Episodes

  • The final episode of Teachers’ Voices season 3 opens with Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize, talking directly to teachers. “You are a future maker”, she says. These words inspired the rest of this mini-episode, which explores futures literacy. What is futures literacy? What do students gain from futures literacy? How can teachers incorporate it into their classrooms?

    Former teacher Michelle Blanchet, co-author of the Startup Teacher Playbook and Co-Founder of The Educators’ Lab answers these questions for Nina. Michelle is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Futures literacy is “a way to encourage young people to use their imagination and their agency to adapt, invent, recover, prepare for all the changes that we're experiencing”, Michelle explains.

    Teachers’ Voices will be back for season 4 later this year.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources

    Sister Zeph - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Global Teacher Prize
    ZWEE Foundation of Sister Zeph - Facebook, Instagram

    Michelle Blanchet - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
    The Educators’ Lab - Twitter/X, Medium, Facebook

    UNESCO - Futures Literacy

    Contact

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  • Why is it important to make sure children have words to name their emotions? How can teachers promote mental health and wellbeing? Is it possible to remove academic pressure from school?

    In this episode, Nina first meets Sarah Griffiths, a Senior Research Fellow at University College London and Co-Director of the Wellbeing and Language Lab in UCL’s department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology. “Language, particularly words for emotions, are critical for understanding emotions,” Sarah explains. Emotion understanding is not innate, children learn about emotions through conversations.

    Next, Nina meets Riffat Arif, known as Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize. Sister Zeph talks to Nina from Gujranwala in Pakistan. She has given thousands of marginalized children and women access to learning. “Mental wellbeing has always been my priority”, Sister Zeph says. The children at her school are traumatised from poverty, hunger, and physical and mental violence, and Sister Zeph provides them a safe space.

    Nina speaks to Virna Talarico, a teacher working in primary education in Zurich in Switzerland. Virna shares that they talk about emotions in the classroom - children have the right to feel emotions and other children have to respect that. “It is important that the children feel they are taken seriously”, she says.

    Nina’s final guest is Joyce Mininger, Learning Director of the LearnLife primary years hub near Barcelona in Spain. “We take away the pressure of school”, Joyce explains. At their school, they reduce academic pressure to support children’s wellbeing. They also foster healthy relationships between learners, and work on teacher wellbeing too, which impacts children’s wellbeing.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources

    Sarah Griffiths - Lab, Twitter/X, UCL

    Sister Zeph - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Global Teacher Prize
    ZWEE Foundation of Sister Zeph - Facebook, Instagram

    Joyce Mininger - LinkedIn
    LearnLife, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter/X

    Dr Ross Greene explains Plan B, a technique to solve problems collaboratively with children

    Virna Talarico

    Contact

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  • What types of physical activity benefit students? Can bringing movement and play into different academic classes help children learn? How can spaces and classes for movement be inclusive?

    Nina first meets Fotini Vasilopoulos, a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia. “Physical activity is important for physical health, for mental health, and it also can drive behaviours for learning.” Fotini suggests giving children different types of experiences - not just sports, but also play and dance, which can foster inclusivity.

    Next, Nina speaks to Saumil Majmudar in the Himalayas, India. Saumil is the founder of Sportz Village, India's largest youth sports platform. “We do something very simple,” Saumil says, “we just get kids to play”. The Sportz Village approach is to give children the time and space to play safely with others their own age.

    Nina also hears from Tanya Sheckley, founder of the Up Academy and host of the Rebel educator podcast. Tanya is based in California in the US. Tanya’s school incorporates movement and play into classroom time, and students can have breaks from work on a large monkey bar structure.

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    Guests and resources

    Fotini Vasilopoulos

    Saumil Majmudar - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook

    Sportz Village - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook

    Tanya Sheckley – LinkedIn, Facebook, Rebel Educator podcast
    UP Academy - Twitter/X

    Contact

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    Get in touch with us: [email protected].

