Explore every episode of the podcast The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning

Is your classroom setup holding your international learners back?

Traditional, teacher-centered layouts often stifle the creativity, collaboration, and cultural inclusivity needed for students to thrive—especially in our international schools. Outdated setups can act as barriers, preventing meaningful learning and student engagement.

In this episode, I’ll share five simple shifts to redesign your learning spaces into vibrant, student-centered environments. Learn:

1️⃣ How to ditch the teacher desk, and empower every learner to conribute.
2️⃣ Why a progress wall can skyrocket motivation
3️⃣ The easiest way to showcase student work and build classroom pride

Let’s move from outdated spaces to thriving learning communities.

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard and start creating an environment where all students feel engaged and empowered!

What do you think of when you hear the term 'learner agency?'

You might envisage students having some "voice" and "choice" around what they learn, or where they sit in class. 

And while that's a nice start, learner agency is more than allowing students some choice in what they learn. It's about involving them in every step of the journey.

Imagine a school with...

🙌🏼 Student- run electives.
🙌🏼 Seventy + student led businesses to carry out the school's day to day operations.
🙌🏼 Timetables that are created and carried out by a student design team.
🙌🏼 A school board that includes young learners.
🙌🏼 100+ Individualised Learning Plans that students co-design.

That's Templestowe College, or more affectionately known as "Take Control" College in Australia. It's one of Hundred.org's top 100 most innovative schools in the world. And Peter Hutton was the mastermind at its helm. 

I was lucky enough to sit down with Peter to learn more about how he built this kind of learner agency; and how we as learner-centered champions can heed the lessons to build more student agency in our classrooms and schools.

Connect with Peter: LinkedIn, Twitter

Join Future Schools: https://futureschools.education/

Take the 12 Shifts for Learner-Centered Classrooms Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind

Buy the 12 Shifts Book for 20% off: 'Where is the Teacher: 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments.' 

Join the 12 Shifts Certificate Program: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass 

Peter's Bio: Peter is a maverick, a free radical, a challenger of the status quo. His strength is in transformational insight and supporting educational leaders to build innovative and adaptive cultures. As a person with dyslexia, Peter sees the world differently. Co-founding the Future Schools Alliance in 2018, Peter now works with a community of 100 member schools to significantly improve the lives of young people by transforming the education system to promote purpose-filled empowered learning and equip them for times of exponential change. Peter was the former Principal of Templestowe College which has been recognised by Finland’s HundrED organisationas one of the most innovative schools in the world.

Do you still set New Year’s Resolutions?

I used to—until I realized I broke nearly all of them by February. And I’m not alone. Research shows that 88% of people abandon their resolutions within the first two weeks!

But there’s a far more powerful, research-backed method for casting your vision for Student-Centered Learning in 2025. This method has already helped me and over 2,000 educators achieve radical transformations in their classrooms.

In this short bonus episode, I’ll share this simple, proven method and show you how to use it to create more self-directed, empowered learners in the 2025 school year.

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to target areas for growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Get the 12 Shifts Book (20% off for the holidays): Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Teacher-Shifts-Student-Centered-Environments/dp/1032484713 

Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Where-Is-the-Teacher-The-12-Shifts-for-Student-Centered-Environments/Wagner/p/book/9781032484716 

Join the 12 Shifts Training Certificate Course: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass  

"Feeling Overwhelmed by Running Your First Project with Learners?" 🎙️

You aren't alone. 

Moving from a teacher-centered to student-led environment takes a lot of courage.

Bu what if all it required was a few simple shifts in what you already do? 

In this episode, three student-centered elementary teachers share the shifts, stories, strategies, and lessons learned from running their first student-centered projects. 

Learn how to overcome the three most common challenges: 

• Keeping projects manageable
• Engaging and empowering all learners
• Balancing structure and curricular demands with student voice.

..with a few simple tweaks in how you design learning.

If you're new to project-based learning, this episode will give you actionable tips and the confidence to get started right away.

The 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftscorecard 

Get the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com 

Learn more about the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Certificate Course: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass 

How do you develop a student-centered secondary classroom with a packed curriculum, strict assessment guidelines, and an exam based culture? 

This is the dilemma Gisou Ravanbaksh faced when wanting to provide more agency to her students in her DP Psychology class. 

But through a few simple shifts in the learning process and audience for student work, her classroom came alive with students researching, developing, and exhibiting an authentic 'brain museum' they co-created from start to finish.

Learn more about the shifts she implemented and how you can unleash student agency in yours as well. 

Learn more and connect with Gisou: LinkedIN

Get the 12 Shifts Book: https://transformschool.com/whereistheteacher 

Take the Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard  

Join a 12 Shifts Cohort in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass 

Gisou's Bio: 

Gisou is a student-centered international educator and educational leader with 20 years of experience in both adolescent and adult learning. She has xpertise in designing and delivering customized professional development workshops on student wellbeing, cross-cultural understanding, diversity and inclusion, character development, curriculum design, leadership training, and other areas of targeted need.

What happens to the classroom environment when you give students a real problem to address?

That's what Dave Strudwick, former Teacher/Principal of Real School Budapest was wondering when he asked year 5 students to fuse literacy, multimedia, and fashion to "create a better world." 

His classroom transformed from a teacher-centered space to a real world design studio, with students taking on roles as sustainble fashion designers, and magazine publishers. 

Learn more about his transformation story and how through a few simple shifts, you can experience the same transformation in your classroom as well. 

Connect with Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-strudwick-a6152128/ 

Get the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher 

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to Identify Target Areas of Growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Learn more about the 12 Shifts Master Class starting in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass 

Dave's Bio: 

Dave is a creative leader who has founded three schools and lead others. He has worked in a wide range of contexts including schools, museums, with tech companies, start ups, and with excluded children. His focus is on the development of rounded young people who have great knowledge, habits of success, creative know how and way finding abilities. He loves writing, facilitating workshops and keynote speaking that looks to design and develop curriculum, pedagogy, community and culture. His approach improves outcomes through the development of people, student ownership, digital processes and creating a high quality learning environment.

What learning opportunities exist beyond our classroom doors? 

That's the question that led school founder and student-centered educator Dr. Jane Shore on a community mapping expedition with her high school students in Philadelphia. 

Through a simple 5-step process, they uncovered community stories, built strategic connections, and forged long term learning partnerships that would give learning in the classroom new purpose and meaning. 

This 'ecosystem map' became their North Star.

Hear Jane's story and discover how to more meaningfully connect your classroom to the community as well. 

Connect with Jane: jane@schoolsofthought.org

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to target araeas of growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard

Get the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher

Learn more about the 12 Shifts Cohorts starting in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass 

What do grades tell students about their learning? Are they even helpful? 

Even though evidence suggests grades are a poor motivator for student learning, we still use them in our classrooms to evaluate learning. But there's a much better way to not only evaluate learning, but track learner GROWTH and PROGRESS. 

In this highly engaging episode recorded live at my Book Launch Party , Gary Heidt takes us through his journey of replacing grades in his classroom with portfolios and presentations of learning, and the impact it had on his learners. 

This episode will make you re-imagine what's possible in your won classroom when shifting from...

Grades - - - - > Self, Peer and Expert Critique

Get in touch with Gary Heidt: Linkedin, Twitter/X- @Ed_by_design, Instagram- @pvnovalab

Gary's Blogs: https://onlyconnects.wordpress.com ,  Https://pvhsnovalab.com  

Link to Gary's Gradeless Digital Notebook: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oOWav74ZSMcoS9wXQhB6r_UCbnQR7J_b/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107869970601559545884&rtpof=true&sd=true 

12 Shifts Resources: 

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to identify areas for growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftscorecard 

Get the 12 Shifts Book: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Teacher-Shifts-Student-Centered-Environments/dp/1032484713 

Learn about the 'From Teacher Led to Student-Centered' Professional Learning Cohorts Starting in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass 

With AI able to fill out worksheets, write five paragraph essays, craft short stories, or pen reports in seconds, the impetus for inspiring original, real-world work couldn't be greater. 

How as student-centered faciltiators do we support students in producing the kind of work that they find PERSONALLY meaningful and beautiful?

Helping them find THEIR unique, personal voice.

In this groubreaking episode, recorded live at our 12 Shifts launch party, Matthew Neylon, Creative Director at Mt. Vernon K-12 school unpacks the secrets to curating this kind of work across an entire school. 

Through his transformation story we learn how to transform the blank walls of our schools and classsroom with the creative work and genius of kids. 

Connect with Matt: Instagram/Twitter (X) (@mattneylon), Linkedin, Website: https://cre8ivmvmt.com/ 

Purchase the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteaher

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to identify areas for growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Watch the video presentation and join the conversation on LInkedin: Join the Conversation

What happens to student empowerment when we move from the the front of the classroom to a gentle facilitator on the side? 

We get more self-directed learners.

More student voice, opinions, and ideas. 

A range of diverse work products. 

Making this shift is NOT easy. It requires a mindset of trust, and the facilitator 'moves' to support this kind of student-centered environment. Andrew Faulstich, a Montessori Adolescent Guide and Facilitator of these kind of learning environments teaches us how to make these shifts by:

• Unpacking the core tenets of learner-centered environments
• Providing concrete strategies to foster student-led discussion
• Suggesting a few changes in the way we design our classrooms
• Offering prompts for more open-ended learner supported questions  

Get in Touch with Andrew: LinkedIn, Community (Enlightened Educator Project), Blog/Newsletter (Substack) 

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to Target Areas of Growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Get the 12 Shifts Book for More Strategies/Ideas/Stories: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher (Use WT30 at checkout for 30% discount) 

Andrew's Bio: 

Andrew believe in the potential for education to be transformative for all students. His expertise is in facilitating learning environments where all participants, both young people and adults, experience empowerment and liberation. He developed and led international and U.S. education programs and taught students from 10 different countries in person, virtually, and in a hybrid format. Across these experiences, Andrew found that progressive, learner-centered, and Montessori education is a catalyst for a transformational change within each learner. Andrew works at the intersection of supporting human development and driving a social revolution leading to a more equitable, interdependent world.

If I walked into your classroom, would I find students seated neatly in rows facing the front, or in small interdependent table teams? 

One of the best ways to shift from a teacher-led to a student-centered environments is to re-arrange your furniture. 

