Stay ConnectedTravel with award-winning educator, author, and international speaker, Michael Hernandez, as he interviews innovation leaders and searches for answers about how to innovate in work, life, and culture.
Find out more about Producer and Host, Michael Hernandez on Linked In: https://bit.ly/MichaelHernandezLinkedIn and on Instagram: @Changing.The.Narrative
Get more inspiring ideas every month–sign up for our free email newsletter: https://bit.ly/ChngNarSignup
Season 5 of Change the Narrative is a series of conversations with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. These teachers from across North America went on expedition to places like Antarctica, Galapagos, the Arctic and others, to learn about the natural world and bring back inspirational learning experiences for their schools and colleagues. Find out how the experience changed them forever, and their tips and resources for bringing inquiry, wonder, and purpose back to the classroom.
Donnie Piercey is a 5th grade teacher in Lexington Kentucky where he has taught since 2007. He is the 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year and a Lindblad Expeditions / National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow.
Donnie specializes in using technology to promote student inquiry and engagement, and his recent work in AI earned him multiple appearances on Good Morning America, the Associated Press, and PBS. His upcoming book, "50 Strategies for Using AI in the Classroom," is written for educators looking for practical classroom approaches to using AI to revolutionize their teaching methods and enrich their students' learning experiences.
He is a Google Certified Innovator and trainer, speaks and keynotes at schools around the US and abroad, and leads professional development experiences. Donnie is also the producer of a podcast called Teachers Passing Notes.
https://resources.mrpiercey.com/google-earth
https://resources.mrpiercey.com/geo-tools/going-cross-curricular
Learn more about the Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
See Michael's book about authentic learning, Storytelling With Purpose: Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity.
Contact show producer and Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Michael Hernandez: michael@storytelling-with-purpose.com
Find out more about Producer and Host, Michael Hernandez on Linked In and on Instagram: @Changing.The.Narrative
Ali Pressel is a science communicator and environmental educator with over 20 years of experience working in secondary sciences education. Her background is in environmental sciences and she holds a Bachelor degree from Rutgers University and a Master degree from the University of Maryland. Ali has spent the past 17 years of her professional career working in schools in Northeast Florida, encouraging youth to take their learning outside of traditional classroom spaces and discover new experiences in their local community. She is a National Geographic Explorer, a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, and a Florida Finalist for the Presidential Award of Excellence in Science Teaching. Ali has a passion for exploration and travel and loves to connect youth to place-based community citizen science through impactful learning experiences.
Ali’s StoryMap Collection of Expedition: https://arcg.is/0On5C80
Float Your Boat program connecting educators and students to Ocean Circulation research in the Arctic: https://www.floatboat.org/
Connect the Arctic, Public Community Platform: https://community.arcus.org/
Mapping the Greenland Ice Sheet: https://nsidc.org/grimp
National Geographic MapMaker: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/k-12-education/mapmaker
Esri K12 Education: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/education/overviewEsri ArcGIS Learn Gallery: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/gallery/
LinkedIn: AliPressel
Instagram: pressel_explores
Twitter (X): @ali_pressel
Website: presselexplores.com
Learn more about the Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
See Michael's book about authentic learning, Storytelling With Purpose: Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity.
Contact show producer and Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Michael Hernandez: michael@storytelling-with-purpose.com
Find out more about Producer and Host, Michael Hernandez on Linked In and on Instagram: @Changing.The.Narrative
Season 5 of Change the Narrative is a series of conversations with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. These teachers from across North America went on expedition to places like Antarctica, Galapagos, the Arctic and others, to learn about the natural world and bring back inspirational learning experiences for their schools and colleagues. Find out how the experience changed them forever, and their tips and resources for bringing inquiry, wonder, and purpose back to the classroom.
Ben Walker is a National Board Certified science teacher in Anchorage, Alaska. He is the 2018 Alaska State Teacher of the Year as well as the 2013 Alaska science awardee for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science teacher. He is the 2019 national awardee for the NSTA Shell Science Teaching Award, a National Geographic Certified educator, a member of National Geographic Education’s inaugural Teacher Advisory Council, and a 2020 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. He is the proud parent of two children in public school and married to an award winning teacher and Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, Catherine Walker.
