Learning Futures

Ronald Beghetto talks with Adam Carberry about engineering education and the need to develop talent rather than search for talent among students. The goal should be for students to learn from and improve upon prior work, moving away from standards of sameness in both assignments and assessments. Carberry invites teachers to think about how they can guide students towards generating excitement towards this discipline by having them work on something they are passionate about. He has been working in project based learning with teachers from other disciplines to have students create and engage in engineering projects. Carberry imagines a future where creativity is harnessed in this area, grading systems look different in all schools, and where inclusivity is encouraged to leverage and bring different perspectives to future projects. 

You can learn more about Dr. Adam Carberry and his work by accessing his directory page at Arizona State University, and the Engineering for us all web page.

Ronald Beghetto talks with Megan Workmon Larsen about how studying psychology and opera led her down a path towards robotics, design, and researching how students view their education journey. Focusing on higher education, Workmon Larsen explains how it is imperative that instructors and institutions allow students to become co-creators of their own learning. When we give students the opportunity to create their own paths, wonderful things happen. The challenge is that we cannot create uncertainty, rather the opportunity and space for spark and joy which leads to creativity. Beghetto and Workmon Larsen discuss how we can unstructure the structures and formal spaces in education, allowing students to explore and create. It is in this space that Workmon Larsen imagines a future in which schools structure education for exploration, joy, and motivational development over time. 

You can learn more about Dr. Megan Workmon Larsen and her work by accessing her directory page at Arizona State University.

The Learning Futures Podcast is produced at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. . Executive Producers are Dr. Sean Leahy and Claire Gilbert. The show is produced by Dr. Clarin Collins and Karina Muñoz Baltazar. Audio production provided by Claire Gilbert.

Ronald Beghetto and Justin Reich have a conversation about how to implement education technology in a principled way, which starts with a learning need identified by educators, a shared language around instruction to address the need, and then considerations for how technology might leverage that. Reich’s work at the MIT Learning Lab and research for his new book “Failure to Disrupt,” has shown him that technologies have power to help students reclaim ownership of their learning, but technologies alone cannot do it. Teachers are a critical part of this process, creating new curriculum and implementing technology to enrich the curriculum. Reich imagines a future where technology becomes a catalyst for creating new learning communities that involve students as collaborators with their teachers. He also sees technology becoming more robust to support disruptions in learning, as we are currently experiencing with the pandemic. 

You can learn more about Dr. Justin Reich, his work, and book by following these links: 

https://cmsw.mit.edu/profile/justin-reich/

https://failuretodisrupt.com/

https://tsl.mit.edu/covid19/

Twitter@bjfr

Ronald Beghetto and Bryan Henderson have a conversation about how the “Brain Candy” technology tool came to life as a result of the experiences Henderson had in his school years, and the lack of interaction in classrooms he witnessed--particularly in science courses. Henderson explains how learning science should include critiques and understanding why things are incorrect, rather than only focusing on what is right. This discourse allows students to practice evidence-based argumentation, which is a more engaging and active learning process compared to only learning about one correct answer. 

Henderson also mentions his new project, a platform that can be used to assess communication in the classroom. Whereas most assessments focus on reading and writing, this DiALoG platform can be used to support and measure evidence-based argumentation among students.

You can learn more about Dr. Bryan Henderson and Brain Candy by following these links: https://education.asu.edu/about/people/bryan-henderson

https://www.braincandy.org/

 @JBryanHenderson 

Ronald Beghetto talks with Jo Boaler about how she believes we are at the tipping point in math education with a data science movement. She explains that the math system is perpetuated from content and curriculum developed in the 1800s that is still present in standards, testing, textbooks, and teaching methods of today. Boaler knows math is a creative vehicle for thinking about the world and problem solving, if we just change the way it is taught. Boaler’s 8 books and youcubed.org contain resources and lessons for teachers, parents and students to help them develop a mathematics mindset.

You can learn more about Dr. Jo Boaler and Youcubed by following these links: https://ed.stanford.edu/faculty/joboaler

https://www.youcubed.org/

You can also find her books here: https://www.youcubed.org/limitless-mind/

https://www.youcubed.org/resource/books/

@joboaler

Ronald Beghetto and Leigh Wolf chat about the way the current pandemic has brought online learning to the forefront of education. While some good has come from this, with regard to creatively designing curriculum, broader understanding that technology alone does not enhance learning experiences, and rethinking standardized testing, there are significant challenges and weaknesses. Wolf talks about the need to implement open communities for parents and teachers that enhance their online practices and reduce the fear and pressure on teachers of having to know and do everything. 

You can learn more about Dr. Leigh Wolf by following her on Twitter @gravesle, or by checking out her website https://www.leighgraveswolf.com/ or MLFTC directory page at Arizona State University.

Ronald Beghetto and Punya Mishra talk about transforming education, and what teaching and learning could and should be. Mishra explains that design can take the existing binaries of learning modalities, between research and practice, and silos among disciplines, and blend and mix them up to optimize learning experiences. They discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has created opportunities for designing new ways of learning, but also highlights the challenges and inequities in our society and education systems. Mishra talks about his experience with local classroom design, working with teachers to create transformational learning experiences for their students, and more recently, his interest in working at the level of creating systems and culture in order to do this design work at a larger scale. He also gives the example of President Michael Crow--designing and building a new culture at Arizona State University, making ASU known for research and innovation.

You can learn more about Dr. Punya Mishra here, on his website, www.punyamishra.com, or on Twitter: @punyamishra

Ronald Beghetto chats with Brent Maddin about how teaching has become increasingly difficult for the new generations. Maddin introduces the Next Education Workforce initiative at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, and how the one teacher, one classroom model is not sustainable. Distributed expertise and combining teams of educators with groups of students leverages strengths of adults, and maximizes learning opportunities for students. He also discusses how important it is to prepare novice teachers to generate better environments that encourage them to stay in the profession, as well as implementing student engagement and allowing them to become “captains of their own learning ship.” 

You can learn more about Dr.Brent Maddin and Next Education Workforce by accessing his directory page at Arizona State University. You can also check out the Next Education Workforce podcast, hosted by Dr. Maddin himself.

Ronald Beghetto and Katherine Rodela speak about equity and justice in school leadership, especially focusing on Rodela's work with minority families who are primarily Latinx. She guides us through her work with these communities, including how much she has learned about giving voices to those who do not have them, especially when it comes to school leadership and decision making. In looking to the future of education leadership, Rodela envisions a more holistic approach which recognizes how student health and education are entwined, and that it is necessary to acknowledge both in order to create authentic spaces where every student feels welcome and represented. 

You can learn more about Dr. Katherine Rodela and her work by accessing her directory page at Washington State University or following her on Twitter @KatherineRodela