The What School Could Be Podcast

The subject of today’s episode is not a school in the traditional definition of the word. It is a learning hub, a learning studio, a series of experiences and creative moments in time, if you will, that lives on the outer edges of education, but should, in my humble opinion, be in the DNA of every public, private and charter school in the US and the world. Today we travel to 450 Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge, Massachusetts to see and hear about NuVu Studio, a place so remarkable it could be called the 8th wonder of the education world. To take us through the story of NuVu today we have one of its co-founders, Saba Ghole. At the time of my prep for this episode Saba’s co-founder, Saeed Arida, was in Costa Rica, so we decided that she would be the voice of NuVu’s story for this episode. Saba Ghole is an architect and urban designer turned education and technology entrepreneur. She received her Masters in Urban Design at MIT. As the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of NuVu Studio, Saba leads an innovation center for middle and high school students. NuVu’s focus on creativity and experimentation sets the stage for students to collaborate with experts on projects ranging from new medical technologies to interactive games, brainwave-generated music and art and much, much more.SHOW LINKSNuVu YouTube ChannelSaba Ghole: Nurturing a Beginner's MindFormbionicsNuVu's Creative ProcessNuVu NewsBelonging Film / Art in Public SpaceMore on Saba GholeNuVu on Vimeo

I encourage all listeners to watch this short video before listening to the episode. Richard Boerner, the Superintendent at the American School in São Paulo, otherwise known as Graded, is leading his faculty, students and extended community on an Homeric and epic voyage of discovery into learner-centered, deeper learning. In this episode, find out how. For the past 30 plus years, Richard has held a variety of administrative and teaching positions in an array of international and US educational settings. At Graded, Richard launched the Graded Learning Lab: Advancing Education Beyond Boundaries. The Learning Lab provides innovative instruction in deeper learning - embedding the science of learning in everyday practice. Richard received the 2023 Association for the Advancement of International Education, Dr. Keith Miller International Innovation Leadership Award for leading Graded’s efforts in the systematic implementation of deep, learner-centered education. A colleague of Richard’s, international school thought leader, Robert Landau said the following about Graded and Richard for this episode: "The Graded School’s vision statement: 'Individuals empowered to reach their potential and positively impact the world,' speaks accurately and appropriately to the sum total of Richard’s career. As a fellow international educator and futurist, and through many encounters with him at conferences and meetings I have greatly admired Richard’s accomplishments. The Graded School has always pushed boundaries - I believe because the school continues to select the cream of the crop among the best progressive leaders in the world. Richard has consistently earned my respect and admiration as a fearless leader. It’s wonderful to see a fellow international school leader on this podcast. I look forward to hearing what is current and fresh in Richard’s magnificent mind.” Editing for these episodes is provided by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from master pianist, Michael Sloan. Find his albums on all the major music platforms.

Frankfurt International School (FIS) student, Sophia Dietrich has an international background that includes being born in Denver, Colorado, growing up in France, then growing up again in Germany. A senior at FIS, she has already developed an international mindset and, interestingly, a passion, dare I say, for Japanese culture and its values of harmony, tranquility, purity, and respect. It is safe to say Sophia is a globalist who has a broad and deep understanding of the world, and education. And, she aspires to be a teacher. FIS student, Vama Kothari was born in India, but carries an American passport. She has lived half of her life in Germany, and is a junior at FIS. She has also lived in China, and, briefly, in New Jersey. She has traveled extensively to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and other parts of Europe. With her family, and in part because of her place of birth, she celebrates many Indian festivals and eats Indian food almost daily. She is an avid reader and tennis player, and as I learned during an FIS, February 2023 symposium on AI, well versed in what’s happening in the world. What you are about to hear is a gesture of respect on my part, meaning I pulled no punches with my questions, despite the fact I was talking to two high school students. In the end this is a marvelous conversation that ranges across a multiplicity of topics, including purpose versus passion, all things generative AI, the value of a deep sense of self when one is a young learner and much, much more. As I have done with previous episodes involving more than one guest, I spoke to Vama first, then, after the first break, I spoke to Sophia. After the second break I brought these two awesome change makers together for some reflections and final thoughts. My huge thanks to Jessica Russo Scherr at FIS, Vama's and Sophia's teacher, for helping to arrange this episode. Our theme music comes from master pianist and recording artist, Michael Sloan. Find Michael's music at Spotify and Apple Music. Please leave us a review and a supportive comment wherever you find your podcasts.