  • In what ways do students differ from each other in their learning? How does one student vary in their own learning from day to day? How can schools embrace these types of learning variability?

    In this episode, Nina talks to Julia Leonard, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Learning variability, Julia explains, is both “my learning might be different than your learning” and “my learning one day might be different from the other day”. It is also that “my learning in one class might be different than another class”. Julia’s research asks how educators can create contexts that bring kids to the top of their potential.

    Nina also meets Guyot Betoto, a secondary school teacher from Madagascar. Guyot teaches large groups of students and is always looking for ways to adapt to student variability. He explains how he moves around the group and identifies learners’ needs, and empowers students to lead and motivate others in the group: “They do it with pleasure”.

    Next, Nina speaks to two edupreneurs from LearnLife in Barcelona, where students’ interests and passions are at the centre of their learning. Emma Buckle, Community Partnerships & Development Director, explains that the LearnLife approach is a “truly personal model that helps learners focus on and find their own personal passion”.

    Devin Carberry, LearnLife’s Barcelona Hub Lead, tells Nina about the way students direct their own learning. “Amazing projects come out of this because we give learners a space to reconnect with learning how they like to do it.”

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    Guests and resources

    Julia Leonard - Lab website, Twitter/X

    Guyot Betoto

    Emma Buckle - LinkedIn, Twitter/X

    Devin Carberry - LinkedIn

    LearnLife - website, Facebook, YouTube

    Contact

    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.

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    Get in touch with us: [email protected].

  • How can teachers help students make a positive change in their communities? How can schools better connect education with the future of work?

    In this bonus mini episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina hears practical tips from last episode’s guests Alison Yang, Barbara Bilgre, Maud Seghers, and Larisa Akrofie. Nina is also joined by Tanya Sheckley, an edupreneur and host of the podcast Rebel Educator. All share their tips and inspiring resources for instilling an entrepreneurial mindset and preparing students for the future of work.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources

    Alison Yang - LinkedIn, website

    Barbara Bilgre - LinkedIn

    Global Issues Network
    Round Square
    African Leadership Academy

    Maud Seghers - LinkedIn

    VVOB - website, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook

    Larisa Akrofie - LinkedIn, Twitter/X

    Tanya Sheckley - website, Rebel Educator podcast

    Contact

    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.

    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.

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    Get in touch with us: [email protected].

  • What is an entrepreneurial mindset? Why should educators nurture entrepreneurial mindsets in young people? What entrepreneurial projects have teachers developed in classrooms around the world?

    In this episode, Nina first speaks to Maud Seghers. Maud is a global education advisor at VVOB in Belgium, an international organisation devoted to education development. An entrepreneurial mindset is not just about starting and managing projects, programs, and businesses that generate wealth, Maud says, as a lot of entrepreneurs and young people also want to “maximise benefits to society and the environment”.

    Next, Nina meets Larisa Akrofie in Ghana. Larisa is Lead of Skills and Education at the Mastercard Foundation and believes that building entrepreneurial attitudes in the growing young population in Africa is really important. “High rates of entrepreneurial skills will go a long way to empower young people to create their own opportunities and contribute to the diversification of economies and address social challenges”, Larisa says.

    Nina then speaks to Alison Yang, an international school teacher in Hong Kong who specialises in entrepreneurship. Alison explains that students often acquire skills and knowledge but don’t necessarily know how to apply them outside the classroom. “That's why we have the entrepreneur project”, she explains, to explicitly show students how to apply their “knowledge and interest to create something that's useful”.

    Finally, Nina hears from Barbara Bilgre, a marine biologist and science teacher in India. Barbara believes that “if you're going to be setting up a business, you should have in mind a purpose for social improvements and social justice”. Barbara tells Nina about the benefits of connecting schools with social entrepreneurs who are working to improve the environment.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources

    Maud Seghers - LinkedIn
    VVOB - website, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook

    Larisa Akrofie - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
    Plugging African Youth - WhatsApp Channel

    Alison Yang - LinkedIn, website
    IB Middle Years Programme - Twitter/X

    Barbara Bilgre - LinkedIn

    Contact

    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.

