Learning Unboxed

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, our guest is Bo Ryan, the principal of Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Elementary Magnet School in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and the author of “The Brilliance in the Building”. Bo is a passionate advocate for professional learning communities (PLCs) and believes in the power of collaborative teams in schools.

In our conversation, Bo shares his insights into what PLCs are and why they are not yet widely implemented in schools. He discusses the benefits of building out collaborative teams within schools and how this approach can lead to more effective teaching and learning.

Bo emphasizes the importance of learning by doing and shares his experiences with implementing PLCs at Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Elementary Magnet School. He also offers practical advice for educators who want to develop and sustain their own PLCs. Tune in to hear his expert insights and learn how you can build and sustain a professional learning community in your own school.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• What professional learning communities are and why it isn’t already being used in schools
• Building out collaborative teams within schools
• The importance of learning by doing

Resources:

• Learn more: solutiontree.com/bo-ryan
• Read: The Brilliance in the Building
• Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bo-ryan-077a8299

Produced by Nova Media

We're taking you on a virtual journey to Denmark, where innovation and collaboration are at the forefront. Our special guests today, Allan Kristensen and Josefine Strandgaard, are both part of the Innovation Center Denmark Silicon Valley, an organization that facilitates collaboration between Denmark and the US since 2006 as part of the Danish government's initiative to tap into the world's leading innovation hubs.

Today, the center has seven other locations worldwide, including Boston, Munich, Tel Aviv, India, South Korea, and Shanghai. The Silicon Valley office is the oldest and largest, with 14 people working to build bridges between science, education, and innovation for both scholars and Danish companies. Their mission is to internationalize Danish education, science, and innovation.

We talk about introducing students to the startup mindset, incorporating education, business, and government, and how those lessons carry forward in other areas of life.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• What the Innovation Center Denmark Silicon Valley is and how they work at the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship
• Creating innovative partnerships and programming in education
• The benefits of entrepreneurial thinking in various aspects of life

Resources:

• Learn more at siliconvalley.um.dk
• Connect with Josefine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/josefinestrandgaard
• Connect with Allan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allan-skarup-kristensen

Are we doing enough to prepare our children for the future? As the world becomes increasingly complex, academic success alone is no longer enough to guarantee a bright future. Today on the podcast, we have David Adams, the CEO of the Urban Assembly, an organization leading the charge in bringing social and emotional learning (SEL) into classrooms across its network. With the Resilience Scholars Program (IRSP), David and his team are crafting unique approaches to integrate SEL into curriculum and classroom practices. Join us as David shares his insights on why SEL is missing in modern education and how Urban Assembly is working to bridge the gap.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• Creating a private-public partnership that involves industry in education
• How exposing students to different avenues helps them understand their likes and dislikes
• The role of the K-12 system to ensure that young people can contribute to their community
• The importance of social-emotional skill development

Resources:

• Learn more: urbanassembly.org
• Connect with David on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-adams-10236721

Produced by Nova Media

Today, we have Marcy Raymond joining us, an innovative educator in the STEM space. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Marcy was the first guest we had on this program. Marcy has started multiple schools and transformed existing ones into high-quality, fully-applied STEM schools. We will discuss the concept of mastery learning, which often arises in the transformative school space.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• What “mastery learning” is and how it’s being applied in schools today
• The necessary elements for fostering mastery learning
• The challenges and barriers to practicing mastery learning in school
• How teachers can use mastery learning in their classrooms

Resources:

• Connect with Marcy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcy-raymond-1193aa205
• Twitter: @MarcyRaymond

Dr. Mandy Smith is the Director of Research at PAST Foundation. She has a wealth of experience in the K-12 education system, including teacher preparation and the intersection of science and technology.

In this episode, we will be discussing the concept of STEM identity. The lack of diversity and opportunity in STEM careers has been a topic of debate and conversation for over a decade. The "leaky pipeline" phenomenon, where individuals drop out of STEM pathways, is a well-known issue, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities. However, PAST Foundation has received funding from the Battelle Memorial Institute to delve deeper into the issue and explore STEM identity in the K-12 space. The goal is to understand and define STEM identity and determine ways to address the issue collectively.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• What STEM identity is and why we should care about it
• How to give students the opportunity to engage in STEM activities
• Partnering with school districts to bolster STEM identity
• Using data to inform actionable changes
• Taking advantage of existing service learning opportunities

Resources:

• Connect with Mandy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mandy-smith

Kelly Preheim has done incredible work as a teacher, but she knows it's important to push herself to step out of her comfort zone. In this episode, we talk to Kelly about her experience as part of the National Geographic Grosvenor Teaching Fellowship cohort and how she balances the everyday pieces of being a teacher with the need to try new things. Don't miss Kelly's insight into how she pushes herself to take risks and try new experiences!

