Why Distance Learning?

Many educators associate virtual learning with isolation, disengagement, and students passively staring at screens. But what if the opposite were possible? What if distance learning could be thrilling, social, even addictive—in all the right ways?

In this episode, we meet Ben Somers, founder and CEO of Recess.gg, an online platform transforming virtual education into an e-sports-style, team-based experience where students show up because they want to. With live academic games, mentorship, and a thriving virtual economy, Recess builds belonging, identity, and motivation into every challenge. But behind the fun is a serious vision: empowering self-directed learners with the tools—and freedom—they need to thrive.

Ben draws from deep experience scaling Synthesis (born from Elon Musk’s experimental school) and brings a philosophy rooted in Papert, Dewey, and Montessori to his product design. He argues that engagement is not just a tactic, but an ecosystem built on freedom, community, and purpose.

Listeners will learn:

• Why removing humans from digital learning can kill engagement—and how to bring community back.
• How Recess balances spontaneity and structure to guide students toward long-term goals.
• What a “job board for kids” looks like—and how it helps them become creators, not consumers.
• How AI is being used not to replace human reflection, but to support deeper reflection and mentorship.
• What it means to design an environment where math is learned like French: fluently, through immersive experience.

If you’re a virtual school leader, edtech entrepreneur, homeschool parent, or anyone wondering how to make distance learning work better, this episode will challenge your assumptions and show what’s possible when engagement is student-driven and purpose-aligned.

Episode Links
- Recess.gg – Where student agency meets academic gameplay
- Seymour Papert – The educational theorist Ben credits as a major influence
- Kerbal Space Program – The game teaching kids rocket science and orbital mechanics
- Oxford Kids Conference – Where Recess students presented their podcast

Host Links
- Explore virtual learning resources and programs at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell
- Discover global learning experiences at Banyan Global Learning with Seth Fleischauer

Want to help us reshape distance learning?
Share this episode with a colleague, reflect on your own “why” for virtual education, and remember: the future of learning might look a lot more like Recess than a lecture.

Many educators (and parents) believe that teaching kindergarten online is impossible. Young children are assumed to lack the attention span, tech skills, or maturity to thrive in a virtual setting. During the pandemic, even seasoned teachers struggled to keep their youngest students engaged.

In this episode, Nancy Grim, a veteran early childhood educator from Tucson Unified Virtual Academy, brings a burst of energy and creativity to bust that myth wide open. With a background in theater and a deep understanding of child development, Nancy shares how she transforms her virtual classroom into a joyful, engaging, and student-centered space for kindergartners and second graders. From puppets and props to emoji-based emotional check-ins and student-led tech tutorials, Nancy shows how virtual learning can be more than effective—it can be magical.

Listeners will learn:

• Why puppets, costumes, and unexpected props boost engagement and emotional connection for young learners.
• How to build tech independence and classroom culture—even in kindergarten.
• How second graders can lead peer learning and contribute to a thriving virtual community.
• How embracing creativity and play helps students make academic and cultural connections from home.

If you’re an early elementary teacher, school leader, or curriculum designer wondering how to support younger learners online, Nancy’s practical strategies will spark ideas and shift your thinking. Share this episode with a colleague, try one new engagement prop in your next session, and remember: joy is a tool, not a luxury, in digital classrooms.

Episode Links

• Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Host Links

• Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
• Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

Too often, educational change is approached with a top-down, impersonal strategy—especially in virtual settings. Leaders are handed new tools, frameworks, and mandates but given little space for reflection, values alignment, or the flexibility needed to make change stick. The result? Burnout, survival mode, and disjointed systems that don’t serve students or educators.

In this episode, Dr. Tovah Sheldon—school design strategist at Michigan Virtual and leader of the Leadership Coaching for Innovation initiative—unpacks how true transformation begins with the adults in the system. With warmth, insight, and a deep coaching mindset, she guides us through what it really means to center leadership development around the human experience. From redefining change through “rugged flexibility” and allostasis, to bridging the gap between personal and organizational values, Dr. Sheldon makes the case for slower, deeper, more reflective innovation. She shares stories of golden moments, challenges us to pluralize transformation, and gives us a clear pathway toward leading with clarity, purpose, and empathy.

