November Learning » Podcasts

Webinar with Alan November and Dr. Eric Mazur

Brian Mull — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:32:29 +0000

This is a very special episode of our podcast series. It’s an archived recording of our first of what we hope will be many live webinars complete with audience Q&A at the end.

In this conversation, Alan talks again to Dr. Eric Mazur, Area Dean of Applied Physics at Harvard University and 2011 Building Learning Communities Conference keynote speaker. Alan and Dr. Mazur revisit his work on flipped learning along with peer instruction that is guided by the questions and misconceptions students bring to class each day. This process, being done using his Learning Catalytics software, is allowing him to visualize student learning in new and exciting ways.

Dr. Mazur will be back for the 2012 Building Learning Communities Conference to work with participants in a pre-conference session. For more information, visit http://www.blcconference.com.

Managing a Classroom Full of Angry Birds – An Interview with Lachlun Hull

Brian Mull — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:19:45 +0000

In this episode, Alan speaks to Lachlan Hull, a first year teacher working with students between the ages of four and six years old at St. Joseph’s Primary School – Kangaroo Point, located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. During this discussion, Lachlan explains how he uses a classroom management tool created by ClassDojo to build a sense of group accountability through personal behaviors amongst his young students. In addition, Lachlan shares a very interesting project his students developed using the popular game, Angry Birds.

Lachlan will be a presenter at the 2012 Building Learning Communities conference being held this July in Boston. To learn more about BLC, visit http://blcconference.com.

Learn From a School That Has Completely Flipped Out – An Interview with Greg Green

Brian Mull — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:19:23 +0000

While many individual and small clusters of teachers have been utilizing the flipped learning model within their classrooms, Greg Green, Principal at Clintondale High School, located just outside of Detroit, Michigan, has been pioneering the infusion of this model across his entire school. In this episode, Alan and Greg discuss how this effort began and continues to develop as well as the substantial improvement this model has brought over past failure rates amongst his school’s at-risk population.

Greg Green will be a presenter at the 2012 Building Learning Communities conference being held this sumer in Boston. To learn more, visit http://www.blcconference.com.

Rethinking Science Education – An Interview with Bob Goodman

Brian Mull — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:13:32 +0000

In this conversation, Alan November and Bob Goodman, Director of the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning, discuss the inspiring work he his leading in the redesign of science curriculum. Through a logical reorganization of content, a rethinking of what good homework looks like and a robust teacher development program that has been initiated, students are graduating high school with an understanding of science at a depth that is truly remarkable.

The curriculum being used in this endeavor is free and open to use by anyone. It can be found at http://www.njctl.org.

Also, Bob will be a presenter at the 2011 Building Learning Communities Conference being held this July in Boston. For more information, and to register, visit our conference Web site at http://www.BLCConference.com.

Fostering Change Through Leadership – An Interview with Dr. Eric Williams

Brian Mull — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:13:49 +0000

In this episode of the November Learning Podcast Series, Alan speaks with Dr. Eric Williams, Superintendent of the Yorktown School Division in Yorktown, VA. The two discuss the important role of a leader in setting policy, modeling the learning process and encouraging expanded learning opportunities for students, teachers and school administrators for the purpose of building a solid foundation for learning in a 21st century school environment.

Dr. Williams encourages your questions and comments through his Twitter account and his blog.

Also, Dr. Wiliams will be a presenter at the 2011 Building Learning Communities Conference being held this July in Boston. For more information, and to register, visit our conference Web site at http://www.BLCConference.com.

Creating Sustainable Change – An Interview with Jennifer Beine and Andrew Zuckerman

Brian Mull — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:11:10 +0000

Welcome back for another episode of the November Learning Podcast Series. In this episode, Alan November, Jennifer Beine and Andrew Zuckerman discuss the long-term collaboration taking place between November Learning and Lawrence Middle School as the two build capacity leading to sustainable change amongst the school’s administration, faculty and students.

Jennifer and Andrew will be presenting a session at this summer’s Building Learning Communities Conference titled Creating Sustainable Change. This session will dig deeper into the ideas discussed in this podcast. To learn more about this session and about BLC, visit http://www.blcconference.com.

