Human Restoration Project

10 Episodes
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By: Human Restoration Project

Hosts Nick Covington and Chris McNutt, founders of Human Restoration Project, a nonprofit organization focused on human-centered learning, host guests and share ideas on restoring humanity to education through changing systems rather than focusing on the day-to-day practices of school. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do Americans really feel about controversial topics in school? w/ Anna Saavedra and Morgan Polikoff
#148
Last Saturday at 11:00 AM

In this episode, Anna Saavedra and Morgan Polikoff explore the polarizing landscape of modern education found in their February 2024 report, "Searching for Common Ground.” The report reveals widespread support for public schools alongside significant partisan divides, particularly on topics like LGBTQ identities and racial inequality. From bipartisan consensus on some issues to stark disparities on others, this discussion highlights the complexities of education policymaking and the need for informed dialogue to navigate contentious topics and shape a more equitable future for education.


Links:

How Americans really feel about the teaching of controversial topics in sc...


Americanization or Autonomy: The Dilemma of Puerto Rico's Educational Agenda w/ Prof. Jenaro Abraham
#147
03/16/2024

Join us as we delve into the historical and current relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, focusing on the island's education system and its role in shaping Puerto Rico's future. Professor Jenaro Abraham shares his expertise on social movements, politics, and education in the Caribbean, offering key insights into Puerto Rico's quest for self-determination. From the legacy of colonialism to the prospects of statehood versus independence, this conversation explores the complexities of Puerto Rico's identity and its educational landscape.


Additional Resources:

Jenaro Abraham @ Gonazaga

Puerto Rico in the American Century...


Off The Mark: How Grades, Ratings, & Rankings Undermine Learning (But Don't Have To) w/ Jack Schneider & Ethan Hutt
#146
02/17/2024

“Let's start with the bad news.” is how the conclusion to my guests’ book about changing grading practice begins. “No one is coming to save us. No consultant is going to sweep through and fix things for a fee. No new technology, digital, online, or otherwise, is going to change the game.” The game, of course, is school, and the currency of that game is grades.


Jack Schneider is Dwight W. Allen Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at the UMass - Amherst. He is the Executive Director of the Beyond Test Scores Project. Director of the Cent...


Rethinking Schools w/ Cierra Kaler-Jones
#145
01/20/2024

In this episode, we talk with Rethinking Schools first-ever Executive Director, Cierra Kaler-Jones, about the past, present, and future of Rethinking Schools, especially as we enter another potentially contentious year of educational culture wars for 2024, and her vision for how educators can demand power for those who need it the most within our school system.


Links:

Rethinking Schools




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Systemic Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) w/ Dr. Emma McMain
#144
12/16/2023

Today we are joined by Dr. Emma McMain. Emma works in the College of Education at Washington State University as a postdoctoral teacher and researcher, focusing on assessment for pre-service elementary teachers, cultural considerations in education, and social and emotional learning (SEL). Her work aims to promote social and ecological justice, seeing education as an important site of social transformation.


Dr McMain's recent works include: Drawing the line: Teachers affectively and discursively question what counts as “appropriate behavior” in schools — which dissects the power dynamics of classrooms in determining what is “appropriate” behavior; and The “Problem Tree” of SEL...


MINDFOOD V: Top 3 (Non-Ed) Spaces to Learn About Education
#143
12/02/2023

Reimagining education is no small feat, but there is hope on the horizon. MINDFOOD, easily digestible content for education. In this series, we'll do the random fun stuff: top 10 lists, current events, things we're thinking about. This is a casual format with limited editing and not as many intense conversations that occur in our mainline HRP interviews. Let us know what you think.


Learn more about our free resources, podcast, writings, and more at https://www.humanrestorationproject.org/


Human Restoration Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit centered on enabling human-centered schools through progressive pedagogy.<...


Part 3 of 3: Pedagogy in the Hawai'ian Islands feat. Hanahau‘oli School
#142
11/18/2023

In this incredible final installment of his exploration of the pedagogy of the Hawaiian Islands, Noah Ranz-Lind talks to educators and students at Hanahau‘oli School, a progressive K-6 school in Honolulu. Hanahau‘oli School promises its students an "intimate and nurturing learning community supports connections between home and school and the world, respecting and celebrating the uniqueness of the Hanahau‘oli child while appreciating the interconnectedness that defines our learning ‘ohana. Grounded in tradition yet embracing of innovation, we perpetuate joyous work, committed to being a resource and symbol of learning’s potential." And you will hear ample evidence o...


More Teaching, Less Testing Act w/ Congressman Jamaal Bowman
#141
10/28/2023

Chris sits down with Congressman Jamaal Bowman! serving New York's 16th district since 2021. Bowman was a crisis management teacher in an elementary school in the Bronx, who eventually founded his own public school, the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action, a middle school in Eastchester. For years he maintained a blog on changing school policy and standardized testing, with a focus on being deeply involved in the opt-out movement to encourage families to not take the tests, as well as centering pedagogy on social emotional health and restorative justice.


Congressman Bowman’s team reached out to Human Re...


Gamification vs. Game-Based Learning: What's up? w/ Dr. James York & Dr. Jonathan deHaan (Ludic Language Pedagogy)
#140
10/07/2023

On today’s podcast we’re joined by two founders of Ludic Language Pedagogy or LLP. LLP is an open access academic journal and community focused on publishing actionable ideas on “ludic”, or playful, ideas, and language learning, such as through tabletop RPGs, live action role playing, card games, and video games. For example, recently published papers include “Teaching Spanish with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” and “Places, people, practices, and play: Animal Crossing New Horizons here and there.”


James and Jonathan are currently writing a book on ludic pedagogy, and they led a session at our r...


Part 2 of 3: Pedagogy in the Hawai'ian Islands w/ Dr. Stacy Potes, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
#139
09/23/2023

Aloha and welcome to episode 2 in a three part series on Pedagogy in the Hawaiian Islands. My name is Noah Ranz-Lind, and I am a student from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst interning here at the Human Restoration Project.


In this episode, we delve into the research of Dr. Stacy Potes and her place-based pedagogical framework for Hawaiian youth. Stacy Potes, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education in Secondary Mathematics. Dr. Potes currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher preparation, including Secondary Ma...