The Education Vangaurd: Recent Episodes
21CL Radio
The Education Vanguard is on a mission to seek out and discover interesting educators building, changing and improving the way we deliver education. Insightful questions, a casual atmosphere, and frank discussion help this show deliver value.
What makes online learning truly effective?
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Podcast, host Justin Hardman speaks with Brittanie Bates, Principal of Crimson Global Academy, about designing online education with purpose rather than simply recreating the traditional classroom on a screen.
Brittanie shares how CGA supports students in more than 70 countries through flexible learning pathways, small class sizes, and a strong focus on meaningful human connection. She discusses what it takes for teachers to transition successfully into online education, how schools can build vibrant communities in virtual environments, and why AI should be approached as a learning tool rather than something to fear.
Whether you're leading a school, teaching online, or exploring the future of education, this conversation offers practical insights into what intentional digital learning can look like.
In this episode of Education Vanguard, as part of the 21CLHK Panel podcast takeover, Jeremy Willette leads a panel conversation with Stacy Stephens, Jean-Pierre Adamson, Julia Besnard, and Marianne Grasso on the evolving role of school libraries and what it means to place them at the heart of learning.
Together, they explore how libraries create spaces for belonging, curiosity, student agency, research, collaboration, and community connection. The conversation moves beyond the traditional view of libraries as quiet rooms filled with books and looks at how they can become active, strategic hubs for inquiry, innovation, literacy, leadership, and whole-school growth.
The panel also reflects on the role of school leaders in supporting libraries, from being present and understanding the work of librarians to protecting collaboration time and involving librarians in curriculum, school design, and integrated learning projects.
This episode invites educators and leaders to rethink the library not just as a space, but as a powerful force for student learning, community, and school-wide transformation.
In this episode of Education Vanguard, Howard Stribbell is joined by fitness and lifestyle coach Paul Bradley for a conversation about leadership, energy, health, and what it really takes to perform at your best.
This episode explores why success at work can only go so far when health, energy, relationships, and personal well-being are being pushed aside.
Paul works with executive leaders around the world, helping them improve not only their fitness but also their energy, clarity, confidence, and capacity to lead. In this conversation, he shares why energy is one of a leader’s most important assets and why health and fitness should not be treated as a side project.
Together, Howard and Paul explore the connection between physical health and leadership performance, the hidden cost of burnout, the role of systems and habits, and why successful people can still feel misaligned when work is thriving but health, relationships, or personal confidence are being neglected.
They also discuss how small, consistent actions can create energy, build self-trust, and help leaders become more present at work and at home.
This episode is a reminder that leadership is not only about achievement. It is also about capacity, clarity, confidence, and the person you are becoming along the way.
What does it take to design a school that actually works for the students and educators inside it?
In this special Education Vanguard panel episode from 21CLHK 2026, host MJ Jimenez of MBKM Group facilitates a compelling panel discussion that brings together architects, designers, and education leaders to explore the future of learning space design.
The conversation features Owen Tam of the Hong Kong Metropolitan University Library, who shares how his team is transforming a traditional library into a dynamic hub integrating gallery, museum, and archival services. Eric Chak, Managing Director and Founder of Envision, brings experience designing international schools and workplace campuses across APAC. Richard Dorkin, an architect trained in the UK with 14 years in Hong Kong, draws on heritage school conversions and inclusive design principles. John Martinson, trained architect and project manager with the Cognitic Group, discusses the realities of converting commercial retail spaces into rich, flexible educational environments.
Whether you lead a school, design one, or teach in one, this episode offers both the big-picture vision and the on-the-ground reality of what it means to move from passive to proactive learning space design.
In this special Education Vanguard panel episode from 21CLHK 2026, a group of experienced educators come together to explore one of the most pressing questions in education today, how to ethically integrate AI into teaching and learning.
Featuring insights from Cora Yang, Douglas Kiang, Alex McMillan, and Roberta Ferraz, the conversation dives into real classroom practices, institutional challenges, and the importance of shared values in guiding decision-making.
From defining ethical AI use in daily teaching to navigating policy, transparency, and community alignment, this episode highlights the balance between innovation and responsibility in schools.
A must-listen for school leaders, educators, and anyone navigating the future of AI in education.
In this keynote from the 21CLHK 2026, d’Arcy Lunn explores how educators and individuals can meaningfully engage with the Sustainable Development Goals through small, practical actions. Drawing from his concept of “teaspoons of change,” he emphasizes that global citizenship is not about perfection but about awareness, balance, and consistent effort.
Throughout the session, d’Arcy shares how schools can integrate global citizenship into everyday learning, encourages honest conversations about impact, and highlights the importance of optimism paired with realism when tackling global challenges.
A thought-provoking and practical episode for educators looking to connect big global ideas to real-world classroom experiences.
In this 21CLHK Education Vanguard podcast takeover keynote episode, Howard Stribbell shares a deeply personal and honest reflection on leadership, achievement, burnout, vulnerability, and the importance of authenticity in education.
Drawing from over 30 years in international education, Howard explores how masks, ego, stress, and the pursuit of success can create blind spots in leadership and strain our mental health, physical well-being, and relationships. Through stories of success, failure, resilience, and personal transformation, he challenges educators and school leaders to rethink what it truly means to lead well.
This keynote highlights the importance of emotional awareness, authentic leadership, psychological safety, and becoming the healthiest version of ourselves, not just for our schools and communities but for ourselves as well.
A must-listen for school leaders, educators, and anyone navigating the pressures of leadership in today’s fast-changing world.
In this special 21CLHK Podcast Takeover, this panel discussion led by Dr. Howard Stribbell brings together experienced education leaders including Dr. Ron Roukema, Dr. Arnett Edwards, Dr. Shirla Sum, and Nooraine Fazal.
The conversation explores what it means to lead schools in today’s rapidly changing world, from navigating global uncertainty and political complexity to supporting teacher well-being and redefining innovation in education.
The panel shares practical insights on leadership, including the importance of purpose, psychological safety, student agency, and using AI as a tool for deeper thinking rather than surface efficiency.
A must-listen for school leaders, educators, and anyone navigating leadership in times of constant change.
In this special 21CLHK Podcast Takeover episode, Dr. Helen Wright’s keynote from the 17th Annual 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong explores the importance of reflection in shaping the future of education.
Drawing from centuries of educational thought and practice, Dr. Wright shares how looking back can provide clarity, courage, and direction for educators and leaders navigating today’s rapidly changing landscape. The episode highlights the value of pausing, reflecting, and learning from those who came before us in order to move forward with intention.
A must-listen for school leaders, educators, and changemakers seeking deeper insight into meaningful and sustainable innovation in education.
In this episode of Education Vanguard, Justin Hardman speaks with Jiayuan Tian, social entrepreneur, Co-founder of OneXplore, and Master of International Affairs candidate at Columbia University. Drawing from his journey from Southern China’s exam-centric system to Minerva University’s global model, Jiayuan reflects on how information asymmetry shapes access to opportunity.
Together, they explore the definition of success in high-stakes education systems, the hidden cultural capital embedded in global classrooms, and how students can reclaim agency even without structural power. Jiayuan also shares the origins of OneXplore, a social enterprise designed to bridge information gaps and build decision-making literacy for young people navigating international education.
A thoughtful and timely conversation on equity, global citizenship, and what it means to make global learning more humane and accessible.
A must-listen for school leaders
In this episode of Education Vanguard, Justin sits down with Punya Mishra, an internationally recognized scholar and co-developer of the TPACK framework, to explore how AI is reshaping education.
Together, they unpack:
• Why context matters more than ever
• How AI can amplify expert teachers
• Why novice educators may struggle more with AI
• The importance of judgment, care, and professional pride
• Why humility must anchor our response to technological change
With sharp metaphors and practical insight, Punya reframes AI not as a magic solution, but as a powerful tool that demands discernment.
A must-listen for school leaders, curriculum designers, and educators navigating the AI revolution.
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Podcast, host Justin Hardman sits down with Summer Howarth, founder and director of The Eventful Learning Company and a leading voice in student agency and educational innovation.
Summer shares why meaningful participation requires more than good intentions. Drawing from her experience designing events and learning experiences across international schools and education systems, she explains how clarity of purpose, authentic roles, and thoughtful structure shape whether students lean in or quietly disengage.
Together, they explore what it takes to design for agency, how to avoid performative practices, and why the human side of learning must remain central in an increasingly complex education landscape.
A must-listen for school leaders, event designers, and educators committed to designing experiences that truly matter.
In this episode of Education Vanguard, host Justin Hardman is joined by Tim Evans, Learning Technologies and Data Coordinator at the American School of Guangzhou. Together, they explore how trust, community understanding, and meaningful data use shape successful EdTech adoption.
Tim shares insights on moving beyond dashboards, supporting teachers through AI driven change, and why alignment with school vision and mission matters more than tools themselves. The conversation also unpacks the disruptive nature of AI, sustainable innovation, and the evolving role of educators in an uncertain future.
A must listen for school leaders, EdTech coordinators, and educators navigating innovation with clarity and purpose.
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Podcast, host Justin and co-host Howard Stribbell welcome Dr. Helen Wright, a globally respected education leader, executive coach, and board advisor with over three decades of experience in international education.
Dr. Wright shares her journey from teacher to headship, offering honest reflections on leadership transitions, imposter syndrome, and the realities of carrying responsibility at the top. The conversation also explores women in leadership, recruitment and governance relationships, and why global competence is essential for today’s learners.
A thoughtful and grounded discussion for educators, school leaders, and boards seeking to lead with clarity, humility, and purpose.
In this episode of Education Vanguard, host Justin Hardman is joined by Rob LoCascio, American entrepreneur and founder and former CEO of LivePerson. Known for pioneering web-based chat, Rob now turns his attention to a new challenge: how children experience technology in an AI-driven world.
Drawing on both professional expertise and personal experience as a parent, Rob discusses the impact of devices on children’s behaviour, the risks of addictive design, and why purpose-built technology for creativity and connection matters. The conversation explores the role of parents, the importance of shared experiences, and how AI can be designed as a tool for good rather than passive consumption.
A thoughtful listen for educators, school leaders, parents, and anyone reflecting on the future of learning, technology, and childhood.
In this episode of Education Vanguard, host Justin is joined by Ceci Gomez-Galvez, a multilingual education leader and advocate for translanguaging pedagogy, culturally responsive practice, and equitable access for multilingual learners.
Ceci reflects on her journey into teaching at a young age in Guatemala, how her bilingual identity shaped her work, and why schools must move beyond the idea that more exposure to a single target language leads to better learning.
Together, they unpack common misconceptions about multilingual learners, explore the relationship between language and culture, and share practical examples of how language development can be supported across all subjects. The conversation also touches on collaboration, consulting, and how AI tools can support multilingual learners when used thoughtfully.
A valuable listen for school leaders, language specialists, and educators committed to inclusive, identity-affirming learning environments.
In this double-feature episode of the Education Vanguard Podcast, host Justin Hardman brings listeners two powerful conversations recorded live at the PHASE Asia Pacific Conference 2025.
In the first conversation, PHASE Committee Chair Carlos Galvez sits down with Rising Star keynote speaker Nick Haywood. Nick reflects on his journey from outdoor education to working with elite sporting teams and schools, sharing insights on leadership, balance, connection, and why educators don’t need to be “bad” to get better.
The second conversation features PHASE Committee Member Sarah Cole in discussion with Dr. Anne Wenstrom, Rising Star speaker and Wellness Coordinator at Singapore American School. Dr. Wenstrom explores how schools can build comprehensive, sustainable cultures of wellbeing by connecting students, educators, families, and organizations through practical, community-driven approaches.
A hopeful and grounded episode for educators and school leaders seeking meaningful ways to embed wellness, leadership, and balance into school culture.
In this Education Vanguard episode, host Justin Hardman introduces a special PHASE takeover recorded live at the PHASE Conference in Singapore. First, Will Patz speaks with Helen Batteley, an internationally renowned consultant in early childhood physical education and movement play, about physical literacy, play, and building strong foundations through developmentally appropriate practice.
Then Thomas Matthews sits down with Tricia Friedman to explore the future of education in an AI-shaped world. Tricia challenges schools to look beyond plagiarism concerns and consider the deeper impact of AI on relationships, well-being, and community, while encouraging leaders to imagine more human, collaborative models of learning.
A must-listen for educators and school leaders who want practical insight into early years development and a clearer lens on what AI means for the heart of schooling: people and connection.
In this Education Vanguard episode, host Kerstin Bender talks with Dale Sidebottom and Paul Campbell from School of Play, live from PHASE Conference. Together, they explore how play can move from the gym to the whole school, shaping culture, relationships, and wellbeing for staff, students, and families.
Dale and Paul share stories from international schools, from whole staff keynotes and leadership work to parent evenings that turn into deeply human moments. They discuss why teachers need to look after themselves first, how play can be accessible for introverts as well as high energy educators, and why staff wellbeing programs are no longer optional.
If you are looking for practical, human centred ways to build connection in your school and shift wellbeing from a PE responsibility to a whole school commitment, this conversation is for you. A great listen for PE teachers, school leaders, counsellors, and anyone who cares about thriving school communities.
In this episode of the Education Vanguard, Dr. Howard Stribbell sits down with Diana Hume McDowell from East West Prevention, a substance misuse prevention organization working with international schools. Diana shares her deeply personal journey through addiction and recovery, and how it shaped her mission to help young people make safer, healthier choices.
Together, they explore the unique risk factors for third culture kids, the pressures of high achieving international school environments, and why stigma and silence around addiction still hold so much power. Diana and Howard discuss how schools can move beyond “just say no” by teaching concrete harm reduction strategies, building trusted adult relationships, and equipping parents with tools for many small, everyday conversations.
This episode is a must listen for school leaders, counselors, wellbeing teams, and parents who want to approach student substance use and mental health with honesty, compassion, and practical skill building.
🎙️Leading with Clarity, Conscience, and Community: Rethinking School Leadership with Thomas Midbo & Howard Stribbell
In this Education Vanguard episode, Justin speaks with Howard Stribbell and Thomas Midbo about the real work of school leadership today, inspired by their white paper “Leading with Clarity, Conscience and Community.”
They discuss distributed leadership, self care, clear feedback, intercultural dynamics, and the everyday habits that reveal whether a school is truly healthy.
A practical conversation for leaders at any stage of their journey.
🎙️ Beyond the Code: How AI Is Redefining Creativity and Learning with Douglas Kiang
In this episode, host Justin speaks with Douglas Kiang, Computer Science teacher at Menlo School in Silicon Valley, about how AI is transforming the classroom experience.
From empowering students to create with language instead of code, to redefining makerspaces and rethinking assessment, Douglas shares how educators can stay in control of the “bus” while letting AI help drive creativity and innovation.
A must-listen for educators, tech coordinators, and school leaders exploring how to balance ethics, creativity, and technology in modern learning.
🎙️ Michael Boll’s Journey Through Podcasting and Advocacy
Host Justin Hardman welcomes Michael Boll, former EV host and long-time 21C collaborator, for a candid conversation about podcasting, inclusion, and community building. Michael reflects on launching an autism podcast in the early 2000s to learn from experts and support his son, the unexpected power of interviews to create lasting connections, and the evolution of inclusive education through SENIA. They also touch on founding a school, practical podcast advice, and choosing projects that advance impact for the special needs community.
