In this week’s episode of All Things Marketing and Education, Elana sat down with Milton Chen, author, speaker, and board member of great organizations like the Kellogg Foundation, the National Park Service, The Fred Rogers Center, The Panasonic Foundation, and more. Milton reflects on his journey in education, from his early days at Sesame Workshop to his tenure at the Kellogg Foundation, offering valuable lessons learned along the way. He explores the role of experiential learning, project-based education, and workplace experiences in shaping students' futures, advocating for a more holistic approach to education that extends beyond traditional classroom boundaries.
Milton candidly shares his insights into the political nature of education, likening it to a complex system resistant to change. Drawing from his extensive experience, he sheds light on the decentralized structure of American schools, consisting of over 14,000 individual districts, each with its own set of challenges and entrenched interests.
No matter who you are in the education industry, this is as inspiring, refreshing, and thought-provoking conversation about the history of K-12 education and its future.
Top Takeaways:
Student voice and co-creation are essential in education, allowing students to have ownership over their learning and contribute to the community in the ways that they’re drawn to.
Ensuring that all students have access to technology and resources is a critical consideration in EdTech.
Excluding young people from decision-making and participation is a barrier to progress in education.
Including all voices, particularly those traditionally marginalized, is essential for creating cohesive educational initiatives.
Putting students at the center of their learning is crucial for creating meaningful and effective educational experiences.
Educational initiatives often have unanticipated benefits and can have a broad impact beyond their intended audience.
Experiential learning experiences are usually more impactful than traditional learning experiences - think “sage on the stage” vs “guide on the side.”
Nourishing oneself in education can be done through personal connections, observing the growth of young learners, and staying inspired by the achievements of others.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Education Nation: Six Leading Edges of Innovation in our Schools: Milton’s book that emphasizes creativity, technology-enabled learning, project-based intellectual adventures, and social/emotional intelligence.
National Parks Service Teacher Resources: Milton highlights some of the amazing resources available for educators through the National Parks Service.
*note: in the audio, Milton says “nps.org,” but meant nps.gov.
Edutopia, The George Lucas Foundation: Milton served as the senior fellow and executive director, emeritus (where he and Elana met!).
Sesame Workshop: Where Milton spent his early career, eventually serving as Director of Research.
Elana Leoni, Host
Elana Leoni has dedicated the majority of her career to improving K-12 education. Prior to founding LCG, she spent eight years leading the marketing and community strategy for the George Lucas Educational Foundation where she grew Edutopia’s social media presence exponentially to reach over 20 million education change-makers every month.
Dr. Milton Chen, Guest
Dr. Milton Chen is senior fellow and executive director, emeritus at The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF), a non-profit operating foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area producing the well-known Edutopia.org website on innovative K-12 learning. He served as executive director of GLEF from 1998 to 2010. Dr. Chen has been the founding director of the KQED Center for Education (PBS) in San Francisco; director of research at Sesame Workshop in New York, helping develop Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and 3-2-1 Contact; and an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. During 2007-08, he was one of 35 Fulbright New Century Scholars, in residence at the University of Edinburgh.
His 2010 book, Education Nation: Six Leading Edges of Innovation in our Schools, was named one of the year’s best education books by the American School Board Journal.
Dr. Chen is a board member of the Kellogg Foundation in Michigan, focused on vulnerable children and families. He chaired the education committee for the National Park System Advisory Board, advancing the agency’s work in STEM and humanities education.
He received the NHK-Japan President’s Award for contributions to educational media and was named an Honorary Ranger by the National Park Service. His A.B. is in social studies from Harvard College and Ph.D. in communication from Stanford. Perhaps most importantly, on his 50th birthday, Dr. Chen was named a Jedi Master by George Lucas!
About All Things Marketing and Education
What if marketing was judged solely by the level of value it brings to its audience? Welcome to All Things Marketing and Education, a podcast that lives at the intersection of marketing and you guessed it, education. Each week, Elana Leoni, CEO of Leoni Consulting Group, highlights innovative social media marketing, community-building, and content marketing strategies that can significantly increase reach, relationships, and revenue.
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