In this short bonus episode, I unpack simple ideas for creating this kind of collaborative environment, strategies for developing interdependent student teams, and the implications it will have for your classroom in the new school year. 

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to Identify Areas for Growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard

Get the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher

RSVP for the 12 Shifts Launch Party: www.transformschool.com/booklaunch

In a world with advancing AI, personalized chatbots, and ready made content at student's fingerprints, how do we engage them in work that they find personally meaningful?

This short episode helps unpack the conditions necessary to engage students in this kind of work, irregardless of age or school subject.

From podcasts, to state of the art green spaces, discover how to have students create professional, beautiful work.

Shift #5/6: From worksheets - - - - > High-Quality, Real World Work

Take the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher 

Attend the Launch Party: www.transformschool.com/booklaunch 

Discover 50+ Alternatives to Worksheets/Exams: Real World Work Alternative List

What happens when we allow learning to move outside the siloes of our classrooms? 

In this episode, through a real case study, we learn how to design empowering, trans-disciplinary experiences with teachers across mutiple subjects.

And all it takes is a few shifts in how we approach learning design. 

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: https://transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard/ 

Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book: https://transformschool.com/whereistheteacher/ 

Attend the Launch Party to Connect to Global Practitioners: https://transformschool.com/booklaunch/ 

What happens when we lead learning with big questions, rather than mandated curriculum content? 

Four year 7 teachers across 3 different subjects wanted to find out. 

Over a seven week unit, they devised activities, lessons, and hands-on learning that helped students dive deeper into big questions around developing future societies. 

As a result...agency, empowerment and engagement went through the roof!

Learn more about the story of how they organized the learning and how you too can shift from content-led experiences, to inquiry-based experiences in the 2024-2025 school year. (Shift #2 for Student-Centered Environments) 

How to Write Essential Inquiry Questions: https://transformschool.com/2020/01/26/how-to-write-an-essential-question-that-invites-wonder-and-curiosity-from-your-learners/ 

Take the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher

Attend the 12 Shifts Launch Party to Connect to Global Practitioners: www.transformschool.com/booklaunch 

Fifth grade teacher Linda Amici's most 'dreaded standards' became her favorite after making one simple shift....

She turned them over to her students. 

With this new agency, students worked harder than they ever had before.  

Learn about Linda's story of co-design, and simple strategies for co-designing learning experiences with your own learners in the 2024-2025 school year.  

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: https://transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard/ 

Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book: https://transformschool.com/whereistheteacher/ 

Attend the Launch Party to Connect to Global Practitioners: https://transformschool.com/booklaunch/ 

How do you design learning in your classroom/school? 

Imagine inviting student input on everything from the way the timetable is organized, to the design of learning experiences, even to how they are assessed and evaluated. 

That's the kind of voice and choice The Green School Bali provides its learners. And their learners are empowered as a result. 

In this illuminating podcast episode, Head of the Upper School/Learning Dialogist/Writer/Podcaster Dr. Benjamin Freud and I unpack:

• Practical methods for inviting student voice/choice into the design of learning
• How to include more community voices, including parents, local community stakeholders and the bio-collective 
• How to organize curriculum around students' interests, sustainability, and other topics and projects they hope to explore   
• The kind of mindset required to welcome continual feedback, iteration, and collective co-design and ways to adopt it   

Connect with Dr. Benjamin Freud: LinkedIN, Twitter/X

Learn more about Coconut Thinking (Ben's Podcast): https://coconut-thinking.com/benjamin-freud/ 

Learn more about the Green School, Bali: https://www.greenschool.org/

Take the Free 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book (coming in August): www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher 

Dr. Benjamin Freud's Bio: Dr. Benjamin Freud is an educator, learning dialogist, writer, and podcaster. He is the co-founder of Coconut Thinking, an advisory that helps and supports educators nurture learning ecosystems grounded in relationships that contribute to the thriving of the bio-collective—any living thing that has an interest in the healthfulness of the planet. He designs learning experiences that de-center the human, moving us toward a more ecological civilization. He is also the Head of Upper School at The Green School Bali. 

Before Green School, Benjamin was the Whole School Director of Learning at Prem Tinsulanonda International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He focused on the “lived” curriculum. He considered ways to develop a culture of active learning, where disciplinary boundaries start to disappear, and learners engage in meaningful projects that have an impact on themselves, others, and the world…all of this preferably taking place outside. He was responsible for teacher professional development, introducing innovative pedagogical practices, and taught classes from G4 to G12.

Before Prem, Benjamin was at Misk Schools, the most prestigious and high profile school in Saudi Arabia. Along with being responsible for all day-to-day operations and leadership in the Boys’ School, Benjamin developed a unique curriculum to nurture and develop creativity, competencies, and entrepreneurial spirit in learners. He was responsible for designing authentic and Problem-Based Learning experiences across the school and for developing and implementing Personal Learning Pathways for each learner, to understand their academic and personal needs so that they can best thrive.

What is deep learning? 

Is it students engrossed in semester long units or learning experiences? Inquiring, probing, investigating, and making meaning of their learning. 

Perhaps.

But most of us don't have that kind of time, or freedom with our curriculum.

What if deeper learning didn’t mean re-organizing everything we had, but simply making a few tweaks to what's already there..

• Gathering students around a kitchen table we brought in for more balanced discussion
• Extending time of activities by a few minutes to allow for reflection
• Letting students rearrange the classroom to align to how they learn best 

These are all ways Elementary Principal Jenn Fisher is helping teachers grow Deeper Learning Classrooms at her school. The response from teachers and students…"We can never go back!"

Learn more about her transformation story and how deeper learning practices in your own context can transform once passive students into active, empowered learners. 

Connect with Jenn: LinkedIn, Twitter (@stmartinschoole)

Pre-Order the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher 

Target Areas of Growth for Student-Centered Enviromnents: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Jenn's Bio: 

Jenn Fisher is a dedicated educator whose passion lies in fostering healthier and more engaged students through outdoor experiences, play, and amplifying student voice. With over 12 years of experience as a principal, Jenn has consistently championed innovative approaches to education that prioritize student empowerment and holistic learning. Throughout her career, Jenn has firmly believed in the power of experiential learning and has actively incorporated outdoor activities and play into the curriculum. She understands that when students are actively engaged in their learning environment, they not only absorb information more effectively but also develop crucial life skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and resilience.

As a Principal, Jenn has been instrumental in creating a school culture that values student input and encourages them to take ownership of their learning journey. Her leadership style emphasizes collaboration, empathy, and a deep understanding of the diverse needs of students.In her newest professional development venture in Deep Learning, Jenn is exploring how educational change can engage and empower students to take control of their education. She is passionate about creating learning environments that not only cater to students' academic needs but also nurture their passions and interests. By focusing on how, where, and what students learn, Jenn aims to create transformative educational experiences that prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.Jenn Fisher's commitment to student-centered education, coupled with her innovative approach to teaching and learning, makes her a highly respected leader in the field of education. Her work continues to inspire educators and students alike to strive for excellence and embrace change as a catalyst for growth and empowerment.

Imagine a school where you take your shoes off every time you enter the classroom. You shared the space with local bugs, insects, bees, and biodiversity surrounding you. You rode a bus to school powered by used vegetable oil. The curriculum was built around the natural world surrounding you. You got to take up action projects to save the planet, whether protecting local reefs, or buidling roads out of hardened volcanic ash. 

These are daily experiences for students at the Green School Bali. And Science, Math and Regeneration Middle School Learning Experience Designer (Teacher) Kenny Peavy is one of its chief architects. 

His simple mantra: "Turn boxes into bubbles." 

Through our podcast conversation, learn how to:

• Re-design curriculum around big sustainability themes
• Scaffold learning to allow for deep exploration
• Support students in taking up action projects
• Be a climate warrior by taking up your OWN sustainable projects
• Build strategic partnerships with the communit to help them fly
• Transition from classroom teacher to indoor/outdoor learning facilitator 

Connect with Kenny: Instagram, LinkedIn, 

Join Kenny's Facebook Group for conversations and free resources: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boxpeopleunboxed 

Pre-order the 12 Shifts for student-centered environments book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher 

Take the 12 shifts scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard 

Get the free PBL starter kit: www.transformschool.com/pblstarterkit 

Kenny's Bio: Kenny is originally from Georgia, USA. He’s been living and teaching overseas for 23+ years in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia.

He’s led thousands of students on Education Outside the Classroom Expeditions for cultural immersion, ecology, adventure and service learning throughout Southeast Asia.

Kenny is currently an educator in the Middle School at Green School Bali. In his current role, he teaches Science, Math, and Regeneration in an experiential outdoor setting.

He’s ridden a bamboo bicycle from Thailand to Bali to raise awareness for sustainability in Southeast Asia and circumnavigated Phuket Island in Thailand in a kayak to spotlight marine conservation issues in the region.

He is author of The Box People- Out of the BOX! An illustrated children’s book focused on sustainable communities with the message to get out of your box and play outside to make deep connections with Nature!

As a result of his dedication to the environment, environmental education and conservation he’s been awarded Volunteer of the Year by both the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Organization in the USA and the Malaysian Nature Society in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

How do we EMPOWER our SEN learners? 

What if by accomodating for their unique needs, we were able to create a more student-centered environment for ALL learners? 

Provided alternative methods of assessment. Allowed for hands-on projects. Built learning around common themes. Emphasized life skills as much as academic ones. 

That's exactly what founder Ali Durban and Head Teacher Tamaryn Yatu have assembled at Gesher School; a through way school for children from ages 4-16 with mild to moderate needs. In this episode, we learn as student-centered practitioners:

• How to design and build more inclusive environments
• How to design learning experiences that engage and ignite our diverse learners
• The science behind neurodiverse learners and their needs
• How to assess learning that moves beyond paper/pencil tests
• How to create student-centered environments that create JOY and empowerment

Connect with Ali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-durban-6228233/

Connect with Tamaryn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaryn-yartu-b5074751/

Learn more about Gesher: https://gesherschool.com/ Access their database of projects: https://gesherschool.com/school-life/projects/

Pre-Order "Where is the Teacher: The 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments." www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher 

Take the 12 shifts Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind 

Ali's Bio: Ali Durban is a parent and co-founder of Gesher, an all-through school designed especially for children who are differently able and who learn differently. Gesher School has been awarded Ofsted outstanding twice since it opened in 2017.

