In this new episode of Wide Walls, I’m thrilled to welcome Merve Cerit, a PhD Candidate from Stanford University working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, learning sciences, and mental health.

Merve’s work explores how we can better understand the impact of digital media on individual well-being, using innovative person-specific and computational methods.

She studies how people’s smartphone use relates to mental health on a highly granular level, and is now exploring how AI can be leveraged to support reflection, reasoning, and education in an increasingly digital world.

Whether it’s designing interventions that help us think more critically about media and technology or developing tools that reflect on our media behavior, her research has big implications for the future of learning, digital well-being, and human-centered technology.

In this episode, we:

- Unpack her innovative research methods to understand how we spend our time on screens

- Discuss key findings from her research projects

- Explore concrete applications to protect our children and improve our lives.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share this podcast around and spread the word!

Find more about Merve’s work:

Merve’s LinkedIn

Merve on Research Gate

References from the episode:

Shows:

Adolescence, Netflix

The Social Dilemma, Netflix

Books:

The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt

Mindmasters, Sandra Matz

Healing, Thomas Insel

Hooked, Nir Eyal

Stolen Focus, Johann Hari

Podcast:

Your Undivided Attention, Center for Humane Technology

For today’s episode, I’m thrilled to welcome our first-ever professional musician guest on Wide Walls: Jerome Rossen!

Jerome is a composer, songwriter, and professional musician whose work spans TV, film, video games, advertising, theater, and more. You’ve likely heard his music in hit TV shows like The Bachelor, Temptation Island, Extreme Makeover—and my personal favorite, Happy Tree Friends!

He’s also composed for children’s media, creating music for games like Get Ready for Kindergarten from LeapFrog, apps like Math Tango 2 from Originator Kids, and his latest project, an interactive book experience with Kibeam.

In this episode, we discuss:

✅ His creative process, from getting ideas to overcoming roadblocks

✅ The differences between composing for children and adults

✅ How technology has changed music production & accessibility

✅ Fun and insightful industry stories from his rich career

Beyond his creative work, Jerome serves as Director of Events for the Bay Area Children’s Media Association, which is how I had the pleasure of meeting him.

I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it! If you do, please share it to help more people join the conversation!

Find more about Jerome’s work:

* freshmademusic.com - Jerome’s website

* Jerome’s LinkedIn

For the first time on Wide Walls, we welcome not one, but two incredible guests—Emma Callow and Tom Doust!

Emma and Tom serve as the Creative Content Lead and Associate Director at the Institute of Imagination in London, a wonderful organization dedicated to designing and championing creative learning experiences across arts, science, and digital technologies.

In this episode, we dive into:

✅ The power of imagination in learning

✅ The legacy of Sir Ken Robinson

✅ Eight critical competencies for children’s future

✅ Social impact with local communities of learners

Find more about Tom and Emma’s work:

- Institute of Imagination

- 2023 Report - Institute of Imagination

- LinkedIn - Tom Doust

- LinkedIn - Emma Callow

I am excited to share this new episode of Wide Walls on a very special day for my wonderful guest, Isabelle Hau, as her first book, Love to Learn, is released today!

Isabelle is the Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, and a passionate advocate for young children’s development and well-being, rooted in educational research and deep empathy.

At the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, Isabelle collaborates with scholars, students, and external partners to leverage the latest advances in brain and learning sciences, data, and technology to create more effective and equitable learning solutions for everyone.

She’s also served on the boards of some of the most innovative organizations in education and impact investing, such as EdSurge, Khan Academy Kids, Reach Capital, and Wonderschool. She has judged prestigious innovation competitions worldwide, including XPrize and the LEGO Foundation’s $143 million early childhood challenge, and spoken at over 100 national and international events, including the US Senate.

In 2024, she was recognized as one of the “Women Leading in AI Revolution in EDU” by ASU-GSV, and in 2021, she received the GlobalMindED “Inclusive Leader Award – Early Childhood Education.”

In this episode we first discuss Isabelle’s research and insights on relational intelligence, a concept that is central in her book. Then, we explore the role of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning and some of the challenges faced by learning science researchers. Finally, Isabelle shares her views on the potential applications and impact of new technologies in education.

Find more about Isabelle’s work:

* Isabelle’s website

* Love to Learn - Book

* Small Talks - Newsletter

* Stanford Accelerator for Learning

A conversation with Sedinam Worlanyo is always packed with joyful stories, unexpected reflection, and actionable insights! Once you start this episode, I bet her contagious energy will keep you on!