Extra Extra!! School Administration Removes Over 20,000 Books from Library but Hires Extra Librarian? – An Interview with Dr. James Tracy

Brian Mull — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:33:57 +0000

In this episode, Alan November speaks with Dr. James Tracy, Headmaster at Cushing Academy. The two discuss the decision that was made at Cushing Academy to rid the library of thousands of books in favor of creating a space that serves students through electronic resources in addition to authentic, enhanced and individualized interactions amongst librarians, teachers and students.

How do you make your school library the MOST POPULAR place in the school?
Can you image the day when the majority of your school’s content is on e-readers?
How would the flow of traffic in your library change if teacher mailboxes and good food were placed there?

Dr. Tracy also provided us the following resources to share with our audience.

Dr. Tracy will be a presenter at the 2011 Building Learning Communities conference being held the week of July 24th, in Boston. For more information about BLC, and to register, visit our conference Web site at http://www.BLCConference.com.

Flipped Model of Learning: A Podcast with Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams

Brian Mull — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:10:42 +0000

In this podcast, Alan November interviews Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, chemistry teachers from Woodland Park, CO. The discussion focuses on their models of flipped learning where the traditional model of classwork and homework is reversed, leading students to a deeper understanding about the concepts being taught.

Both Jonathan and Aaron will be presenters at the BLC11 conference being held this summer in Boston, MA. Click here for more information.

In addition, Jonathan and Aaron provided us with a series of resources to share that pertain to the work they and their students are doing.

Watch this video to see more of an overview of the Flipped Model.
Be on the lookout for their new book being published by ISTE Press. It should be available in the Summer or Fall of 20011.
If you want to learn more about their flipped model, consider attending their conference being held in Woodland Park, CO. More information can be found here.
Take part in a learning network with other educators who are interested in and/or utilizing the flipped model.
Visit Jonathan and Aaron’s Web site with links to good educational videos.

Lessons Learned in a Global School: A Podcast with Brad Ovenell-Carter

Brian Mull — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:26:27 +0000

In this podcast, Alan November has a conversation with Brad Ovenell-Carter, School Head of the Think Global School. This traveling school takes a global contingency of students on a journey through various countries as they learn about the world around them as well as dig deeply into a rich curriculum.

Alan and Brad discuss the uniqueness of this school, the real work students are doing as they build curriculum and resources along with their teachers as well as the lessons they have learned that can impact any school.

Brad will be a presenter at the BLC11 conference being held this July in Boston. Click here for more information.

Students as Contributors: A Podcast with Silvia Tolisano

Brian Mull — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:19:53 +0000

In this podcast, Alan interviews Silvia Tolisano, 21st Century Learning Specialist, along with other administrators, teachers and students at Martin J. Gottlieb School. Here, students are being encouraged to take more of a leadership role in their learning as they take part in a variety of jobs inspired by Alan November’s article, Students as Contributors: The Digital Learning Farm.

The jobs these students are doing give them a great deal of responsibility and provide them with authentic tasks that result in meaningful content that supplements their learning and connects them with experts from around the world.

Silvia will be a presenter at the 2011 Building Learning Communities Conference. Click here for more information and to register.

Building Legacy Within a Textbook with Garth Holman and Michael Pennington

Brian Mull — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:01:20 +0000

In this podcast, Alan November interviews Garth Holman of Beachwood Middle School in Ohio and Michael Pennington of Chardon Middle School in Ohio. These two teachers and their classes have worked collaboratively to develop a wiki-based textbook that covers the material taught in their world history classes. This textbook has grown over the past several years through the work of dozens of students as they build legacy by recording their learning in this way.

To view the work these students have done, visit http://dgh.wikispaces.com. To reflect on this work with Garth and Michael, you can connect with them through their blog at http://www.teachersfortomorrow.net.

An Interview with Richard Halkett – Part 6 of 6

Brian Mull — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:30:33 +0000

Richard Halkett, Director of Strategy, Research, and Global Education for Cisco Systems, and Alan November, Senior Partner, November Learning discuss what the next steps are for educators and educational systems. Richard states:

If we are talking about the emergence of a learning society, rather than just an education system, then we need to insure that schools are at the heart of that learning society.

Richard discusses four essential steps that need to be taken:

Collaborating with new partners
Formalizing informal learning
Reform assessment to measure 21st century skills
Drive innovation and dissemination of new practices

For the white paper and to join Cisco’s Learning Society for Educators visit http://ciscolearningsociety.org/ and http://getideas.org.

