Dave Snowden, the creator of the Cynefin Framework and expert in complexity science, shares his insights on navigating modern educational challenges. He critiques rigid educational norms, advocating for a dynamic and collective approach to learning. The conversation delves into the intricate interplay between anthropology and education, calling for a deeper understanding of social contexts in teaching. Snowden also examines the impact of AI on education, emphasizing the necessity of human engagement, creativity, and adaptability in fostering effective learning environments.

In this lively discussion, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, an acclaimed educator and author, shares her insights into joy and criticality in learning. She emphasizes the significance of understanding one’s cultural roots for holistic education and the need for flexibility in curricula. Muhammad introduces her framework of five pursuits, advocating for joyful learning through nature and art. The conversation also explores innovative educational practices, including the integration of music, to foster engagement and empowerment in students.

In this enlightening discussion, Michael Strong, a pioneer in innovative educational design and founder of Socratic Experience, shares his insights on the power of Socratic dialogue in fostering student agency. He dismantles myths around educational change and highlights the importance of critical thinking in a tech-driven world. Michael emphasizes the role of diverse texts in engagement and advocates for purpose-driven entrepreneurship, particularly in Africa. He also explores how community-focused schooling can enhance adolescent well-being and counteract mental health challenges.

Minna Salami, a Nigerian-Finnish and Swedish feminist author and Program Chair at THE NEW INSTITUTE, shares her groundbreaking insights on knowledge construction through her concept of 'Sensuous Knowledge.' She challenges traditional educational hierarchies, advocating for the inclusion of personal narratives and diverse epistemologies. Through a lens of Black feminism, Minna discusses the importance of reshaping educational frameworks to promote emotional and analytical understanding, highlighting the need for enhanced voices and innovative political philosophies.

Ginie Servant-Miklos, an Assistant Professor focusing on pedagogy and sustainability, teams up with Rutger Engels, a Professor studying youth mental health issues. They discuss the urgent need for education systems to equip young people with practical skills and emotional resilience in a climate-changed world. The conversation highlights the innovative approaches used in the Bildung Climate School pilots in Rotterdam, blending academics with hands-on experiences and community building, while addressing inequalities within the Dutch education system.

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while now, you will know that creating conversational spaces full of possibility as an antidote to polarisation and crisis is something I really value, whether that’s on a podcast, online, or even better, in person!  So it was such a joy to sit down with Doline Ndorimana to talk about her amazing work doing just that with young people and fellow educators and leaders. Doline’s work centres the courage and humility of trying to get to real connection and mutual learning rather than winning oppositional and propositional arguments. Born and raised in Burundi, Doline is an international educator, DEIJ workshop leader, and university lecturer with 15 years of experience in international schools. She is also a language acquisition middle years program consultant, part of the TIE editorial committee, and a member of the Association for International Educators and Leaders of Colour (AIELOC) and the International School Services (ISS) Diversity Collaborative.

For new parents and early years educators, there’s a wealth of guidance and support for how to understand what’s happening for our babies and toddlers, but when it comes to the stories we tell about adolescence, an equally important period of significant change, sometimes it’s more just get your head down and get through it! As millions of young people make the big transition to Middle School, I was very curious to learn from one of the real experts, not only of the patterns of change and development at this time, but also of how to create educational environments that really take these young people seriously!  Chris Balme is an education leader, writer, and school founder, passionate about helping young people discover more of their human potential. He is the author of Finding the Magic in Middle School: Tapping Into the Power and Potential of the Middle School Years, which was published in 2022.  Chris currently serves as Founding Principal at Hakuba International School. He is also the Founder & Director of Argonaut, an online advisory program for middle schoolers around the world. Prior to this, Chris co-founded and served as Head of School at Millennium School, a highly successful lab school in San Francisco. Chris has received the Ashoka Fellowship as a leading changemaker in education, and regularly speaks, trains, and writes for parents and teachers around the world. For more, see Chris’s newsletter, Growing Wiser. Social Links LinkedIn: @chris-balme - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbalme/ Instagram: @chrisbalme - https://www.instagram.com/chrisbalme/ 

Carol Sanford, a leading advocate for a living systems approach to education, discusses the detrimental impact of behaviorism on learning. She emphasizes the need for a regenerative education that nurtures independent thought and recognizes individuality. By integrating indigenous wisdom and holistic practices, Sanford envisions a framework that connects education with community engagement. Her insights challenge traditional educational paradigms and stress the importance of personalized development, fostering a more inclusive and meaningful learning experience.

As you will have heard on previous episodes with Sandra Milligan, Yong Zhao, folks from Mastery Transcript Consortium and Rethinking Assessment, standardised tests and assessments are often one of the biggest barriers to change in education as these credentials and school-leaving certificates often hold the key that opens up the next door or higher education for many young people. This week I’m so excited to share an amazing success story of someone who decided that this compromise was just unacceptable for their young people.  Viv White AM is CEO and co-founder (with John Hogan) of Big Picture Learning Australia (BPLA) - https://www.bigpicture.org.au/ - a non-profit company established in Australia in 2006. Building on the work started by Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor in the US in 1995 (https://www.bigpicture.org/), Big Picture Learning Australia’s design for personalised, student-driven learning is being implemented in over 50 schools around Australia. Viv has also pioneered a new non-ATAR credential known as the International Big Picture Learning Credential (IBPLC) that is warranted by the University of Melbourne, and accepted by 17 universities around Australia. In 2018 Viv was appointed to the Order of Australia for her services to education and to the reengagement of young people in learning for life. Prior to leading BPLA, Viv was CEO of the Victorian Schools Innovation Commission and CEO of the Australian National Schools Network. She has a thirty-year history of international work in educational reform, research, policy and practice. Viv taught primary and secondary education for 13 years, worked in tertiary research for five years as a research fellow at Macquarie University and Victoria University, and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Western Sydney. Viv is a Fellow of the Australian Council of Education and was admitted, in 2014, to the Australian Businesswomen's Network Hall of Fame. Viv was also named one of The Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence in 2019. Find out more: LinkedIn: @viv-white - https://www.linkedin.com/in/viv-white-am-297642142/ Instagram: @bigpicture.edu.au - https://www.instagram.com/bigpicture.edu.au/  @bigpiclearning - https://www.instagram.com/bigpiclearning/ (US) Website: https://www.bigpicture.org.au/

Welcome back to the first episode in the new series of the Future Learning Design podcast. The podcast now has a lovely new home at Good Impact Labs (goodimpactlabs.com).  The first guest in this new series is the social philosopher and internationally best-selling author, Roman Krznaric In his book, The Good Ancestor, Roman challenged us all to consider the rights of future species and future citizens in the face of our current catastrophic obsession with short-term thinking. Now, Roman is leading us into the past to ask what can we learn from history in his fantastic new book History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity. His internationally bestselling books including The Good Ancestor, Empathy, The Wonderbox and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 25 languages. He is Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum.  After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, Roman studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD in political science. Particularly known for his work on empathy and long-term thinking, his writings have been widely influential amongst political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs and designers. An acclaimed public speaker, his talks and workshops have taken him from a London prison to the TED global stage. Over half a million people have watched his RSA Animate video The Power of Outrospection Roman is a member of the Club of Rome and a Research Fellow of the Long Now Foundation. He previously worked as an academic, a gardener, a conversation activist and on human rights issues in Guatemala – the subject of his book What the Rich Don’t Tell the Poor. He is also a fanatical player of the medieval sport of real tennis, whose history he explores in The First Beautiful Game. Social Links X: @romankrznaric - https://x.com/romankrznaric  Website: https://www.romankrznaric.com/