Learning Unboxed

Today, we have a wonderful teacher and a student joining us today, Amanda Schaeffer and Neel Mawalkar.Amanda is an art teacher out of Hilliard City Schools, which is one of the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. She teaches both Art and Ecology, very STEAM-focused, in part of Hilliard City Schools Innovation Learning Campus.Neel is a 10-year old student who just finished up the 5th grade at Wickliffe Elementary School, which is also in the suburbs of Columbus in Upper Arlington. Next year, Neel is going to be celebrating his journey into middle school, and he wants to be a scientist one day when he grows up.Resources:Learn more at pastfoundation.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Today, we’re going to be talking about music and the role of arts, music, and technology in education – and we’re going to be doing that by learning more about the unique and innovative program here in Columbus. GROOVE U is a post-secondary two-year music industry career program focusing on music industry entrepreneurship, with a heavy emphasis on experiential and applied learning. And, impressively, the program boasts a 96% job placement in-field among all its graduates.Our guests are Dwight Heckelman, the founder and Director at GROOVE U, and Nicholas Burgett, a Metro Early College High School graduate who spent some time as a student at GROOVE U. Nicholas is going to give some insight into how GROOVE U is interacting with the K-12 space in some really intriguing and interesting ways, as well as his perspective on learning in these different learning environments.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more at www.grooveu.eduInstaband @ GROOVE U: www.instaband.orgFacebook: www.facebook.com/m

We are joined by awesome guests who know a thing or two (or ten) about what happens when you take your kids out of the classroom, out of the building, and you go into the field. Pam Hayes is the Early College Coordinator for Metro Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio and Sheli Smith is the Chief Academic Officer at the PAST Foundation and the PAST Innovation Lab.But this is not just a conversation about outdoor education. This is a conversation about how we can truly scaffold kids to have meaningful experiences in an early college setting that is really tied to helping these kids solve problems in the world. The program that these two women have done together is really one that stands out as not just a case study for great STEM education but a case study for how you can work very creatively within your community to make the opportunities and experiences that students can have very, very tangible.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more at pastfoundation.orgConnect with Sheli: linked

Today, we are continuing our tour of early access programs that help children transition into post-secondary, often blurring the lines of that traditional high school to college transition in the process. We’ve luckily had the privilege of seeing and exploring some of these programs in other areas of the country and world, and we think getting a view of everything that people are doing now is a really important part of making these programs even better in the future.Our guest is Brian Sien, who is the current Principal of Clackamas Middle College, a fabulous school outside of Portland, Oregon. Brian is an innovative leader in this space who has been heavily involved in transformative education, in a variety of ways, throughout his experience in both traditional and charter public schools. He has a passion for working with students, teachers, administrators, and state leaders to provide seamless transitions from K12 education into post-secondary for all stakeholders – something that you might know we are extre

Today we’re excited to introduce you to a new program called STEMcoding, which is an effort to reimagine STEM courses with computer science in mind, and two of the people spearheading this initiative, Chris Orban and Richelle Teeling-Smith.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more about STEMcoding: u.osu.edu/stemcodingStart taking modules now on the YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/STEMcodingTwitter: twitter.com/STEMcodingYou can find more coding activities at hourofcode.comConnect with Chris: physics.osu.edu/people/orban.14Connect with Richelle: physics.osu.edu/people/teeling-smith.1College Credit Plus: www.ohiohighered.org/content/college_credit_plus_about Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

This week, we are wrapping up our tour of the Alaska Middle College program with an on-location conversation at the Mat-Su Middle College. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Middle College as well as the pains of creating transformative educational programs across the nation and around the world.Our guests today are Greg Giauque, who's a Principal Teacher at Mat-Su Middle College, and Kaelle Daughterty and Isabella Sarro, who are both students currently enrolled at Mat-Su Middle College.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more at https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/about/high-school-students/index.cshtmlMat-Su Middle College: https://www.matsuk12.us/msmLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

In the last episode, we sat down with four of the innovative educators and administrators behind the Alaska Middle College program to discuss what Middle College is and why they’re so effective at improving student outcomes. Today, we’re talking to a teacher and student from Mat-Su Middle College School, the first Middle College school in Alaska, to learn what both students and teachers love about the program. Our guests are John Robertson, a Social Studies and English teacher at the Mat-Su Middle College School, and Kat Barr, a junior currently attending Mat-Su Middle College. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org Resources: Learn more at https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/about/high-school-students/index.cshtml Mat-Su Middle College: https://www.matsuk12.us/msm  Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Today we are going to learn what Middle College programs are, why they’re so effective at improving student outcomes, and what communities need to know if they are contemplating the possibility of launching Middle Colleges of their own. And we have an all-star lineup of guests joining us to talk about the success of the Middle College School programs in Alaska!We sit down with Dr. Claudia Lampman, the Vice Provost of Student Success and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage, the institution that hosts the Alaska Middle College efforts across the state; Luke Almon, the principal of the Anchorage Middle College School; Greg Giauque, who's the principal and a teacher at the Matanuska-Susitna (MatSu) Middle College School, which is just outside of Anchorage and the longest-running Middle College in the Alaskan effort; and Dr. Holly Martinson, an Assistant Professor at the WWAMI School of Medical Education and the Chair of the Middle College Programs within the UAA effort and system.T