An Interview with Richard Halkett – Part 5 of 6

Brian Mull — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:30:31 +0000

In this section, Richard Halkett, Director of Strategy, Research, and Global Education for Cisco Systems, discusses schools that are implementing a 21st Century curriculum. Richard shares the curricular changes, leadership, and assessment ideas that are being put into practice. Richard also shares with us how some of these schools are incorporating informal learning that was discussed in part two of this podcast series.

Special thanks to Richard Halkett and Cisco Systems for their help in making this podcast series possible.

An Interview with Richard Halkett – Part 4 of 6

Brian Mull — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:30:34 +0000

Richard Halkett, Director of Strategy, Research and Global Education for Cisco Systems, talks about how “technology has been over promised and under delivered” in the past. Education has used technology to automate current practices, but has failed to change the processes of education. Richard discusses what is different now and how the promise of current technologies can impact the classroom. He states that “technology is finally ripe for education.”

Special thanks to Richard Halkett and Cisco Systems for their help in making this podcast series possible.

An Interview with Richard Halkett – Part 3 of 6

Brian Mull — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:30:09 +0000

Welcome to part 3 of this 6 part series with Alan November and Richard Halkett. Richard is the Director of Strategy, Research, and Global Education for Cisco Systems. In the podcast, Richard discusses the power of informal learning and how schools need to harness that learning. Students spend more time learning outside of the classroom than with in the classroom. Students are collaborating on Facebook and other social networking sites outside the classroom and engaging in collaborative discussion. Educators now need to determine how schools can use collaborative tools in the classroom to foster peer-to-peer learning.

Special thanks to Richard Halkett and Cisco Systems for their help in making this podcast series possible.

An Interview with Richard Halkett – Part 2 of 6

Brian Mull — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:30:33 +0000

In part two of this series, Alan November and Richard Halkett discuss the demand for Global Skills based on data from the past twenty years. Richard is the Director of Strategy, Research and Global Education for Cisco Systems. In the podcast, Richard examines the polarization of jobs for our students into routine and non-routine work. We think you will enjoy his unique vision of the skills our students will need in the Global Economy.

Student Scribes with Darren Kuropatwa – Part 3 of 3

Brian Mull — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:30:52 +0000

In this final segment of Alan’s conversation with Darren Kuropatwa, the discussion shifts to classwork and homework assignments. Specifically, the two emphasize the need for change in the types of assignments teachers give to best make use of the content to which students now have access.

Darren has been a presenter at our Building Learning Communities conference.

Student Scribes with Darren Kuropatwa – Part 2 of 3

Brian Mull — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:30:23 +0000

In our previous episode with Darren Kuropatwa, Alan and darren discussed what impact having students publish to a global audience has had on them and on his classroom. In this episode, they continue by talking about how this publication has also led to a shift of control that fundamentally changes teaching and learning.

Alan and Darren also discuss the issues around professional development and personal development that need to be addressed to achieve building a classroom experience like the one he describes.

Darren has been a presenter at our Building Learning Communities conference.

Student Scribes with Darren Kuropatwa – Part 1 of 3

Brian Mull — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:04:36 +0000

In a continuation of our series on student learning jobs, Alan speaks with Darren Kuropatwa, math teacher at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In the first part of this conversation, the two discuss Darren’s student scribe program, its impact within his classes, how he manages them and uses them as a part of his teaching and how global publication of student work has engaged his students and enhanced his classroom.

Darren has been a presenter at our Building Learning Communities conference.

Talking Student Tutorials with Eric Marcos – Part 2 of 2

Brian Mull — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:00:18 +0000

This is the second part of Alan’s discussion with Eric Marcos, BLC presenter and middle school teacher in Santa Monica, CA. In this episode, Eric, his students and Alan focus on the student created tutorials’ impact on how students are learning and how Eric can evaluate problems individual students might be having.

Eric also describes the skills and equipment that teachers would need to start a similar program in addition to new opportunities that his classes are becoming involved with through their work.

Talking Student Tutorials with Eric Marcos – Part 1 of 2

Brian Mull — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:00:48 +0000

In this episode Alan speaks to Eric Marcos, BLC presenter and middle school teacher in Santa Monica, CA. Eric explains how one individual screencast tutorial made to help a student with homework blossomed into a robust tutorial site called MathTrain. Through this site, students have been empowered to create math tutorials for students in their class and around the world.