    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.

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    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.

    Get in touch with us: [email protected].

  • What barriers keep girls from fulfilling their potential in STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics – subjects?

    Nina first meets Maliha Fawzia, the interim Global Head of Girls’ Education at Teach For All. Maliha joins Nina from Bangladesh. Maliha explains that the first barrier for girls studying maths and science is feeling welcome in the classroom as girls. “It's first and most important to feel safe, to be seen, to feel confident, to share their opinion”, she says.

    Next, Nina meets math teacher Patrycja Janekankit, based in Poland. Patrycja gets to know her students as well as possible, and makes sure they get to know her – for example, through telling them about her previous work as a financial analyst. “My teaching methods are built on authenticity and honesty”, she says.

    Next, Nina speaks to chemistry teacher Shulammite Ajayi from Nigeria. “I use role models and guest speakers for my science projects”, Shulammite tells Nina. She shows students that they can solve real life problems using science. “I try as much as possible to relate each of the topics with what they see in their environment.”

    Finally, Nina speaks to biology teacher Kainat Rohail from Pakistan, who, like Shulammite, connects students’ work with their daily lives. Kainat also invites people with STEAM careers to talk to students, and she arranges lab and university visits for students. This helps students to focus not just on their grades, but also their careers. It is “helping them to achieve their long term goals”, Kainat explains.

    This episode was made in collaboration with Teach For All, a global network in more than 60 countries around the world, developing collective leadership to ensure all children can fulfil their potential. The teachers in this episode are Fellows of the Teach For All Global Girls' Education program.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources

    Maliha Fawzia - LinkedIn
    Teach For All - website, Girls’ Education, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X
    Patrycja Janekankit – LinkedIn, Facebook
    STEAM projects are a pathway to modern education, Teach For All blog
    Teach For Poland
    Shulammite Ajayi - LinkedIn
    Teach For Nigeria
    Kainat Rohail - LinkedIn
    Teach For Pakistan

    Contact
    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.
    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.
    Get in touch with us:[email protected]

  • What is neurodiversity? How does it differ from neurodevelopmental disorders? How can schools make sure all children feel like they belong?

    In this episode, Nina meets Alyssa Alcorn, lead researcher for the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) project at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Alyssa explains that neurodiversity concerns everyone, because everyone has a brain. Neurodiversity is a biological fact. “We are all different in how we think and feel and learn because our brains process information differently”, she says. “Neurodivergence is not about having a diagnosis, it means that you’re different from the majority in terms of your processing.”

    Nina also speaks to Silvana Gili, a primary school teacher in Brazil. Silvana teaches 6- and 7-year-olds in an international school. Silvana explains that the classroom is organised according to students’ different needs, and tells Nina about their work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. “We as a school believe that students can only learn if they feel like they belong to that learning community”, she says.

    Educator Chesta Dhingra tells Nina about inclusive education at her school in India. They have a tool for following the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), creating accessible learning environments for all learners. Chesta explains that they also have an individual educational plan for each child based on their needs.

    Nina hears from Inés Bertoni from Argentina, who describes the challenge of providing the assistance kids need when resources and time are limited and classes are big. Not all schools have adequate resources.

    Alyssa rounds off the episode with some useful tips for supporting all children in the classroom. Are there supports available for some children in the class with special arrangement? If so, could these be available to everyone, so that anyone can benefit - even those who might never think to ask?

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    Guests and resources

    Alyssa Alcorn - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
    Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS)

    Silvana Gili
    Graded - The American School of São Paulo - LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X

    Chesta Dhingra - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
    Lancers International School - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X
    Universal design for learning (UDL) and inclusive practices in IB World Schools

    Inés Bertoni - LinkedIn, Instagram

  • In this bonus episode, Nina celebrates International Day of Education with former science teacher, Sarah Horley. Sarah is Programme Manager from Teachers for the Planet, a program that aims to improve climate change education. Teachers for the Planet are showcasing teacher-led climate change education solutions. Three of the teachers showcased in the Teachers for the Planet repository share their solutions with Nina.