Karl Rectanus is an educator, entrepreneur, advisor, and the co-founder and CEO of LearnPlatform, an organization with a team of educators, researchers, and technologists committed to leveraging data, delivering dynamic solutions, and making results matter.Karl leads K-12 districts, higher ed institutions and state education agencies in their efforts to use the research-based LearnPlatform to continuously improve standards of practice that drive blended and personalized learning at scale, increase student achievement, and expand equitable access to education technologies. So, needless to say, we’re big fans over here at PAST.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more at LearnPlatform.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/LearnPlatformUSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearnTrialsKarl on Twitter: https://twitter.com/karlrectanusEdTech Top 40: https://learnplatform.com/edtech-top-40Listen to Seth Godin’s Akimbo S3E9: Stop Stealing Our DreamsLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecor

Today, we’re talking about the role of invention in education – and why design thinking and problem-based learning should, ultimately, have a much greater role in our classrooms than they currently do.To illustrate the value of invention, we invited two amazing guests, Robin Hilsmeier and Jim Bruner, to discuss how the Ohio Invention League gives students the opportunity to practice design thinking by creating, marketing, and pitching solutions to societal problems.We describe the Invention League, as well as the national Invention Convention program, in detail in the episode, but Jim provides a wonderful explanation that will help you understand the high-level concept: “Invention Convention is a science fair with purpose. The kids have to create something that is an answer to a problem; it's a product, and then they sell, market, and promote that product with data.”To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more at inventionleague.orgRobin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinhilsme

On Learning Unboxed, we like to share case studies of the projects and programs that are revolutionizing education; great new ideas that have already been tested, the lessons that we've learned along the way, and where there are opportunities for other communities to do similar things as they think about education. That’s why, today, we are excited to introduce you to Energy4Learning, a program that transforms school buildings into learning tools by leveraging real energy data to engage students in problem-based learning. Joining the show to teach us about this new program is Ryan Prestel and Kat Deaner. Ryan is the co-founder and CEO of JadeTrack, a cloud-based analytics platform powering some of the world’s most robust energy and sustainability programs. They empower stakeholders – and, for this program, students – to create impact by making complex energy usage data simple. Kat is PAST’s very own Director of School Design and Online Learning, and she leads all the efforts associated with school transfo

I’m often asked question about internships for high school students, so it’s clear that the subject is top of mind in many schools, communities, businesses, and industries. So, in this episode, I want to shine a spotlight on a partnership that exemplifies the benefits of high school internships, for both students and businesses, and encourage other communities to adopt a similar model.Joining us are Meka Pace, the Executive Director and Superintendent of the Metro Schools network, and Vanessa Jester, the Workforce Development Manager at Turner Construction.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more about Metro’s Learning Labs: https://www.themetroschool.org/about/learning-centers/Meka on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meka-pace-48309285/Meka on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mekapaceVanessa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-jester-a41172106/Read: “Take 5 Steps to Find an Internship During High School”STEM Industry Council (SInC): http://www.sinccentralohio.org/Learning

Dr. Kimberlee Kiehl is a passionate supporter of education in the Columbus area, and she has been for a number of years. She actually started a career in formal education, but she left to focus on informal education – and that’s what makes her the perfect person to teach us about how informal education spaces are disrupting the education world and how teachers can utilize local resources and opportunities in the everyday classroom. Dr. Kiehl currently serves as Senior Vice President of Operations and Experience at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, which she claims is “the best science museum in the world” (and we might be a little biased, but we’re inclined to agree). To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org Resources: COSI: https://www.cosi.org/ Big Science Celebration (FREE on May 4, 2019): https://cosiscifest.org/bsc/ The 95 Percent Solution: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-95-percent-solution  Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric Fre

