The Power of Simple, Innovations in Schools with Kyle Wagner
January 12, 2021
The Power of Simple, Innovations in Schools with Kyle Wagner
We all want to create change in our schools, but sometimes it can seem overwhelming. There’s so much that needs to be changed, but we have limited time, resources, and support.

This doesn’t mean we should settle for systems that check off boxes. We still have the power to create meaningful, enriching learning experiences for our students.

Today’s guest, Kyle Wagner, shares with us that sometimes, simple innovation is the most powerful thing we can do for our schools. Teachers: Don’t overthink it. Focus on what you can do for your students and what changes you do have the ability to make. 

And parents? Trust that your children’s teachers have the skill and ability to make these changes, and support them along the way. These simple innovations will have long-lasting ripple effects in both your students’ lives and in your community.

About Kyle Wagner:

Kyle Wagner is the founder and lead consultant for Transform Educational Consulting, an organization that empowers forward thinking schools to grow and develop socially, globally, and emotionally aware citizens. His work with project-based learning and leading the design of  innovative learning experiences spans 12 years, three continents and over 15 schools. He has worked with educational leaders across some of the most successful public, charter and international schools in Asia. He is also the former Coordinator of Futures Academy at the International School of Beijing, a program that uses interdisciplinary project-based learning to connect students to their passions and the world outside of school. His book “The Power of SIMPLE” documents this experience and helps provide simple, research-based strategies for school transformation.

Kyle is also a former educator and project leader at High Tech High, where he witnessed first-hand the transformative power of student-centered, real-world learning. Students wrote and published professional books, co-designed small businesses, conducted field studies, and acted in the same way as real professionals in the field.

He currently resides in Hong Kong where he spends time developing schools of the future while helping other school leaders build theirs. You can follow him and his work with transforming education on Facebook and Twitter.

Jump Through the Conversation:

  • [1:33] Wanting more from teaching began the adventure of innovating
  • [4:01] Starting simple with real-world connections
  • [10:54] Attacking an authentic problem to get at the standards in a meaningful way
  • [13:19] The Power of Simple book and masterclass
  • [15:14] Montessori natural learning with curiosity, imagination, wonder and stories
  • [20:19] Kyle’s Magic Wand: Parents to trust the educators as skilled professionals and have a better understanding of what teachers do
  • [24:06] Maureen’s Corresponding Magic Wand: For parents to start looking at what a child can become and how to support it vs. focusing on short-term homework or grades

Links and Resources:

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

Reconnecting Pathways with Neurofeedback Training with Dianne Kosto

After watching her son struggle with severe impulse control, to the point where it was negatively impacting her family on a daily basis, Dianne Kosto became a mom on a mission. She had tried it all: private school, home school, boarding school, and even a military...

Better Tech & Better Processes for College Choice with David Hurwitt

The whole college admissions process is frustrating from both sides. Students rely on the school mailers they’re inundated with beginning their second or third year of high school. And schools buy student lists and “spray and pray” them with mailers. There’s no real...

Early Childhood Experiences from Birth with Cynthia Jackson

Research shows that children who have had access to early childhood experiences show up to kindergarten more prepared to learn because they have improved cognitive development, motor skills, and behavior expectations. Those who don't have access aren't as prepared to...

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

Listen to Education Evolution on Apple Podcasts
Listen to Education Evolution on Spotify
Listen to Education Evolution on Stitcher
Listen on Google Play Music

Related Posts

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.