A thoughtful listen for educators, leaders, and anyone who cares about belonging and the human side of learning.
🎙️ The Best Guardrail Is Your Relationship: Digital Parenting with Patrick Green
Host Justin talks with educator and consultant Patrick Green about practical, research-informed strategies for digital parenting. They discuss why the best “filter” is a strong parent-child relationship, making online-life conversations routine at home, and how rules should flex as kids mature. Patrick shares ways to differentiate screen time by activity, set sensible boundaries like phone-free bedrooms, curate content, and partner with schools on digital wellness. A helpful listen for busy parents and school communities seeking balanced, humane approaches to tech.
🎙️ Leadership Growth Mindset: From Doing to Leading with Tico Oms
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin and co-host Benjamin Sheridan speak with Tico Oms, leadership coach and consultant, about what it truly takes to grow from individual contributor to impactful leader.
Tico draws from his corporate and educational leadership experiences to explore self-awareness, leadership range, managing up, and the balance between confidence and empathy. He also unpacks how coaching and reflection can help leaders find their authentic style while navigating real-world pressures.
A must-listen for aspiring and emerging school leaders looking to grow their influence, confidence, and impact.
📌 Lead To Succeed Summit Pre-conference mentioned in this podcast:
Leadership Development Program – For New & Aspiring Leaders
https://leadtosucceed.community/21cl/leadership-development-program/
🎙️ Playful Minds, Serious Results: The Lego Serious Play Panel with Joel Birch, Yosef Karasik, Aura Evans & Dr. Arnett Edwards
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin explores the power of Lego Serious Play® (LSP)—a facilitation method transforming the way schools approach collaboration, leadership, and learning. Joined by facilitator Joel Birch and educators Yosef Karasik, Aura Evans, and Dr. Arnett Edwards, the conversation dives into how play can unlock creativity, inclusion, and deeper dialogue in classrooms and leadership teams.
From student reflections built in bricks to strategic planning sessions guided by metaphor, this episode reveals how LSP empowers participants to visualize ideas, connect perspectives, and design purposeful conversations that truly stick.
A thoughtful look at how purposeful play leads to serious learning outcomes.
🎙️ Rethinking Recruitment in International Schools
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin speaks with Stacy Stephens, Director of The International Educator (TIE). With 25 years of experience in global education, Stacy explores how recruitment is evolving, from the decline of job fairs to the rise of evidence-based portfolios. She shares why investing time upfront in hiring the right people saves schools far greater costs down the line.
A must-listen for school leaders, HR directors, and educators navigating today’s changing job market.
🎙️ Empowering Future-Ready Learners: EdTech Success at CIS Guangzhou with Ted Barks, Todd Voykin & Lena Gidwani
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin visits the Canadian International School in Guangzhou, winner of the inaugural GBA School Awards for EdTech Program (K-12). He’s joined by Lena, Ted, and Todd to explore how the school’s innovative approach to STEAM, AI, and real-world projects is shaping future-ready learners. From fables created with laser cutters to architecture projects using professional design software, CIS is building a culture of creativity, collaboration, and student agency.
A powerful conversation on how technology, when paired with vision and community, fosters authentic learning wins.
🎙️ Caring for the Head, Caring for the School: A Conversation with Dr. Larry Hobdell and Kristine Mizzone
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin speaks with Dr. Larry Hobdell, Executive Director of ACAMIS, and educational consultant Kristine Mizzone about one of the most overlooked aspects of leadership: the wellbeing of school heads.
They share insights on the pressures leaders face, isolation, blurred boundaries, and constant demands, and why prioritizing wellbeing isn’t a luxury but a leadership strategy. More importantly, they explore how wellness can be embedded into daily practice, shaping healthier schools from the top down.
A must-listen for educators and leaders who believe that thriving schools start with thriving leaders.
🎙️ Brand Is What They Say About You: Rethinking School Identity with Ewan McIntosh
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin speaks with Ewan McIntosh, educator, strategist, and founder of NoTosh. With decades of experience helping schools worldwide, Ewan unpacks why a school’s brand isn’t defined by glossy brochures or polished slogans, but by the lived experiences and stories that others share about it. He challenges educators to show learning in action, emphasizing on the importance of empowering everyone in school to be a brand ambassador and how they can live and breathe brand through aligning it with the school's culture and values.
A thought-provoking conversation for leaders and educators seeking to strengthen community trust and redefine what school branding truly means.
🎙️Equity, Accessibility, and Innovation: Jeff Sisk on Inclusive Education
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin speaks with Jeff Sisk, Senior Manager of Assistive Technology at Fairfax County Public Schools, the ninth-largest school district in the U.S. With over 25 years of experience, Jeff shares how assistive technology has evolved into inclusive technology, why accessibility is central to Universal Design for Learning, and how AI is reshaping the classroom. He also previews his upcoming sessions at the Jakarta AIFE Conference on accessible learning materials, literacy support, and executive functioning strategies.
A practical and inspiring conversation for educators who want to make learning more inclusive, equitable, and future-ready.
🎙️ Leadership and Culture at the American International School GuangZhou with Kevin Baker and Jamie Robb
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin Hardman sits down with Kevin Baker (Director) and Jamie Robb (Deputy Director) of the American International School of GuangZhou to unpack their Judge’s Choice win for Diversity and Inclusion at the GBA School Awards. Hear how AISG turns social vision into daily practice through inclusive hiring, flexible learning spaces, data-informed decisions, and a coaching culture that touches every adult and student.
Learn how inclusive pathways, peer coaching, and student-centered spaces create a compassionate community where every learner is seen.
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin speaks with Alex McMillan, the Instructional Technology Coach at Shanghai American School and chair of the upcoming AIFE Conference. Alex explains how AI can enhance, rather than replace, creativity, sharing a simple three-step process that educators can use with students. He also explores the importance of values-driven AI policy and how schools can craft practical frameworks that align with their culture and priorities.
A thoughtful conversation for educators and leaders navigating AI’s role in learning and school systems.
Also mentioned in this episode:
AIFE Conference in Jakarta on the 8-9 November 2025: https://aife.community/21cl/ai-and-creativity/
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🎙️ Health, Wellbeing, and Policy in International Schools
In this episode of the Education Vanguard Show, Justin brings together experts Amy Lauren Smith (Hong Kong International School), Sarah Benes (Southern Connecticut State University), and Holly Alperin (University of New Hampshire). Together, they unpack what it really takes to build a holistic, skills-based approach to student health and wellbeing, from curriculum design and cultural context to policy, practice, and the rising role of AI.
A must-listen for educators, leaders, and anyone committed to putting student wellbeing at the heart of schooling.
Also mentioned in this episode:
✅ PHASE Health & Well-being Summit (13-14 November 2025: https://phase.community/phaseap/precon/health-well-being-summit-from-the-why-to-the-how
When you have something working well for your organization, you might decide to keep it to yourself as a competitive advantage or you might take the longer view and share your methodologies with others.
Wildwood school, an independent school based in Los Angeles, took the longer view. They created the Wildwood Outreach Center where they bring their ideas and support to schools around the world.
I speak with Steve Barett, the director of the Wildwood Outreach Center about their programs and some of the specific focus they have on Systems Thinking, contextual and social emotional learning.
Connect
- http://wildwood.org/outreach
Bio
Steve is the Director of the Wildwood Outreach Center, a professional development center housed at Wildwood School in Los Angeles and has 30 years' experience as a teacher and administrator in public and private schools in California and Illinois. As a facilitator, Steve's guided the professional learning of educators throughout the US and internationally.
Like me, you may not be familiar with oracy, the ability to express yourself fluently and with proper grammar. But as educators, you are likely familiar with the concept and supportive of the idea.
I talk today with Daniel Thomas, the head of School 21, a private school in London. We jump into the power of oracy and its impact on learning. Specifically, for students from financially challenged backgrounds.
Connect Twitter*
BioDaniel Thomas is the head of oracy 4 - 18 and a senior leader at School 21. Having arrived at the school in 2016 he has helped to drive forward the development of oracy practice within the school ensuring it maintains its status as a world leading establishment. He also works closely with Voice 21, the school's outward facing sister charity, to support their mission to develop a national network of practitioners and leaders who will go on to impact systemic change.
When you wake up in the morning and read in the newspaper that your international school will be closed, it can be a bit shocking. Dr. David Lovelin, the High School Principal at Hong Kong International School, had that experience along with the added concern of how do we plan a program in a virtual school environment?
Our discussion ranges from day one to nine weeks later and what emerges as the important things to focus on during these trying and “interesting” times.
Connect Twitter*
BioDr. David Lovelin has been an administrator for the past 15 years in several different roles and is currently the High School Principal for Hong Kong International School. Previously, Dr. Lovelin worked at Korea International School and in the US in varied leadership roles and with a continued commitment for developing innovative education programs, promoting a positive culture, building relationships, and grounded in supporting all learners.
Hey, let’s talk about data! Hearing those words might make some of us run for the hills and hide, while others might be excited for that discussion.
Thankfully we now have other ways to talk about and deal with data.
Thanks to people like Aaron Reedy, my guest today, the discussion of data is moving toward a visual presentation that lets all of us participate.
Aaron Reedy is the founder of Dataclassroom: “A web app that allows teachers of grades 6-12 to grow data intuition in students.” We go all in on data visualization and how regular teachers can use it in their classrooms.
Connect Website * Twitter*
BioAaron taught high school biology for seven years in Chicago Public Schools. He left the classroom to do a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and is currently a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology studying aging in wild lizard populations.
Aaron co-founded DataClassroom to improve the teaching of quantitative skills in math and science classes around the country.
“Stories connect us in a way facts cannot.” These words from Deb Abela, my guest today, stuck with me during our conversation. For Deb, the author of 26 books and counting, stories are the lifeblood of her work.
But storytelling is not the only thing driving Deb today. Much of her work involves sharing the craft and excitement of writing with young people around the world. Deb is an enthusiastic ambassador for writing and engages students with her excitement and passion.
Connect* www.deborahabela.com/ * Facebook: Deborah Abela Author http://www.facebook.com/deborah.abela.9 * Twitter: @DeborahAbela https://twitter.com/DeborahAbela * Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahabela/ * Instagram: deborah_abela_ https://www.instagram.com/deborah_abela_/ * Teachers’ Resources: https://www.deborahabela.com/teacher-notes * Videos and trailers: https://www.deborahabela.com/videos
BioDeborah trained as a teacher before becoming writer/producer of a national children’s TV show. Since then, she has become an internationally published and awarded author of 27 books about spies, soccer legends, WW2, pesky wolves, spelling bees and kids living in a climate-changed world. Her latest is Final Storm.
Hands on learning is seeing a resurgence in recently. After lying dormant for many years, we see its return in the form of the Maker Movement and, as we will discuss today, robotics. While I can’t explain the exact reason for the return to this type of education, I do have my suspicions. Today’s work is really an early manifestation of mechanical and electrical engineering at work. Oh, and you can toss in some computer science as well thanks to the programming elements.Ringo Dingrando is a believer in the return of the hands on movement and he built International School Manila’s High School Robotics program. Starting with a club, Ringo built the program into a High School set of courses while promoting the coolness of being a robotics student along the way.Connect with Ringo @ringodin (Twitter)BioRingo was predominantly a physics teacher until he started a robotics club at ISManila. He is enamored with robotics, making, and creativity as essential tools for education at all age levels.
I remember well when I saw schools in Hong Kong and China going virtual and thinking, “Oh gosh, that must be rough. I am so lucky that this is not happening at my school.” Seven weeks later and I am not asking “Ok, how did those schools handle it now that I am in full virtual school mode."
Stephen Dare is the head of Hong Kong Academy and a seven week veteren of virtual schooling. Our discussion today left me with a much clearer pathway forward for my own new journey into virtual learning and will hopefully give some ideas to all regardless of where we are on the virtual learning journey.
When you hear the idea of a self directed democratic school, you might wonder if that means the students will vote for ice cream everyday.
Or, more likely, you have a more mature viewpoint than I and are curious how a school can be democratic in its educational mission and still deliver a strong learning environment.
Cassi Clausen is a core founder of Open School based in Southern California. At Open School, self directed learning is expected and democratic decision making is the norm. She explains how this concept works and what types of students, teachers (she does not call them teachers), and parents learn in this type of environment.
While English is the predominant language in international education it is often not the only one our students speak. How should we recognize the variety of languages in the world today (over 6000 according to my guest) and celebrate the interesting diversity that comes with it? I talk with ELL teacher Graham Noble about his effort to share phrases from over 100 languages using the popular program FlipGrid. We talk about the why behind what he is doing, the role of language in education and the hopes and dreams he has for the program. Connect Grahamnoble.com teachingourlanguages.org. @grahamwnobleBioGraham Noble is an experienced international educator with a love of family, travel, learning, and language. He is currently working in Hong Kong.
Starting the job hunt for a position at an international school can be both frightening and exciting. Or maybe just one of the two. Knowing how to prepare for the process and having an understanding of what administrators on the hiring end are looking for can be a big help. Today I speak Tim Bray, The Director of EdTech at Cheongna Dalton School in Korea all about getting that coveted international school job.Tim, in his own words, “peels back the veil”on the hiring process, how best to prepare and what administrators are secretly thinking before, during and after an interview. Connect @tsbray http://tsbray.blogspot.krBioTim S Bray is an international educator with 22 years of experience. Most of that time (20 years) has been overseas and in 1:1 learning environments. He is passionate about helping teachers and students become effective and efficient users of technology in their teaching and learning.
Digital communication is ubiquitous today in society, and in recent years, education. Nearly every international school has a device program such as iPads, laptops and more. While the primary reason for these devices from a teacher point of view is to create and consume information, they are often used by students for a much more interesting purpose: Communication! In addition, as we know, most students have their own personal digital device starting in middle school.With lots of scary stories floating around out there, we often wonder how access to these devices impacts how, why and in what ways students use them to with each other and the wider world. What sort of behaviors do these devices allow and drive? How do parents feel about these changes that are likely taking place with less or their influence than in the past.I welcome back Eugene Leanord from the Shen Wai International school in southern China to share the work they are doing with digital citizenship. Specifically with the parent community.Helpful Links https://padlet.com/eugeneleonard101/SWISwebwisePARENTambassadorGroup https://mattharrisedd.com/2018/01/19/integrating-digital-citizenship-21clhk18/ https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/eugene-leonard/episodes/2019-04-22T18_05_05-07_00 https://anchor.fm/eugene-leonard/episodes/SWIS-Webwise-Parent-Ambassador-Group-Presentation---English-e3q7s7/a-adjcge https://innovation.swis.cn/digital-citizenship.htmlConnect @mr_leonard_SWISBioEugene Leonard, from Ireland, has been at Shen Wai International School in China for 5 years.Previously taught in Iraq, Thailand, Abu Dhabi and Liverpool in the UK. Passionate about EdTech, Digital Citizenship and Podcasting and an Arsenal fan!