    First, secondary school teacher Astrid Hugli in Switzerland explains how she helps students understand whether common statements about climate change are true or false. Astrid also helps students understand how to reduce their carbon footprint. “Instead of just doing theory, I prefer to activate them with models and with experiments,” she tells Nina. Astrid uses a game with her students called Climate Fresk.

    Next, Nina meets Nicole Swedlow from Mexico. Nicole tells Nina about an organisation called Compass Education, “a global network of educators who have come together because they believe that a flourishing world begins with sustainability in schools”. Compass Education’s tool helps teachers focus on systems thinking - an approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of the challenges in the world.

    Finally, Nina speaks to Scott Sinclair from a teacher’s network called TIDE - teachers in development education. They are asking: What are the educational implications of climate change? How is the world going to change and how will that affect schools? Teachers share their creativity and thoughts with each other through their magazine called the Elephant Times. Scott believes that teachers need to “connect and communicate in order to have a sense of the whole”.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources

    Sarah Horley - LinkedIn
    Teachers for the Planet
    Learning Planet Institute - Twitter/X

    Learning Planet Festival
    Colegio Mbaracayu - Instagram

    Mbaracayu Technical Baccalaureate in Environmental Sciences

    Astrid Hugli - LinkedIn
    Climate Fresk
    ICOS Cities Education Project

    Nicole Swedlow - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
    Compass Education - Resources, Toolkit, Twitter/X, Facebook

    Scott Sinclair - LinkedIn, Twitter/X

    Tide - Twitter/X
    Elephant Times Magazine

  • Why is education important for conflict-affected children? How are teachers in conflict zones using EdTech? Can EdTech adapt to children’s changing learning conditions and help them to thrive?

    In this episode, Nina talks to Jasmine Turner and Olena Onyshchenko from War Child about the EdTech solution Can’t Wait to Learn. Talking to Nina from Uganda, Researcher Jasmine explains that Can’t Wait to Learn is a digitized adaptive self-paced personal learning program, aligned with the national curriculum in each country it is used in.

    Jasmine believes that education should not be an additional burden on parents and teachers in conflict zones. “Overall, it should be something supporting everybody, rather than adding to their stress.”

    Olena is Senior Project Lead of Can't Wait to Learn for Ukraine. Based in the Netherlands, she explains what they learnt when the program was adapted for use in Ukraine, a more high-resource setting than previous contexts. As devices and video games are more common in Ukraine, the program had to be more sophisticated to capture children’s attention. “We're competing with other video games”, Olena tells Nina. The gaming, playful element is essential, she says, to reduce the stress of learning as much as possible.

    Next, Nina meets Yuliana Dovhopol, a teacher who uses Can’t Wait to Learn with her students in Ukraine. “When we hear the sound of the siren, we immediately go down to the shelter”, Yuliana says. They don’t take any notebooks, so the students use their phones in the shelter and continue their learning with Can’t Wait to Learn.

    Lastly, Nina hears from Oksana Kostyuchenko, a teacher who works in a hospital in Ukraine. “Our students are not at school desks, but in hospital beds”, she tells Nina. Oksana explains how students use the app to make up for topics they’ve missed, and how the repetition in the app is beneficial.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.


    Guests and resources
    War Child Holland - LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram

    Can’t Wait to Learn - YouTube

    Jasmine Turner
    LinkedIn

    Olena Onyshchenko
    LinkedIn

    Yuliana Dovhopol
    Facebook
    Instagram

    Oksana Kostyuchenko
    School of Superheroes

    Contact
    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.
    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.
    Get in touch with us: [email protected].

