We are super excited you are checking out the podcast, Shift Your Paradigm: from school-centered to learner-centered, a collaboration between Education Reimagined and TLTalkRadio. Each episode is focused on learner-centered learning and learner-centered leadership.
So why a podcast, and why a focus on learner-centered learning and learner-centered leadership? We’ve been thinking a lot about the learner-centered paradigm as put forward by our friends at Education Reimagined. In fact, we’ve adopted the five elements, what Education Reimagined calls the “north star” for a new design for learning, as part of our work around change in our own district.
As school leaders (superintendent an assistant superintendent) we are constantly reflecting on our practice as learner-centered becomes more common in our district. We wonder how leadership in a learner-centered paradigm looks different than leadership in a traditional school-centered paradigm. If we want learning across the organization, with all stakeholders, to be viewed through a new paradigm – the learner-centered paradigm – should we shift our paradigm for leadership as well? What might that look like? These are the big questions we are exploring in this series of conversations.
In the inaugural episode, we establish a common understanding of what learner-centered means in a conversation with the Executive Director of Education Reimagined, Kelly Young.
In episode 2, we explore the idea of learner-centered leadership with two guests, Allan Cohen and Anya Smith. Allan is one of Education Reimagined’s strategy consultants and program leaders who has been working with Education Reimagined from the very beginning. He has a passion for leading work in paradigm shifting and transformation. Anya attends Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School in Atlanta and considers herself, at her core, to be an innovator. She is an active participant in SparkHouse—a group of young learners brought together by Education Reimagined.
With episode 3, we start interviewing practitioners and learners from across the country. These practitioners and learners are doing the work of creating a new design for learning – a learner-centered design.
Interspersed throughout the episodes highlighting practitioner stories, you’ll find additional conversations with panels of experts analyzing and synthesizing the work of learner-centered practitioners to answer the driving questions behind the podcast series. You’ll even find blog posts from our guests and us, digging deeper into trends and themes that emerge over the episodes.
Ultimately, we wish to elevate the conversation around leadership in education, at all levels, for everyone is both a learner and a leader. We aren’t certain of the final outcome, but we know it will emerge as we learn from the various conversations across time. How long will this series last? More and more practitioners are doing the intentional work of redesigning learning through a learner-centered paradigm. We plan to dialog with as many practitioners as possible over the next 18-24 months. We also hope that in the end, we will have made a contribution to the larger field of education and educational leadership.
Know of a learner-centered practitioner or learner we should connect with? Email us at shiftyourparadigmpodcast@gmail.com. We’d be delighted to connect!
Thanks for coming on this journey with us! And be sure to subscribe on iTunes!
Randy and Lynn
May 2017