Josh Bernstein and Mike Schott are responsible for an awesome new program designed to get kids excited about science: Explorer At Large.Their mission is to engage, inspire, and educate PreK-12 students around the world with standards-driven content that sparks curiosity, playfulness, and wonder. XAL is now placing its educational content in school systems around the country, with help from partners like the Schott Foundation for Public Education, and we can’t wait to share what they’re doing with all of you. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org Resources: Learn more at https://www.exploreratlarge.com schottfoundation.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploreratlarge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exploreratlarge  Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Giving students more experience solving real-world problems is critical to their development as future problem solvers, and that’s why the Ohio Stem Learning Network hosts statewide design challenges. This year, OSLN is asking students to imagine, prototype, and design a solution to food insecurity in their life, community, or world.Luckily, we have two amazing women joining us to unbox this huge topic: Heather Sherman and Jeanne Gogolski. Heather is the Director of Ohio's STEM Learning Network and Stem Relationship Manager for Battelle Education and Jeanne is the Founding Partner of educationprojects.org, one of the industry partners for this year’s challenge.Follow @OSLN on Twitter for updates as they visit many of the students and classrooms tackling this challenge. You can also follow the hashtag #STEMFeedsOhio to see what students are coming up with, and if you’re participating, we’d love you to use the hashtag so we can see what you’re working on, too!To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResource

One of the things that we love here at the PAST Foundation is having the opportunity to watch incredible young adults learn and grow; these amazing students are rock stars in our eyes, and giving them a space to stretch their wings is one of the most rewarding experiences we have.And today, we want to introduce you to three of the rockstars that lead the Metrobots, Metro Early College High School’s (MECHS) FRC robotics team. Metrobots and several other robotics teams are housed at the PAST Innovation Lab, one of several co-created learning labs hosted at PAST.We want to introduce you all to: Fatima Bainazar, a senior from Metro Early College and the project manager for the Metrobots; Melissa Olvera, a senior at Metro and the Administrative Project Manager for the Metrobots; and Elizabeth Drake, a junior at Metro who is interested in mechanical integration and engineering.Collectively, these three ladies represent students from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, opportunities, and passions – just like Metr

Today’s guest is an educator, a counselor, a researcher, an author, an advocate, a mentor, a creative thinker, a community changer, an amazing entrepreneur, and a change agent in the lives of girls around the country. Dr. Lisa Hinkelman has spent nearly fifteen years researching girls and educating counselors as both as a professor at The Ohio State University and as the founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), and we are so happy to have her on the show.We know that there won’t be a better future without the practitioners who are on the ground day-to-day, in schools, working with kids, getting folks ready to be the next great citizens in our world – but they need to know about the great case studies that can inform practices and decision-making on the local level. We need people to guide conversations about teaching, learning, and the future of work, and, certainly, Dr. Hinkelman and ROX are part of that.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more at https://rulingourexperiences.com/

Stacie Boord and Nick Wilson join us to unbox Shadowbox Live, a non-profit performance troupe whose top managers also operate as the primary creators, producers, and performers for their self-produced shows.As we think about learning through a new paradigm, Shadowbox Live represents an amazing story mechanism that not only brings the arts alive, but more importantly, takes the ethos of the arts industry and demonstrates what the entire ecosystem can bring to bear, across multiple careers. For over 20 years, this creative force has produced world-class productions, including original rock operas, traditional musicals, fine art exhibits, contemporary dance, and video.We unbox:What was Stacie thinking when she helped start ShadowboxCreating diverse art with a rock aesthetic: ballsy, uninhibited, courageous, and boldWhen Shadowbox started giving back to and supporting the communityCollaborating with Metro Early College High School (which you might recognize from episode two) to bring arts into the STEM schoolNick

21st century education is a very different beast than the education of the past because our world is vastly different, and the pace of change just keeps increasing. As as result, we have to take a very different approach to learning if we want to prepare our children to thrive in the digital age.So today, we talk to Jeff McClellan, the Founding Director of StartSOLE, an organization that is transforming education through SOLE (Self-Organized Learning Environments).SOLE is a process-based approach to education, as opposed to results-based, that helps prepare students for success in today’s era of technology and information. By providing an early intervention in education, SOLE can level the academic playing field and increase equity among all students, while helping kids develop the skills they they need for a modern digital society.We unbox:What education should be preparing students for and, at the end of the day, what our true purpose is as educatorsTurning the city of Cleveland into the campus for a STEM h

Kevin Gadd is a serial entrepreneur (and self-identified serial learner), retired Air Force Chief, and the Ohio Program Manager for Apprenti. In this episode, Kevin helps us unbox the role of entrepreneurship in education and the intersection between teaching, learning, and work.The problem with entrepreneurship education is that, until very recently, we have been trying to teach entrepreneurship like math or history: we’d get an outdated book and put students in a class, then if we were getting ambitious, we might have them design a business plan using online software. It was nonfunctional, and it didn’t really match what happened in the real world.Programs like Apprenti, however, serve as a better model for entrepreneurship education. It is the nation’s first registered IT apprenticeship program, and its goal is to train future tech workers, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups including women, minorities, and veterans. Once trained, these new IT workers join a yearlong apprenticeship program to ensu