Shows
Human Restoration Project113: Guiding Toward Healthy Rebellion w/ T. Elijah HawkesToday’s guest is T. Elijah Hawkes. Elijah served as a public school principal for over a decade, including as the principal at Randolph Union in Vermont, and was the founding principal of the James Baldwin School in New York City. Currently, he is a director at the Upper Valley Educators Institute and an advisor at the Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab at American University. In addition, he is the author of various articles on democracy, public schools, and adolescence including appearing in The New Teacher Book and Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Identity. Further, Elijah is the author of...
2022-06-1746 min
Human Restoration Project112: Keep Hope Alive w/ Deborah MeierToday’s guest is Deborah Meier, who really needs no introduction for advocates of progressive education. Meier is the founder of the modern small schools movement, that aims to reorganize larger schools into smaller, democratic ones. She was founder and director of Central Park East, a Dewey-inspired progressive school in East Harlem, New York City. She also opened Central Park East II, River East, and the Central Park East Secondary School the same neighborhood. This led her to establish a network of similarly minded schools in New York City, and eventually founding Mission Hill School in Boston.Me...
2022-05-2838 minHuman Restoration Project111: Building the Modern Progressive Education Movement w/ David BuckOn today’s podcast we are joined by David Buck. David is an English professor at Howard Community College in Maryland who is actively involved in the ungrading movement, as well as focusing on open access resources, open pedagogy, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To foster and grow the practice of ungrading, David is actively involved in utilizing social and other online media for discussion, including but not limited to his “Let’s Talk Ungrading” Twitter Spaces, which is also an edited podcast, the Ungrading Twitter Community, the Ungrading Book Club, the Ungrading Discord Community, and “Crowdsourcing Ungrading” an open-acce...
2022-05-1452 minHuman Restoration Project110: "College Ready" AP w/ Akil BelloIn this episode, Akil & I discuss the history & context of the CollegeBoard and how the AP program in particular fits into CollegeBoard’s vision for “college ready” admissions, how that very vision is undermined by the emphasis on a 3.5 hour exam in May, and what we could be doing instead to crash the gates and actually improve accessibility & equity in the admissions process in the absence of the Advanced Placement signifier.GUESTSAkil Bello, Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at Fairtest, founding partner and former CEO of Bell Curves, and contributor on test equitability, learni...
2022-05-0743 minHuman Restoration Project109: On Constructionism, Makerspaces, & Music Ed w/ Burton HableI am joined today by Burton Hable. Burton Hable is a music educator, currently living in Central Virginia. He is a doctoral student in Boston University’s Music Education program, and his research interests lie in how people construct music knowledge in the context of a makerspace. He also serves as the Operations and Building Manager for the Charlottesville Band. Prior to moving to Virginia in the summer of 2018, he taught instrumental music in Iowa for eight years. I’ve also known Burton for 20 years now, as we were high school classmates and played trombone in the same high scho...
2022-04-3049 minHuman Restoration Project108: The State of Libraries w/ Dustin HensleyToday we are joined by Dustin Hensley. Dustin is the library media specialist at Elizabethton High School in Tennessee. He is an advocate for creating spaces that cultivate a student’s love of learning. He was one of the co-founders of the Bartleby Program, which centers community improvement and entrepreneurship with students, and is one of the winners of the XQ Super School competition, remaining active in the XQ Community of Practice. He currently teaches courses on Community Improvement and Academic Research.In this podcast, Dustin and I talk about the state of libraries today: the pur...
2022-04-1534 minHuman Restoration Project107: Child Liberation Theology w/ R.L. Stollar*This podcast contains content regarding suicide and child abuse.In this podcast we are joined by R.L. Stollar, a Child Liberation Theologian and child and survivor advocate. Stollar is the author of the upcoming book, The Kingdom of Children, which reports on the issues and concerns of the evangelical homeschooling movement. Stollar, who was himself homeschooled, is an advocate of homeschooling who is calling attention to the issues that many face in the system, connecting the concept to faith — which is often juxtaposed with the practice of homeschooling. His work in Child Liberation Theology, which you’ll h...
2022-03-2837 minHuman Restoration Project106: Showcase: Assumption College (Self-Directed Choice Curriculum, Multi-Age Learning)This podcast is our first of what we’re calling the “spotlight” series. Every so often, we’ll reaching out to schools who are doing intriguing progressive practices that could inspire and influence others to do the same. Each has a twist on how their school is operated, and we’re bringing in students and teachers to talk about it. They’re not all perfect, and they’d all acknowledge there are things they’d change; but there’s so much to learn from these schools as we reimagine education in our communities.We are joined by students and facul...
2022-03-1241 minHuman Restoration Project105: A Look Inside "No Excuses" Charter Schools w/ Dr. Joanne GolannToday we are joined by Dr. Joanne Golann. Dr. Golann is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education and an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University, and focuses on how culture shapes educational policy and practice. Her recently released book, Scripting the Moves: Culture & Control in a "No-Excuses" Charter School, follows Joanne over 18 months as she observes a “high-performing” charter school, documenting the various regimented structures, student and parent perspectives, what the teachers do...and more - which we’ll begin to talk about in this interview.GUESTSDr. Joanne Golann, Assistant Professor of Pub...
2022-02-2632 minHuman Restoration Project104: Advancing and Empowering the Lives of LGBTQIA+ Students w/ Keenan CrowOur guest today is Keenan Crow. Keenan Crow is the Director of Policy and Advocacy for One Iowa, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance, empower, and improve the lives of LGBTQ Iowans through education, advocacy, and collaboration. Keenan has been active in Iowa politics since 2010 when they interned with Chris Hall’s campaign for Iowa State Representative. Since then, they have been involved with several nonprofit organizations including Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and Cedar Valley Citizens for Undoing Racism. They were also involved in One Iowa’s campus group at the University of Northern Iowa, where they...
2022-02-121h 09Human Restoration Project103: Poetry, Schooling, and Flourishing Creativity w/ Joshua SeigalJoshua Seigal is a highly acclaimed, award-winning professional poet, performer and educator. Joshua uses poetry to develop literacy skills and inspire confidence and creativity in communication. He has worked in hundreds of schools, libraries, theatres and festivals around the world, had books published by Bloomsbury and other major publishers, and has written and performed for BBC television. Joshua Seigal has recently been awarded the 2020 Laugh out Loud Book Award for “I Bet I Can Make You Laugh”, and shortlisted for the 2021 Peoples Book Prize for “Yapping Away”. In this episode, I talk to Joshua about his journey from academia to poetry...
2022-01-2930 minHuman Restoration Project102: Fight Back Against Debt w/ Debt CollectiveA conversation around student loan debt has been happening at the margins of American political life for nearly a generation. By 2012, total student loan debt in the United States surpassed one trillion dollars, with the only relief coming from a pause on interest and federal debt collection that began with the pandemic in March 2020. Today, a majority of Americans, nearly 60% of polled voters, support some kind of forgiveness on the nation’s now 1.7 trillion dollar student loan debt, and borrowers have benefited from the pause on payments, recently extended to May 2022. That’s over two years without a single requ...
