The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders Be Podcast Network

In this "Best Of" episode, I speak with Nolan Bushnell — the “father of electronic gaming” who has founded 20+ companies, including Atari and Chuck E. Cheese’s — and Dr. Leah Hanes, CEO of the Two Bit Circus Foundation.
 
Nolan and Leah are currently working together on the gamified education company ExoDexa and have co-authored the book Shaping the Future of Education: The ExoDexa Manifesto, an Amazon best seller. 
 
We discuss innovations that have the exciting potential to shape an all-new future of education. Our conversation includes:
How Nolan got interested in tackling educationA question from Steve Jobs: “What if you’re in a room and everybody thinks you’re wrong, but you think you’re right and you’ve thought more deeply about it than anybody?”The vision and goals of the school of the futureWhat it really means to be designed around "students first"Artificial intelligence (AI) and why we should embrace itEntrepreneurship in the classroom“Competing” with video games vs. leaning into their organic ability to support learningChallenges and opportunities of using video games in the classroom“Games should be easy to learn but difficult to master.” Are schools focusing on mastery?Shaping the Future of Education is available on Amazon. Learn more at https://www.exodexa.com. 
 
Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 
 
About today’s guests
In 1972, Nolan Bushnell created an industry when he founded Atari and gave the world Pong, the first blockbuster video game. Today his design credo―that games should be “easy to learn and difficult to master”―is inspiring a new generation of developers. A prolific entrepreneur, Bushnell has started more than 20 companies, including Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater; Catalyst Technologies, the first Silicon Valley incubator; and Etak, the first in-car navigation system. Bushnell was the first and only person ever to hire Steve Jobs, which he details in his 2013 book, Finding the Next Steve Jobs.
 
He is chairman of ExoDexa, a gamified education company; CKO of Moxy, a “play to earn” game and token platform; and an advisor to companies in the gaming and eSports spaces. He was named one of “50 People Who Changed America” by Newsweek. A biopic about Bushnell, tentatively titled “Atari,” was acquired by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company and is in pre-production.
 
Leah Hanes, PhD, is CEO of the Two Bit Circus Foundation (2BCF). During her tenure, 2BCF has developed a strong voice in the current STEAM education discourse. Bringing potent creative play allies like T4T.org, STEAM Carnival, Imagination.org, and LA Makerspace under the 2BCF big top helped increase both reach and impact in education.
 
Prior to joining 2BCF, Dr. Hanes held a variety of positions focused on children and education. Most recently, she taught courses on adult developmental theory and ethics at Antioch University Los Angeles. Her PhD included a study of ethical decision-making and gender at Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change. 
 
About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.c

Kristin Vogel-Campbell, Ed.D. has twenty years of experience in Special Education. She is currently a Coordinator of Special Education for the San Mateo Foster City School District. 

Kristin’s research centers the perspectives of parents and families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds. Her book is Partnering with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families in Special Education (Rowman & Littlefield).

Our conversation covers:
Kristin is an internationally ranked pinball playerWhat has motivated her to spend her career in special educationIEP process — what should the team be, what are the shortcomings?What FULL participation looks like for familiesBarriers to full participation for those with cultural and linguistic differencesThe "must-dos" that educators should put into place at the beginning of a working relationship with familiesDr. Liz Murray, Early Childhood Education Assembly of the NCTE (National Counsel of Teachers of English): “A must-read for pre-service and in-service teachers.”Partnering with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families in Special Education is available on Bookshop.org, Amazon and more. Find it here: https://linktr.ee/drkvc

If you’re interested in interviews with professional, collegiate, Olympic and amateur sports coaches, season 2 of my show Sideline Sessions has just launched. Check it out here: https://sidelinesessions.transistor.fm/subscribe 

About today’s guest
Kristin Vogel-Campbell, Ed.D. (she/her/hers) has twenty years of experience in Special Education. She began her career as a Special Education aide at the Chinatown Head Start in New York City and has taught in various settings in California with students aged 5-14. She has served as a district-level Program Specialist and Director of Special Education and is currently a Coordinator of Special Education for the San Mateo Foster City School District. Her research centers the perspectives of parents and families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds. She is an avid reader and internationally ranked pinball player in her spare time. Follow her on LinkedIn. 

About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies. He is a leadership development and performance coach for professionals in a range of industries and consults with organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry to help communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano and LinkedIn

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year. 

In this "Best Of" episode, we replay my conversation with veteran K–12 educator, speaker, and author Patrice Bain. 

As a finalist for Illinois Teacher of the Year and a Fulbright Scholar in Europe, she has been featured in national and international podcasts, webinars, presentations, and popular press, including NOVA and Scientific American.

Patrice is co-author of Powerful Teaching and author of A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching, which reinforces the “Teaching Triangle'' of student, parent, and teacher collaboration.

We talked about:
The traditional state of the Teaching TriangleHow kids learnWhy it’s important for parents to know how kids learnThe “power tools”: retrieval, spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognitionDaniel Willingham: “Children are more alike than different in terms of how they think and learn.”What are some of the other critical things for educators to communicate to parents?How educators can become better at creating parent engagementBook recommendation: Initium by Emma TurnerA Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching is published by John Catt Educational. Learn more at https://www.patricebain.com. 

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About today’s guest
Patrice M. Bain, Ed.S., is a veteran K–12 educator, speaker, and author. As a finalist for Illinois Teacher of the Year and a Fulbright Scholar in Europe, she has been featured in national and international podcasts, webinars, presentations, and popular press, including NOVA and Scientific American. In addition to Powerful Teaching, she also co-authored an essential practice guide for educators: Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning, in collaboration with the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Bain’s latest book A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching reinforces the “Teaching Triangle'' of student, parent, and teacher collaboration. Patrice was one of two U.S. teachers on the working task group: Neuromyths vs. Neurotruths, sponsored by (IES) and the National Commission of Educational Research (NCER). In addition, she was a contributor to the United Nation’s UNESCO ISEE (International Science and Evidence-based Education) Assessment, outlining the vision for world education by 2030. 

