MindShift Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Randy Porter’s Middle School Jazz Band Mar 10, 2026

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In this episode, KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo visits the band room at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland and speaks with longtime music teacher Randy Porter, who is retiring after 40 years in Oakland Unified schools. Porter shares how introducing students to experimental jazz, including the music of Sun Ra, helps young musicians explore creativity and possibility.

Scott R. Levy: How School Boards Can Strengthen Our Democracy Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

In this episode KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo speaks with Scott R. Levy, adjunct lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a former school board member, about why school boards matter more than ever. Levy’s new book, Why School Boards Matter: Reclaiming the Heart of American Education and Democracy, explains how school boards function, how their power has shifted over time and how school boards can serve as a rare space for civic engagement and democratic participation.

Financial Literacy in The Digital Age With Lillian Zhang Jan 13, 2026

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Lillian Zhang is a financial and career educator. Her book, "The New Money Rules: The GenZ Guide to Personal Finance" covers how to eliminate debt and offers non-judgmental advice on saving and investing. Zhang talks to KQED's Marlena Jackson-Retondo about the tips she gives to young people managing their own finances for the first time.

MIT's TeachLab Presents The Homework Machine Dec 09, 2025

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This month MindShift is sharing an episode from MIT's TeachLab podcast. Hosts Jessie Dukes and Justin Reich have interviewed teachers, school leaders, and students about how the debut of ChatGPT and Generative AI is actually playing out in schools.

They’ve compiled their learnings into a mini series called the Homework Machine.

Listen to more episodes here: https://www.teachlabpodcast.com/

Deborah Farmer Kris: How Awe Helps Us Flourish Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

KQED's Ki Sung talks to longtime MindShift contributor and child development expert Deborah Farmer Kris. In her book "Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive," she shares how exploring the emotion awe can help students engage with classwork and also open us all up to connecting more with our communities.

What Can Teachers Do About AI? Three Approaches in the Classroom Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

This month MindShift is sharing an episode from our friends at KQED's Close All Tabs. Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.

Host Morgan Sung talks to Max Spero, founder of the AI detection company Pangram Labs, MindShift reporter Marlena Jackson Retondo and educator Jeremy Na about three different approaches educators are adopting to deal with AI in their classrooms.
Listen to more episodes here: https://www.kqed.org/news/program/close-all-tabs

Why Teens Love to Hang Out at the Library Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Host Ki Sung takes listeners inside some of the public libraries that have made significant transformations to better serve community needs. Inspired by Chicago’s pioneering YOUmedia model, similar teen-centered library programs are now thriving in cities like New York and San Francisco. These teen spaces support not just digital learning and creativity, but also emotional well-being and community-building after the isolation of the pandemic. Listeners will hear directly from students, and librarians about how these innovative programs are helping teens flourish, proving that libraries can be much more than just places for books—they can be places to belong.

Can Talking to Older Adults Make Students Better Citizens? Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

Interacting with people from different generations has been shown to accelerate students’ social skills, improve literacy, and provide valuable lessons about history and culture.

However, many students have limited opportunities to engage with older generations. And when these interactions do happen, they often remain one-sided or surface-level. In this episode, MindShift explores intergenerational programs at two schools, highlighting their benefits and uncovering research-backed strategies for creating impactful and enriching experiences for all involved.

How to Help Kids Through Friendship Breakups Without Making Things Worse Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

Do you remember the sting of not being invited to a birthday party or watching your friend sit at a different lunch table? Most adults can recall a falling out with a friend—also known as a friendship breakup. While romantic relationships and their endings get plenty of attention, friendship breakups are often overlooked, despite being just as painful and impactful.

For adolescents, whose brains are wired for social connection, these rifts can feel world-ending. Parents and counselors play a crucial role in helping students navigate these experiences while also teaching them what it takes to build healthy, reciprocal friendships. In this episode, MindShift explores the science of friendship with journalist Lydia Denworth and hears from students, parents, and counselors about their experiences in the messy, meaningful world of adolescent friendships.

When Teachers Learn All of AAPI History, Students Benefit Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

There is a common perception that Asian Americans don’t get involved with civic life, but a closer read of AAPI history proves that to be false.

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