2022-01-1539 minHuman Restoration Project101: Imagining Education Outside Capitalism w/ Dr. Nick StockToday we are joined by Dr. Nick Stock. Dr. Stock, a former English teacher, now serves as a researcher for the University of Birmingham. He has published various essays which focus on critiquing education by using philosophy typically seen outside of traditional pedagogy, such as Evangelion, Schools and Futures; Education after the end of the world. How can education be considered a hyperobject?; and Paradise Shall Remain Lost. Readdressing Deschooling through a Miltonian Lens.Specifically, we invited Dr. Stock on to talk about his recently published work, The Weird, Eerie, Exit Pedagogy of Mark Fisher, which dives...
2021-12-2751 minHuman Restoration ProjectRe:Teaching, EP 3: Why What Works Won't Work and Why What Works May HurtLong time listeners may recognize the title to this podcast: Re:Teaching. Last year, Nick released a series of short podcasts on a separate channel, focused on current events and short-form highlights of writing. We soon realized that by splitting our podcast into two segments, most folks didn't hear any of this series! Enjoy, and there will be even more new Re:Teaching episodes on the way.This episode is a feature read of Why What Works Won't Work and Why What Works May Hurt by Nick Covington, published in March 2020. Learn more about Human Restoration Project...
2021-12-1823 minHuman Restoration Project100: HRP's 100th Episode!It's our 100th podcast episode! In celebration, Nick and Chris discuss the ongoing pursuits of Human Restoration Project.And we discuss: Our accomplishments over the years. Our favorite events, writings, and podcasts. Our major upcoming initiatives, which you'll want to stick around for! Questions from our listeners. And finally....host a trivia session on science fiction.
2021-12-121h 26Human Restoration Project99: Behaviorism & "Cog Sci" - Oh No!In this podcast, Nick and I are continuing our foray into random topics of progressive education! Today's episode centers cognitive science, research movements, and "studies of the brain." Within, we'll be talking about what's currently going on at HRP, articles and books that Nick and I have been reading recently, what's going on in our classrooms, Q&A from listeners via Twitter, and then a pop-quiz for who stays alive.And we discuss: Mary-Helen Immordino-Yang's work and development in neuroscience Audrey Watter's Teaching Machines, and the history of B.F. Skinner/behaviorism, especially his behaviorist "Utopian"...
2021-11-071h 50Human Restoration Project98: Militarism, Baudrillard, Video Game Design, and the College BoardIn this podcast we've decided to experiment a bit with our programming. To be honest, right now there's a ton of burnout in the education world, from the pandemic to ongoing struggles of teacher power and support, and the culture war once again resurfacing in the classroom. As educators by day and nonprofit workers by night, we totally get that struggle.Therefore, we're putting a slight pause on our typical interview format to try out something new. This frees us up from the workload of scheduling, researching, and working with guests. And, it opens up the door...
2021-10-191h 19Human Restoration Project97: What *was* lost during the pandemic? Here's how we rebuild our classrooms.Today, Nick and I are continuing our dissection of learning loss via our Learning Loss Handbook. In part 1, we spoke about the myth surrounding "learning loss" and the dire implications it has on our practice in schools. If you haven't listened in yet, I highly recommend checking out that episode.In this episode we discuss: What was lost during pandemic schooling? What actions can we take in order to counteract the problems resulted from an isolated, virtual year(s)? How can we take these actions even in districts that don't support progressive actions?RESOURCES...
2021-10-101h 00Human Restoration Project96: Unpacking Learning Loss: The Who, the What, and the WhyToday, Nick and I are going to break down Human Restoration Project's recently released "Learning Loss" Handbook, providing an overview of the ideas we present in the book, the faux narrative being created surrounding "learning loss", and offering an alternative for educators to push for and pursue. You can find the free download at humanrestorationproject.org/materials.Included in this conversation is... The history of the term "learning loss" An analysis of standardized testing and what we're measuring Showcasing the overall negative impacts of standardized testing Deconstructing the financial ties to learning loss and the testing...
2021-09-181h 36Human Restoration ProjectRe:Teaching, EP 2: What's in a grade? GRExit, GPA, College Admissions, and the Mastery Transcript (oh my!)Long time listeners may recognize the title to this podcast: Re:Teaching. Last year, Nick released a series of short podcasts on a separate channel, focused on current events and short-form highlights of writing. We soon realized that by splitting our podcast into two segments, most folks didn't hear any of this series! Therefore, after much delay - and many reminders by Nick - we'll be releasing Re:Teaching over the next few weeks on this channel. Enjoy, and there will be even more new Re:Teaching episodes on the way.This episode is a feature read...
2021-08-2815 minHuman Restoration ProjectRe:Teaching, EP 1: A Progressive Response to "Ed. Reform's Lost Decade"Long time listeners may recognize the title to this podcast: Re:Teaching. Last year, Nick released a series of short podcasts on a separate channel, focused on current events and short-form highlights of writing. We soon realized that by splitting our podcast into two segments, most folks didn't hear any of this series! Therefore, after much delay - and many reminders by Nick - we'll be releasing Re:Teaching over the next few weeks on this channel. Enjoy, and there will be even more new Re:Teaching episodes on the way.This episode is a feature read...
2021-08-1407 minHuman Restoration Project95: Deciphering "Learning Loss" w/ Akil BelloToday, we are joined by Akil Bello. Akil is a supplemental education and test preparation expert. He's launched two companies, developed test preparation programs, and trained hundreds of instructors. He was the founding partner and CEO of Bell Curves, a test prep company based on community partnerships, worked for The Princeton Review, and now is the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest.Akil and I talk about the advent of "learning loss" after pandemic schooling, the way that testing companies are using this term to generate more tests and test prep software, what was lost...
2021-07-3142 minHuman Restoration Project93: Worldwise Learning w/ Carla Marschall & Elizabeth CrawfordToday we are joined by Carla Marschall and Elizabeth Crawford to cover their upcoming book, Worldwise Learning: A Teacher's Guide to Shaping a Just, Sustainable Future. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy, and Worldwise Learning is all about inquiry and experiential education: shaping global citizens by tackling real world issues in projects. The book walks teachers through the "inquiry cycle", which helps students "connect, understand, and act." It's filled with activities, diagrams, and charts, to co-create with students in planning a serious, in-depth project.We talk about: What makes "Worldwise Learning" different than something...
2021-07-1637 minHuman Restoration Project94: Catalyzing the Ungrading Movement w/ Zoe BeeOn today's podcast we are joined by Zoe Bee. Zoe is an English professor, poet, and content creator who produces content for YouTube and streams on Twitch. Some of her work includes "A Professor Explains", where Zoe dives into why Grammarly is a poor product or what makes a poem a "good" poem; or full overview of the themes of H.P. Lovecraft.Zoe is a successful content creator despite being active for less than a year. We specifically learned about her after seeing her wildly successful video, "Grading is a Scam (and Motivation is a Myth)"...
2021-06-1938 min
Human Restoration Project92: Paul Geheeb and the School of HumanityToday we’re doing something a bit different. I was checking my email a few months ago, and I have Google Scholar set up to send me articles about progressive education, and this name showed up I had never heard of before: Paul Geheeb. Geheeb was a German school leader who led a progressive school at the advent of the Nazi seizure of power. The story is wildly interesting in terms of historical significance as well as progressive pedagogy, as Geheeb led a self-directed school centered on learning by doing. We’ve gathered information about the relatively unknown life of P...