If you’re leading innovation—especially in virtual or hybrid environments—listen in for insight on:

• Why “rigid” systems fail in dynamic environments, and how to lead with adaptive stability.
• How to help leaders and teams surface their core values and use them to drive sustainable change.
• The habits and actions that define innovators—and how they play out differently in virtual spaces.
• Why going deep before wide is essential for lasting, scalable impact.
• How “small-i” innovations build momentum toward big transformation.

Episode Links:

• Leadership Coaching for Innovation at Michigan Virtual
• Brad Stulberg on Rugged Flexibility and Allostasis
• Henry Ford Innovation Hub – Phil Grumm’s Work

Additional People and Concepts to Link:

1. Brad Stulberg
   Referenced for the concepts of allostasis and rugged flexibility.
   🔗 https://www.bradstulberg.com
2. Phil Grumm and Henry Ford Learning Institute / Innovation Hub
   Credited as the origin of the Habits and Actions of Innovators framework.
   🔗 https://inhub.thehenryford.org/
3. Dr. Jay Marks
   Mentioned for his insight: “Lots of little moments lead to momentum.”
   🔗 https://www.nuatc.org/about-us/mentors/jay-b-marks-ph-d/
4. Ellen Langer
   Referenced for her ideas on mindfulness, scientific uncertainty, and contextual truth.
   🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Langer
5. 3P Learning (Project-, Problem-, and Place-based Learning)
   Discussed in relation to innovation in virtual programs.
   🔗 Resource from Michigan.Gov
6. Cynthia Coburn
   Cited for the depth before breadth concept in educational change.
   🔗 https://sesp.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/cynthia-coburn.html 

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

Too often, distance learning gets dismissed as fragmented or disjointed, seen as a patchwork of tech tools rather than a cohesive educational system. Teachers feel pulled in too many directions, and programs struggle to sustain impact beyond the novelty of going virtual.

In this episode, Dr. Chris Harrington - leader of the EmpowerEd Research Institute, AccredVEd, and Digital Learning Works - shares how real transformation happens when virtual education is approached as a system. From curriculum to leadership to parent engagement, Chris lays out what it means to create a student-centered, coherent virtual learning ecosystem. He introduces specialized accreditation processes, discusses how to build systems around people - not tech - and shares inspiring stories from the field, including how one virtual program helped a struggling student graduate against the odds.

If you’re building - or rebuilding - a distance learning program, listen in for insights on:

• Why cohesion is the key to long-term success in virtual education.
• How to lead systems change with clarity, equity, and community buy-in.
• The power of specialized accreditation to elevate—not just evaluate—program quality.
• What it really means to put relationships at the center of digital learning.

Episode Links:

• Digital Learning WORKS
• EmpowerEd Research Institute
• AccredVEd

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

Can hands-on career training truly happen online? Skeptics argue that virtual education falls short when it comes to preparing students for high-touch, high-stakes professions—especially in healthcare.

Amanda Bell, a visionary CTE leader and creator of High STEP Virtual Academy, proves otherwise. In this episode, Amanda shares how she’s revolutionizing health science education for rural and under-resourced schools through virtual reality, AI simulations, and hybrid learning models. From virtual cadaver labs to soft skills AI bots, Amanda walks us through how her students are getting certified, career-ready, and more self-aware—all without ever stepping into a physical clinic.

Discover how immersive technology can elevate CTE and make career exploration more equitable, accessible, and personalized. Amanda also offers practical insight into building community online, teaching empathy virtually, and using tech to strengthen—not replace—the human side of healthcare education.

