Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast

Dr. Jorge Valenzuela

The Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast with Dr. Jorge Valenzuela helps schools strengthen instruction and leaders navigate conflict. Through conversations with educators, school leaders, and experts, we explore evidence-based teaching, instructional innovation, project-based learning, leadership, and personal growth. Our Leading Through Conflict LIVE series with Michelle Moore tackles relationships, emotional acuity, and real-life challenges. Each episode offers practical insights to help you improve learning, build stronger relationships, and lead with confidence and purpose.

  1. 1 day ago

    S5 E5: Are You Actually at Peace, or Just Avoiding Discomfort? | Coach Carlos Johnson

    Are you protecting your peace, or avoiding a conversation, decision, or change that needs your attention? In this episode of Leading Through Conflict LIVE, Dr. Jorge Valenzuela and Michelle Moore welcome Coach Carlos Johnson for a conversation about people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, boundaries, and choosing honest discomfort over familiar patterns. They explore how to prepare for difficult conversations without using boundaries to punish others. They also respond to anonymous viewer questions about setting limits with family, raising concerns with a supervisor, and making a change when someone you care about may be disappointed. Coach Carlos Johnson is a speaker, trainer, author, and founder of IMAGE of Success, Inc. He created Power Engage, a system for building culture and engagement, and Future Man Success Prep, a 30-day mindset program for boys.

    S5 E5: Are You Actually at Peace, or Just Avoiding Discomfort? | Coach Carlos Johnson

  2. 21 Oct

    S5 E4: From Feeling Stuck to Getting Started | Leading Through Conflict

    When you know something needs to change but aren’t sure what to do next, waiting for certainty can keep you stuck. In this episode of Leading Through Conflict LIVE, hosts Dr. Jorge Valenzuela and Michelle Moore explore how to find clarity without having the entire plan figured out. They discuss separating what you truly want from fear and other people’s expectations, choosing a reasonable next step, and making a big goal feel more manageable. They also respond to anonymous listener questions about making difficult choices, listening to your instincts, and getting started when the goal feels far away.

    S5 E4: From Feeling Stuck to Getting Started | Leading Through Conflict

  3. 15 Oct

    S5 E3: Innovation Starts With Trust | Ashley Reed

    Innovation isn't about using more technology. It's about creating better learning experiences. In this episode of the Lifelong Learning Defined podcast, Dr. Jorge Valenzuela sits down with Ashley Reed, TLIS, Director of Technology & Innovation at Temple Beth Am, to discuss the importance of trust, psychological safety, and meaningful instructional innovation. Ashley shares insights from her leadership journey, including how schools can support educators through change, build stronger professional relationships, and create environments where teachers feel comfortable experimenting, learning, and growing. The conversation also explores the importance of balancing technology with effective teaching practices. AI and digital tools can support learning when they add clear value, but meaningful instruction also depends on discussion, collaboration, hands-on experiences, and human connection. At its heart, this episode is about leadership, school culture, and creating the conditions for educators and students to thrive. Because meaningful innovation starts with people, not tools. Hosted by Dr. Jorge Valenzuela | Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast

    S5 E3: Innovation Starts With Trust | Ashley Reed

  4. 14 Oct

    S5 E2: The Risk Worth Taking: Finding the Courage to Take the Leap | Michelle Moore

    In this Season 5 live conversation, Dr. Jorge Valenzuela and Michelle Moore explore the risk worth taking. They talk about the fears that keep people from moving forward, why we stay in situations we’ve outgrown, and what risk looks like in careers, relationships, and friendships. They also consider how to tell a wise risk from an impulsive decision—and how to take one small step when the full leap feels too big.

    S5 E2: The Risk Worth Taking: Finding the Courage to Take the Leap | Michelle Moore

  5. 2 Oct

    S5 E1 | Create Your Own Luck with Dr. Jeremy Owoh

    Season 5 begins with Dr. Jeremy Owoh, Superintendent of Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, President of the ISTE+ASCD Board of Directors, and author of Create Your Own Luck: How Leaders Leverage the Intersection of Preparation and Opportunity. Jeremy joins Dr. Jorge Valenzuela to discuss his journey from the classroom to the superintendent’s office, the challenges facing today’s school leaders, and what it takes to create meaningful transformation across a school system. They explore the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and technology; the growing role of AI in schools; what leaders should look for when they enter classrooms; and why technology should support—not become the centerpiece of—teaching and learning. Jeremy also explains what it means to “create your own luck,” how preparation and opportunity intersect, and what educators can do to position themselves for the next stage of their careers. A conversation about leadership, preparation, opportunity, and keeping teaching and learning at the center of educational innovation.

