332: Here's why we need more student podcasters: meet Zach of We the Children
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Release Date: 04/01/2024
What we learn when we listen to students
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What happens when you stop talking about students and start talking with them? In this episode, Jeff Utecht sits down with high schoolers and asks a question most adults skip: what do you actually need from school right now? Not what teachers think they need. Not what the policy documents say. What the students themselves would name if someone gave them the mic. What they share is honest, specific, and worth slowing down for. Some of it will confirm what you already suspected. Some of it will catch you off guard. All of it is a reminder that the people closest to the experience of learning...
info_outline
The Business of You with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
This week Jeff talks with Nick and Marnie about why we want to help students stop waiting for permission and start building a bridge to a career on your their own terms. In this episode, Jeff Utecht is joined by Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, authors of The Business of You, a book that reframes career growth, personal branding, and leadership through a simple but demanding idea: you are already running a business, and that business is you. Using the story of Sydney, a young professional trying to stand out in a crowded job market, Marnie and Nick explore what it means to move from passive...
info_outline
Sara Amini: The Stories We Carry and the Friends Who See Them
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What can a graphic novel teach educators about belonging, friendship, and the inner lives of young people? Sara Amini is an actor and author whose semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel Mixed Feelings started as a collection of essays before finding its real form. In this conversation, she and Tricia dig into why the graphic novel gave her a sharper way to tell a story about not fitting neatly into any one category, and what that means for the kids (and adults) who read it. They talk about humor as a way into hard topics like racism, xenophobia, puberty, and loneliness. Sara...
info_outline
Why Friendship Is Serious Business for Kids and Adults
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Alyson Gerber joins Tricia Friedman to talk about The Liar Society, why friendship is serious business, and what mystery stories can teach young readers and adults about belonging, trust, competition, and connection. In this conversation, Alyson shares why friendship sits at the center of her work, how middle grade fiction can help readers think more deeply about loneliness and identity, and why the best friends are the ones who cheer for your growth. They also go behind the scenes of writing a mystery series. Alyson explains how she outlines her novels, why she uses the Save the Cat beat...
info_outline
Living at the edge of emerging technology
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What happens when we stop asking AI to do everything faster and start asking how it might help us understand people better? In this episode, Jeff sits down with Andy Sitison, CTO of , for a conversation about empathetic AI, story collection, and why trust may be the real differentiator in the next phase of technology. Andy shares how his work uses AI not just as a productivity tool, but as a way to surface patterns in human experience by gathering and analyzing stories from real people. Together, they explore what gets lost when efficiency becomes the main goal, why intent matters so much in...
info_outline
Human Still Required: out now!
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Jeff Utecht is back with a brand new book for schools looking to understand what to prioritize in the era of AI. Human Still Required is available for purchase, and you can get chapter one free: Learn all about it in this special bonus episode.
info_outline
Billy Ray on Writing Hope in Dark Times, and Building Future Worlds
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What does it take to write a story that faces darkness without surrendering to it? In this episode, Tricia speaks with acclaimed screenwriter Billy Ray about his move into YA fiction with Burn the Water, a future-set story shaped by Shakespeare, political urgency, and a deep belief in young people’s capacity to lead us forward. Their conversation explores community, imagination, hope, and the discipline of creating when the world feels bleak. Billy also offers a sharp look at his writing process, including what changed when he moved from screenwriting to novel writing, and why he sees...
info_outline
Why Kids Need Stories About Belonging and Friendship Right Now | Jasmine Warga
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What can a cheetah and a rescue dog teach us about trust, friendship, and belonging? In this episode, Tricia Friedman sits down with bestselling author Jasmine Warga to talk about her newest book and the powerful themes at its heart: vulnerability, unlikely friendships, and the courage it takes to let someone truly see you. Inspired by a real program in zoos where rescue dogs are paired with anxious cheetahs, Warga’s story explores how connection can help both animals—and humans—feel less alone. Through the voices of a cheetah and a dog, the book opens up conversations about anxiety,...
info_outline
Tui T. Sutherland on Creativity, World-Building, Empathy, and Writing for Young Readers
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
In this episode, we sit down with Tui T. Sutherland, bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series, for a rich conversation about creativity, writing, world-building, empathy, and storytelling for young readers. Tui shares how play, curiosity, and even dogs can support focus and imagination, why world-building starts with better questions, and how writers can balance community feedback with their own creative vision. She also reflects on the role of empathy, diversity, and self-exploration in storytelling, offering practical insights for aspiring writers, educators, and anyone interested in...
info_outline
Dream Big, Start Small: A Conversation with Peter H. Reynolds
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
In this episode, we sit down with beloved children's book author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds to explore how educators can ignite creativity and self-discovery in young learners. Peter shares why a single question can transform how we teach, and why imagination and dreaming big aren't luxuries but essentials. What We Cover: How teachers activate creativity through authentic, feeling-driven questions Encouraging kids to explore many interests instead of choosing just one path The vital role of imagination and dreaming big in personal growth Chapters 00:00 The Impact of Educators...
info_outlineOur special guest this week is Zach, the host of the incredible podcast 'We The Children'
Zachary Fox-DeVol, or Zach, is a curious 12-year-old with a passion for the environment and a mind eager to learn more about our planet. In June 2020, during a summer writing project, Zach ventured into the world of podcasting and created "Rule Of The Bark" . This unique podcast, told from a dog's perspective, provides humorous interviews and helpful tips on raising dogs.
Zooming ahead to December 2021, Zach’s interest took a serious turn toward climate change. This led to 'We The Children,' where, at 12 years old, he dives into climate discussions and solutions from a youthful viewpoint. The podcast illuminates how kids like him care deeply about Earth's future and their actions' pivotal role in shaping a sustainable planet.
In the summer of 2023, Zach was honored to join an Australian Radio Station as a US Ambassador, engaging in enlightening interviews on Funky Kids Radio. Additionally, he’s taken up speaking engagements at schools and clubs, advocating for the environment, recycling, and composting among kids.
When he's not busy pondering our planet or podcasting, he enjoys working on magic tricks, playing chess, mastering the Rubik's cube, and spending time with his pets—a dog named Ewok and a cat named Pax.
Zach's "Production Team" includes his Kindergarten/Second-grade teacher and friend, Clare Marder, making his podcasting journey a collaborative and educational experience.
https://www.instagram.com/we_the_children_podcast/
x - @WeTheChildrenP1
Ready to learn more about his show?
https://www.wethechildrenpodcast.com/
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
https://gamestormedu.com/gamestormers/
Learn with Jeff and Tricia this Spring:
Take $25 off any of our offerings with "SSPOD25" as a discount code.