Change the Narrative

All the conversations about remote learning and school re-openings has left out the most important stakeholders--students. In this episode, I talk with a high school Junior in North Carolina about what remote learning has meant for her independence, owning her learning, and the flexibility she has to spend time with her family.

How do you keep a kindergartener engaged in remote learning? How does technology and a calendar change help social emotional learning?  Jill Maza, Director of Libraries and Research at Montclair-Kimberly Academy, reveals the secrets to innovation in the time of COVID, story time playlists, and more.

Tampa, Florida science educator Jaraux Washington has found many silver linings in remote teaching, even while teaching at a Title I school. Also: How students are more successful than we think, and why the old education system may just be a way to keep kids in poverty.

Alaska State Teacher of The Year and National Geographic Teacher Advisory Council member Ben Walker talks about the intersection of society, schools, and the Education Industrial Complex. He talks about how our system of  'surveillance pedagogy' has led to so many problems, shares his ideas about the future of schools, and his secrets for surviving remote learning (Spoiler: It involves Legos).

Remote teaching has forced teachers to learn a lot in a short span of time. But with standardized tests taken off their backs, and flexible schedules, Middle school science teacher Therese Arsenault has found time to rekindle her excitement for learning. Also in this episode: Bison in San Francisco?

How can we rekindle curiosity in our students so that they actually care about learning? Veteran journalism and AP English teacher Mitch Ziegler talks about project-based learning, and how remote learning has helped us make time and space for student passion. Also: Are standardized tests a form of class warfare?

Remote teaching has made many things clear to Elementary Principal Beth Schwartz. Freeing up time to build relationships with our students and creating truly personalized learning means the end of standardized tests, and more flexible schedules. 

Veteran high school English teacher, Christopher Bronke, has high hopes for school once the pandemic is over: to have high hopes for our students. He shares ideas about why we should allow our students more flexibility and time to complete work, and how this can lead to more honesty and respect. But this idea isn't new--his school has been using this model for two years.

High school English teacher, Marisa Thompson, shares her concerns about inequity in education and lack of access to the internet for so many learners. School closures have challenged us to reimagine school. Will we rise to that challenge?

The flexible schedules of remote teaching have helped Ohio middle school science teacher, Leah LaCrosse,  tailor her instruction to meet the needs of her students in ways that face to face learning never could. Also, why is she so upset about standardized tests?