Learning Unboxed

Today, we have Marcy Raymond joining us, an innovative educator in the STEM space. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Marcy was the first guest we had on this program. Marcy has started multiple schools and transformed existing ones into high-quality, fully-applied STEM schools. We will discuss the concept of mastery learning, which often arises in the transformative school space.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:What “mastery learning” is and how it’s being applied in schools todayThe necessary elements for fostering mastery learningThe challenges and barriers to practicing mastery learning in schoolHow teachers can use mastery learning in their classroomsResources:Connect with Marcy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcy-raymond-1193aa205Twitter: @MarcyRaymond

Dr. Mandy Smith is the Director of Research at PAST Foundation. She has a wealth of experience in the K-12 education system, including teacher preparation and the intersection of science and technology.In this episode, we will be discussing the concept of STEM identity. The lack of diversity and opportunity in STEM careers has been a topic of debate and conversation for over a decade. The "leaky pipeline" phenomenon, where individuals drop out of STEM pathways, is a well-known issue, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities. However, PAST Foundation has received funding from the Battelle Memorial Institute to delve deeper into the issue and explore STEM identity in the K-12 space. The goal is to understand and define STEM identity and determine ways to address the issue collectively.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:What STEM identity is and why we should care about itHow to give students the opportunity to engage in STEM activitiesPartnering with school districts to bolster STEM identityUsing data to inform actionable changesTaking advantage of existing service learning opportunitiesResources:Connect with Mandy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mandy-smith

Kelly Preheim has done incredible work as a teacher, but she knows it's important to push herself to step out of her comfort zone. In this episode, we talk to Kelly about her experience as part of the National Geographic Grosvenor Teaching Fellowship cohort and how she balances the everyday pieces of being a teacher with the need to try new things. Don't miss Kelly's insight into how she pushes herself to take risks and try new experiences!To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:Having the courage as a teacher to push outside of your comfort zoneWhat Kelly learned in the Teaching FellowshipHow teachers can apply for and take advantage of opportunitiesResources:BirdTeach: birdteach.blogspot.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/BirdTeach-367011353690070030 | Teaching Through Your Passion to Create Passionate Students with Kelly PreheimSpotlight: Problem-Based Learning with Birds!

Dawn Heideman and Carla Hegyi are the founders of Be the One, a program aiding at-risk youth in schools in the central Ohio region, both by improving students’ lives and the lives of those around them, through relationship-building and service programs.Most of the time, when a student experiences trauma, they are only aided for a few days or weeks before everyone returns back to their daily lives — leaving the student to cope with that trauma themselves. Dawn and Carla realized that more needed to be done and that those kids needed long-term support. That’s why they started Be the One: To offer daily support to kids dealing with a variety of struggles in life. They talk about the value of making kids feel heard and seen, making an impact one student at a time, and scaling programs like this to affect more students.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:Giving kids the time necessary to overcome emotional traumaHearing from people who recognize what you’ve been throughBuilding a long-term support system for studentsHow to scale support programs across districtsResources:Learn more at betheoneohio.comDawn Heideman: Be The One | TED Talk

Financial empowerment is incredibly important for those who want to manage their wealth properly, and it’s critical for students to get a headstart on that journey  We're talking about Wemblr Ed, a gaming simulation app that engages students in financial scenarios and events to teach the value of critical thinking, personal finance, and strategic planning. Joining us today is Wemblr's founder and CEO, Tiffany Marr, as well as Derek Fitzer, Dawn Weaver, and Callan Kajdasz from Southwestern City Schools, a school district in the Central Ohio region. Tiffany will be talking about how the app works, how it impacts students, and the features that make it so cool. We'll also hear from her colleagues about their experience using the app in Southwestern City Schools.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How Wemblr got involved in public schoolsDrawing on the students’ skillsets for app developmentGiving real-world problem-solving opportunities to studentsScaling industry education across school districtsResources:Learn more at wemblr.comConnect with Tiffany on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiffany-marr-348540218

