Today, Maria talks with Nina Huntemann, Vice President of Learning at edX where she is responsible for defining and driving their instructional and pedagogical strategy to improve outcomes for 30 million learners through collaboration with more than 150 partners worldwide.

Nina changed her university major from journalism to mass communication and obtained her PhD in communication to unpack the power structures and systems in the communication field. She was a tenured professor when she decided to disrupt herself, step away from a proven career and enhanced her impact in the emerging learning and education ecosystem.

Nina joined edX in 2015 and has been dedicated to increasing access to high-quality education, creating and launching innovative academic programs and career-relevant credentials, and applying evidence-based practice to learning design.

Founded by Harvard and MIT in 2012, edX is transforming traditional education by removing the barriers of cost, location and access. Fulfilling the demand for people to learn on their own terms, edX is providing the highest-quality, stackable learning experiences through a plethora of courses, including the groundbreaking MicroMasters® programs.

Open edX is the open-source platform that powers edX courses and is freely available to educators and technologists who want to build learning tools and create solutions to benefit students everywhere in the world.

During their conversation, Maria and Nina discuss the new courses, programs and initiatives edX launched amid the pandemic to further support the needs of their learners at every stage of their journey, whether entering the job market, changing fields, or exploring new interests.

Tune in to learn from a leader in a movement that is reimagining education on-campus and online and improving teaching and learning outcomes.

Today, Maria talks with Susanne Cappendijk, Founder and President of EDsnaps, a non-profit organization that wants to increase diversity in the Science Technology Engineering and Math workforce. Through partnerships and collaborations with academia, corporations, non-profit organizations and individual volunteers, they are providing free after-school and summer programs to female-identifying students through hands-on experiences and real-life interactions.

Susanne is a strategic, creative and visionary entrepreneurial professional with a unique blend of scientific research skills gained in academia, complemented by business consulting experience with companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 100 corporations.

They discuss how EDsnaps addresses STEM talent gaps in a creative, positive and collaborative environment that enables female-identifying students to build 21-century skills and get ready for the next phase of their careers as well-rounded and well-grounded STEM leaders.

They also unpack how Susanne bootstrapped her idea in 2017, starting with a pilot summer program and how, amid the pandemic, they moved their programs entirely online. She also talks about the new summer 2020 intern and fellow program that offered paid internships for undergraduate and graduate students whose internships were cancelled.

Tune in to learn from a creative and business-savvy social entrepreneur who knows how to turn constraints upside down and solve real-life problems in education.

Today, Maria talks with Robert Dillon, author, consultant and school designer who is working with teachers and education leaders throughout the country. Robert has been honored by The Center for Green Schools, the dSchool at Stanford University, the Buck Institute for Education, and Future Ready Schools. 

Robert has been serving kids and families as a teacher, principal, technology director, and innovation leader for over twenty years. He brings synergy to instructional design, technology infusion, and learning space design. He believes that in this synergy is the educational gold that students need to be successful citizens in a modern world.

During this conversation, Maria and Robert dive into the book he co-authored with Rebecca Hare called The Space: A Guide for Educators. Robert shares actionable insights and best practices on how to design a flexible and agile learning space that fosters creativity, collaboration, teamwork, inclusion and empathy. 

They also discuss What a Good Classroom Design Looks Like in the Age of Social Distancing and how teachers and educators can create a low-stress learning space that promotes health, joy, trust, and connection.

Tune in to learn from an inspiring education leader who is helping teachers develop a designer mindset and empowering their students to grow in an active and flexible learning space.

Today, Maria talks with Rolin Moe, Dean of Academic Support & Learning Technologies at Skyline College, and Director of Distance Education Initiative at San Mateo County Community College District. Under his leadership, they’ve trained over 1,000 faculty, staff and administration and prepared them to provide effective online learning programs in the fall.

As an education administrator, Rolin has been leading people towards a shared vision of equity and access in learning environments, specifically distance education and educational innovation. He has worked closely with formal and non-formal learning institutions of all sizes, designing and implementing programs and strategies to enhance learning and teaching.

Together, they unpack the manifesto Rolin wrote against EdTech during the recent emergency online pivot, and he shares his experience harnessing the power of people and the importance of communication, customized training and hands-on support.

Tune in to learn from a scholar, practitioner and innovator who believes that “the best education environments provide ample opportunities for learners to engage and for experts to facilitate, fill knowledge gaps, further skill development, and stay out of the way”.

Today, Maria talks with Abby Falik, an award-winning social entrepreneur and the founder & CEO of Global Citizen Year - a nonprofit using the power of a global immersion between high school and college to unlock curiosity, conviction, and courage in our next generation leaders. Global Citizen Year has pioneered a model that wraps education and instruction around real-world experience, that offers young leaders the empathy, humility and vision to see opportunities where others see challenges.

During their conversation, Abby explains why we need to reframe the gap year as a bridge year - an experience that builds self-awareness, global skills and grit through learning and social impact. They also talk about how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they launched the Global Citizen Academy to empower emerging leaders to become changemakers who will help address our shared global challenges.

