On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we’re sharing a recent conversation between Tom Vander Ark and Louka Parry. Together they discuss the mission of school, credentials and records, generative AI, shifting towards regenerative models of learning and much more.  Louka Parry is CEO of The Learning Future, a company committed to transforming learning structures, systems and societies so that we better empower individuals to develop the key human capabilities that matter most now and into the future. Louka is also the host of The Learning Future Podcast, which we recommend you check out for more conversations about the future of learning.  Links:  About Louka The Learning Future Podcast Salzburg Global Seminar Thomas Homer-Dixon on Commanding Hope and the Nature of Complexity Podcast Tim Klein and Belle Liang on How to Navigate Life Difference Making at the Heart of Learning Learning Creates Australia Da Vinci Schools Learning Economy Foundation Sam Seidel and Olatunde Sobomehin on the Creative Hustle and Blazing Your Own Path

Schools are supposed to prepare young people for the opportunities ahead of them, but oftentimes the opportunities move faster than the school systems. In the last few years some of the world’s leading countries have made massive commitments to sustainability. Legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act has promised millions of new jobs in sustainability and, currently, our lack of labor force is a huge bottleneck in being able to meet the demands of these urgent legislative wins. What can schools do to create greener education to employment pathways and prepare younger generations for the jobs ahead? Michelle Blanchet from Educator’s Lab and Mason Pashia from Getting Smart recently hosted a roundtable discussion to help spotlight where we are now and where we need to get to. The panelists on this event were: Thomas Riggle, Denver Public Schools Tish Tablan, Generation180 Shonique Banks, Philadelphia Energy Jordan Crolly, Philadephia School District

Interested in learning more about the World of Work? We’d love to see you at the summit. Register here.  On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Dr. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, and author of the new book Free Agent Learning. Project Tomorrow runs Speak Up which routinely surveys young people about their perceptions and opinions about school. She is a deep believer in listening to learners and providing agency for their learning. Links: Julie Evans Bio Free Agent Learning Aurora Institute Presentation Project Tomorrow Project Tomorrow Speak Up Research Daniel Pink on Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose Thomas Arnet Bio Blogs by Thomas Arnett 

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign. In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education’s status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what’s next.  On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by a dream team of guests. The first speaker you’ll hear is Kelly Fast, Director of Experiential Learning at Notre Dame de Sion. We then turn to four incredible Sion students: Mary, Suzanne, Claire and Ginger to discuss some of the incredible work and learning they are doing on a local and global level. If you want to support the work, you can send an email to globalimpacts@ndsion.edu. Links: Notre Dame de Sion Global Impacts EduCatered: Emilie Lai EduCatered: Gabby Dedrick Days for Girls Giving Hope and Help Sew Powerful Urbavore

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by two dear friends and peers: Kelly Niccolls and Abby Benedetto. Kelly Niccolls is formerly a Getting Smart colleague and now leads Secondary Teaching and Learning at Cheney Public Schools.  Abby Benedetto is one of Getting Smart’s Senior Fellows and is also the founder of Core Shifts. Listen in as they discuss the Assessment as Revelation framework. We also recently published a blog by them on GettingSmart.com all about the framework. Check it out! Links: Kelly Niccolls LinkedIn Abby Benedetto LinkedIn Abby Benedetto Pathways Deeper Learning Equity Fellows Street Data Listening Leader Emergent Strategy Core Shifts Cheney Public Schools

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by repeat podcast guest Sam Seidel Director of K12 Strategy + Research at the Stanford d.school, the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University and Olatunde Sobomehin, CEO of StreetCode Academy to discuss their new book Creative Hustle: Blaze Your Own Path and Make Work That Matters.  Links: Sam Seidel Twitter Sam Seidel LinkedIn Sam Seidel Bio Olatunde Sobomehin LinkedIn Olatunde - Praxis Labs Olatunde Sobomehin Twitter Creative Hustle: Blaze Your Own Path and Make Work That Matters HipHopGenius.org StreetCode Academy Sam Seidel on Design Thinking Sarah Stein Greenberg Podcast Design for Belonging by Dr. Susie Wise New Pathways Rep Mag High School for the Recording Arts Big Picture Learning

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan and Kathy Hurley the co-authors of the new book InnovateHERs: Why Purpose Driven Entrepreneurial Women Rise to the Top. Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan, is the President of Educorp Consultants Corporation and Senior Innovation Advisor, the Graduate School of Education, Education Entrepreneurship, University of Pennsylvania, and a former education industry entrepreneur.  Kathy Hurley is a former senior executive for numerous educational publishing and technology companies, including IBM and Pearson. After retiring from Pearson, she was selected as a Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) at Harvard University and co-founded a global nonprofit organization, Girls Thinking Global. Links: Amazon Link Barbara Kurshan LinkedIn Kathy Hurley LinkedIn Innovatehers resources EMP Whitepaper Ken Kay on Redefining Student Success Innovation Ecosystem  Newsletter Subscription 

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign. In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education’s status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what’s next.  On this Getting Smart Town Hall we took a look at a number of organizations and technologies that enable powerful badging and credentialing opportunities to help students share their stories, their learning and their priorities. Credentialing is the new way to communicate capabilities and provides more reliable and precise capability signaling than courses and grades. We'll explore the secondary and postsecondary learning and employment ecosystems where credentialing is emerging, how it complements skills-based hiring, and the implications for learner records. We were joined by Project Director of Project Zero, David Kidd as well as Director of Product Management at XQ, Rachel Safferstone. These two guests are doing incredible work in the space of credentialing and badging and both the vision and the experience to help us better understand the broader landscape.   Links: Recap Post Links from the Town Hall Getting Smart Town Halls Unbundled Learning: A Getting Smart Publication

Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode. Speak with an affordable, licensed therapist at your convenience and save 10% on your first month at BetterHelp.com/GettingSmart. We’ve done it! It’s the season finale of EduCatered. Thank you SO much for joining us through all of these great conversations this first season.   This special season finale is hosted by producer Mason, and he interviews Shawnee Caruthers and previous guest, now Getting Smart teammate, Victoria Andrews. We do things a little differently this time around… we hope you’ll tune in.  Links: Victoria Playlist: Kool Kids Vibes Victoria Playlist: Upbeat Elevator Jams Victoria Playlist: Let’s Ride Big Bang Recap Podcast Valencia Instagram    

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Ellen Perconti, Superintendent at Goldendale School District. Dr. Ellen Perconti is an experienced education superintendent with a demonstrated history of leading instructional reform and creating cultures focused on engagement. Links: Twitter LinkedIn Goldendale School District Getting Smart Podcast with Joanne McEachen Education Leaders Organization Marc Johnson Sanger Unified