Carla Neely is currently a fifth and sixth grade science and computer science teacher at Warner Girls’ Leadership Academy for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Cleveland, OH. Carla has been a teacher for twenty-three years in urban classrooms. She is certified and has experience teaching all subjects, with specialization in science and math. She has a passion for urban education. Carla has spent the past few months in Washington, DC as a member of the 2022-23 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows Cohort. She is passionate about making opportunities equitable for underrepresented and marginalized students. In this conversation, she talks about the struggles that marginalized students face when it comes to opportunities in STEM fields and how she’s working — through legislation — to change things for the better.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:The importance of advocacy and exercising your voiceAffecting change beyond the classroomHow legislation can bring about equityResources:Connect with Carla on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carla-neely-390168125EINSTEIN Carla Neely | U.S. DOE Office of Science(SC)

Rebecca Morningstar has been teaching animal science and zoo management courses at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan since 2013.Potter Park Zoo is going above and beyond the minimum requirements to provide the highest possible welfare for its animals, employees, and guests. Its mission is to inspire conservation of animals and the natural world. And people can’t make a difference in the world if they don’t know the issues or what they can do to help.We dive into how Potter Park Zoo is getting kids engaged with learning about animals and conservation, as well as introducing other learning opportunities along the way. She shares what students are doing in these experiences, how she makes the hard decision on what topics to cover and what to leave out, and how you can partner with your local zoos in your own area.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:The mission of Potter Park ZooOffering educational opportunities through hands-on animal experiencesGetting kids involved in the conversation around conservationBringing local zoo organization into your own innovative programResources:Learn more at potterparkzoo.orgConnect with Rebecca: linkedin.com/in/rebecca-morningstar-2788a664

Tony Wagner is a globally-recognized expert who is currently a senior research fellow at the Learning Policy Institute founded by Linda Darling-Hammond in 2015. Prior to that, he held a variety of positions at Harvard University for more than twenty years, including a few years as the expert in residence at the Harvard Innovation Lab and the founder and co-director for more than a decade at the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.In his latest book Learning By Heart, Tony gives an autobiographical telling of his unconventional educational journey. His background was of hating school. He dropped out of high school, and after going back to get his degree dropped out of college twice. His experience with school, along with getting deeply involved in the 60s political movement, led to two realizations: That he wanted to make a difference in the world, and that education needed to be completely reinvented. We talk about what that reinvention looks like, and how a shift to mastery-based education can prepare students for the world after school.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:Shifting the focus of education from time served to masteryWhat’s at stake if we don’t make radical changes to our education systemHow legislation can free up educators to innovate by removing testing requirementsBreaking down the content barriersHow to find room and space for innovation in your classroom todayResources:Learn more: tonywagner.comTwitter: @DrTonyWagnerRead: Learning By Heart

You can’t talk about rethinking education for long without hearing Montessori come up. In fact, several past guests on the show have mentioned it, either as an inspiration or having been brought up in that educational philosophy themselves. While we’ve scratched the surface before, we’ve never had the opportunity to dig into it until now.Joining us to help us get a clear picture of this popular education method is Hannah Baynham, Director of Learning and Professional Development at Montessori and Melanie Thiesse, Senior Director of Membership and School Accreditation. They share the philosophy behind Montessori, why it’s so popular among those rethinking education, and how it is helping to shape the future of education.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:What Montessori is and where it comes fromHow Montessori practitioners balance student agency and facilitationHow schools can get accredited as a Montessori schoolIntegrating Montessori education in an existing school environmentHow Montessori is pushing the future of educationResources:Learn more: amshq.orgConnect with Hannah on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hannah-joy-baynham-16aa211a9Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mthiesse

Buddy Berry is the superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools, a rural district with approximately 850 students located 400 miles east of Louisville, Kentucky. Buddy is a fourth-generation alumnus of Eminence which offers him a unique perspective, coming from the place that he now leads.Five years ago, Eminence was facing a decline in enrollment and a dropoff in funding. Thanks to Buddy and many of the programs he’s facilitated in his tenure, that decline has turned around.We talk about some of those programs including the idea of “School on Fire,” a framework for reinventing and innovating education.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:Creating a framework for innovation in educationMaking education an experienceOnboarding educators into a new, innovative systemIncorporating surprise and delight into the school systemResources:Follow Buddy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/buddy-berry-8963baa4Twiter: @buddyberry, @eminenceschools