Connect with Patrice at https://www.patricebain.com and @patricebain1. 

About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year. 

Michelle P. Maidenberg, Ph.D., MPH, LCSW-R maintains a private practice in Harrison, NY. She is also the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of “Thru My Eyes”, a nonprofit 501c3 organization, and an adjunct faculty member at New York University (NYU) teaching a graduate course in Mindfulness Practice. 

Her latest book is Ace Your Life: Unleash Your Best Self and Live the Life You Want.

We talk about:
Identifying core valuesHow do our core values help guide us in making sound decisions to foster our satisfaction and contentment for a thriving life?How do we learn to trust process over outcomes?What gets in the way of us keeping up with good habits and maintaining meaningful changes?Emotional avoidanceACE: Acceptance, Compassion, EmpowermentHow to cultivate self-acceptance and self-compassion to increase our overall well-beingBouncing back when things don’t go rightFind Ace Your Life wherever you get your books or learn more at www.michellemaidenberg.com 

If you’re interested in interviews with professional, collegiate, Olympic and amateur sports coaches, check out my new show Sideline Sessions: https://sidelinesessions.transistor.fm/subscribe 

If you find the show valuable, please leave us a 5-star review on Apple or a Spotify review. 

About today’s guest
Michelle P. Maidenberg, Ph.D., MPH, LCSW-R maintains a private practice in Harrison, NY. She is also the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of “Thru My Eyes”, a nonprofit 501c3 organization that offers free clinically-guided videotaping to chronically medically ill individuals who want to leave video legacies for their children and loved ones.

Michelle is adjunct faculty at New York University (NYU) teaching a graduate course in Mindfulness Practice. She is a Board of Directors member at The Boys & Girls in Mount Vernon and is a member of the American Red Cross Crisis Team. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Westchester Trauma Network (WTN) in Westchester, NY.

Listen to Michelle’s TED TALK: Circumventing Emotional Avoidance. She is also a blogger for Psychology Today. 
About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies. He is a leadership development and performance coach for professionals in a range of industries and consults with organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry to help communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano and LinkedIn

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year. 

Today I’m pleased to share an episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast on which I was a guest. 

If this is the year you plan to get that promotion or level up your career, what is your pathway to growth? 

It can’t be to do more, spend more time on the job, and work harder. You have to be more intentional and strategic to create whatever is next for you and your career. 

But what are the right moves? 

In this episode, I had a chance to share my insights with John Neral about how you can create those pathways to growth while remembering to place your career in the context of your entire life.

We discuss how to identify a great work opportunity, how to remove the fear of helping people grow “beyond you,” and how to best identify your "Hell Yeahs" and "No Ways."

Connect with Ross:
If you enjoyed this episode – or get value from The Authority Podcast as a series – and you’re seeking answers to the challenges, goals, and dreams in your own career, let’s connect. I help high performers in all industries and roles solve their biggest pain points, clarify their vision, identify strategic decisions that lead to growth, and feel encouraged along the way. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano , LinkedIn, or schedule an intro call. 

About The Mid-Career GPS Podcast:
John Neral had a mid-career moment that changed his path and direction. Building a Mid-Career GPS helped guide him to create what was next for his career. Now, he’s here to help you do the same. Join him and his guests as they share their stories, strategies, and tips to help you create whatever is next so you can find a job you love or love the job you have.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year. 

With over two decades of business experience and a Masters of Science, Brian Carter is an accomplished keynote speaker, author, comedian, marketer, salesperson, leader, teammate, and bestselling author of multiple books. 

He's regularly booked by major bureaus with and satisfied clients like Microsoft, McDonald's, JP Morgan, as well as non-profits, the public sector, and national and state associations.

Today, we’re talking about his book The Retention Formula: Stop the Turnover Crisis, Harmonize the Generations, and Skyrocket Profits.

We discuss:
Having a multi-generational strategy for managing employeesWhat Gen Z and Millennial professionals care about beyond moneyYounger generations refuse to accept when values and realities are misalignedProfessionals want freedom to be fully themselves, not hide other passionsNegative outcomes of high turnoverCommunication about decisions and about changeLeadership styles and communication barriers when leading between generationsThe role of mentorshipFind The Retention Formula on Amazon. Learn more about Brian at https://keynotespeakerbrian.com 

If you’re interested in interviews with professional, collegiate, Olympic and amateur sports coaches, check out my new show Sideline Sessions: https://sidelinesessions.transistor.fm/subscribe 

About today’s guest
From marketing to sales, CRMs to AIs, Brian Carter has had his finger on the pulse of innovation for over 20 years, has been seen on Bloomberg TV and interviewed by news media like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. and served as an expert generations consultant for the National Academy of Sciences His presentation topics range from generational issues and teamwork to leadership, sales, AI, marketing, HR, employee retention, and more.

As a bestselling author of multiple business books, he provides customized presentations for each audience to deliver the perfect mix of motivation, humor, insights, and takeaways. Brian balances hilarious original comedy and heartwarming stories with customized recommendations that move organizations to the next level. With a practical approach, and drawn from his ongoing up-to-the-minute work as a consultant, he offers cutting-edge tactics honed through real-world application with today's workforce. Follow him on LinkedIn. 

About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies. He is a leadership development and performance coach for professionals in a range of industries and consults with organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry to help communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano and LinkedIn

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year.