2021-06-0228 minHuman Restoration Project91: Expanding on Experiential Learning w/ Emi TakemuraToday we're speaking with Emi Takemura. Emi is the co-founder and representative director of FutureEdu Tokyo, which seeks to reimagine education in Japan based on project based learning and experiential education inspired by High Tech High. She is also the representative director of Learn by Creation, which provides professional development, conferencing, and networking for inspiring hands-on learning in Japan.Emi is a veteran entrepreneur who co-founded Peatix, a mobile event platform, and engages in many events on social entrepreneurship and start-up funding. She's worked at a senior level in various financial firms, and has been an advocate...
2021-05-0140 minHuman Restoration Project90: Equity-Centered, Trauma-Informed Teaching w/ Alex VenetTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.In today's conversation, we are joined by Alex Venet. Alex teaches undergraduate students at the Community College of Vermont, graduate classes at Castleton Center for Schools and Antioch University New England, creates PD, is a community facilitator for Edutopia, co-organizes Edcamp Vermont and Trauma Informed Educators Network Conference, and is soon releasing her new book Equity-Centered, Trauma-Informed Education, releasing May 25th, 2021. A link is in the show notes.We received an advanced copy, and I cannot emphasize enough how much this book is needed, and how...
2021-04-1027 minHuman Restoration Project89: Rebuilding After 2020-2021 w/ Dr. Ilana HornTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.In today's conversation, we are joined by Dr. Ilana Horn. Dr. Horn is a professor of mathematics education at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, who focuses on serving disenfranchised youth through authentic mathematics. She leads the Teacher Learning Laboratory, which focuses on sense-making of schools, how teachers and students interact. Further, she is the author of Strength in Numbers: Collaborative Learning in Secondary Mathematics and Motivated: Designing Math Classrooms Where Students Want to Join In.In our conversation, Dr. Horn and I discuss how teachers can wrap...
2021-03-2833 minHuman Restoration Project88: Connecting Through Transferable Learning w/ Trevor Aleo, Kayla Duncan, & Julie SternTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.In today's conversation, we're joined by Trevor Aleo, an English teacher in Wilton, Connecticut, Kayla Duncan, a professional instruction coach from Cumming, Georgia, and Julie Stern, author of Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding and many more, and workshop leader of Making Sense of Learning Transfer.Together, along with Krista Ferraro, a history teacher from Braintree, Massachusetts, have written Learning That Transfers: Designing Curriculum for a Changing World, releasing in April, 2021. This work connects interdisciplinary learning, centers students in instructional design, and offers educators with tools to...
2021-03-1446 minHuman Restoration Project87: 100 Days of Conversations About SchoolTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.Today's conversation is all about 100 Days of Conversations About School! 100 Days is a project by Human Restoration Project, REENVISIONED, Choice Filled Lives Network, and Cortico's Local Voices Network. Simply stated, 100 Days is catalyzing conversations about school in communities across the country. Featuring young people and adults, these conversations about the good life, the school experience, and equity in education are being compiled, shared, analyzed, and presented. We're taking the findings and presenting them to the new Secretary of Education and policymakers across the country.The process...
2021-02-2735 minHuman Restoration Project86: Developing Anti Racist UDL w/ Tesha FritzgeraldTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.In today's conversation we're joined by Tesha Fritzgerald,. Tesha is an urban education expert who currently serves as a district level leader in an urban school district in Ohio. She is a Martha Holding Jennings Foundation Scholar who has a passion for UDL and culturally responsive teaching, which has led her to publishing her recent book, Antiracism and Universal Design for Learning: Building Expressways to Success.I invited Tesha on to talk about pairing UDL and antiracist teaching, with a specific focus on: Demanding excellence...
2021-02-1433 minHuman Restoration Project85: Combatting Adultism to Create a Flourishing Democracy w/ Dr. Tanu Biswas & Dr. John WallTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.Today we're joined by Dr. Tanu Biswas and Dr. John Wall. Dr. Biswas is a doctorate of pedagogy who focuses her research on children's civil disobedience for climate justice, and showcasing the richness that children and childhood have to offer adults. Dr. Wall is a theoretical ethicist who focuses on the idea of a moral life centered on language, power, culture, and childhood. His upcoming book, Give Children the Vote: How to Democratize Democracy argues for voting rights regardless of age.Our conversation centers on combatting...
2021-01-1740 minHuman Restoration Project84: In Defense of Public Education w/ Dr. Jennifer Berkshire & Dr. Jack SchneiderTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.Today we are joined by Dr. Jennifer Berkshire and Dr. Jack Schneider. Dr. Berkshire is a journalist and educator who focuses on podcasting and labor organizing at Boston College and Umass Amherst respectively, and Dr. Schneider is an education historian focused on reform and school accountability. Jennifer and Jack co-host the wonderful Have You Heard Podcast, which is focused on hot button issues in educational policy and current events, and both Chris and I highly recommend checking it out if you aren’t listening already. Our dis...
2020-12-2651 minHuman Restoration Project83: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning w/ Dr. Susan BlumTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.Today we are joined by Dr. Susan Blum, Dr. Blum is a professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, and the author of many works and articles, including her recently released: Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), which features fifteen different educators, such as Arthur Chiaravalli, Jesse Stommel, Aflie Kohn, and Laura Gibbs, speaking on their ideas and implementation of the practice. And as an interesting side note, more than half of the educators in the book have appeared on our...
2020-12-0543 minHuman Restoration Project82: Build a New Future: Teaching Action and Coalition Building w/ Dr. Kevin GannonTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.Our conversation today will center on teaching organization and collective activism. Essentially, we find ourselves at an important crossroads, as the administration shifts to new policies - teachers will be at the whim of new federal (and likely, state) policies that will have massive ramifications on classrooms, especially during COVID-19. And I hope out of this conversation, we’ll be able to address - what should I be concerned about? What problems may exist? And then, okay...what can I do to actually mitigate these problems and demand an...
2020-11-2045 minHuman Restoration Project81: One Teacher Can't Save the WorldThis is a recording of our Teacher Powered Schools Virtual Conference 2020 presentation: Sharing Power with Students: Reframing Systems Toward a Liberatory Pedagogy. This session dives into why reform doesn't work, how teachers can use collective action to change systems, and what really, is the point of us working against inhumane structures if not much is actually changing?RESOURCES One Teacher Can't Save the World by Nick Covington and Chris McNuttFURTHER LISTENING Introduction: Human Restoration Project
2020-10-3146 minHuman Restoration Project80: Pandemic Pods, School Choice, and Combating Inequity w/ Dr. Jon HaleToday, Chris and I (Nick) are joined by John Hale, whose biography you will hear at the beginning of the interview. John was recently the guest of a Soho Forum debate on the topic of pandemic pods, which you heard excerpts of at the beginning of this episode and confined in its entirety on YouTube.Since the Human Restoration Project has primarily been focused on pedagogy and changing the structures of school, I wanted to have John on to talk more about the history and ramifications of education policy and help us unpack what's really going on...
2020-10-1755 minHuman Restoration Project79: Reimagine the System w/ REENVISIONED (Dr. Erin Raab)Today we're joined by Dr. Erin Lynn Raab. Erin is the Co-founder of REENVISIONED, a movement to redefine the purpose of school.