Episode Links:

• High STEP Virtual Academy
• South Central Service Cooperative
• Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC)

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

In this episode of Why Distance Learning, Seth Fleischauer, Tami Moehring, and Allyson Mitchell welcome Alan Tang, founder of Collaboration Laboratory, to explore the power of play as a core instructional strategy in live virtual learning. They dig into what happens when games aren’t the reward—but the curriculum itself. Alan shares how CoLab uses escape rooms, missions, and collaborative challenges to build communication, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking for kids around the world.

The conversation covers how CoLab builds safe, judgment-free cohorts that span cultures, how facilitators become coaches, and why giving students agency and space to fail leads to deeper learning. From “Elemental Escape” to avocado-themed risk challenges, this episode reveals a vibrant new model of education—where learning is playful, purposeful, and profoundly human.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why distance learning is uniquely suited for global, collaborative play
• How CoLab designs challenges that teach soft skills in high-stakes games
• The coaching model that blends structure and autonomy for kids aged 7–15
• Creating psychological safety in virtual cohorts from 25+ countries
• How feedback from students and facilitators drives content innovation
• Alan’s vision for future adult and school-based applications of CoLab
• The role of play in building empathy, leadership, and resilience

Episode Links:

• Collaboration Laboratory Website
• Connect with Alan Tang on LinkedIn

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

In this episode of Why Distance Learning, your hosts sit down with Desiré Mosser, a veteran instructional coach supporting over 125 virtual educators at Pasco eSchool and Vice President of BOLD (Blended Online Learning Discovery of Florida). A former brick-and-mortar science teacher turned online education leader, Desiré brings over two decades of hands-on virtual teaching experience, systems thinking, and heartfelt coaching into a conversation that dives deep into what it really takes to make virtual schools thrive—not just for students, but for teachers too.

The episode explores how Desiré transitioned into virtual learning out of necessity, only to become a cornerstone of educator support in Florida’s online education community. From dispelling myths about teacher isolation to building sustainable systems of care, Desiré shares stories, strategies, and moments of growth that challenge the notion that distance learning limits connection. Her experience reveals how personalized, human-centered leadership—and a dash of humor—can transform virtual teaching into a deeply rewarding career.

Pain Point:
Many educators—especially high-performing ones from traditional classrooms—struggle with the transition to virtual teaching. They face feelings of professional disorientation, burnout, and isolation, often exacerbated by the misconception that online teaching is less personal or impactful.

Solution:
Desiré combats these challenges with a highly personal, relationship-first approach to coaching and systems design. She builds trust from day one, treating teachers as whole people with lives beyond their screens. Her tools include visual boundaries for home life, proactive calendar management, and “kudos files” to keep morale high. Importantly, she systematizes this approach through a team of lead teachers who carry these same values into their smaller groups, making large-scale support both scalable and heartfelt.

Action:
Educators and school leaders can apply Desiré's strategies by:

• Building proactive onboarding that prioritizes relationship-building.
• Encouraging staff to design personal schedules that protect work-life balance.
• Modeling vulnerability and curiosity in coaching interactions.
• Instituting a “kudos file” system to celebrate small wins and sustain motivation.
• Training household members (yes, even toddlers) on virtual work boundaries.

These simple but powerful actions help foster longevity, well-being, and excellence in the virtual teaching profession.

🔗 Episode Links

• BOLD – Blended Online Learning Discovery of Florida
• SOS Strategies for Online Survival by Desiré Mosser

🎙️ Host Links

• Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
• Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

How can distance learning meet the vastly different needs of students who are disengaged, displaced, or underserved—and still deliver equity, engagement, and academic excellence?

In this episode of Why Distance Learning, Dr. Lori Wiggins, principal of Pasco eSchool, shares how her team runs 12 distinct programs under one virtual roof using a tiered system of support. She walks us through how they combine asynchronous learning, live sessions, adaptive tools, and in-person days to respond to every learner’s academic and emotional needs. Lori emphasizes data-informed decisions, social presence, and the importance of building team capacity to identify and address gaps early and effectively.