Today my guest is Dorothy Maxwell, an educator in face-to-face and online teaching and learning for more than 50 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Education from the University of Maine, a Master’s Degree in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine. She has served as President of the National Business Education Association, the Eastern Business Education Association, the New England Business Education Association, and the Business Education Association of Maine. Dorothy was the 1994 Maine Teacher of the Year and has been recognized by the Milken Family Foundation with its National Educator Award. Moreover, she received the National Secondary Teacher of the Year Award from the National Business Education Association. The primary reason why I wanted Dorothy on this podcast is that she is the Vice Chair of the Board, a site coordinator and a teacher for a remarkable organization called Virtual High School Learning, which has been around more than 20 years. VHS Learning, a nonprofit organization, provides supplemental online classes to high schools and students. It offers schools a way to expand their catalogs without incurring the full cost of a class for which there may be limited demand. That in turn has helped many schools offer the full suite of classes that students might desire, in spite of budgetary pressures. It’s been a valuable way for many institutions to expand their course catalogs and dip their toes into online learning. Back in 2015, after the debut of the acclaimed film, "Most Likely to Succeed," the filmʻs producer, Ted Dintersmith, with his co-author, Tony Wagner, wrote the book by the same name. In the hardcover education, on page 204 and 205, Ted and Tony wrote about VHS Learning, citing it as an exemplar of both online learning and education reimagined. On these two pages Ted and Tony noted that Tedʻs daughter, Sterling Dintersmith, took one of VHS Learningʻs courses while she was in high school. I contacted Sterling and asked her to share her thoughts about her experiences in the history course she took. Here is what Sterling said. “About a decade ago I took a history course at VHS about the early European explorers of North America. Each week we would have a different discussion question that each student would answer in a forum. Then, we would each respond to each other's writings. We got really into it! I can still remember logging in multiple times per day to check what people were saying and to engage in lengthy debates on the different topics. I ended up spending way more time and energy in the course than was required because I just enjoyed engaging with my peers and hearing so many different perspectives. Plus, the teacher made sure to use the study of history to highlight and investigate themes that are relevant to society today and to our personal lives. Therefore, we all felt like what we were learning mattered and was relevant. We bought into the class and we poured ourselves into the class.“ Editing for this episode is provided by Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by master pianist, Michael Sloan.

Today I am going to share with you a special something, a very short special something. One of my former podcast guests, Jonathan Medeiros (NBCT, Kauai High School) reached out to me to see if I might join his high school students who were using podcasts as a way to demonstrate their learning in a language arts class. I was only too happy to say yes. That virtual session, last spring, 2023, was marvelous. I shared the story behind my show and they shared the projects they were working on and how a podcast could be a way to demonstrate their knowledge and skill development in the language arts. Later, Jonathan sent me their finished podcasts, which I listened to and provided written feedback on. Jonathan and I decided it would be way cool if I had my editor, the very talented Evan Kurohara, work his magic and turn one of these student podcasts into a special episode. So what is the context behind the short, student-generated episode you are about to hear? Jonathon writes: In my language arts classes, I often ask students to put texts in conversation with each other, to notice when one text might be commenting on, criticizing, responding to, or expanding on another. As students begin to understand, notice, and appreciate that conversations are taking place all around us, across borders and time, we practice joining these conversations as well. This past school year, one way we tried to do this was by creating podcasts. Students had very few guidelines for this project but were trying to sharpen their abilities to develop and communicate insights. They had to think about audience and purpose; they needed to consider the wider conversations they might be joining through their podcasts. The group featured here envisioned a series of conversations around “big” topics. In this episode, they take a closer look at how social media influences our perceptions of love and what impacts our parents have on our ‘love lives.’ In this conversation, students take you on a journey through what they think it means to be in....love. So, listeners, here are Jonathon Medeiros’s students reflecting on the nature and meaning of love. Enjoy. 

Today my guests are Jonathon Medeiros and Natalie Lalagos. In the spirit of my episode with the folks at Embark Education in Colorado, I talk to Natalie first, then Jonathon, then I bring them together for some reflections and final thoughts. By way of context, the Social Justice Education in Hawai‘i Project is a joint initiative of the Hanahauʻoli School Professional Development Center and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s college of Education. It is aimed at growing the capacity of local educators to inspire youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy. Made possible by the generosity and forward thinking of Jana and Howard Wolff, The Social Justice Education in Hawai‘i Project works to ensure that more teachers, administrators, counselors, and other school practitioners have access to high-quality professional development programs and resources needed for effectively carrying out social justice education initiatives in the state of Hawai‘i. This includes opportunities to learn more about the Southern Poverty Law Center’s critically acclaimed Learning for Justice materials, resources, and professional development opportunities. Launched in 2022, a new and exciting component of the overall project is the Hawai‘i Social Justice Educator Award – a financial award program that aims to support the growing work of social justice educators in the 50th state.The first Social Justice in Education Award went to two remarkable educators: Natalie Lalagos, a Spanish teacher at Kealakehe High School in Kona, and Jonathon Medeiros, a language arts teacher at Kauai High School on the island of Kauai. Jonathon Medeiros is a National Board-certified high school teacher who has been teaching and learning about Language Arts and rhetoric for 17 years with students on Kauaʻi, where he was born and raised. He and his students learn together about curiosity, community, and place. They build deeper connections to each other and the places they live by being curious about where they live, the stories of those places, and then following those curiosities. Jonathon is the former director of the Kauaʻi Teacher Fellowship, a poet, essayist, and also writes frequently about education, equity, and the power of curiosity. He enjoys walking, paddling, surfing, building and spending time with his brilliant wife and young daughters.One of Jonathon’s students once wrote, “This AP English Language Composition class is the first class that has truly changed the way my brain is wired to perceive learning. Because of this class, the pressures of trying to do everything the right way have disintegrated, and left me with nothing to do but enjoy what is being taught. I've learned that everyone in this class has something to offer, whether it would be insights into their own ways of thinking, or their personal experiences that make them who they are. Throughout this work, I've learned to be more perceptive.” What a great testimonial from a former student! Natalie Lalagos is no stranger to the Social Justice in Education Project. She was one of the twenty-four participants in the Leaders of Social Justice in Education: Theory to Practice course in the spring of 2020 where her social justice work blossomed. She is a National Board Certified Spanish teacher at Kealakehe High School on Hawaii Island who is always looking for opportunities to celebrate multilingualism. She has worked in public education for the last eleven years. She is a Hawaii State Teacher Fellow and received the 2023 Southwest Conference on Language Teaching Language Teacher of the Year award. With her passion for globalizing her classroom and teaching practice, and being involved in her community, she currently supports new teachers and runs the Seal of Biliteracy program at her school. Off campus you can find Natalie on her stand up paddle board or doing improv at the Aloha Theatre just outside Kona.One of Natalie’s fellow educators, the proverbial “teacher across the hall,” wrote the following about her: “Natalie is a “total package” in the sense that she is a visionary, a coordinator, an empath, and a doer. She has high expectations for both her students and fellow educators, and leads by example. Not only is she passionate about pushing herself to acquire new knowledge and skills, but she is also extremely hands-on and serious about sharing her wealth of knowledge with others. She is curious about many things, and both sincere and respectful when approaching new situations. When Natalie asks how you are doing, it is not a mere formality; she is truly in tune to every bit of information that is shared.”Editing for this episode was provided by Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from master pianist and recording artist, Michael Sloan.

Listeners, I could not be more stoked to share that today my guest is Michael Nachbar, the Executive Director of the Global Online Academy, otherwise known as GOA, a pioneering network of more than schools and educators reimagining learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. Michael was appointed the executive director of GOA in 2011, its inaugural year. Since 2011 he has collaborated with global educational institutions to develop a network of over 100 schools in more than 40 countries, enhancing access to quality online education worldwide. GOA is an international consortium of public, independent, charter, and international member schools. Member school students have full access to GOA's online education course catalog. Member school teachers have the opportunity to design and teach student courses and have access to GOA's professional learning courses and programs.Prior to founding GOA, Michael served as Lakeside School’s middle school assistant director (Lakeside is an independent school located in Seattle, Washington), and worked in a variety of roles, including teacher, curriculum coordinator, and director of technology at the Village Community School in New York City. He holds a B.A. in both English and Psychology from Indiana University, and earned an M.A. in Education Leadership through the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Michael started his career in education as a Teach for America corps member, teaching high school English in Roma, Texas. Editing for this podcast is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review and give us a rating at your favorite podcast app.

