Best High Tech High Unboxed Podcasts (2025)

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S7E2 - Building Belonging and Grading What Matters to Boost Achievement 22:07

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4h ago22:07

22:07

Episode Notes Bell Middle School reduced its D/F rate from from 51% in 2022 to 28% in 2024. That's a 23 percentage point reduction. Even more impressive, for low income students, the D/F rate was 67% in 2022, and Bell cut it by more than half, down to 29% in 2024. In this episode, Alec Patton talks to science teacher Teddy Meckstroth about how they…

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S7E1 - Postcards, Home Visits, and Public Sliming: How Hamiltion Elementary Cut its Chronic Absenteeism Rate in Half in One Year 52:37

25d ago52:37

52:37

Episode Notes In this episode, Alec Patton talks to Hamilton Elementary Principal Dr. Brittany Daley and San Diego County Office of Education Executive Leadership Coach Julia Bridi about how Hamilton cut its chronic absenteeism rate from 24% to 10% in a single year, using creative parent communication, home visits, data checks, and public sliming S…

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S6E28 - Partners in School Innovation CEO Derek Mitchell's Daily Reading Rituals 13:18

2M ago13:18

13:18

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Derek Mitchell, CEO of Partners in School Innovation, about his daily reading rituals.Mentioned in the episode: Arnold R. Hirsch, Making the Second Ghetto Martin Gilbert, Churchill and the Jews Jeanie Daniel Duck, The Change Monster Sheldon Eakins, Leading Equity Brian McClellan, The Powder Mage Trilogy (strictly …

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S6E27 - Tiny Ornithologists: How a Bird Family Sparked a Year-Long Study 19:28

3M ago19:28

19:28

Episode Notes In this episode, Alec Patton talks to Maria Curtis, director of the Early Childhood Center at La Jolla Country Day School, in California, and Junior Kindergarten teacher Kristin Owen, about how they turned the discovery of a mud nest being built outside a classroom into a year-long project. You can see photos from the project, includi…

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S6E26 - How to Package a Process, with Bedtime in a Box 36:35

3M ago36:35

36:35

Episode Notes Sofía Tannenhaus talks to Jarrod Bolte, CEO of both Improving Education and Bedtime in a Box, a nonprofit that provides families with boxes containing everything you need for a positive bedtime routine. Each Box contains four age-appropriate books; bath wash, a towel, and bath toys; a toothbrush and toothpaste; pajamas; a stuffed anim…

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S6E25 - Solar for All Schools [guest episode from the Climify podcast] 51:06

3M ago51:06

51:06

Episode Notes This episode comes from the Climify podcast, which is hosted by Eric Benson, and produced by the Climate Designers Network. Benson interviews Tish Tablan, senior program director at Generation 180, about how going solar can benefit schools' budgets and provide opportunities for PBL, as well as helping us all thrive as we face an unpre…

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S6E24 - Improving College Transfer Enrollment with NASH's Juliette Price 46:59

3M ago46:59

46:59

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Juliette Price, the senior Improvement Science coach at the National Association of Higher Education Systems, about how their Network Improvement Community has achieved its remarkable results on transfer enrollments from two-year to four-year colleges. You know you want to try it: David Williams’s Mr. Potato Head …

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S6E23 - Okorie Johnson (OkCello): music and education are all about conversation 47:02

4M ago47:02

47:02

Episode Notes Ben Krueger talks to cellist, composer, and teacher Okorie Johnson, who performs as OkCello, about music, teaching, and community. And, appropriately, they talk about how all three of those are, themselves, a form of conversation. OkCello Website Learn more about the PBL Leadership Academy Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate …

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S6E20 - Anthropology for Kids, with Nika Dubrovsky 25:14

4M ago25:14

25:14

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Nika Dubrovsky about Anthropology for Kids, a project she started with her husband, anthropologist David Graeber. Referenced in this Episode: Anthopology for Kids Cities Made Differently by David Graeber and Nika Dubrovsky The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow David Graeber on the Charlie Rose …

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S6E22 - The Big Power of Small Changes, with RISE 25:12

4M ago25:12

25:12

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Linzi Golding, Erin Asselin, and Melanie Gonzalez about keeping things simple, celebrating small changes, smart ways to share data with schools, and how to recognize and celebrate effort, even when it doesn’t lead to the outcomes we were hoping for. To see an example of a driver diagram (and get a transcript for t…