Learn how to design flexible virtual models that start with student need, not system convenience. Discover how to use AI as a teacher tool, build roadmaps for intervention, and sustain a human connection that keeps students showing up—even when the learning isn’t easy.

Episode Links:
🎧 Listen: https://cilc.org/podcast
🔗 Pasco eSchool: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/eschool

Host Links:

• Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
• Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

In this episode of Why Distance Learning, Seth Fleischauer, Allyson Mitchell, and Tami Moehring welcome Joe Titus, founder and CEO of Hiveclass, to reimagine what physical education can look like in the digital age. They explore how Hiveclass brings inclusive, skill-based movement instruction to students who are often left out of traditional PE—whether due to cost, confidence, access, or classroom logistics.

Joe shares how his platform breaks down barriers to participation by offering bite-sized video lessons across 19+ sports and activities, including dance, yoga, and tennis—many of which require no special equipment. Designed to meet national standards, Hiveclass supports both virtual and brick-and-mortar schools in delivering wellness education that’s engaging, equitable, and empowering for all learners.

This episode challenges the myth that physical education can’t be done well online—and makes a compelling case for why it must be.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why PE is the most skipped class—and how digital tools can change that.
• Building student confidence through choice, differentiated instruction, and accessible content.
• Supporting overburdened teachers and addressing PE teacher shortages.
• Bringing equity to sports access by removing geographic and financial barriers.
• How wellness-focused instruction can build lifelong skills and resilience.
• The future of digital PE: partnerships, growth, and rebranding physical education for what it truly is—whole-child wellness.

Guest Bio:
Joe Titus is the founder and CEO of Hiveclass, an award-winning digital platform that brings high-quality physical education to learners everywhere. A former finance executive turned edtech entrepreneur, Joe’s mission is to make movement education engaging and accessible for all students—regardless of ability, background, or setting. Hiveclass serves hundreds of schools with standards-aligned video content across 19+ disciplines, empowering students to build confidence, health, and lifelong fitness habits.

Episode Links:

• Learn more: hiveclass.co
• Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: Joe Titus
• See CILC.org/podcast for more episodes

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

In this special episode of Why Distance Learning, the hosts become the guests. Seth Fleischauer, Allyson Mitchell, and Tami Moehring step out from behind the mic to share their personal journeys into distance learning, their current work in the field, and why this podcast exists. From museum basements to prairie dresses to viral Mets fandom, this episode dives into the stories that shaped their passion for virtual education.

They discuss the unique mission of the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) and Banyan Global Learning, the challenges and triumphs of distance learning, and the surprising golden moments that define their purpose. It’s a candid, insightful, and at times comedic conversation that reminds us why distance learning matters—and what’s possible when it’s done with care, creativity, and connection.

Episode Highlights:

• Allyson’s early roots in museum education and her passion for virtual learning that began in 2007.
• Tami’s journey from prairie dresses to pioneering history education online—and a logging lesson kids never forget.
• Seth’s origin story as the Sad Mets Fan and how it intersects with the founding of Banyan Global Learning.
• The role of CILC as a global connector for educators, institutions, and learners across every stage of life.
• Golden moments from remote Canada to Taiwanese seniors preparing for U.S. colleges—real stories of virtual learning done right.
• Why this podcast was created: to challenge misconceptions, amplify untold stories, and advocate for the power of live virtual learning.

Episode Links:

• Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC)
• Banyan Global Learning
• Make It Mindful Podcast

Host Bios:

• Seth Fleischauer is the founder of Banyan Global Learning and a longtime advocate for teaching global competencies through live virtual programs. He’s also the internet’s original Sad Mets Fan.
• Allyson Mitchell is the Director of Partnership and Engagement at CILC. With deep roots in museum education, she’s a passionate voice for live virtual learning and co-creator of Why Distance Learning.
• Tami Moehring is the Director of Member Relations at CILC, bringing 10+ years of expertise in supporting educators and institutions in delivering impactful virtual experiences.