This week Mike dives into a conversation about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education with Sergei and Vadim Revzin, the hosts of The Mentors podcast. We begin by exploring each brother’s origin story of how they got involved in entrepreneurship and mentorship for aspiring entrepreneurs. How do storytelling, asking for help, and having drive contribute to being a successful entrepreneur? How much can be taught and what techniques work best when mentoring? We also explore how entrepreneurs...
Dec 02, 2019•46 min•Season 4Ep. 239
Mike and Dan explore the concept of gratitude from a few different angles as we gear up for Thanksgiving in the US. How can we learn to be more grateful and what kinds of gratitude work best? Can we be more other-pleasing with our gratefulness and can we learn to be grateful even for the hard times and the challenges of desirable difficulty. We’re very thankful for our listeners and hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving bonus edition!
Nov 28, 2019•34 min•Season 4Ep. 238
Mike sits down with Russell Glass, the CEO of Ginger, the behavioral health app. We dig into the importance of coaching and proactive, preventative mental health as ways to address the growing mental health crisis in the US. Can an app help address the emerging epidemic of social isolation? Does digital help open up access to help in new and surprising ways? Or does it reinforce our addiction to screens? And how do mindfulness and gratitude factor into the equation? Have a listen, focus on your ...
Nov 25, 2019•49 min•Season 4Ep. 237
Mike shares his experiences with Dan after attending the HolonIQ Global Summit on the Future of Learning and Talent which was recently held in New York City as part of a Global tour. We dive into where the world of education is heading from a venture capital and investment lens based on Mike's impressions from the summit. In particular, we explore how companies like Western Governors University, Penn Foster, and Cluster, among others, are investing in new models to reach learners who may not eas...
Nov 21, 2019•29 min•Season 4Ep. 236
This week, Mike is joined by Colonel Chris Mayer, Associate Dean for Strategy & Initiatives at West Point, to talk about teaching strategic leadership in a VUCA world. As a quick disclaimer, the views expressed herein are those of Chris, our guest, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Military Academy, the Department of the Army, or the Department of Defense. We begin by breaking down the concepts behind the VUCA acronym as we explore how best to lead in an...
Nov 18, 2019•44 min•Season 4Ep. 235
We give ourselves an overall grade of "It's Complicated" as Mike and Dan dig into the results of the 2019 NAEP exams, aka our "National Report Card." The news isn't great on the Reading front with 2019 US Reading Scores dropping 1 point on 4th Grade Reading and 3 points on 8th Grade Reading versus 2017 scores. US Mathematics Scores for 2019 were flatter with 4th Grade Mathematics scores up 1 point and 8th Grade Mathematics scores down 1 point versus 2017 scores. This launches us into a discussio...
Nov 09, 2019•35 min•Season 4Ep. 234
As an extra this week, Mike and Dan spend time with Jaye and Adam Fenderson, the filmmakers behind the new documentary, Unlikely . The film explores the problem of low graduation rates among US college entrants through the stories of 5 students and their families. We explore why this problem hasn't yet elevated to the national consciousness despite the fact that the US trails major industrialized nations with a college completion rate of less than 50%. This is made evident through an exploration...
Nov 07, 2019•43 min•Season 4Ep. 233
This week, Mike and Dan spend time with friend of the show, Dr Mark Sanders, discussing civic engagement as Election Day 2019 approaches. Mark describes the ways in which he's been engaging with students and the community at UNC Charlotte where Mark is a Philosophy professor. What lessons can be learned about civic engagement during an off-year election like this one? Beyond voting and serving on jury duty when called, what else is essential to civic engagement in the 21st century? How can philo...
Nov 02, 2019•28 min•Season 4Ep. 232
In an emerging Trending in Education Halloween tradition, we take time to talk brains, BCIs in particular. Building on our recent episode about Data Privacy, the team dives into an exploration of recent news about Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs). Over the summer, researchers at Carnegie Mellon demonstrated that non-invasive BCIs could enable the generation of simple commands in computers through use of helmets or other wearable tech. No surgery or implanting of chips required. We take a moment ...
Oct 31, 2019•32 min•Season 4Ep. 231
Mike and Dan catch up on the developing story that is Operation Varsity Blues. With Felicity Huffman serving 11 days of her 14-day sentence while Lori Loughlin and her husband are fighting their charges, we explore how the ongoing coverage of this scandal hints at a deeper sense of simmering cultural unease about fairness, equity, and college admissions. A Lifetime movie is already out and James Van Der Beek was tweeting about this long before he was Dancing With the Stars. It’s everywhere in th...
