The Harvard Professor - Jal Mehta's Origin Story
Summary
Ron Berger guest co-hosts to interview Harvard professor Jal Mehta. Ron shares an optimistic story about community action in education, then praises Jal's academic contributions and humility. The conversation delves into Jal's origin story, his complex racial identity, and navigating progressive ideas within Harvard's historical context. They discuss the challenges of scaling deeper learning and how parenthood profoundly impacts their educational philosophies, culminating in a fun lightning round.Episode description
Jal Mehta is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and also holds the title of faculty co-chair for the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology program. His research explores the role of different forms of knowledge in tackling major social and political problems, particularly problems of human improvement. He has also written extensively on what it would take to improve American education, with a particular focus on the professionalization of teaching. Our guest co-host, Ron Berger appeared in season one, episode 13: "Our Kids are Not Broken" and returns as a self-described "super-fan" of the podcast. Highlights from a very dynamic conversation include: an opening story about optimism in the face of a suddenly politicized education world; a look back at where it all began for Jal as he grew up in suburban Baltimore; unpacking the complexity of identifying and scaling deeper learning in all education systems; balancing the colonial nature and history of Harvard University with promoting a progressive approach to education; how having kids changes your view on teaching; and a fast moving lightning round that features a "scary story."
Listen to Ron's Season 01 Episode
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