Learn more about the Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
See Michael's book about authentic learning, Storytelling With Purpose: Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity.
Contact show producer and Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Michael Hernandez: michael@storytelling-with-purpose.com
Find out more about Producer and Host, Michael Hernandez on Linked In and on Instagram: @Changing.The.Narrative
Season 5 of Change the Narrative is a series of conversations with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. These teachers from across North America went on expedition to places like Antarctica, Galapagos, the Arctic and others, to learn about the natural world and bring back inspirational learning experiences for their schools and colleagues. Find out how the experience changed them forever, and their tips and resources for bringing inquiry, wonder, and purpose back to your learning space.
Kim Young is a long-time public school social studies educator who is passionate about cultivating her students' identities as explorers and global citizens. While researching innovative educational pedagogy and new ideas for lesson plans always beat out other items on her to-do list, she draws most of her inspiration for classroom activities from first-hand experiences in the field. As a 2017 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, 2019 National Geographic Explorer, and 2020 National Geographic Education Fellow, Young worked to scale curricular innovation around student activism through design thinking and technology. When she can’t get into the field, she works on projects for Earthrise Education, a non-profit focused on creating student-centered satellite-based investigations for environmental and human rights.
Links and resources referenced in this episode:
GTF Lesson - Arctic Council Simulation
Edge of All Life - iNaturalist Species Edge Range Citizen Science Investigation
Learn more about the Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
See Michael's book about authentic learning, Storytelling With Purpose: Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity.
Contact show producer and Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Michael Hernandez: michael@storytelling-with-purpose.com
Find out more about Producer and Host, Michael Hernandez on Linked In and on Instagram: @Changing.The.Narrative
Get more inspiring ideas every month--sign up for our free email newsletter: https://bit.ly/ChngNarSignup
Facts and statistics have so far failed to get humans to change our behavior to address the climate crisis. But can beauty?
In this episode, host Michael Hernandez talks with marine biologist Jonny Reid about the importance of noticing, and how the beauty of the world may just save us–if we make time and space to do so.
This episode was produced as part of Michael's Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
Maybe you’ve tried (and failed) to take photos–of a concert, a skyscraper, or the Grand Canyon–that truly captures the immensity of the object or experience. In this episode, host Michael Hernandez talks with National Geographic photographer Susan Seubert about the limits of photography, especially when trying to convey something as vast as Antarctica, yet at the same time, emphasizing the importance of the photographic record of the impact on animals and the continent brought about by climate change.
In a surprising side conversation, Susan also shares what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated job, and how the opportunities for work and acknowledgements have changed as she ages.
This episode was produced as part of Michael's Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
While we often assume that Antarctica is an untouched, pristine continent, there is actually a long history of exploration and research–and yes, exploitation–of Antarctica. On an expedition to the Great White Continent, host Michael Hernandez visits the British research station at Port Lockroy, now operated by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, which the busiest tourist attraction on the continent, visited by over 18,000 people each year.
Michael talks with Base Leader Lucy Bruzzone, who led an all-female staff this season, about what we can learn from the past and how it can help us make good decisions about our relationship to the natural world moving forward.
This episode was produced as part of Michael's Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
Wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts caused by climate change are finally starting to get our attention in mainstream media and the public consciousness. But these changes in climate are even more extreme in Antarctica, a fragile and diverse ecosystem that the entire planet relies upon, even more than the Amazon rainforests. But what can we DO about it?
While in Antarctica, host Michael Hernandez talks with climate scientist and naturalist Zachary Brown about what–and WHO–is behind the climate crisis, and some surprising and unexpected solutions.
This episode was produced as part of Michael's Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
Each of us has to decide which battles are worth fighting. After speaking with Chilean journalist and naturalist while on expedition to Antarctica, host Michael Hernandez discovers what it means to defend--rather than "protect"--Antarctica, and by extension, the rest of the planet.
This episode was produced as part of Michael's Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
Join host Michael Hernandez as he kicks off Season 4 to get a glimpse of life at the bottom of the world, and insights about his expedition to Antarctica as part of his Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. See episode notes and resources at www.changethenarrative.net
Sometimes words just don't cut it—especially when you’re making fun of the president. That’s where Lalo Alcaraz comes in. I sat down with the Pulitzer recognized, Herb Block-winning editorial cartoonist about visual storytelling, taking on corrupt politicians, taking heat from haters, and how working with Pixar got him accused of selling out. And: What happens when you call BS in a world of extremists and replacement theory nuts?
Whose story gets told and how do the stories we hear affect our understanding of the world and other people? What if we reclaimed the stories of our families and culture, and used story as a way to build empathy?
In this episode, I talk with James Beard and Telly award-winning writer, director and producer, Erick Galindo, about his work at the New York Times and LA Taco, his podcasts WILD, and Idolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sanchez, and his upcoming TV show for CBS, Mexican Beverly Hills. Erick shares his ideas about what makes for a good story, and the importance of representation in media. (Don’t miss the part where we compare his true crime podcast to Rashomon!)
Throughout this season of the podcast I’ve been talking with storytellers about their craft, and the potential they have to make positive change in the world. Now that we’re struggling to get access to reliable facts about COVID, climate change, and even our own history, it seems like it's time to change the narrative of how we develop knowledge, and ask ourselves: who owns a story and who gets access to them? In this episode, I talk with Catherine Stihler, CEO of Creative Commons, about the importance of open source resources, and developing licenses that allow for sharing of information while protecting the intellectual property of researchers, artists, and writers.
Maybe you made mix tapes in high school. Or maybe you make Spotify playlists for your boo. But what goes into curating a good musical story, and can it actually help us to think of ourselves and the world differently?
In this episode, jazz advocate and KCRW DJ LeRoy Downs (AKA The Jazz Cat) shares secrets about how he performs for radio audiences around the world, how to balance the avant garde with popular taste, and how he crafts sonic stories that vibrate through our bodies and minds.
It's an easy career change to go from being a biologist to becoming a National Geographic photographer, right? Only if it involves your dad's camera, some anime episodes, and a few insect parasites...
On this episode of Change the Narrative, we talk with National Geographic photographer, Anand Varma, who works at the intersection of art and science. What role do art, storytelling, wonder, and passion play in the scientific process? Hear his origin story about how he became a renowned photographer, where he finds inspiration for his work, and his tips on how to create visual stories that stop readers in their tracks.
These days, everyone calls themselves a storyteller: CEOs, marketing experts, even roller coaster designers... But what makes for a truly good story, and how can we use story to build community, process the world, and find our identities? It's a good thing we spoke with the former Director of Education at The Moth, Micaela Blei, because she helped us wrap our heads around it, and shared a few tips about crafting stories that can move your audience.
Season Three is dedicated to our namesake subject--Narratives: the stories well tell ourselves, the stories we tell each other, and how narratives can be used to affect positive change in the world.
If there's anything the past two years have taught us, it's that story is everything. From disinformation campaigns to the freak out over CRT and mask-wearing, nothing matters more than who controls the narrative.
I’m coming out of pandemic hibernation with a new season of Change the Narrative. This time, I’m excited to explore one of my favorite topics: storytelling. The stories we tell ourselves, the stories we tell others, and how we use narratives to make sense of the world, give us comfort, and inspire others.
Host Michael Hernandez turns the mic around to record his entire day teaching remotely. Originally recorded for NPR's It's Been A Minute With Sam Sanders Podcast, listen to Michael's day in all its digital glory: What happens in a Zoom class? Michael's daughter drops the hammer on worksheets. And what it's like to teach in your underwear. Don't say we didn't warn you!
Are kids wasting time and falling behind during remote learning? Turns out all this flex time has strengthened family bonds, and given them time to find new passions. In this interview, recorded in May 2020, I spoke with Arun Balaji and Nakul Nayak, high school juniors in Northern California who have used their windfall of non-academic time to start a non-profit business and a national journalism publication. Not too shabby for a pair of teenage boys who are motivated to learn and work without grades.