Ali is also the founder of the Gesher Assessment Centre, which offers a bespoke multi-disciplinary assessment, diagnosis and report service for children and young people who may have ADHD, Autism or a range of varying learning differences.

Ali's journey from exhausted SEND parent to co-founder of a thriving school community has transformed her into a ringleader for system-wide transformation. Ali currently chairs a SEND council for the Foundation of Education Development which is creating a 10-year plan and vision for UK education. Ali also sits on the Education Council for the Autism Centre of Excellence. Gesher School welcomes you to register for The Bridge, Gesher's professional journal for the learning and continuous development of schools and staff. 

Tamaryn's Bio: Tamaryn is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, where she completed a Bachelor of Education Foundation Stage and worked within a specialist environment catering for children with a range of learning differences and a focus on early intervention. Tamaryn has always had a passion for teaching as inclusively and creatively as possible and therefore moved to London to explore different learning environments within this specialist field. As a SEND specialist, Tamaryn hs honed her skills over the years to support inclusive practice within several schools both locally and internationally. Through a transformative education approach, I have used Project Based Learning and dynamic learning designs to create innovative and purposeful curriculum programmes.

Tamaryn has been a part of the Gesher journey since the very beginning, and became Headteacher at Gesher in April 2021.  She planned and oversaw the school's move to a new site alongside the Governors, staff and various external organisations, including 'planning learning spaces' as we evolved into the secondary phase. A big part of this work included the development of our learning spaces to deliver our authentic hands-on curriculum for our students while meeting a range of needs. This year my focus will be to continue to develop the school's provision alongside my new co-head while we work to make a systemic change in the education system through sharing best practices and advocating for our students.

How do we cultivate and unleash student creativity in our classrooms?

Right now it's happening on the peripheries. In makerspaces, STEM projects, electives, and arts/music/drama classes.

But how do we make creativity a core part of day to day learning? Building opportunities for students to tinker, build, create, and problem solve on a daily basis in ALL classrooms?

In this short episode, Adam Hill, STEM consultant and creativity guru teaches us how to achieve this through a few simple shifts in mindset and learning design. 

We learn:

• How to transform existing units to be more hands-on
• How to bring the makerspace into our classrooms
• How to build creative mindsets and confidence with creativity
• How to get started 

Connect with Adam on LinkedIn; Instagram; Facebook (@adamhilledu); and on Twitter/X (@AdamHillEDU)

Adam's Website: adamhillconsulting.com

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to Target Areas for Growth: https://transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind/ 

Pre-order the 12 Shifts Book (coming in August!): Where is the Teacher: 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments

Adam's Bio: Adam Hill is an experienced international teacher, school leader and STEM specialist. After nine years in Asia, he recently returned to the UK to develop his educational consulting business. He believes passionately in the importance of student creativity and enjoys partnering with schools to support their STEM journeys. Adam was recognised as a Google for Education Champion and “Edruptor” of 2022. This summer sees the launch of his book, STEM-Powered Leadership.

How do we EMPOWER adolescent learners? 

Anyone who works with this age group, knows that they have a unique set of needs. Adolescent learners have unique needs for increased social connections, purpose, autonomy, ownership, and real-world purpose and pursuits beyond the walls of the classroom. 

As student-centered adolescent educators, how do we design experiences and environments that allow for these?

In this short podcast interview, expert adolescent educator and Montessori guide Julien Lamorte teaches us how to: 

• Build adolescent learning experiences around 4 key 'bricks' or 'pillars' 
• Include adolescent learners in learning design
• Empower them to develop and implement self-directed projects 
• Exhibit their learning  
• Connect them to opportunities in the real-world  
• Increase their agency, voice and choice in all aspects of learning 

Connect with Julien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julien-jayed/ . Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julien_jayed/. Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/JulienJayed . Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julien.jayed 

Website: julienjayed.me 

Dive Deeper in Designing Learning Experiences for Adolescents- - > Register for the FREE 'Building Student Agency' IB Workshops

Enroll in the 4 session Project-Based Design Certificate Course - -> Here.

Julien's Bio:

Father of 4 Montessori children, Julien Jayed Lamorte has been involved in the Montessori education movement since 2004 as a parent and volunteer president at Lyon Montessori School (France). At that time he was still running a business unit in urban planning and international consultancy. After a few years, this commitment led him to work closely with the AMI accredited French training center, setting up the 1st diploma course ever outside of Paris in 2010 - there were no online courses at that time. From 2008, he also took an active part to the preparatory work that eventually led to the creation in 2014 of the Collège Maria Montessori des Aiglons, the 1st Montessori middle school in France offering a full Erdkinder project. In charge of the administration and community development, he also gave some workshops to adolescents during five years, related to preparation to professional life; a mix of law, economics, finances and personal development allowing adolescents to understand better their possible future roles as adults. Julien Jayed Lamorte has become an international Montessori trainer since 2020, running courses for Montessori school administrators. He also offers consultancies all around the world, coaching school owners and administrators, supporting the development of Montessori curricula, in Europe, Africa and more recently Asia. Living in Switzerland since 2022, still engaged in spreading out Montessori education to the greatest number, Julien Jayed Lamorte volunteers in the Swiss Montessori community and has built a platform (montessoriaction.fr & montessoriaction.com) where he shares with other Montessorians free online resources to parents and professionals.

Taking the first steps 👣 into design project-based experiences can be a scary thought for a lot of teachers...

It certainly was for me.

How will I ensure students acquire the mandated curriculum? Assess learning? Where will I find the time to plan, scaffold the experience, and ensure students reach meaningful outcomes?

Chris Bush, Economics Teacher, and Head of Student Voice and Leadership at University High School had similar reservations. But with the help of Chat GPT and AI acting as a co-pilot, he finally had a tool to not only answer these questions, but dramatically enhance the experience for learners.

Check out our full conversation and learn how to:

👣 Use Chat GPT to most effectively to co-design curricular rich learning experiences

👣 Use AI + Chat GPT to personalize and create differentiated pathways

👣 Create a 'Clone' of yourself using AI to act as a personal tutor

👣 Put Chat GPT into our student's hands to improve learning outcomes

Connect with Chris: Linked In (@chrisjbush), 

Watch the Video on Youtube: Full Interview

Join the Upcoming Webinar: 'Engineering Your First Project-Based Experience:' www.transformschool.com/gptpbl 

Chris' Bio: 

Chris Bush is the Head of Student Voice and Leadership at University High School. He specialises in guiding teachers and professionals to utilise the transformative potential of AI. Chris’ expertise lies in enabling teachers to transform traditional learning into modern, student-centred experiences, where AI is integrated for a range of purposes, from clarifying complex concepts to enhancing practical skill development. His background includes a focus on curriculum development, including roles as Head of Curriculum and Innovation at Prahran High School and with the Safe Schools Coalition Australia, where he authored National Curriculum resources.

Chris Bush is currently Head of Student Voice and Leadership at University High School. He specialises in guiding teachers and professionals to harness AI’s transformative potential. His background includes a focus on curriculum development, having previously worked as Head of Curriculum and Innovation at Prahran High School and for the Safe School Coalition Australia where he authored National Curriculum resources. 

What if you could re-imagine schooling to be student-centered? Build from the ground up? 

That's what Connect Academy did when it was given carte blanche to re-imagine schooling for students in the Poway District. 

It re-imagined:

How we organize learning experiences, by making them interdisciplinary, and community focused.  

How we organize learners, by making classes mixed grade level, and inclusive of all abilities. 

How we organize the school day, by creating extended blocks of time, and project-based opportunities. 

How we CONNECT students, by connecting them meaningfully in daily advisories, and homerooms. 

Connect Academy isn't some fancy prep school built for elite families that live in the Hollywood Hills; it's a public, inclusive school built for kids of all backgrounds, nationalities, and socio-economic status. 

Learn more about their journey from learning experience designers/teachers Joe Gizzo and Karen Rogers, and you can build in these student-centered elements in your classroom or school.  

Learn more about Connect Academy: https://connectacademy.powayusd.com/ , Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/Connect_PUSD, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connect_academy_pusd/ & https://www.instagram.com/naturaldesigners/ 

Connect with Karen: LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Personal Site: https://sites.google.com/powayusd.com/karen-elaine/home 

Karen's Bio: Karen Elaine Rogers is a visionary who focuses on big picture and deeper purpose. Having directed multiple early childhood centers, started or revamped children's education programs, and pastoring a large and growing non-profit for families, she also fostered and then adopted many children in the first 20 years of her career. As an outside the box thinker who thrives in flexibility and clear purpose, KarenElaine has spent the last 10 years in public education. Focused on behavior modification and music therapy in her time in special education, she then piloted a project and brain based TK/K program in one of Poway Unified School District's Title 1 schools, and then helped launch the district's first hybrid Independent Study school while recently being awarded as Teacher of the Year. Strategizing tasks by building teams & investing in those closest to her, KarenElaine leads with empathy and focuses on team strengths. Her creative and innovative mind is constantly impassioned to dream, collaborate or share. Possessing a way with words, her ability to weave a great story, articulate vision, and influence an audience are what inspires. She aims to transform education & be part of life's most exciting pursuits with women, children and families while living simply with nature!

Joe's Bio: Joe Gizzo has been a teacher in Poway Unified School District for 24 years. He teaches middle school digital arts and computer science at Connect Academy, PUSD’s innovative, hybrid school. Joe strives to build empathy in students to help to create a school culture where everyone is welcomed, valued, and respected. Joe’s students have won many awards, including Digital Art awards from the SD County Fair and Museum of Photographic Arts, Jostens yearbook awards, Outstanding Activities and Leadership Program awards, and the California Association of Student Leaders Service Award. Joe’s awards include the Bob Burton Spirit Award, Area G Service Award, SD County Fair Teacher of the Year, School & District Teacher of the Year, honored as one of San Diego County’s top Teachers, Teen Ink’s Educator of the Year, and California’s designee for the Warren Shull Award. What is truly remarkable is Joe has accomplished all he has while battling a rare & incurable auto-immune disease. His story is truly inspirational for students and teachers alike.

How are you finishing off the semester before Winter Break? 

While many classrooms finish with final exams, as learner-centered practitioners, we understand that it's far more POWERFUL to let our students share their learning. 