If you are listening to this podcast, you have likely heard of podcasting. You may have even thought to yourself “This podcasting sounds interesting. Maybe I should try it. I mean if Michael can do it, how hard can it be?” Not too hard is my response, but don’t take my word for it. Instead listen to Eugene Leonard my guest today. Eugene is a technology coach at the Shen Wai International school and has traveled far down the path of podcasting. This show focuses on his journey as it relates to anybody ready to give podcasting a try.Connect Anchor.fm for great podcasting solutions Podomatic for podcasting hosting options @mr_leonard_SWISBio Previously taught in Iraq, Thailand, Abu Dhabi and Liverpool in the UK. Passionate about EdTech, Digital Citizenship and Podcasting and an Arsenal fan!
As you can imagine the youth of today are a little riled up when it comes to our world and the direction it is heading. While this may be the norm for all younger generations, I get a sense it is magnified at the moment.Today, I speak with Lincoln Bacal a student at the Venture Academy School in Minnesota in the USA. She is a passionate and articulate advocate for youth issues and attends an entrepreneurial focused school that lets her explore her passions and, in her case, act on them.ConnectTwitter: @lincolnbacalBioLincoln is passionate about giving young people the opportunity to engage in student-centered learning and becoming effective change agents in the process of the transformation of learning. She is a member of Venture's Changemakers team, a student-led group supporting Venture's shift to deeper student centered practices. She helps to promote diversity and inclusion in the historically white, upper middle-class Minnesota Youth in Government program as a member of its state leadership and candidate for Lt. Governor. She also interned for the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Citizens League, a nonpartisan public policy think tank in St. Paul.
Design Thinking is a popular idea and methodology winding its way across school today. With the idea that the future is more unpredictable now than in the past, Design Thinking helps us to be more future ready.However, according to David Lee an Elementary STEM & EdTech Specialist at Singapore American school, it is our mindset that really plays the largest role on how well we embrace Design Thinking and other opportunities in our lives.I talk with David about his early roots and the progression of his mindset during his formative years and how that led to his current work and writing of the book Design Thinking in the Classroom.BioDavid’s goal as an educator is to empower every student to develop systems and habits of learning that render them future-ready, empowered citizens who have the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and learning abilities to succeed in their future professions, projects, personal lives, and civic duties.Connect Twitter: @davidleedtech davidleeedtech.org
OverviewWhen you think of Iceland you might think of geysers, broad landscapes, changeable climate and a fascinating place to visit. Yet, as you can imagine, there is more to Iceland and today we are going to talk about their education system.Ingivi Omarsson is a Chief Innovation Officer in Iceland focused on collaboration and bringing interesting, technology enhanced lessons to teachers and students in his home country. We discuss the journey he saw take place in Icelandic education from the dittos and a copier to a focus on continuous innovation and reflection of best practices today and into the future.BioChief innovation officer at Arskoli and the Skagafjordur School District. One of the Teachers of the year in Iceland 2018. Only Apple Distinguished Educators in Iceland and Google Certified Innovator. Led the first iPad 1:1 in Iceland back in 2012. Blog at ingvihrannar.com and host of the innovative educator podcast.Connect Website Twitter
The library.Ah yes, the library. For people of my age (Generation X) the library still brings back scary memories of a place where I might get into trouble if I spoke too loudly.Stefanie Gaspari helps us understand that libraries are no longer that type of place and that it is time to return to their original design: A community space for sharing ideas and learning.For Stefanie, that looks like a multi-use space designed to engage a variety of learners from the rugby team to the quiet student looking for a little refuge and time with a good book. A space setup up to prototype new ideas and learn.Where was Stefanie when I was in High School? ;-)BioStefanie is an eternal optimist, a passionate educator, and self-confessed bookworm.An advocate for ‘all things library’, she is curious about big ideas, learning spaces and the future of information in the digital age.Connect @stefaniegaspari LinkedIn
OverviewWhat if the goal of a school was “to learn to” learn, live act and be? And it looked like a place where students worked on whatever topic there were interested in for the day, had the freedom to choose when to take tests, actively participated in regular trips and might be expected to travel the world speaking about the school.The Evangelical School Berlin Centre is that school. Today I talk with Jamila Tressel a senior student at the school all about her experiences and why she believes the way she is learning is best way for all our students.BioJamila Tressel is a student at the ESBZ School in Germany and a young author, speaker, trainer coach and change maker, empowering young people to unfold their potential and make a change. After many negative experiences in the traditional school system the student is campaigning for a drastic change of the education system since she was 12 years old, speaking at national and international conferences and leading trainings for students, teachers and managers, often in collaboration with “Schule im Aufbruch” (Schools in Transformation)
OverviewThe idea of positive education appears to sound simple. For me I see myself saying nice things to my students and colleagues in the hallway and trying to have an optimistic outlook. After talking with Justin Robinson from the Geelong Grammar School in Australia, I realized there is a lot more to it.Following the idea that embracing positive education asks us to learn, live, teach and embed it into our daily and organizational practices, I learned it is a significant realignment of how most educators, including myself, embrace our practice.The Institute of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar school not only fully adopted positive education, they took it to the next level where they are now actively training other schools and educators to adopt the program on their own.BioJustin Robinson is the inaugural Director of the Institute of Positive Education. As a passionate leader in the field of student and staff wellbeing, Justin has been invited to write for a number of publications and speak at conferences both in Australia and around the world.Connect Twitter ggs.vic.edu.au/Institute
Designing, or redesigning the best way for a school to make an impact on the future of our students is a more common conversation among educators today. We are starting to see more and more schools emerge focused on this redesign idea and it is very exciting.Today I talk with Superintendent Cameron Fox about the Verso school, a new concept school set to open in Bangkok in the fall of 2020. Cameron shares the journey he and his team took to design (and design really is a key word here) a school that supports students as the head into our fast, or faster, changing world.BioCameron is the head of school at American International School Hong Kong. He has been living 26 years in Hong Kong and is completing his 19th year at AIS. Cameron is the founding head of school for VERSO.Connect cfox@ais.edu.hk Twitter: HeadofSchoolAIS Verso.school
OverviewDana Kerford started her working career like many of us as an educator in a public school system in her home country. As we typically discover, managing and improving relationships between students is often the key to a successful class culture.Diving in with enthusiasm, Dana researched, read, discovered and built a relationship program for classrooms and schools. She shares her ideas, work and discoveries in today’s interview.BioDana Kerford is a Teacher, Friendship Expert, and the Founder of URSTRONG, a social-emotional wellbeing program for kids.Connect @urstrong Urstrong.com
OverviewThe future of work and the realities that it entails are still unknowns to many of us. Multiple job and career changes are likely on the horizon for our students and teaching them to be life long, adaptable learners today will help them in the future.Today I speak with Anna Server, Deputy Principal of Haleybury Middle school in Australia. We discuss various models for the future of education along with how to evaluate and adapt those models as the times change and our understanding of education evolves.BioAnna Sever completed a Bachelor of Applied Science degree, before undertaking her Graduate Diploma of Education. Anna has also completed her Masters of Education Management through the University of Melbourne and is currently completing her MBA at Melbourne Business School. Since moving into the role of Deputy Principal (Teaching and Learning), Anna leads strategic and research based approach to reviewing the Middle School Program with a strong emphasis on innovation and the future of work.Connect www.haileybury.com.au
OverviewWe all know change is tough. It is tough at an individual level and even more so at an organizational level. I always enjoy talking with leaders focused on change and learning their strategies, successes and difficulties. Today I speak with Kiffany Lychock from the Boulder Valley School District of Colorado in the United States about the changes she fostered in her district. After the passing of a bond measure that created funding, the district moved forward with implementing change in how buildings are designed and the practice of teaching is transformed. Kiffany shares her story and ideas for making this sort of change happen at scale.BioKiffany Lychock is the Director of Educational Innovations for BVSD, National Faculty for @BIEpbl, Co-Owner of DLI LLC, and is a passionate advocate of learning.Connect@klychockbvsdinnovation.or
OverviewAs educators, improving the lives of students and how they relate to the world is an essential part of what we do. If you are an international teacher, life is usually stable and your school is well resourced and ready to go. If you are from Guatemala with an unstable government, frequent violence and many other hurdles to your success, you might just want to give up what you are doing or not even try. CNN Hero Juan Pablo, my guest today, took on those challenges and created a program that addressed the fundamental needs of students in his hometown. Listening to him overcome the obstacles he faced helped me to have perspective on what I saw as difficult in my world.BioJuan Pablo Romero Fuentes was born in Jocotenango, Guatemala and started Los Patojos at the age of 21. As a self-taught educator and social entrepreneur, he grew Los Patojos from a small community program in his parent’s home to a community center, health clinic, and school educating over 300 children and providing jobs to 50 people daily.In 2014, Juan Pablo was honored as a Top 10 CNN Hero for his unwavering commitment to create change in Guatemala and beyond. He’s currently working to open a new campus that provides a pipeline of workforce development opportunities for his students. Juan Pablo says his job is to create safe environments and build pathways to dignity and lifelong change for all Guatemalans.ConnectTwitter https://21clradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Copy-of-Juan-Pablo.mp3
OverviewAs education, and how we educate, changes we seek out new models to learn from. There is a wide variety of change making schools now and Venture Academies is one of them. Today I speak with founder Jon Bacal about how he and his team bring leadership skills, entrepreneurial skills and personalized learning to a school of over 300 disadvantaged middle and high school students. Hint: It is all about relationships...BioJon Bacal is the founder, Executive Director and student leadership coach of Venture Academy, a Minneapolis public charter middle-high school with the mission of building entrepreneurs by developing independence, scholarship and leadership, and also co-leads the Minnesota Learner-Centered Network, a multi-school collaborative of 12 schools supporting youth voice and leadership for school transformation. Over the last 20 years as an education change-maker, Bacal has founded, co-founded or helped launch 30 charter schools in three states as founder and leader of SchoolStart, a nonprofit consulting firm, lead founder of Twin Cities Academy in St. Paul and Hiawatha Academies in Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Public Schools' Office of New Schools.Connect @JonBacal1 Venture Academies
OverviewA focus on social capital in schools and the social interactions it generates is an important part of working collaboratively for organizational improvement. Dr. Jim Spillane, my guest today, focused much of his career on the benefits of social capital at schools like ours. We discuss what social capital is (see Wikipedia’s version here), how to go about developing it in a school system, the impact of school building design on social capital and a whole lot more. BioJames P. (Jim) Spillane is the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern University where he is a Professor of Human Development and Social Policy, Learning Sciences, and Management & Organizations. In recognition of his contribution to educational research, Spillane was elected to the US National Academy of Education in 2013.Connect @jamespspillane on Twitter distributedleadership.org
Play is not an activity itself, but a state of mind. I learned this today from my guest Mark Collard, the founder and director of Playmeo, an organization dedicated to enhancing how humans connect with each other.As we see many schools beginning to understand and incorporate Social Emotional Learning, in their programs, Mark’s emphasis on fun and play as a way increase connections within classrooms and psychological safety is very timely.Mark helps us understand the why behind more play, the research to back it up and how we can use it as educators.These quotes from our talk summed it up well for me: “Connect first before delivering content.” And “Fun is a magnet for participation.”BioHe runs a small professional development company called playmeo, which hosts the largest online database of group games and activities in the world. He has written five books, his latest called No Props No Problem which features 150+ outrageously fun group activities that do not use equipment to help people connect.Connect Twitter @playmeo Playmeo.com
If you are motivated to create change at your school or other organization, yet want to know if the idea you have or the effort you have put forth is actually helpful, then action research might be for you.Action research involves defining and validating a problem, seeing the impact of the solution and more. My interview with Dr. Jayson Richardson goes deep into the action research methodology.BioJayson W. Richardson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky. His research, teaching, and service links school technology leadership and international development. Jayson is a Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE).Connect Twitter: @jaysonr JaysonRichrdson.com
“Be careful, not too high.”“I wish you would not do that.”“Time to do homework.”“You have to worry about people out there. ““Come on in we have to go to your next scheduled activity.”These are common phrases parents utter to their children in the world today. And, as many of us know, this may be a departure from the past where we had lots of free time to explore and take risks while we were growing up.Dr. Mariana Brussoni is both my guest today and a developmental pediatrician focused on risky play and, believe it or not, how we don’t do enough of it.She helps us understand that we need to let our kids explore more on their own, take a few risks along the way and learn their own limits. I think you will enjoy listening to someone challenge our current beliefs about what is good parenting. I know I did. BioDr. Mariana Brussoni is a developmental psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. She is an investigator with the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the British Columbia Injury Research & Prevention Unit. Dr. Brussoni investigates child injury prevention, parenting and children’s risky play.Connect https://brussonilab.ca @mbrussoni
Over time the pressure on our students, especially in the international world, to perform have increased. Couple this with the ever pushy role that technology plays in our academic, work and personal lives, and you have a society of young people facing a lot of stress. Are our school adjusting to these new realities?Toby Newton, suggests they are not and as the director of International College, Hong Kong, he is doing something about it. ICHK focuses on both the emotional and academic needs of students with the goal to produce, for the lack of a better word, a student that is able to balance the external needs placed on them with the internal needs we all have. Toby shares the various models they use at ICHK and reflects on the future.BioToby Newton has worked in education since 1992, assuming senior leadership responsibilities in 2002, initially in the UK and since 2008 in Hong Kong. Trained as an English teacher, he quickly diversified into Film and Media and was Assistant Principal Examiner for Media Studies at AQA between 2005 to 2008. He has taught courses in Film and C20th Social Theory at Kings College London and Brunel University. He has an abiding and on-going interest in the interface between the emotions and learning, curriculum design, and whole person development. Toby is currently Head of School at International College Hong Kong (ICHK).Connect with Toby @toby_newton
Early in my life health education was about learning to eat properly, getting exercise, staying away from drugs and other “stuff.”Today, thanks to people like my guest Amy Lauren Smith, we are seeing a more comprehensive and expanded approach to health. Mindfulness, balancing technology, sleep and social emotional learning are becoming a greater part of health education. Amy and I get into all those topics and more. BioAmy is a Health & Wellness teacher at the Hong Kong International School as well as a consultant and education editor for Choices, Scholastic's health & life-skills magazine for teens. Connect with Amy @teaching_health TheHealthTeacher.com Amy’s presentation information at the APPEC Conference
You may be familiar with Parkour, an increasingly popular discipline that emphasizes efficient movement based on our individual skills and abilities. You might have seen hordes of young people giving it a go. What you might not know is that Parkour is coupled with a mental discipline behind it that syncs the Parkour’s challenges s with the mental discipline needed to carry on and be successful. Today I speak with Dan Edwardes, one of the founders of Parkour Generations. Their organization helps spread the Parkour movement globally through awareness and a dynamic certification program to help PE teachers bring Parkour to their curriculums.BioDan is the founder and CEO of Parkour Generations, a multinational organisation which helps people of all ages and abilities find their potential through movement, community and challenge.Connect with Dan: @danedwardes
Martin McKay is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of TextHelp a software company based in Northern Ireland that creates software to help support anyone to better reader or writer. They work with schools but also other organizations so anyone whether a student or a professional has the tools they need to reach their full potential. Martin is an enthusiastic technologist, who has a personal story that drove his interest in assistive technology. We discuss this and how his personal journey with technology and his specific story led him to start the company he leads today that impacting millions of learners around the world.Martin on TwitterRecommended Articles/ResourcesGreat Courses Plus: Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic SystemsPeter Diamandis book AbundanceAbundance - book by Dr. Peter Diamandis (Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation) and Steven Kotler (bestselling author and science journalist), published on February 21, 2012. It is a thrilling antidote to today’s dark pessimism. The authors rely on exhaustive research and extensive interviews with top scientists, innovators, and captains of industry to explore how four emerging forces—exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, the Technophilanthropist, and the Rising Billion—are conspiring to solve our biggest problems.
