In this interview with Dr. David Labaree, Professor of Education at Stanford University, we discuss his newest book, The Perfect Mess: The Unlikely Ascendancy of American Higher Education. Dr. Labaree provides fascinating and important historical and sociological context, and sage advice for any current or aspiring education reformer, change agent, or educational innovator.
In this interview with Amy McGrath, Chief Operating Officer of ASU Prep Digital, we explore the current state of online and virtual learning, personalized learning, learning models that extend beyond standards, how to find top talent for your innovative organization, and much more.
Amy McGrath the Chief Operating Officer at ASU Prep Digital Academy with over 10 years of experience exploring innovation and personalized learning in the field. Her rich background ranges from school design to marketing strategy and educational policy. Amy is an outside of the box thinker who is dedicated to educational reform and instructional choice for all students. As the Vice President of Public Affairs at the Center for Education Reform in Washington D.C. she wrote and advocated for innovation and opportunity to be infused in all American schools, regardless of the student’s zip code. As the Chief
Academic Officer at Global Personalized Academics she worked with international school leaders to understand blended learning, and at Florida Virtual School Amy created and ran an Innovation Schoolhouse, which was charged with testing, developing and scaling up educational technology. She sits on the board for the World Series of Entrepreneurship and is passionate about redesigning the student experience from the inside out.
Amy is a University of South Florida graduate with a Bachelor’s in Social Science Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. She is happily married with 3 children who keep her weekends eventful on the side-line of a soccer field. She is an active community member, and as an alumni of Leadership Orlando, she enjoys teaching business leaders around the city to step up and mentor the future workforce…using edtech mediums of course.
In this interview with economist Bryan Caplan, we explore his premise that education may be part of the problem when it comes to economic prosperity in society. Among other things, Bryan argues that we should de-fund education and decrease the number of college graduates, all with the goal of increasing economic well-being for more people. Bryan is author of multiple books, including The End of Education, Why the Education System is a Waste of Time and Money.
In this interview with Dr. Tim Renick, Vice Provost and Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at Georgia State University, we explore a compelling vision and strategy for removing achievement gaps in higher education through predictive analytics and preemptive student success interventions.
In this interview with Dr. David Helfand (astrophysicist, author, professor, former President of Quest University), we discuss his book, A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age. As the conversation continues, we eventually focus on how to actually teach in ways that help students learn and construct knowledge through the design of intentional but exploratory and student-centered learning.
David J. Helfand, a faculty member at Columbia University for forty years, has served nearly half of that time as Chair of the Department of Astronomy. He is the author of nearly 200 scientific publications and has mentored 22 PhD students, but most of his pedagogical efforts have been aimed at teaching science to non-science majors. He instituted the first change in Columbia’s Core Curriculum in 50 years by introducing science to all first-year students. In 2005, he joined an effort to create Canada’s first independent, non-profit, secular university, Quest University Canada where served as President & Vice-Chancellor from 2008-2015. He also recently completed a four-year term as President of the American Astronomical Society. His first book, “A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age” appeared last year.
In this interview with Dr. Stuart Grauer, we learn about the formative influences on his work in education, how he came to found The Grauer School, a compelling vision for creating “pockets of democracy” in our schools, insights from his book, Fearless Teaching, and Stuart’s thoughts on the most pressing problems and promising opportunities in contemporary education.
In this continued exploration of “how to start a school” we talk with Jade Rivera, founder of Sunnyside Microschool for twice exceptional students, and author of Micro-Schools: Creating Personalized Learning on a Budget. We explore some of the practical questions about school startups, learn about Jade’s inspiring work and story in education, and have a rich discussion about how to share the vision for your school and how to cultivate a community. As Jade explains, “It all comes back to relationships.”
In this interview with author and educational innovator, Mara Linaberger, we look at the value of micro schools, how to launch a new school from scratch, and much more. Check out her books here.
In this interview with Kara Pecknold at Frog Design, we explore the basics of design thinking, discuss its implications for society and education in particular, look at specific applications, and explore some specific tips and tools for getting started.
In this interview with Ned Johnson, founder of PrepMatters and co-author of The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives, we explore how parents can help kids thrive in life. There are some powerful insights in here for educators and schools as well.