Oct 28, 2019•29 min•Season 4Ep. 230
For this week's extra, Mike is joined by Ron Reed and Greg Rosenbaum from SXSW EDU to talk about trends in learning and education over the past 10 years as the conference gears up for its 10th anniversary run in March 2020. What has changed over the years and what has remained the same? What's it like to run a learning conference as part of SXSW? How is SXSW EDU operating in a way that is inclusive and representative of the community and how does it continue to explore the cross disciplinary nat...
Oct 24, 2019•39 min•Season 4Ep. 229
A Complex Nexus: Melissa Griffith is back with Mike and Dan as we dive into the complex and highly relevant topic of data security and data privacy with special attention to the learning implications for consumers, brands, and educators. We focus on recent research from Pew and elsewhere that indicates that a majority of Americans don’t understand key terms and concepts in data privacy and cybersecurity. You can read up more about this topic in a recent article by Nicole Lindsey from CPO Magazin...
Oct 21, 2019•40 min•Season 4Ep. 228
Mike and Dan recap their time at the Sound Education conference and explore some of their key takeaways. How does our own podcast fit into the growing learning audio ecosystem? How might new entrants like Luminary, Himalaya, and Lyceum change the way we understand educational audio? Is there a freemium model that will allow learning podcasts to remain free but allow for more growth and sustainability? We discuss all this and more on our latest Trending in Education.
Oct 17, 2019•33 min•Season 4Ep. 227
Mike is joined by Chris Ryan and Dr Jeff Koetje to explore several key concepts in learning science and social and emotional learning (SEL). How can mindfulness help manage the self-doubt of the Impostor Syndrome? How is Growth Mindset a key reminder that there is discomfort and desirable difficulty when learning? And how do these concepts relate to emerging thinking around equity, diversity, and inclusion? We explore these concepts and try to connect them to real life experiences as learners, t...
Oct 14, 2019•44 min•Season 4Ep. 226
This week, Mike and Dan dive into everything there is to know about the world of edutainment. What does edutainment mean and what are some alternative portmanteaus that also might foot the bill? We talk through the history of edutainment in the US ranging from the early days of Children's Television right on through the present day. We conclude with several recommendations of excellent examples of contemporary edutainment in the emerging world of learning media. If you like to add some fun to yo...
Oct 07, 2019•33 min•Season 4Ep. 225
For those of you who just can’t get enough of Trending in Education’s breakdown of the 2019 edition of the Gartner Hype Cycle, we’re providing a bonus edition with Melissa Griffith. Mike and Melissa dive into the trends and spend time thinking about the future of learning and education based on the trends identified (and omitted) in the 2019 Report. Listen in and enjoy!
Oct 06, 2019•25 min•Season 4Ep. 224
Mike and Dan dive into the maelstrom of activity coinciding with the launch of a formal Impeachment Inquiry in the US House of Representatives. We talk about the amount of noise this will generate and how it will become increasingly important to find reliable primary sources to understand what’s going on. We also discuss the growing need to turn off the 24-hour news cycle and find time to reflect. How do civics and legal education relate to the emerging zeitgeist? How do we create safe places to...
Sep 30, 2019•40 min•Season 4Ep. 223
This week Mike and Dan are joined by old friend Brandon Jones to dive into the 2019 installation of the Gartner Hype Cycle. What's emerging on the curve and what has disappeared? Is the Hype Cycle itself past the peak of inflated expectations? In addition to a hot take or two, the squad breaks down the five larger themes outlined in the 2019 edition of the Hype Cycle with some detail. What are the implications of all of this to learning? How will the classrooms and learning environments of the f...
Sep 26, 2019•48 min•Season 4Ep. 222
This week, Mike and Dan are joined by Holly Garner, one of the Editors for the Journal of Applied Testing Technology, to examine the news that LinkedIn has launched skills assessments as part of their platform. How should assessments like these be designed? Does passing an exam truly signal proficiency or mastery? As this type of credentialing matures, what might be the implications for higher education? Will you be quizzed on all this? Maybe a lil bit. But it should help you learn a little. Enj...
Sep 23, 2019•22 min•Season 4Ep. 221
Dan and Mike catch up on a recent new book release, The MVP Machine: How Baseball's New Nonconformists Are Using Data to Build Better Players, and accompanying Harvard Business Review article, What Baseball Can Teach You About Using Data to Improve Yourself . What techniques from the advanced metric and quantified self approach of players like Trevor Bauer can be leveraged for everyone's personal and professional growth? How do the themes of grit and growth mindset fit into this discussion? Is t...
