Philosophy of Education

In education, how should we conceive of the parent as a customer? This week, join us for a discussion with Deb Ross, founder of KidsOutAndAbout.com, as we dig into questions of parenting, choice, and what parents really want from schools. Debra E. Ross is the founder, publisher, and CEO of Kids Out And About, LLC, a media and marketing company whose purpose is to celebrate what local communities offer their residents and visitors, on two main platforms: KidsOutAndAbout.com and BeyondTheNest.com. KidsOutAndAbout.com, originally launched in the Rochester area in 2001, focuses on activities for kids, teens, and families. BeyondTheNest.com, launched in 2016, connects local adult audiences with their community's arts, culture, and recreation options. The sites provide comprehensive calendar and resource lists for 45 local regions across the U.S. and Canada, attracting 15 million unique visitors per year.

Mentoring is the oldest model of education, but it is uncommon today. Why is so effective? Why is it now rare? Why does it still matter? Join us for a discussion with Audrey Wisch of Curious Cardinals. Audrey Wisch is the Co-Founder and CEO of Curious Cardinals, an ed-tech company that empowers K-12 students to explore and pursue their passions with the guidance of a network of college mentors. Audrey has shared her grand vision on Forbes and CNN, and was recognized this year in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Education and Youngest category. You can find Audrey on Twitter, @AudreyWisch, and learn more about Curious Cardinals on their website, https://www.curiouscardinals.com/.

Join us for a chat with Lenore Skenazy, of Free Range Kids and Let Grow, about raising independent children—why it’s so important, why it’s so hard for parents and educators to get right, and how to do it. Lenore Skenazy is president of Let Grow, a non-profit promoting childhood independence and resilience, and founder of the Free-Range Kids movement. She is also a speaker, blogger, syndicated columnist, author, and reality show host. You can find Lenore on Twitter, @FreeRangeKids, and learn more about her work on her website, https://www.freerangekids.com/.

Join us for a conversation with Jeremy Tate, creator of the Classic Learning Test. Motivated by a desire to reconnect knowledge and virtue, the CLT is an alternative to the traditional American SAT and ACT college entrance exams. Listen to hear more about the origins of standardized college exams in the U.S., the pedagogy behind the CLT, and where virtue fits in. Jeremy Tate is the founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test. Jeremy is also the host of the Anchored Podcast, CLT’s global podcast that features discussions at the intersection of education and culture. You can find Jeremy on Twitter @JeremyTate41. You can learn more about the Classic Learning Test at https://www.cltexam.com/.

What pedagogy plays well with virtual and tech-enabled education? Discovery-based? Project-based? Both? Neither? Join us for a lively discussion with Garrett Smiley of Sora Schools, and Jeffrey Imrich of Rock by Rock. Garrett Smiley is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sora Schools, an online, accredited middle and high school that aims to help students achieve their full potential through project-based learning and real-world experience. You can find Garrett on Twitter (@gw_smiles), learn more about Sora Schools and their mission on their website (https://soraschools.com/), and find them on Twitter (@soraschools). Jeffrey Imrich is the co-founder of Rock by Rock, an education start-up that leverages a blended-learning platform to bring project-based learning to K-5 everywhere. You can learn more about Rock by Rock on their website (https://rockbyrock.com/).

One big idea in secondary and post-secondary education: collapse everything together. Join us this week for a discussion with Ivan Cestero of Portal Schools, on making high school a comprehensive bridge to adulthood. Ivan is a lifetime educator and innovator with experience teaching and leading workshops in the US, Europe and South America. He's passionate about building new school models and learning experiences focused on agency, creativity and real world learning. Ivan's current project is launching Portal Schools, a new competency-based micro-school network focused that embeds with corporate and industry partners in Los Angeles. Learn more about Portal Schools at https://www.portalschools.org/ and find Ivan on Twitter, @zoltero.

This week, we are joined by software and fin-tech investor Rohit Krishnan for a sweeping discussion of big patterns around progress and innovation, and how these present both opportunities and challenges for educators today. Rohit is a venture capitalist and the writer of Strange Loop Canon, trying to understand the complex world through essays on innovation and progress, technology, business, science, fallibilism, probabilism and , self-proclaimedly, generally caressing the elephant's trunk and tail and hoping to understand its full majesty. You can find Rohit on Twitter (@krishnanrohit) and read his essays on his blog, Strange Loop Canon (https://www.strangeloopcanon.com/).

Should educators care about blockchain? What does web3 actually help solve for in education? How does it relate to other trends in education? This week, we are joined by Vriti Saraf to talk through these questions and more as we envision the future of education and the web. Vriti is the founder of k20 Educators, the next generation of social learning for educators. Vriti has served as a teacher, dean, & director in public, private, & charter schools both locally & internationally across k12 & higher education. Vriti is also the cofounder of Ed3DAO, the first DAO for educators. You can find Vriti on Twitter, @VritiSaraf.

This week, we are joined by Professor Martin Bickman of the University of Colorado Boulder to discuss the American tradition of "active learning" and its relationship to John Dewey and the Transcendentalist movement. Professor Bickman specializes in American literature, composition, rhetoric, and pedagogy. Bickman has described his interest in student-centered education and participatory democracy in education in a recent autobiographical article, “Returning to Community and Praxis”. Bickman is also the author of the award-winning book, Minding American Education.

Join us for a conversation with Kirk and Josh Umbehr of a.school, a microschool management platform. We discuss a.school's unique model—and also why structural innovation is on the critical path for education reform. You can learn more about a.school on their website, a.school. Josh is a husband of 19 years, father of 3, and a Kansas native. He got his BS at KSU in human nutrition and his medical degree from the KU school of medicine. He’s a leader in the innovative direct primary care movement. Kirk is graduated from Kansas State University in Hospitality Management. While at K-State, he met his wife Amanda and is a father of two daughters that are currently part of a homeschool co-op. Kirk works on the business and consulting side for direct primary care doctors and teachers looking to open their own microschool.