  • In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from International Baccalaureate (IB) in Washington DC. Nicole Bien, Chief Schools Officer at IB, tells Nina that since the start of the pandemic, the IB has ensured wellbeing is at the core of the learning experience in their schools. “Wellbeing is so central to learning. Without it, there’s little space in a student’s mind and body to focus on learning”, Nicole says.

    Jennifer Merriman, Global Director of Research, Policy & Design at IB, tells Nina about how the IB worked with Oxford Wellbeing Research Center to come up with a definition and framework for wellbeing. “Where they landed with the definition was student life satisfaction”, Jennifer says, and there are three components within that. One of their biggest insights is that there is “no trade-off to be had between wellbeing and academic performance”.

    Nina also speaks to Charlotte Hankin, a teacher based in Bali. Charlotte describes the psychological, cognitive, social and physical components of wellbeing that she sees in the classroom. She believes that wellbeing is complex and dynamic, and that “everyone is part of the student's wellbeing”.

    Lastly, Nina speaks to Yvette Larsson who works in an IB school in Sweden. Yvette tells a story about the changes her school made to support wellbeing when the pandemic hit and schools remained open while the rest of the world seemed to be in lockdown.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.


    Guests and resources
    Mamadou Diakhaté
    Twitter

    Mamadou’s association building new schools, water wells and toilets for schools: Twitter

    Ingrid Delange
    LinkedIn

    Nicole Bien
    LinkedIn

    Jennifer Merriman
    LinkedIn

    Charlotte Hankin
    LinkedIn

    Yvette Larsson
    LinkedIn
    AHA! Wellbeing

    International Baccalaureate
    LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook

    Festival of Hope: LinkedIn, Community Guide, YouTube trailer

    Wellbeing research: What is well-being?, Supporting student well-being in a digital learning environment, Why well-being matters during a time of crisis, Well-being in education in childhood and adolescence, Join our student wellbeing learning journey with schools

    Digital Promise
    Designing an Intervention for Enhancing Student Wellbeing

  • What are children around the world learning about looking after finances and other resources? What should be in a financial and social education curriculum? How can teachers involve parents in discussions on these topics?

    In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from Aflatoun, an international organisation based in the Netherlands that brings financial and social education to children worldwide. Cristina Peña, Programme Manager for the Americas, believes that “now more than ever, we need to really understand how to manage our resources”. Cristina says that children aren’t necessarily taught these skills or given opportunities to practise them.

    Curriculum Specialist Chandni Mehta tells Nina about the education Aflatoun offers. It’s not just about saving money – it’s also about saving food, resources, and the environment. “We are trying to help children and youth understand the broader societal impacts of the financial decision”, Chandni says.

    Nina also meets two teachers implementing Aflatoun’s programs. Aura Juarez in El Salvador runs workshops for students to discuss finances with their parents. “For most of them, it was the first time that they actually discussed home financing”, Aura says. For some kids, it changed how they saw money.

    Nina also speaks to Induni Dandeniya in Sri Lanka. Induni shares the five core elements of the Aflatoun club she runs: personal understanding, saving, budgeting, social and financial enterprise, and children’s rights. Induni says the club is very popular in the school. “Most of these activities are done as games”, she says, “so they enjoy it and they love this”.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.


    Guests and resources

    Cristina Peña
    LinkedIn

    Chandni Mehta
    LinkedIn

    Aura Juarez
    Programa Oportunidades- FGK (Facebook)

    Induni Dandeniya
    Aflatoun profile

    Aflatoun
    Website
    YouTube
    LinkedIn
    Facebook
    Twitter

  • In episodes 2 and 3 of Teachers’ Voices season 3, Nina explored lots of questions about AI in the classroom. What are teachers’ concerns about AI, and what opportunities do they see? How can AI adapt to individual students? And how can teachers take a human-centred approach to AI?

    This special mini episode briefly introduces some AI resources that might help in the classroom. Nina hears from Harvey Spencer, ex-teacher and host of the podcast AI for Teachers based in Australia. Harvey recommends starting the integration of AI into your practice by reflecting on the challenges you want to address with AI, then picking the right solution for you. All of the resources Nina and Harvey mention are listed below.