How are students managing classes during remote learning, and how have teachers helped or hindered that learning? What expectations do teachers or school administrators have of students, and is that realistic or healthy? My conversation with Lily Bessler was recorded in May, at the beginning of the pandemic and the end of her Freshman year of High School, but her insights are just as poignant today.
What do students REALLY think about remote learning? A high school freshman from Los Angeles talks about the advantages of flexible schedules, the time she's had to learn about herself, and her advice about how to move forward.
What's missing from all conversations about remote learning and school re-openings is the main stakeholder--students. In this episode, I talk with two Silicon Valley HS students about what academic pressure looks like in the age of remote school, what happens when they see their teachers in the wild, the rediscovery of self-care, and how their perceived privilege keeps them from talking about depression. And they have some choice advice for teachers...
All the conversations about remote learning and school re-openings has left out the most important stakeholders--students. In this episode, I talk with a high school Junior in North Carolina about what remote learning has meant for her independence, owning her learning, and the flexibility she has to spend time with her family.
How do you keep a kindergartener engaged in remote learning? How does technology and a calendar change help social emotional learning? Jill Maza, Director of Libraries and Research at Montclair-Kimberly Academy, reveals the secrets to innovation in the time of COVID, story time playlists, and more.
Tampa, Florida science educator Jaraux Washington has found many silver linings in remote teaching, even while teaching at a Title I school. Also: How students are more successful than we think, and why the old education system may just be a way to keep kids in poverty.
Alaska State Teacher of The Year and National Geographic Teacher Advisory Council member Ben Walker talks about the intersection of society, schools, and the Education Industrial Complex. He talks about how our system of 'surveillance pedagogy' has led to so many problems, shares his ideas about the future of schools, and his secrets for surviving remote learning (Spoiler: It involves Legos).
Remote teaching has forced teachers to learn a lot in a short span of time. But with standardized tests taken off their backs, and flexible schedules, Middle school science teacher Therese Arsenault has found time to rekindle her excitement for learning. Also in this episode: Bison in San Francisco?
How can we rekindle curiosity in our students so that they actually care about learning? Veteran journalism and AP English teacher Mitch Ziegler talks about project-based learning, and how remote learning has helped us make time and space for student passion. Also: Are standardized tests a form of class warfare?
Remote teaching has made many things clear to Elementary Principal Beth Schwartz. Freeing up time to build relationships with our students and creating truly personalized learning means the end of standardized tests, and more flexible schedules.
Veteran high school English teacher, Christopher Bronke, has high hopes for school once the pandemic is over: to have high hopes for our students. He shares ideas about why we should allow our students more flexibility and time to complete work, and how this can lead to more honesty and respect. But this idea isn't new--his school has been using this model for two years.
High school English teacher, Marisa Thompson, shares her concerns about inequity in education and lack of access to the internet for so many learners. School closures have challenged us to reimagine school. Will we rise to that challenge?
The flexible schedules of remote teaching have helped Ohio middle school science teacher, Leah LaCrosse, tailor her instruction to meet the needs of her students in ways that face to face learning never could. Also, why is she so upset about standardized tests?
6th Grade Humanities teacher, Sam Kary shares his secrets for work-life balance, and talks about how remote teaching has forced teachers to move away from the 'sage on the stage' lecture-and-note-taking model of teaching, and toward one where teachers are facilitators of learning.
The burden of feeding poor children, providing structure, and ensuring access to internet often falls on the shoulders of the education system. But school closures have made delivering those services nearly impossible. What's next?
The phrase "Distance Learning" strikes fear into the hearts of parents and teachers around the world. But maybe we just need to rethink our relationship between students and curriculum. And what's a teacher really for, anyway? Veteran educator Christina Torres reminds us that instead of fearing what we've lost with school closures, we should think about what's been gained.
How do you pivot your class to distance learning when your teaching has relied on two file cabinets filled with worksheets for 20 years? Ask AP Chemistry teacher, Teresa Nielsen. Now her curriculum is filled with dynamic digital content, and she's built new relationships with her students and colleagues.
