Grab Your Headphones: 10 Must Hear Podcasts

This week instead of our weekly podcast episode, we wanted to bring you our team’s favorite podcasts from the “vault”. If you haven’t listened to these we’d highly recommend adding them to your listening queue. Use some of your down time today to grab your headphones, press play and listen in as we unpack all things new and innovative in education.

Oh and before you start listening, make sure you keep an eye out for next week’s new podcast (if you subscribe that’s the best way to avoid missing any content). We’re doing a special two-part episode featuring interviews and learning from SXSW EDU! Their request for proposals is officially opened so we figured what better way to celebrate!

1. Experiencing Place-Based Education at Teton Science Schools

To truly understand the “power of place” as we experienced it, we wanted to share the voices of the students, teachers and leaders at TSS. As we explain in the podcast, this one’s a little different from our usual format. Ready to experience place-based learning? Check out our audio field trip to Teton Science Schools.

2. What’s Up With All the Design-Focused Schools?

Tune in as Getting Smart CEO Tom Vander Ark talks to Emily Liebtag to discuss all of the amazing, innovative design-focused schools they have had the pleasure of visiting in the last several weeks.

3. Building Transferable Skills: Design Tech High at Oracle Campus

Join us for another audio field trip, this time to Design Tech High school. We’ll tour the school’s new campus and learn how d.tech is combining personalized learning, design thinking, and maker activities to reach their goal of helping students forge identities as caring citizens and young professionals.

4. What Is Formative Assessment? Voices From the Field

We interviewed half a dozen thought leaders and participants involved in the How I Know pilot to find out what exactly is formative assessment and what they hope to accomplish as part of the initiative. Download and press play!

5. Talking Learning Experience at the Zoo

In this episode of the podcast, Tom Vander Ark talks learner experience with leaders from Washington state. He focuses on three small community connected, experiential schools in Tacoma, WA. One of which can be found in a zoo.

6. Michael Fullman Sees Global Momentum for Deep Learning

Michael Fullan is Canada’s gift to education. For half a century and with 45 books to his credit, Fullan has been the world’s most persistent and persuasive advocate for powerful learning experiences. Listen in to hear a conversation between Tom and Fullan about the potential for better high school credentials and how the assessment system is changing.

7. 21 Insights: Adventures in Learning to Lead
Our director of design, Adam Kulaas reflects on 21 lessons learned during a decade of leading schools, sharing insights on everything from encouraging student voice to supporting your staff.

8. Coaching to Develop Agents of Change – Not Compliance

School coaches ought to be capacity builders that unlock educators’ potential and help their school communities grow. Effective coaches help to develop agents of change — not educators who learn to comply and follow someone else’s lead. Learn more about coaching and its effects on education in this podcast.

9. Learning from Leadership at Detroit Prep Academy

Earlier this year, Emily to Detroit Prep Academy e and wanted to share the school’s story with our podcast listeners. Join her and Head of School Jen McMillan to hear more about the current education climate in Detroit, what’s working well at Detroit Prep, and key lessons learned in leading a school.

10. The Backstory Behind the Microsoft Refresh

In this episode, Greg Shaw and Jill Tracie Nichols discuss the importance of the cultural refresh at Microsoft (based on Carol Dweck’s growth mindset), valuable tips on writing and publishing and more.

What topics are you wishing we’d cover? What education thought leader should we interview next? Send your ideas to [email protected] and include Podcast in the subject line. We’ll add your ideas to our list.


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Getting Smart Staff

The Getting Smart Staff believes in learning out loud and always being an advocate for things that we are excited about. As a result, we write a lot. Do you have a story we should cover? Email [email protected]

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This podcast highlights developing trends in K-12 education, postsecondary and lifelong learning. Each week, Getting Smart team members interview students, leading authors, experts and practitioners in research, tech, entrepreneurship and leadership to bring listeners innovative and actionable strategies in education leadership.

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