Public Exhibitions are one of the best ways to do this. 

Exhibitions provide the perfect platform for learners to share their learning journeys, artifacts/products and work they developed along the way, and the transformations they experienced as a result. 

How, as learner-centered practitioners, do we ensure our exhibitions provide this opportunity? 

Using real case studies and concrete examples, I provide 5 key things to consider. Through these 5 simple tips, you will learn how to curate a beautiful space; equip students; foster audience and visitor interaction; and empower learners to take control of the process. 

Read on the Blog: https://transformschool.com/2023/12/03/exhibiting-student-work-five-things-to-consider/ 

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: https://transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind/ 

Get the free 'PBL Starter Kit': https://transformschool.com/pblstarterkit/ 

How do we better include learners and learning profiles often left behind in traditional settings? What if we could custom-fit learning experiences around their unique strengths, gifts, capabilities and needs? What if understanding the brain's intracacies and high yield therapeutic approaches helped us support and empower them in the learning process?  

In this episode, Cheryl, Founder and Acting Head of Cajal Academy addresses these questions in context of a program tailor-made for what she calls 'exceptional learners.' All learners, year 1-12 have analytical/reasoning/creative thinking skills in the 'gifted' range, coupled with pronounced learning, social and emotional differences. Through our conversation, we learn how to:

• Create environments that invite, excite and stimulate these 'exceptional learners' 
• Design scaffolds to support these learners through learning journeys and project-based experiences
• Use neuroscience to help amplify their special strengths, and overcome their challenges
• Include them in the process  

Unravel tips, strategies and insights that pave the way for classrooms where every project is an opportunity for diverse minds to shine! 

Connect with Cheryl: LinkedIn

Learn more about Cajal Academy: https://www.cajalacademy.org/ 

Sign up for the PBL Symposium: https://www.21c-learning.com/events/student-agency-and-pbl-symposium/ 

Take the 12 Shifts for 'Learner-Centered Environments' Scorecard: https://transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind 

Cheryl's Bio: 

Cheryl is the co-founder, President and acting Head of School for Cajal Academy, Inc.: a new, non-profit independent school that is innovating education by integrating insights from the fields of neuropsychology and neurophysiology to make them actionable in the classroom.

She is also the Founder and CEO of freedible, the social sharing platform where people with specialty diets can find and share the recipes, life hacks and community they need to thrive.

What these two ventures have in common is a passion for creating inclusive and scientifically-informed solutions at the social level to the challenges posed by individual differences and disabilities. And, they fuel my love for tackling complex problems, picking apart the details and creating from them a new whole.

I am also a passionate advocate for others; I believe that a solution that only works for people with education, resources or health is no solution at all. Her two driving passions are inclusion and empowerment; connecting with new people, whether it's one-on-one or as a public speaker, runs a close third. Cheryl 'wears her heart' on her sleeve, and believes in the responsibility of speaking her own mind- determined to leave this world a better place than it was when she found it. 

How much voice and ownership do you provide students in their learning journey? 

I understand the fears the fears of inviting too much input: 

What if students go in a direction I can’t support? Steer too far away from mandated curriculum? Decide on projects and products I’ve never developed myself?

And so oftentimes we keep learning experiences locked in a tightly sealed, ‘teacher-centred box.’ But what happens when we open up that box? Provide some basic parameters and frameworks, but invite students to help choose how to fill it?

What might student engagement and empowerment look like then?

In my conversation with learner-centered practitioner, Dr. Dom discusses her experience with a project she 'co-designed' with learners fromm start to finish. She shares her journey of involving students in developing learning materials, building partnerships with local schools to enhance the English curriculum, and the creation of 'Teaching Materials.' From our conversation, we learn the importance of forming driving questions for projects, facilitating feedback and reflection, and nurturing collaboration and inquiry among students. 

We leave equipped with tools to start the process with our own students. 

Connect with Dom on Instagram. LinkedIn. 

Dr. Dom's PBL Website: Resources, Reflection and Journey 

Dom's Bio: 

Dom currently teaches primary at KPIS International School in Thailand. Dedicated to educational development Dom is a researcher and educator with proficient career history in varied environments, and considers herself an easily approachable and professionally presented individual. A great ability to communicate, build and maintain rapport over wide range of cultures and social backgrounds. Prior self-employment has created a strong motivation to progress efficiently throughout her career. With a pro-active and enthusiastic attitude, Dom is always keen to further develop both leadership principles and strategy execution, within the school environment. Dom believes that, “a social and emotional learning influence is visibly beneficial to another’s academic development.”

There are several skills that are hard to build in students within the walls of a classroom.

Skills like leadership, community building, survival, mentorship, global citizenship, and expedition planning. 

On expeditions outside of the classroom, these skills come naturally; whether it's assisting farmers plant in the marshes of Indonesia (pictured above), or cultural treks to learn about isolated tribes' way of living in the jungles of Thailand. 

Justin Bedard, co-founder of Jump! and expert Experiential Learning Facilitator leads teams of students in these kind of experiences on a regular basis. In partnering with schools, his team of facilitators grow global citizens, while supporting classroom teachers to transform from subject teachers to experiential learning facilitators. In our podcast interview, we learn as new experiential learning facilitators:

• The key components of experiential learning and how it differs from traditional learning
• How to support students in honing and developing these skills  
• Create the conditions, big questions, and environment that allows for deeper experiential learning to take root within our schools and communities
• How to connect experiential learning opportunities meaningfully to our curriculum  
• How to develop the mindsets and tool set required to shift from a teacher to experiential learning facilitators 

Connect with Justin: LinkedIn (@justinbedard12)

Learn more about Jump!: https://jumpfoundation.org/ 

Take the 12 shifts scorecard around transitioning from teacher to facilitator: https://transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind/ 

Sign up for the PBL Symposium on 'Building Student Agency Through PBL:' https://www.21c-learning.com/events/student-agency-and-pbl-symposium/ 

Justin's Bio:

Born in Lilongwei, Malawi, Justin spent my childhood in Indonesia and formative years in China. Justin has a strong passion for community development and educational innovation which is the foundation of which The JUMP! Foundation has been built.

Throughout his life, Justin has built a focused commitment to youth development programs around the world. 

Wearing many hats, he has had the chance to carry out his passion for adventure guiding, organizational consulting, leadership facilitation, community development, and time playing in the wilderness.

As a speaker, Justin is comfortable speaking to international audiences of up to 1,000. He is excited to share my thoughts, perspectives and strategies with educators, NGOs, youth leaders, and other Changemakers worldwide.

Designing a learner-centered experience isn't that complicated. It requires only a few shifts in the way we currently design projects, units, and lessons. 

Building a learner-centered environment to allows the experience to fly? That takes years.  

It requires a long term commitment from staff, leadership, parents and students to create a culture built around the learner. I call that PBL 2.0. 

How as a learner-centered leader do you move from PBL 1.0 to PBL 2.0? 

Ms. Amina Usman helps us answer this question in the context of her teacher leadership at her PBL School, Beaconhouse TNS. She teaches us how to effectively coach, and create the conditions, culture, and classrooms that allow project-based experiences to reach full potential; while LEARNERS lead the way. 

Connect with Ms. Amina: amina.usman@tns.edu.pk 

Learn more about TNS/Beaconhouse PBL Schools: https://www.tns.edu.pk/

Take the 12 Shifts for Learner-Centered Environments Scorecard: http://www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind

Register for the November PBL Syposium: https://www.21c-learning.com/events/student-agency-and-pbl-symposium/

Ms. Amina Usman's Bio: Amina has been associated with the early years for the past 15 years, and her passion lies in nurturing young minds. It says if you are once a teacher, you are always a teacher, and the same goes for Amina as she started her career. And although Amina became coordinator 3 years ago, her heart  still lies in engaging with young children. Here role as an early years coordinator’s is to ensure that young children receive high-quality, developmentally appropriate experiences that meet their individual needs and help them reach their full potential. She works to ensure that early years classrooms are designed in such a way that promotes children’s learning and development, with a focus on social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Amina's degree is in Diplomacy and strategic studies, but when I joined teaching I did a number of training sessions to improve myself, with early childhood education.

AI is here. And while many schools are still wrapping their heads around how to best use it, some classrooms are already using it to enhance learning experiences. 

Whether that's in animating student written memoirs; or acting as a co-pilot in student research and investigation.

AI can improve learning outcomes and make our lives easier when we have the courage to embrace it. 

In this episode I sit down with technology/instructional coaches Cora Yang and Dalton Flanagan to learn more about how they are embracing AI and helping teachers across all subjects embrace and integrate it mindfully within their classroom and learning experiences. We learn:

• How to get comfortable and have fun with AI
• Simple ways AI can enhance our learning experiences and engage hard to reach learners
• How AI can help offload some of the things we hate doing as educators, while freeing up time for us to do more of the things we love  

Connect with Cora: Twitter and Threads: @coraedtechcoach, Website, LinkedIn

Connect with Dalton: Twitter: @desertclimber, LinkedIn, Website (https://www.daltonflanagan.me/)

Curated List of AI Tools for Teachers: https://t.co/hN1tGeE3Ik

Even more AI Tools: https://aieducator.tools/

Get the Discounted PBL Design Certificate Course: https://projectbasedlearning.teachable.com/p/projectbasedlearning1?coupon_code=30%25-OFF&product_id=2039146

Register for the PBL Symposium in November: https://www.21c-learning.com/events/student-agency-and-pbl-symposium/ 

Dalton's Bio: Dalton is a Learning and Innovation Coach at Chinese International School in Hong Kong, with over a decade of experience in education. He is by a passion for designing authentic project-based learning experiences, and strives to connect students' learning journeys with cutting-edge technologies, fostering engagement and promoting in-depth exploration. His enthusiasm for experimenting with new technologies drives him to integrate them into the classroom environment. His recent exploration into the realm of advanced AI models, such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and ChatGPT, have further expanded his ability to engage and inspire students and educators. As an ardent advocate for knowledge sharing and collaboration, he presents his experiences at conferences worldwide.

Cora's Bio: Meet Cora Yang, a devoted Learning Technology Coach at Renaissance College Hong Kong. Specializing in PYP and MYP tech integration, she enriches education with coding, robotics, VR, digital design, and more. Cora believes technology connects students to real-world opportunities, fostering lifelong learning through innovative projects. Always curious, Cora eagerly explores new tech and shares her knowledge, inspiring students to unlock their potential in our ever-changing world.

