Changemaker ED“U”

Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College. His recent research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He has expanded on these ideas in his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life He also authors a regular blog called Freedom to Learn, for Psychology Today magazine and a Substack series entitled Play Makes Us Human.  He is one of the founders of the nonprofit Alliance for Self-Directed Education and of the nonprofit Let Grow, the mission of which is to renew children’s freedom to play and explore independently of adult control. 

David and Peter have a great conversation about some of these important questions: 

What is self directed learning? 

Why is it important for children to take responsibility for their learning? 

Why is play important in learning? 

Why don’t we see more play in schools?

What is coercive schooling? 

How has the decline in play affected children’s mental health? 

What should the role of the teacher be in self directed learning? 

Why is multi-age learning important?

Peter Gray has years of experience with the importance of play and how it supports the growth and development of children socially, emotionally, and academically. 

We hope you enjoy this episode that contains a wealth of information from a renowned expert in his field. 

You can find more out about Peter Gray here: https://www.petergray.org/ or on his Substack, Play Makes Us Human here: https://petergray.substack.com/

Stay tuned for an announcement about David’s latest program and some new structures for the podcast!

Meet Michael Strong who is one of the most experienced designers of innovative schools in the US. He has created a school for highly gifted children, a charter school in a low performing region in the US that was ranked in the 36th best public school in the US, and the Montessori high school model for the largest Montessori network in the US.  He is currently leading The Socratic Experience, a virtual school grades 3-12. He is the author of The Habit of Thought:  From Socratic Seminars to Socratic Practice and lead author of Be the Solution:  How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalism Can Solve All the World’s Problems.  

You can learn more about Michael here: www.socraticexperience.com and for a free pdf of Michael Strong’s book, The Habit of Thought, click here: https://socraticexperience.com/book/

David and Michael have a spirited conversation about the need for a radical reimagining of how we educate our young people. 

Michael’s deep experience working in various school settings and as a school founder, gives him a unique perspective. And, combined with his books he has written he brings a wealth of research to the conversation. 

Michael passionately shares how the adolescent mental health crisis preceded social media and posits that the root issue is the broken school system. This is why he launched his virtual school called the Socratic Experience to give young people a place to be connected, find their community, and bring meaning and purpose to their lives. 

He believes that this is the key to a strong school. When young people have community, connection, and find meaning and purpose in their lives, he sees great things happening for our youth. 

He shares that there are many different schools that are meeting these key criteria, but are typically smaller like the Micro school movement that you have heard about from other guests. What all of these schools with this key criteria have in common is that they are opposite than the industrial model school where kids are marching from class to class with little connection throughout the school experience. 

Michael finishes by sharing to trust yourself as a parent. If your child is not thriving, look for people like David & Michael that can help, or other programs like Prenda, Acton, or various other programs that could be in your neighborhood. 

Do not settle. If your child is not being loved abundantly, cared for, and flourishing in their educational environment, then create your own, or look for something else! 

We hope you enjoy today’s episode. Stay tuned for an announcement about David’s latest program and some new structures for the podcast!

Meet Mia Howard who is a Managing Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund. In her role, she leads the Innovative Schools investment area, which supports educators with bold new visions for schools that embrace an expanded definition of success, equity, and innovation. 

Prior to joining NewSchools, Mia was the Founding Partner of Schools and Talent at The Opportunity Trust. Before that, Mia was Founder and CEO of Intrepid College Prep Schools, a growing network of public charter schools in Nashville, Tennessee. Mia has a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Business Economics and Public Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Wharton School and her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Vanderbilt University. 

David and Mia discuss the types of schools and leaders that NewSchools has been funding and supporting for 25 years, the impact of bold and innovative ideas, and the elements that combined with academic rigor lead to excellent student outcomes. 

They also discuss an expanded definition of student success and how we need this type of innovation now more than ever. Mia also shares some awesome examples of schools across the country that are demonstrating innovative ideas. 

Finally, Mia shares the need for reimagining pathways to success for young people that is more broad and multi-faceted than the traditional paradigm of college as the only pathway. 

You can learn more about Mia here: Mia Howard - LinkedIn profile and New Schools Venture Fund here: http://newschools.org/

We hope you enjoy today’s episode. Stay tuned for an announcement about David’s latest program and some new structures for the podcast!

Meet Manisha Snoyer, a “teacherpreneur” and the CEO and co-founder of Modulo, a curated online community for homeschooling families, facilitated by experienced educators and certified child life specialists. Over the last 20 years, Manisha has taught over 2,000 children in 3 countries in private school, public school and as a tutor. She’s passionate about making a more inclusive educational system that values the individuality and autonomy of each child and helps parents and communities play a more active role in their learning.

