Free Range Humans Jal Mehta, Rod Allen

Historically, new technologies and innovations slowly make their way into classrooms via procurement processes or pilot programs. Generative AI has simply arrived in the education space, seemingly unannounced, skipping the traditional adoption process. Newly tenured, MIT professor Justin Reich joins the podcast to talk about this trend and what it means for teachers, students, and the system as a whole.

Ron Berger makes his third appearance on the podcast to engage Rod and Jal in a conversation focused on the idea of craftsmanship, and how quality and tangibility can, and should be applied to education. All three share personal experiences across the fields of carpentry, woodworking, writing, and of course education, emphasizing the importance of craftsmanship and critique in almost everything we do.

On the eve of the NFL draft, what better way to get excited than with a little draft of our own! Rod, Jal, and returning guest, Alisa Berger, take turns "drafting" some of the worst educational innovations of all time. Each person will have an opportunity to defend their pick and then possibly face a little pushback.

Rod and Jal kick-off season three of their podcast with a brief reflection on the alarming trend of school absenteeism in the United States, and then return to an interview with Diana Hess that was recorded this past fall. Their talk with Diana focuses on the importance of encouraging teachers and students to actively engage in conversations surrounding difficult topics and issues.

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.