Devin Vodicka
These are trying times. The news headlines in a single day can be overwhelming. New terms such as “doomscrolling” captures the essence of ongoing crisis conditions.
As the saying goes, “where your attention goes, energy flows.” And so I choose to be selective in where I focus my attention, knowing that I need inspiration and positivity to keep me energized and balanced. Here are several blogs and podcasts that I recommend to keep you informed, inspired, and motivated to make a positive difference in the world.
Podcasts
- Chat w/ Cat is a new podcast from my longtime collaborator Catina Hancock. She interviews educators and asks about bright spots, barriers, and bridges to the future. I find the “bright spots” to be particularly interesting and insightful, especially during this time when schools are adapting to distance learning and hybrid models.
- Sprint to Success with Design Thinking is an engaging podcast by Sabba Quidwai. With topics such as “Managing Grief and Loss in Organizational Change” and “Creating a Culture of Trust and Collaboration Through Radical Alignment” these conversations are packed full of frameworks and suggestions that reflect human-centered design principles.
Organizational Design
- OrgHacking is written by Itamar Goldminz who worked with me for a time at AltSchool. Itamar is thoughtful and his posts are well-researched, often revealing that evidence suggests a different approach than the prevailing wisdom. My favorite posts are on topics such as “Driving Effective Behavior Change with Prism” and “Inclusive Organizations Change Their Systems, Not Just Train Their People.”
- WorkLife by Adam Grant is another thoughtful podcast that addresses the interplay between organizational structures and individual psychology. With topics such as effective strategies for remote work, I also enjoy the ongoing focus on relationships.
Innovation
- Elisabeth Booze’s posts on Medium are outstanding descriptions of student agency, student leadership and student voice. Showcasing innovations that are supported by Enduring Ideas, she has fantastic posts about “Deconstructing Racism Through School Design” and the Pritchard Committee Student Voice Team.
- Tom VanderArk’s blog on Getting Smart is consistently deep and relevant. Recent posts such as “Leaders Are Not the Chief Decider, They Are Decision Architects” and “15 Invention Opportunities in Learning” are excellent examples.
- My colleague Katie Martin shares meaningful insights from her research and through extensive interactions that help to provide practical suggestions for teachers and school leaders. Her website includes recent posts on learner engagement, synchronous and asynchronous strategies, and effective anytime, anywhere learning. Katie consistently finds a way to provide focus and clarity which is particularly important during a time of rapid change where are all learning through new experiences.
Check out Learner-Centered Leadership: A Blueprint for Transformational Change in learning Communities for more insights, reflections, and suggestions.
Learner-Centered Leadership 