In today’s episode, Manisha shares about Modulo, and why she created it out of her deep experience as a teacher and tutor in multiple contexts. Throughout her years as a teacher, she witnessed a massive disconnect in the system. Her vision started with a question: if she had $22,000 per student and 30 kids in a classroom like the New York City public schools does, what could it look like? This led her to connect with a group of parents that were doing a homeschooling co-op because their kids were either not doing well in traditional public school or they couldn’t afford private school. It was from here that she learned that she had massive misconceptions of homeschooling families, and she saw that the secular homeschooling movement was an example of a radical new education system. This helped her create the vision for a company that would support modular learning for homeschoolers.

Then the pandemic hit, and she pivoted to create schoolclosures.org to support schools being closed. Through the myriad lessons during this difficult time, she learned deeply what parents need to homeschool their children, and this is now what Modulo does–support parents in all of their homeschool needs in one place. 

David and Manisha discuss the different barriers and opportunities with homeschooling and the various examples of how families are making it work. And, how parents are the experts and the best teachers for their children even though they have the most difficult job in the world. Manisha encourages parents to find the confidence within themselves to trust whatever decision they make about what they think is best for their children. Manisha shares tips and strategies to work through parental fears about homeschooling and being qualified to teach their children. 

They both share that most importantly, you get clear as a parent with what you really want and what would be best for your child. And, partner with your child to understand their desires too. 

This is a great conversation if you want to learn more about homeschooling and the latest trends and tips to try it out!

You can learn more about Manisha here: https://www.modulo.app/ and check out her podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teach-your-kids/id1702759553

We hope you enjoy today’s episode. Stay tuned for an announcement about David’s latest program and some new structures for the podcast!

Meet Steve Buzzard, a passionate entrepreneur who loves to do many things. He is in his 27th year of teaching P.E. and being an athletic director. He is the Founder and Director of Buzzardball Youth Basketball which consists of a Summer Camp (27 years), Winter League (17 years), and Summer League (3 years). He is also a DJ and Auctioneer and has enjoyed that way of life for nearly 20 years. He also has his own podcast called Experience the Buzz. 

Steve’s passion started with Sports Broadcasting. He worked 14 years in the industry on 1240 KSAC and Sports 1140 KHTK. He also worked for the Sacramento Kings and had the honor of being the voice of UC Davis Football, Sacramento Knights Indoor Soccer, and the public address announcer for the Sacramento Capitals Tennis Team. 

He loves what he does!

Steve talks about his journey from broadcasting to education, and how he never thought he would give up on his dream of broadcasting, until he felt the calling to work with kids. And, then he never looked back! He shares his story which points out what happens when your mind thinks one thing and your heart and your calling takes you in a different direction. He continued to follow his passion for helping kids. 

This led him to launch his entrepreneurial programs for kids across Sacramento that directly reflects his values and his passion. His courage to answer the call to live out his purpose, in addition to his committed work ethic, and amazing culture has led to amazing success over the years. He also shares some behind the scenes secrets he uses to create the culture of Buzzardball. 

David and Steve also discuss the importance of building strong environments and cultures for kids, and how this allows young people to reach their full potential and thrive. David hopes to inspire as many parents and educators as possible to create something from their heart where kids are seen for who they are and truly believed in. You will hear some great stories about success stories of kids who built their confidence through Buzzardball.  

There are so many great stories and tidbits from two veteran educators about all the small and big things you can do to set up young people for success. And, sharing how their core values drive all of their decisions and actions. 

You can learn more about Steve here: https://www.buzzardball.com/

We hope you enjoy today’s episode. Stay tuned for an announcement about David’s latest program and some new structures for the podcast!

David starts with a guided practice to bring you to a state of peace and calm and he asks you to be open to hear what inner discipline means. 

David shares that he has a different way of thinking about discipline. He asks that you don’t think about it in the traditional sense of someone making you do something, but rather to look at it as the discipline you have within you to be the captain of your own ship. 

He breaks down what he means by inner discipline and shares examples such as knowing yourself and what motivates you, and what gives you confidence and makes you feel great. He recommends you follow that feeling and take small steps of inspired action from that place of truth. 

David asks, do you have the discipline to take time to check in with how you are feeling, to be aware of your inner state, to connect with the expansive and timeless version of your best self? He shares other questions that you can ask yourself to assess your inner discipline. 

We are taught to follow others and look for our worth and validation from others. David suggests that you use inner discipline to be the best version of yourself and not look for others to give you power. 

Most importantly, he shares how you hold the power to guide your life and follow your highest calling. He implores you to trust yourself and your deep inner knowing. 

Stay tuned for an announcement about David’s latest program and some new structures for the podcast!

