Getting Smart Podcast

Today, the Getting Smart team is speaking with Rebecca Midles, the Executive Director of Implementation of Mesa Valley County School District 51. She is an internationally recognized leader in designing systems that work for all learners. She has guided and led schools and districts to a Performance-Based Learning System as well as provided support and coaching to instructional leaders, site leadership, and district leadership. She has launched an innovative school and mobilized two school district change efforts that have become nationally important models.   The Getting Smart team has long appreciated her contributions to competency education, and this summer she is formally joining them to extend her impact through system and learning design work with the team!   In this episode, Rebecca talks with Tom Vander Ark about designing systems that work for all learners. She speaks about her career and the transformative work she has done from Highland Tech High in Alaska to Lindsay Unified in California to District 51 in Colorado. Rebecca also gives her vision of what powerful learning looks like for students of all ages; her thoughts on what educators should be doing to build up their knowledge, skills, and disposition; and the key tenets to transforming schools and systems.   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [:44] Tom welcomes Rebecca to the podcast! [:47] When did Rebecca decide that she wanted to become a teacher? [3:58] When did Rebecca finish her Master’s? What work did she do after that? [5:28] Rebecca tells the formation story of Highlander. [8:02] How did Rebecca get from Highlander in Alaska to Lindsay Unified in California? [11:50] How many years was Rebecca with Lindsay Unified for? And what were some of the major takeaways she learned from working there? [13:02] Tom speaks about Lindsay and some of the incredible changes they have helped create there for learners. [14:47] What were some of the changes that Rebecca saw when she visited Lindsay again? [16:26] What attracted Rebecca to work at Mesa Valley Country School District 51 after Lindsay? [19:32] Did Rebecca see similar efforts at D51 to that of Tom’s work in Lindsay? [23:03] Rebecca gives her vision of what powerful learning looks like and what she would like to see a week of school looking like for her own children. [24:22] When Rebecca thinks of high school students, what would she hope to see school looking like for them? [27:44] What should educators be doing to build their knowledge, skills, and disposition for the work ahead? [30:24] Tom and Rebecca discuss keys to transforming schools and systems. [33:35] Tom thanks Rebecca for joining him in this podcast!   Mentioned in This Episode: Rebecca Midles (LinkedIn) Mesa Valley County School District 51Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Highland Academy Charter School (Highlander) Quality Schools International (QSI) Lindsay Unified School District Virgel Hammonds — KnowledgeWorks Washington Elementary (Lindsay Unified School District)   For More on Building a Performance-Based System in Mesa County Colorado, Check Out:Episode 196: “5 Reasons High Schools Should Help Young People Find and Make Their Unique Contribution”! Or, if you’d like to learn more about Lindsay Unified, you can listen to Episode 176 for a discussion with Superintendent Tom Rooney!   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!  

Today, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Dr. Francisco Gaujardo! Francisco is a leading voice in bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural education and a noted expert in place-based education. Like Tom, Francisco is also an advisor to the Teton Science Schools. As a Professor of Education at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), Dr. Guajardo introduces young people to the history, anthropology, and culture of ‘place.’ With colleagues of his at UTRGV, they built the B3 Institute — a university-wide office that facilitates the process through which UTRGV becomes a bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate institution — where he serves as the Executive Director.   In today’s conversation, Tom and Francisco discuss his work and interest in place-based education; the role place should play in primary-aged kids, middle school children, and teenagers in high school; how he’d like to see children interacting with their communities; and his roles at the B3 Institute, UTRGV, and Teton Science Schools.   Listen in to learn more!   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [:51] Tom welcomes Francisco to the podcast! [1:19] Francisco speaks about his upbringing and early education. [1:57] About Francisco’s later education and current career. [4:33] As a noted expert in place-based education, when did Francisco become conscious of the power of place? [10:13] About Francisco’s role as Executive Director of the B3 Institute where he explores bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism! [12:27] Why does Francisco serve on the advisory board at Teton Science Schools? [13:57] When Francisco thinks of primary-aged kids, what role should place play? [14:50] What pictures come to mind when Francisco considers the role place plays with grade 4-5? [15:36] How should high school kids be interacting with their communities? [16:30] Where to learn more about Francisco’s work!   Mentioned in This Episode: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) B3 Institute at UTRGV Teton Science Schools Getting Smart’s Place-Based Education Series Francisco’s Email: francisco.guajardo@utrgv.edu   For More on Place-Based Education, Check Out:Episode 168: “Giving the Gift of Place with Teton Science Schools”   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!  

Today, Tom Vander Ark has a conversation with Dr. Jal Mehta! Dr. Mehta grew up in Baltimore and is the son of a school administrator and a college professor. Now, as an Assistant Professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Mehta is a leading advocate for deeper learning. Dr. Mehta appreciated that his mentor, Richard Elmore, was always a knowledgeable person in the room because he spent time in schools every week. Dr. Mehta followed suit, and visited the best high schools in the country and co-authored a new book, In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School.   In today’s conversation, Dr. Jal Mehta shares his observations and expertise with Tom from the many schools he has visited. He also gives examples of powerful deeper learning in the primary grades, middle school, and high school.   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [1:00] Tom welcomes Dr. Jal Mehta to the podcast. [1:08] About Mehta’s upbringing and early education. [4:06] Dr. Mehta speaks about his mentor, Richard Elmore, and what led him to spend time in other schools. [6:05] How the hundreds of years of tradition in schools have impacted education today. [9:09] What powerful deeper learning looks like in primary grades. [12:15] What powerful deeper learning looks like in middle school. [14:18] What powerful deeper learning looks like in high school. Dr. Mehta also gives some of his favorite examples he has seen. [18:11] Should we have discipline-based courses? Is that still the best way to organize high school? [25:48] Is Dr. Mehta optimistic about the new exercises being built around what graduates should know and be able to do (AKA a ‘portrait of a graduate’)? [28:00] Tom gives his take on the ‘portrait of a graduate’ processes. [28:56] Tom and Dr. Mehta discuss how communities need to choose the way in which they work together with other people to build new learning experiences and new learning organizations. [32:57] Dr. Mehta gives his advice on visiting schools; how to pick them and how to learn as much as you can when you visit them. [37:00] Did Dr. Mehta leave this anthropological project of his optimistic about the direction of the American high school?   Mentioned in This Episode: In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School, by Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine Better Together: How to Leverage School Networks For Smarter Personalized and Project Based Learning, by Tom Vander Ark and Lydia Dobyns No Child Left Behind Act 4.0 Schools The Allure of Order: High Hopes, Dashed Expectations, and the Troubled Quest to Remake American Schooling, by Jal Mehta   For More on Deeper Learning, Check Out: Episode 187 with Jemar Lee, a graduate from the Iowa BIG; or Episode 163 about designing from scratch for timeless learning with Pam Moran!   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!

Today, Tom is speaking with Jared Cooney Horvath, a cognitive neuroscientist from the University of Melbourne. Jared specializes in human thought, learning, and brain stimulation, and holds the position of Director at both LME Global and The Science of Learning Group. He also has a new book titled, Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick, that was just recently published in March of this year! It’s not only great for a general audience, but for educators as well — providing tons of key insights on the best ways to teach so that the learning will stick.   In this episode, Jared takes Tom through the 12 insights in his book. He speaks about why multitasking is not beneficial, whether it’s better to read or to listen when learning, how accompanying images can help impact memory and learning, whether or not cramming works, the impact spacial layouts have on a learner, and why we should embrace errors. Beyond that, he shares many more of his findings through neuroscience around learning and education. It’s a fascinating episode that you’ll want to tune in for!   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [:41] Tom welcomes Jared Cooney Horvath to the podcast! [:47] Jared speaks about his early childhood education. [1:21] Why did Jared originally study cinema at USC? [1:48] How did Jared go from film into teaching? [2:11] When did Jared get the spark to begin studying education? [3:00] Why did Jared decide to do his Ph.D. in Melbourne? [3:55] Jared and Tom begin going through the 12 insights from Jared’s book, Stop Talking, Start Influencing, starting with the first: “Don’t try reading and listening to someone at the same time.” [5:11] Is text-to-voice or voice-to-text assisted technology helpful in aiding children in education? [6:33] Jared and Tom discuss the second insight: the idea of having images to accompany speech and how it can help memory and learning. [7:47] Is it better to read or to listen? Or does it depend on the learner? [8:30] Jared speaks about the third insight around spacial layouts. [9:43] Jared explains the fourth and twelfth insight around practice. [11:55] Does cramming work? [12:12] Insight #5: does multitasking work? [13:49] Jared explains insight #6 on interleaving skills. [15:26] Would the idea of interleaving skills be beneficial for project-based learning in schools? [16:20] Why should we embrace errors? [19:00] Insight #8: why is recall important? [20:17] Jared explains insight #9: reactivating facts or expectations. [21:32] Tom and Jared discuss insight #10, which is about using stories. [23:23] Insight #11: why moderate stress can actually be helpful. [25:20] Lightning round! What’s better for learning: a lecture or a challenging activity? [25:47] What’s better for learning: online or face-to-face? [26:40] What’s better for learning: listening or reading? [26:48] What is Jared’s favorite podcast? [27:50] What’s a healthier brain activity: sleeping or running? [28:10] What other neuroscientist and/or researchers is Jared learning from? [28:49] What is next for Jared and his research? [30:01] The power of relationships and community in learning. [31:05] Jared’s recommendations for where to learn more online.   Mentioned in This Episode: Jared Cooney Horvath (LinkedIn) LME Global The Science of Learning Group Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick, by Jared Cooney Horvath Revisionist History podcast The Moth podcast Jason Lodge (Professor at the University of Queensland) ScienceofLearning.com.au: Jared’s Videos on his 12 Insights   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!

This week, the Getting Smart team is bringing you an episode with Nick Donohue, the CEO and President of Nellie Mae Education Foundation.   Nick went from teacher to trainer to Deputy Commissioner, then to Commissioner in New Hampshire. A dozen years ago, Nick took over the Nellie Mae Education Foundation where he developed a strategy focused on student-centered learning. The team’s focus on personalized learning, student agency, progress on mastery, and anywhere-anytime learning was about 10 years ahead of the sector. And now, the foundation is leading again. In January they announced a new strategy that recognizes that racism in many forms — personal, institutional, and structural — is a big part of the education problem.   Listen in to hear Tom and Nick’s conversation about the implications for New England schools and communities of a renewed focus on race equity!   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [1:10] Nick starts off the podcast by recalling his youth where he was familiar with wealth but living in poverty. [3:58] When and how Nick decided to work in education and how he came to be Deputy Commissioner. [7:00] Fast forward to the Nellie Mae Education Foundation; Nick speaks about the influences that led to his strategic plan in 2010 around student-centered learning. [12:04] Tom summarizes Nick’s definition of student-centered learning. [13:48] How Nick’s national strategy has had an international impact. [14:51] Tom praises Nick’s approach to student-centered learning. [16:32] Nick gives a summary about what he has learned about demand development activity — both public demand and educator demand. [19:03] Why New England seems to be an anomaly in that they don’t join school networks at the same rates seen in other parts of the country. [21:00] Nick talks about his new strategy as well as his personal and organizational journey over the last 24 months. [24:00] Nick speaks about what his new focus on racial inequities will mean for his support of student-centered learning. [34:28] Tom and Nick close out the podcast by summarizing and speaking about the new mission for Nellie Mae Education Foundation.   Mentioned in This Episode: Nellie Mae Education Foundation No Child Left Behind Act New England Secondary School Consortium Great Schools Partnership Better Together: How to Leverage School Networks For Smarter Personalized and Project Based Learning, by Tom Vander Ark and Lydia Dobyns   For More on How Intentionally Designed Competency-Based Learning Can Promote Equity: Listen to: Episode 177 which outlines equity-focused strategies for policy and practice! You can also check out Getting Smart’s Equity & Access topic on GettingSmart.com!   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!

Today’s episode is a little extra special — it is Getting Smart’s TWO HUNDREDTH episode of the podcast!   This week, the team will be hearing from Tara C. Chklovski, the CEO and founder of Iridescent. Tara grew up in a small town outside Delhi India. Inspired by a tinkering father, Tara wanted to be an aerospace engineer. After a master’s degree at Boston University, Tara launched into a Ph.D. at USC. But the pull to help more girls experience powerful science, engineering, and technology education drew her away. In 2006, she launched the non-profit Iridescent, to create and deliver powerful STEM learning to empower underrepresented young people everywhere. Iridescent’s newest initiative, the AI Family Challenge, invites families to learn about Artificial Intelligence and use it to solve a problem in their community. Over 7,500 people from 13 countries participated in the first year of the program!   Join Tom and Tara to hear about the strides Iridescent is making for thousands of young people, about their incredible programs and initiatives, as well as Tara’s advice for educators on how they also can become more involved with AI and begin incorporating it into their teaching!   Key Takeaways: [:15] About today’s episode. [1:57] Tom welcomes Tara to the podcast. [2:04] Tara speaks about her early education and what first drew her to STEM. [4:02] What originally prompted Tara to launch Iridescent? [5:48] How did Tara go about launching a global campaign for a new non-profit? [9:06] About one of Iridescent’s programs, Technovation. [10:03] About one of Iridescent’s initiatives, the AI Family Challenge. [12:25] When did Tara begin to realize that AI was having profound implications in the world? [14:07] Is it realistic for young adults and their parents to learn enough about AI in 15 weeks to deploy simple models and solve real community problems? [15:36] Tara’s advice for educators in getting more involved with AI and incorporating it into their teaching. [17:45] About the AI for Good Global Summit that Tara will be in attendance for! [19:05] Where to find Tara online.   Mentioned in This Episode: Iridescent AI Family Challenge Technovation Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence AI for Good Global Summit (May 28th-31st) Tara’s Twitter: @TaraChk Tara’s Email: Tara@IridescentLearning.org   For More on Spreading Equitable Access to Computer Science: Listen to: Episode 190 with Amon Millner on exposing engineering to underrepresented groups!   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!

Today the Getting Smart team is bringing you a conversation with Andrew Frishman.   From the minute Andrew Frishman met a student from the flagship Big Picture Learning school, he knew he would be involved in crafting education one student at a time. He became a Big Picture advisor at (the now world famous) Met in Providence and then the internship coordinator at Met Sacramento. For the last six years, Andrew has been co-director of Big Picture. One of his initiatives is Imblaze, an internship management platform that helps young people connect with work-based learning and helps teachers monitor their location and progress.   Tune in to learn more about Andrew’s backstory and all the work that he has done at the Met, Big Picture Learning, and Imblaze in this conversation with Tom Vander Ark!   Key Takeaways: [:15] About today’s episode. [1:06] About Andrew’s upbringing, early education, and the genesis of his interests in teaching and biology. [4:21] What inspired Andrew to get started at the Met. [7:54] Tom and Andrew give some background on the Met. [8:57] About Andrew’s past roles and current role at the Met and some of the benefits and challenges that come with it. [10:44] How Andrew came to work at the Met in Sacramento. [11:41] About Andrew’s work as the co-director of Big Picture Learning and how he and his co-director are thinking about the future of the network. [13:42] Andrew proposes the hypothetical question: Why affiliate — or not — with Big Picture? [15:30] How Andrew thinks about the services Big Picture provides. [18:00] How Andrew thinks about his aspirations for the network. [20:54] Why are so many people in the Alt Ed space turning to Big Picture Learning? [25:17] Andrew’s thoughts on how public policy could better recognize the value-add of alternative schools? [28:47] What is Imblaze? [30:40] Where to learn more online!   Mentioned in This Episode: Big Picture Learning Met High School (in Providence) Met Sacramento Imblaze New England Secretary School Consortium Deeper Learning Equity Fellowship The Upstream Collaborative   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!  

Today, the Getting Smart team is talking with Kimberly Mitchell about her new book, Experience Inquiry: 5 Powerful Strategies, 50 Practical Experiences, that explores five strategies any teacher or parent can use to promise inquiry and curiosity.   Kimberly Mitchell experienced her first inquiry-based lesson watching a colleague at an international school in Quito Ecuador — and been hooked by the power of inquiry ever since! After working with teachers around the world on developing great inquiry practices, she started Inquiry Partners in 2014 to broaden her reach. Kimberly now teaches several undergraduate courses at the University of Washington’s College of Education, where she continues to ‘walk the talk’ of inquiry.   In this episode, Kimberly speaks about her book, Experience Inquiry, and the five key strategies within it: 1) get personal, 2) get curious, 3) ask more, talk less, 4) explore evidence, and 5) extended thinking time. She gives her thoughts on why teachers should make the time for inquiry, why these five strategies are incredibly important for getting started with inquiry, and why inquiry is such a powerful concept.   Key Takeaways: [:15] About today’s episode. [1:05] About Kimberly’s early education. [3:00] When and where did Kimberly find her calling to teach? [5:00] How did Kimberly originally get to Quito Ecuador? [6:55] What was so inspiring and unique about Kimberly’s time in Quito Ecuador? [8:04] How long was Kimberly at the International School of Athens for? [8:51] How have Kimberly’s experiences teaching internationally helped form her ideas about inquiry? [12:37] Why has inquiry become such a focal point for Kimberly? [15:55] Why ‘getting personal’ and making a connection is the first strategy listed in Kimberly’s book, Experience Inquiry. [17:27] The second strategy of Kimberly’s book: get curious. [18:07] Kimberly’s tips for staying curious. [20:00] Kimberly’s third strategy from her book: ask more, talk less. [23:02] Kimberly’s thoughts on how coaching and ed talk will help teachers become more metacognitive about the balance between questioning and telling. [25:14] The fourth strategy of Kimberly’s book: explore evidence. [27:48] The fifth strategy in Kimberly’s book: extended thinking time. [30:40] Kimberly thoughts on whether or not a mixture of project-based learning and open-ended activities promotes inquiry. [32:55] How and where should teachers make time for large-scale inquiries? [35:56] Why place is powerful — especially paired with inquiry. [37:16] Where to learn more about Kimberly’s work.   Mentioned in This Episode: Inquiry Partners Experience Inquiry: 5 Powerful Strategies, 50 Practical Experiences, by Kimberly L. Mitchell University of Washington’s College of Education International School of Athens Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Argentina Teach for All “Dan Finkel: 5 Ways to Share Math with Kids,” Ted Talk Video “New School Formula: Harder Questions and Fewer Answers,” blog post by Tom Vander Ark Teaching As a Subversive Activity, by Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner Teaching with Your Mouth Shut, by Donald L. Finkel The Earshot App Common Sense Media The Wonderment Kimberly’s Twitter: @InquiryFive   For More on Reinventing Teacher Preparation, Check Out: Episode 188 with Jim Tracy of Woodrow Wilson Academy of Teaching and Learning!   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!  