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S6E21 - The Student Voice Revolution: How Teach Plus is Transforming Math Instruction 27:00

4M ago27:00

27:00

Episode Notes Alec talks to Cary Sabados (national director of teacher leadership development at Teach Plus) and Morgan Hython (fourth grade math and science teacher at Piccolo School of Excellence, a public preK-to-8 school in Chicago) about their work in the Teach Plus Network for School Improvement. Learn more about Teach Plus Learn more about t…

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S6E19 - Liberating Learning One District at a Time 1:20:36

4M ago1:20:36

1:20:36

Episode Notes Stacey Caillier talks to Michelle Pledger and David Montes de Oca about the ways that school districts are using Michelle's book, "Liberate: Pocket-Sized Paradigms for Liberatory Learning" You can find Michelle's book, and Montes's study guide, here You can find Michelle's podcast, Unapologetic and Uninterrupted, here Learn more about…

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S6E17 - Dr. Heather Michel on How to Take Care of Yourself as a Teacher, Even When It Seems Impossible 42:36

5M ago42:36

42:36

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Deeper Learning 2025 keynote speaker Dr. Heather Michel about about her difficult experience with school as a kid, her own career as a teacher, and the strategies that she’s developed to help teachers take care of themselves. If you want to try a body scan, try this 11-minute guided body scan by meditation teacher…

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S6E16 - Molodi's Jason Nious on Stepping, Body Percussion, and Connecting with Students 28:44

5M ago28:44

28:44

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Jason Nious, founder of the stepping and body percussion crew Molodi, about the journey that brought him here, and about what he’s learned from dance and body percussion about connecting to young people in school. Learn more about Molodi Learn more about the Deeper Learning Conference Learn more about the High Tec…

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S6E15 - Schools Can Get Better At Unleashing Student Potential (with Ron Berger and friends) 1:06:40

5M ago1:06:40

1:06:40

Episode Notes In this special live episode from the 2025 Deeper Learning Conference, educator Ron Berger talks to two Japanese educators and their two brilliant children, who have experienced education across cultures in Japan, the United States, and Europe. Learn more about the Deeper Learning Conference Learn more about the High Tech High Graduat…

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S6E14 - Improvement in Action: Leveraging Data Routines for 9th Grade On-Track Results 48:32

5M ago48:32

48:32

Episode Notes In this episode, Alec talks to Nichelle Woodson, the Chief of Network Success at RISE Eileen Mezzo, an Assistant Principal at Naugatuck High School in Connecticut. They talk about how the RISE Network has achieved remarkable gains in ninth-grade on track rates (for example, on-track for Black students has risen by 27 percentage points…

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S6E13 - Building dog houses (and cat condos!) for adopted pets with fifth graders

5M ago

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Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to fifth grade teacher Jeff Govoni about a project he and his fifth grade colleagues did last year, in which students designed and built dog houses and cat condos for animals seeking adoption. Read Jeff Govoni's article for Unboxed, about this (and other) projects, "Deconstructing Construction Projects" For…

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S6E12 - How One District Improved On-track by Shifting Their System Towards More Student-centered Practices 30:00

6M ago30:00

30:00

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Sara DeMartino, an English Language Arts Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Learning (IFL), about how schools in the IFL's network for school improvement increased 8th grade on track for Black and Latine students by more than 25 percentage points, and improved on-track rates for Emerging Biling…

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S6E11 - A Story of Butterflies, Regeneration, and Hope 39:51

6M ago39:51

39:51

Episode Notes Alec talks to Shelley Glenn Lee, director of High Tech Elementary North County, and Durrell Kapan, a Senior Research Fellow at the California Academy of Sciences, about how the Silvery Blue butterfly is filling the ecological niche left by the extinction of the Xerces Blue butterfly in San Francisco... with some help from Durrell and …

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S6E10 - Tackling Chronic Absenteeism by Asking Students What They Need 42:08

7M ago42:08

42:08

Episode Notes Sofía Tannenhaus talks to Julie Smith, co-founder of Community Design Partners, and Casey Chiofolo, an Assistant Principal at Respect Academy, an Alternative High School in Denver, about how Respect Academy dramatically improved first period attendance by talking to kids about what they wanted from school, and what was keeping them fr…