You will also learn from Eric and several of his students how this work has positively impacted everyone involved.

An Interview with Richard Halkett – Part 1 of 6

Brian Mull — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:14:27 +0000

In this six part series Alan and Richard Halkett, Director of Strategy and Research in Global Education for Cisco, explore the issues facing today’s educators. Topics include:

Do public schools have time to change or is it too late?
A researched based look at 21st century skills
Schools who have begun the change process
Informal Learning
Technology and Crisis
The next steps

Richard Halkett brings a new perspective to current educational issues. We hope you enjoy this series.

An Interview with Rahaf Harfoush – Part 2 of 2

Brian Mull — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:08:47 +0000

This is the second half of Alan’s discussion with Rahaf Harfoush, New Media Expert and Member of Barack Obama’s Social Media Team.

In this segment, Rahaf explains gender differences on the Web and the skills and practices that should be basic as we move forward in our digital world.

An Interview with Rahaf Harfoush – Part 1 of 2

Brian Mull — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:01:24 +0000

This is the first of a two part interview between Alan November and Rahaf Harfoush, New Media Expert and Member of President Barack Obama’s Social Media Team.

In this segment, Rahaf explains how she became a part of the Obama campaign and how important the Web was in the 2008 presidential election.

Alan and Rahaf then begin a discussion on how this global shift in technology use should impact teaching and learning in the future.

An Interview with Michael Wesch – Part 3 of 3

Brian Mull — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:00:42 +0000

This episode is the conclusion of a three part conversation between Alan November and Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Digital Ethnography at Kansas State University.

In this segment, the two discuss the myth of the digital native and the importance teachers still bring to assignments that have gone digital.

Finally, Dr. Wesch explains how his own teaching and learning has changed in our newer digital environment.

An Interview with Michael Wesch – Part 2 of 3

Brian Mull — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:28:20 +0000

This episode is the second of a three part conversation between Alan November and Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Digital Ethnography at Kansas State University.

In this segment, the two empathy as an essential 21st century skill.

Additionally, Alan and Michael discuss the motivating nature behind having students publish their work online and the importance this puts on teaching students to utilize copyrighted material effectively and ethically.

An Interview with Michael Wesch – Part 1 of 3

Brian Mull — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:29:37 +0000

This episode is the first of a three part conversation between Alan November and Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Digital Ethnography at Kansas State University.

In this segment, the two discuss the need for teaching social responsibility to students and what important basic skills students and teachers need to know.

Additionally, the two discuss whether students are having a loss or gain of identity by working online.

The Learning Spiral, Scratch and Global Community – Part 2

Brian Mull — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:38:33 +0000

This is our second of two episodes with Mitchel Resnick, LEGO Professor of Learning Research, head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Laboratory and BLC10 opening keynoter. In this episode, Mitch discusses the need for schools to find a balance between being open to new ideas and being able to focus again on sound practices. In addition, he and Alan discuss how important it is for teachers to network together as a community to share ideas and inspiration. Finally, Mitch discusses his hopes regarding the future of Scratch development.

For more background on Scratch and the “creative thinking spiral,” click here.

The Learning Spiral, Scratch and Global Community

Brian Mull — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:49:29 +0000

This is our first of two episodes with Mitchel Resnick, LEGO Professor of Learning Research, head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Laboratory and BLC10 opening keynoter. In this episode, Mitch discusses the origin of the visual programming tool, Scratch. Additionally, he explains how the “creative thinking spiral” and this engaging tool have inspired students and teachers around the world to create fantastic interactive creations at a break-neck pace.

You will learn about a young student and her new online team who are developing their entrepreneurial skills as they develop and share new characters within the Scratch interface.

Finally, Mitch will emphasize how teachers must feel free to be creative, be open to losing a bit of control and help students reflect and make sense of what they are learning.

For more background on Scratch and the “creative thinking spiral,” click here.

Maintaining Legacy with Wikipedia

November Learning — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:21:29 +0000

In this episode, Alan talks to Lona Jack-Vilmar, Literacy Coach at International High School at Lafayette in New York. The discussion centers around a Wikipedia-based article that Lona created on the Wodaabe, a nomadic group that resides in Africa. Similar activities have the potential for modeling appropriate use of Wikipedia within schools.