

Designing Schools
Dr. Sabba Quidwai
Cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy. As you navigate today’s changing world the question remains how do you create these cultures? How do you scale them? And how do you help people develop the mindset and skills to thrive within them?
These are the questions people ask Dr. Sabba Quidwai, researcher, educator and storyteller. Each week we’ll explore the answers with stories and strategies from researchers, education leaders and today’s young people as we explore how might we design schools.
These are the questions people ask Dr. Sabba Quidwai, researcher, educator and storyteller. Each week we’ll explore the answers with stories and strategies from researchers, education leaders and today’s young people as we explore how might we design schools.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 20, 2021 • 7min
EP#40 | Creating Your Own Luck with Brian Fanzo
According to his website, Brian Fanzo is a digital futurist keynote speaker who translates the trends of tomorrow to inspire change today. He created his own luck by being active in school, sports, fraternities, and talking to people. He loves bringing people together to question and explore everything. And if you take anything away from this episode, it should be to remain curious about the world we live in. To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here. Listen to the full episode here.

Aug 19, 2021 • 9min
EP#39 | The Education Revolution with Erik Brynjolfsson
I’m sure you knew that prehistoric humans used rocks to carve and paint pictures on stone to communicate, right? Well, did you know that humans living today still use rocks (yes chalk is a sedimentary rock) to educate? I’m not ashamed to say, our education system could definitely use a tune-up. So in this episode, my guest Erik Brynjolfsson and I talk about experimentation in education and seeing how students learn the best. We also talk about nurturing our empathy, teamwork, and other human skills instead of pushing the monotonous intelligence that machines can do. To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here. Listen to the full episode here.

Aug 18, 2021 • 9min
EP#38 | The Responsibility of Using Technology with Erik Brynjolfsson
Artificial intelligence (AI), simply put, is the simulation of intelligence in machines, and in the year 2021, AI is everywhere, from social media monitoring to self-driving cars. It is one of the most powerful tools we can use today. So how do you use it? In this episode, my guest Erik Brynjolfsson and I talk about AI’s role in this second machine age and our responsibility to use technology in the best way to benefit everyone. To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here. Listen to the full episode here.

Aug 17, 2021 • 7min
EP#37 | How to Overcome the Fear of Failure
In this follow-up episode, I talk about how to get over the fear of failure, and it starts with your mindset. We’re so used to immediate feedback. We turn in an assignment, we get a grade. We turn on the tv and watch a show. But crafting something different takes time. That’s why patience is so important. Never underestimate who’s watching and listening. To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here. Link to full episode

Aug 17, 2021 • 7min
EP#36 | 3 Ways To Create Your Safe Space to Take Risks
We hear this all the time… “the fear of failure holds us back,” or “don’t be afraid to fail,” but it’s usually coming from people who can afford to fail, right? So instead I want to focus on how we can give people strategies for success. And what that comes down to is doing small things, taking small steps. Sometimes failure is a part of the process. So in this episode, I share three ways you can create a safe space to fail, to succeed! To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here. Link to full episode

Aug 9, 2021 • 6min
EP#35 | Summer Series: Sprint to Success with Design Thinking
This summer instead of new episodes I’m sharing highlights from previous guests. Their insights and ideas will challenge your thinking and help you explore new opportunities and overcome challenges you may be experiencing. You have the power to design your life, to pursue your passion and there is a world of people who will serve as mentors, advocates, and bridges to opportunities. But first, you have to put yourself out there and showcase your story, skills and strengths.

Jun 23, 2021 • 53min
EP#34 | Are You Designing Change or Managing Change? How One Word Can Make a Difference
The podcast explores the difference between designing change and managing change, and discusses the importance of shared definitions and purpose within organizations. It also delves into the challenges and opportunities of flexible work environments, the significance of mindset in addressing equity gaps, and the impact of outdated technologies in higher education. Additionally, the speakers touch on the importance of data literacy and professional learning in adapting to new technologies and bridging skills gaps. Overall, the podcast emphasizes the need to involve people and focus on cultural aspects when designing for change.

May 19, 2021 • 39min
EP#33 | Master Your Mindset: How to Turn Your Passion into Your Purpose with Courage and Confidence
In This Episode We Discuss: How Jen discovered her passion for social entrepreneurship and how she turned her passion into a thriving business model How Jen developed and nurtures her creative confidence The role of self-awareness in developing the clarity to define and set goals Three questions to develop and nurture your self-awarness The difference between entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial mindset The evolution of learning and how we can personalize our experiences

May 12, 2021 • 38min
EP#32 | Designing Experiences that Give Young People the Clarity and Confidence to Pursue their Passion and Purpose
In This Episode We Discuss: How Nancy's personal experiences with sleep led her to found End No Sleep How her experiences as an entrepreneur led to a a realization of what was missing from her education experience How she hires high school interns and the questions she asks them Her experience fleeing war, being an immigrant to the United States and what she thinks about college and the American dream Advice to those who are considering a gap year and how to plan for it What she hopes to see evolve in the future of education

Apr 28, 2021 • 48min
EP#31 | How To Take the Leap: From Launching Your Business to Having Conversations That Matter
Today I'm delighted to welcome Dan Faill to the podcast for a conversation where he shares insights, with a unique mix of humor and vulnerability, that we all need to hear right now. Dan Faill is an accomplished storyteller and international speaker. Having worked for over a decade on college campuses, advocating for safe and positive student experiences, Dan now travels the country as a full-time speaker, coach and consultant, engaging audiences in hard but needed conversations. Dan shares personal stories that engage and inspire others to be their authentic selves and be brave enough to have the conversations that matter. In This Episode How and why Dan took the leap and launched his side hustle into a full time business How to identify if you are throwing away conversations How to change the way you start sentences to design conversations that matter How the dynamic of a conversation changes when working with a facilitator to provide the group with a myriad of solutions How he facilitates conversations about social justice, race, equity and inclusion that allow us to think like scientists How vulnerability fosters a culture of trust and creativity Why "Google it" is bad advice and what to do instead Connect with Dan Dan's unique ability to design conversations that matter through vulnerability and humor eases the audience into taking the leap to having conversations that matter. You can learn more from Dan by visiting his website and following him across social media @danfaill.


