and Director of the Kealaʻula Innovations Institute at Kamehameha Schools (KSBE) in Hawaiʻi. KSBE has three campuses on three islands and serves over 7000 students of Native Hawaiian ancestry. Full disclosure: Evan is both my nephew and one of my mentors. He attended Punahou School, graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Social Anthropology and a Teaching Credential from the Graduate School of Education. Evan has taught in international, private, charter, and public schools in Costa Rica, Hawaii, and California. He attended UCLA to complete his doctorate in Educational Leadership – which emphasized private independent schools – in 2004. Evan has served as an Adjunct Professor in USC’s MAT program bookending teaching experience in a variety of subjects across all K-12 divisions. For the last seven years Evan has worked as Middle School Director and K-12 Dean of Faculty at Crossroads and New Roads schools. His current interests include curricular design and teaching methods, brain research, the incorporation of technology in modern classrooms, modern classroom design, and values based education.
The post 5. Evan Beachy Knows Assessments appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Kui Gapero loves working with middle school students. It’s safe to say they are his passion. He finds their quirks difficult sometimes, but in the end, they reward and nuture him with their eagerness to learn. An innovative, creative, imaginative educator at the Kamehameha Schools, Maui Middle School, his work primarily focuses on teaching Hawaiian language and Hawaiian Studies. Outside the KSBE Maui campus, Kui is a volunteer with community organizations and participates in a variety of Hawaiian cultural practices.
In truth, Kui sees no line between “school” and “community.” Both are richly cultural places of learning. Born on the island of Maui, he attended public school there until boarding at the Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus on Oahu for middle and high school. He earned his B.A. in Hawaiian Language after he took a “short-vacation” to Iraq as an infantryman with the Hawaii Army National Guard. He then taught at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama, worked as a Cultural Program Specialist with the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission, lectured at the University of Hawaii at Maui College, then settled into his current position as a middle school educator at Kamehameha Schools Maui.
Listen as Kui describes his strengths, weaknesses, his love of learning, his interest in non traditional assessments and his absolute love of learning. Along the way, you will hear him laugh…a lot.
This episode was edited by AJ Rosario, a 9th grader at Kealakehe High School and contributing member of the Hawk Media Program at Kealakehe Intermediate. AJ was assisted by Mei Kanada, our podcast’s Hawk Media, editor-in-chief. The post 4. Kui Gapero Knows What School Could Be appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
As a kid, Katina Soares attended Molokai’s Kaunakakai Elementary, Molokai Middle and Molokai High School. She has an associate’s degree from the University of Hawai’i, Maui College, a bachelor’s degree from Judson College, a master’s degree from Liberty University and a PhD in education leadership from Walden University. She is a School Retool Fellow and a member of the Hawaiʻi Innovative Leaders Network. She has been a child care provider, a college academic advisor, a public school counselor and both a public and charter school vice-principal.
Two years ago, in 2017, she fulfilled a life-long dream when she was appointed Principal at Molokai High School, which is in the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s “Canoe Complex.” (This complex includes schools on Maui, Lanai and Molokai.) Katina is a strong advocate and supporter for education innovation, creativity and imagination on her campus. She is also a great fan of Ted Dintersmith’s film, “Most Likely to Succeed” and his book, “What School Could Be,” employing both effectively to transform her community. She is using Ted’s InnovationPlaylist.org to help infuse her faculty, staff and students with a micro-innovation theory of change.
She has written: “I truly believe, when delivered effectively, education can give each generation, not only knowledge and skills, but the passion and power to become positive agents of change in their local and global community.”
This episode was edited by Mei Kanada, an 8th grader in the Kealakehe Intermediate, Hawk Media program on Hawaiʻi Island.
The post 3. Katina Soares: Educator, Innovator, Leader appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Listen to this episode and you will clearly see that Melissa Speetjens is public school proud. The Principal at Waimea Canyon Middle School on the island of Kauai (the westernmost middle school in the United States), Melissa and her faculty have implemented a dynamic program called “20% Time,” where 6th, 7th and 8th graders spend 20% of every school day working on complicated and complex global issues. Students self-select into themes such as peace and justice, or ocean sustainability; they train in design thinking; they immerse themselves, with their teacher guides and coaches, into project-based learning; they prepare for public exhibitions of learning (called student showcases); and, they put the needs of family and community front and center.
Melissa is a mentor in the Hawaiʻi Innovative Leaders Network, a graduate of the Stanford School Retool program and a recipient of one of the 2018/2019 Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s innovation grants. She also loves to quote John Dewey.
Please subscribe to this podcast! And don’t forget to give us a rating and leave a review. There will be a new episode every Monday, September through November, 2019. Have an innovative guest in mind? Send information to MLTSinHawaii@gmail.com, or go to MLTSinHawaii.com.
This episode was edited by Mei Kanada, a middle school student in the Hawk Media program at Kealakehe Intermediate on Hawaiʻi Island.
The post 2. Melissa Speetjens, Public School Proud appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Janice Ochola Blaber, born of parents from Western Samoa and Ecuador, started dreaming about being a teacher in the 1st grade. Today, after managing restaurants and bartending in New York City and Honolulu, getting a graduate degree from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, holding various public and private school substitute teaching and ELA positions – and much more – she is the Principal at Keaʻau Elementary School on Hawaiʻi Island.
Listen as Janice and I talk about education innovation, creativity, imagination, Deeper Learning, her hopes and dreams for her Kea’au Elementary School and #WhatSchoolCouldBe. We record episodes for Season 1, Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Hālau ‘Īnana, a remarkable innovation space designed and built by Kamehameha Schools.
This episode was post-produced by Kealakehe Intermediate’s Hawk Media Productions, under the guidance of State Teacher of the Year, Mathieu Williams. Ryan Ozawa is our podcast development Jedi, marketing consultant and sound engineer. Subscribe to get episodes each Monday! For more about this series, go to MLTSinHawaii.com. Send us feedback at mltsinhawaii@gmail.com.
This episode was edited by Mei Kanada, an 8th grader in the Hawk Media program at Kealakehe Intermediate.
The post 1. Janice Blaber Inverts Maslow appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .
Hey, it’s Josh Reppun coming to you from Hālau ‘Īnana on Oahu. This is a beta test of our first What School Could Be in Hawaiʻi podcast series. Ryan Ozawa and I recorded this 15-minute conversation as a test of our systems. It’s a fun conversation about podcasting in general, and our purposes for developing this series. This podcast series is a partnership between Plexus Education, LLC (DBA @MLTSinHawaii), Ryan Ozawa @Hawaii, and the Kealakehe Middle School media team of students led by Director and our state teacher of the year, Mathieu Williams. Special thanks to Will Reppun, founder of Unrulr, for WordPress, Blubrry and podcast listing technical support. THE FIRST PODCAST EPISODES WILL BE AVAILABLE STARTING SEPTEMBER 2ND. NEW EPISODES WILL BE RELEASED EVERY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER – NOVEMBER.
The post Our Podcast Beta Test appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .