Getting Smart Podcast

For the past two episodes, the Getting Smart team have envisioned what the future of learning might look like with the authors of Education Reimagined’s new paper, “School’s Out.” On their final episode of their three-part series, Tom speaks with Tom Rooney, the Superintendent of Lindsay Unified Public Schools.   Lindsay Unified is located in the central valley of California. They are situated in one of the highest poverty areas in the nation. 100% of their learners are on free or reduced lunch, 53% come to their doors not speaking English, and about 33% come from the migrant farming community. They have a deep understanding that many learners have not been receiving the level of education that leads to success in life. With that in mind, their work focuses on meeting learners at their level, with student-centered and performance-based work to lead them to success — and it’s proven successful! They’ve gone from having a 67% graduation rate to a 94% graduation rate this past year.   In today’s episode, Tom and Tom speak about lessons learned from Lindsay Unified and how the community can play an active role in the future of learning, as well as key learnings from Tom’s paper: “School’s Out: Who Takes Responsibility for the Education of Young People?”   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [1:00] Tom welcomes Tom Rooney to the podcast. [1:09] Tom explains the origin story of the student-centered, performance-based work he’s doing at Lindsay Unified Public Schools. [6:06] About Lindsay Unified’s vision of meeting learners at their level and how that guarantees success. [8:36] How Lindsay Unified’s teachers seamlessly work together and the incredible benefits of that. [11:06] Tom speaks about the support they’ve received from various organizations and how it has helped Lindsay Unified. [13:52] The work that Tom and Lindsay Unified have accomplished with the help of Empower Learning. [15:30] Tom and Tom dive into Tom’s paper: “School’s Out: Who Takes Responsibility for the Education of Young People?” Tom first speaks about the role professional educators might play if the current system was reimagined. [19:33] Tom’s ideas (from his paper) on the two new roles of personal life coaches and opportunity creators. [22:04] Barriers and opportunities to Tom’s vision for the future of learning in Lindsay. [24:49] Will there be any transportation barriers in Tom’s vision? [26:55] As Tom thinks about the School’s Out conversation, he offers some practical pieces of advice for those in education could work on this week.   Mentioned in This Episode: Previous episode: Episode 174 — “School’s Out: Engaging Families and the Community” Previous episode: Episode 175 — “School’s Out: Anywhere, Anytime Learning, and the Role of Technology” Education Reimagined “School’s Out: What if Schools, As We Know Them, Didn’t Exist?” “School’s Out: What if School Didn’t Exist?” “School’s Out: Who Takes Responsibility for the Education of Young People?” (Tom’s paper) Lindsay Unified Public Schools Gates Foundation iNACOL Transcend Education Columbia University Empower 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, and for the next three weeks, the Getting Smart team is going to explore a new initiative from Education Reimagined.   Education Reimagined recently released a paper entitled, “School’s Out,” which set out to explore how we could alter our perspective on the meaning, feel, and delivery of learning. Tom had the opportunity to sit down with the education leaders who authored “School’s Out,” and over the next three episodes, he will be digging deeper into what the future of learning may look like for students. This is part two out of three. For the first episode in the series, take a listen to: “School’s Out: Engaging Families and the Community,” with Amy Anderson and Scott Van Beck.   In today’s episode, Tom interviews Nate McClennen, Vice President for Education and Innovation at Teton Science Schools; and IT Consultant, Oscar Brinson. Nate and Tom discuss anywhere, anytime learning; the community as a classroom; the differences between learning and school; and the importance of guidance of advisory for learners. In Tom and Oscar’s conversation; they explore how education keeps up with the technological advances; the role A.I. and automation will play in the future of learning and work; and what he sees as technology’s role, along with the role of advisory and guidance relationships.   Key Takeaways: [:16] A recap on last week’s episode (and the first part of this series.) [1:05] About today’s episode. [1:25] Tom welcomes Nate to the podcast, and Nate gives a bit of background on how his childhood has helped inform how he thinks about place-based education now. [2:45] Nate and Tom discuss his School’s Out paper. [4:17] Nate’s ideas on how we could reimagine learning and community. [6:30] Nate’s thoughts on where and how we can test some of his ideas. [9:28] The importance of guidance through a ‘learning coach’ in anywhere, anytime learning. [10:20] The challenge around equity and scale when making sure every student has access to a great learning coach. [13:15] The changing role of teachers. [14:45] The differences between learning and school, and how learning could be introduced through the community rather than school. [17:22] Nate shares some final thoughts on the evolution of learning. [19:23] About Oscar Brinson, Tom’s next guest. [19:49] Does Oscar anticipate something that looks like schools or community facilities where students and adult mentors would meet on a regular basis? [21:23] The caveat: the custodial aspect of school being crucial as long as parents have to go to work. [23:46] A potential A.I. system solution to the important custodial aspect of school, and the other ways technology and A.I. will help progress and change how learning is done.   