Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Jeff Ikler
Curiosity sits at the intersection of creativity, effective human interactions, problem-solving and purposeful change. Unfortunately, the pace of life — at home, work, and school — often sidetracks our natural curiosity. So, let's see the familiar from a different angle or something new as a possibility to consider.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 18, 2020 • 44min
118: Focusing on the REAL WORK – not FAKE work
We all like to think we're working hard, right? The sad fact, though, is that most of us spend a lot of time doing "fake work," which is emotionally draining and non-productive. And someone who has researched the concept of fake work and seen a lot of it first hand – and sometimes engaged in it – is Gaylan Nielson, author of Stop Fake Work in Education. Listen in as Gaylan defines "fake work" and how we can avoid it.
Aug 11, 2020 • 52min
117: Impacting Teaching, Learning, and Relationships with Technology - Chris Nesi
How do you teach during these challenging times? Experiment. Try something. Try something else. And above all, nurture student relationships. Teacher and education technology master Chris Nesi explains.
Aug 4, 2020 • 45min
116: Stepping Back to Address our Biases – Principal Anthony McWright
How do we move forward as a national around the discussion of race? We start, says principal Anthony McWright, by acknowledging our biases.
Jul 28, 2020 • 52min
115: Teaching Students Before Teaching Subjects - Principal Chris Lehmann
Why won't a cooker-cutter approach to transforming schools work? Principal of the innovative Science Leadership Academy, Chris Lehmann explains.
Jul 21, 2020 • 48min
114: How to Create Safe and Inclusive Schools - Dimitry Anselme
Today we welcome Dimitry Anselme, the Executive Program Director for Professional Learning and Support at "Facing History and Ourselves." The mission of this nonprofit organization is to use lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. In this episode, we'll learn about Dimitri's and Facing History's vision for how schools can create educational experiences that combine social and emotional learning, equity, and civic education.
Jul 14, 2020 • 48min
113: Building New Learning Pathways for Students and Teachers – Dr. Ken Wallace
"The best thing we can ever do for kids is help them find their 'why' in life." Dr. Ken Wallace, Superintendent of District 207 in Park Ridge, Illinois explains why and what happens when schools don't.
Jul 7, 2020 • 48min
112: Looking at Learning from the Neuroscience Perspective - Melissa Hughes Ph.D.
Fundamental to changing schools so that they're more beneficial to a student's future is understanding how students learn. Neuroscience researcher Melissa Hughes Ph.D. explains.
Jun 30, 2020 • 52min
111: Aligning Changes to the Vision to Bring About Student Success - Evan Robb
Innovating in education just to innovate is pointless. Ideas on how to change education abound. The key, according to veteran principal Evan Robb is to align everyone around a vision of student success.
Jun 25, 2020 • 44min
110: Creating the Right Environment for Educational Change
Whether you're a parent, an educator, or just a concerned citizen, you have a big stake in what happens in our classrooms – the incubators of our future. If you listen to education transformation advocates, we need to change those incubators by recognizing that we're in a post-industrial society and build an educational system that better prepares children for it. To support that discussion, we welcome four school leaders from the Mesa, Arizona Public Schools who are leading the change effort now.
Jun 23, 2020 • 55min
109: Breathing Real-World Learning into the Classroom – Mike Oliver
Today we welcome Mike Oliver, Principal of Zaharis Elementary School in Mesa Arizona. Mike and his team have shaped this extraordinary school over the past 18 years. It brings to life many of the principles of change called for by the transformation advocates: agency for students and teachers; real-world problem solving; opportunities for collaboration and innovation; social and emotional development; and curiosity. And one of its hallmarks is no test preparation beyond the daily school activities.