REENVISIONED aims to change the conversation of school away from standards, norms, and improving the status quo, toward human flourishing, community, democracy, and collective liberation. Erin and her co-founder, Nicole Hensel, both graduates of the Stanford Graduate School of Education, aim to collect 10,000 stories of students, teachers, and community members to develop a shared vision of what school could, and should be.
The organization works with schools and individuals to catalyze new conversations and create new v...
2020-10-0342 minHuman Restoration Project78: A Way to Ungrade, Floop w/ Christine WitcherToday we're talking about ungrading with the EdTech tool, Floop, short for feedback loop, found over at FloopEdu.com. Now, we don't normally talk about specific tools and strategies at HRP - we get into the theory and pedagogy of progressive systems...but the most common question we're asked is: okay well, is it even possible to do any of these things? It seems like a ton of work and it'll be overwhelming, and everyone is against me!Well, one potential solution is Floop! In summary, Floop allows you to easily provide feedback to your students. You c...
2020-09-1920 minHuman Restoration Project77: Normalizing Teacher Self-Care (in a Pandemic) w/ Evan WhiteheadToday we are joined by Evan Whitehead, a veteran educator who is the director of special services at a K-8 school in Illinois. Evan has served in a variety of roles, from crisis and behavior interventionist to Latino parent outreach coordinator to Title 1 director. Further, Evan actively presents on reaching at-risk youth, leadership, and self-care for everyone in education, and is a national consultant for the Aha! Process.We discuss how educators can best prepare for self-care, especially now within remote and hybrid contexts. Further, we focus on conversation on two themes: 1) how can we build systems...
2020-08-2924 minHuman Restoration Project76: "Return to Learn": Voices and Perspectives on School ReopeningIn this podcast, Nick Covington (of HRP) and I, Chris, discuss the "return to learn” plans of school and what we must think about as we reopen. We call upon other educators to hear their thoughts, including Dr. Jessica Zeller, Rachel Lawrence, Shane MacLeod, and an anonymous caller.Three key themes emerge in our conversation: We need to recognize that asynchronous learning is just as valid, if not more valid, than synchronous learning in both content knowledge and equitable practice. Our conversation of “reimagining education” has been replaced with maintaining control. Teachers must push back to change...
2020-08-0850 minHuman Restoration ProjectSummit: Endorsing Student Voice Through Virtual/Hybrid ActivismThis is an audio version of our Summit on August 1st, 2020. Here's the video!Inspire Citizens is an innovative organization focusing on active, informed civics through social justice, sustainable development, collective well-being, SEL, and ethical media literacy. Out of the Blocks is an NPR program focused on capturing the sounds on the street of Baltimore, formed on the idea of interviewing every single person on a given block. And Evan Whitehead is a school leader and educator of over 20 years with a focus on social-emotional well-being.Check out this podcast between Inspire Citizens and Out...
2020-08-011h 43Human Restoration Project75: Refuse to Teach: Anxiety, Organizing, and well, DeathLet’s put this into perspective: the United States is planning on the mass reopening of schools when COVID-19 has still not ended its first wave. Millions of people have been diagnosed, and the CDC has issued little concrete guidance on how schools will actually reopen next month. The US Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, has essentially ignored questioning of even the notion of remote learning and does not believe that this is a serious issue that will effect children (flat out refusing to acknowledge the adults in the room too.)This podcast addresses the anxiety and re...
2020-07-1327 minHuman Restoration Project74: The Research on Assessment w/ Dr. Astrid PoorthuisOur podcast today features Dr. Astrid Poorthuis, an assistant professor at the developmental psychology program at Utrecht University, Netherlands, whose work focuses on performance, school, and its relationship to social/emotional learning. Dr. Poorthuis has researched and published a variety of works concerning grades, student/teacher emotional well-being, student/teacher relationships, and peer relationships.Dr. Poorthuis and I talk about her research and its applications for the classroom, notably how ungrading and its benefits of engagement, well-being, and participation are backed by substantial amounts of research - referencing a variety of studies. It's incredibly interesting how universal...
2020-07-0423 minHuman Restoration Project73: School and the Carceral Network w/ Dr. Connie WunOur podcast today features Dr. Connie Wun, the founder and director of Transformative Research: An Institute for Social Transformation and AAPI Women Lead. Connie is an educator, activist, and researcher whose work centers on race and gender equity, community-centered research, women's empowerment, school discipline and punishment, and anti-Blackness in education. Connie and I talk about school and its relation to the carceral network, or how school is intertwined in producing delinquency, inequity, and power structures in the United States. Our discussion talks not only about the issues facing US schools, but how we can utilize the "winds o...
2020-06-2034 minHuman Restoration ProjectIntroduction: Human Restoration ProjectWhat is Human Restoration Project?This introductory podcast provides an overview to our organization, what we do, and the goals of progressive education. Listen in to learn about the pedagogy and join the cause!ResourcesI use evidence to inform my teaching. by Chris McNuttAt a Crossroads of Anti-Authoritarianism: Dismissing Far-Right School Advocates by Chris McNuttHuman Restoration Project's research page Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2020-06-1124 minHuman Restoration Project72: Revolutionizing Equitable College Admissions w/ ACCEPT Group (Marie Bigham)Today I'm joined by Marie Bigham, founder and co-leader of ACCEPT Group, or Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today. Marie has spent over 20 years in college admissions, most recently at an independent school in New Orleans, and serves full-time as ACCEPT Group's leader. ACCEPT coordinates support for equitable college admissions, such as staging walkouts and organizing like-minded voices for change.In this podcast, Marie and I discuss the actions we can take to radicalize the college admissions process in an era of uncertainty. The horrific actions of the past few months, from the growth of a global...
2020-06-0637 min
Human Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: 2019 Victories, 2020 GoalsIn December, for our last Summit of 2019, we framed our discussion around 2019 Victories, 2020 Goals, and resources to help us grow as a community of educators. Not having any idea that 2020 was going to laugh at those plans, light them on fire, and launch them from a slingshot off the tallest mountain, we're ending May, and the 2019-2020 school year on a different note. QuestionsDelete: What about this new reality would you leave behind? Why? Recycle: What would you like to see carried forward into 2021 and beyond?...
2020-05-2655 minHuman Restoration ProjectUpdate: Podcast RebrandingHello, podcast listener!You may have noticed that your podcast feed for Things Fall Apart looks a little different. We're relabelled our podcast to the name of organization, Human Restoration Project, and are including all of HRP's podcasts under one banner. Listen to this brief update to find out more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2020-05-2601 minHuman Restoration Project71: Post-Standardization: Schools for a Free and Democratic Society w/ Dr. William AyersToday I am joined by Dr. William Ayers, a retired education professor at the University of Chicago whose work is rooted in progressive ideology. Ayers was heavily involved in the free school movement in the 1960s, and his work reflects a focus on democratic schooling and building a more free society. Ayers is a prolific author, including writing On the Side of the Child: Summerhill Revisited, Teaching Toward Freedom: Moral Commitment and Ethical Action in the Classroom, To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher, and the recently released "You Can't Fire the Bad Ones!": And 18 Other Myths about Teachers...