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S6E9 - How to collaborate on a mural with 200 elementary-schoolers, with Scarlett Baily 48:59

7M ago48:59

48:59

Episode Notes Alec Patton and Nuvia Ruland talk to artist Scarlett Baily about her life, her art, and in particular the process of collaborating with 200 elementary school students Check out a photo gallery of Scarlett's murals here Scarlett Baily's website Kumeyaay Community College Website Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate School …

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S6E8 - Improving Literacy in a Large Urban District, with Amiee Winchester and Zack Jaffe 46:33

8M ago46:33

46:33

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Amiee Winchester and Zack Jaffe about their continuous improvement work on improving literacy at Baltimore City Public Schools. Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education

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S6E7 - Simon Breakspear: using "the pruning principle" to achieve better outcomes through strategic subtraction 52:09

9M ago52:09

52:09

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Dr. Simon Breakspear about the book he co-wrote with Michael Rosenbrock, "The Pruning Principle: Mastering the Art of Strategic Subtraction Within Education" Our other episode with Simon Breakspear, “If It Doesn’t Work for Teachers, It Doesn’t Work” You can find great free tools (and order The Pruning Principle) a…

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S6E6 - Sean Mortimer (Tony Hawk’s co-author) on how to help people tell their stories 36:59

9M ago36:59

36:59

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Sean Mortimer, co-author of autobiographies by Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, and Joe Namath, about how to help people figure out how to tell the stories of their achievements—whether they're pro skaters or educators. Hawk: Occupation Skateboarder The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself All the Way: My Life i…

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S6E5 - Ron Berger: Empower Students by Giving Them Learning Targets 51:08

10M ago51:08

51:08

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Ron Berger about why learning targets put kids in charge of their own learning, and how to make sure they are a success in your class. Leaders of Their Own Learning by Ron Berger, Leah Woodfin, and Leah RugenOther podcast episodes featuring Ron Berger: Ron Berger on Presentations of Learning Ron Berger on Student-…

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S6E4 - Ted Cuevas: How to Assess Students Like Scouts 38:57

11M ago38:57

38:57

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to physics teacher Ted Cuevas about why portfolios and badges are a better way to assess student learning, and how he does assessment in his class. Learn more about the “Light on Literacy” project Check out the platform that Ted uses for student portfolios, Inkwire We have another scouting-connected podcast episode! …

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S6E3 - Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford: What improvers can learn from civil rights organizers 57:21

11M ago57:21

57:21

Episode Notes Stacey Caillier and Curtis Taylor talk to Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford about what Septima Clark, Ella Baker, and Bayard Rustin can teach us about continuous improvement. Learn more about Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford’s work here Brandi’s other episodes on this podcast: Dr. Brandi Hinnant Crawford, Improvement as a Tool for Our Collective…

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S6E2 - AI for Technophobic Teachers, with John Santos 20:45

12M ago20:45

20:45

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to High School teacher John Santos about how he and his students explored AI together, and how it became a tool for building curiosity. John Santos's other episodes on the podcast: Rigor shouldn't mean Some Kids Fail (a better grading strategy—easy to implement too!) How to Design a Great Project Launch The AI p…

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S6E1 - Kicking A** by Taking Names, with Ben Daley 13:29

1y ago13:29

13:29

Episode Notes Alec talks to High Tech High Graduate School of Education president Ben Daley about one of the most powerful (and simplest) data-collection tools in the world: the “by-name list.” We start the episode by talking about the book Upstream by Dan Heath. It's really good—you should read it. You can find more find more podcast episodes, art…

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S5E28 - Green School Student Louis Lacour on PBL, renewable energy, and biodegradable zip ties 19:12

1y ago19:12

19:12

Episode Notes Kelly Wilson, HTH GSE Dean, talks to Louis Lacour, an eleventh grader at Green School in Bali, about project-based learning, local renewable energy infrastructure, and his plan to transform reef conservation with biodegradable zip ties! You should also listen to Kelly's interview with Benjamin Freud, head of Green School's U…

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S5E27 - Green School: Regenerative Education in the Balinese Jungle 41:23

1y ago41:23

41:23

Episode Notes Kelly Wilson, HTH GSE Dean, talks to Benjamin Freud, head of Upper School at Green School in Bali, about doing socially-meaningful, student-driven PBL grounded in the local community, in a school with bamboo buildings and no walls. Cofounder John Hardy’s Ted Talk about the Green School Green School website Coconut Thinking Learn more …