Agency, self-directed learning, rocks, and learning pits. These are not the words you might typically hear to describe an elementary school on the North Island of New Zealand, but after listening to today’s guests, Gina and Jana, it will all make sense.The Stonefields school located outside of Auckland is a unique, highly collaborative learning environment designed to bring independence and more to students in years 1-8. Gina and Jana discuss the details of the school, the foundations of its values and learning the culture. BioBIO for Gina HarduarGina Harduar is an Associate Principal at Stonefields School. She started her teaching career 19 years ago and in that time has led Junior School teams in a variety of low and high decile schools. Gina is in her fourth year at Stonefields School. Her role as an Associate Principal is overseeing the data and assessment portfolio, inducting new to Stonefields teachers, and growing Teacher Effectiveness. This involves supporting teaching teams across the school to grow teacher capability to delve deeper into their data and reflect on next step strategies, to cause shift in learner outcomes. Gina believes all learners to be ‘at the heart of the matter’ and she is passionate about how teachers use data to practice strategies to cause shifts in learners’ achievement. BIO for Jana BensonJana Benson is a part of the Leadership Team at Stonefields School and works across five schools in their Community of Learning. Jana works with teachers and schools to establish and develop a shared language of learning and believes this is fundamental for learners’ agency and their assessment capability. She is currently undertaking her doctorate in this area. Jana’s role in Stonefields is overseeing the Learner Agency and Designing Real Learning pieces of our Strategic Plan. This role involves supporting teachers across the school to think differently about their learning design to ensure that it is rich, real and relevant for our young people today.
There is a common understanding that a high school student drops out of high school about every 26 seconds. Many groups, schools, are working to chip away at this tragic statistic and many are using approaches aimed at leveraging a student’s specific talent and interests.For Tony Simmons, my guest today, music is their leverage. Tony is the executive director of the High School for Recording Arts in Minnesota. HSRA takes students from high poverty areas of the city and gives them access to a full education with music as the driving force behind them.Our talk today focuses on the workings of the school, the vision behind it and their plans to grow HSRA to other cities.
Today I talk with Louse Favaro about her blog post Reversing and Preventing a Culture of Silence Among Girls The story is shocking, surprising and a good insight into what we may be dealing with as teachers to students in an international setting. Start with her intro below then head off to read the article.In light of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and the #MeToo movement that followed, Louise Favaro shares insights from dealing with what appeared to be an incident involving inappropriate language by middle school boys, but further investigation opened a Pandora’s box of misogynistic behaviour toward middle school girls that had been secretly tolerated for years. This led to a better understanding of how blind acceptance, normalization, and a culture of silence can start at a young age, and what we can do in schools to reverse and prevent it.BioLouise Favaro is a writer and speaker who has worked in education for more than 25 years, mainly in international schools that were International Baccalaureate (IBDP, MYP, and PYP) and One-to-one Laptop (Mac Platform). In addition to her experience as an IB Diploma Teacher, a Counselor, and an Administrator, Louise is a practitioner of Mindfulness Based Systemic Constellations to help people deal with interpersonal dynamics in families and organizations.
Alec Couros has long been in the world of social and digital culture. He was/is an early adopter in the social world and has watched it evolve from a place for nerds, full of hope for the future, to what it is today. Recently we have seen much reporting on the downsides of digital culture with fake news, extremist information and louder voices than usual.Alec and I discuss this world, how it has changed and the impact it has on our students and their learning. We wrap it up with a story or two about catfishing. Not sure what that is? Put it this way, Alec has been replicated thousands of times on the internet. Connect Website: http://couros.ca Twitter: aleccourosBioProfessor of educational media at the University of Regina. Well-known keynote speaker, educator, consultant, and advocate for openness and connectedness in education and digital literacy.
High Tech High is a well known brand in the education world. But do we really know and understand their core values and educational philosophy? How does it impact their students and growth of the organization?Today I talk with Melissa Daniels from the High Tech High organization. Melissa is a director at High Tech High Middle school in Chula Vista, California. Connect mdaniels@hightechhigh.orgBioMelissa began her teaching career at international schools in both Cairo, Egypt and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After teaching internationally for seven years, Melissa joined High Tech High as a 6th grade humanities teacher. In 2011, she became the founding director of High Tech Middle Chula Vista.
The future. The future of education.This is a topic getting a lot of discussion over the last ten years or so. In many ways, it has dovetailed the rise of technology and the disruptions we see in the workplace and what it means to have a job, a skill and a career.Today I speak with Brad Latzke a retired international school administrator about his ideas of what the future of education should look like, where we are going now and what it takes to get “there.”BioBrad Latzke is the former middle school principal at Shanghai American School – Puxi Campus and American School of Doha. He has taught and served in school leadership positions at international schools in Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Qatar, and China. Currently on sabbatical from international school leadership.Connect with Brad @BradLatzke
If you are going to design an adjunct campus with boarding facilities, remote from your main campus, then it seems likely you will see the development of student independence as the natural outgrowth of the experience.Richard Pratt, my guest today, found that the experience at Chinese International School’s Hang Zhou campus did actually created even more INTERdependence among his students. The interconnected, two-way dependence between individuals sharing a common experience.We discuss the relationship between the development of interdependence and the growth of students and preparation for an even great future.Connect With RichardLinked InBioOriginally from UK, teaching career in UK independent schools and Chinese universities. With CIS since 2012.
Many of us have some great ideas and things we think we should do or make happen. Sometimes it is difficult for us to take one of those ideas and make it a reality. We enjoy listening to the stories of those who do though and Kristen MacConnell is one of those people.Kristen sees a need for the combination of conversation about great teaching pedagogies and the sharing those ideas. In addition, Kristen knows that research based, peer reviewed content makes for a stronger, more sustainable conversation capable of effecting more dramatic change.That is why she launched the online journal Globally Informed. Kristen shares with us her ideas behind the journal, how it works and her plans for the future.BioKristen has a diverse educational background that includes school counseling, school psychology, instructional coaching, university teaching, and school leadership. Kristen has worked in the US and internationally in Chile at the International School Nido de Aguilas.Connect @kristenmacc @globallyinformd
I really enjoy speaking to people about the changes and shifts taking place in education today. There are a host of early adopters out there trying and succeeding at bringing contemporary learning ideas more suitable for today’s world.Doris Korda is one of them.Doris is the associate head at Hawken School in Ohio, USA. She leads the Hawken Entrepreneurial Studies program designed to change how students think, solve problems and learn.After a quick overview, we start out talking a lot about a tea shop and how it becomes a teachable and scaffolding moment for students. It makes more sense once you hear about it.Doris also shares her incredible outreach efforts as she continues to share and spread how to develop entrepreneurial studies in any school.Doris is a featured speaker at the Global Education Leadership Summit in Bangkok this coming April. For more information, head to the summit website: GELS.AsiaBioPrior to her 20 years as an educator, Doris spent 15 years in the software industry building out products and businesses from raw technology. Doris left business to become an educator, and is currently number two at Hawken School, where Doris designed and directs Hawken’s Entrepreneurial Studies programConnect @DorisKorda
The combination of the words Green and Bali may conjure up the idea of beauty that we have come to expect when we think about or visit Bali, Indonesia. The popular Bali Green School combines the beauty of Bali, a focus on sustainability and modern learning practices to create a unique student experience.I talk today with Glenn Chickering, a founding faculty and head of upper school at the Green School. We enjoy a variety of topics including the power of experiential learning, giving students freedom to pursue passions and how having a positive impact on the local community brings learning to life. Glenn uses the term “messy learning” to explain their pedagogy and you will enjoy understanding what that means.Glenn is representing the Green School at the upcoming Global Education Leadership Summit in April 2017. For more information about the summit, head to GELS.asiaBio As a founding faculty member of the Green School, Bali combined with experience in a variety of educational organizations, Glenn gained perspectives on the needs of the student, teacher, and parent from many different vantage points. This helped him to better understand the interconnections of all stakeholders and how best to steer relationships to foster a sustainable organization.Connect with Glenn@ChickeringGlenn
Change is coming! We often hear that in education today. We also often see signs and examples of those changes in new schools with a shared commitment to a contemporary pedagogy. But what about larger schools? Schools that are already well established, doing well and seen as successful in many ways. How do they shift? Should they?Today I talk with Tim Stuart, Executive Director for Strategic Programs at Singapore American School, all about change, significant change, in a large flourishing organization.SAS is on a multi-year journey to improve how education is delivered at their campus. Today we talk all about that journey, what it looked like, lessons learned and where they are today.Connect With Tim Twitter: @drstuart LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-stuart-75b62a48BioDr. Tim Stuart grew up as an American in France and Germany and graduated from an international school as a multilingual Third Culture Kid (TCK). He appreciates Singapore American School as a place that is nimble and courageous enough to support revolutionary change while upholding a tradition of proven excellence.Dr. Stuart landed in Singapore in 2010 as the high school principal and now serves as the executive director of strategic programs. Before SAS, Dr. Stuart's professional teaching and administrative experiences brought him from eastern Turkey to Switzerland, from Washington State to the Navajo reservation in New Mexico, and then for three years as high school principal at Jakarta International School in Indonesia.The co-author of several books on parenting, teaching, and mentoring, Dr. Stuart holds an Ed. D from Seattle Pacific University, an M.Ed from The College of New Jersey, and a B.A. from Wheaton College.
Data, data, data and more data. I often hear the call for data at meetings, gatherings or even the occasional happy hour. Well not really, but you know what I mean.Today I talk with Dr. Damian Bebell, assistant research professor at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College. More germane to the discussion today, Dr. Bell also works for the International Research Collaborative, a group of international schools looking to analyze data to look for improvements and trends in student learning. We cover the power of data, ways to visualize it and what it means for schools going forward.BioDamian holds a position of Assistant Research Professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy. Over the past decade, Damian led numerous research and evaluation studies investigating the effects of 1-to-1 technology programs and other computer-based technology tools on teaching and learning.Connect with Damian ircollaborative.org
Ever heard of a 'mobile high school'? We hadn't, until we met THINK Global School at #ISTE2016!Connect @TGSTHINKGlobalEver
Imagine you had a successful education career spanning back over 40 years. What sort of things would stand out to you and what would you want to pass on to future generations? Those are the kinds of conversations I was fortunate enough to have today with Jim Perry, president of the California Interscholastic Federation and district athletic director for Huntington Beach Unified High School District.We discuss his early career in education, what we can all learn from sports, what he has learned in his career and where the future of athletics is going.Connect Twitter: @perryjamesluscBioJim is the District Athletic Director for the Huntington Beach Union High School District in Huntington Beach, California. He works with six comprehensive high schools and also serves as President-Elect of the California Interscholastic Federation (the CIF is the governing body for all 1,500 plus member high schools and over 850,000 student-athletes in the State of California).
The terms digital and media literacy have been around for a while now, but I am not sure we all know exactly what those terms mean or have a common definition for them. Is it just using the technology tools out there? Or is it using them in a certain way?Today I speak with teacher, author and consultant Kristin Ziemke about digital and media literacy and the exciting possibilities and learnings that go along with opening your classroom to the wider world. Connect Twitter: @KristinZiemke Website: kristinziemke.comBioA teacher of primary age learners in Chicago, Kristin Ziemke pairs best practice instruction with digital tools to transform learning in the classroom and beyond. Author of Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom an Apple Distinguished Educator and National Board Certified Teacher, Kristin collaborates with educators around the globe as a staff developer, speaker and writer.
Experiential education. What does that really mean? What is it all about? More importantly, and after this interview you will also ask, why are we not doing it more in our regular classes?Today I talk with Nick Cotton, Executive Director for Outward Bound of Hong Kong. Nick takes us through the activities that are part of Outward Bound, the types of students that are part of the program and the long lasting impact generated when people “truly discover what they are capable of.”Connect with Nick OutwardBound.Org.hkBioNick has been working in International education for 20 years and recently took up the role of Executive Director at OBHK to focus on experiential education, having experienced its positive impact within the school setting for many years.
As a part-time technology and learning coach I am keenly aware that the role of the technology coach is changing. Maybe even disappearing. But we also know there will always be a need for innovation, iteration and change as part of education. How else can we help our students keep up with the world?Simon Power of Shanghai American School is transitioning from a technology coach to an instructional coach and he is doing it, in part, but heading up the MS/HS design studio. A departure from the computer labs of long ago and not to be called a stand alone makerspace, the design studio focuses on the process of design, the software that enables the designs to be built and the 3D printers that bring it all to life.Simon shares the ideas behind the design studio, some samples of how it is used and the vision for the future. Connect Twitter: @spowerBioSimon has been at Shanghai American School for 11 years now. He taught Media Studies in Australia many years ago, and spent a year on a teacher exchange in Denver Colorado. He has taught at SAS, MS Humanities, Elementary Tech and for the last four years back to MS for Technology.
Sometimes when you first meet someone you immediately sense a positive vibe, energy and preference for helping and reaching out to others. This happened to me today within a few seconds of my meeting Shelly Sanchez Terrell, my guest today. Shelly is an instructional designer by day, and a connector by night. Actually she might connect during the day too. She connects with people through her workshops, keynotes, and online work at 30Goals.com and EdSpeakers.com. In addition she runs a bunch of other activities such as the Twitter EdChat and beyond. Too many to cover in one show!Connect with ShellyTwitter: @ShellTerrell Website: Shellyterrell.com/BioShelly Sanchez Terrell is the author of The 30 Goals Challenge for Teachers, Learning to Go, and TeacherRebootCamp.com and the founder of #Edchat and Edspeakers, a community of educators dedicated to diversifying the voices in education. She has trained teachers and taught learners in over 20 countries and named Woman of the Year by Star Jone's National Association of Professional Women.
The Twitter! For many of us it is something we enjoy and use to connect, learn and maybe share what is going on in our lives. For others it is a mass of conversations with no obvious pattern and place where the Jenner family shares the most intimate details of their personal lives. For educators, though, it is valuable way to create and maintain a personal learning network that helps us all grow and connect to others who share the same interests. That may be special education, science, math or robotics. Who knows!Billy Krakower, my guest today, is the perfect person to talk about this. He is the co author of the book 140 Twitter Tips for Educators and has a thing or two to say about how Twitter is something we should all take advantage of.Connect With Billy Evolving Educators @wkraowerBioBilly is an educator from North New Jersey, where he teaches computers and STEAM to third and fourth grades. He is also the co-author of three books, Connecting Your Students with The World, Using Technology to Engage Students with Learning Disabilities, and 140 Twitter Tips for Educators.
Parents are a huge part of our school culture and environment. Sometimes we might feel, depending on the school and the parent, that they have an incredible amount of influence or say about the workings of a school. Especially when they are upset and feel the need to protect their child from something related to school.Today I welcome back Louise Favaro to discuss the overprotective parent and her framework for helping (dare I say handling) an upset parent looking to rescue their son or daughter. Much of what we talk about today is from one of two blog posts Louise wrote. You can find her blog post here.Connect With Louise @LouiseFavaroBioLouise Favaro is the Head of Student Services at Chatsworth International School in Singapore and has worked in education for 25 years. In addition to her experience as an IB Diploma Teacher, a Counselor, and an Administrator, Louise is a practitioner of Mindfulness Based Systemic Constellations to help people deal with interpersonal dynamics in families and organizations.
That’s it! My reputation, my career, my possibility of getting into a good university is over. All because of some silly things I posted online. This is sometimes the conversation we fear having with others about something we said online. Or more likely, something one of our students said online.Today I talk with Susan Bearden author of Digital Citizenship: A Community-Based Approach, about this very scenario and much more. We cover what digital citizenship means, what it looks like in practice, a few resources that are available online and what the future of it all might look like.Connect with Susan @s_bearden SusanMBearden.comBioSusan M. Bearden is the Director of Information Technology at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne FL. She is the author of Digital Citizenship: A Community Based Approach, published as part of the Corwin Connected Educators series, and the co-moderator of the popular Twitter chat #edtechchat.
Gamification in the classroom is all about creating something to motivate students in the classroom right? Well that is what I thought until I talked with my Michael Matera, my guest today. Michael, a middle school teacher and author of the book Explore Like a Pirate has changed, more like improved, my thinking on the topic of gamification. As he points out in our discussion, gamification enables instructors to vary how students look at content, what paths of inquiry they take and how they decide who should be a member of their group. Michael also discusses where his dive into gamification started and the reactions he sees from many of us when we think about bringing gamification to our classrooms.Connect With Michael Twitter: @mrmatera Website: ExploreLikeaPirate.com BioMichael Matera is an innovative middle school Social Studies teacher at University School of Milwaukee. As a gamification guru and moonshot thinker, Michael transforms the traditional classroom into a high-energy environment where active student engagement is paramount.
21st Century Learning is a popular term today when talking about the future of learning for our students. So popular that I actual work for a company with that very name.Putting the shameless self-promotion aside of that statement, I came across Daniela Silva at the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong this past February. As the district coordinator of 21st Century Learning for the Qatar Schools Foundation, she is charged with melding their PYP program with the P21 framework to create outcomes that fit both. From there, it is time to implement the new ideas in their schools through professional development sessions and the creation of learning commons through the buildings.We talk about all those things today.Connect With Daniella Twitter: @nyd17BioDaniela is a proud Third Culture Latina mom living in Qatar for 4 years. She believes in innovative education, reflective and regulated learners, and 21st Century learning. She has worked in international schools in South America, Asia, Middle East and is an IBDP Principal Examiner and Workshop Leader for the AEM region and expert panelist of NMC Horizon Report 2015 K-12, 2015 International Schools of Asia and 2016 K-12 research projects.
The world is flat. It was New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman who coined, or at least popularized that phrase. It basically means the barriers to communicating with each other have been largely lifted for large portions of the population. But just because we can talk to each other all over the world, does not mean we are always taking advantage and/or leveraging it for greater social awareness. Julie Lindsay and Katie Grubb, my guests today, are bringing students together with their China Connect Collaborative. They are taking their own individual programs, Mandarin Pathways and Flat Connections, and combining those networks on this specific effort.Connect with Katie and Julie Twitter: @JulieLindsay | @KatieGrubby Linked In: Katie | JulieBioJulie Lindsay is an education consultant in global collaboration, author and global leader. Currently completing an EdD with working title 'Online global collaborative educators and pedagogical change' - http://www.flatconnections.com/about/Katie is researching popular youth culture in China, virtual tours, sustainability initiatives, andways to use collaborative learning. The Connect with China Collaborative is part of this initiative.
I like to think overseas educators are a special group. Interested in adventure, new cultures, travel and working inschools with a group of students strongly motivated to learn.I think Dr. Leigh Martin, today’s guest, might agree with my view. Leigh runs the Master's program in leadership for overseas educators for the University of Northern Iowa. Today we talk about what the program looks like, what the students look like and the future of education and professional development.Connect with Leigh Twitter: @leighoverseas“I find overseas teachers are, by their very nature, interested in continued professional and personal growth.”BioLeigh has been involved in International Education for 20 years, first as an elementary classroom teacher in Egypt and Brazil and now as a university professor with an office located in Singapore American School. She gets excited about innovative ways of creating university programs to meet the unique needs of international educators. Along with her colleague Tim Gilson, she created the UNI Master's degree program for teacher leaders in international schools.
The research around game-based learning is very supportive of its ability to attract student attention, improving concept retention and bringing a positive feel to the act of teaching and learning. Anne Tham, my guest today, has taken a big jump into the game based learning world with ChemCaper, the “world’s first chemistry role-playing game.”We discuss the benefits of game-based learning, how her app harnesses those benefits and what is like to build an app of this scale. Connect with Anne ChemCaperBioAnne Tham is the CEO and Founder of ACE EdVenture Studio. With over 20 years of experience in education, 2 international schools (Sri Emas International School and Dwi Emas International School), and multiple learning centers under her belt, she and her team are on a movement to reinvent education.
It is not everyday that I get a chance to interview a pirate, especially an “edu” pirate like Dave Burgess, my guest today.Dave is from the US and is on a mission to inspire outrageous teaching that creates life changing lessons and growth of the student spirit. He does this through presentations, his book and his publishing company.We talk today about what his movement looks like in and outside of the classroom, how any of us can change our teaching methods and the future of teaching like a pirate. “I am that crazy teacher they gave spears and swords too”Connect With Dave Twitter: @burgessdave Website: daveburgessconsulting.comBioDave Burgess is a teacher from San Diego, California and a professional magician specializing in stand-up comedy magic. He was a 2001 and 2012 Golden Apple winner in the Grossmont Union High School District and the 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year at West Hills High School. He has been voted a faculty standout for 17 consecutive years in categories such as Most Entertaining, Most Energetic, and Most Dramatic.
Teaching in an international school is one of the best decisions my wife and I ever made. Many of you out there are already international teachers, but if you are not, I, we, encourage you to take a look.But, as you know, just looking for a teaching position, internationally or in your home country, is the easy part. Landing a job interview and then having success during that interview is truly the hard part. However, thanks to Paul Wood, my guest today, understanding the interview process will get a whole lot easier.Paul gives us all the inside track/scoop on what hiring managers look for during job interviews. His detailed and honest responses are both very interesting and very helpful. Paul has also written a blog post about the process and frequently gives presentations as well. You might see him at an upcoming EARCOS conference at some point in the future.“ An open and honest interview is the best way to find a match for you and your school”Connect with Paul Twitter: @Exec_PrincipalBioPaul Wood is Executive Principal at YK Pao School’s secondary campus in Shanghai. Originally from the UK, Paul is now also a Canadian citizen and this is his ninth year in China, 14th year in Asia, and a 22nd year overseas. He previously worked at schools in Yokohama, Ottawa, Dar es Salaam, Guangzhou and Beijing. He has been trying to recruit the best educators for nine years and his MA dissertation (U of Bath) was focused on international school teacher recruitment and retention.
For most of our time when we heard the word coaching we thought of sports. A woman or a man encouraging and moving an individual or team forward as they worked to perform at their best and earn the most points.Today, as education evolves, including our own specific roles, we see teacher-coaches becoming more popular at schools. But is it the same job as the traditional sports coach?Today I talk with Kim Cofino, a long time learning coach, about the role of coaching, what it takes to be a coach and what success looks like. “Build relationships and people will want to work with you.”Connect with Kim Twitter: @msCofino Website: KimCofino.comBioKim Cofino is an experienced, dynamic and innovative educator. Her international teaching has taken her to Germany, Malaysia, Thailand (ISB), Japan, and now back to Bangkok (NIST International School). Her job titles have included: Academic IT Coordinator, Technology Learning Facilitator, 21st Century Literacy Specialist, Technology and Learning Coach, consultant, and most recently she has added, consultant-in-residence at NIST International School. Find out more about Kim at kimcofino.com
South Africa is an interesting country with an interesting history behind it. As educators, a window into the world of a the school system in this part of the world is sure to be interesting. I speak with Jaco Joubert, Head of IT at the Curro Schools Group in South Africa. With multiple schools already and looking to double their buildings, Jaco explains how they look to move forward and serve a population of mixed income students.This program was recorded live at the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong."It is possible to bring good independent schools to people at a cost mixed income groups can afford."Connect with Jaco jaco.j@curro.co.zaBioJaco is part of the management at Curro College Hazeldean in Pretoria, South Africa. He also teaches IT (programming) and Dramatic Arts.
For the second year in a row I, along with a bunch of others from schools in Asia, have worked with the New Media Consortium to produce the international schools in Asia edition of the Horizon Report.Today I talk with Victoria (Vic) Estrada who managed the process as editor, writer and cat-herder-in-chief. You know how teachers are! We discuss what the report is about, how it is brought together and some of the findings that came up this year as we looked at the intersection between technology and education.Connect With Vic Twitter: @vic_estr Website: Nmc.orgBioVictoria has been immersed in the world of emerging technologies and innovative learning models with the NMC for three years. She enjoys contributing her talents as an editor, writer, and researcher for the NMC Horizon Report series and the NMC Blog. Before that, she was teaching ESL and training aspiring English teachers for the Fulbright Commission in Costa Rica and working toward social justice with literacy-focused non-profits in Austin, Texas.Pull Quote: “International schools are way ahead of others in how they use technology to improve learning.”
A good teacher understands that the environment of a classroom impacts the behavior of students. A chaotic environment creates chaotic emotions and a calm environment creates (usually) calm behaviors.But what if, as teachers, we had an easy way to impact the arrangement of our room and thus define or encourage the emotional responses we want from our students? Today I talk with Sean Corcorran, General Manager for SteelCase, about the state of classroom design today, the research they are doing regarding its impact on learning and the options now available for classroom design. Believe it or not, we can actually start to think about a departure from the traditional classroom look that has been around for a zillion years. "The current state of the design of many classrooms today is obsolete." Sean C.BioSean M. Corcorran is a business leader with more than twenty-five years experience in management, design, engineering, product development, and innovation consulting. He currently serves as General Manager of Steelcase Education in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he is responsible for all aspects of Steelcase global business serving higher education and K-12 customers.
Are you familiar with Moby and Tim? The dynamic duo (robot and human) that have been explaining and teaching students for more than ten years? If not, you will soon will be. Today I speak with Kari Stubbs, Vice-President for Learning and Innovation at BrainPop.com.A former teacher herself, Kari made the jump to industry by offering her ideas and solutions to what makes good, effective learning for students using an online platform. Kari is also a featured presenter at the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong this month. She will be presenting, hosting and co-hosting discussions on the future of learning in the digital age. She will also be a member of a panel discussion I will be hosting. Lucky me!Connect with Kari Twitter: @karistubbs Website: BrainPop.comBioDr. Kari Stubbs is Vice President of Learning and Innovation at BrainPOP, creator of animated educational content. In her role at BrainPOP, Kari has presented extensively on the subject of technology and education, speaking at conferences across the United States and around the globe from Shanghai and Dubai to Australia, Prague, Doha, Beijing, and beyond.
Coding is the new literacy! Sometimes I want to shout that from the rooftops until everybody hears it and jumps onto the movement dropping everything they are doing now to focus on bringing daily coding into the classroom.Guess what? My yelling and screaming ain’t gonna make it happen. ;-) Instead, today’s guest Tara Linney of Singapore American School, has an alternative to bringing coding to the classroom. As an elementary technology coach, Tara chose to look for opportunities within the existing math curriculum for coding opportunities. One of the areas that jumped out quickly for her was geometry. Tara shares her ideas with us today, including a study she is conducting on the efficacy of her efforts.Tara is also the 21st Century Learning Innovative Educational Coaching award recipient this year. Go Tara!Connect with Tara Twitter: @techteachert Website: http://www.taralinney.comBioTara is an EdTech Coach at Singapore American School. She is a Google Certified Innovator and Certified Trainer with a passion for incorporating technology-infused opportunities in pedagogically meaningful and impactful ways.I listened to the needs of the teachers on my grade level and designed technology lessons to meet those needs.”
I am a guy and depending on how long you have been listening to this show, you might already that. I mention my gender because it makes me uniquely unqualified to talk about the role of women in leadership; specifically in education. However, thanks to this podcast, I am able to bring voices from the outside to talk about important issues such as this. Today I talk with Dana Watts from HKIS and Stacy Stephens from International School Beijing, whom together are spearheading the WLead conference in Hong Kong on Sunday, February 21. As they discuss, their aim is to bring recognition and discussion to the lack of female leadership we see in most international schools today. From there, action and movement can take place. Connect With Dana and StacyDana Twitter: @teachwatts Website: TeachWatts.comStacy Twitter: @curriculumstace Website: Stacy-stephens.com/BiosDana Watts is a passionate educator who has a never ending thirst for knowledge. Although currently obsessed with creative assessment, models of professional development, and empowering more women to lead schools, Dana spends her precious free time hiking the mountains of Hong Kong with her three kids.Currently the Director of Learning at the International School of Beijing, Stacy Stephens has also worked in New Delhi, Buenos Aires, Kuwait and San Francisco. Relatively new to school-wide leadership, the issue of women in leadership is a new area of interest and exploration.
Teaching is a great profession. Especially for those of us lucky enough to teach internationally. However, sometimes we may wonder what life would be like on the consulting, coaching and speaking circuit. Should we talk the skills we have an put ourselves out there to the point that people hire us to help them out. High school Spanish teacher Matt Miller did just that. He took his writing hobby and consistently posted helpful tech teaching tools to his blog. He continued his writing to the point of publishing his book. Today Matt has taken time off from teaching to hit the speakers circuit and work with teachers all over the USA. Matt shares his story with us today.Connect with Matt Email: matt@DitchThatTextbook.com Twitter: @jmattmiller Website: DitchThatTextBook.comBioMatt Miller is a teacher, author, blogger and speaker. He has taught for more than a decade in public schools and has presented to thousands of educators all over the United States.Pull Quote: “Reaching out and meeting other teachers has a profound impact on my own learning.”
I am a new guy at my school (ISB) and as such I might have a different idea or two that I saw used last year. For me, I try to keep my mouth shut when it comes to uttering the dreaded “at my old school” in front of my new peers.For Technology Coach Emily Maclean, my guest today, she has an employee who not only said “at my old school…” but had his words end up creating action. Action research I mean.Emily, with the help of the Grade Six teachers Serrin Smyth, Steve Snell & Daniel Withington, trialed a set of iPads and laptops for the teachers to see what impact the dual use of those devices would have on student learning. Emily shared her learnings in our chat.Connect with Emily Website: Emilymaclean.com Twitter: @msemilymacleanBioEmily MacLean is the Education Technology Coach at Chatsworth International School in Singapore. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Google for Education Innovator and Google for Education Trainer. Emily works with students and teachers in the Primary School to integrate technology into the classrooms in meaningful ways. She enjoys facilitating the digital media team, dodgeball and Just Dance with her students.
Ami Shah is a Co-Founder & CEO of Peekapak, an edtech startup that teaches social-emotional learning skills like self-regulation, perseverance and teamwork in the class and home. Peekapak is backed by; Silicon Valley based accelerator, Imagine K12; Ryerson’s DMZ; and MaRS.Ami earned an MBA from INSEAD. She gained extensive marketing experience through roles at Procter & Gamble, and most recently, as Director of Retail Marketing at a consumer products startup. Ami is passionate about improving youth education, and has previously taught in K-4 classrooms and advised & volunteered at education-related non-profit organizations.
Digital portfolios are a great idea! Digital portfolios are often a real pain in the rear to actually to make happen in the classroom. Logging in is difficult for younger students, blogs are not easy to learn for some older students and it is hard to share the information with parents and others. The list is long enough and creates enough barriers to entry to scare away the majority of educators.SeeSaw, an iPad app, seems to solve the problem.At the risk of sounding like I am being paid by SeeSaw (I am not), this app has changed how my school uses digital portfolios and is spreading virally through our elementary division. Its intuitive interface, use of QR codes for logins and parent connection makes it easy for students to reflect on their work, send it to their teacher and eventually to their families.Today I talk with Emily Voigtlander, director of teacher success for Seesaw. Connect with Emily Twitter EmailBioEmily is responsible for making sure teachers and students using Seesaw are successful. From implementation guides and lesson plans, Twitter chats to tutorial videos, Emily spends her days working with a diverse variety of classrooms to help them get most out of Seesaw. By working closely with teachers every day, she also helps make sure her team is building the best product for teachers, students and parents.
SENIA, the Special Education Network in Asia is a fantastic resource for educators of all types. Over a decade old, SENIA holds conferences with fantastic speakers, creates local chapters, provides networking opportunities and generally gives a push to school in their regions to move toward an inclusive model of education.Today I talk with Kate Balsamo, a SENIA board member, about the organization including its roots, its activities and its plans for the future.Connect With KateTwitter: katebalsamoBioKate Balsamo is the Speech Language Pathologist at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. She relocated to KL in August 2011 from Baltimore, Maryland (USA). While in Asia, she has served on the SENIA Board since May 2014, and is one of the founding board members of SENIM, a local SENIA chapter in Malaysia.
When you think of dyslexia, many things may come to your mind. Maybe difficulty in reading, jumbled letters, or the names of famous individuals with dyslexia such as John Lennon, Richard Branson, Jay Leno and Robin Williams to name a few.Today I talk with Marilyn Day, Special Education Teacher and Chairperson of the Hong Kong Dyslexia Association. She walks us through what dyslexia is, suggested strategies and what we have learned in recent years about it.Marilyn is part of the crew helping to bring the Asia Pacific Dyslexia Conference to Hong Kong on May 21-22. For more information, check out their website: Dyscon.orgBioMarilyn has been involved with the teaching of students who have barriers to learning for over 25 years in Hong Kong; mainly in an International school setting. She is particularly interested and passionate about the whole framework of teaching and learning with students who have been diagnosed with the term 'dyslexic.'In recognising the changes for the future of this term she is excited to see how this will unfold in the next 10 years.
Let’s just imagine you were king or queen for year at a brand new school and charged with bringing in a fantastic technology program. Nearly any device you want, hiring the support staff you believe you need and creating programs you think are important.Would you know what to do? Would you appreciate some help?Michael Pelletier, Dion Norman and Egmond Boon put together a manual that could help someone in this very situation. Or even someone in a more likely situation at a typical school. Their masterpiece, titled, Don’t Just Do It, takes us through 12 steps it takes to build a truly comprehensive program from the ground up. Our discussion covers the foundations for a successful program, the pedagogical connections and, finally, what a classroom or school experience should look like.Be sure to download a free copy (today only) of their manual, Don’t Just Do It, here.Ok, I was kidding about the today only. Really it is free everyday.Connect @dionGnorman @mpedtech @eggzyBioEgmond Boon is an Apple Distinguished Educator and Certified Apple Foundations Trainer, Google Certified Teacher and Certified Google Education Trainer, Lego® Education Certified Trainer and Certified Digital Citizenship Common Sense Educator, with 19 years of working experience in various international environments.Mike Pelletier currently works as Head of Educational Technology for a K-12 International School. He has managed EdTech solutions for several schools in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Dion Norman is currently the K-12 EdTech Coordinator at a K-12 International School. He is a Google Certified Trainer and Teacher and a Common Sense Media Certified Educator and Ambassador. He started his career as a classroom teacher, where he became a Change Agent for the use of technology in the classroom.
What is wrong with this student of mine? He just moved to the most fantastic international school in the world (mine) and he just seems to be lost and flailing about. Well, I guess that is just a teenager for you.I don’t want to admit I have made that exact statement, but maybe I have had a similar thought or two to explain the behavior of students, both new and not new, at the beginning of the year.Well, as you are about to hear today, the behavior we are seeing may have a much deeper rooting and explanation.Doctorandus Doug Ota talks about the emotional activities that are happening in our brains when we depart one location and move to another. Or when we are living in one place and our friends depart from us.This disruption to our attachment systems (a new concept for me) has a direct, and not so positive impact, on our ability to focus on learning.Connect with Doug www.safepassage.nlBioDouglas Ota is a psychologist in private practice in the Hague, Netherlands and a consultant to international schools worldwide. He has twenty-five years of experience addressing the psychological challenges of mobility in the international school arena.
Warren Apel had a good life. Nice job, leadership position in a school, living in Amsterdam. But for Warren, he was itching for a change. While he did not leave Amsterdam, he did decide to take a year off and become a full time entrepreneur working on his own SAAS (Software as a service) site called Scholastico.Warren discusses his decision to go full time entrepreneur, where it has taken him and some advice for those of us interested in pursuing a similar path. Connect With Warren @warrenABio Warren Apel, is an Apple Distinguished Educator and Google for Education Certified Innovator. Prior to founding Scholastico, he worked as a teacher, technology director, and school leader for 17 years at international schools in Amsterdam, India and Egypt.
When you hear the word sustainability what comes to mind? For me it is making sure we are not polluting planet Earth. Maybe it is the same for you.My guest today, Mike Johnston, has a much deeper definition. Sustainability must include nature, economy, society and wellbeing. Mike is part of a movement called Compass Education with a mission to “equip schools as learning communities to educate and act for a sustainable future.” We talk today about that movement and what it really means. Interestingly, at least for me, their biggest focus is not just on advocating for sustainability, but helping people to change existing views and the process it takes to manage that change. Connect with Mike @johnstonmike34BioAs an international educator for over 15 years I have dedicated myself to deeper learning experiences for school communities in Scotland, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Qatar, Singapore and soon to be Guatemala. I am currently engaged in a doctorate in organizational systems focussing on K-12 schools role to create a sustainable future, and working independently with schools and communities globally to achieve greater purpose.
“Young man, you made a big mistake. You should have known better. You behavior is not acceptable. I shall now assign this punishment for your behavior because actions have consequences and you need to learn that!”Maybe you have been on the receiving end or giving end of a conversation like that? I know I have. My guest today has a new model that departs from the traditional model for dealing with inappropriate student behaviors.Louise Favaro shares her three part strategy and framework for confronting incidents and behaviors in our schools. It involves counseling, having a student confront their own actions and the story of a boy who was filmed on the bus. Connect With Louise @LouiseFavaroBioLouise Favaro is the Head of Student Services at Chatsworth International School in Singapore and has worked in education for 25 years. In addition to her experience as an IB Diploma Teacher, a Counselor, and an Administrator, Louise is a practitioner of Mindfulness Based Systemic Constellations to help people deal with interpersonal dynamics in families and organizations.
I’ve got problems, you have problems, but Paul Swanson has HUGE problems. So big, he calls them real problems, or even, 21st Century problems. While this may sound like Paul has a lot of personal issues, what I am really talking about is Paul’s teaching methodology for engaging our students in real work with real world problems.Today Paul explains how technology allows our students to connect, relate and solve real world problems while learning valuable skills along the way.“The competition to get student attention is extremely high today”Connect With Paul @TeacherTechPaul TeacherPaul.orgTackling real world problems completely engages students.”BioPaul Swanson is currently working as the Technology Coordinator for the United Nations International School of Hanoi and tries to help teachers use technology purposefully and creatively. Prior to this, he worked for six years in the United States teaching history, culture, music and technology at a small high school in Indiana. When he’s not working, he enjoys traveling, training martial arts, playing music, and spending time with his family. He has presented at Learning 2.0, 21st Century Learning, Vietnam Tech Conference, and the Hanoi Google Summit.
Is that a “Psychologist in your Pocket?” is the title for Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg’s upcoming keynote at the 21st Century Learning conference in Hong Kong. Interesting title I thought, so I contacted him for an interview to ask him more about what the title really meant. Well, it turns out, he is a huge fan of the potential offered by our devices (smart phones, watches, tablets) for working with mental health issues among teens. We all know that they, and often we, are always connected to devices, so why not leverage that new reality.Dr. Carr-Gregg discusses the work he is doing using devices to help teens with sleep, distraction, depression, anxiety and more. With strong support from the Australian Government and others, he sees a positive future for the use of the devices that might one day halve the suicide rate of teens.Apps and Devices Discussed in the Interview The Pip Recharge Sleep App Smiling Mind MoodKit Beddit Sleep Tracker Mood Gym Melon HeadbandConnect with Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg Youngandwellcrc.org.au TwitterBioDr Michael Carr-Gregg works as the Managing Director of The Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, established by the Australian Government Initiative administered by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. He is a nationally registered child and adolescent psychologist working in private practice in Melbourne. He is passionate about adolescent mental health, technology and education. His training and approach incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness skills and interventions drawn from positive psychology research. He sits on the Board of the Australian Psychological Society and Smiling Mind well as being a Community Ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Postvention Australia, Playgroup Victoria and is a member of the APS committee for the Special Interest group in ePsychology, a columnist for a number of publications including the Huffington Post, Girlfriend Magazine and is the resident parenting expert on Ch 7's Sunrise (see videos) as well as Psychologist for the top rating Morning Show with Neil Mitchell on Fairfax Radio 3AW. He is a founding member of the National Centre Against Bullying and Chairs their Digital Literacy Committee.
It’s not everyday that I bring up the topic of pornography on this show. It might be safe to say I have never discussed the topic on a radio program such as this one or planned to discuss it. As you can imagine, it is a sensitive topic.So when my guest today, Rob Newberry, mentioned he developed a pornography framework to be presented through his international school in Singapore, I was a little resistant to talking about it on air. However, because I know and respect Rob so much, I was confident this conversation would go well.And indeed it did go well. Rob, with his usual direct and truthful manner, discusses the impact of pornography on our students today. This includes the physical addictions that can develop as a result of the near ubiquitous access our students have thanks to their ever present, internet connected devices.Rob will present this framework in a presentation at the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong this February.Rob shares a great TEDx talk by a guy named Gary Wilson. His talk, titled “The Great Porn Experiment” is found here.Connect With Rob Twitter: @robnewberryBioRob Newberry is the Director of Education Technology at Chatsworth International School in Singapore. He is primarily working with teachers and students on finding meaningful uses of technology in the classroom and he is also interested in the application of school policy.
Most, if not all of us, have an interest or passion in something. Maybe it is reading, exercise, traveling, or for the smartest ones out there, sleeping. For my guest today, Paul Hamilton, sharing is a driving passion for him. But his sharing has a specific focus and that is finding technology that matches the learning goals in a classroom. This matching of learning to technology takes different forms for Paul and includes the use of the iPad, but also the consistent look for what is coming down the road. Apple watches, virtual reality and iBeacons are all on Paul’s radar.Paul’s sharing comes through presentations he gives, podcasts like this one, YouTube videos on his channel and his signature effort, the iPad Monthly Magazine. Connect with Paul Twitter YouTube Channel iPad Monthly Magazine WebsiteBioPaul is an Apple Distinguished Educator, International Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author and App Developer. Paul is passionate about how technology can transform education through the work of committed, creative and innovative teachers.