What happens when we co-design learning experiences with our students?

Give them choice over the product they create. Questions they pursue. Teammates they assemble. 

This was Maheen's big pondering when she began sharing ownership of PBL experiences with her year 3 students. The results were immediate. Learners inquired more critically, brought in talents she never knew they had, and planned presentations of learning that made adult jaws drop.

Learn more about Maheen's story of transformation from PBL 1.0 to PBL 2.0 and how you can achieve the same results in your classroom.  

Full Show Transcript

Take the 12 Shifts for Learner-Centred Environments Scorecard: https://www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmastermind

Learn More and Register for the PBL Symposium in November: https://www.21c-learning.com/events/student-agency-and-pbl-symposium/

Connect with Maheen: maheen.85856@tns.edu.pk

Maheen's Bio: Maheen is a 3rd Grade teacher from a PBL based school "TNS Beaconhouse" in Lahore, Pakistan. She has experience of teaching primary years and as a homeroom teacher, she is responsible for teaching multiple subjects, along with spending the entire day with her students. At the start of her learning journey with Kyle, she was new to the process of PBL and was having difficulties with inculcating it in her classroom. Now, after her learning journey with Kyle, the PBL process comes naturally to her. Her class has consistently outdone themselves on their projects, which have been guided by student inquiry. Their learning is long lasting and the products the students come up with are full of thoughtful insights. A complete turnaround in a year's time!

We talk a lot about tips, strategies, frameworks, and components of project-based experiences, but we don't talk a lot about mindsets.  

How do you develop the mindsets that allow for creativity, agility, uncertainty, and experiences that move in several directions?

In this episode, Thompson Morrison and Kavita Tanna, Founders of Ustawi Movement Global expose us to a process that builds these mindsets in both students and teachers; changing them from compliant learners to creative geniuses. We peel back the layers of this process and speak with educator Linda Amici about the transformational results she has seen in her classroom. Through it, you will learn:

• Why agility and adaptability are the #1 future skills, and how to develop it in our learners
• A simple framework to transform compliant learners to creative powerhouses 
• How to make learning a continual conversation and not a didactic mode of delivery
• How to use a learning process developed in real world industries like tech/software to guide experiences in our classrooms
• How to help our learners reach their creative potential 

Connect with Thompson Morrison: thompson@ustawimovement.global         

Connect with Kavita Tanna: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook       

Connect with Linda Amici: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Learn More about the DIG Framework: https://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Experiment-reimagined-education-unleashed/dp/0578634392 

Thompson's Bio: Thompson Morrison is the co-author of The Dayton Experiment, a book that tells a story of a five-year journey of reimagining the learning culture of a small rural school in Dayton, Oregon. A software executive deeply versed in the fast, iterative learning cycles that underpin Agile methodologies, he partnered with Jami Fluke, the principal of Dayton Middle School and High School, to reimagine the learning culture in order to unleash the creative genius of every student. From that experience, a learning framework was developed, Designed InGenuity (DiG), which has now been introduced to hundreds of educators around the world, helping to inspire the transformation of schools now on five continents. His most recent book, The Joyful Sandbox, explores how this framework is being used by schools to bring learning alive.

Kavita's Bio: Kavita is a facilitator of mission-driven work with communities around the world. Now pursuing her fourth career as a Global Education Coach, she brings the life experiences of business and classroom teaching to this work of transforming learning in communities. Kavita's mission is to connect with like-minded individuals who wish to empower all people through meaningful, interconnected, and globally-minded conversations. She is a graduate of the Brain-SET Environment Certificate, through which early childhood educators are empowered to design environments with the intention of children learning in calm spaces to support the development of their brains. As a lifelong learner, Kavita is completing a Master's degree with Antioch University, focusing on creating, sustaining and regenerating transformative learning communities using systems thinking. In regular one-to-one meetings, facilitation of team gatherings and large group workshops, Kavita coaches school leaders and classroom educators to recognise the roles they play in shaping the identities, attitudes and behaviours of all learners. By co-designing learning experiences, she offers practical ideas for global and intercultural-mindedness for all learners, including parents, educators and leaders. Through her work as a passionate advocate and mentor for social-emotional-ethical wellbeing integration in the lives of all people, Kavita’s vision is to co-create a harmonious world in which all living systems can flourish.

Linda's Bio: Linda Amici is an educator with a passion to empower future leaders to “be the change” the world needs. As a middle school instructional coach for the Westerville City School District and part-time faculty member for Otterbein University, she seeks to inspire those around her to embrace a growth mindset and take educational risks to innovate transformational practices. Changing the world has led Linda to opportunities that reach beyond the borders of the US. She has worked overseas on projects to bring health and clean water to remote locations in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Amazon river basin in Peru. Stateside, she supports international students on their exchange year as they share culture with US host families. She is energized by learning about new cultures and working with diverse teams to solve global issues. Linda graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree in Education and holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has had the honor of presenting and collaborating with PBL Works, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Center for Urban School Transformation, and she currently serves as an AMLE Schools of Distinction Evaluator. Linda graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree in Education and holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has had the honor of presenting and collaborating with PBL Works, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Center for Urban School Transformation, and she currently serves as an AMLE Schools of Distinction Evaluator. In 2019, Linda was selected as the Sanford Inspirational Award recipient by the National University System for the state of Ohio. She has been recognized as a Great Educational Mentor by her school district, and she was awarded a Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Deeper Learning Grant to awaken learner curiosity within her educational community. She currently serves as the National Teach Plus Fellow for Ohio and is a part of the AMLE support team. In 2019, Linda was selected as the Sanford Inspirational Award recipient by the National University System for the state of Ohio. She has been recognized as a Great Educational Mentor by her school district, and she was awarded a Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Deeper Learning Grant to awaken learner curiosity within her educational community. She currently serves as the National Teach Plus Fellow for Ohio and is a part of the AMLE support team. Linda is a mother to six children, one dog, and a small herd of guinea pigs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking, kayaking, and keeping herself and her community strong and healthy by teaching fitness classes to all ages. Connect with her on Twitter at @LindaAmici

As an edu-transformer, if someone asked you point blank, what are the top 10 ways to re-imagine the schooling experience, what would you tell them? 

That's what I asked longtime experiential educator, innovator, school designer, podcaster and project-based learning practitioner Steve Shapiro. And because Steve believes in continually being counter-culture, he gave me 11. 

This episode unpacks those lessons. From obvious lessons around having a growth mindset, to less obvious lessons like making questions in the community, not grades the common motivator for learning. Steve contextualizes each lesson with stories from his career as a long time disruptor and edu-innovator. You will leave with new insights on how to do the same in your classroom or school!

Get in Touch with Steve: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook. 

Steve's Website: https://www.steventshapiro.com/

Get the Project-Based Design Certificate Asynchronous Course for 30% off: Course Link

Enroll in the Synchronous PBL Design Certificate Course: Sign Up Link 

Steve's Bio: Steve Shapiro is a veteran classroom educator. In his 34-year career, Steve has taught sixth grade through graduate school, but his main work has been as a high school teacher and school reimaginer. Regardless of his role, Steve has been committed to providing experiential learning opportunities that transform students’ lives. Having completed his public school career, Steve now focuses his time on coaching, providing professional learning, and keynote speaking on experiential/authentic learning and school change. He also continues to produce episodes of his highly acclaimed podcast Experience Matters with Steve Shapiro.

Why do we still use traditional transcripts to report on learning?

As if academic marks are all that matter. 

Transcripts don't tell the story of a learner's strengths, special talents, competencies, certifications, or skills. Or their abilities as critical thinkers, leaders, creators and collaborators. 

But what if they did? What if in a highly visual way, they created a narrative for the WHOLE CHILD? 

That's what Hamza and his team at 'Start Up Early' have developed in their co-curricular transcript; and it's already making headway in several schools. Learners are gaining special insights into their strengths, passions and possible pathways to explore, while teachers and administrators are assemlbing something more impactful to pass on to parents and universities.

In this interview we unpack the co-curricular transcript and share tips for how you might use it in your own learner-centred environment. 

The Co-Curricular Transcript 

Get in Touch with Hamza: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

'Start-Up Early' Website: https://startupearly.com 

Hamza's Bio:

My name is Hamza Ansar, Founder at Start Up Early. I attained my MSc in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from the University of Southern California after founding my first startup, for which we raised angel investment locally as well as crowdfunding internationally. After returning to Pakistan in ’19, I founded Start Up Early, an education technology platform. Our focus is on helping students identify and pursue their passion in an effort to optimise their career trajectories. Our flagships product is the Student Success Management System.  Student Success Management System (SSMS) is a mobile-first student engagement & success software that helps schools increase student participation outside the classroom, track and assess extra-curricular activities and empower all students to tell their unique stories with our modern individualised co-curricular transcripts. A co-curricular transcript (CCT) is an official set of record, past and present, of a student’s co-curricular and extra-curricular activities (clubs, organizations, activities), awards, accomplishments and honors received during a student’s schooling years.

The co-curricular transcript will include:

• Co-curricular transcript overview of all past student data
• Graphical representation of all co-curricular activities divided in to various categories
• Gamified badges unlocked at milestone achievement
• Co-curricular effort mapped against top tiered students from previous years
• Roadmap and suggestions on how students can improve their co-curricular score
• Competency mapping from prior experiences
• Easy-to-read visual timeline of all activities

As learner-centered practitioners, I imagine we are all firm believers in the benefits, and postive outcomes project-based experiences have on our students. But what about our learners? Do they feel the same way?

In this short podcast interview, I chat with two learners, Stanley and Flora at experimental PBL School VIS Better World Lab in Taiwan to get their take on how project-based experiences have IMPACTED them. From how they have grown as people, to how it has affected their view of learning. 