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S5E26 - Derek Mitchell and Scott Sampson Have a Vision for "Regenerative Education" 51:36

1y ago51:36

51:36

Episode Notes Alec talks to Partners in School Innovation CEO Derek Mitchell and Executive Director of California Academy of Sciences Scott Sampson about what "regenerative education" is, and why the world needs it right now. The Nature article about the dinosaur Masiakasaurus Knopfleri Smithsonian article about Majungasaurus To find out about Dere…

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S5E25 - Kofi B on the power of teachers, peers, and music 50:27

1y ago50:27

50:27

Episode Notes Alec talked to 23-year-old keyboard player, band leader, public speaker, and Akron, Ohio native Kofi B mere hours before Kofi kicked off the 2024 Deeper Learning conference with an incendiary set! Kofi B’s opening performance at Deeper Learning 2024 Kofi B’s Closing Keynote at Deeper Learning 2024 Where to find Kofi B's music: Instagr…

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S5E24 - People you meet at Deeper Learning: Superintendent (and High School Dropout) Jessica Waters 12:19

1+ y ago12:19

12:19

Episode Notes At Deeper Learning, Alec just started recording this interview to show Jessica how the mics worked—but once she started talking, he knew it was going to be an episode! Learn more about Nowell Academy Here Learn more about the Deeper Learning Conference here Find all the podcast episodes from Deeper Learning 2024 here Learn more about …

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S5E23 - The Wisdom of Rob Riordan, High Tech High Co-founder 52:19

1+ y ago52:19

52:19

Episode Notes Stacey Caillier talks to Rob Riordan about the beliefs at the heart of his philosophy of teaching and learning More episodes with Rob Kaleb & Rob’s Fireside Chats: Where They’re Coming From—In this conversation between Rob and Kaleb Rashad you can hear about Rob's education journey—from Morocco, to Alabama, to Boston, to San Diego…

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S5E22 - How to Bring Your Full Artistic Self to School, with Aysha Upchurch and Enrique "Chikle" Lugo 1:05:00

1+ y ago1:05:00

1:05:00

Episode Notes At Deeper Learning 2024, artist/choreographer Aysha Upchurch and Enrique Lugo talk about being artists in school, and the power of the cypher (and cuffed Levis 501s). Aysha Upchurch's organization, HipHopEX The best place to see Enrique "Chikle" Lugo's art is his instagram account The custom Padres shoes that. Enrique was wearing at t…

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S5E21 - A Kindergarten Geology Project You Should Know About 46:19

1+ y ago46:19

46:19

Episode Notes Rosemarie Biocarles-Rydeen talks to Alec about "Everybody Needs a Rock", the kindergarten geology project she designed and ran at High Tech Elementary Chula Vista This video about the Everybody Needs a Rock project played at the end-of-project exhibition Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education's Professional L…

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S5E20 - Finding Your Leadership Soul, with Big Picture's Carlos Moreno and Elliot Washor 1:01:41

1+ y ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Episode Notes Big Picture Learning Co-Executive Director Carlos Moreno and Co-founder Elliot Washor talk about love, care, and vulnerability, the three key characteristics of leadership that Moreno identifies in his book, Finding Your Leadership Soul Get Carlos Moreno's book, Finding Your Leadership Soul Learn more about the Deeper Learning Confere…

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S5E19 - Iowa WTF Part 2: How High School Students Organized a State-wide Walkout 43:04

1+ y ago43:04

43:04

Episode Notes Alec talks to Waverly Zhao and David Lee, co-founders of Iowa WTF, about what it took to organize a state-wide school walkout in response to anti-Gay legislation in 2023 Listen to the first episode in this series, Iowa WTF: The High School Students Fighting for Free Speech in in Schools Iowa WTF on Instagram David’s pre-walkout video …

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S5E18 - Iowa WTF: The High School Students Fighting for Free Speech in in Schools 31:14

1+ y ago31:14

31:14

Episode Notes Alec talks to Waverly Zhao and David Lee, co-founders of Iowa WTF, an organization founded by Iowa High School students in response to state laws restricting what they could talk about in schools. Iowa WTF's Instagram Account The instagram post announcing Iowa WTF's first walkout An article about the Johnston Community School Dis…