Sedinam is a Senior UX Researcher at Coursera, focusing on learner experience, as well as international expansion efforts, to make learning accessible to everyone across the globe. She also leads the Coursera for Africa initiative, aimed at nurturing young talent across Africa and serving as a connector for partnerships within Coursera and organizations based in Africa.

Sedinam also created a newsletter called Skills Scratchpad where she shares personal insights to make UX research more approachable to people who may be interested but feel intimidated by this type of role.

In this episode of Wide Walls, we discuss her experience at Coursera and reflect on challenges and best practices when conducting international research. Then, we expand our conversation towards her vision of the EdTech and entrepreneurial ecosystems in Ghana - and in Africa more broadly - and the exciting opportunities for exchanges of skills and knowledge.

Find more about Sedinam’s work:

* Sedinam’s LinkedIn

* Skills Scratchpad - Newsletter

References from the episode:

* Coursera Global Skills Report 2024

Let’s start 2025 with a wonderful conversation with Dr. Maggie Broderick about social-emotional learning and the similitudes between music and language learning!

Maggie is an Associate Professor and Dissertation Chair in the Department of Teacher Education at National University in San Diego. With over 20 years of experience in education, both in higher education and K-12, she is a leader in curriculum development and is passionate about fostering social-emotional learning in students.

Throughout her career, Maggie has held multiple leadership positions, including Curriculum Director and Director of Advanced Research Center. She has also spearheaded numerous initiatives at the intersection of educational innovation and research.

In this episode, we discuss her research and insights on social-emotional learning as well as the impact of the pandemic on students. We also explore the intersections and similitudes between music and language learning, and the impact of technology.

Find more about Maggie’s work:

- LinkedIn

- Research Gate

References from the episode:

- CASLE Framework

- “Motivation and Momentum” (book)

- “How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms” (book)

Scott is an inspiring Product Leader in the Toys and EdTech industries with more than 20 years of experience in the field and a wealth of knowledge and insights.

In this episode, Scott explains the importance of spatial cognition to predict success in STEM fields along with insightful stories and research on the topic. He also shares his thoughts on the evolution of the toys and EdTech landscape over the past decade.

Andy is a Group Product Manager for ChromeOS Education at Google - reaching more than 50 million children - and co-creator of the award-winning Toontastic app designed to help kids easily create and share their own animated stories.

In this episode, Andy shares his entrepreneurial journey building Toontastic and his design approach to support children’s creativity. We also discuss his role at Google managing large scale projects and his optimistic vision of generative AI for education.

Ryan Jenkins defines himself as a constructionist educator, a term we will define further in our conversation. After working for more than 10 years at the Exploratorium, the fantastic science museum in San Francisco, he co-founded Wonderful Idea Co. with Nicole Catrett to support the exploration of art, science, and technology through making and tinkering.

For many years, Ryan has been advocating for educators to explore a tinkering-based education philosophy through professional development workshops, keynote talks, mentorship, and written guides and resources. In fact, this October, he will release his first book, The Tinkering Workshop. This book will help kids and adults get started with everyday materials, build personally meaningful projects, and explore ideas related to art, science, and technology. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on it!

In this episode, we dive into the world of making and tinkering to understand its values and benefits for learning, and we learn more about Ryan’s personal journey as an educator, entrepreneur, and writer.

Find more about Ryan's work:

- wonderfulidea.co/blog 

- www.thetinkeringworkshop.com

Elaine Chung is the Founder and Chief Play Officer of My Play Type, a company she launched in 2020 to educate and inspire organizations on how to integrate a Playful Practice as a foundational approach to work and life, leveraging play neuroscience to create cultures with strong cross-collaboration, innovative solutions, and even happier, more fulfilled employees.

I’ve known Elaine for a few years and I’ve always been fascinated by her passion and approach to play. When we first met, she was developing a framework to identify play types in children and provide experiences that best match their individual preferences in terms of play styles.

Elaine also participated recently in TEDx Asheville where she gave a wonderful talk on people’s struggle to navigate complex identities, something that I know everyone can relate to. I certainly did. And she’s also in the process of writing a book on this topic!

In this episode, we learn more about Elaine’s passion for play and her approach to play types. Then, we discuss the role of play in companies and organizations and understand what impact it can have in a work environment.

Find more about Elaine's work:

- https://www.myplaytype.com/

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-chen-chung/