Sep 19, 2019•21 min•Season 4Ep. 220
This week Mike and Dan are joined by Angela Siefer and Xandi Wright to discuss Digital Equity and Inclusion. Angela is the Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance and has been focused on providing access to digital resource for those who may not have this in their homes. Xandi recently studied Digital Inclusion in graduate school and is beginning her practice in the field. We explore the concepts of digital inclusion, digital equity, digital readiness, and the homework gap ...
Sep 16, 2019•40 min•Season 4Ep. 219
In yet another Back to School Extra, Mike sits down with journalist, author, and teacher, Robert Pondiscio to discuss his provocative new book, How the Other Half Learns: Equality, Excellence, and the Battle Over School Choice. Robert shares his experiences from spending a year embedded in the Bronx 1 school in the Success Academy charter system. We touch on the discipline and commitment required of students, parents, and teachers to gain access and to stay in a Success Academy school. And we al...
Sep 14, 2019•26 min•Season 4Ep. 218
Mike and Dan sit down with Dennis Morgan, a member of the District 3 Community Education Council in Manhattan, to discuss how parents can become engaged and activated in their local schools. Using Dennis's story as an example, we discuss how Dennis became actively engaged in his children's public school to address challenges we face in New York and across the US. We follow Dennis’s story from when he was first connecting with other parents when his son was in Universal Pre-K to where he is now b...
Sep 12, 2019•38 min•Season 4Ep. 217
This week, Mike sits down with Kate Eberle-Walker, CEO of Presence Learning, to explore the emerging field of teletherapy. Kate explains the history of screen-based therapy and related interventions and the growing role that organizations like Presence Learning are playing in bridging access gaps to licensed professionals in underserved schools through live online delivery. How might this help address the growing mental health crises kids, families, and K-12 schools are facing these days? Listen...
Sep 09, 2019•36 min•Season 4Ep. 216
This week we have the pleasure of welcoming world renowned author and thinker, Michael Horn to the show. Michael recently authored Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life in which he and co-author, Bob Moesta, identify the five jobs that learners hire college to do for them. Michael is a cofounder and distinguished fellow of The Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation and is Head of Strategy for the Entangled Group. In addition to Choosing Col...
Sep 03, 2019•42 min•Season 4Ep. 215
In a letter just released in August, the Business Roundtable, a lobbying group made up of many of the nation’s leading CEOs, may have changed the course of corporate America. The letter asserts that a business’s purpose is more than generating profit for its shareholders. Instead it is to deliver value to all of its stakeholders . Generating profit and shareholder value have been the prime directive of large corporations since the days of Milton Friedman. Is this signaling a change? Maybe Gordon...
Aug 29, 2019•39 min•Season 3Ep. 214
What is an "Inverted Yield Curve" and why was it trending on Twitter of late? We take a stab at providing a little financial education as we explore this trend and what it means to all of us. How have the recent forecasts of a potential recession been amplified by social media? Has social media helped educate people on what's going on or simply fed mass hysteria and panic? How might we teach personal finance and other financial matters in K12, at home, and throughout our lives? Get out your crys...
Aug 26, 2019•32 min•Season 3Ep. 213
Mike Palmer and Frank Jones revisit a hot topic from earlier this month on what a group of eight to 11 year-olds want to be when they grow up. Are American kids no longer fascinated by space travel? Is it all Youtube and Vlogging from here forward? Frank shares his perspectives on this topic as we continue to dig into the recent attention generated by a survey launched by Harris Polling and Lego. Is this pointing to bigger trends in learning and education? Listen in to find out.
Aug 22, 2019•26 min•Season 3Ep. 212
This week Mike and Dan are joined by Tarlin Ray, Melissa Griffith, and Frank Jones as we explore Starbucks College Achievement Plan (SCAP) which has just granted degrees to its first 3000 graduates. Through a partnership with Arizona State University Online, Starbucks provides access to tuition-fee bachelors programs for its employees. The squad digs into the topic from various angles as we continue to explore new models of workforce development, public-private partnerships, and online post-seco...
Aug 19, 2019•38 min•Season 3Ep. 211
This week Mike and Dan are joined by Melissa Griffith to explore the topic of pay equity inspired by the US Women’s Team’s magical run to a World Cup Championship. We use this as a jumping off point to dive into all aspects of the zeitgeisty issue of the gender pay gap. As a learning podcast, we think through what can be learned and what can be taught about this complex issue. We also get some advice on negotiation and interview and interviewing skills from Melissa and squad. Listen in and enjoy...
Aug 15, 2019•40 min•Season 3Ep. 210
