The Learning Future Podcast with Louka Parry

Do our younger generations have faith in the current quality of representative democracies? Are there changes that we can take advantage on to re-power our social systems, what really matters?In this episode; David Price shares vast insight about the concerns and specific examples of the ingenuity of our future leaders and innovators.David Price, OBE, is an expert in organisational learning for a complex future. He writes, talks, trains and advises, around the world, on some of the biggest challenges facing business, education and society: solving the problems of employee, student and civic disengagement; maximising our potential to be creative, innovative and fulfilled citizens, and understanding the global shift towards open organisations, and systems oflearning.His first book, "OPEN: How We'll Work, Live and Learn In The Future" has been an Amazon best-seller since its publication, securing around 40,000 sold copies. Goodreads readers voted it the most influential book on education in 2016.His new book is The Power Of Us: How We Connect, Act And Innovate. The three years of research/writing involved interviews with leaders of organisations in the UK, USA, Cambodia, Australia and Malaysia.In 2009 he was awarded the O.B.E. By Her Majesty the Queen, for services to education.

What if you got paid to learn for the rest of your life? In this bonus episode Louka Parry shares The Future City podcast episode featuring co-host Eyal Halamish and guest Jackson Smith.On this episode of the Future City Podcast we speak with storyteller, learner, and technology architect Jacksón Smith. Jacksón is Co-Founder and the CTO of the Learning Economy Foundation, a U.S. based non-profit organization with a global mission to prepare citizens to be future-skilled, address inequity with student and employee centric models and put innovation at the centre of our communities. Jacksón speaks with us about having a vested interest in the place that educated you, carrying a learner “wallet” and envisioning what a learning economy might look like beyond the university years.

What is the moral purpose of education now and is it shifting? How useful are the foundations teachers provide young people?Dr. Jean Clinton is renowned internationally as an advocate for children’s issues. She is a Clinical Professor in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and her special interest lies in brain development, and the crucial role relationships and connectedness play. Jean champions the development of a national, comprehensive child well-being strategy including a system of early learning and care for all young children and their families. She is equally committed to ensuring that children’s and youths’ needs and voices are heard and respected. Dr. Clinton has also authored her first book, Love Builds Brains which can be ordered online through Tall Pines Press, on Amazon and in book stores everywhere.She is on staff at McMaster Children’s Hospital with cross appointments in Pediatrics and Family Medicine, and an Associate in the Department of Child Psychiatry at Sick Children’s Hospital. She is a Fellow of the Child Trauma Academy, as well as a Zero to Three Academy Fellow since 2013. She has been a consultant to children and youth mental health programs, child welfare, and primary care for over 30 years. Dr. Clinton was appointed as an education advisor to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Education 2014 - 2018.

What obstacles does new thinking face in systems that are rarely malleable to change? How can we position adaptation in education to be set for success and adoption?Annie Kidder says there is hope in the work of equity in education, and changing how we educate young people is something to keep us going, it’s a job that is hopeful.Annie is a passionate education advocate, a systems thinker, and the Executive Director of People for Education, a Canadian non-profit. The organisation is building networks, providing evidence, and engaging the public to support system change in education from early childhood to post-secondary. The goals of the organisation's work are both to ensure that all students have an equitable opportunity to graduate with the skills and competencies they need to succeed whatever path they choose, and to empower Canada's next generations to provide and build a fair, prosperous and sustainable society.

Is there a social contract that teachers work by, and if so what is it and what would we ask to be changed? What is it that really stays with students and makes them remember you and your lessons? In this episode of The Learning Future Podcast, Melodie Potts shares how she believes we can make teaching memorable. She says the role of a teacher will likely always be an augmenter of the delivery of content and information, but there is more we can do to ignite passion in the content and provide a relational experience of learning.Melodie Potts is founder and CEO of Teach For Australia. She is a disruptor and a problem-solver, driven by a vision for Australia where education gives every child, regardless of background, greater choice for their future. Melodie has made it her mission to champion better educational outcomes for our most vulnerable children in Australia. In the past 12 years, the work of TFA has helped more than 350,000 students in 220 schools, while building a community of 1200-plus teachers and leaders who are bringing about change inside and out of the classroom.Melodie was awarded an Order of Australia for her service to education and teacher development in 2021 and holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard, and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally from rural Appalachia, Melodie lives in Melbourne with her husband Sam and young son Harrison, affectionately dubbed ‘Harry the Hurricane’, and their dog, Jack ‘The Ripper’ Russell.