    S5 E1 | Create Your Own Luck with Dr. Jeremy Owoh

  6. 11 Jun

    S4 E14: From Compton to the Cosmos: How Project-Based Learning Is Preparing Students for the Future

    What happens when students are trusted with real-world challenges that matter?In this inspiring episode of the Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast, Dr. Jorge Valenzuela welcomes back educator Jose Gonzalez along with several of his remarkable students from Davis Middle School in Compton, California.Together, they discuss their internationally recognized project that challenged students to design a sustainable spacecraft capable of supporting life on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. Collaborating with students from Colégio Militar de Manaus in Brazil, the team combined engineering, aquaponics, sustainability, robotics, and environmental science to develop innovative solutions for food production, sanitation, and space exploration.Their project earned recognition in the Ciena World Challenge, a global competition featuring submissions from 25 countries focused on sustainability and innovation.In this conversation, students reflect on:• What it was like to work on a real-world engineering challenge• How project-based learning changed their view of school• The power of international collaboration• The role of STEM education in solving future problems• Skills they developed through teamwork, communication, and innovation• How the experience shaped their confidence and future aspirationsThis episode serves as a powerful reminder of what is possible when educators create learning experiences that are authentic, meaningful, and connected to the world beyond the classroom.About the GuestJose Gonzalez is an award-winning educator, speaker, and global advocate for project-based learning, environmental sustainability, and STEM education. Through innovative partnerships and authentic learning experiences, he empowers students to tackle real-world challenges while developing the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex world.

  7. 25 May

    S4 E15: Dr. Jorge Valenzuela on PBL+, AI Literacy, and the Future of Teaching

    In this episode of the Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast, Dr. Jorge Valenzuela joins David Berner and Jeremy Mikla from the Integrate This Podcast for a deep conversation about project-based learning, AI literacy, instructional innovation, and the power of relationships in education. Dr. Valenzuela shares his journey from computer science and IT into education leadership, instructional coaching, and national keynote speaking. Throughout the discussion, he unpacks the philosophy behind Project-Based Learning+ (PBL+), explains why strong core instruction must come before innovation, and offers practical frameworks for helping students and teachers navigate the rise of artificial intelligence in schools. The conversation also explores emotional intelligence, student engagement, lifelong learning, classroom relationships, professional development, and what educators must do to prepare students for a rapidly changing future. This episode is packed with actionable insight for teachers, school leaders, instructional coaches, and anyone passionate about meaningful learning and human-centered leadership. Topics include: Project-Based Learning+ (PBL+)AI literacy in educationInstructional innovation and core instructionEmotional intelligence and relationshipsProfessional learning that actually worksPreparing students for future careersLifelong learning and leadershipThis episode features an excerpt from my conversation on the Integrate This Podcast with David Berner and Jeremy Mikla. Follow Dr. Jorge Valenzuela:Instagram/X/Threads/LinkedIn: @jorgedoespbl Books: Instructional Innovation+Project-Based Learning+

  8. 8 May

    S4 E13: From Intuition to Inner Peace: Dallisa Hocking on Self-Trust, Healing, and Human Connection

    In this episode of the Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast, Dr. Jorge Valenzuela sits down with Dallisa Hocking for a thoughtful conversation about intuition, self-trust, healing, purpose, and the human experience. Dallisa shares her journey from entrepreneur to fifth-generation psychic medium and explains how her work has evolved from giving answers to helping people ask better questions. Together, Jorge and Dallisa explore intuition as a human skill, the role of confidence and self-efficacy in manifestation, the dangers of outsourcing permission, and why so many people struggle to hear their own inner voice in a world full of noise. The conversation also dives into stoicism, emotional healing, social media culture, purpose, suffering, faith, and the ripple effect our mindset creates in the lives of others. This episode is less about prediction and more about clarity, discernment, emotional peace, and becoming the kind of person who brings light into difficult spaces. Topics include: Intuition vs. impulsivitySelf-trust and manifestationStoicism and emotional resilienceTrauma, healing, and online negativityThe Four Agreements and inner peacePurpose, frequency, and human connectionWhy silence and reflection matter more than constant noiseListen now and join the conversation.

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The Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast with Dr. Jorge Valenzuela helps schools strengthen instruction and leaders navigate conflict. Through conversations with educators, school leaders, and experts, we explore evidence-based teaching, instructional innovation, project-based learning, leadership, and personal growth. Our Leading Through Conflict LIVE series with Michelle Moore tackles relationships, emotional acuity, and real-life challenges. Each episode offers practical insights to help you improve learning, build stronger relationships, and lead with confidence and purpose.

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