Mentioned in This Episode: Previous episode: Episode 174 — “School’s Out: Engaging Families and the Community” Education Reimagined ReSchool Colorado Teton Science Schools “School’s Out: What if Schools, As We Know Them, Didn’t Exist?” “School’s Out: What if School Didn’t Exist?” “School’s Out: How a ‘No School’ Society is One of Many Learner-Centered Possibilities” (Nate’s paper) “School’s Out: Why Embracing Technology Will Only Expand What’s Possible” (Oscar’s paper)   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 bonus episode! Recently, they got the chance to interview a ton of great people at the recent iNACOL conference and want to bring it to you early as a little holiday gift this season.   In this special bonus episode, Tom interviews Nicole Assisi and Shelly Kurt of Thrive to talk all about how they are building community and doubling proficiency rates for children from low-income neighborhoods.   Nicole and Shelly originally met at a San Diego Starbucks five years ago and went on to create one of the nation’s most thoughtfully design K-12 networks serving diverse low-income neighborhoods — Thrive. From the first napkin of that fateful day, they outlined the key elements that make Thrive so special — project-based, personalized, and social-emotional learning. They wanted to create a place that helps develop good humans that solve problems with discernment, empathy, and agency — and they did. They picked two underserved neighborhoods in east San Diego, City Heights, and Linda Vista, and set to work combine all of these elements that make Thrive so special.   Key Takeaways: [:15] About today’s bonus episode. [1:27] Tom welcomes Nicole and Shelly to the podcast. [1:45] About Nicole’s high school education and early career. [2:21] Where Shelly grew up, her high school experience, and when she decided to pursue education as a career. [3:01] The story of how Nicole and Shelly first met. [5:01] The core teachings and transformative education Nicole and Shelly focus on at Thrive. [6:09] Nicole discusses the underserved communities they decided to focus on in San Diego. [8:16] Nicole and Shelly discuss their newly opened k-8 campus. [9:01] How the new space compliments their program. [11:50] Jessica takes a moment to explain a campaign Getting Smart is supporting this winter called ‘Share your Learning.’ [12:31] About the flexibility and functionality of their space. [14:00] Shelly and Nicole discuss their project-based learning and social-emotional learning that they implement at Thrive, and how [16:25] Nicole and Shelly describe their organizational learning. [18:23] What else Nicolle and Shelly are doing to share their lessons outside of Thrive. [20:49] Nicole and Shelly’s learnings about high school. [22:16] Does Thrive have ambitions to grow a giant network? [23:16] What Nicole and Shelly are most curious about right now and want to work towards. [26:00] A big thanks to Nicole and Shelly for joining Tom this episode!   For More on Great Schools, Check Out: Episode 88 — “Making the City the Text at High Tech High” with founder Larry Rosenstock, and Episode 95 — “Leadership for School Progress with Poway Unified” with School District’s Superintendent and Principal from Design 39.   Mentioned in This Episode: Thrive iNACOL High Tech High Share your Learning Corte Madera School District Next Generation Learning Challenges Silicon Schools Fund   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, and for the next three weeks, the Getting Smart team is going to explore a new initiative from Education Reimagined.   Education Reimagined recently released a paper entitled, “School’s Out,” which set out to explore how we could alter our perspective on the meaning, feel, and delivery of learning. Tom had the opportunity to sit down with the education leaders who authored “School’s Out,” and over the next three episodes, he will be digging deeper into what the future of learning may look like for students.   In this particular episode, Tom interviews Amy Anderson, Executive Director of ReSchool Colorado; and Scott Van Beck, former Executive Director for the educational non-profit, Houston A+ Challenge. Tom and Amy talk about family participation in learner advocate networks, flexibility within the learner’s day, and what a reimagined model for education may look like for rural students; Tom and Scott Van Beck discuss the expanded role the community could play in offering learning opportunities for students, how teachers and community members could shift into the role of learning designers, and how parents could use their expertise to design learning experiences.   Key Takeaways: [:15] Caroline and Jessica introduce today’s topics and guests. [1:01] Tom welcomes Amy Anderson to the podcast, and she talks about her early education. [2:05] Amy’s past roles in education, and about her current role with ReSchool Colorado. [3:01] How the idea that ‘learning occurs everywhere’ became a core part of ReSchool Colorado. [4:39] Amy’s ideas on what is central to education and how she’d rethink schools. [5:43] How and why guidance is so crucial in education. [7:38] What a learning week might look like in Amy’s reimagined school. [9:55] What might this reimagined education look like in a rural environment? [11:05] Amy’s ideas on how schools can better equip students to show/demonstrate their expanded skills (i.e. an alternative to report cards.) [13:40] How Amy invites educators to be a part of the conversation of reimagining school. [16:41] An introduction to this week’s next guest: Scott Van Beck. [17:24] Tom welcomes Scott to the podcast. [17:33] How and why Scott originally became a teacher. [19:14] Scott summarizes his insights in his “School’s Out” paper. [21:30] What Scott sees as the new backbone to learning. [23:22] How learning coaches would work and develop. [28:13] Scott’s take on how we should think about career preparation now. [34:29] The importance of getting to know kids, connect them to community opportunities, and how those outcomes can become more important than the traditional skills schools currently teach.   Mentioned in This Episode: Education Reimagined ReSchool Colorado Houston A+ Challenge “School’s Out: What if Schools, As We Know Them, Didn’t Exist?” “School’s Out: What if School Didn’t Exist?” “School’s Out: Exploring a Family-Anchored Strategy to Transform Education” (Amy’s paper) “School’s Out: How This Learner-Centered Society Would Liberate Parents” (Scott’s paper) Teton Science Schools Donnell-Kay Foundation HopSkipDrive GripTape CottageClass iNACOL Who You Know: Unlocking Innovations That Expand Students’ Networks, by Julia Freeland Fisher   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 going international. Tom recently visited the Singapore American School (for his second time!) and is incredibly excited to share all about the signs of progress happening over there.   With a tradition of academic excellence, Singapore American School serves 4,000 preschool to 12th-grade students. After serving as a District Superintendent in Washington State, Dr. Chip Kimball joined SAS as Superintendent in 2012. The board asked Kimball to make the school as good at life prep as it was at college prep. The six-year transformation that ensued is a remarkable story of reinvention at scale.   In this episode, Tom speaks with Dr. Chip Kimball, along with Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Sparrow, who has deep roots at SAS and has been with them for 20 years (10 of those having led the academic team). Together, they tell Tom the SAS story and all of the exciting progress that has been happening — from talent, to care and guidance, to high-impact instructional strategies.   Key Takeaways: [:15] About today’s episode with Tom, Chip Kimball, and Jennifer Sparrow. [1:10] Tom welcomes Chip and Jennifer to the podcast. [1:21] Tom’s and Chip’s background together, and why Chip decided to join SAS in 2012. [2:50] Chip’s progress in shaping SAS’s education and facility. [5:26] Jennifer’s background as an international educator, and what originally drew her to SAS. [8:12] Tom highlights some of the remarkable progress at Singapore American School since he last visited (two years ago), such as the talent agenda. [11:18] Jennifer’s and Chip’s thoughts on fostering talent and the importance of their institutional commitments. [14:18] About SAS’s professional learning communities (PLC.) [15:20] Jennifer speaks about how they continue to support, encourage, and monitor their PLC practices. [17:05] Chip speaks about some of the investments that they’ve made to strengthen their PLC practices. [20:44] Tom highlights another sign of remarkable progress at Singapore American School: care and guidance (such as adding more social-emotional programming). Jennifer and Chip speak about their work towards this and the progress they’ve made. [22:53] Two more signs of remarkable progress at Singapore American School: better response intervention and PLC (What if kids don’t get it? How do we intervene? And if they do get it, how do we accelerate their learning?) [26:11] Why Chip decided to break the roles of college counseling and pastor of care into two. [30:27] Jennifer and Chip speak about the next step to the work that starts with responsive classrooms: advisory. [32:29] A focal point of SAS: mentoring (both for students and from students). [34:24] Jennifer and Chip talk high impact instructional strategies at SAS. [37:40] What is “try time” for students in middle school? [43:23] About SAS’s three tiers of inquiry-based learning. [45:33] About SAS’s personalized inquiry catalyst graduation requirement. [47:45] One of SAS’s most ambitious changes: becoming a leading AP factory and then scaling that back by strategically replacing AP courses with more advanced topic courses created by teachers and college faculty. [52:10] Another academic area SAS is making huge progress in — competency-based learning. [56:03] About SAS’s new learning spaces on campus. [1:02:57] Tom congratulates Chip and Jennifer in the progress they’ve made at SAS.   If You Enjoyed Learning about Singapore American school, be sure to check out: Episode 162: “Personalize Learning and Build Agency by Using the 4 PLC  Questions,” featuring Tim Stuart.   Mentioned in This Episode: Singapore American School   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 flying solo — literally, he’s flying right now on a trip between SoCal and Singapore. Just this past week he visited twenty amazing personalized learning schools in Southern California and can’t wait to share everything he learned on personalized learning today.   In this episode, Tom covers five main attributes of personalized learning, five ways teachers can support personalized learning, ten ways administrators can build systems for personalized learning, and some thoughts on spaces and architecture for personalized learning environments.   Key Takeaways: [:14] About today’s episode. [:35] What Tom will be discussing today around personalized learning. [:54] What personalized learning is and the five main attributes of it. [4:55] Five things teachers can do to support personalized learning. [6:58] Ten ways administrators can help build systems for personalized learning. [11:47] Tom closes this podcast with a few thoughts on space and architecture for personalized learning environments. [16:48] Tom and the Getting Smart team would love to hear from you! Let them know what you think about this episode by emailing Editor@GettingSmart.com or leaving a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: Todd RoseThrive Public Schools District 51 Albemarle Public County Schools Salisbury Township School District Cajon Valley Union School District High Tech High Larry Rosenstock Randy Ziegenfuss on Teacher Leadership and Student-Centered Learning Listening to Kids and Designing from Scratch for Timeless 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!    

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, the Getting Smart team is throwing it back to one of their favorite episodes from Season 1 where they explore and listen to some student stories around their experiences with project-based learning (PBL); have an interview with a project-based learning STEM teacher of Flight by Design; as well as hear from education leaders in the project-based world, Bob Lenz and John Larmer of Buck Institute for Education (BIE).   The students in Flight by Design, an engineering and math course at Raisbeck Aviation High School in the Highline School District, are immersed in a year-long project to design an airfoil. In the process, the students are learning about engineering, math, and science while also collaborating and communicating effectively with their team.   In today’s episode, you can look forward to hearing answers to questions such as: how do projects make students feel? What is it like, from a student’s point of view and a teacher’s point of view, to participate and lead meaningful projects? What skills do projects teach? And why is project-based learning, perhaps, a necessity for our democracy? You can also look forward to hearing BIE Executive Director Lenz discuss his inspiration for the work he does to spread high-quality project-based learning across the country (and the world); and John Larmer, author and BIE editor in chief, telling the team exactly what constitutes a high-quality project.   Key Takeaways: [:16] About today’s rerun episode from season 1! [:48] What Megan thinks about when she hears the word “project.” [1:50] Did Megan do any cool and meaningful projects back when she was a student? [2:40] About the students in the Flight by Design class and their latest project. [3:20] FbD students explain their project assignment and what it has taught them. [4:50] The students' career goals and how this project has helped them come one step closer to reaching those goals. [6:00] The importance of the skills these students are learning with project-based learning. [6:55] What these students would tell their future selves. [7:44] How mentors that partner with Flight by Design have helped students learn. [8:30] How this student learns best. [9:05] What the student likes best about project-based learning. [10:40] An introduction to the teacher who teaches the students who were just interviewed. [11:03] The teacher introduces himself and explains the Flight by Design class and how their projects work. [17:01] The teacher’s recommendations to other teachers on creating a better class environment and more effective projects. [20:25] About Getting Smart’s next few interviews: Bob Lenz and John Larmer of Buck Institute for Education (BIE). [20:56] John describes what a good student project is. [22:18] Bob talks about an impactful project he did in the 5th grade under the instruction of his teacher, Mr. Cooper. [23:37] Bob’s thoughts on the way students most effectively learn. [24:23] Why Bob started working as Executive Director at BIE and his excitement for PBL. [26:14] What people should do if they want to learn more.   Mentioned in This Episode: Buck Institute for Education (BIE) Raisbeck Aviation High School Highline School District Westwood High School PBL World (#PBLWorld)   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!

If you follow education social media, you’ve probably heard of Salisbury Superintendent, Randy Ziegenfuss. Randy has been the Superintendent for almost four years but prior to that held different roles in education, teaching music and technology. Over the last few years, he’s become a leading advocate of learner-centered education and blogs all about it at WorkingAtTheEdge.org. With his Assistant Superintendent, Randy has also produced more than 40 episodes of the Shift Your Paradigm podcast, where he explores learner-centered education and leadership. Recently, Tom got the chance to catch up with Randy to find out what motivates and informs his leadership. Tom and Randy discuss his earlier roles in education, his current role as Superintendent, the shift in education to more student-centered education (rather than school-centered), the framework his district is using to help shape this, more about his podcast with co-host, Lynn Fuini-Hetten, and what they set out to accomplish with it. Key Takeaways: [:16] About this week’s guest, Randy Ziegenfuss. [1:06] About Randy’s early education. [4:11] Does Randy think that music teachers have a special appreciation for personalized and competency-based learning? And that every learner is on a different journey? [8:43] How being a band director teaches you humility. [10:48] How Randy moved from his position teaching music, to teaching technology, to becoming Superintendent. [15:17] About next week’s iNACOL Party in Nashville. Email Editor@gettingsmart.com to get your name on the list! [15:36] Randy speaks about the analog-to-digital learning shift in education and how it has helped to provide perspective on the current shift from school-centered to student-centered. [19:26] When student-centered learning really clicked for Randy. [21:13] Did Randy adopt Education Reimagined’s student-centered learning principles as part of his strategic plan at Salisbury? [23:55] Randy’s journey at Salisbury and his progress in shifting the schools to more student-based learning. [31:44] How Randy’s framework is helping to shift the mindsets and allow time for reflection. [33:25] Randy’s thoughts on the tension between innovation and equity (when progress is happening at different speeds in the district). [35:35] About Randy’s podcast, Shift Your Paradigm, and what he’s trying to accomplish with it. [41:37] Looking forward, what is Randy most curious about in transforming education? [44:22] Parting words and thanks from Tom and Randy. Mentioned in This Episode: Randy’s Twitter Randy’s LinkedIn WorkingAtTheEdge.Org Shift Your Paradigm Podcast Lynn Fuini-Hetten’s Twitter (Randy’s podcast co-host) Social Good Summit Johns Hopkins University Education Reimagined Pioneering Newsletter If you want to hear another great discussion with a student-centered leader, listen to: Episode 63: Listening to Kids and 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!  