The pandemic has forced us to rethink our education system. This season we talk with teachers and students across the country to find the silver linings in our situation, the lessons we've learned to make school better as we reimagine the education system.
In this extended bonus episode, we talk with Mary Jo Madda, named a Forbes “30 under 30” and now lead at Google on the Education Equity team, about why connections make the difference when diversifying the tech industry and the workplace.
With every system disrupted by COVID19, everyone is forced to become an innovator. We talk with Mary Jo Madda, named a Forbes “30 under 30” and now lead at Google on the Education Equity team, about the secrets to innovation, and how a diverse team can make all the difference.
Forgot what it's like to be outside, surrounded by people? I dig through my recordings to share some of the places I've been in the past 9 months. Speaking of quarantine, now that we're at home and free from standardized testing, we're forced to rethink how we teach, and what really matters in education. How did we forget?
All season we’ve listened to ideas about how to find innovation and make our workspaces more dynamic and productive. In this episode I reflect on the making of this podcast, and the lessons I learned that will help you develop your own passion project. This episode is sponsored by Book Creator
Fear of failure often prevents us from embracing change in our lives and workspaces. In this episode we talk with educator and USC Doctoral candidate Sabba Quidwai about how we can overcome fear to create a culture of empathy and a culture of innovation.
School and work expect us to crank out our best work under deadlines. But is that really the best way to get things done? Award-winning animation professor, Jose Garcia-Moreno, talks about managing time for innovative creative projects, and life.
Not many of us have the luxury of going on sabbatical to develop a passion project. So how can we find time to create when we’re always rushing between soccer practice, taking the car to the mechanic, and cooking dinner? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Monica Burns about the importance of carving out productive ‘Me Time.’ This episode is sponsored by Participate.
Do you need a quiet space or lots of stimulation when you work? Is your desk decorated with figurines and family photos, or tools of the trade? In this episode, I talk with designer Rebecca Hare about how workspaces affect productivity, and how to find a space that will be an innovation incubator for your ideas. This episode is sponsored by Participate.
You know the type: people who want to blow out your candle because they think it will make theirs brighter. But it turns out that how we frame our story of innovation is key to creating a culture that supports change. Hear from former Apple Senior Specialist and Learning Engineer Marco Torres about changing the narrative in the workplace, and the impact it can have on education.
Get out from behind your desk and close your laptop. No matter how many figurines you have artfully arranged on your desk or great vacation photos you have taped to your cubicle, the best way to become inspired is to change your routine and put yourself in stimulating situations. This episode is all about finding experiences that inspire your thinking and change your mindset. I talk with design and technology teacher Keri-Lee Beasley about how she keeps her creative edge.
We might not always have a great collaborator or resources for change nearby. But the good news is that they’re only as far as your laptop or phone. In this episode, we’ll talk with social media and marketing professor Ai Addyson-Zhang about out how to leverage the power of social media and other online channels to find your tribe and the resources you need to make change possible. This episode is sponsored by Participate.
When it comes to professional development, it’s easy to stick with what you know: the same people and organizations that we run with in our professional circles. But that method can keep us stuck in a creative rut that’s hard to get out of. In this episode, we talk with Columbia Professor and Explain Everything co-founder Reshan Richards and his writing partner Stephen J. Valentine to find out how to look for inspiration in people and industries different from your own.
It takes more than one log to build a fire. In this episode, we talk with design thinking expert and award-winning educator Dan Ryder to see how working with the right collaborators can generate the creative heat you need to make change happen. This episode is sponsored by Book Creator.
Stop feeling guilty about nurturing your creative side. But don’t take our word for it. We start our podcast adventure by talking with someone who knows all about creativity: Cornell engineering professor Christopher Hernandez. This episode is sponsored by Book Creator.
A recent trip to Guatemala finds Michael questioning what it means to be a teacher, and why school is so boring. Kick off the podcast series by hearing Michael's 'origin story.'
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
