Stick-to-itiveness for the future world of work
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Release Date: 06/23/2025
Holiday Gifting for Teachers: Tools for Wellness, Creativity, and Reflection
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
This special Shifting Schools holiday episode isn’t about trendy gadgets or generic gift lists. Instead, Jeff Utecht and Tricia Friedman share seven thoughtfully chosen gifts for educators—each matched to a specific kind of person and a specific kind of need. Some gifts are playful. Some are reflective. Some are deeply practical. All of them offer a meaningful boost during a season when educators are often running on empty. This episode asks a practical question: “What might actually support someone through their days?” Whether you’re shopping for a colleague, a school leader, a...
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What Makes a Family? Scott & Mark Hoying on Representation, Creativity, and Love
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
You know Pentatonix – the multi-platinum selling acapella group is the number one most listened to musical acct of the holiday season. Co-founder and Grammy winner Scott Hoying is currently starring in Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars. Scott Hoying and his husband Mark are now also authors of an innovative picture book which features text that doubles as lyrics to . FA LA LA FAMILY celebrates the spirit of Christmas with a look at nontraditional families. The reviews are loving their new book: "A fun and festive dive into...
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Why Interdisciplinary Learning Fuels Creativity: A Conversation with Alan Gratz
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
In this episode of Shifting Schools, bestselling author Alan Gratz joins Tricia Friedman to explore the craft of storytelling, the role of creativity in education, and why curiosity is the engine behind both great writing and great learning. Gratz shares how baseball has quietly shaped the structure of many of his novels, how he approaches character development with authenticity, and why understanding a character’s background is essential for emotional truth. The conversation also digs into the need for interdisciplinary learning in today’s classrooms and the value of teacher...
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Inside the Mind of a 4.1 Million-Follower Creator: AI, Internships, and the Future of Storytelling
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
In this episode of Shifting Schools, Jeff Utecht reconnects with Marcus DiPaola, a successful content creator and documentary filmmaker. They discuss Marcus's journey from working in news to becoming a prominent influencer on platforms like TikTok, where he has amassed over 4 million followers. The conversation delves into the challenges of content creation, the importance of writing skills, and the role of AI in enhancing creative processes. Marcus shares insights on his documentary work, including a recent project on protests and his upcoming film about food insecurity. He emphasizes the...
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The Rise of Micro schools: How Educators Are Reimagining Learning with David Richards
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Are micro schools the future of personalized learning? In this high-impact episode of Shifting Schools, Jeff Utecht sits down with David K. Richards, CEO of ChangeMaker Education, to break down one of the fastest-growing movements in the education ecosystem: microschools. With over 125,000 micro schools and 1.5 million students already learning in small, relationship-centered environments across the U.S., this episode delivers a deeply practical and future-focused look at why educators, parents, and policymakers are paying attention. What You’ll Learn in This Episode What a micro school...
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Can we communicate with our pets? Leo Trottier on the Future of Interspecies Communication
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What if our pets are communicating complex ideas—and technology is finally catching up? In this episode of the Shifting Schools Podcast, cognitive scientist and FluentPet founder Leo Trottier joins us to explore how breakthroughs in animal cognition, inter-species communication, and speech-button interfaces are reshaping the way humans understand pets. Trottier unpacks the science behind communication-enhancing tools for animals, drawing from research in cognitive psychology, comparative cognition, and linguistics to explain how dogs and cats may be expressing needs, feelings, and even...
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Crossing the Line of Falling Behind: Where Is Your School on the AI Curve?
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Summary In this episode, Jeff Utecht discusses the critical importance of understanding where schools stand on the AI adoption curve. He emphasizes the need for leadership to actively engage with AI and for educators to integrate AI into their teaching practices. The conversation highlights the transformative potential of AI in education, urging schools to move from mere conversation to meaningful integration. Learn more about our amazing show sponsor: Takeaways AI adoption is crucial for schools today. Leadership must model AI usage and curiosity. Schools are on a curve of AI...