What will our broader understanding of education, collaboration, and our ability to fuse and synthesise information look like in 10 years, and how might it affect our decisions? How might education futher the purpose of knowing who we are and what we do?David shares his unique perspective about what it is to be educated, that it is knowing a place in a community. Education is in part sharing knowledge, but it is also the enablement of the ability to pursue contributions towards common good.David Adams is the Chief Executive Officer of The Urban Assembly (UA). He started with the UA in 2014 as the Director of Social-Emotional Learning, where he created the Resilient Scholars Program (RSP), a unique approach to integrating SEL into curriculum and classroom practices across the UA network. RSP has grown into a national program, serving schools and districts in Los Angeles, Houston, Syracuse, and other cities. As the Senior Director of Strategy, David led the expansion of the organization into a model provider of school support, with an emphasis on innovation and equity in public education. David sits on the board of CASEL and is an author of The Educator’s Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence, and a co-author of the textbook, Challenges to Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs in Organizations. He is a Civil Affairs Officer in the Army Reserve and holds an M.Ed in Educational Psychology from Fordham University.

Hear part 2 of this episode podcast at Coconut Thinking!https://coconut-thinking.captivate.fm/episode/we-are-human-beings-not-humans-doings-ft-louka-parryHow comfortable are you with not knowing, how often do you change your mind? How do cultures of personalised learning arise? What happens when the boundaries of disciplines dissolve, replaced with meaningful projects that can have an impact on themselves, others, and the world?Benjamin is the co-founder of Coconut Thinking, whose ambition is to create spaces for purposeful thinking and action that contribute to the welfare of the bio-collective. Coconut Thinking imagines learning ecosystems that extend beyond physical and conceptual walls. They would be inter-generational and collaborative. Alongside future-ready skills, they would teach future-saving ethics such as “practice eco-reciprocity,” “stand up for justice,” “share with solidarity,” and “act with kindness.”Benjamin is also the Whole School Leader of Learning and Teaching, Prem Tinsulanonda International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Benjamin focuses on the ‘lived’ curriculum: on pedagogy, and what classroom practice looks like. He thinks about how to develop a culture of active learning, where the boundaries of disciplines start to disappear and learners engage projects that are meaningful and have an impact on themselves, others, and the world.Benjamin speaks English and French natively, Spanish fluently, and German, Japanese, and Vietnamese, all at intermediate levels.He holds a Ph.D. in History from the National University of Singapore (2013), a MSc of Education from Mercy College (2015), an MBA of International Business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management (2000), an MA of International Relations from the University of Denver, Joseph Korbel School of International Studies (1997), among other bachelor and graduate diplomas.

Why is it that sometimes even the most rudimentary tasks seem hard?How can we convince ourselves and others to improve our teaching, will it take a revolution or something more practical, and what happens if we imagine “what would make this easy”?In this episode Louka speaks with Dr Karen Edge about school leadership and school improvement strategies. She is known for her ability to blend theory and evidence-based strategy with practical insights and humour.Dr Karen Edge is a researcher, leader and author and is currently a Reader in Educational Leadership at UCL Institute of Education and recently served as Pro-Vice Provost (International) at University College London, UK. She has conducted research in over 30 countries including a 6 jurisdiction study of teacher motivation and retention.Karen's Global City Leaders Project worked with Generation X school leaders in London, New York City and Toronto to understand more about their work, lives and ambitions. Karen is also preparing two books on Generation X leader and City-based education policy contexts and the influence on school leaders.Karen’s PhD focussed on knowledge management and educational reform at the Ontario Institute Education/University of Toronto.She sits on ESRC (UK), Danish and Swiss National Research Review Panels and the Advisory Panel for International School Leadership Principals [http://internationalschoolleadership.com/] in Ontario.She is Past Editor-in-Chief of Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability (EAEA) and a current Editorial Board Member for EAEA, School Leadership and Management and Leadership and Policy in Schools.

Hunter Johnson is the Founder & CEO of two purpose-driven organisations.Hunter leads The Man Cave, an emotional intelligence charity that has impacted the lives of 20,000 young men across Australia.Hunter is also the CEO of STUFF™, a men's personal care brand that champions healthy masculinity. He also works as an Advisor to The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT), a charity supporting young people throughout the Commonwealth alongside Prince Harry.Hunter's work has led him to speak around the world including presenting at the United Nations, Government House, Human Rights Commission, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Town Hall, Graduation Ceremonies and various Universities. Hunter has been recognised as a Finalist for the 2020 Young Australian of the Year Awards (VIC), listed as one of Harper's Bazaar's "Visionary Men of 2019", named a 2018 Queen's Young Leader by Her Majesty The Queen, and 2018 Winner of the EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Southern Region).

Today we don't have a guest, we have a whole team, one that believes educational expertise lies in a collective rather than an individual. We have 6 amazing humans from the Educational Experiences Team from the School of Cybernetics at Australian National University!Their mission is to take cybernetics to the world, through creating and delivering innovative, research-informed educational experiences for industry, government and our communities.Featuring Amy McLennan, Adrian Schmidt, Andrew Meares, Jess Thompson, Ben Swift, & Kelly Frame. If you’ve run out of questions about your toaster, check out Simone Rebaudengo’s Brad the Toaster Addicted products: The story of Brad the Toaster. Connect with them at https://3ainstitute.org/.