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    How can educators use AI to support their students' learning? In this episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina explores the concerns and opportunities around AI in the classroom.

    How can teachers take a human-centred approach to AI? In this episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina asks how AI can adjust to the needs of individuals, and how it can keep the human element of teaching.

    ChatGPT: Educational friend or foe? Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Elias Blinkoff argue that artificial intelligence should be used to enhance, not limit, students’ learning.

    Should ChatGPT replace teachers’ red pens? In episode 1 of our guest podcast Ed-Technical, hosts Libby Hills and Owen Henkel talk to assessment expert Daisy Christodoulou MBE.

    Is AI the answer to better feedback for teachers? In episode 2, Libby and Owen speak to Dora Demszky, Assistant Professor in Education Data Science at Stanford University, about the potential and limitations of using large language models.

    Guests and resources

    Harvey Spencer
    AI for Teachers podcast

    Cognimates - A platform for building games, programming robots and training AI models.
    OctoStudio - A mobile coding app for learners to experiment with coding and training language models.
    Teacher Time Machine - A tool for generating digital resources like lesson plans and assessments.
    Querium - Personalised, bite-sized lessons for mastering STEM skills.
    Brilliant - Interactive courses and quizzes across STEM topics.
    Gradescope - A tool to administer and grade assessments.
    UNESCO Guidance for generative AI in education and research

    Contact
    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.
    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.
    Get in touch with us: [email protected]

  • How can AI adjust learning materials and feedback to the needs of individual students? How can teachers make sure that the human element is kept?

    In this episode, Nina speaks to Inge Molenaar, director of the National Education Lab AI in the Netherlands (NOLAI). Inge is a Professor in Behavioral Science who specialises in the interface between education and technology. Inge tells Nina how AI can help to personalise students’ learning. “The technology is being used to adjust the learning materials, and the instruction, and the feedback to the needs of individual students.”

    Nina also speaks to Cecilia Aguilera Campos, a teacher in Spain. Cecilia uses robotics to support her teaching in different subjects with primary school children. “I teach programming, 3D design, 3D printing, virtual reality, augmented reality”, Cecilia says. She doesn’t teach robotics on its own, it’s always alongside other areas of education such as maths or music.

    Next Nina meets Zarqaish Sheharyar, a science teacher working with secondary school students in Pakistan. Zarqaish uses AI to help her be more efficient in her own work. Zarqaish turns to ChatGPT “when I don't have time enough to plan my lessons or design the questions”. She also guides her students to use it. “T​hey can use the ideas given to them by the AI and then translate it into their own words, based on their own understanding.”

    Finally, Nina hears from Yvette Larsson, a teacher in Sweden. Yvette has important conversations about the use of AI tools with her middle school learners. She also uses AI herself. For Yvette, ChatGPT is “like a brainstorm friend” for teachers who can be stressed with lots of admin to do. Yvette thinks ChatGPT can make teacher life a little easier. “What am I, as a teacher, going to put my energy and focus on?”

    Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources
    Inge Molenaar
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    National Education Lab AI (NOLAI)
    Journal article: Towards hybrid human-AI learning technologies
    Jacobs Foundation

    Cecilia Aguilera Campos
    LinkedIn

    Zarqaish Sheharyar
    LinkedIn
    Facebook

    Yvette Larsson
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    Blog
    AHA! Accelerating Education

    Guidance for generative AI in education and research

    Ed-Technical: Insights on AI in education

    Contact
    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.
    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.

  • What are the main concerns that teachers have about artificial intelligence in the classroom? What opportunities does AI open up for students? How can AI focus on automation while helping humans do what they’re best at?

    In the second episode of Teachers’ Voices season three, Nina speaks to Stefania Druga, Principal Researcher at the Center of Applied AI Research at the University of Chicago. Stefania is the founder of Cognimates, an AI education platform for building games, programming robots, and training AI models.