Today, the Getting Smart team will be exploring the future of work, artificial intelligence, and how all students can be prepared for what’s ahead. Joining the podcast to discuss this is Dr. Christina Gardner-McCune, an Assistant Professor in the Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida.   Christina stresses that the one key to getting students hooked on computer science is to allow them to follow their passions and to drive their learning based on something they are interested in or that they see as a problem or challenge that they can solve with technology. In this episode, she expresses her thoughts on this topic and tells several stories of students who didn’t initially connect with computer science, but came to love it. She also breaks down the five big ideas from AI4K12 that every K-12 student should know about AI, how she is working to change perceptions around computer science (especially for girls and students of color), her advice to students who feel intimidated by the subject, and gives her predictions on the future of work and AI.   Key Takeaways: [:15] About today’s episode. [:50] Janice of Getting Smart welcomes Christina to the podcast. [1:11] How and why Christina ended up getting into computer science. [3:25] Christina speaks about her current role at the University of Florida. [6:03] Christina tells a story that illustrates her purpose as a professor as well as the perseverance of a motivated student. [11:35] Christina breaks down the five big ideas from AI4K12 that every K-12 student should know about AI. [37:14] How does Christina envision these big ideas being taught, getting into schools, and shaping education? [42:00] When does Christina believe that these national AI guidelines will come out? [43:27] How Christina is working to change perceptions around computer science for girls and students of color, and her advice to students who are feeling intimidated by the subject. [52:23] What are Christina’s predictions on the future of work and how it's going to impact people and communities? [59:36] To sign off, Christina shares a message to all students and teachers.   Mentioned in This Episode: University of Florida Getting Smart’s The Future of Work series AI4K12   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!  

Today’s episode is all about contribution, featuring Getting Smart’s very own Tom Vander Ark and Dr. Emily Liebtag.   High school has always been thought of as preparation for college and careers. But what if it were a time when teenagers actually started making a difference in their community? What if young people had the chance to figure out what they’re interested in, what they’re good at, and how they could start making a contribution? Tom and Emily argue that students contributing to their community might be the best form of preparation there could be!   In this episode, Tom and Emily give their five reasons high schools should focus on contribution. They also provide several examples of schools doing just that; engaging young people in making the world better starting right where they are!   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [1:05] Emily and Tom chat about today’s discussion. [2:58] What the Getting Smart team sees as the most valuable skills in the future and the types of experiences youth need in order to develop these skills. [5:33] The importance of contribution for young people leaving high school. [8:05] Examples from Tom Vander Ark of contribution. [10:11] Emily shares a great quote on the importance of contribution. [12:05] Why schools (especially high schools) should focus on contribution. [13:13] Schools that are great examples of agency and collaboration by dealing with real community problems. [14:16] The second reason why schools should focus on contribution: students become more motivated and engaged through making a contribution. [15:31] Emily and Tom’s third reason in favor of contribution: their impact on pressing issues such as climate change and AI. [20:42] Some more examples of schools where these contribution experiences are happening. [24:00] A new project that provides a terrific entry point for contribution: The Purpose Project. [25:45] About Getting Smart’s guidebook in collaboration with Teton Science Schools. [26:30] Emily poses this question to listeners: Think about a memorable learning experience you’ve had (99% of the time people will share an example of a time they made a contribution!) [27:52] The best example of contribution Tom and Emily have seen. [28:30] How we can help aid students in contributing. [29:31] What to follow-up on after listening to this week’s episode!   Mentioned in This Episode: “Ask About AI,” by Getting Smart HQPBL.org SXSW The Kern Family Foundation KEEN Conference Seth Godin Health Leadership High School ACE Leadership High School Circulos High School (in Santa Ana) Gloo (Analytics for Personal Growth) AI4ALL Tess Posner of AI4ALL Iowa BIG UN Sustainable Development Goals Latitude High School Crosstown High School Purdue Polytechnic High School Design Tech High School Olin College One Stone High School One Stone’s One Event The Purpose Project Getting Smart’s Guidebook in collaboration with Teton Science Schools to be released in 2020 Teton Science Schools PlaceSchools.org Larry Rosenstock (CEO of High Tech High) Cajon Valley Union School District   To Learn About Colleges Engaging Learners in Applied Learning, Check Out: Episode 191 where leaders from Northeastern University talk about a new Ph.D. program where candidates immediately begin action research, and episode 190 where Amon Millner from Olin college talks about extending access to coding and computational thinking from kindergarten to college.   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include ‘Podcast’ in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!