But it's not all rainbows and butterflies. We also discuss PBL's shortcomings, and the challenges they have faced adapting to this new model. Through a learner's lens, you will gain new insight into:

1. The major differences between PBL and a traditional approach 
2. How to support project teams that collaborate and illuminate invidividual interests
3. Supporting students in the process of investigation 
4. The IMPACT project-based experiences has on learners 
5. Potential pitfalls of project-based learning, and how to overcome them
6. Adopting the mindest it takes to transition from classroom teacher to a project facilitator 

Learn more about VIS: Instagram: (@vis_betterworldlab), Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterworldLAB?mibextid=LQQJ4d Website: https://vis.tp.edu.tw 

Follow VIS Radio: Instagram (@vis_radio_channel), Website: www.vis-radio.com 

Comprehensive Overview of PBL Benefits: Report here. 

PBL Collab and Grab Monthly Discussion Interest Form: https://forms.gle/zY2iG6XBvXqzDTtk7

Oscar and Flora's Bio:

Flora Lin has been a student in VIS experimental High School for 2 years, over which she has not only attended but been selected team leader for many of the PBL projects that she has been involved in. Stanley Pang is currently in 11th grade and finishing up his first year in VIS. Despite only being here for year Stanley has already achieved many great accomplishments like winning the Entrepreneurship award as well as starting his own gym club, of which he leads many of his classmates onto the journey to building better fitness habits Together, Stanley and Flora have proved themselves to be strong VIS as well as strong PBL students. Together they have not only been selected leader in their PBLs and won recognition for their in-school performance. They have also entered a business competition together and got 8th place, out of hundreds of other applicants. Stanley and Flora are both hardworking and diligent students who aim to always put their best effort both in and out of school. We hope that their interview provides listeners more insight into what PBL is like and inspires them to learn more about incorporating PBL in their schools in the future.

What do all of these assessments have in common?

💡 A field guide to the of the local flora and fauna in the region.
💡 A community garden.
💡 A recipe book for healthy meals using only 5 ingredients.
💡 A tourist handbook of the ‘hidden gems’ of the city.
💡 A podcast featuring community stories of hope.
💡 A published paper in a professional magazine around how to protect the local wetlands.

They are all authentic products created by students to demonstrate learning, and make a difference in their community. And they CAN'T be replicated by ChatGpt or AI. 

In this episode I provide insights for how to develop and authentically assess learning experiences using the 4 'A's' of assessment. Bonus resources available below:

50+ Alternatives to Paper/Pencil Exams: 50+ Ideas ways you might assess student learning in project-based experiences

PBL Collab and Grab Forum: Fill out this short interest form to apply for our monthly discussion forums around the most pressing questions and answers to PBL challenges. 

Why do we grade students? 

Is it to measure and evaluate learning? Provide students an incentive to do their work? Reflect the ‘rigour’ of our classroom? 

Research shows that grades don’t accomplish any of these things. 

What if there was a better way to measure, monitor and evaluate student growth? And share a story of their learning journey...

What if we eliminated grades entirely? 

That’s exactly what Gary Heidt, 10th Grade Humanities and Social Entrepreneurship Teacher, did in his high school's 'Nova Lab' learning space. And his students soared to new heights because of it. 

Learn more about the alternative system he co-designed, and how it can help your students:

• Increase work ethic and production
• Become more reflective and meticulous with their work
• Provide detailed descriptions of their learning journey and growth
• Take charge of their learning  

Gary's Blog: https://onlyconnects.wordpress.com 

Going Gradeless Resources

Nova Lab: https://pvhsnovalab.com   

Connect w/ Gary: Twiter (@Ed_by_design) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-heidt-6146656/)  

Gary's Bio: Garreth Heidt has taught middle and high school students via a unique instructional approach to creativity and design thinking for the better part of 30 years. His curricula seek to develop skills in critical viewing, question formation, civil discussion, problem finding, and problem solving. The learning process is driven by design-minded means to a unique educational end for his students, and is focused around two simple questions: “Why are things the way they are? How can we make them better?”

He currently teaches a 10th grade Gifted Humanities class, and is the Lead Learner and co-designer of his high school’s innovation and social entrepreneurship space, NOVA Lab.

Mr. Heidt has spent time teaching and developing classes at the middle school, high school, and college level. He is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in English and a Masters in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. His work has appeared in or been featured by: School Arts, A Gathering of the Tribes, the Industrial Designers Society of America, The Design Learning Network, Bard College’s “Institute for Writing and Thinking”, and in a forthcoming book on experiential learning in museums entitled, The Museum as Experience.

He blogs infrequently on his own sites, Only Connect (www.onlyconnects.wordpress.com) and Innovation Lab (pvhsnovalab.com). He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Delaware Valley, Design-ed Coalition, the Design Learning Network, and he is the Director of Learning for the Educational Design Consultancy, Form & Faculty (www.formandfaculty.com ).

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a focal point for many schools. 

But few are taking real ACTION on a local level to make these goals become a reality. 

What would happen if we shifted the focus away from seemingly out of reach global goals, to more tangible local goals?

'Think global, act local,' is the motto Paul Karpawich as adopted to achieve this aim through REAL project-based experiences on the ground level. Paul has narrowed his sights on projects that help schools in his area tackle the global food waste problem (SDG #12). Through cafeteria composting, waste management programs, and advocacy, Paul is empowering learners and educators to make a real difference in their communities, one project at a time. 

Learn more about Paul's story and how you as an edu-transformer can: 

• Organize mandated curriculum around the Sustainable Development Goals
• Co-develop project-based experiences that help students address them on a local level 
• Empower your learners to become real environmental scientists, engineers, and community organizers
• Incoporate multiple stakeholders
• Create more sustainable schools and communities

Article on 6th Grade Food Waste Project: https://concordmonitor-nh-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=06815ae25_134aa62 

Compost and Food Waste Diversion in Amherst Presentation: 

https://tinyurl.com/fcrnxvdx  

Connect with Paul: Linkedin, Instagram (@paulkarp). Email: pkarp7691@gmail.com. 

Register for the 'Tackling SDGs through local, student-driven projects' 21CLHK Workshop: https://www.21clconf.org/presentations/pre-conference-tackling-global-sustainable-development-goals-through-local-student-driven-community-projects/ 

Paul's Bio: Paul Karpawich spent 25 years in high tech working for startups and established tech companies. He most recently transitioned to learning about how to lead communities through change to sustainable outcomes. In taking a think global, act local mindset in his own community in Southern New Hampshire, Paul has been drivng food waste initiatives around PBL's in the schools. Through a grant from WWF and his partnership with the Hollis NH school system and Helsingborg Sweden, he has implemented food waste diversion projects that are leveraing a "manage what you measure" approach to getting food waste numbers down. The project has been focused on getting K-6 students to recogize food waste and to understand how it can converted to energy through an anerobic digester. The Hollis and Helsingborg 6th graders have done multiple joint global classrooms to learn not only about how food waste is used to power transporation in Helsingborg Sweden, but they also learned about where their food comes from around the globe. Taking it a step further, the town of Hollis and surronding towns are getting into the act by setting up food waste collection services at transfer stations to divert waste from the landfills. Paul's future goal is to build upon this foundation to allow towns and schools to take on pathways to transition to more sustianble outcomes including waste diversion across the state.

It's not unusual to find MakerSpaces popping up on several school campuses as a way to offer students hands on learning opportunities. 

But does 'making' have to be confined to the MakerSpace for only a few classes per week? What would happen if ALL educators adopted a 'maker' mindset, and provided hands on opportunities that spanned all classrooms, subjects and learners? 

My guest and MakerSpace Founder Mark Loundy discusses how to adopt this mindset, and the transformations we can see in schools as a result. We learn how to: 

• Develop project-based experiences that allow for 'making' across all subjects 
• Help the MakerSpace be accessible to all parts of the school depending on the learning experience 
• Build the WHY for the MakerSpace before the HOW
• Develop a school culture that values flexibility, innovation and tinkering
• Transition from 'MakerSpace' to 'MakerMindset' 

Get in touch with Mark: LinkedIn, Twitter (@markloundy), Facebook, Website. 

Story of the 'CREATE' MakerSpace: https://k5create.blogspot.com/p/the-story-of-create.html

Apply for the PBL Collab and Grab Monthly Forums: https://forms.gle/2vzPknQbeuzTE3h47 

Mark's Bio: Mark Loundy is a former journalist, photographer and social media pioneer. As an online community manager at GeoCities at the turn of the century, he helped build the foundations of what we now call social media. He brings all of those skills to education as an innovative instructional technology specialist in Silicon Valley. He is a three-time Ignited Fellow, working at Lockheed Martin on classified military communications satellites and at Meta (Facebook,) exploring global supply chain issues. He founded and operates the first makerspace in the Cupertino Union School District and lead both the video production team and after-school tech team. The tech team created a coding language to operate a human "computer" in a virtual reality environment.

It's easy in project-based experiences to get caught up in the shiny final 'product' at the end. But just like the tip of an iceberg, the product is only a small part of a much deeper PROCESS of learning taking place underneath.

How do we capture that process, and make it more visible? What simple tool might allow learners to document that process on their own?

Welcome to Unrulr, a social learning app that makes holisitic learner growth visible through capturing authentic moments throughout the PBL process.  

In this short podcast interview, I sit down with Unrulr's Head of Growth, Aaron Schorn to learn how we as edu-transformers can:

• Better elicit student reflection through the PBL process
• Capture evidence of learner growth   
• Make learning experiences feel more social, and community driven  
• Help learners create 'learning journeys' to share their story of learning through meaningful project-based experiences 

Connect with Aaron on LInkedIN and Twitter. 

Learn more about Unrulr: Unrulr.com 

Learn more about the upcoming PBL Collab and Grab global forums and submit an interest form. https://forms.gle/mHo16AJoKMVHQJe8A 

Aaron's Bio: Aaron is Head of Growth and Learning at Unrulr, where he works to make learning visible and joyful. He is also a teacher, program director, and co-designer of student-agency-driven learning communities around the globe. His work is focused on apprenticeship, craftsmanship, storytelling, and providing youth with the space, time, resources, and methodologies to turn their ideas into iterative realities. Aaron's professional background includes education, international business, digital storytelling, and operations/management. At the Nalukai Foundation, Aaron creates and implements entrepreneurship schema and curriculum rooted in culture, hustles to find mentors, and waxes poetic on authentic storytelling. Aaron was also the former K-12 Capstone Coordinator at HPA on Hawai'i Island. Read more about his journey in this Getting Smart article.

Many powerful project-based experiences are borne inside Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, electives, STEM or after school classes. But for most of these PBL experiences, that's where they stay. 

What would happen if these project-based experiences moved beyond the walls of these progams and into the mainstream curriculum and broader community? What IMPACT might they have then? 

In this podcast interview I chat with Stacey Duchrow, the Director of workforce solutions at KTEC technical school, to chat around how she enlarges the impact of PBL by moving it beyond the walls of CTE, and how we as edu-transformers can as well by:

• Building strategic industry partnerships
• Collaborating across disciplines to align on a common vision/graduate profile
• Empowering learners to continue projects long past their due date 
• Framing assessment around key competencies like problem solving, cognitive flexibility, team collaboration and more  

Learn more about KTEC: www.ktecschools.org

View their profile of a graduate: https://www.ktecschools.org/what-sets-us-apart/ 

List of Learner Competencies

Connect with Stacey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-duchrow-a068a5140/ 

Join the Global Community of PBL Practioners for Monthly Forums: Interest Form

Stacey's Bio: 

Stacey Duchrow was appointed to KTEC High School’s Director of Workforce Solutions, a new career and technical education focused charter school. She brings numerous years of educational and industrial experience to the position. Although Duchrow started her industry career as a Microbiologist at Abbott Labs, she soon discovered her passion for education. An experienced science teacher with Kenosha Unified School District and Union Grove High School, Duchrow also served in numerous roles outside the classroom. At Union Grove she was STEM coordinator, career & academies coordinator, district assessment coordinator, and RTI coordinator, all while developing three STEM pathways and working to strengthen the school’s college and career-ready culture.

Following Union Grove, Duchrow was the manager of Business and Educational Partnerships for Milwaukee 7 Regional Economic Development (M7). She worked to foster career pathways, career-based learning, and STEM education throughout Southeastern Wisconsin during her tenure. In addition, she partnered with numerous organizations throughout the region to strengthen business and educational partnerships. After leaving M7, she returned to KUSD, serving as the assistant principal at KTEC East. During her time at KTEC East, she created a Festo Mechatronics camp that allowed 8th-graders to gain industry-driven skills in automation technology by gaining an NC3 certification. Her passion is creating a curriculum pathway that helps all students find their future through robust career exploration and unique skill-based learning opportunities.

Many schools spend millions of dollars on state of the art learning environments, yet few of them have the desired impact on learners.

Why? 

Because they weren't designed WITH the learners, and integrally connected to learner-centered EXPERIENCES. 

In this episode, I sit down with Ashley Durdle of world renowned Verso Inernational School to discuss how to seamlessly connect the two. 

Learn how their flexible, modular, and dynamic environments supports dynamic project-based experiences, and you might adapt yours to do the same. 

This video is part of a '12 days of PBL' holiday series. Get access to all 12 videos here: www.transformschool.com/12daysofpbl 

Connect with Ashley: ashley.d@verso.ac.th 

Learn more about Verso: https://www.verso.ac.th/

Tour the Verso Campus and Design Dynamic Learning Experiences during the 21st Century Learning Conference: https://www.21clconf.org/item/tackling-global-sustainable-development-goals/

The SDGs (sustainable development goals) have become a huge focal point for many schools. 

With climate change, water pollution, and elimination of biodiversity effecting the entire planet, it makes complete sense. But how do we address these HUGE issues on a local level? 

In this podcast episode, I sit down with Margo LaPointe, director of award winning Seaview Learning, to hear how her students are addressing these issues through hands-on projects in Kingston, Massachussetts. Students are lowering their carbon footprint by co-constructing log cabins from damaged, indigenous trees; and improving water quality, by creating natural filtration systems in their local pond. They are infusing mandated curriculum and key 21st century skills through each home grown project. 

Learn how to design these kind of experiences, and build the local and global partnerships that ensure they fly! 

Find out more about Seaview Learning: www.seaviewlearning.org 

Connect with Seaview Learning and Margo: Twitter (@margo25893202), Facebook (@seaviewlearning), Instagram (seaview_learning).

LinkedIn 

Margo's Bio: Margo LaPointe is the Founder of an award-winning innovative education model which strives to answer the question, "If the purpose of education is to prepare students for their future, how can we best deliver?" The model delivers project based learning mapped to students developing a resume and portfolio of real-world experiences including working on projects with a Boston architect in applying STEM to build a green design eco-friendly building, a Massachusetts State Representative to develop a student-led initiative based on The James Ward Act,, and the United Nations COP 27 in Egypt on The Global Water Crisis. The innovative education model includes whole child education experiential learning, and wellness practices incorporated into the school day in developing Social Emotional Learning and work-life balance as a means to fuel academic success. Marrying the work of Ted Dintersmith ("Most Likely To Succeed", "What School Could Be") with The Boy Scouts of America properties as a school campus, the model has won Top 5 Private Middle Schools in Boston, Massachusetts and Greater New England by Boston Parents Family Favorite, and placed BOSS 2022 Best Private Elementary School on the South Shore with a feature in South Shore Home, Life & Style magazine. LaPointe was named, "Most Influential Women Leaders of 2022" by global business magazine, The Victory, and is currently developing innovative education models for students nationally across the United States, as well as a Student Ambassador program for the United Nations which will create opportunities for students on a global scope. Margo LaPointe has accepted an invitation to support educators working in all education models internationally, as a Facilitator in the Transform Education PBL Network so that as many children who would benefit from what we do, and how we do it, can access this opportunity across the world. 

Lots of large international schools are seeking ways to make learning experiences more relevant, interdisciplinary and project/problem-based. 

Yet between fixed timetables, a demanding curriculum, large student bodies, and siloed subjects, they are finding it difficult to do more than offer a few lessons per week. 

What if there was a way to make experiences like these the main course? 

In this podcast, I sit down with Amber Kotcher and Jeff Harwood, coordinators of the PRAXIS program, a small micro-learning commmunity in the International School of Kuala Lumpur that does just that. Through a flexible timetable and learner-centered approach, it develops creative, collaborative problem-solvers by organizing Science, English, Social Studies and Art/Design around complex and compelling problems that demand an interdisciplinary approach to address. 

Learn more about the program and how you too can:

• Re-organize your curriculum around complex and compelling problems
• Help students become IB, AP, Citizen, Career and most importantly 'Happinness Ready.' 
• Integrate siloed subjects seamlessly through meaningful questions
• Transform learning from artificial learning activities, to REAL life experiences  

Learn more about the Praxis Program: https://www.iskl.edu.my/learning-at-iskl/high-school/praxis-program/ 

Hear a student perspective: https://youtu.be/04x8tFtSueQ. 

Connect w/ Amber Kotcher, Program Coordinator: akotcher@iskl.edu.my 

Connect w/ Jeff Harwood, Assistant Principal: jharwood@iskl.edu.my

Amber's Bio: Amber Kotcher is the PRAXIS Program Coordinator at the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL). “PRAXIS is an integrated learning program which reimagines the school experience at ISKL. Learning is anchored in complex, real-world challenges, empowering students to thrive in a dynamic present and future. PRAXIS 2030 fosters creative exploration, effective collaboration, and active problem-solving through a differentiated and flexible thinking space. Students reflect deeply and act with agency and empathy to make a positive difference in our world”. Amber has taught Art and Design K-12 in the USA, S Korea, Vietnam, and Israel for the past 15 years. Along with teaching she has held various leadership roles in schools and is an advocate for student leadership, student voice, and student agency in learning in high schools. Jeff Harwood is the High School Assistant Principal at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Prior to his role at ISKL Jeff worked as the Dean of Students, College/Pastoral Counselor and Literature Teacher at the Rabat American School in Morocco. Before moving overseas and working in private schools, Jeff worked as a public school teacher and counselor. He has experience in implementing alternative education programs that are rooted in problem based learning that foster student agency and connect academic learning to the world beyond academia. 

Jeff's Bio: Jeff Harwood is the High School Assistant Principal at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Prior to his role at ISKL Jeff worked as the Dean of Students, College/Pastoral Counselor and Literature Teacher at the Rabat American School in Morocco. Before moving overseas and working in private schools, Jeff worked as a public school teacher and counselor. He has experience in implementing alternative education programs that are rooted in problem based learning that foster student agency and connect academic learning to the world beyond academia. 

Imagine your most challenging students- The ones who can't sit still, blurt out, submit low- quality work, have difficulty working with others, and seem totally checked out suddenly self-managing, coming in voluntarily after class, submitting polished work, and leading teams.

That's what happened in several classrooms when they were transformed into canvases for student-run businesses. 

These forward thinking educators are making the magic happen with the support of an organisation called ‘Real World Scholars.’ And their ‘EdCorps’ model has garnished national attention. To date over 600 student businesses have been created, 600 + classrooms transformed, and more than 50,000 young lives forever changed. I sat down with founders John Cahalin and Elyse Burden to learn more about the model, and how we as learner-centered practitioners can use it to:

• Make our classroom come alive
• Tranform our students into real entrepreneurs and business 'co-founders'
• Give our boring ‘standards’ a real world lens
• Empower our traditionally disengaged learners
• Help learners discover their passions, interests, and most importantly how to make a difference

Connect with John: Twitter (@JohnCahalin1) 

Connect with Elyse: Twitter (@LyzBurden), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyse-burden/)

Learn more about Real World Scholars Success Stories: Wicked Soap Company: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2FXk2kNEhQ), Articles: 'Non-Profit Brings Business to Life', Sugar Kids Beauty

John Cahalin's Bio: 

Elyse Burden's Bio:

So many schools are spending millions of dollars to reconfigure learning environments to be more fit for the '21st century' and project-based learning.

But when the spaces are finally built, they don't have the effect on teaching and learning that they desired. 

Why? Because the LEARNERS weren't involved in designing them. 

But what if they were? And what if it was their first project? 

In this episode, I sat down with Natural Pod CEO Bridegitte Alomes and CSO Michelle Carpenter to discuss their process for designing learning environments which include ALL stakeholders. Learn more about this process and how including learners in proposal writing, presentations, prototypes, and 3-D renderings for learning spaces informed the build for one of the most innovative campuses in the country! 

Learn more and connect with Natural Pod: Instagram/Twitter (@naturalpod), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/2749692/), Website (www.naturalpod.com) 

Bridgitte Alomes Bio: Bridgitte Alomes, Founder and CEO of Natural Pod, is a thought leader dedicated to creating better learning environments through the use of beautifully designed, high quality education furniture made from healthy, sustainable materials, with an emphasis on environmental awareness and stewardship. Through her work with Natural Pod, Bridgitte is committed to sharing the importance of learning environment design with the global education and design community, shifting the paradigm of learning spaces toward a more collaborative, intentional, and student-centric model. Bridgitte also serves as President on the board of the Green Schools National Network, creating broad-based initiatives aimed at fostering healthy, sustainable K-12 schools.

Michelle Carpenter's Bio: Michelle E. Carpenter is the chief strategy officer (CSO) at Natural Pod, a company focused on creating better learning environments. Michelle specializes in developing, communicating, executing, and sustaining strategic initiatives, ensuring Natural Pod thoughtfully supports students and educators within their learning environments. Michelle is deeply engaged with A4LE, specifically the SchoolsNEXT student design competition, where students design their version of the school of the future.

How can the most innovative square mile on the planet also be plagued by racial injustice 2 blocks away? And what can we do about it?

This is just one of the many difficult questions teens at 'Innovators For Purpose' are tackling through project-based experiences they design in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

They are building installations. Publishing books. Creating augmented reality simulations. Building educational games. And producing podcasts.

And they are using a few simple, innovative tools to guide them. 

In this interview, we unpack some of these innovative tools including the 'Innovators Compass,' with its creator Ela Bur, and co-founders of 'Innovators For a Purpose' Michael and Donna Dawson. Through our short chat you will learn how to use similar tools to seamlessly facilitate a multitude of student projects within your own context, and transform the community as a result.

Sample Innovators' Compass for Two Blocks Project: 

Connect with Ela on LinkedIn, Twitter (@elabenur) 

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn. 

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn. 

Learn more about 'Innovators' for a Purpose': Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Website: innovatorsforpurpose.org 

Learn more about the 'Innovators' Compass' and '2 Blocks Project:' https://innovatorsforpurpose.org/2blocks 

Michael Dawson's Bio: Co-founder and CEO of IFp, career has spanned engineering, marketing and sales in High Tech as well as entrepreneurial endeavors resulting in a hybrid of technical skills, business acumen, design savviness, relationship building abilities and an undeniable entrepreneurial spirit. Holds Bachelor & Master in Electrical Engineering Degrees from the University of South Florida and an MBA from Babson College.

Donna Dawson's Bio: Co-founder of iFp, VP Youth Empowerment, visionary thinker with a zeal for art and the art making process. Inventive art educator with a proven capacity for promoting a respectful, caring, safe and inclusive classroom. Creates engaging learning experiences focused on Human Centered Design Principles, Character Development and Professional Identity that inspires youth to pursue Design and STEM careers. Holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education with over 20 years teaching experience and a certified K-12 instructor. 

Ela's Bio: Ela supports educators and organizations making postive change with Design Thinking. Over 13 prior years at innovation firm IDEO, Ela was a design practitioner, project leader, team coach, facilitator for clients, and co-founder of IDEO’s Leadership Studio. Ela teaches courses from product design to life design at pioneering Olin College. She has led featured workshops at venues from MIT (her alma mater) to the National Science Teachers’ Association, AIGA, International Development Design Summit, and US Conference on AIDS. With many co-experimenters, she developed Innovators’ Compass (#innovatorscompass, innovatorscompass.org), 5 powerful questions in one visual tool used from preschools to companies and communities to creatively and collaboratively navigate challenges. Ela’s daughters are her inspiration. 

What would happen to learning if you collapsed the timetable, paired teachers, and co-designed community and passion driven projects?

This is what American International School does for one week each year with its "PBL intensives." It is now in iteration 3.0.

 The results have been incredible... 

Teachers have re-configured their classrooms to be more learner-centered.

Built partnerships for learning experiences with the community to make them more authentic. 

Invited student voice and agency to ensure learning meets their needs. 

In short, it's transformed the culture around teaching and learning.

Zachary Post, the Midddle School Principal was at the helm of these PBL intensives. I sat down with Zach to learn a bit more about them, and how we can use a week off the timetable to accelerate, onboard, and 'power up' PBL on our own campuses as well.    

Connect w/ Zach: zpost@ais.edu.hk

Watch the Trailer Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TFsBDSPXp0MJ1FlntvyLLdhwp1BM_7d0/view 

EARCOS write-up around the PBL intensives: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zkkf9yYJkbeWefanyRh-D7iFKBnFgwlh/view 

Zach's Bio: With 21 years of experience, including serving as a middle school principal at the American International School in Hong Kong since 2016, Zach has dedicated his career to building organizational capacity in support of project-based learning. In the early 2000s, Zach started his career at a progressive charter school in Portland, Oregon. Since 2009, he has worked internationally, including the Carol Morgan School in the Dominican Republic, Saigon South Intl. School in Vietnam, and the American Intl. School in Hong Kong. Zach has often presented at regional conferences and offered professional development on project-based learning. He is most interested in opening up pathways for teacher leadership and creating the conditions for innovation to take hold. Cognitive Coaching and Critical Friends Group work have been important components that have helped Zach to collectively establish a culture of trust, collaboration, and reflection amongst faculty and students. Zach is happy to exchange ideas and resource and can be reached at zpost@ais.edu.hk.

What if before developing 'Projects' we first built Partnerships? Connected students with real People? Became more familar with our Place? Purpose?

This is what Dr. Jane Shore, Director of Community Partnerships at the Revolution School advocates for in her unique version of 'PBL.' 

Learn more about how she co-creates this space with learners and how to seamlessly: 

• Build partnerships with your own community
• Co-create curriculum with key community partners
• Engage students in learning experiences that connect them to place and purpose
• Attract the right kind of teachers (or as she calls 'unicorn ninjas') to facilitate the process

Learn more about Jane's work: schoolofthought.substack.com  , revolutionschool.org  

Connect with Jane: Twitter: @shorejaneshore, LinkedIn: @jane-r-shore

Fill out the Interest form for the global PBL community: https://forms.gle/WUqKY3ex8Yy4m9kb7 

Jane's Bio: 

Dr. Jane Shore is a corner sitter, energized by the perspectives gained at the intersections between research & practice, school & community, learning & leading, data & visuals. Jane loves to co-design and explore answers to research questions that cross boundaries like, “How might we meaningfully capture the impact of hard to measure things?”As a member of the founding team at a place-based, progressive high school in Philadelphia called Revolution School, Jane serves as the Director of Community Partnerships and Research. She loves connecting and building community, especially with and for young people. She is on a mission to open pathways between schools and communities so that the change-making things young people can do now. Her latest obsession is creating hand drawn visualizations representing research and stories. In her work, she has the desire, as @monachalabi puts it, “to take the numb out of numbers.” You can find them in her School of Thought blog, where she takes big evidence ideas and makes them usable. schoolofthought.substack.com She holds a doctorate in Bilingual Special Education from George Washington University, where she was a Title IV bilingual fellow, and a Master’s in Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University. She loves hiking, ocean swimming, and picnic foods. She lives in Philadelphia (and occasionally Massachusetts) with her husband, Walker, their two boys, Avery and Beckett. She just illustrated her first children's book, Imagine Song, with author Melissa Campesi.

What if schools operated more like a start-up? 

Students as entrepreneurs. 

Schedules- flexible. 

Community as partner. 

Community needs, and student-generated solutions as the curriculum. 

Teachers as project mentors. 

Assessment as value.

This is what learning looked like for 14 year old student entrpreneur Raheen Fatima, when she joined a local incubator in Pakistan. 

In this podcast episode, I chat with Raheen about what lessons we as edu-innovators can learn from this model, and how we can: 

• Design learning experiences that reflect real world work
• Provide students with more agency in their learning journeys
• Infuse real world stakes and build community partnerships 
• Help our young people discover their passions and interests, and use them to change the world

Learn more about Raheen: LinkedIn, Twitter (@RaheenFatima6)

Enroll in the Project Based Design Course for 40% off: https://projectbasedlearning.teachable.com/p/projectbasedlearning1?coupon_code=FALL-SALE 

Raheen's Bio: Raheen Fatima is a multi-award-winning GEN-Z Peace & Climate Change Activist. She is also an SDGs Ambassador, Stand-up comedian, Theatre Actor, teacher, Sustainability Entrepreneur, and Podcaster. Raheen’s work has been featured in news outlets including CNN, Cartoon Network, Voice of America, CTV News Canada, and Pakistan National Television. She is a prolific public speaker and has spoken at schools across the country and internationally. She gave her debut TEDx Talk at Acton Youth TEDx.

She believes nothing else but bridging the gap through interfaith, intercultural, international dialogue can pave the way for global peace and the achievement of SDGs

Are you planning to launch your very first project-based experience in the 2022-2023 school year?

That can be exciting and terrifying all at the same time. 

This episode provides insights and tips from teaching team Michelle Willis and Dave Sheenan who launched their first project in the 2021-2022 school year.

Through the re-telling of their 'Suenos Unidos' (Dreamers Unite) project, they teach us how to:

1. Take an existing unit and turn it into a project-based experience
2. Become comfortable in the 'messiness' of PBL
3. Be pleasanty suprised by our students
4. Have previously disengaged students work harder for their classmates than they ever worked for us
5. Discover strengths we never knew our students had 

View the 'Suenos Unidos' Project Site: https://sites.google.com/gomperscharter.org/pbl/home 

Get the PBL Design Certificate Course for 40% off: https://projectbasedlearning.teachable.com/p/projectbasedlearning1?coupon_code=FALL-SALE

Connect with Michelle on Instagram: @lilswills

Michelle and Dave's Bios: Ms.Willis currently works at Gompers Preparatory Academy, she is going into her 10th year as an 11th grade English teacher. She is a strong believer in briding the equity gap in education by supporting ALL learners and learning styles. She is also a mom, a coach, a corny joke teller, comedy lover and overall nerd. She can be found listening music, working out or working on her writing skills. But you’ll most likely find her goofing around with her two year old son or contemplating the contradictions of modern day life. Mr. Sheehan has worked at Gompers Preparatory Academy for the past ten years as a high school Special Education teacher. A former teacher of the year, Mr. Sheehan believes all students, regardless of their disabilities, have the capabilities to learn and grow. When he's not focused on his job, you can find him hanging out with friends and taking care of his family: his nephew, Ry, his cat, Stella, and his dog, Trinity.