Are we really preparing students for their future? Educators are tasked to teach state standards, but are we also teaching the skills that students really need to be successful in the “real world”? State standards and standardized tests often test rote memorization more than real world application. The struggle is real and how will they get a job when they can’t turn in homework on time?!?! is a common refrain in the staff room, but what are the real life skills we need to be teaching?

Global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company recently put forth a report on the “56 foundational skills for the future of work” they refer to as: future-citizen skills. While meant for the business world to guide global leaders and captains of industry, Jake & Nathan explore how these skills are reflected in an educational environment. Does what we teach translate into real world outcomes in the lives of our students?

Stay to the end for tips on how you can start teaching these skills in your future-focused classroom! Using EduProtocols as a framework, our hosts consider the popular EduProtocols: Wicked Hydra (One of Jake’s own! From his upcoming book!), Iron Chef, and Sketch & Tell and align the classic pedagogical approaches embedded in these lesson frames to McKinsey & Company's 56 real-world, business-approved, future-citizen skills. You can build self-confidence and real-world-skills in students. Join us as we pull back the curtain on the “foundational skills” that are crucial to our students’ future success.

Resources Mentioned in the episode:

McKinsey & Company: Defining the skills citizens will need in the future world of work

EduProtocols

EduProtocols: ELA Edition by Jacob Carr COMING SOON! Sign up here for updates!

EduProtocols: Social Studies Edition by Dr. Scott Petri & Adam Moler

Find Adam Moler’s work at Moler's Musings

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Move into the weekend with an incredible, inspiring, hope-filled conversation about the immense cultural value teachers have as problem solvers and keepers of democratic ideals. Don't wait for acts of Congress, act with your conscience.

Dr. Fred Mednick is a teacher changemaker, global educator, thought leader, and founder of Teachers Without Borders. Awarded the Champion of African Education Award, the Luxembourg Peace Prize, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for Peace. Professor Emeritus from Johns Hopkins and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Jake & Nathan have an incredible conversation about the idea of the classroom—your classroom—as a laboratory of democracy. This educator calls Dr. Jane Goodall a close friend and mentor, and his new book In the Small Places: Stories of Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency describes the stories of local heroes who are working on some of the world's most challenging issues: education in emergencies, peace and human rights education, and the education of girls.

With a title borrowed from the following quote, this book portrays teachers as the human center of social change—"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighbourhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Resources mentioned in the episode:

⁠In the Small Places: Stories of Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency⁠ Amazon Link⁠

In the Small Places: Stories of Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency Website

Teachers Without Borders

Pat Yongpradit is a nationally recognized computer science education advocate and thought leader working at the policy level to make sure ALL students have the opportunity to learn computer science. You can't talk CS in education without talking CODE.org! Pat has been at CODE since the beginning and is currently the Chief Academic Officer.

Before CODE, Pat was a high school computer science teacher. At CODE, he made it his mission to reshape the way that computer science is taught. He has been instrumental in developing the computer science curriculum that is used by tens of millions of students worldwide. He has dedicated his career to making computer science education accessible to all students, regardless of their background.

We discuss the current state of K-12 computer science education, why it's so important for all students to have the opportunity to learn CS, and what parents, teachers and policymakers can do to continue expanding access as AI tools fundamentally change the way we educate.

While we talk some valid concerns and potential pitfalls, our focus is on the future. Together we can create edtech-infused classrooms where students are empowered to use AI tools with teachers to enhance their learning. We need to work as a "vanguard" team of innovative educators and lead the way. Stay to end to hear about Pat's secret mission!

... and come say "Hi!" to Jake & Nathan, Pat from CODE.org, and Bill Nye the Science Guy (!!!) at the ASU+GSV AIR Show in San Diego, CA — April 13th-15th. It's a FREE event! REGISTER HERE to attend!

Resources mentioned in the episode:

CODE.org

CODE.org's AI Resources

Teach AI — Sign up for their mailing list!

AI for Education — AI implementation resources for teachers and school districts!

EduProtocols Community | Facebook Group

Jake & Nathan are joined by Tracey Allen, Janet Brownell, and Anna Johnson from the Butte County Office of Education to talk about the future of Computer Science in schools. BCOE has been innovating in the sphere of EdTech integration in Northern California for years and has a VERY successful, cutting-edge library model with their EdTech Exchange so that all educators and all students can access creative, innovative, and engaging EdTech tools to use in their classes.

