Today, Maria talks with Howard Blumenthal, founder of Kids on Earth, host and co-executive producer of Reinventing School and a senior scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. Howard is deeply involved in learning, education, and the lives of 21st-century children and teenagers. Previously, he was a senior executive in public television and in several global media companies, as well as a syndicated newspaper columnist for The New York Times company. His best-known work is Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, which he created and produced for PBS. His current focus is international children and teens along with global citizenship, social change and human progress enabled by personal learning, media, and technology. Together they unpack the ever-evolving role of teachers and the opportunities Howard sees in the future of education. Howard also shares the key topics kids are interested in including climate change, space, why they want to be what they want to be when they grow up and cooking! During their discussion, you will learn how Howard created Kids on Earth that is a collaborative effort with educators, nonprofits, and NGOs around the world. They have already more than 800 video recordings of kids in their library that you can access for free at www.kidsonearth.org. And, if you want to listen to the conversations that Howard facilitates every week to help students, parents, teachers, administrators and policymakers plan for the reinvention of learning, school, and education, you can head to www.reinventing.school. Tune in to learn from an Emmy and Peabody award-winning creator and producer who loves to identify and build connections between fun, games, play, technology, media, storytelling, imagination, and curiosity.
Production team:
Host : Maria Xenidou
Producer: Julie-Roxane Krikorian
Introduction Voice: David Bourne
Contact us:
impactlearningpodcast(at)gmail.com
Music credits:
Like Lee performed by The Mini Vandals
Transition sounds: Swamp Walks performed by Jingle Punks
Where to find more about Howard Blumenthal and his projects:
Mentioned in this episode:
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Faces Looking Up by Mina Lewiton
Listen to this episode and explore:
Howard’s early-childhood interest in media and production through a self-directed learning path (4:51)
The creation of ‘Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?’ show for PBS (11:15)
What impact Howard wanted to create with his television game show for kids (15:34)
The Kids on Earth project: the origin of the idea and how Howard brought it to life (18:42)
Which topics 21-century kids are interested in learning and talking about (26:36)
How students, parents and teachers can use the Kids on Earth video library to learn from home (29:36)
Reinventing School: creating social change in learning and education (34:16)
How kids want to reinvent schools (37:12)
The evolving role of the teacher as a mentor and guide (40:52)
What Howard sees in the future of education (44:50)
What Howard wants to leave his mark on during his lifetime (48:44)