Depth and Light

As humanity takes measures to slow the spread and effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, businesses, schools, and many public gathering places are shutting down or being restricted. This is very worrisome for all of us, and as of now, there are many unknowns. Educators of all types are facing the many challenges of online and distance learning. In this ongoing series, we will be talking to educators each week about the difficulties, surprises, and discoveries they are meeting as they continue to teach during this unprecedented world event. 

• In part three, we speak to Mimi Liu-Leyco, Head of Technology and Technology Integration Coordinator at The British International School of New York, NY--and Colin Reynolds, a Learning Curator, School Designer, and Education Consultant based in Boulder, CO.

• If you are an educator and would like to take part in a future conversation, please email us at [email protected]

As humanity takes measures to slow the spread and effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, businesses, schools, and many public gathering places are shutting down or being restricted. This is very worrisome for all of us, and as of now, there are many unknowns. Educators of all types are facing the many challenges of online and distance learning. In this ongoing series, we will be talking to educators each week about the difficulties, surprises, and discoveries they are meeting as they continue to teach during this unprecedented world event. 

• In part two, we speak to Sandy Bansal at the International School of Bergamo, Italy and John Baglio of Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York, NY USA.

• If you are an educator and would like to take part in a future conversation, please email us at [email protected]

As humanity takes measures to slow the spread and effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, businesses, schools, and many public gathering places are shutting down or being restricted. This is very worrisome for all of us, and as of now, there are many unknowns. Educators of all types are facing the many challenges of online and distance learning. In this ongoing series, we will be talking to educators each week about the difficulties, surprises, and discoveries they are meeting as they continue to teach during this unprecedented world event. 

• In part one, we speak to Diane Brancazio of the MIT Edgerton Center and Dr. Ronah Harris of Play Pattern. 

• Here is a link to the resources mentioned in this episode. This list will be updated weekly.

• If you are an educator and would like to take part in a future conversation, please email us at [email protected]

What exactly is Design Thinking? What are its origins and how can it be best applied in a classroom or in any school setting? How can educators use it in all aspects of teaching, from classroom layout to curriculum design? Our guest today is Annette Diefenthaler. Annette is a portfolio director at IDEO, where she works to bring human-centered design to systemic challenges in learning and education. She is co-author of IDEO’s "Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators." 

• More info about Annette and her work at IDEO can be here. ideo.com/people/annette-diefenthaler

• Get a copy of the Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators: designthinkingforeducators.com/toolkit/

• Follow Annette on Twitter: twitter.com/annette_di

How can educators recognize learning which happens between report cards? How can they acknowledge student achievement which may be difficult to assess with traditional means? Digital badging and micro-credentials offer an alternative to traditional assessment and an emerging method teachers can use to appreciate what their students are doing in any content area. Our guest today is Noah Geisel. Noah is an educator, coach, consultant, and author. He was honored as the 2013 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages National language teacher of the year. Noah also founded BadgeSummit, a yearly conference focused on using badging and micro-credentials in education. 

• Follow Noah on Twitter and Medium (@SenorG).

• Register and attend BadgeSummit thebadgesummit.com

Ryan Banks Academy is Chicago’s first tuition-free independent school—and will soon be a boarding school. Founded in 2018 by former Chicago Public Schools (CPS) social worker Valerie Groth, Ryan Banks Academy's mission is “to transform urban education by cultivating the talents and potential of at-risk students in Chicago through an immersive and innovative educational experience.” •

In this episode, we have a chance to speak to Valerie, some current Ryan Banks Academy students and teachers, and the founding head of school, Audrey Hampton. •

To find out more about the school, visit their website ryanbanksacademy.org. •

For more information about how to get involved, donate, or volunteer, reach out to founder and CEO Valerie Groth [email protected].

What’s the best way to document your ideas? Or communicate those ideas to others? For some people, writing is the most effective method. Others communicate best through drawing. For some, it’s both. Visual thinkers like Brandy Agerbeck work to empower others to draw what they are thinking and feeling, and through graphic facilitation, help organizations see trends, make sense of many ideas in one place, and plan for the future. Brandy and I discuss various techniques for Visual Thinking, why everyone can and should draw, and how drawing helps combat our "Inner Critic".

• Follow Brandy on Twitter: @loosetooth

• Find out more about Brandy's work: loosetooth.com

How much screen time should my child have? Should my students have? How do we know what’s safe and what isn’t on the internet? 

Dr. Devorah Heitner is an educator and researcher who explores these questions and many more. As founder of Raising Digital Natives, she advises schools, parents, and organizations on how best to mentor children and adolescents as they navigate an increasingly complex computational world. In this episode, we talk with Devorah about all of this, about new technologies like Deepfakes, and what it means if each of us—and our children—are amassing a digital permanent record.

• Raising Digital Natives: raisingdigitalnatives.com

• Follow Devorah on Twitter: @DevorahHeitner

This episode features author and educator Alfie Kohn. Alfie has written and lectured extensively in the areas of education, parenting, and human behavior. His work has challenged the status quo in education for over four decades.  In our conversation, Alfie details his thoughts on popular education topics like Grit, Growth Mindset, and EdTech.

• Articles referenced in this episode can be found on Alfie's website alfiekohn.org.

• Follow Alfie on Twitter twitter.com/alfiekohn.

Our guest in this episode is Bob Clagett. Bob is the founder of I Like to Make Stuff, a Youtube channel with 2.75 million subscribers and a website that features a multitude of free project how-to videos and step-by-step instructions. Viewers get in-depth and easy to follow instructions on how to make just about anything, from a full-scale, interactive R2-D2 of Star Wars fame to bunk beds and much more. Bob is the author of the book Making Time and is also the host of two podcasts, BrainPick, and No Instructions.

• I Like to Make Stuff: iliketomakestuff.com

• I Like to Make Stuff on Youtube: iliketomakestuffcom

• Follow Bob on Twitter: twitter.com/iliketomakestuf

• Support Bob and I Like to Make Stuff on Patreon: patreon.com/iliketomakestuff