What if we taught math facts through understanding instead of memorization? In this episode, we welcome Mike Kenny—Vermont fifth-grade math teacher and creator of   MathFactLab —who shares how strategy-based practice grounded in number sense transforms fluency and confidence. Inspired by the   Vermont Mathematics Initiative , Mike reframed "flashcards" into visual, model-rich experiences that help students construct new facts from previously mastered ones. We dive into how Ma

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, I’m joined by Jefferson Pestronk, Executive Director at Modern States, to discuss how their free online courses and College Board’s CLEP exams make college credit accessible to everyone. Learners can take self-paced courses, earn vouchers, and bring passing CLEP scores to nearly 3,000 colleges—no tuition required on the Modern States side. Jefferson shares how this model supports high schoolers, college students, and adult learners alike t

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Danny Bauer, host of the Better Leaders, Better Schools podcast and a champion for reimagining education through leadership. Danny shares how his journey from assistant principal to leading a global community of “ruckus makers” has been fueled by a belief that leadership is service and schools must evolve beyond the status quo. His perspective challenges us to think differently about what school is for and how leaders can i

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, I’m joined by Craig Randall, author of Trust-Based Observations, to explore how great teaching...

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we dive into reading skills development with Tim Waldron, CEO of Readable English. We explore why so...

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome David Solomon, CEO of Lightspeed Technologies, to unpack “instructional...

When it comes to student behavior, punishment often gets mistaken for progress. In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with...

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome Dr. Aimee E. Ketchum and Dr. Crystal Corle Loose, co-authors of The Early Childhood...

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Christie McKelvie, co-founder and director of Rooted & Free Nature School, to talk...

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, I’m joined by Jeff Utecht, co-host of the Shifting Schools podcast and a consultant focused on...

Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually,...

Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually,...

Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually,...

Have you ever wished your students were more engaged in the classroom? The Design Thinking mindset , combined with the PAST Foundation’s...

Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually,...

On April 25, 2025 the PAST Foundation celebrated twenty-five years of service at our annual STEM of Spirits event.  Let’s recap, and look...

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we explore the transformative power of internships with Aya Belouadah, a college student at The Ohio...

Power Up Your Potential: AI Fluency. Real Work. Future Ready. is one of Central Ohio’s first informal learning programs to fuse generative AI integration, career readiness, and project-based design in a scalable, equitable ecosystem rooted in the Common Instructional Framework (CIF).

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome Marshall Escamilla, co-host and music creator for the Tumble Podcast, a show that brings...