Don Soifer is Chief Executive Officer of the National Microschooling Center, America’s comprehensive resource center, movement-builder and authority for the most exciting new education movement in a generation. He co-created and co-directed the Southern Nevada Urban Micro Academy, the nation’s first public–private partnership microschool
with the City of North Las Vegas, delivering unprecedented academic growth with a previously underserved population of families under pandemic operating conditions.

Prior to opening the Center, Soifer has been President of Nevada Action for School Options, an award-winning nonpartisan “action tank” he founded in 2017 to support the growth of diverse choices of rich, high-quality and personalized educational opportunities for all students. He previously served as Executive Vice President of the Lexington Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Arlington, VA that he co founded in 1998. He also served as a board member on the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, appointed by the State Board of Education, from 2019-2021.

David and Don discuss the exciting world of micro schools. Don has a unique and broad perspective on micro schools as he started one in Nevada and also supports the movement across the country. You will hear about how micro schools are funded, why this is an amazing and exciting moment for micro schools and how his Center is supporting parent and education changemakers across the country to launch and build micro schools in their communities.

David shares his excitement and knows that you will learn a lot about a different way to do school in this episode. This supports David’s vision of a grassroots movement that comes together and reimagines the future of education one family and community at a time. You will love this episode!

David starts with a guided practice to bring you to a state of peace and calm and he asks you to take this opportunity to just be while you listen today. From this space of calm, he asks you to see from a more expansive perspective and get out of our narrow view of opinions and being right or wrong. 

David then shares the main part of the episode and the importance of disrupting with love instead of your ego. He shares that if you are trying to create change by trying to prove you are better or right then you will get more of that fighting and you lose the purpose of what you are trying to achieve for the young people who deserve better. 

David asks you to get really clear with where your changemaking is coming from. If you can find the spark and passion from the depths of your heart and lead from there, it is a game changer. People will follow you and you will see the ripple effect. As opposed to fighting and pushing and creating division. Get clear with the part of you that is wounded and love that part instead of projecting it out in your changemaking pursuit. 

Once you catch this energy within you that is ready to be the best version of yourself to create the change you want to see, the sky's the limit. But, you have to get clear within yourself about where this desire is coming from. 

David closes by asking what is one small step you can take today to move toward your changemaking goals. 

David is launching an intimate mastermind in mid October where he will go deep with a small group to clear blocks, live from truth, and focus on a mindset that will allow you to live a life of freedom and flow. Committing to personal growth and doing the work on themselves is an important step for changemakers in order to bring your dreams to life. Email David at [email protected] and check out the link here to learn more:

Meet Serj, Founder & CEO of City as a School, pre-building infrastructure for a new education system fit for the 21st century. A technologist with an activist stance. 

Serj is fascinating to listen to and recently is working on City as a School which is similar to Outschool but with a great twist in that they help you build industry skills by creating a portfolio that gets you hired. They are also working on a microinternship model which allows youth to do a set of projects to help them practice their skills and build their resume. 

Serj shares big ideas about reimagining education and reinventing systems by using design principles to create new systems to promote wisdom. City as a School takes advantage of the resources in a city like London and New York and offers the community opportunities via a technology platform. Serj is someone who is disrupting the “operating system” of school by creating a different system. 

He shares some super creative ideas about reimagining school by empowering teachers to be co-owners for various services like teaching a class or recruiting their friends or opening a microschool, for example. 

David and Serj discuss the future opportunities with in person learning, online learning, hybrid learning, and ultimately with AI and what the future holds as a means to disrupt our operating system of traditional schools. 

How do we create a system that allows young people to be authors of their journey and find spaces that empower them to be the best version of themselves, and create communities that are vibrant and safe for their growth? How do we disrupt the traditional way of doing things in education to show that there are new and more effective systems to be educating our children? How does AI disrupt education in a positive way for young people? These are some of the big questions (and many more) that David and Serj talk through. 

Serj recommends this resource: https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/

You can learn more about Serj here: https://cityasaschool.com/

And on social: 

https://twitter.com/Serjhunt_ARK
https://www.linkedin.com/in/serjhunt/

David is launching an intimate mastermind in mid October where he will go deep with a small group to clear blocks, live from truth, and focus on a mindset that will allow you to live a life of freedom and flow. Committing to personal growth and doing the work on themselves is an important step for changemakers in order to bring your dreams to life. Email David at [email protected] and check out the link here to learn more: 

In this solo episode, I share the story of how a flat tire on the highway with my young children on a 100+ degree summer day taught me to lean into the discomfort of building new belief systems and reminded me that sometimes our worst fears are an opportunity to discover infinite possibilities. I also remind my listeners that there really is no such thing as good and bad.