On Balance

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Eric Tao, CEO and co-founder of digital learning platform MegaMinds. They discuss the power of using AI and digital environments to combat learning loss and heighten engagement among students.

MegaMinds is a social learning platform for K-12 that leverages virtual worlds, 3D teaching tools, and powerful presentation abilities to empower teachers and engage young minds. The platform enhances classroom and online learning through the experiential and collaborative nature of virtual world gameplay. It enables teachers to easily take their existing presentations and place them in interactive 3D worlds to engage students and increase active classroom participation.

Mega Minds is entirely browser-based, requiring no software installation or additional hardware. It is an all-in-one solution designed for both synchronous and asynchronous use with low-powered computing devices both in-person and remotely. We believe our platform can be a powerful tool in democratizing access to education, enabling students to access content and interact with teachers and peers in ways that would often be limited by geography, finances, or venue capacity.

Learn more about MegaMinds here!

In this episode, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with YouScience CEO and founder Edson Barton. Edson began YouSciecnce to solve the fundamental question of why students are or aren’t engaged in learning.

YouScience works to instill hope, purpose, and direction by connecting natural talent, skills, and knowledge with in-demand education pathways and careers. Learn more about YouScience here!

In this insightful On Balance episode, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Ryan Rydzewski, co-author of When You Wonder, You’re Learning. In a world recovering from the isolation #COVID19 brought, as people reconnect, it’s important we take a moment to consider how we engage with people and understand the communities around us.

When You Wonder, You're Learning explores the science behind Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, revealing what Fred Rogers called the “tools for learning”: essential skills and mindsets that boost everything from academic performance to children’s well-being. These tools, which cost next to nothing to develop, hinge on the very things that make life worthwhile: self-acceptance; close, loving relationships; and a deep regard for one’s neighbor.

Learn more about the book here!

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with John Edelson, the president and founder of Time4Learning, an interactive platform that supports homeschool students and parents with activities, quizzes assessments and educational games, allowing them to keep track of their progress. They discuss homeschooling, the fears associated with it and why homeschooling can be a viable option for some families.

In this episode of On Balance Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Dreambox’s Chief Learning Officer Tim Hudson. They discuss everything from equipping teachers and students with cutting-edge technology solutions to the need for creative solutions to address teacher attrition.

Dreambox found a better way to support students’ math journeys. They meet them exactly where they are—no matter where they start—intelligently adapt to the way they learn and help them excel no matter who they are or where they live. Learn more about Dreambox here!

Dr. Rod Berger sat down with the Superintendent of Victoria Independent School District Dr. Quintin Shepherd. Dr. Shepherd co-authored The Secret to Transformational Leadership, a book that offers advice on how to adopt a new language of leadership to help leaders lead with empathy, compassion, kindness and purpose. Dr. Shepherd also discusses the path toward individuality in education to better address each unique student’s needs.

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Christina Perdikoulias, president of Digital Ed, to discuss the immediate need DigitalEd is meeting as well as how educators can bridge gaps in STEM education.

DigitalEd is a cloud-based software company with the purpose of shaping the world through digital learning. DigitalEd has used its beliefs, values and core pillars of software development to build the Möbiusplatform, the most innovative and comprehensive learning platform for STEM.

Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Austen Allred, the co-founder and CEO of Bloom Institute of Technology (BloomTech). A native of Springville, Utah, Austen’s start-up journey began in 2017 with him living in his two-door Civic while participating in Y Combinator, a San Francisco-based seed accelerator. This experience became the foundation of BloomTech’s rapid growth.

BloomTech, believes there is a better way to approach education. Instead of asking its students to bet on it, Bloomtech bets on its students first. This paradigm-shifting model allows BloomTech to align the incentives of the school with the incentives of its students.

Austen’s disruptive ideas on the future of education, the labor market disconnect, and the opportunity of providing opportunity at-scale have been featured in: The Harvard Business Review, The Economist, WIRED, Fast Company, TechCrunch, The New York Times, among others.

On Balance with Nicholas Fox Weber Le Korsa's Founder and President

Join Dr. Rod Berger for an intimate discussion with Nicholas Fox Weber as they break bread overlooking the Atlantic from Senegal's capital, Dakar. 

Nicholas Fox Weber is a cultural historian. He is also the Executive Director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and has written extensively
 about each artist. He has curated many major exhibitions and
retrospectives of their work. Weber is a graduate of Columbia College and Yale University. He is the author of fourteen books including 
The Bauhaus Group, Le Corbusier, and The Clarks
 of Cooperstown.

On Balance with Dustin Bainbridge