    Stefania believes that AI is “becoming one of the basic literacies along with reading and writing”. It is becoming embedded in every aspect of our lives, so we need to understand it, she argues. Stefania teaches programming to children so they can understand how it works, and to become critical users of AI.

    Stefania understands the fear that some teachers feel about AI. “I understand it’s overwhelming, but we need to be in the driver’s seat. And what better way to support people to be in the driver's seat than starting very early?” Teachers don’t have to know everything about AI, but they can guide their students and have conversations around values.

    Nina also hears from three educators – Marisa López, Paul Abok, and Yvette Larsson – who share some concerns about AI, such as privacy, security, and equity, as well as the opportunities they see, for personalised learning, for example. In the next episode, hear more from teachers in their own words talking about their experiences using AI for lesson planning and classroom instruction.

    Join the new Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

    Guests and resources

    Stefania Druga
    Personal website
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    The University of Chicago Booth School of Business Center for Applied AI
    Research publications
    Cognimates AI education platform: Free resources
    TEDx talk: The Power of Play
    TEDx talk: HacKIDemia -- creative making for social impact
    TEDx talk: Boys and girls should play together
    TEDx talk: Tapping into children's creativity & technology to change the world (Romanian)
    Marisa López
    Facebook
    Paul Abok
    LinkedIn
    Yvette Larsson
    LinkedIn
    Ed-Technical
    Podcast about AI in education


    Contact

    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.
    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.
    Get in touch with us: podcastte

  • Welcome to the first episode in the third season of Teachers’ Voices. In this episode, Nina talks to Stefania Giannini, the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, in Paris. Stefania tells Nina that “education must be protected from all the threats around it, including climate change.” Education is also part of the solution, she says. Hear Stefania describe the four pillars of UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership.

    Nina also meets Jimmy Brian Kayangue, a former teacher now implementing teacher training in rural Malawi. Jimmy tells Nina about a tree planting project to bring back what has been lost to floods and cyclones. Teachers plant trees with the communities they teach in, Jimmy explains, and “they understand that they are agents of change in their communities”.

    Next, Nina meets Francis Bizoza who works with teachers and students in refugee camps in North Uganda. Francis has been putting together a project-based learning curriculum for out of school refugee children, so they can preserve the environment. Francis also tells Nina about the importance of teaching about global citizenship. “It helps us to bring in a sense of responsibility irrespective of where you are – whether you're in your home country, whether you're in a different community.”

    Lastly, Nina hears from Celia Hogan, an educator, author, and founder of Little Kiwis Nature Play in New Zealand. “The children, when we go foraging, they’re learning identification, they’re learning taste, they’re understanding the leaves of the different plants. It’s a connection to nature.” Celia tells Nina that the children often want to share what they have learnt with their parents, sometimes bringing them back at the weekend to show what they’ve been doing.

    Guests and resources
    Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO
    LinkedIn
    UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership
    On the road to COP 28: webinar series

    Jimmy Brian Kayangue
    LinkedIn
    DAPP Supports Primary Schools to Plant More Trees

    Francis Bizoza
    LinkedIn
    YouTube: The African Travelling Teacher

    Celia Hogan
    LinkedIn
    Little Kiwis Nature Play

    Contact
    Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.
    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.
    Get in touch with us: [email protected].

  • Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.

    Join Nina Alonso for the third season of the podcast in which she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. Every episode, Nina invites international experts on learning and child development to give their thoughts on the big topics in education.

    What challenges and opportunities does AI bring to school life? How can children be more connected to nature and be agents of social and environmental change? Explore these questions and many more in our third season, and hear from inspiring teachers and amazing guests including Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education at UNESCO.

    Contact

    Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers

    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/

    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter

    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.exper

    Get in touch with us: [email protected]





  • Join educational researcher Nina Alonso for this podcast series as she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences.