2020-05-2332 minHuman Restoration Project70: Taking Charge with Teacher Action Research w/ Etta KralovecToday I am joined by Dr. Etta Kralovec, a professor of education at The University of Arizona, who focuses on context, research gathering, and teacher preparation, specifically with a focus on US/Mexico border communities. Dr. Kralovec is a widely accomplished author and researcher, with works such as The End of Homework and Schools That Do Too Much, a Fulbright Scholar, school leader and founder, and international expert.In this podcast, we talk about the practice of teacher action research, where educators perform qualitative studies of what they're doing - essentially to figure out if it works...
2020-05-1625 minHuman Restoration Project69: Social Justice, Gender Identity, and Liberatory Pedagogy w/ sj MillerToday I am joined by Dr. sj Miller, an associate professor of teacher education at Sante Fe Community College. sj is an expert on social justice and challenges the gender and gender identity binary (e.g. trans*+, gender dynamic/fluid youth.) sj is an award-winning and well-published author, including writing for The International Journal of Transgenderism, International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, and the Teachers College Record. You can view sj's speech on gender identities and young people via TEDMED.In this podcast, we talk about how schools can best serve nonconforming gender identities, how classrooms can be...
2020-05-0928 minHuman Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Teacher Powered Schools w/ Amy Junge, Liz Seubert, and Taryn SynderInterested in using this opportunity for professional development credit? See our template for administrators. Consider running this event past your administrative team prior to completing.In this interactive professional development session, we will talk about how teachers can create their own public, private, and charter schools through the Teacher Powered Schools organizational structure. We are joined by three amazing guests:Amy Junge, Director of the Teacher Powered Schools initiative, co-author and researcher of Trusting Teachers with School Success: What Happens When Teachers Call the Shots with Kim Farris-Berg and Ed Dirkswager.Liz Seubert...
2020-04-3058 minHuman Restoration Project68: Grassroots, Teacher Powered Schools w/ Liz SeubertToday I am joined by Liz Seubert, a teacher at the teacher run and operated school, Wildlands in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. Wildlands is a small, tuition free 7-12 public charter school, which is affiliated with the Teacher Powered Schools movement. Liz, along with her coworkers, operate the entire school without an administrative body.In this podcast, we will delve into the operation of Wildlands, how it was founded, and what teachers can do to become involved in Teacher Powered Schools. If you're listening to this podcast before April 29th, make sure you sign up for our Summit...
2020-04-2531 minHuman Restoration Project67: Learning From Unschooling During Isolation w/ Tiersa McQueenOur podcast today features Tiersa McQueen, an avid homeschooler who raises her four children in an unschooling philosophy. Tiersa and her husband both work opposing shifts to allow this to occur. Tiersa frequently posts on her Twitter and Instagram handles as MotherBae, critiquing traditional education, offering support as an unschooler, and demonstrating how we can adopt unschooling among our children. I invited Tiersa to talk about this pedagogy and offer advice for educators who are now supporting their students in their home environments, as well as many who are raising their own children alongside this.GUESTS
2020-04-1129 minHuman Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Play and Outdoor Learning w/ Abe MooreInterested in using this opportunity for professional development credit? See our template for administrators. Consider running this event past your administrative team prior to completingThis discussion will talk about how we can bring about play-based learning in and out of classroom. This conversation will center on experiential learning and student voice, with some credence to how this can integrate to the COVID-19 crisis.Abe Moore is a primary teacher in Adelaide, Australia, and has worked on brilliant projects, including building an entire play space with his students.How can we build spaces...
2020-03-291h 01Human Restoration Project66: Humane Education w/ Zoe WeilToday I'm joined by Nick Covington and Zoe Weil, where we're exploring the work of the Institute of Humane Education, which is led by Zoe. Zoe has been teaching "humane education" for over thirty years, and is an established author, speaker, and workshop leader on the topic.The Institute of Humane Education is an accredited program offering robust graduate and doctoral coursework in "humane education", which centers on promoting social good and minimizing harm to people, animals, and the environment. The Institute offers incredible resources on its website, including the in-depth "Solutionary Guidebook" - which is part...
2020-03-2832 minHuman Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Teaching and COVID-19Interested in using this opportunity for professional development credit? See our template for administrators. Consider running this event past your administrative team prior to completing.In this interactive discussion, we will discuss what teaching is like during the COVID-19 crisis.Participants will be posed with these questions, but the conversation will take us on a journey of its own: Commiserate: What’s going on? How has the response to the COVID-19 crisis impacted you and your school? Collaborate: What can we learn from your response to the crisis to do right by our kids an...
2020-03-201h 05Human Restoration Project65: Virtual Learning and COVID-19 w/ Jesse Stommel PhDToday we're covering COVID-19 and how it impacts the education system. Depending on when you're listening to this podcast, you're likely facing your school's physical environment shut down, or soon to be doing so. In Ohio, all schools are now expected to have at least three weeks out starting on Tuesday - and schools are frantically trying to prepare how they'll tackle this shift.Most districts across the United States are continuing the expectation of academic coursework across this disruption - and we have no idea how long it will last. Most teachers do not have formal...
2020-03-1431 minHuman Restoration Project64: Disrupting the "Same Old, Same Old" with Peter Verdin and Bruce MansfieldToday we are joined by two fantastic educators. First, I will be speaking with Peter Verdin, who is a "movement engineer" at Future Public School in Garden City, Idaho, which is a tuition free, progressively minded lottery-based school. Essentially, Peter is redoing the way we look at physical education with elementary students, and designing curriculum as these students grow older and the school expands.Then, we have Bruce Mansfield, is an instructional coach in the Bellingham School District in Bellingham, Washington. Bruce has operated a gradeless system in a traditional environment, and showcases the structure of his...
2020-03-071h 06Human Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Experiential Learning and the SDGs w/ Dr. Jennifer WilliamsInterested in using this opportunity for professional development credit? See our template for administrators. Consider running this event past your administrative team prior to completing.Dr. Jennifer Williams, is the co-founder and executive director of Take Action Global, co-founder of TeachSDGs, professor at Saint Leo University in the College of Education and Graduate Education, and author of Teach Boldly.In this interactive discussion, we will discuss connecting the UN Sustainable Development Goals to authentic projects in the classroom.Participants will be posed with these questions, but the conversation will take us on a...
2020-03-0150 minHuman Restoration Project63: Building a No Test Future w/ Dr. Yong ZhaoIn this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Yong Zhao, the Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education. Dr. Zhao and I talk about building a movement that ends standardized testing in the United States and how to build classrooms that invoke a student's innate desire to learn. Perhaps the grueling, “rigorous” standardized testing system is actually harming students, not helping? Most teachers seem to understand this, and a recent analysis by Harvard University seems to confirm it.Dr. Zhao has written and spoken extensively on how testing and test scores harm students. And he’s done t...
2020-02-2223 minHuman Restoration Project62: Creating Worlds, Game Design & Education w/ Seth CosterIn this podcast, we are joined by Seth Coster, the CEO and game programmer at Butterscotch Shenanigans, who have seen incredibly success on their video and mobile games. Best known for titles Crashlands and Levelhead, Butterscotch Shenanigans was founded by three brothers with no explicit academic background in video game creation. Seth studied to become a Certified Financial Analyst, started a law graduate program, but soon realized he enjoyed the games he created in his free time much more. Brothers Sam, Seth, and Adam Coster also host their own podcast, Coffee with Butterscotch.The reason we invited...