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S5E16 - Derek Mitchell: How to nurture and sustain school change in challenging times 1:00:12

1+ y ago1:00:12

1:00:12

Episode Notes Derek Mitchell talks to Stacey Caillier about what he’s learned about how to help schools get better at giving every kid what they need to thrive, and about why this work matters so much to him. The book that Stacey and Derek talk about is Change Agents, by Justin Cohen Listen to a conversation between the author, Justin Cohen, and De…

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S5E15 - "A bigger picture of possibilities": How Dr. Gladys Velazquez supported staff to cultivate college access 35:09

1+ y ago35:09

35:09

Episode Notes Dr. Gladys Velazquez talks with Garett Brownleee Plantz and Alec about sustaining a college going culture at Warren High Find out more about college access here: CARPE Collective Listen to our other episodes about college access here Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education…

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S5E15 - Getting Into the Heartset with Marisol Quevedo Rerucha 34:09

1+ y ago34:09

34:09

Episode Notes Nikki Hinostro talks with author Marisol Quevedo Rerucha about building a culture of equity, connection, and healing Beyond the Surface of Restorative Practices Watch Marisol's keynote from the PBL Leadership Academy Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education

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S5E14 - Talking about Dancing and Deeper Learning with Envision Education CEO Jillian Juman 34:03

1+ y ago34:03

34:03

Episode Notes Alec talks to Envision Education CEO Jillian Juman about the experiences that brought her here, and shaped her vision for education Jillian's Recommended Reading/Listening: Street Data by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan Street Data Pod hosted by Shane Safir and Alcine Mumby Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education…

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S5E13 - XP Trust’s Andy Sprakes: If the Work Matters, Every Child’s Work Matters (Director's Cut) 38:44

1+ y ago38:44

38:44

Episode Notes Alec talks to the XP Trust's Chief Academic Officer, Andy Sprakes, about how XP schools make sure every child's work makes it into the final product, and the hard lesson that made them take this so seriously. This is the "director's cut" version of this episode. It includes a section on how XP does student portfolios and uses them for…

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S5E12 - XP Trust’s Andy Sprakes: If the Work Matters, Every Child’s Work Matters 30:31

1+ y ago30:31

30:31

Episode Notes Alec talks to the XP Trust's Chief Academic Officer, Andy Sprakes, about how XP schools make sure every child's work makes it into the final product, and the hard lesson that made them take this so seriously. This is the shorter version of this episode. To find out about how XP does student portfolios and uses them for student-led con…

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S5E10 - For Navajo Teacher Bernita Bedah, Language is Foundational to Building Identity 33:00

2y ago33:00

33:00

Episode Notes Navajo teacher Bernita Bedah teaches a bilingual kindergarten class in Navajo and English. She talks to Alec about why that's important for her students, and her community. Make sure you also listen to the companion episode to this one, For Assistant Superintendent Peter Deswood, Connection to Navajo Students is Personal Bernita refer…

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S5E11 - For Assistant Superintendent Peter Deswood, Connection to Navajo Students is Personal 30:14

2y ago30:14

30:14

Episode Notes Peter Deswood is Assistant Superintendent of the Central Consolidated School District, in Northwestern New Mexico. He's also a member of the Navajo nation, and he talks to Alec about why that's important to his students, and to him. Make sure you also listen to the companion episode to this one, For Navajo Teacher Bernita Bedah, Langu…

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S5E9 - Sharing Canada’s Indigenous History Through Skateboards 28:50

2y ago28:50

28:50

Episode Notes Teacher Kristian Basaraba and his former student Layla Jonas explain "The Colonialism Project" to Alec Kristian Basaraba's podcast, the Rad Dads Podcast Joe Buffalo on Instagram The New Yorker Documentary about Joe Buffalo Oasis Skateboard Factory Colonialism Skateboards Read more about Michel Blades Bird’s work here John “JCat” Cardi…

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S5E8 - Kaleb & Rob's Fireside Chat 2: Adult Learning at High Tech High 47:31

2y ago47:31

47:31

Episode Notes High Tech High Interim CEO Kaleb Rashad and co-founder Rob Riordan talk about how High Tech High's approach to teaching and learning informs professional development in the organization. Video: Rob Riordan Introduces High Tech High’s Design PrinciplesLearn more about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education…