Episodes

April 16, 2024

Ned Johnson Part 1: The Science and Sense Behind the Self-Driven Child

We are wired to care. Care about ourselves, our learning, and each other. Ned Johnson, co-author of The Self-Driven Child, shares his experience and views on why we are becoming an uncaring society.

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Jan. 8, 2024

Relationships: Screens vs Humans

Casey O'Roarty of Sproutable discusses adolescents and smartphones.

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Dec. 11, 2023

#26 School is in Session: Get Out of the Classroom

Meet young high school students who share how their natural love of learning remains alive through a personalized learning journey.

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Nov. 3, 2023

Out of the Muck with Consent-based Learning

Ken Danford, author of Learning is Natural; School is Optional and co-founder of North Star, a center for teen learners shares his story and insight on self-directed learning.

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Oct. 25, 2023

Stress vs Passion: Different Forms of Rigor

While rigorous learning requires challenge, it doesn't have to be painful. Two high school students share their experience transitioning from meaningless to meaningful learning. https://realitychangers.org/

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Oct. 9, 2023

Spark and Go Wild. Part 2

Part 2: John Ratey, MD, best-selling author and doctor of psychiatry, shares common everyday practices that bring a natural sense of well-being. Show Notes: Healthy Habits Inventory

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Oct. 4, 2023

Spark and Go Wild: Part 1

John Ratey, MD, best-selling author and doctor of psychiatry, shares common every day practices that bring a natural sense of well-being.

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June 7, 2023

Standing By the Water: Owning What You See

Personal leadership for success and happiness requires personal accountability. Stryder Spillane, CEO of Leader Prep, explains the crucial step of problem-solving – owning the situation.

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April 24, 2023

The Power of a Picnic: Time to Relax, Reflect, and Rejuvenate

They say life is no picnic...but what if it was? What if every day we scheduled time for ourselves to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate? Discover how a new mindset and habits can lead to better results with less work. This …

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June 17, 2022

Heading for Open Waters: A Reflection on the Purpose of School

Imagine your children waking each day, knowing what they are going to do and how they need to go about doing it. You've prepared them and the environment so well, they hum along in their work driven by curiosity and …

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Nov. 21, 2021

If I Only Had a Brain - Using Multiple Brains for Better Decisions - …

Follow your heart, use your head, trust your gut. Which is a person to do? The neuroscience behind mBraining and Multiple Brain Integration Techniques (mBiT) tells us to do them all. A discussion with Lisa Blackett, certified mBIT coach and …

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Oct. 6, 2021

Make Time to Find Your Element

What do you want more of? Terri speaks with Connor Swenson about the Make Time framework for how to focus on what matters every day.

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Sept. 11, 2021

Redefining Success

Scott Schimmel, Founder, and CEO of You School walks us through the process of identifying what success looks like and explains why it is different for everyone. "Where do you go to figure yourself out?"

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Sept. 3, 2021

Learning as a Fountain, Not a Drain

Dr. Yong Zhao, award winner and author of hundreds of articles and thirty books on education, talks about the need for a new paradigm for assessment, technology, and the purpose of education.

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June 25, 2021

All Is Not Lost When There is Play

Play is self-determined learning at its best, Peter Gray author of Free to Learn states, nature does not turn off our desire and capacity to learn when children turn five or six, we turn it off with our coercive system …

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June 11, 2021

The Hidden Element in Your Play History

More and more research is showing there is a correlation between play deprivation and depression. Dr. Stuart Brown, who we will hear today is the founder of the National Institute for Play, and the author of the national best...

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June 4, 2021

Supporting the Self-Determined Learner

Imagine spending time on what you care about using your observation of others as not only motivation but as an actual learning resource. Today is part four of four on making learning personal. Mike Wehmeyer, co-author of the 2020 book …

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May 21, 2021

Different Learners, One Roof

Imagine a household of independent, self-determined and cooperative beings, where everyone understands their role and embraces it with pride. Today, we hear from three working mothers, one of them widowed, all of whom have multiple children with different learning styles …

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May 14, 2021

Turning a Space into a Place: How to Create Your Most Productive Envi…

Imagine working and learning where you feel safe, comfortable, and inspired. Having the freedom, the insight, and the courage to design a place to do your best learning and work. A place, where you will lose track of time, di...

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May 8, 2021

Take Learning Personal - Designing the Personalized Learning Plan

Imagine paving your own path for learning and professional development, the freedom to determine your own learning objectives, resources, and work products. This month, Terri's focus is on the personalized learning plan. Whether a student in a traditional school setting, …

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April 30, 2021

A Matter of Perspective

Imagine looking at the members of your family, your team, your workplace, and feeling a sense of appreciation, recognizing them for their uniqueness. Imagine the sense of pride that comes from recognizing your own uniqueness, how you think, what makes …

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April 25, 2021

Second Hand Stress: A Roadblock to Your Element

Today we talk with Dr. William Stixrud, a clinical neuropsychologist and faculty member at Children's National and George Washington University School of Medicine, as well as the author of the book, The Self-driven Child in his book, which runs the …

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April 16, 2021

Don't Misunderstand Me - Why We Do the Things We Do

Imagine the important relationships in your life like family, friends, and colleagues, being peaceful, open, trusting, and cooperative. Feeling understood, and understanding others. Feeling respect. Today we hear from Lois Ingber, licensed clinical social worker and certified trainer for Positive …

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April 9, 2021

Executive Functioning - You've Got the Power

Imagine feeling smart, balanced, important, and connected. Executive Functioning-You’ve Got the Power is part one of four on connection is key. Last month, Terri introduced the concept of finding your element and talked a lot about the importance of self-worth …

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