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• Having the courage as a teacher to push outside of your comfort zone
• What Kelly learned in the Teaching Fellowship
• How teachers can apply for and take advantage of opportunities

Resources:

• BirdTeach: birdteach.blogspot.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BirdTeach-367011353690070
• 030 | Teaching Through Your Passion to Create Passionate Students with Kelly Preheim
• Spotlight: Problem-Based Learning with Birds!

Dawn Heideman and Carla Hegyi are the founders of Be the One, a program aiding at-risk youth in schools in the central Ohio region, both by improving students’ lives and the lives of those around them, through relationship-building and service programs.

Most of the time, when a student experiences trauma, they are only aided for a few days or weeks before everyone returns back to their daily lives — leaving the student to cope with that trauma themselves. Dawn and Carla realized that more needed to be done and that those kids needed long-term support. That’s why they started Be the One: To offer daily support to kids dealing with a variety of struggles in life. They talk about the value of making kids feel heard and seen, making an impact one student at a time, and scaling programs like this to affect more students.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• Giving kids the time necessary to overcome emotional trauma
• Hearing from people who recognize what you’ve been through
• Building a long-term support system for students
• How to scale support programs across districts

Resources:

• Learn more at betheoneohio.com
• Dawn Heideman: Be The One | TED Talk

Financial empowerment is incredibly important for those who want to manage their wealth properly, and it’s critical for students to get a headstart on that journey  We're talking about Wemblr Ed, a gaming simulation app that engages students in financial scenarios and events to teach the value of critical thinking, personal finance, and strategic planning. 

Joining us today is Wemblr's founder and CEO, Tiffany Marr, as well as Derek Fitzer, Dawn Weaver, and Callan Kajdasz from Southwestern City Schools, a school district in the Central Ohio region. 

Tiffany will be talking about how the app works, how it impacts students, and the features that make it so cool. We'll also hear from her colleagues about their experience using the app in Southwestern City Schools.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• How Wemblr got involved in public schools
• Drawing on the students’ skillsets for app development
• Giving real-world problem-solving opportunities to students
• Scaling industry education across school districts

Resources:

• Learn more at wemblr.com
• Connect with Tiffany on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiffany-marr-348540218

Carla Neely is currently a fifth and sixth grade science and computer science teacher at Warner Girls’ Leadership Academy for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Cleveland, OH. Carla has been a teacher for twenty-three years in urban classrooms. She is certified and has experience teaching all subjects, with specialization in science and math. She has a passion for urban education. Carla has spent the past few months in Washington, DC as a member of the 2022-23 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows Cohort. She is passionate about making opportunities equitable for underrepresented and marginalized students. In this conversation, she talks about the struggles that marginalized students face when it comes to opportunities in STEM fields and how she’s working — through legislation — to change things for the better.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• The importance of advocacy and exercising your voice
• Affecting change beyond the classroom
• How legislation can bring about equity

Resources:

• Connect with Carla on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carla-neely-390168125
• EINSTEIN Carla Neely | U.S. DOE Office of Science(SC)

Rebecca Morningstar has been teaching animal science and zoo management courses at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan since 2013.

Potter Park Zoo is going above and beyond the minimum requirements to provide the highest possible welfare for its animals, employees, and guests. Its mission is to inspire conservation of animals and the natural world. And people can’t make a difference in the world if they don’t know the issues or what they can do to help.

We dive into how Potter Park Zoo is getting kids engaged with learning about animals and conservation, as well as introducing other learning opportunities along the way. She shares what students are doing in these experiences, how she makes the hard decision on what topics to cover and what to leave out, and how you can partner with your local zoos in your own area.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• The mission of Potter Park Zoo
• Offering educational opportunities through hands-on animal experiences
• Getting kids involved in the conversation around conservation
• Bringing local zoo organization into your own innovative program

Resources:

• Learn more at potterparkzoo.org
• Connect with Rebecca: linkedin.com/in/rebecca-morningstar-2788a664