Today, Maria talks with Michael Horn, an expert on disruptive innovation, online learning, blended learning and competency-based learning. He speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to improve the life of each and every student.

He is a senior strategist at Guild Education, which partners with leading employers and organizations to help offer education and upskilling opportunities to America’s workforce. He is also the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, a non-profit think tank that aspires to change the world through Disruptive Innovation. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

He is also the author and co-author of multiple books, white papers, and articles on education, including the award-winning book “Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns” and the Amazon-bestseller “Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools.” His latest book is called “Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life,” a must-read for students and parents today more than ever before.

During our conversation, we unpack the future of higher education and dive into the challenges and opportunities for students, adult learners, as well as academic institutions and online learning service providers. Michael shares thoughtful advice and words of wisdom for students and adult learners in the current situation.

Tune in to learn from a thought leader who was named byTech&Learning magazine as one of the 100 most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education.

Today, Maria talks with Sarah Toms, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Wharton Interactive, a new initiative at The Wharton School that builds interactive learning platforms and marketplaces.

Sarah first joined The Wharton School as the IT director of the Learning Lab in 2013, where she was hired to lead the team into a new era. Together they explored new approaches to learning through the development of serious games, simulations and interactive programs. During this time, Sarah co-founded an open-source simulation framework called simpl.world that is like nothing we’ve seen before.

During this discussion, you will learn about the Alternate Reality Courseware, a gaming engine providing experiential learning through a realistic virtual experience. Sarah also talks about IdeaMachine, an innovative learning platform that lets instructors quickly and easily create engaging social communities around key questions and topics. You will also hear about the Startup Game and the Saturn Parable, examples of a handful of games they have been developing at Wharton Interactive.

Tune in to learn from a serious games expert and established thought leader in the educational technology field, a role model who aspires to be known as a person who stepped into education and fiercely innovated.

Today, Maria talks with Dale Johnson, Director of Digital Innovation for the University Design Institute at Arizona State University.

After a unique learning path and professional career, including a bachelor of science in design from Arizona State University and a master in public policy from Harvard University, Dale started serving as the director of adaptive learning initiatives at Arizona State University where he worked with faculty, staff and technology partners to develop and implement adaptive courseware to help improve the student success rate.

During this discussion, you will learn the ins and outs of adaptive learning: what is adapting to the student, the leadership role of the educator and how to guide this adaptation by using the framework Dale developed. If you are an educator or faculty, this conversation will offer your insights and perhaps, intrigue you to consider adaptive courseware in your teaching to enhance your students’ learning experience and improve their higher education outcomes.

Tune in to learn from a leader who has spoken on adaptive courseware at more than 20 conferences in the USA, Mexico, Russia, Brazil, Rwanda and Vietnam and led workshops at numerous universities.

Today, Maria talks with Julie Delich, Vice President of Retention at Wiley Education Services, where they partner with academic institutions and organizations to improve our world through education. Julie has a bachelor of arts in psychology and a master of science in clinical psychology from the Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She is currently completing her dissertation at Concordia University to become a doctor of education in educational leadership and administration.

Together, they discuss how academic institutions can develop an effective enrollment and retention strategy and where to find growth amid uncertainty in higher education. They also unpack what students and adult learners value in online programs and the key factors that drive their choices.

If you are a student or adult learner at any stage of your journey, this discussion will give you a plethora of insights into online programs to guide your decisions so that you can continue to advance your education and move your life and career forward.

Today, Maria talks with Howard Malitz, who has been a high school teacher of chemistry and physics for over a decade. Before that, Howard worked as a corporate scientist until he faced a fork in the road that he decided to embrace to better his life.

Together they unpack the long journey that brought Howard home to a private high school where he found deep meaning in his life and work. They discuss his generous teaching posture leading his students by example through compassion and kindness and teaching them essential life skills. Howard also shares his work mentoring new teachers as well as teaching his students financial literacy, a skill they will practice for the rest of their lives. Most importantly, he speaks about the importance of letting students be who they need to be at any given moment!

The discussion gets emotional when Howard talks about his relationship with his parents and how his dad did not get to see him become a teacher. This is a beautiful conversation about second chances and the long way home to a place of true belonging as well as the importance of teaching from the heart.