Did you know there are "new" Computer Science state standards in California that you may not even be aware of? We talk Seasons of CS, EWIG, CS First, and the CSTA to find resources and professional development opportunities to integrate EdTech in ALL classrooms and subject areas in ways you might not expect. Computer Science can transform your entire workflow, even as an ELA teacher! Join this crew to dig into why Computer Science IS NOT just one more thing.

Resources mentioned:

CSTA Resources Library

Seasons of CS | California's Year-Round Computer Science (CS) Professional Learning Program

BCOE Educational Technology Exchange⁠

Register Here! for the Spring in CS Summit (Redding, CA)

(05:30) CS is for Everyone

(18:00) CSTA Resources

(19:00) CS First with Google

(21:00) Tips from an EdTech Coach

(24:00) Computer as a Tool

(25:00) Coding Robots in ELA

(28:40) Minecraft Farms

(29:00) Basic CS Skills Across Content Areas

(32:00) Transcend Your Lesson

(35:00) EdTech Exchange Library Model

(42:40) Importance of Libraries

(44:00) CS is in Everything

(46:30) Where are we headed?

(49:00) Future Careers with CS

(50:45) Seasons of CS

(52:15) Natural Language as Coding Language

(59:30) CS in SPED with Piper

(60:01) Next year?

If you want to be on the bleeding edge of current AI+Education discourse, this episode is for you!

Jake & Nathan break down Stanford's 2024 AI+Education Summit held by Stanford HAI (Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence). Follow the link to explore a selection of recorded sessions from the day and get in on the conversation.

AI promises us limitless potential to shape our students' educational experiences, and personalized learning is more possible than ever: but at what cost? Is AI inherently biased against students-of-color? Will AI make coding skills obsolete? What will legislation look like? What will the national rollout look like in terms of AI-powered ed-tech tools and teacher training? These questions (and many more) are being thoughtfully considered by current thought-leaders in the field.

This landmark event, held in the heart of silicon valley, brings together members of academia, industry, media, and practicing educators to advance current discourse on the use of AI+education. Stay to the end for our one-word takeaway! Hint: does it spark joy?

"Not long ago, the Internet was an escape from the real world. Today, the real world is an escape from the Internet" — Ge Wang

Current research on the psychology of procrastination tells us it’s A LOT more complex than just "laziness" ...

Leveraging the work of psychologist, author, and fellow podcaster Dr. Adam Grant, from his recent appearance on an episode of the Huberman Lab podcast, and his latest book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, Jake & Nathan challenge the notion that this behavior in students (and teachers) is somehow related to what we keep calling "laziness."

While chronic procrastinators are the bane of every educator’s existence, there isn’t an easy answer to why students do it. There is definitely a reason, but it’s not that they’re lazy! We break down, step-by-step, a framework for understanding seven (7) different types of procrastination that all educators should know about. Name it to tame it! 

You can use this framework to better understand and help your toughest procrastinators (which might be YOU), so make sure to stay 'til the end for the practical application. Next episode, we will be exploring the concept of MOTIVATION. Subscribe so you don’t miss out! We will be following this thread to the end for our fellow educators.

Check out Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World for another resource to help you get stuff done. Jake mentions this book in the episode and relied on the creative scheduling and time-blocking approach to write his upcoming book!

Jake just returned from a whirlwind professional development tour, dropping the mic at a keynote in LA, and facilitating his first AI-in-education training in New York. It’s time for a What Teachers Have to Say debrief and special announcement!

Jake & Nathan, along with friend and fellow EduProtocols author for the Social Studies Edition, Adam Moler! have been invited to serve on a team of consultants to integrate artificial intelligence in education for the Successful Practices Network & National Dropout Prevention Center with Dr. Bill Daggett.

Bringing some hard truths from Dr. Daggett’s keynote at the New York event, and borrowing ideas from Jake’s keynote in LA integrating Brené Brown’s BRAVING framework from Dare to Lead, Jake & Nathan explore the meaning of “trust” and how trusting relationships are built and broken in education. 