Take a passionate U.K. national, mix in a little Scratch, a pinch of Bee Bots and a handful of Raspberry Pi and you have James Abela, today’s guest.James is a life long programming enthusiast and advocate for more coding opportunities. Starting himself at an early age by taking part in the BBC Microcomputer effort, James now pushes schools and curriculums to begin coding literacy at the wee age of four-years old. In our interview we cover resources to kick start your programming curriculum, the integration of hardware such as the Raspberry Pi into the process and how coding is now the new, and should be, mandatory curriculum for a competitive future. BioJames Abela started his working life working for Acorn (made the BBC Micro), the printing giant SATO and ARM (Designs CPUs for Apple and Android) before deciding to become a teacher. Since starting to teach he's had the honour to help write the UK national curriculum for Computing, is 21st Century Learning teacher of the year 2014, An Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Teacher and a Raspberry Pi Certified Educator.Connect With James Twitter
Back in my school days students who worked with their hands in school were the ones not on track to attend college or university. Those industrial arts programs were later axed as a result of budget cuts and the belief they were not rigorous enough.Thanks to the Maker Movement and passionate educators like Brian Smith, my guest today, a new understanding is taking place. Linking themselves to the constructivist movement, educators like Brian are bringing back hands on work and our students are really benefitting.Brian and I talk about the Maker Movement, the history behind the movement and where it is going today in education.BioBrian C. Smith holds a Masters in Math, Science & Technology education and is working at Hong Kong International School. His work interests are around creating modern learning experiences for students and teachers. Faculty member at the Constructing Modern Knowledge teacher institute each summer in Manchester, New Hampshire.Connect With Brian Website Twitter
Beep, ping, buzz. In many ways those sounds and sensations dominate our lives in ways they have not done in years past. We are confronted with feedback on our efforts, our friendships and our thoughts. Much of this feedback is great; sometimes not so great. Regardless of how we feel about our new reality (personally I really like it), there is a focus on our students and the impact our world of instant communication has on their well being.School counselor Adam Clark has some thoughts to share about these topics. I ask him about what it means to be resilient today and why that is an important part of our general mental health. In his response, Adam takes us into something he has been thinking about as a long term trend: Going from wellness in our lives to leveraging wisdom as a means of increasing overall well being.BioAdam is a school counselor, photographer, philosopher, artist. His background is in adolescent mental health and, lately, finds himself looking farther afield in terms of strategies to help foster useful patterns with students for their own well-being.Connect with Adam Website Twitter: @adamclark71Resources NY Times article on “How To Live Wisely”
As we move along in life we face decision points. Often there is a level risk associated with the direction we take. For Andy Vasily, a fear of risk did not stop him from moving forward to communicate his passions and beliefs about the role of physical education in the school life of students.Andy, along with co-founder Dean Dudley, started Nexus Education to promote their core beliefs on the role of physical education and as a vehicle to communicate important research in the field. For Andy, this meant leaving his current job as an elementary school PYP PE educator and moving into full time consulting. A decade or more of writing and reflecting as well as connecting with other educators made the risk worth the gamble.Andy is a featured presenter at the Asia Pacific Physical Education Conference in Hong KongBioAndy Vasily is an educational consultant, workshop leader, and speaker. He has taught internationally for the last 18 years in four different countries.Connect with Andy Email: andy@nexuseducation.org Twitter: @andyvasily Website: www.pyppewithandy.com Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/andy-vasily/47/a/221 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/andyvasily/
Life would be easy if we could just drop off a piece of technology hardware into a classroom and watch the magic happen as teachers simply knew exactly how to use the devices to support their curriculum. While there are a ton of talented teachers out there, most of us normal people need additional support and training when something new is introduced into our teaching world.Dave Neudorf and the team at International School Kuala Lumpur understand that professional learning is an important aspect for any new device or method. While most schools might simply send off their teachers to a workshop somewhere or bring in a consultant, ISKL decided to host an iPad conference just for elementary school educators. While Dave called this move “selfish” as it is a true benefit to his school’s learning culture, it really is a gift to others in the region looking for a conference aimed at a very specific, neglected tribe of teacher: Elementary educators.Find conference information and the chance to register at this location.BioDave is currently the Director of Technology at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. He has been in international education for over 20 years and a Technology Leader in international schools for more than a decade working in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia and most recently Malaysia. Dave is a Google Apps for Education Certified Trainer, and an Apple Distinguished Educator.Connect with Dave ISKL Website Twitter ScoopIt Conference WebSite
Not everybody gets life changing investment advice while working a summer job pumping gas in Canada, but my guest today had just that happen to him.Serendipity was smiling on Andrew Hallam when he chatted up the garage mechanic about life and money. Turns out he was a millionaire thanks to some responsible investing and its consistent returns. This got Andrew thinking and interested in the world of investing.While not the millionaire mechanic, Andrew instead became the millionaire teacher. Not content to just revel in the freedom, Andrew went on to share his knowledge via a regular column, two books Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School, The Global Expatriate's Guide to Investing: From Millionaire Teacher to Millionaire Expat and of course this very podcast.This extended interview covers the basics of investing for international teachers. It is a must listen!BioAndrew Hallam is an international bestselling author of Millionaire Teacher and The Global Expatriate's Guide To Investing. Personal finance columnist for The Globe and Mail (Canada's national newspaper) and AssetBuilder (a financial services company based in Texas). He is currently teaching in Singapore.Connect with Andrew AndrewHallam.com Twitter Andrew's blog on Asset BuilderResources Mentioned Wealthfront Betterment Asset Builder Vanguard Target Retirement Funds
“Victor, we are building a new school and I want you to integrate good design with technology.”Victor Boulanger , the the director of Learning Design at Kaohsiung American School in Taiwan heard those words (or something like that) from his school director upon arriving in Taiwan for his new job. While most people might turn and run, Victor charged directly into the project and created space(s) where the power of technology meets the strengths of good design."The flexible spaces in the school allow for a tremendous amount of creativity" @VictorBoulangerTweet ThisAs Victor points out during our conversation, he did not do it alone. With help from 21st Century Learning Consultants Justin Hardman and Sunil Talwar and technology leaders at his own school, a project was transformed into a finished project worthy of a visit the next time you are in Taiwan."My experience tells me that technology & people need to work together without friction"Tweet ThisBioVictor Boulanger is the new Director of Learning Design at Kaohsiung International School.Previously, Victor taught and managed a school network for 6 years in Chicago at Josephinum Academy and integrated the international schools’ network at the International School of Curacao where he taught alongside his fiance Jessica Faivre for 4 years.Victor Boulanger speaks French, English, and Spanish. In parallel to his teacher and director of technology role in schools, he has taken part as yearbook editor, student council advisor, community service supervisor, volleyball coach and computer club advisor.Connect with VictorTwitter: https://twitter.com/victorboulangerGoogle Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+VictorBoulangerFacebook : https://www.facebook.com/victor.boulanger
Imagine one day you walk into a classroom and find 20-30 students each working on something different and unique. Maybe they are, at times, working in groups, but it appears they are all learning something unique.Are you witnessing anarchy or a hostile takeover of the classroom? Or are you seeing self-directed and self-blended learning in action?Dr. Bernard Bull views it as the latter; a learning environment where students’ engage their particular passions and leverage the connected network of resources we seem to have at our fingertips today.In our discussion, Dr. Bull helped me understand what self-directed and self-blended learning really means for students, teachers and parents. What its impact is on school communities and how essential this learning model is for our future, both student and adult.Dr. Bull will be a keynote speaker at the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong this coming February.BioBernard Bull is Assistant VP of Academics and Associate Professor of Education at Concordia University Wisconsin. His work, writing and consulting largely focuses on self-directed learning, futures in education, and the intersection of education and digital culture.Connect With Bernard Twitter: @bdean1000 Google+: @BernardBull Website: www.bernardbull.com
At one point in my teaching career the phrase “connected learning” meant asking students to work in groups. In fact I remember being told by my teacher training school that is was the new thing and I better be sure to talk about how I love it during job interviews.The creation of the magical Internet, quickly redefined what connected learning really is and my guest today focuses her research on that very topic.Dr. Mimi Ito is a cultural anthropologist, studying youth and new media practices in the US and Japan. We discuss what connected learning looks like for young people today and how it can impact learning. She is a featured keynote speaker at the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong.BioMizuko (Mimi) Ito is a cultural anthropologist, studying youth new media practices in the US and Japan. She oversees research activities of the Digital Media and Learning Hub and is developing a research area focused on interest-driven learning. She is a Professor in Residence at the UC Humanities Research Institute, and has appointments at the Department of Informatics and the Department of Anthropology, and is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at UC Irvine.Connect With Mimi Twitter: https://twitter.com/mizuko Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizuko_Ito Websites: http://dmlcentral.net/ and http://www.itofisher.com/mito/
If you are an elementary teacher you know the benefit of doing running records on students to chart their reading abilities and track growth over time. You may also know that running records are time intensive to do and that you often have to rely on outside help to do it more than a once or twice a year.Literably.com looks to help with the process to the point where a student can simply record their reading, and like magic, a teacher recieves a report within 24 hours.Today I talk with Tyler Borek, a Literably.com cofounder about the product. We also go into a bit about Tyler and why he choose to become involved in the edtech industry and what it is like to be part of the Imaginek12 accelerator.BioTyler is a co-founder at Literably.com, a website/app that scores oral reading assessments for schools.Connect With Tyler Twitter: @Literably Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/literably
I think we all agree creativity is good.I think most of us agree that innovation is good.Only a few of us might think think the idea of an administrator whose title is Director of Creativity and Innovation is good.My talk with John Burns today will likely take the skeptic to that role and convert them into a fan, if not a fanboy. ;)John is the former Director of Learning Innovation at Shekou International School in southern China where he led a team of coaches to bring contemporary teaching and learning practices to the school. His new role, Director of Creativity and Innovation for International School Services (ISS) means John is charged with scaling that innovation to other schools in the region and, hopefully, around the world. John shares his thoughts (secrets) on contemporary teaching methods, recognizing and encouraging top pedagogical practices, deprivatizing classroom innovations and how to scale all this within a larger organization. "If you mandate innovation, you end up with less innovation" John BurnsTweet This"The Lighthouse Model broadcasts innovation and encourages change in others."Tweet ThisBioJohn is the Director of Creativity & Innovation at International Schools Services (ISS). He previously worked for Shekou International School where he focused on scaling innovation in teaching and learning. He's also worked at Apple where he led schools and jurisdictions through transformational learning and has created apps featured in TV advertisements worldwide.Connect with John Twitter: @j0hnburns Website: www.j0hn.org Linkedin: John BurnsResources Creating a culture in which innovation can spark Transform: Snapshots of contemporary teaching & learning, Shekou International School
Today I talked with Dr. Matt Harris from the German European school in Singapore, where he works as the Head of Learning Resources.President Bill Clinton had a saying in his campaign offices when he was first running for president. It said “It is about the economy, stupid.” In Matt Harris’ case, it is about the leadership. For the record, he did not use the word stupid.Dr. Matt Harris is the Head of Learning Resources for the German European school in Singapore. As an educational leader, he has specific focus on its future and the potentially powerful role an edtech leader has on an organization.Matt is also the board chair-elect for ISTE and will be the first international school educator to serve in that role. We end our conversation discussing his new role and what he hopes his international perspective will bring to the organization.BioDr. Matt Harris is currently the Head of Learning Resources at the German European School Singapore moving to the British School of Jakarta as Deputy Head of Learning Technologies in August, 2015. He also serves as Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).Connect with Matt Twitter: @mattharrisedd Website: MattHarrisEdd.com
Sharing is caring, but sharing yourself can be downright awkward. Jay Atwood has a particular desire for sharing and presenting. Starting in 2010, at an early Learning 2.0 conference, Jay found himself on a presentation journey that continues to this day. Passionate about a variety of things, but particularly spreadsheets, (Don’t hold that against him) Jay shares his presentation experiences and helps us understand why we as educators should reflect and share our best practices with others.BioJay is currently the High School EdTech Coordinator at Singapore American School where he leads tech integration, professional development and a BYOD program for 1200 students. He's a Google Certified Teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator who leads workshops and keynotes at edtech conferences around the world.Connect with Jay Twitter: @jayatwood GooglePlus: +JayAtwood
What is your identity? Do you spend much time thinking about that today? Maybe yes, maybe not. When you are an ethnically diverse, usually have American, half Japanese, student growing up in Japan, chances are you think a lot about your identity.Growing up ethnically mixed in an ethnically homogenous society like Japan is challenging, complex and sometimes plain difficult. Unlike the third culture kids (TCKs) we have in our international schools, these Amerasian students are more like second culture kids caught between two worlds. The unique needs of these students motivated a group of parents to start their own school: The Amerasian American School of Okinawa to address the specific circumstances of these students.Mr. D is the ICT Director and he shares his understanding of the school and how he leverages technology to create a multilingual reading program connected, in part, by those magical QR codes.Here is the paper he talks about."We are finding a way to bring the (AmerAsian) community together." -- Mr. D Tweet ThisBioA recently self-diagnosed lifelong learner, Mr. D. is Director of EdTech at the AmerAsian School in Okinawa, where a few of his other hats are EdTech & Learning Innovation Coach, and MS G8 homeroom teacher (7 students in all) -- in the classroom he instructs MS Music and Design/Digital Literacy.In his spare time, à la a heady mix of thinkers like Ahmed, Braidotti, boyd, Taylor, and Nusselder, he’s totes into generalising intersectional knowledge on the emergent posthuman subjectivities of populations of mediated “disruptive” youth learners in diasporic, post-materialist subcultures. ♥️COETAIL & ♥️L2Asia! #beyondlaptops 4EVR!Connect with Mr. D Twitter: @aasomrd Google Plus: ICT AASO Email: ict@amerasianschoolokinawa.org
Is it possible to really like something even though you don’t know anything about it? If the answer is yes, then that explains how I feel about Design Thinking and the process that surrounds it.But this show is not about me, it is about the guests that come on the show. One of the advantages of hosting a show like this is the chance to explore new things and learn more about them. So, I called up Brian Lockwood, a local expert in the Design Thinking process.Brian is the Director of Technology at Nanjing International School in China and uses Design Thinking regularly to help solve problems. We discuss the details of the process, the types of people who are attracted to it, how students can use it and how we as teachers and administrators can bring design thinking to our classroom and management decisions.Hint: You can’t expect to be right the first time.“Design Thinking looks at the world in a curious way.”-- Brian LockwoodTweet This“We must accept feedback with the intention of improving." -- Brian LockwoodTweet ThisBioBrian is a TCK and knowing who and where he is from is the hardest question to answer.“ I'm still on my own self discovery journey. I know this I'm curious, love to share, and enjoying seeking alternative solutions to the problems we face today.”Brian is Technology Director at Nanjing International School and loves #STEAM based projects. Before working in education he worked in the IT departments of Architects, Medicals Schools, Start up companies and computer shops.Connect With Brian Email: brianlockwood@nanjing-school.com Twitter: @BrianLockwood
Take an artist, add some technologist, toss in a healthy tablespoon of passion and you have an educator wild about combining 21st Century tools with art to create great things. Art educator Cathy Hunt is a product of those ingredients and she has a great story to share.Many of see most art as a physical process that does not or should not occupy space in the virtual world. Cathy does not see it that way. Combining her fantastical tech and art skills, Cathy explains how, and often on the iPad, the virtual and physical world can converge to create new art forms that empower and excite today’s students.In addition, Cathy is one of those educational leaders who loves to share and spread her ideas to others. A casual glance at her website reveals her boundless energy for providing professional development sessions, writing books, suggesting lesson ideas, creating videos and simply sharing student work examples."Connecting dots is an important part of my work." -- Cathy HuntTweet This"Digital art goes way beyond pushing a button." -Cathy HuntTweet ThisBioCathy is an educational consultant, presenter, author and experienced Visual Art teacher using a 1:1 iPad classroom for diverse students in years 6-12 in Australia.Keen to share her knowledge and experience in transformational learning in the art room, Cathy created 'iPad Art Room and began a website of the same name as a home base for educators to engage with innovative ideas, resources and technology for learning.Cathy was a finalist for 21st Century Learning International's Teacher of the Year 2013Connect with Cathy Twitter : @ipadartroom Website: ipadartroom.com Email: cathy@ipadartroom.com
"Well, let me tell you about the fishbowl!"That odd response may very well have been what either Steve Katz or Ben Summerton said when asked to talk about something they were proud of while interviewing for jobs this past fall.Once you hear our conversation, you will come to understand how only Steve and Ben can get away with a response like that and not sound too nutty.The Fishbowl is a professional development hub offering up to 20 sessions per week of specific, targeted workshops and more to staff at the Korean International School in Seoul. A voluntary program for the staff, Ben and Steve have seen attendance increase from 700 to over 1400 attendees in a single school year.Ben and Steve are looking to replicate this program in their new schools and assisting others to do it in their own school.PS, Steve and Ben did get jobs for next year. Steve is off to the International School of Kuala Lumpur while Ben is heading a bit further south at Singapore American School. Maybe Ben can ask Patrick and Jason about failure. ;-)"We believe in the fishbowl." -- Ben and SteveTweet This"The Fishbowl is a mission for me." --- Ben SummertonTweet This"It's more about the relationships than the tech." -- Steve KatzTweet ThisBiosBen Summerton & Steve Katz are currently working on the educational technology team at Korea International School. Bringing over 30 years of teaching experience in different subjects and grade levels, they have been part of a team that has been an important force in creating positive change in the learning culture at KIS: courtesy of the creation of The Fish Bowl PD program as a stimulus and inspiration for engagement and collaboration with educators throughout the school community.Connect with Steve and BenSteve Katz Twitter Google Plus WebsiteBen Summerton Twitter Google PlusMore Resources and Promos
For most of us (students and teachers) school starts around 8:00 and ends around 3:00. We go from class to class, sit and learn something.Repeat.What if there was a better way? What if we had some ideas as to what a “better way” looked like, but needed a program to help us figure all that out?Maybe a prototype?At the International School Beijing (ISB), they are doing just that. Their Futures Academy model is a self-described incubator for testing new ideas and ways of delivering curriculum. Taught to middle school students by teachers with an innovative attitude, the Futures Academy is helping push ISB in a new direction.Stacy Stephens, ISB’s Director of Learning, shares why they started the academy, how it looks in the classroom and their plans for the future. Hint: She hopes they won't need it in the future. "We can innovate and deliver standards based curriculum" Stacy Stephens Tweet ThisBioStacy is currently the Director of Learning at the International School of Beijing. Previously she was Director of Curriculum at the American Embassy School in Delhi. An ADE and COETAIL graduate, Stacy is most interested in the intersection of educational technology and the development of a relevant modern curriculum.Connect with Stacy Website: www.stacy-stephens.com Twitter: @curriculumstace Google+: Stacy Stephens
"Failure is an option."That is not something we hear very often in a school setting today. Can you imagine getting up in front of your students or staff and telling them it is ok to fail? Well after listening to Patrick and Jason, you might!Patrick Green and Jason Cone are educators and leaders from the Singapore American School, one of the largest international schools in Asia. Their school is on a research mission to learn and understand how they/we can improve our delivery of education to students.As part of this mission, SAS has been sending their staff all around the globe in search of innovative and research based examples of how to better deliver our curriculum. This effort landed Patrick and Jason in New York for the 99U conference. A conference with a sharp focus on entrepreneurship, design and, believe it or not, the power of failure.I talk to them about their take aways from the event and how we can apply it to our current educational paradigms. "Social media is an authentic form of feedback for our students."-- Jason ConeTweet This"Entrepreneurship is about switching our mindset." -- Patrick GreenTweet ThisBioPatrick Green is an EdTech Coordinator at Singapore American School focused on integrating technology and making school more relevant. Patrick is also an Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Teacher.Jason Cone is the Executive Director of IT at Singapore American School focused on K-12 strategic planning for meaningful use of technology.Connect with Jason and PatrickTwitter: @pgreensoup, @conejasonLinkedin: Jason Cone, Patrick GreenMore about the 99 U ConferenceThe goal of the 99U Conference is to shift the focus from idea generation to idea execution. Providing road-tested insights on how to make your ideas happen. We bring together some of the world's most productive creative visionaries & leading researchers to share pragmatic insights on how ideas are brought to life.
