The Learning Future Podcast with Louka Parry

What does being well look like for you? And how might we all become more self-aware by designing learning environments and experiences that support collective wellbeing? Join us for today's episode where Louka speaks with Emiliana Rodriguez on social emotional learning, ethics, neuroscience and the ABCs of wellbeing. Emiliana is Co-founder and Education Director at AtentaMente, a Mexican organisation that helps teachers to cultivate wellbeing for themselves and for children through Social and Emotional Learning programs. She holds a Master’s degree in Mind, Brain and Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She has published seven books for children and adults, and works on National and Global projects that have served millions of children and educators and parents.

How do we create space for deep work? And how can we create experiences that enable deep work through productive struggle? On this episode Louka Parry speaks with Kwaku Aning, the Director of the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking at the San Diego Jewish Academy. We explore human capabilities, technology, art, agency and how we can create space for deep work through productive struggle. Kwaku is an educator, professional wonderer, connector, and advocate for students. He is a global leader in STEAM and Project Based Learning utilising robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality.

How do we create societies where we focus on our contributions not just narrow results? How might our schools become places where our learners can be who they are and not leave their culture at the gate? In this episode, Louka speaks with Joanne McEachen about our roles as educators, leaders and parents to consider who we are, how we fit into the world, and how we contribute to humanity? We speak about self-knowledge, contributive curriculum and the role of new assessments and activate agency. Joanne is an author, speaker and thought-leader and is the CEO/Founder of The Learner First. She is Edmund Hillary Fellow (New Zealand), is cofounder of NPDL (Global), and is on the Executive Team of Karanga: The Global Alliance for Social Emotional Learning and Life Skills. Joanne’s methodology re-focuses school systems through the eyes of their least-served learners, supporting systems to embrace and celebrate students’ cultural identities and individual interests and needs.

How might we design schools that delight children, inspire learning, and nurture community? Violence of all kinds has created a world of fear and trauma, especially when coupled with the mass anxiety that has been such a part of our experience of 2020. In this episode, Louka speaks with Barry Svigals, and award-winning architect, artist, educator and designer, and recently the School Safety Fellow at the Stanford d.school. Svigals trained as an architect at the Yale School of Architecture, and also studied sculpture at the Ecole Nationale Superiere in Paris. Encompassing a wide range of clients, his firm’s architectural designs include projects for Yale University, Boston College and the University of Connecticut, as well as numerous public schools, including most recently, the new elementary school for Sandy Hook a community rocked by a tragic school shooting in 2012. Join us for a discussion on how we create collective spaces that create safety, learning and wellbeing, by design.

What is the internet of education? And how might information and value between k-12 schools, higher ed, online learning, and employment be better shared through building the Internet of Education?Today Louka Parry speaks with Chris Purifoy, CEO of Learning Economy, about their ambitious global goal—to increase the impact of investment in humans, solve equity gaps, and empower learners and employees with better access to their data. Chris talks about the pain points of a fragmented supply chain from schools to the workforce: skills gaps, fragmented data, equity gaps and the uncertain return on investment for human capital investors like Governments and companies. If you're interested in the future of work, emerging education models, new credentials and human capital investing, you'll love this conversation as we discuss ways to create the learning infrastructure for the 22nd Century.

How developed are your social emotional skills? When and where did you learn them? And how might schools, educators, parents and leaders more effectively support the growth of these non-cognitive, 'soft' skills, alongside technical learning and academics? Today Louka speaks with Dr Jennifer Adams on why a stronger focus on social emotional learning can increase success both in school and in life. Jennifer is the former Director of Education of the Ottawa-Carlton School District in Canada, a network of 150+ schools supporting 72,000+ students, and she also chairs the Advisory Group of the OECD's Study on Social Emotional Skills. Join us to hear how schools can pay more attention to the crucial skills of today and tomorrow. This delightful conversation was recorded in person during the Salzburg Global Seminar Program on SEL in Austria in the pre-Covid world.

What does it take to develop an equitable education system? Today we speak with Dr Michael Nettles, Senior Vice President and the Edmund W. Gordon Chair of ETS’s Policy Evaluation & Research Center about assessment, education systems and equity. In 2014, President Obama appointed Dr. Nettles to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Listen to our discussion on how education improves the quality of life and can dismantle ignorance and divisions within society. What challenges do we face as we seek to improve educational systems? And how might our tools of assessment better met the needs of all learners, especially those most marginalised by the system?

What makes for meaningful progress at work, at school and in our life? And how might we ensure that in our quests in learning, teaching, innovating and leading we aren't seduced by delusions of progress? In today's podcast we speak with brilliant Dr Jason Fox, an author, leadership advisor and wizard-philosopher, and delve into complexity as we seek to pioneer new and meaningful progress—beyond the default. Join us for a dangerous, sincere and ironic conversation, as we inquire into how we might not to fall prey to developmental blindness as we try to create pockets of emergence and motivational conditions through our work. How might we create visions and strategic plans while also considering them as amusing hypotheses? Into our learning future, perhaps it's honest communication coupled with how we make sense of things that offers us a savvy way to move forward and create powerful environments for work and learning.

Can we teach our children to be happy? What if we tried to teach not just one child, but 1.5 million children across one of the world’s great cities, New Delhi? What might the world learn from this approach to elevate mindfulness, social emotional learning and happiness alongside academic studies? Join Shailendra Sharma and Louka Parry as they discuss the Happiness Curriculum, one of the reforms seeking to enhance the learning of students in the Government schools of Delhi. Shailendra is the Principal Advisor to the Minister and the Director of Education for the Government of Delhi, India. He is a member of the Delhi State Advisory Council, having worked in underprivileged areas of Delhi to facilitate access and learning among children now spread across 23 states of India. He holds a Master in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and studied Law at Delhi University.

A seven year old today will graduate as part of the Class of 2030. How might we set them up for success in our increasingly digital world? On today's episode we speak with Barbara Holzapfel, GM of Microsoft Education, about technology, social emotional learning and the future of work. Barbara works across the entire Microsoft portfolio leading the strategic Education segment across K12 and Higher Education seeking to empower every student on the planet to achieve more. Recorded in person during the Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria last year, we explore the role of social and emotional learning and how we can leverage technologies to personalise learning for children and young people as educators and parents. We dive into tangible examples that can help us all support our children and learners to achieve more through enabling increased agency and choice.