Wide Walls

Carly Ciarrocchi is a writer, host, and producer for some of the most exciting tv shows and podcasts for kids. You may have seen her in Sunny Side Up, Snug’s House, The Big Fun Crafty Show on Universal Kids and Weird But True on Disney+ for National Geographic for which she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Daytime Program Host. She’s also the host of hilarious podcasts like Hey Story Go and Don’t Break the Rules on Pinna, and Who, When, Wow! with TinkerCast.Carly is also deeply involved in educational initiatives, collaborating with organizations like Sesame Workshop and the LEGO Foundation for which she served as host/director of their online course called Coping with Change: Social Emotional Learning Thru Play. She also works directly with schools and educators to provide resources and facilitate creativity workshops.In this episode, we dive into Carly’s personal journey, her thoughts on the intersection between education and entertainment, and the importance of learning through play.Find more about Carly's work:- https://www.carlyciarrocchi.com/ (where you can find all her podcasts, TV shows and other amazing projects)- https://www.instagram.com/carlyciarrocchi/- Who, When, Wow! - https://tinkercast.com/all-podcasts/who-when-wow/- Weird But True - https://www.disneyplus.com/series/weird-but-true/5vfUqv8rLBHD This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit widewalls.substack.com

Polina Lulu is a fantastic designer and researcher who is dedicated to engaging children in playful and meaningful learning experiences, particularly through technology. She focuses on integrating children's rights and voices into creating products, experiences and environments that help children thrive.In this episode, we first delve into Polina's personal journey, with a focus on how her experiences as a parent have reshaped her approach to learning design. Then, she shares her expertise on design principles and best practices when conducting research and crafting digital learning experiences for children.Find more about Polina's work:- https://www.childrenlx.com/about- https://www.linkedin.com/in/polina-lulu-ba774292/References from the episode:- https://designingforchildrensrights.org/- https://playtestwithkids.org/- https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Mind-Learning-Principles-Action/dp/1483382729  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit widewalls.substack.com

Ingvi Ómarsson serves as a Senior Advisor for the Ministry of Education in Iceland, where he leads the implementation of large-scale educational policies. Prior to this role, he spent 7 years as the Chief Innovation Officer of the Skagafjörður School District, leading innovation and transformation by organizing and facilitating workshops focused on technology and innovation for educators and school leaders.Ingvi is not only a remarkable innovator, public speaker, and designer; He is first and foremost a gifted educator. Among other achievements, Ingvi received the 2020 Icelandic Educational Award, was designated Icelandic Teacher of the Year in 2018, and was featured on the HundrED's 100 Influential Educators.In this episode, we discuss his upbringing in a small village in Iceland, his approach to innovation in teaching, his journey in creating the largest conference for educators in Iceland, how to create memorable experiences for learners, and what role should technology play in schools.Find more about Ingvi's work:- https://www.ingvi.me/- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingvihrannar/- https://twitter.com/IngviOmarsson- https://www.instagram.com/ingviomarsson/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit widewalls.substack.com

Kavindya Thennakoon is an educator and entrepreneur who founded Tilli, a play-based platform to support social emotional learning for children.In this episode, we cover Kavi's incredible journey from Sri Lanka to the USA, her approach and motivations for supporting SEL for children, and her take on social impact and activism through entrepreneurship, non-profit organizations, and large private companies.Find more about Kavi's work:- https://www.tillikids.com/- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kavindyathennakoon/- https://twitter.com/kavindya_T This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit widewalls.substack.com

Carmelo Presicce is an educator and researcher currently pursuing his PhD at the MIT Media Lab. Carmelo's work focuses on the design and facilitation of creative learning experiences for children and educators, in person and online.In our conversation, Carmelo shares his journey from growing up in a small town in Italy to joining the MIT Media Lab and developing vibrant communities of educators.Find more about Carmelo's work:- https://lcl.media.mit.edu/- https://linkedin.com/in/carmelopresicce This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit widewalls.substack.com

Renato Russo is currently pursuing a PhD at Columbia Teacher's College, where he focuses on two main subjects: cultural renderings of maker spaces around the world and digital literacy to combat online disinformation.Beyond these topics, we also discussed how his childhood in Brazil shaped his journey towards becoming an educator and a researcher.Find more about Renato's work:- http://russo.work/- https://www.linkedin.com/in/renatofarusso/- https://twitter.com/renrusso This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit widewalls.substack.com