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How Generative AI Can Deepen Critical Thinking in K12, Not Replace It
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Discover how educators are using generative AI not to automate, but to elevate critical thinking and collaboration in K-12 schools. In this episode of Shifting Schools, host Tricia Friedman shows how “disagreement by design” and intentional prompt-engineering transform student and leadership learning. What you’ll learn: What disagreement by design looks like in real classrooms and leadership teams How prompt engineering unlocks student curiosity and systems-thinking mindset in K-12 Why writing bespoke GPT bots might just be the 'new essay' of our times Who this episode is for:...
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Parenting, Picture Books, and the Practice of Wonder: Leadership Lessons in Creativity
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
A conversation that reminds us how curiosity, art, and iteration can reshape are necessary and may even be assets for our school leadership and the ways we nurture creative courage in young learners.... In this episode, Tricia Friedman sits down with author-illustrator Christy Mandin to explore what school leaders can learn from the creative process behind children’s literature. Together they unpack how curiosity fuels empathy, how messy iteration sparks innovation, and how embracing the dark and uncertain moments of creativity can make us more compassionate educators. What You’ll Learn ...
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Beyond Cheating: What AI Is Really Teaching Us About Students and Schools
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
The conversation about AI in education often starts—and stops—with cheating. But what if that’s the least interesting part of the story? In this episode, Tricia Friedman speaks with the team behind the new show: The Homework Machine, MIT’s Justin Reich and journalist Jesse Dukes. They unpack how generative AI is reshaping what we mean by integrity, creativity, and student voice. Together they explore how teachers can balance innovation with empathy, and what schools might learn from students already living in the AI age. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to The Homework Machine 02:47 The...
info_outlineIn this conversation, Tricia Friedman speaks with Jerome James about the evolving landscape of engineering, the importance of curiosity and problem-solving skills, and how AI is changing the profession. They discuss the intersection of engineering and mental health, the significance of effective communication in energy management, and the qualities employers seek in engineers. Jerome shares insights on finding one's niche in engineering and the unexpected joys of making a positive impact through one's work.
Chapters
00:00 Engineering the Future: An Introduction
03:05 Curiosity and Problem Solving in Engineering
05:57 The Impact of AI on Engineering Mindsets
08:50 Engineering Meets Mental Health
12:00 Communicating Change in Energy Management
15:07 Experimenting with Change: A Personal Approach
18:52 What Employers Seek in Engineers
21:46 The Role of Hobbies in Building Confidence
24:55 Finding Your Niche in Engineering
27:57 Unexpected Delights of Being an Engineer
Learn more about our guest:
An active volunteer, Jerome donates time and energy to Global Shapers – a global forum dedicated to creating social change within local communities around the world – and the World Partnership Walk in Calgary – a non-profit organization dedicated to making significant and positive steps towards ending global poverty in the developing world. He also cares deeply about international and sustainable development and has spent time overseas volunteering in India with a micro-finance non-profit focused on supporting women to become economic engines in their own communities.
As a mechanical engineer who has worked in the power industry, Jerome believes in a balanced approach when it comes to developing our resources. He also believes that economic prosperity goes hand-in-hand with diligent stewardship of our precious environmental resources.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesjerome/
We are so thankful for our show sponsor!
Join Alongside for a free webinar this June 26th
Be among the first to dive into Alongside’s Pulling Back the Curtain on Youth Mental Health report — packed with insights from over 250,000 teen chats and activities during the 2024–25 school year. This free webinar breaks down what today’s teens are really facing—and how schools can respond.
Join Dr. Elsa Friis, Ph.D., Head of Product and Clinical at Alongside, veteran educator Jess Bell, M.Ed., and teen advisor Priya Antony for a candid conversation on the year’s biggest mental health trends.Inside the report
Inside the report:
> Teens are struggling with sleep more than ever
> School-life balance feels out of reach at every age
> Boys are looking for new ways to ask for help
> Confidential, self-guided tools are resonating deeply with students.
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