Free Range Humans Jal Mehta, Rod Allen

In our latest episode, Jo Chrona visits Rod and Jal to talk about her book Wayi Wah! and shares how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform our teaching practices and enhance education. The conversation focuses on the tensions involved in trying to dismantle the status quo of inequities and racism that still linger in today's education systems.

With Rod on vacation, Alisa Berger returns as a co-host to help Jal navigate a conversation with Cresta Mcintosh and Jocelyn Fletcher Schuech. They all share connections through the Deeper Learning Dozen project, and their discussion covers both professional and personal revelations about the systems change journey.

"A creative adult is a child who survived." In this episode, James Thompson visits from Sweden and shares his creative journey from amateur ring designer to consulting with some of the most famous luxury brands on the planet. James has a unique approach to creativity, and also happens to be Rod's nephew, so the conversation is plenty fun and a little personal!

Today our guest is from Rod's neck of the woods, as Chris Kennedy joins us from British Columbia to talk about the work he has done as Superintendent of Schools with the West Vancouver School District. Chris is a bit of a rock star in the Canadian educational technology space, and will share how his "culture of yes" has begun to permeate the system.

Rod and Jal talk with Shawn Ginwright about his latest book, "The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves." In it, Shawn emphasizes the importance of empathy and healing when trying to promote social justice and transformation, and most importantly, that we can't do the work without first gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Members of the Nisga’a School District in Northern British Columbia join our podcast to talk about how traditional indigenous culture blends with the local education system to transform learning for students. The episode features a mix of local language, music, and storytelling that captures the essence of Nisga'a people.