2020-02-081h 10
Human Restoration Project61: How to Teach Us, Authentic PBL w/ Brooke Tobia and StudentsIn this podcast, we are joined by Brooke Tobia and her two students, Olivia and Avery. Together, they've co-developed and written the book How to Teach Us: A Guide for Teachers Written by Students. Working in a PBL environment, roughly 60 6th grade students between Brooke and her co-teacher researched, wrote, and published this work which is available via Amazon. Within, you'll find slews of information, gathered from interviews with students, that explains how different students learn and effective teaching methods.It can’t be stressed enough how authentically this work demonstrates the power of experiential learning. These st...
2020-01-2535 minHuman Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Changing the Status Quo Through Effective Research w/ Dr. Susan EngelInterested in using this opportunity for professional development credit? See our template for administrators. Consider running this event past your administrative team prior to completing.Dr. Susan Engel is a professor of developmental psychology at Williams College, with a focus on curiosity, school reform, and educational research. Her many works include The Hungry Mind: The Origins of Curiosity in Childhood and The End of the Rainbow: How Educating for Happiness, Not Money, Would Transform Our Schools. Further, Dr. Engel is co-founder and educational advisor to the Hayground School in Bridgehampton, NY.In this interactive discussion...
2020-01-181h 01Human Restoration Project60: Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals to the Classroom with Dr. Jennifer Williams, Julia Fliss, and Nick CovingtonThis episode is all about the Sustainable Development Goals, with some specific questions surrounding their implementation. If you're not familiar, the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015 and consist of 17 major problems the world aims to solve by 2030. Countries are working in partnership to solve issues such as ending world hunger, establishing gender equality, taking climate action, and reducing inequality. Each of these goals has many organizations working with the indicators - or specific tasks - within each goal.During our panel discussion, we talk about motivating students to reach the SDGs in spite of their gigantic...
2019-12-2243 minHuman Restoration Project59: What's Up With School Lunch? w/ Jennifer E. GaddisI’ve always been perplexed by school lunch. It’s sort of taken as a part of school: a fairly bland looking, processed, mess that students deal with during the school day. Michael Moore in Where to Invade Next how ridiculous it was that the United States spends, on average, much more than other countries lunch programs, while not even serving fresh food.It’s not uncommon to view any school’s lunch menu and see the same questionable offerings: chicken nuggets, french toast sticks, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers. And when I saw an ad for a new book, Th...
2019-11-2948 minHuman Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Connecting with Students for Greater Well-Being w/ Monte SyrieJoin Monte Syrie - a proponent of student relationships who operates a daily educational reflective blog at LetsChangeEducation.com. Monte serves as an adjunct professor of education at Eastern Washington University, and as a high school English teacher and department chair at Cheney High School in Cheney, Washington.In this interactive discussion, we will discuss connecting and relating with students to improve well-being, both from a resource and systemic perspective.Participants will be posed with these questions, but the conversation will take us on a journey of its own:What are some practices...
2019-11-2353 minHuman Restoration Project58: Student Government and a Democratic Education w/ Carla Marschall & StuVoice, Merrit JonesWe often think of democratic education as student government - where students are sadly often pigeon-held into a glorified party planning committee with very little power. But what if things could be different? First, we could establish democratic norms in our classroom, where students are on equal footing with us to discussion curriculum and classroom changes - where the topics we discuss in class and the assignments that are given are a contract between the two of us, and our job is educators is to support, rather than tell what to do.Then, what if we build...
2019-11-0236 minHuman Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Self-Assessment, Gradeless Learning, and Teacher Well-Being w/ Starr SacksteinThis is an audio version of our Summit on October 27th,, 2019.Starr Sackstein, NBCT is author of many titles including Hacking Assessment, Peer Feedback in the Classroom: Empowering Students to Be the Experts, and From Teacher to Leader: Finding Your Way as a First-Time Leader without Losing Your Mind, as well as an English nationally board certified teacher.In this interactive discussion, we will discuss how these principles not only are paramount for our students' success, but our own longevity and joy as educators.How does gradeless learning change the teacher’s role in...
2019-10-271h 07
Human Restoration Project57: EdSpace.Live w/ Michael J. CrawfordIn this episode, Chris sits down with Michael J Crawford, co-founder of EdSpace Live, a new social media platform aimed at helping teachers connect in a more meaningful way than Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. EdSpace Live is currently in development, with an expected release in November.EdSpace.Live looks to help teachers connect on a deeper level by having a platform exclusively for them, where they can converse via video chat on podcasts, books, conferences, and more. Within this interview, we talk about:How EdSpace.Live is different than current social media solutions...
2019-10-1225 minHuman Restoration Project56: Listen to Students (feat. Ayush Chopra, Cody Lees, & Meghan Kestner)In this podcast, we're focused on student voice: how to engage students, what it means to share power with students, and the possibilities that can occur when we truly let students speak.It's obvious that this true, just a quick glance at the news and Greta Thunberg demonstrates how powerful young people can be if given the opportunities to be successful. Our job as educators to not hamper that motivation to learn and change the world, and help open up new experiences for students to be interested and engage in.And it's just just Thunberg...
2019-09-2832 minHuman Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Humanizing Mathematics w/ Sunil SinghThis is an audio version of our Summit on September 22nd, 2019.Sunil Singh is author of Pi of Life and co-author of Math Recess: Playful Learning in an Age of Disruption, whose expert focus is on revolutionizing the math curriculum through philosophical conversation, decolonizing the content, and redefining the narrative.In this interactive discussion, we discussed revolutionary thinking of mathematics education and how to instill a humanized mathematics curriculum into our schools. What does it mean to have a “humanized mathematics curriculum”? How does this differ from the predominant way mathematics is taught? How can...
2019-09-221h 00
Human Restoration Project55: Experimental Higher Education w/ Goddard College (Bernard Bull and Kumari Patricia Younce)In this podcast, we're speaking with Goddard College, a private college in Plainfield, Vermont with additional campuses in Port Townsend and Seattle, Washington. Goddard is a heavily progressive school with a variety of unique programs - from inventing “low residency” (students attend campus for around 2 weeks, then complete self-directed, purposeful projects) to never giving grades. It enrolls 700 students, 30% of whom are undergraduates. Founded in the spirit of experiential and democratic education, Goddard emphasizes self-directed higher education programs where learners submit their work via learning portfolios.We talk about the struggles, successes, and experiments of progressive universities, incl...
2019-09-1429 minHuman Restoration Project54: Making the Switch to Ungrading (feat. Abigail French, Dr. Susan Blum, and Dr. Laura Gibbs)Today, we're deep diving into ungrading. In episode 5, we looked at the gradeless movement and the pedagogy that surrounds it, and now we're looking at how it's incorporated, and the non-academic benefits of implementing it. To be clear, when I say "ungrading" - I'm referring to the movement away from grades. This doesn't necessarily mean that the class does not issue at grade at all. Typically, this means that grades are as limited as possible, as in one final grade at the end of a year, with opportunities to redo assignments or reach that goal in multiple ways.
2019-08-311h 23Human Restoration Project53: Teaching as a Nerdy Introvert w/ Jessamyn Neuhaus (Geeky Pedagogy)Dr. Jessamyn Neuhaus is author of Geeky Pedagogy: A Guide for Intellectuals, Introverts, and Nerds Who Want to Be Effective Teachers, which releases on September 1st, 2019. Jessamyn is a full-time professor at SUNY Plattsburgh, teaching US history, pop culture history, history methodology, as well as “Superheroes in US Culture” and “The Apocalypse in USU Pop Culture.”It’s only fitting that I recorded this episode with a D.C. Comics shirt, just after watching an episode of The Boys. Jessamyn and I speak about what introverted teachers bring to the classroom, how we can engage introverted students, the proble...
2019-08-1050 min
Human Restoration ProjectBonus: Summit: Getting Ready for SchoolNick and I (Chris) are experimenting with new ways to grow our progressive community. Social media is a double-edged sword: it’s amazing for discovering connections in a way that’s never existed before, but not intuitive for deep conversations. So, we’ve started our monthly Summit! This is an online discussion for anyone who wants to attend.This is our second discussion, centered around the start of the year. Listen in for upcoming announcements and big deals at HRP! Plus, check out restorehumanity.chat for future info!ATTENDEES (as recorded)Nic...
2019-08-0100 minHuman Restoration Project52: Shifting Mindsets: Entrepreneurial Education and the Battle Against White Supremacy w/ Kenrya RankinIn this episode, we discuss Start It Up: The Complete Teen Business Guide to Turning Your Passions into Pay and How We Fight White Supremacy with author Kenrya Rankin. A graduate of Howard University and New York University, Kenrya is an award winning author and speaker whose work has been featured in Fast Company, Ebony, and Glamour. She’s the editorial director for Colorlines. Further, she’s host of the new podcast,The Turn On (NSFW.)I contacted Kenrya initially while researching entrepreneurship education books for an upcoming class project, and I was impressed by Start It Up a...
2019-07-2025 min
Human Restoration ProjectBonus: Inaugural HRP Summit: A Meeting of Progressive EducatorsNick and I (Chris) are experimenting with new ways to grow our progressive community. Social media is a double-edged sword: it’s amazing for discovering connections in a way that’s never existed before, but not intuitive for deep conversations. So, we’ve started our monthly Summit! This is an online discussion for anyone who wants to attend.We were thrilled to hear such inspiring voices share their “whys”, challenges, and solutions. It’s incredible to hear what work is being done throughout the world, and the opportunity to connect and learn more is so beneficial. At many points...
2019-07-1400 minHuman Restoration Project51: We Got This: Equity and Access in Schools w/ Cornelius MinorIn this episode, we discuss We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be with author Cornelius Minor. Cornelius, a former middle school Language Arts educator from Brooklyn, is a leader in equitable literacy reform across the world. We Got This is an incredible work that blends critical pedagogy, equitable community practice, and connections between relationships and research in an easy-to-read and implement fashion.RESOURCES HRP’s Review of We Got This We Got This Publisher Page Cornelius Minor’s Website: Kass and CornFURTHER LISTENING Hein...
2019-07-0633 minHuman Restoration Project50: The Inventive Design of Learning Spaces feat. Pam Moran, Tim Fawkes, Ryan Hopkins-Wilcox, & Discovery LabToday's podcast is all about designing spaces for learning. Often, we think of a teacher's role as creator - someone who is making the learning happen within their room. But we can look at this in a more nuanced way. To completely steal Ryan Hopkins-Wilcox's explanation from in this podcast, when we plan an experience, we're already aware of what outcomes will be achieved. We're planning for what's going to happen next and already have each step in mind. In contrast, to design an experience - or space - we're opening possibilities for students to learn in multiple fashions...
2019-06-151h 33Human Restoration Project49: Writing for Purpose and Advocacy feat. Bryn Orum, J.J. Burry, John Warner, Stephanie Hurt, & Dr. Richard WilkinsonIn this episode, we're focused on advocacy - getting students motivated to speak up for themselves and change the world. We have so many brilliant voices who feel limited to the classroom, not realizing the power they hold. Particularly, we're going to look at how writing instruction lends itself to promoting student voices, featuring a variety of English educators, as well as authors, who recognize how important the Humanities are to promoting a flourishing democracy.GUESTS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCEBryn Orum, director of Rise Up and Write, a summer writing program centered around advocacy...
2019-05-191h 19
Human Restoration Project48: The New Nordic School feat. Brad KremerThe New Nordic School is an innovative school being built in Finland. Our guest, Brad Kremer, serves as director and informs us about the fantastic opportunities Finnish education provides and what New Nordic School aims to build further upon.In our discussion, Brad and I discuss:What is the New Nordic School?What is the current state of Finland’s education system? Why is the New Nordic School different?What curriculum can be exported from Finnish schools?Is it possible for Finnish schools to be replicated everywhere, even in less equitable societies? As in, are Finland’s ed...
2019-04-2829 minHuman Restoration Project47: Redefining Assessment by Implementing Gradeless Learning feat. Jeffery Frieden, Aaron Blackwelder, & Nick CovingtonOn today's podcast, we're looking at the gradeless movement. There's a lot to be debated in the education system, but I'm hard-pressed to find a topic so steeped in research as this one. Whether it be motivation, willingness to learn, and even traditional test scores, not giving a grade shows improvement across the board.There's countless research articles, books, podcasts, psychologists, education experts, and more writing and studying the effects of grades. And every single time, whether it be 1850 or 2019, it seems to support the same outcome: Grades diminish motivation and do little to actually provide...
2019-04-141h 02Human Restoration Project46: Innovation in Progressive Education feat. Bennett Jester, Ted Fujimoto, Deanna Hess, & Sophie FentonBy far the most inspiring thing about living in the communication age is seeing school innovation at work throughout the world. Sometimes we can get trapped in our microcosm obsessing over what doesn’t work in schools - after all, there is a lot that needs changing. But that doesn’t mean, of course, that there aren’t awesome things happening.To expand on the word "innovation" - I know that these word can be "fad worthy" - if you will. The education community tends to look at every new initiative as innovative, including those that just do eve...
2019-04-141h 23Human Restoration Project45: Building a Global Equitable Community feat. Ara Aman, Tania Mansfield, Lisa Liss, Colleen Mascenik, and Evin SchwartzWe speak with someone exposed to progressive education throughout the world, a human-centered school in Vietnam, an elementary school teacher reaching out, and two tech-experts leading the way in global communications.One of the fundamental shifts of the information age is being able to connect globally with barely any limitations. I'm still shocked that I can connect to a classroom in Vietnam - see and speak with the person - and it's almost like I'm there. And that's a semi-normal thing to do.And I often think about: what does that mean for education? Not...
2019-03-161h 44Human Restoration Project44: It All Orbits Purpose feat. Kendall Cotton Bronk, John Cagle, Skylar Primm, and Elizabeth MartinFrankly, I’m astonished by how little school systems spend on covering purpose in students’ lives. Where do they see themselves in 10, 20 years? We leave them to the “next step” (either lost and apathetic or in incredible amounts of debt) to figure it out for themselves. How do we go about creating a purposeful society? Is it possible for a teacher to actually make a change? And, in addition, what about our sense as educators in the classroom? What about our purpose?GUESTS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCEDr. Kendall Cotton Bronk, head of the Adolescent Morality...
2019-02-161h 19Human Restoration Project43: The Good Life feat. Steven Gumbay, REENVISIONED, The Future Project, Anne Connolly, Richard Loeper-Viti, & Gamal SherifIn this podcast, we're talking about "the good life." What is it exactly that we want students to have in their future? Is it a great career, a content lifestyle, a family, solidarity, freedom, respect for one another, a mixture of all of the above? And if we can't agree on that question or at least have somewhat unified goals in getting there, how can education exist to serve that question? In addition, do teachers have and deserve "the good life"?We've spoken to various educators from across the world, and I hope you enjoy listening to...
2019-01-191h 31Human Restoration Project40: Shifting from Industry to Well-Being w/ Dr. Susan EngelWe are joined by Dr. Susan Engel, professor of developmental psychology at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Dr. Engel has authored a variety of publications and books, including The End of the Rainbow: How Educating for Happiness (not money) Would Transform Our Schools and A School of Our Own: The Story of the First Student-Run High School and a New Vision for American Education, among many more - including her latest book, The Children You Teach: Using a Developmental Framework in the Classroom. Furthermore, Dr. Engel co-founded the Hayground School, a non-profit school focused on experiential learning and the...
2018-11-2438 minHuman Restoration Project36: Restoring Humanity to...Purpose (Changing the Focus of School)Restoring Humanity are short(ish) segments on understanding a key idea of progressive education. In this podcast, we’re looking at the history, research, and practical application of “purpose finding” in schools. Why would we not explicitly focus on students finding their purpose in life?
2018-10-1215 minHuman Restoration Project34: Restoring Humanity to....Education (Critical Pedagogy)Restoring Humanity are short(ish) segments on understanding a key idea of progressive education. This time, we're tackling discipline! What are the roots of our discipline system, what issues exist, and how can we solve them?Cited within: Heinz-Peter Gerhardt: “Paulo Freire” EdGlossary: “Hidden Curriculum” Paulo Freire: “The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education” P. Allman: “Paulo Freire’s Contributions to Radical Adult Education”
2018-09-2321 minHuman Restoration Project33: Timeless Learning w/ Ira SocolToday we’re joined by Ira Socol. Ira is the public education director of Educational Technology and Innovation, a Design Project Manager, Researcher, a specialist in Universal Design technology, Senior Provocateur, among many other titles. Ira’s latest book, written with Dr. Pam Moran and Chad Ratliff, Timeless Learning: How Imagination, Observation, and Zero-Based Thinking Change Schools, explores how maker spaces, project-based learning, and student-centered instruction radically changes schools from assembly lines to a community learning space.In our discussion, we focus on converting traditional schools to ones that put students first. Often, when we talk about ‘studen...
2018-09-1553 minHuman Restoration Project31: Restoring Humanity to Discipline (Restorative Justice)Restoring Humanity are short(ish) segments on understanding a key idea of progressive education. This time, we're tackling discipline! What are the roots of our discipline system, what issues exist, and how can we solve them?We also cite: William Bagley's Classroom Management (1908) School Discipline in Public Education (2011) For Public Schools, Segregation Then, Segregation Since (2013) How Racial Bias Affects the Quality of Black Students' Education (2016) The Trevor Project: Facts About Suicide (n.d.) Effective Discipline for Misbehavior: In School vs. Out of School Suspension (n.d.) ACLU: School to Prison Pipeline (n.d.)
2018-08-2523 minHuman Restoration Project30: Innovating Education w/ Dr. Tony WagnerToday we're joined by Dr. Tony Wagner. Tony is a Senior Research Fellow at the Learning Policy Institute who has served at Harvard University for over twenty years. Tony has worked in K-12 education as a school teacher, K-8 principal, university professor in teacher education, and is the founded the Educators for Social Responsibility. An author of many thoughts including Creating Innovators, The Global Achievement Gap, and Most Likely to Succeed (documentary now available on iTunes) - Tony has been a perpetual driver of innovative educational practice. Tony has been a prime resource for Michael and I for years...
2018-08-1826 minHuman Restoration Project28: Restoring Humanity: Gradeless LearningFor this episode we're trying something new. Instead of having a guest, I'm (Chris) deep-diving into one element of progressive education - offering history and advice to gradeless learning. I tried my best to cover an extensive look at this topic, including - most importantly - the point of why this is needed.There are many quotes and research provided, here is a list of the resources used: Much of the historical data (and all quotes) are from "Making the grade" by Jack Schneider & Ethan Hunt (2013). We recommend the portfolio tool Seesaw. **Mistakenly, I said that...
2018-08-0239 minHuman Restoration Project24: Trauma, Mental Health, and Well-Being w/ Mandy FroehlichMandy Froehlich is the Director of Innovation and Technology in the Ripon Area School District in Wisconsin and author of The Fire Within: Lessons from Defeat That Have Ignited a Passion for Learning. This collection of stories from educators describes how adversity is met with strength and everyone grows as a result. Furthermore, Mandy is a Google for Education Certified Trainer, ambassador for Canvas LMS, a keynote speaker, presenter, and PD lead.In our discussion, Mandy and I (Chris) spoke about the dangers of the stigma surrounding mental health and its specific detriment to teachers and students...
2018-07-0754 minHuman Restoration Project20: Rebuilding Mathematics Education w/ Sunil SinghSunil Singh was a high school math and physics teacher for 19 years. Before he quit teaching in the classroom in 2013, he had taught everything from basic math for junior students to IB math for honors-level students. He has worked in a socioeconomically challenging environment of an inner-city school in Toronto and at the prestigious International School of Lausanne in Switzerland. His vast experience teaching math in every setting imaginable has helped him become a leader in creative math education in North America. Since 2005, he has given over 50 workshops on kindergarten to grade 12 mathematics at various locations—math conferences, faculties of...
2018-06-091h 03Human Restoration Project16: Adopting Progressive Ed. w/ Alfie KohnWe're excited and honored to speak with renowned educator Alfie Kohn surrounding his views on progressive education and what steps educators can take to implement his ideas. We spoke about the ideology surrounding Kohn's views on grading and standardized testing, among others: its relevance to today's world and why it's needed.Kohn has authored an extensive amount of articles on the importance of progressive practice, including his collection of works The Myth of the Spoiled Child, Feel-Bad Education, Schooling Beyond Measure, Punished by Rewards, The Homework Myth, and more. Kohn is well known for his views on...
2018-05-0635 minHuman Restoration Project15: What School Could Be w/ Ted DintersmithTed Dintersmith is an accomplished entrepreneur - from serving as a top venture capitalist and running an incredibly successful business, to working in our government as an analyst and representative to the United Nations - as well as being an advocate for innovative education. Dintersmith offers a profound, visionary look at changing educational practice to be applicable, relevant, and creative and is well known for co-producing and co-writing Most Likely to Succeed as well as his latest book, What School Could Be.Dintersmith, in our view, has written a fantastic piece of work that covers all elements...
2018-05-051h 10Human Restoration Project14: The Importance of Relationships w/ Monte SyrieIn this podcast, Monte Syrie joins us to talk about building relationships with our students. Monte operates a daily educational reflective blog at letschangeeducation.com, serves as an adjunct professor of education at Eastern Washington University, and is a high school English teacher and department chair at Cheney High School in Cheney, Washington.
2018-04-3059 min