If you are a school leader or someone looking for advice on how to bring superb speakers to your school or to add a student-centered US national history project to your program, be sure to give history teacher Mark Johnson a call. Or at least an email; maybe even a tweet.Mark Johnson is a US History teacher at Concordia International School Shanghai and a leader in bringing the U.S. National History Day program to Asia. NHD empowers students as historians through their History Day program. It takes the best parts of Social Studies education (analysis, critical thinking, problem solving, creative synthesis) and incorporates these elements into project-based learning that can fit into any History classroom."The National History Day program makes history dry no more." Mark JohnsonTweet ThisBioMark Johnson has taught at Concordia International School for eight years where he started National History Day in international schools. Since then, the growth of NHD internationally has been rapid and widespread.Mark was the 2013 21st Century Learning teacher of the year.Mark's Other Awards Christa McAuliffe Reach for the Stars Award, National Council for the Social Studies, 2013-2014 Love of Learning Award, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, 2013 Charles Redd Center K-12 Teaching Western History Award, 2012 & 2013 HISTORY Channel Award for Service, 2012 James M. Becker Award for Global Understanding, National Council for the Social Studies, 2011 Holocaust Educator of the Year, Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center, 2006-2007Connect with Mark Twitter: @BigSkyHistory Linked in: Mark Johnson Website: MontanaChinese.org
For Robert Appino games are the “it!” for teachers as they look to deliver their curriculum to students.As you know, the competition for attention in our fast moving, fast feedback world is extremely high. Game based learning and gamification, as Robert says, engages our students in the learning objectives we set up for them.Ok, some of you might be thinking “Enough already! These students just need to learn to focus and I am not going to pull in some game just to get their attention.”While I did not specifically say that directly to Robert, I suspect his response would be something like this… "While there is some truth to that view, the reality is game based learning is just good learning practice and curriculum delivery."Games let us scaffold information and skills. They provide instant feedback and let students repeat an objective over and over until they achieve mastery. They also allow for differentiation and customized learning; students move forward at their own, appropriate pace. On top of that, games are extremely motivating for most students.#gamebasedlearning: increased engagement, productivity, creativity - @rappin01Tweet ThisIf you have read the book Drive by Daniel Pink, you may remember that he says we are motivated by mastery, autonomy and purpose. Game based learning and gamification allow for just that.Robert covers even more in this interview and the 15 minutes we talked was surely not long enough. I plan to circle back at some point and unpack all this even more.BioRobert Appino is an enthusiastic educator and learner. He likes the energy of working in middle school and has taught Humanities, Writing and Technology. Robert is the Middle School Technology Learning Facilitator at Saigon South International School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He enjoys helping students, teachers, administrators and parents leverage the transformative use of technology for learning.Robert is working on his doctorate in School Technology Leadership at the University of Kentucky. He is a SUNY CoETaIL instructor, very involved in the Global Issues Network (GIN), a UbD Trainer and passionate about game-based learning. Robert has presented at many regional conferences in Asia. You can find Robert on Twitter @rappin01 or read about his thoughts at www.rappino.comLinks Roundup Minecraft Quizlet Portal Rob Newberry [Gamified Math Classroom] Oculus RiftConnect with Robert The Twitter: @rappin01 The Google Plus: +RobertAppino The LinkedIn: robertappino "I connect with students via games." -- Robert Appino #21clRadioTweet This
Why are people in Europe staying up until 01:00 in the morning just to hangout on Twitter and do a Twitter chat? There must be some reason right? Once you get to know Craig Kemp a little bit better, you will understand why. Craig, along with Laura Hill, co-founded the #Whatisschool weekly Twitter chat.With up to 200 participants worldwide in each session, the #Whatisschool Twitter chat is a means for educators to debate and discuss our reason for existence. Ok, maybe not that heavy, but Craig and the community do dive into a variety of issues including diversity, gamification, student-centered learning and a bunch more. Check out the archive of past shows.We cover what a Twitter chat is all about and the reasons behind why Craig takes on this effort. I think you will find Craig an interesting person to listen to and quickly appreciate his generous appetite for sharing what he knows and how he connects people together.Craig is a featured presenter at the 8th Annual 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong. He will be addressing how educators can get effectively connected on social networking making Twitter; an essential piece of their PD toolkit.Craig's BioCraig Kemp is a Kiwi living in Singapore. He is Head of Year & Head of ICT & Learning Innovation. He is a Leader, Speaker,#whatisschool co-creator,#asiaED co-creator and was voted 2014 Best Educational Tweeter by EduBlogs.Interact with Craig Blog: www.mrkempnz.com Twitter: @mrkempnz Facebook: MrKempNZ Google+: +CraigKemp YouTube: MrKempNZ LinkedIn: Craig Kemp Singapore"If I can inspire one person, I have succeeded." Craig Kemp Tweet This
Our final interview from HK is with Anglea McFarlane. It was such a pleasure to be part of these interviews and I managed to learn from each of them.Tweetable QuotePlay should be a bigger part of educationTweet ThisThis interview was recorded live at the 7th annual 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong.BioProfessor Angela McFarlane has designed and directed a number of highly successful educational research and development projects over a twenty-five year period. Her research addresses the role of digital technologies in education, and has included the development of a series of commercially successful software tools. She has published research into the impact of technology use on learning, the culture of young people’s computer gaming and social learning online and the impact of personal ownership of mobile devices on education. Her development projects have resulted in a range of commercially successful products and reached schools across the world, with impact on learning documented through independent evaluation. She has advised governments in Europe, South America and South East Asia and the OECD.Angela holds visiting chairs at King’s College, London and University of Bath and is a member of an advisory group for the Ministry of Education for England and Wales.Her latest book, Authentic Learning for the Digital Generation is published by Routledge, London.
Jamie, Chris and I were looking much forward to this interview with Dr. Ruben Puentedura, or as we like to call him, Mr. SAMRImmediately we were impressed by how down to earth and how genuine he was. He is the type of professor you would call Ruben instead of Puentedura.I was surprised to learn that he starting developing the model way back in the 80's. I had assumed it was a newer model and was an overnight success. However, as I am starting to learn, overnight successes often take many years to come to fruition.Ruben starts off explaining what SAMR is and provides some nice, easy to understand examples for each of the four letters in SAMR. He goes on to cover a whole lot more; a worthy listen!Tweetable Quotes I started working on SAMR in the 80'sTweet ThisSAMR stands for Substitution Augmentation Modification RedefinitionThis popular graphic provides a great visual explanation. BioDr. Ruben Puentedura is the Founder and President of Hippasus, a consulting firm based in Western Massachusetts, focusing on transformative applications of information technologies to education. He has implemented these approaches for over twenty-five years at a range of K-20 educational institutions, as well as health and arts organizations.He is the creator of the SAMR model for selecting, using, and evaluating technology in education, which currently guides the work of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, as well as multiple other projects worldwide. He is also the author of The EdTech Quintet, a categorization of the core technology toolset required for education derived from the Horizon Report.His current work explores new directions in mobile computing, digital storytelling, learning analytics, and educational gaming, focusing on applications in areas where they have not been traditionally employed. He can be reached at rubenrp@hippasus.com.
When I found out Dr. Katie Davis worked with Howard Gardner to coauthor a book, my curiosity and interest antenna perked up a bit. How many people do I get to meet that know Howard?Her work focuses on the use of social media among the youth. Something many adults struggle with, and frankly, fear! Frequently I hear, read or see schools that ban or severely limit the use of social media on campus. The concern being we should shield our students from distractions and evil predators intent on doing harm.Dr. Davis informs us that many teenagers use these social groups to connect on a variety of topics outside their regular social circle such as fan fiction. They now have a zillion more creative tools to express themselves and are able to reach out to a wider audience and connect with like minded individuals.However, the lowering of barriers to communication is not always a bundle of roses. For example, photos and online social groups can magnify in a very public way who is in and who is out of various social groups.One of my favorite moments is when Dr. Davis shuts down my conspiracy theory that all app developers want us to be more app dependent (addicted) and less app enabled. ;-)Lastly be on the look out for the moment she talks about how students are frustrated by how addicted their parents are to technology and how it sometimes has a negative impact on their relationships.Tweetable QuotesTeenagers use Internet groups to connect outside their regular social circleTweet ThisThis interview was recorded live at the 7th annual 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong.BioDr. Katie Davis is an Assistant Professor at The University of Washington Information School, where she studies the role of digital media technologies in adolescents’ academic, social, and moral lives. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for MTV’s digital abuse campaign, A Thin Line. Katie is the co-author with Howard Gardner of The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World (2013, Yale University Press).The book represents a synthesis of the research Katie conducted with colleagues on the Developing Minds and Digital Media Project and the GoodPlay Project at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Drawing on interviews and surveys of young people, focus groups with the adults who work with them, and comparative analyses of youth’s artistic productions from 1990-2011, the book explores how today’s “digital youth” are different from the youth who grew up in a pre-digital era.In addition to publishing and presenting her research in scholarly venues, Katie regularly shares her work with parents, teachers, and school administrators in an effort to build connections between educational research and practice.
Why do we put up with bad design? Jamie Willett asks this question right away to help frame John's skills and area of expertiseEmpathy and more empathy. Really? Is that part of design? After listening to John Nash, I now know that it is. That never occurred to me much in the past, but it should have. Furthermore many school designs are basically setup for a command and control structure and less an empathetic view toward those we are serving. The box like configuration of schools does not serve our students in the way that it should.He finishes up letting us know just how much empowerment and excitement educators can feel when they have influence over the design of their school buildings and daily operations of a school.Tweetable QuotesEmpathy is an integral part of designTweet ThisThis interview was recorded live at the 7th annual 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong.BioJohn Nash is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Studies, at the University of Kentucky, is the founder of the Laboratory on Design Thinking in Education (dLab) and a director of the Center for Advanced Study Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), both housed at the University of Kentucky. John is a specialist in the design and prototyping of innovations in education. He teaches a range of courses on design thinking, school technology leadership, and school reform.Nash is one of the founders of the OpenEye Group, a firm established in Sweden and the U.S. to provide leading-edge strategies that shorten time-to-impact in programs within nonprofit organizations, foundations, and government agencies.He is the former associate director for evaluation at the Stanford Center for Innovations (SCIL), where he conducted applied research on improving program evaluation in grant-funded initiatives. He was also a grant maker for the Wallenberg Global Learning Network, an arm of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation of Stockholm, Sweden, focused on enhancing learning outcomes through educational technology in the U.S., Sweden and Germany.
“ I [we] wake up with a new brain everyday and it is up to me to figure out what it is going to be.” That quote comes from Dr. Judy Willis who was kind enough to sit down and discuss with us the intersection between what we know about the brain, from a neurological point of view, and how we educate our students.Dr. Willis has an interesting background and story. After working as a neurologist for 15 years, she picked up her teaching credential and worked in the classroom for 10 years. She applied what she knew about the brain to her teaching practice.With four different interviewers, we ranged all over the place with questions including: How multitasking and the ubiquity of devices changes our brains and if we should be worried. A growth versus fixed mindset Why their is an increase in students being sent for behavioral evaluationsTweetable QuotesStressful classrooms increase behavioral referralsTweet ThisThis interview was part of a series of interviews of each keynote speaker from the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong this past December. Chris Carter, Jamie Willett, and I all took part.Check out the video version below.BioDr. Judy Willis is an authority on brain research regarding learning and the brain. With the unique background as both a neurologist and classroom teacher, she writes extensively for professional educational journals and has written six books for educators and parents about applying the mind, brain, and education research to classroom teaching strategies, including an ASCD top sellers, Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning and Learning to Love Math.After graduating Phi Beta Kappa as the first woman graduate from Williams College, Willis attended UCLA School of Medicine where she was awarded her medical degree. She remained at UCLA and completed a medical residency and neurology residency, including chief residency. She practiced neurology for 15 years before returning to university to obtain her teaching credential and master’s of education from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then taught in elementary and middle school for 10 years.Currently, Dr. Willis is on the adjunct faculty of the Graduate School of Education, University of California, gives neuroeducation presentations, and conducts professional development workshops nationally and internationally about educational strategies correlated with neuroscience research.Dr. Willis is a staff writer for Psychology Today, an expert consultant for NBC News Education Nation, and a staff writer for Edutopia where she was honored as a “Big Thinkers on Education”.Books Learning to Love Math: Teaching Strategies that Change Student Attitudes and Get Results, ASCD 2010 How Your Child Learns Best: Brain-Based Ways to Ignite Learning and Increase School Success. Foreword by Goldie Hawn. Sourcebooks: 2008. Teaching the Brain to Read: Strategies for Improving Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension ASCD August 2008. Brain-Friendly Strategies for the Inclusion Classroom, ASCD 2007 Research-Based Strategies To Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist/Classroom Teacher, ASCD 2006. Inspiring Middle School Minds: Gifted, Creative, Challenging. Great Potentials Press, 2008. Current Impact of Neuroscience in Teaching and Learning. A chapter in,Mind, Brain, and Education Ed. D. Sousa. Solution Tree Press, 2010. MindUp! Curriculum. Contributing author Hawn Foundation funded curriculum for student focus and emotional control. New York: Scholastic. Feb. 2011