Tune in to listen and learn from an inspiring teacher whose story will guide you to figure out a new way forward amid uncertainty and start making an impact in any way you may choose, especially if you are at a crossroads!

Today, Maria talks with Whitney Kilgore, co-founder & Chief Academic Officer at iDesign, an organization that partners with universities and colleges to build, grow, and support online and blended courses and programs.

iDesign is passionate about helping faculty harness the potential of emerging technologies to design courses and degrees that make an impact, whether they are fully online, flipped, adaptive, blended or competency-based. From statewide university systems to private colleges, their custom solutions pair instructional design with technologies to enable great teaching and learning.

If you are an educator or faculty, this episode will offer you insights and resources to help you develop your virtual presence and create student-centered learning experiences. If you are a student about to start college or university, you will gain a deeper understanding of the learner experience and how instructional design can help unlock the human element in online courses so you can develop cognitively and stay engaged socially during your higher education journey.

You will also learn about LX Pathways, an educational resource for those interested in becoming an Instructional Technologist, Learning Architect, or Online Instructor who designs and supports high-quality online teaching and learning experiences.

Tune in to learn from an inspiring entrepreneur who is contributing to the future of higher ed and the future of learning and work.

Today, Maria is back on the mic to talk about How You Can Adapt to the current situation and start preparing for the future!

The COVID-19 pandemic has created not only massive change but also tremendous uncertainty and ambiguity. Will we be able to enjoy travelling and dining out again? How will our industry and business be impacted in the long-run? How will the crisis affect our jobs and retirement?

We are all concerned and overwhelmed with fear and stress. If you are feeling this way, you are not alone.

Charles Darwin famously said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.”

Today, Maria I shares with us the lessons she’s learnt from those who master ambiguity and uncertainty and through her personal experience as a corporate leader, and today an entrepreneur and freelancer.

Tune in to learn what actually goes into adapting to change!

Today, Maria talks with Rachel Uwa, the founder of the School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe, a uniquely curated school born in Berlin, Germany that provides one-of-a-kind learning experiences in the areas of art, technology, design, and human connection.

After Rachel switched majors a few times and travelled to New York City from Germany for a new learning experience, she realized that she wanted to build her own company and give people access to technology and resources to enable them to create work that represents who they are and what they care about.

At the School of Machines, they believe that we are all lifelong learners who enjoy learning and playing with tools that make our brains and dreams come to life! They embrace art, creativity, the latest technology and themselves with openness, humility, and curiosity.

They want their students to leave their programs not only equipped with technical and hands-on tools and skill sets but also critically-minded and deeply engaged with their surroundings and with themselves.

Tune in to learn from a lifelong learner and entrepreneur who created her own school to enable us to envision, design and build a better future we can believe in.

Today, Maria talks with Jamie Arredondo, an international writer, coach and entrepreneur who works on spreading ideas that make positive change happen. Since 2013, he has worked with organizations of all sizes, public and private, to amplify the impact of their efforts and investments by creating innovation communities and open source business models.

During his early entrepreneurial years, Jaime struggled to launch his own projects. He either lacked the skills or relationships, and he often felt overwhelmed by the complicated plans he had created. Everything changed when he discovered some powerful methods to launch any business on a shoestring and created simple habits that propelled his projects in the right direction.

Today, Jaime is using these methods to help other entrepreneurs launch their projects and make them profitable and impactful from the beginning, without expensive investments or complicated strategies.

During our discussion, you will learn the simple steps you can take to build an open-source company and how to scale it up successfully through an engaged community that will help you launch a great product or service.

Tune in to listen to an inspiring entrepreneur who will teach you how to create a thriving open source business!

Today, Maria talks with Jackson Boyar, a Forbes 30 under 30 in Education and the co-founder and CEO of Mentor Collective, a startup that deploys social capital for student success in higher education.

Together, they discuss how relationships shape the experience and outcomes of a student’s journey through higher education. Some students will find these relationships among faculty and advisors. However, many more will struggle to forge the long-lasting relationships that drive student success and open doors. They also unpack how in today’s uncertainty amid COVID-19, mentors can raise flags for students who are facing high levels of anxiety, financial stress and other COVID-19 related issues.

Tune in to listen and learn from an inspiring entrepreneur who seeks to make life-changing relationships a feature of every student’s college experience and help them prepare for a successful career.