    In the previous episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina heard from four inspiring guests about connecting children to nature so that it becomes more central in their learning and development.

    In this special mini episode, Nina ends the season with recommendations and tips from those guests. Hear from Luis Alberto Camargo, Joaquin Leguia, Jeff Barrett, and Sal Gordon. Nina also speaks to Emma, a forest school teacher, who shares helpful resources for teachers and families to bring nature to kids’ lives.

    Thank you to all of the educators and researchers who contributed to the second season of Teachers’ Voices. We’re busy working on season three and can’t wait to share more stories from teachers around the world with you later in the year.

    Guests

    Luis Alberto Camargo
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    OpEPA

    Sal Gordon
    LinkedIn
    Green School – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

    Jeff Barrett
    Blue Mountain Wild School – Research, Facebook, Instagram

    Emma

    Joaquin Leguia
    LinkedIn
    Facebook

    Resources and recommendations

    IUCN Resources
    ‘Belonging’, an inspiring wordless picture book about re-greening the cities by Jeannie Baker
    The Woodland Trust
    David Sobel
    Children’s land TiNi
    Forest schools
    Do children benefit from forest school?

    Contact

    Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers

    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/

    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter

    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert

    Get in touch with us: [email protected]

  • What is the role of nature in children’s learning and development? How are schools around the world connecting children to nature?

    In this episode, Nina talks to Luis Alberto Camargo, a social entrepreneur who specialises in nature-based education. Luis tells Nina about the scientific research exploring the role of nature in children’s wellbeing. Nina also speaks to Joaquin Leguia, the founder of an approach that promotes healthy relationships between children and the Earth.

    Nina also meets Jeff Barrett, an outdoor adventurer and the founder of a school in the Canadian forests, and Sal Gordon, the principal of a school in the jungles of Bali that aims to make the world sustainable.

    Guests and resources

    Luis Alberto Camargo
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    OpEPA
    Education for Regeneration – Why EE Is Natural for Personal Growth and Understanding
    Education for Regeneration – A Nature-Based Approach
    Leading Change Beyond Sustainability
    IUCN #NatureForAll
    Children & Nature Network Resources
    Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds & Outdoor Learning
    OpEPA - Bringing Nature into Learning on HundrEd

    Joaquin Leguia
    LinkedIn
    Facebook
    Ania – Instagram, Facebook
    Children’s Land (TiNi) – TiNi on UNESCO en español YouTube

    Jeff Barrett
    Blue Mountain Wild School – Research, Facebook, Instagram

    Sal Gordon
    LinkedIn
    Green School – Instagram, Facebook

    Coconut Thinking Podcast

    Contact

    Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers

    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/

    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter

    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert

    Get in touch with us: [email protected]

  • How can educators take some of the stress and anxiety out of mathematics?

    In this episode, Nina talks to Lindsey Richland, Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine. Lindsey talks about the importance of teaching methods that incorporate reasoning skills. Nina also speaks to Dror Dotan, Head of the Mathematical Thinking Lab at Tel Aviv University, who describes the different knowledge processes that mathematical learning entails. Dror explains how understanding this can help in supporting individual learners.

    Nina also hears from two former mathematics teachers – Elena Flores, Principal of Colegio Madrid in Spain, and Nate Madick in California, the Educators Outreach Lead of the digital platform Brilliant. Both discuss digital resources for mathematics teachers.

    Guests and resources

    Lindsey Richland, University of California Irvine

    Dror Dotan, Mathematical Thinking Lab

    Elena Florez, Colegio Madrid, LinkedIn

    Nate Madick, Brilliant, LinkedIn, Twitter

    Smartick

    Listen to Lindsey Richland discuss the importance of developing children’s reasoning skills on a previous episode of Teachers’ Voices.

    Read more by Dror Dotan: What’s the most effective way to learn the times table?

    Thanks Laura Villar for dubbing Elena Florez

    Contact

    Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers

    Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/

    Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter

    Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert

    Get in touch with us: [email protected]