S1E1: Crisis Schooling vs. Online Education

In the debut episode of Future of School: The Podcast, you’ll hear compelling perspectives and personal stories from a variety of participants in the U.S. education ecosystem. The episode begins with “Amy’s Thoughts,” presented by Future of School CEO―and the host of this podcast―Amy Valentine. Amy defines and describes the important differences between crisis schooling and effective online education (0:37).

Next is the featured interview (2:57) with John Watson, founder of Evergreen Education Group, which manages the Digital Learning Collaborative―a membership group dedicated to exploring, producing, and disseminating data, information, news, and best practices in digital learning. John and Amy discuss the evolution of distance learning over the years, before and now through the pandemic. The conversation touches on the role of edtech early adopters, the factors that prepare schools to be flexible and resilient in the face of challenges, and more.

Following the interview, this episode’s Research Insight describes the profound transformation leading to effective remote education (21:04). Then, Ethan Rich, a Future of School Student Scholarship winner and recent college graduate, gives his insights on the importance of online education. Ethan reflects on how his experience over several years prepared him for success.

The episode concludes with the “5-in-5” rapid-fire teacher interview with Chuck Poole (23:54). Chuck is a middle school teacher in New Jersey with 20+ years of experience, as well as the founder of Teachonomy and organizer of the Teacher Success Summit. He talks about the experience that first opened his eyes to the power and potential of blended and online learning, one strategy (the “Emoji Box”) every teacher can use in the classroom, and more.

Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555 to keep up-to-date on exciting initiatives and opportunities. 

Follow these Twitter accounts to connect with today’s guests: @theDLC@cpoole27.


related content

Segments

  • Amy’s Thoughts – Crisis Schooling vs. Online Education (0:37)

  • Featured interview – John Watson (2:57)

  • Research Insight – Crisis vs. Online (21:04)

  • Student’s Thoughts – Ethan Rich (21:48)

  • 5-in-5 – Chuck Poole (23:54)


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