Tune in to learn from a recognized expert on social innovation, leadership, and the changing landscape of education who has been profiled by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Abby has been named one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company in 2016, one of America’s Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers by The Business of Giving in 2018, and one of Goldman Sachs’ Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs for the third consecutive year in 2019.

Today, Maria talks with Enilda Romero-Hall, Associate Professor of Instructional Design & Technology in the Department of Education at the University of Tampa. Enilda studied Computer Programming before she pursued her Bachelors in Business Administration. She then obtained her Master in Instructional Design & Technology and her PhD in Education. 

Enilda is native of Panama. Her cultural heritage is afro-latinx, and she is fluent in both Spanish and English. As a learner, she has experienced the education system in Panama, Canada, and America.

In this conversation, Enilda talks about the plethora of graduate-level courses she teaches in instructional design, distance education, online social communities, principles of learner motivation, design of online collaborative learning and so much more. She also shares insights about the book she is co-authoring and editing on instructional design research methodologies to help practitioners put theory into practice.

If you are an instructional designer or want to become one or you are an educator interested in learning more about instructional design, this episode is for you. During this conversation, you will learn about the evolution of instructional design over the years, along with the current challenges, future trends, and emerging opportunities.

Tune in to hear from an inspiring leader enhancing student engagement and social impact through instructional design.

Today, Maria talks with Jeffrey Moss, Founder and CEO of Parker Dewey, a mission-oriented organization that helps connect great talent with great companies. Parker Dewey has the largest network of highly motivated college students and recent graduates who are excited to complete short-term, professional assignments, known as micro-internships.

During these micro-internships, they can demonstrate their grit and exceed expectations as they seek the right full-time role or internship. Micro-Internships also help companies identify and evaluate prospective job candidates for when hiring needs arise. As a result, organizations improve hiring effectiveness, enhance diversity, and drive retention.

Jeffrey and I discuss how micro-internships help students and recent graduates explore various career options by working on a range of projects for companies of different sizes so they can decide what work they want to do and who they want to work for through real-life professional experiences.

If you are a student or recent graduate, our discussion will inspire you and provide guidance on how to explore your career and get your foot in the door of potential employers while you get paid for completing professional assignments.

Tune in to learn from an inspiring leader who has been creating equitable access to professional experiences as a pathway to a successful career, for everyone.

Today, Maria talks with Howard Blumenthal, founder of Kids on Earth, host and co-executive producer of Reinventing School and a senior scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Howard is deeply involved in learning, education, and the lives of 21st-century children and teenagers. Previously, he was a senior executive in public television and in several global media companies, as well as a syndicated newspaper columnist for The New York Times company.

His best-known work is Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, which he created and produced for PBS. His current focus is international children and teens along with global citizenship, social change and human progress enabled by personal learning, media, and technology. 

Together they unpack the ever-evolving role of teachers and the opportunities Howard sees in the future of education. Howard also shares the key topics kids are interested in including climate change, space, why they want to be what they want to be when they grow up and cooking!

During their discussion, you will learn how Howard created Kids on Earth that is a collaborative effort with educators, nonprofits, and NGOs around the world. They have already more than 800 video recordings of kids in their library that you can access for free at www.kidsonearth.org.

And, if you want to listen to the conversations that Howard facilitates every week to help students, parents, teachers, administrators and policymakers plan for the reinvention of learning, school, and education, you can head to www.reinventing.school.

Tune in to learn from an Emmy and Peabody award-winning creator and producer who loves to identify and build connections between fun, games, play, technology, media, storytelling, imagination, and curiosity.

Today, Maria talks with Warren Kennard, managing director at Cahoot Academy, a full-service, digital education business designed and built to deliver relationship-based learning to globally distributed professionals and lifelong learners.

Together they discuss how to design and scale online courses on the periphery of the traditional higher education space that enhance the experience of lifelong learners and help them achieve higher outcomes. They also unpack the three essential areas required to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Age: human skills, digital capabilities, and contemporary ways of working.

During this discussion, you will also learn how Warren is building a diverse EdTech professional community leaning into the future of Higher Education. If you are looking to harness the disruption brought by EdTech and learn more about the world’s largest network of EdTech and Higher Education Professionals, then head to www.getconnected.co. You can learn more about Warren and his work at www.cahootacademy.com.

Tune in to hear from a Higher Ed and EdTech specialist who has been instrumental in growing higher education businesses and guiding strategy.

Amid the pandemic, internships are at stake this summer as employers struggle to figure out how to convert their traditional in-person internship model into a virtual one. Internships are essential, as they offer students hands-on experience to help them build skills while they get their foot in the door of potential employers.

Today, Maria brings Nikki James back to the podcast to discuss how to design and facilitate effective virtual internships. Nikki has been researching virtual internships as a Senior Research Fellow at Practera and an Industry Fellow at the Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy at Northeastern University. She is a learning scientist and an expert in designing and scaling experiential learning programs that offer students opportunities to build 21st Century skills.

You can learn more about Nikki’s learning journey and work in episode 53. And if you want to find out how you can get involved in this research program that is funded by a National Science Foundation grant, you can contact Nikki directly. You can find her email address along with useful links about the virtual internship model in the show notes.

Tune in to hear from an expert in online experiential learning programs about how to design scalable virtual internships to help students build skills and start their professional journey.