In this episode of the Getting Smart podcast, Tom interviews Sam Seidel, the Director of K12 Strategy and Research at the Stanford d.school, to discuss how he and his team are teaching design thinking in order to hack school and prep youth for complexity.   They talk about Sam’s early education and whether or not he had any experiences that resembled design thinking, what the K12 lab at Stanford d.school does, about his previous work at the Business Innovation Factory (BIF), and his (and d.school’s) definition on design thinking. They also discuss the importance of maintaining flexibility when it comes to using design thinking, some of the cool projects that d.school has launched in K12 in the last few years, the “shadow a student” challenge, what the deeper learning puzzle bus is, and what a school that fully incorporates design thinking might look like.   Key Takeaways: [:49] About Sam’s early education. [5:12] Did Sam have any experiences in high school or college that resembled design thinking? [7:06] Sam talks about the work he did at the Business Innovation Factory (BIF). [12:00] What the K12 lab at the Stanford d.school does. [13:02] Sam explains d.school’s “crash course” on design thinking (from their Discover Design Thinking workshop). [15:36] D.School’s definition of design thinking — is it a mindset or methodology? [17:40] The importance of maintaining flexibility when it comes to teaching/using design thinking. [18:48] Sam speaks about their proposed equity-centered design framework. [20:43] Sam talks about one of the cool projects that d.school has launched in K12 in the last few years: ‘School Retool’. [26:36] About the “shadow a student” challenge. [29:22] About the active shooter drill Sam experienced while shadowing a student in a classroom. [31:37] What is a deeper learning puzzle bus? [35:35] Sam describes what a school that fully incorporates design thinking might look like. [38:38] How Sam thinks about design thinking in writing, as an English teacher. [40:00] Areas that Sam is thinking about, going forward, in the K12 lab at the d.school.   Mentioned in This Episode: Stanford d.school Business Innovation Factory Gates Foundation High Tech High Getting Smart episode: “Apple Exec on Rewiring Education” Digital Promise Association for High School Innovation (AHSI) Rhode Island Department of Education Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) 360 High School Edutopia School Retool Discover Design Thinking Olin College Hewlett Einhorn Family Charitable Fund 4.0 Schools Shadow a Student Challenge Tom’s article on Getting Smart: “32 Ways AI is Improving Education”   If you’re excited about design thinking and its impact on education, take a look at these resources on GettingSmart.com: Building Transferable Skills: Design Tech High at Oracle Campus What's Up With All the Design-Focused Schools? Design Thinking as Pedagogy For Students and Educators Design Thinking and its Impact on Education Innovation   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 and Emily are taking you on a virtual field trip to Murie Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. Over the last year and a half, you may have seen a ton of blogs (from the Getting Smart website) on place-based education. The Getting Smart team is extremely passionate about this topic — so passionate in fact, that they’re currently writing a field guide to place-based learning, and they’re doing it with experts in the field at Teton Science Schools in Jackson, Wyoming.   Tom and Emily take you to Jackson, to speak with Nate McClennon, VP of Education and Innovation at Teton Science Schools and Cristen Girard, the host at the Murie Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. Together, they dive into the six aspects of place-based education at Teton Science Schools and discuss the guidebook they’re writing. They also explain their hopes for the impact that Murie Ranch will have on students, what all educators should know about place-based learning, what exactly defines “place” education and all the reasons why place-based education is so powerful, impactful, and relevant today.   Key Takeaways: [:14] All about today’s episode. [1:08] Cristen introduces herself and explains what the Murie Ranch is. [2:43] The famous people that have spent time at the Robin’s Nest cabin at Murie Ranch. [3:38] Cris explains what happens the kind of learning that happens at the ranch. [4:38] What Cris hopes for the impact that the Murie Ranch will have. [6:00] What should all educators know about place-based learning? [7:14] Is place-based learning worth all the extra effort? [9:36] Nate describes place-based education. [10:11] The community impact that place-based education has. [10:45] The three components Teton Science Schools defines “place” as. [11:16] Emily explains how place-based education relates to high-quality project-based learning. [13:18] Nate runs through the six design principles of Teton Science Schools, starting with the first: that the community should be viewed as the classroom. [16:36] Nate explains the second of the six design principles: learner-centered. [18:06] The third design principle: inquiry-based. [20:35] Emily explains the fourth design principle: local to global. [24:10] The fifth design principle: design thinking. [25:28] Teton Science Schools’ view on design thinking. [27:32] The sixth, and last, design principle: an interdisciplinary approach. [28:46] How to get involved with Tom and Emily’s guidebook that they’re writing on place-based education. [29:42] Where to learn more about Teton Science Schools.   Mentioned in This Episode: Teton Science Schools Murie Ranch in Grand Teton National Park Big Picture Learning Getting Smart Episode: “What’s Up With All the Design-Focused Schools?” PlaceSchools.org   For More on the Topic of Place-Based Education, Check Out: Season 2, Episode 16: “Experiencing Place-Based Education at 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!