
On this podcast, we have often discussed student-centered learning. But what about human-centered learning? They work hand in hand. Human-centered learning appreciates what makes each student their own person. It is about recognizing what makes up your kids’ identities and giving them the representation they need, empowering them to understand themselves and how they can address social injustices on their own.
Listen in as this week’s guests discuss how they’ve been able to implement human-centered learning in their rural community and the positive impact it has had on their students.
About Jenny O’Meara and Donnell Cannon:
Jenny O’Meara is a rural middle school principal in North Carolina and a co-leader at the Phillips Middle School of Innovation. Donnell Cannon is the high school principal for these same students. They have both graduated from North Carolina State’s NELA program and currently they serve just under 400 kids. With the help of Transcend Education, they have worked together to transform their students’ experience into one of identity, purpose, and passion.
Jump Through the Conversation
[2:55] Interrupting the system
[9:57] Give students space to explore identity
[12:24] Roses in Concrete curriculum: understanding and changing systems of oppression
[16:30] Students as change agents, addressing injustices in the world
[19:25] What do we have to lose?
[24:56] Donnell’s Magic Wand: Create spaces for students to be heard and strategically abandon the traditional school system
[26:56] Jenny’s Magic Wand: Kid-centered schools and communities
[28:50] My reflections on Jenny and Donnell’s work and ideas
Links and Resources:
- NC State’s NELA (innovative school administrator) training
- Overview of Phillips Middle School and list of the graduate aims
- Human-centered, Equity X design
- Ideal middle school day
- Roses in Concrete: East Oakland school
- Transcend: Building Beyond the Limits of School Design
- Transcend’s Designing for Learning Primer
- Email Maureen
- Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
- Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
- LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
- Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids
- Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
- The Micro-School Coalition
- Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
- LEADPrep
Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.
Latest Episodes
Education as a Human Right with William Tucker
Every human on the planet has a right to an education. And, more importantly, a right to the education that they need and want. In Western culture, that often looks like traditional education…sitting in seats in classrooms and memorizing vocabulary and historical...
Imagine Seeing the World as One with Rekha Magon
One of the challenges with traditional education settings is that you’re bound to the same place for nine or more months every year. Slow travel, or really learning about a culture or community is difficult, if not impossible. But the reality is that taking kids out...
What Do You Want from Education with Lainie Liberti
A question we don’t ask enough is what we want from education. Of course we all want well-rounded young adults when they’re done with school, people who can become productive members of our society and who also have a healthy worldview. But our schools are not...
Latest Blog Posts
Why Isn’t Educational Change Happening?
School change is so much harder than I thought! When I did my doctoral research on school innovation and created a hands-on learning school-within-a-school in the 90s, I had no idea that I’d spend the next few decades making tiny changes. Changes that often...
Instilling a Practice of Gratitude in Uncertain Times
Thanksgiving looks different this year. Traditions are being shattered in 2020 and new realities are emerging. Thanksgiving is no exception. After Canada’s Thanksgiving in October, COVID statistics jumped, reminding us that, sadly, the pandemic isn’t taking a break...
Building Interdisciplinary Learning into Traditional Classrooms
A traditional classroom setting is just that...traditional. Teachers must teach specific subjects for a required amount of time, often using prescribed curriculum materials that may be a decade old. There’s little consideration for the individual learner--their...
Categories
Coming Soon!
Subscribe
Related Posts
Imagine Seeing the World as One with Rekha Magon
But the reality is that taking kids out of their comfort zones and letting them learn and live in other areas can teach them about kindness, purpose, building relationships, and so much more.
What Do You Want from Education with Lainie Liberti
This week on the podcast, Lainie is sharing her experience with parenting and teaching in the real world and how she and her son are supporting other families to do the same.
Immersive Project-Based Learning Abroad with Joann McPike
THINK Global School was founded on the idea that students should learn the things that matter in the grand scheme of things, rather than what we’ve “always” learned. The structure is so interesting and immersive, and it’s one that I hope gains some traction in the future.
Sign Up for Podcast & Blog Announcements
and Get our Free Guide:
Five Interdependent Hacks to Lead the Creation of a Learner-Centered Culture!
By providing your email address you are agreeing to receive email communications from Education Evolution.
You can unsubscribe at any time.