Free Range Humans Jal Mehta, Rod Allen

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.

"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.