If you don’t feel like your administration or colleagues trust you as a professional, or don't trust them to have your back, you need to hear this! Because if we can repair trust in our educational system—from administration, to teachers, to students, to parents & community—we can open the door to a future-focused education that prepares students for THEIR FUTURE, NOT OUR PAST.

Join us as we talk through the most progressive ideas and most pressing issues in current conversations about education reform on a national level. The #1 thing in the way of meeting our future as educators is a lack of trust. We're on the same team, y'all! There is no innovation without collaboration.

Respectfully borrowing a term from LGBTQ+ culture, the classroom is often a closet for teachers, who do not feel safe to share much (if any) of their authentic human selves in their teaching without facing unjust disciplinary action or community backlash.

Jake & Nathan approach this difficult topic to draw attention to this unspoken requirement of the career path of teaching. We need to talk about the cognitive dissonance of being in a profession that talks a big game about access and equity, while not offering actual protection for inclusion and diversity to individual teachers and administrators.

What does it mean for the future of our profession when some educators can’t both be themselves and continue to teach in their communities? We know that being genuine, offering a personal connection, and building professional working relationships with students makes a powerful positive impact. Why are teachers blamed for “indoctrination” when all they are asking for is safety, acceptance, and professional security?

Starting with a brief overview of the complex history of teaching in American society, we move to take a look at modern legislation that leaves teachers without much recourse for wrongful termination. We offer up some of our own hidden insecurities, even as ultra-privileged, white, male teachers, working within an alternative educational model in California.

This painfully honest episode is not to be missed, especially if you are feeling the pressure to hide parts of yourself from your students and colleagues. We see you. Let’s get into it.

Josh Kuersten is a celebrated behaviorist and self-described "dimensional traveler" who is widely respected for his hands-on approach—training teachers how to work with the toughest, most intense students. In a post-Covid world, teachers are being rocked on a daily basis by behavior issues unlike anything we've seen before. Teachers out there are hurting. If you're thinking 'that's me!'—you need to hear this!

Author of Stop Accidentally Making Things Worse an incredibly approachable workbook with actionable strategies you can put into practice in your classroom tomorrow, and co-founder and CEO of Nurtured Heart Institute, Josh has been helping intense children (and their teachers!) regulate their emotions and connect in the classroom for over 25 years.

We talk about building inner wealth (in students AND teachers) by using 3 strategies: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the Inner Wealth Initiative: Nurtured Heart Approach, and the Stress Response Continuum—but we also go over what to do when a kid walks in, yells *F* you, and kicks a chair. You're going to want to stay to the end because we go over a TON of practical application strategies in the last half!

Help out your favorite edu-podcasters by using our affiliate links, and find more resources mentioned in the episode:

⁠Transforming the Intense Child Workbook by Howard Glasser⁠

Stop Accidentally Making Things Worse by Josh Kuersten

The Virtual Behaviorist (for trainings and inquiries)

Virtual Behaviorist YouTube Channel (with mini-training)

Nurtured Heart Institute

Jake & Nathan return to where it all started, and provide a much-needed update, we're talking artificial intelligence in education! We start by checking in on the state of artificial intelligence in education, talk a little educational philosophy in an attempt to dispel some of the fear educators have about using AI with students, and provide personally-vetted quality AI resources and strategies that include: ChatGPT, Quizizz, and Canva to name a few (there's more).

We share practical strategies and talk through how to use these resources to offload mundane teacher tasks to AI, open up creative possibilities in lesson planning using AI, and discuss the other praxis-based practical applications of current AI tools and apps that we use on a DAILY basis. Join the conversation by answering our episode Q&A!

Check out Jake's AI Section from his English 10 Syllabus! Feel free to steal this, use it, and adapt it for your needs!

Artificial Intelligence Policy & Academic Honesty and Integrity

Throughout this academic year, we will continually address the role and implications of Artificial Intelligence in learning. It's imperative to understand that AI should be viewed as a tool to assist learning, not a substitute for your intellectual and creative endeavors. Rather than having a dedicated section, discussions about academic integrity, specifically regarding responsible use of AI for skill development will be woven throughout our coursework. If you are ever in doubt about your use of these tools in relation to academic integrity, do not hesitate to ask for clarification. Here are some guidelines: