Author: BelieveAgain
Reuben Ogbonna is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Marcy Lab School. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about why he founded the school and how they are reimagining post-secondary education to design pathways for students traditional higher education has left out. We begin by hearing how Reuben’s upbringing in Shreveport, Louisiana, and his experience with Teach for America inspired him to create an alternative career-focused postsecondary option. Reuben explains how Marcy Lab School operates as a one-year program for underserved young adults interested in tech careers like software engineering. The curriculum balances technical skills with liberal…
Preview in new tab Inspired by architect Buckminster Fuller and the Kindergarten movement, Mike Acerra designed Lux Blox to reimagine the building blocks of learning. Co-founder and President of Lux Blox, Acerra brings an interdisciplinary background spanning art, architecture, physics, and education. His unique system aims to develop children’s spatial skills, creativity, and confidence through intuitive play with forms based on nature. Lux Blox provides an open-ended platform for educators and parents to engage students kinesthetically. The blocks encourage insight and exploration using complex geometric shapes not found in typical toys. Acerra designed Lux Blox to align with principles from…
Mike Palmer and Robin Naughton explore coding and robotics for kids with Michelle Acaley, Senior Director of Product at Sphero. They discuss how Sphero’s coding toys teach critical thinking, collaboration, and grit through play. Michelle shares how products like Sphero’s Indi allow kids 4-8 years old to learn coding concepts by directing a robot car activated by colored tiles. She explains how Sphero’s modular robotics kit for high schoolers aims to make engineering feel approachable and easy to use. As Mike and Robin share their experiences with their 4-year-old playing with Indi, the hosts talk about modeling failure and perseverance…
Michelle Cheang is the Program Director of the Catalyze Challenge. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the career-connected learning grants offered through Michelle’s organization. Catalyze aims to fund innovation in career exposure and preparation for ages 11-22 through grants, shared learning, and storytelling. Michelle explains how Catalyze takes an equity lens, seeking to expand opportunities for historically excluded groups. The new Catalyze Challenge runs through September 22nd and will fund exploratory projects on two themes: career exploration for young teens and meaningful employer partnerships. So there’s still time to submit. Michelle stresses the application process is simple,…
Jim Hollis founded Calculus Roundtable to make higher-level math classes like calculus more accessible, especially for minority students who face barriers. His hands-on, experiential approach aims to change the perception that math is intimidating or only for some people. Instead of lectures and worksheets, students do creative, collaborative projects making rollercoasters and video games that relate math concepts to the real world. Peer mentors and role models from their own communities build confidence in themselves as “math people.” Group work and embracing failure as part of the learning process make his classes engaging. Partnering with local STEM businesses for learning…
Dr. Ken Carter is a Psychology Professor and the Founding Director of Emory’s new Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about bridging the gap between academic research and the public through new initiatives to help academics translate their work for general audiences. Ken shares his own path from aspiring to be a TV anchorman to becoming a clinical psychologist skilled at making complex concepts accessible. The conversation then shifts to psychology to cover the “epidemic of loneliness” and lack of deep social connections in the social media age. Dr. Carter offers perspectives…
Jane Oates is the President of WorkingNation, an organization that highlights career transitions and lifelong learning through media stories. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about motivating anxious workers and embracing AI. Oates predicts growth in healthcare, education, and green energy jobs. She advises acquiring human skills like creativity that AI can’t replicate, and continuously re-skilling through online learning. Oates explores motivating sidelined workers to re-enter the workforce and contribute their talents. She expects a hybrid remote/in-office work mix, benefiting employees without remote options. Oates urges lifelong learning and pushing ourselves in new directions. Subscribe to Trending in…
Kareem Farah is the CEO and Co-Founder of The Modern Classrooms Project. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about innovative approaches to teaching and learning. You can learn more about their approach here. Kareem explains how he started out in finance but pivoted to become a math teacher. After teaching traditionally for several years, he realized it was not meeting his students’ needs. This led him and a co-founder to design a new blended, mastery-based, and self-paced instructional model that became The Modern Classrooms Project. They started testing it in their own classrooms in Washington D.C. and founded…
Dr. Mark Windschitl, Professor of Science Education at the University of Washington, joins host Mike Palmer to discuss his new book Teaching Climate Change: Fostering Understanding, Resilience, and a Commitment to Justice. Drawing from his experience as a teacher and researcher, Dr. Windschitl advocates for more support to equip K-12 teachers to teach this interdisciplinary topic. You can learn more at Mark’s companion site The Climate Change Educator. We discuss the limited, disjointed climate change instruction happening currently in K-12 schools. Mark promotes more coordinated, authentic projects that foster student agency and break down disciplinary silos. He shares an example modeling…
Nafez Dakkak is the Founder of bldr. ventures and the writer behind Nafez’s Notes on Substack. He joins host Mike Palmer in a lively discussion exploring how artificial intelligence and emerging tech can enhance learning by making thinking visible. We consider how play, games, and hands-on learning could engage students’ intrinsic motivation and unlock new learning potentials. Nafez shares insights from launching Edraak, the Arabic MOOC platform, emphasizing the need to empower teachers, design locally, and avoid overhyping any single technology’s potential. We dig into changes to the nature of work driven by AI and the tactics that help to build…