This is the 5th in a series of special episodes that come from the Game Changer and Big Think speaker series in the WhatSchoolCouldBe.org archives. Keep in mind the audio comes from Zoom calls and YouTube webinars, so expect a couple bumps and knocks along the way. On the other hand, the conversations you will hear are incredible for their depth and insight into what school could be, and what could be school. In this episode Dr. Sandra Chapman joins What School Could Be hosts Kapono Ciotti and Susannah Johnson for an inspiring conversation focused on helping educators of infants through adolescents apply an identity-conscious and developmentally appropriate approach to teaching and caring for children. Dr. Chapman will also share interventions with educators that can interrupt bias and contribute instead to identity-safe environments. Sandra "Chap" Chapman, EdD is the Founder of Chap Equity, an organization rooted in the belief that, through teamwork, we can learn more about ourselves and others; discuss and discover the foundational research needed to address the needs in a community; create conversations that support individuals where they are and confront barrier issues; and create actionable steps towards building stronger educational communities. Dr. Chap facilitates workshops on racial identity development, racial microaggressions, implicit bias, identity and racial anxiety, stereotype threat, and hiring in education and with teams in various types of organizations. Embedded within each concept are tools for helping individuals override unconscious phenomena linked to identity and better connect behavior with values. This episode was edited by Kim Dilts and Evan Kurohara. Theme music provided by Michael Sloan. To join the What School Could Be global online community go to Community.WhatSchoolCouldBe.org.

My guest for this 110th episode is Kentucky’s Dr. Carmen Coleman. Boy-oh-boy, did I look forward to this conversation, and enjoy prepping for it! Back in April of this year, 2023 I finally had the chance to meet Dr. Coleman in person at the Deeper Learning Conference, held at High Tech High. I felt like I had just met the Jane Goodall of student-driven learning. Dr. Coleman is Kentucky bluegrass through and through. Her first teaching job was at the elementary school her mom taught at, and she attended. Not only has she been a teacher, principal, college professor and superintendent in Kentucky, she was the Superintendent of the Danville Independent School District, the Chief Academic Officer for the Jefferson County Public Schools and is now the Chief of Transformational Learning and Leading for the Ohio Valley Education Cooperative. Professor John Nash at the University of Kentucky wrote the following wonderful words about Carmen, for this episode. "I often say that the only barrier preventing schools from reaching their full potential is the will of the adults leading them. It's not an overly complicated concept - you simply have to want to make a difference. Carmen Coleman is living proof of this principle. These last twelve years, I found not just a colleague, but someone who inspires me to continue to advocate for meaningful change in education. I’m certain I’m not the only one who feels this way. The entire state of Kentucky is fortunate to have Carmen's visionary leadership.” Editing for this podcast is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by Michael Sloan. Please leave us a review and give us a rating at your favorite podcast app.

Today my guest is Cerina Livaudais, a computer science coach, mentor and guide, and education leader at DreamHouse Academy Ewa Beach, on the West Side of the island of Oahu in Hawai'i. DreamHouse was founded by a team of individuals led by Alex Teece, a former guest on this show and a brilliantly innovative leader who worked relentlessly to get DreamHouse’s charter application passed. Alex recently handed over the reins at DreamHouse to Ryan Mandado, whose name will come up at the end of this conversation. Michael Sarmiento, Purple Maiʻa Education Director said the following about Cerina: “She has reminded me that teaching is about connection. Connection to your students, connection to your content, connection to your culture, connection to you colleagues, connection to your community, and most importantly connection to a purpose that is bigger than yourself. Cerina gathers all of these connections and creates a magical learning space where her students are brave enough to do challenging things because they know they are valued and loved.” Editing for this podcast is provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is provided by Michael Sloan.