122. Grab the Wheel and Make it Legendary, with Garrett Smiley

My guest for this episode is Garrett Smiley, the co-founder of Sora Schools, a description of which, frankly, is very hard to pin down. Sora is an online learning experience, but beyond that, it is a complex and fabulous answer to the question, What could school be? So that you, listeners, know what you are in for in this episode, I am going to quote directly from Sora’s website. “Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs and goals of all students, while delivering a program that is empowering, engaging, rigorous, and relevant. Our approach is founded on inquiry-based and interdisciplinary learning to give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects, based on real-world challenges and problems. We use a mastery-based approach to evaluate learning, allowing students to demonstrate skills and abilities at their own pace and in multiple contexts while fostering intrinsic motivation to deepen understanding. Students have multiple opportunities and avenues by which to demonstrate their learning. The primary methods of learning are Expeditions, Activities, and Independent Study Projects." Ted Dintersmith, the producer of the film Most Likely to Succeed and the author of the book, What School Could Be, said the following for this episode: "History has shown us that many of the biggest boldest innovations come from young visionary entrepreneurs. A few episodes ago, this show featured one such entrepreneur, Hannah Williams, with her d'Skills initiative. Today the show features the remarkable Garrett Smiley, founder and CEO of Sora Schools. Garrett is out to change the world of education, and he will do exactly that. You'll be blown away by his vision of a school that truly prepares kids for their futures, and by his plans to reach one million kids. In addition to being a fantastic entrepreneur, Garrett is just a wonderful person. You’re in for a fascinating discussion. Editing is provided by the amazing Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the catalog of pianist, Michael Sloan.

What Place Does Love Have in the Classroom? by G. Smiley