PODCAST Season 6 EPISODE 14
Antonio P Gustin
The Bug Whisperer - Director of the Gateway Science Project
Quotes of the Podcast: 
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. 
Introduction of Guest BIO – 
Antonio "Tony" Gustin, known as The Bug Whisperer, is an entomologist and performing science educator who founded Tony's Creepy Crawly Zoo in 1995 as a traveling live invertebrate show. Over roughly 30 years it reached more than 1.5 million students and grew into The Gateway Science Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) STEAM nonprofit whose mission is to turn curiosity into scientific literacy. A UW-Madison-trained entomologist, Tony invented a custom 8K macro 360-degree camera system and spent six years building Tony's Creepy Crawly Zoo 2.0, a macro VR experience that drops viewers inside insect, arachnid, and reptile habitats at roughly a two-inch scale. His work centers on hands-on wonder as the antidote to scientific misinformation, especially for kids.
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators.

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education?
• Science is a verb: hands-on, experiential learning 
• From a traveling live show to macro VR: the 30-year evolution of Tony's Creepy Crawly Zoo 
• VR as an access and equity tool for any classroom 
• Curiosity as the cure for misinformation
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
Experience the app! https://www.meta.com/experiences/tonys-creepy-crawly-zoo-20/26476390235366322/

Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions
Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions

PODCAST Season 6 EPISODE 12
 
Trudy Shellenbarger
10th Grade Teacher
Escambia Hogh School
 
Quotes of the Podcast:
“The stars we are given, the constellations we make.” Rebecca Solnit
 
 
Introduction of Guest BIO –
Trudy Shellenbarger has just finished up her first year as a 10th-grade English teacher at Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida. Originally from Ohio, she received her Bachelor of Science in secondary English education and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing from Miami University in 2025.
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators.
 

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education?
• 1. Literacy rates/what I've seen with reading.
• 2. Book bannings/media restrictions in Florida (where I teach).
• 3. Newer issues from a young/new teacher's lens (things like AI, vaping, Chromebooks/tech, security--I'm not an expert in any of these but I've seen it firsthand for the first time in the last year).
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

 
Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
 
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions
​

PODCAST Season 6 EPISODE 12
Jane R. Shore
Founder, School of Thought; Author, People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning is Human
Quotes of the Podcast: 
“The stars we are given, the constellations we make.” Rebecca Solnit
 Introduction of Guest BIO – 
Jane R. Shore, EdD is the founder of School of Thought PHL, and a learning scientist and research visualizer devoted to the idea that learning is, at its core, a human act. She is especially drawn to the hard-to-measure dimensions of learning - connection, reflection and action, and to the conditions that allow them to emerge. Her work explores how People-Based Learning offers a way forward in a world overflowing with information, but starved for meaning, bridging the space between rapidly expanding knowledge, emerging technologies, and our enduring need to learn with and through one another. Through her publication School of Thought, Jane translates research into practice using visual storytelling and lived experience. She is also the co-creator of The Art of Being Human, a collective art project with Sam Chaltain that invites reflection and connection through making and shared inquiry. Her keynotes, workshops, and learning designs create spaces where ideas are not just understood, but felt. Jane’s work has been published across academic journals, book chapters, and research reports, and she also illustrated two books for children, Imagine Song and For All the Curious Girls. Her forthcoming non-fiction book, People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning Is Human, (Routledge, March 2026) brings together research, stories, and design practices to show how learning with and through others makes learning meaningful and lasting.
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators. 

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why do we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education as a practice?
• School of Thought exists to make People-Based Learning visible, intentional, and possible everywhere we live, work, and gather. We sit at the intersection of learning science, storytelling, art, and community, translating research into forms people can feel, see, and use.
• People-Based Learning (PeBL), the essential learning we do with and through one another. PeBL is an orientation defined and described through research, stories and experiences in my book! (Routledge, 2026).
• Measuring the important intangibles
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
My School of Thought substack: https://schoolofthought.substack.com/
My The Art of Being Human Substack created in collaboration with Sam Chaltain: https://theartofbeinghumanproject.substack.com/; 
People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning is Human: https://www.routledge.com/People-Based-Learning-The-Future-of-Learning-is-Human/Shore/p/book/9781041089858?utm_source=cjaffiliates&utm_medium=affiliates&cjevent=2dd4af965df611f181da002f0a82b836
Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions

PODCAST Season 6 EPISODE 11
Sheela Vanhoose
Shareholder, The Southern Group
Founder, TSG Advisors
Introduction of Guest Bio
Sheela Vanhoose is a Shareholder at The Southern Group, where she helps organizations navigate Florida’s political and policy landscape with a focus on strategy, relationships, and long-term positioning. Her work sits at the intersection of government, education, business, and emerging policy trends, supporting clients ranging from educational institutions and technology companies to private sector leaders seeking to better understand how policy, procurement, funding, and public perception shape markets.
Sheela is also the Founder of TSG Advisors, an education-focused consulting firm created to help organizations move beyond advocacy and into deeper work around implementation, strategy, and institutional change. What began as a founder-led initiative has grown into an education advisory practice with its own leadership and momentum.
Before her work in government relations, Sheela was a competitive athlete and member of the United States National Karate Team, an experience that shaped her leadership style with discipline, resilience, and calm under pressure. Her work reflects a belief that the best outcomes rarely come from the loudest voice in the room, but from understanding people, timing, and how policy decisions ripple far beyond politics.
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators.

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education as a practice?

·       00:00 Insight on Southern Group's education lobbying
·       04:22 Stages of Public Policy Implementation
·       07:10 Expansion of School Choice Programs
·       12:23 School districts leveraging excess capacity
·       13:26 Rethinking higher education models
·       18:20 AI in Education Legislation
·       19:56 Embracing AI in Education
·       23:32 Improving education through collaboration
·       28:18 Discussing policy work phases
·       32:11 Evaluating Policy Implementation Timelines
·       34:47 Challenges of personalized education policy
·       36:40 The challenge of understanding legislation
Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts


Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions


Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions

Mark Sparvell
Director Of Education, Microsoft
Author: Good Brain Bad Brain
Quotes of the Podcast: Schools are places where society is created and recreated, so, it follows, teachers are the architects of that preferred future.
Introduction of Guest BIO – 
Mark Sparvell is a global award wining educator and leader, currently a Director of Marketing at Microsoft, specializing in education. He leads strategy, messaging, and customer storytelling across AI, data, and cloud solutions, partnering with K‑12 and higher education leaders globally to drive meaningful, responsible digital transformation
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators.

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education?
• EI
• AI
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
My Superspeaks podcast http://aka.ms/superspeakspodcast 
Buy my book http://bit.ly/goodbrainbadbrain Book a keynote http://marksparvell.com
Explore education stories http://aka.ms/educustomerstories
Explore education videos http://aka.ms/educustomervideos 
Try Reading Coach http://coach.microsoft.com
 
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions
Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions

PODCAST Season 6 EPISODE 9
Patty McGee
Author, Educator, and Consultant 
Quotes of the Podcast: That is a wildly difficult question for a literacy person. So, I have narrowed it down to my favorite quote from the last book I read. “And when you open your heart to rewilding a landscape, the truth is, you’re opening your heart to rewilding yourself.” Once We Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Introduction of Guest BIO – 
 Patty McGee is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker, and educator passionate about transforming classrooms into spaces where language and learning come alive. With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and advocate for delightful literacy practices, Patty has worked alongside educators across the country, partnering to unlock the full potential of their students through innovative and practical teaching strategies. Not Your Granny’s Grammar is her third book. Connect with Patty at www.pattymcgee.org
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators 

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education?
• A whole new approach to grammar instruction
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
Not Your Granny’s Grammar
 
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions
​

Amanda "Mandy" Ralston
Founder of NonBinary Solutions & CEO of KidsChoice Therapy
Quotes of the Podcast: “Wisdom is like frequent-flyer miles and scar tissue; if it does accumulate, that happens by accident while you're trying to do something else.” Barbara Kingsolver 
Introduction of Guest BIO – 
Amanda “Mandy” Ralston, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, is a CEO, behavior analyst, and serial founder with more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of autism services, applied behavior analysis, and technology-driven innovation. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of KidsChoice Therapy, leading multi-site pediatric therapy and autism service operations with a focus on clinical excellence, scalable systems, and equity-centered care. Known for her signature nonbinary thinking framework, Ralston speaks nationally on compassionate care, cognitive flexibility, and the future of behavioral health, bringing a pragmatic yet creative voice to conversations about ethics, outcomes, and neurodiversity-affirming practice.
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators.
 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?

• What drew you to education?
• How nonbinary thinking can help educators move beyond “compliant vs. noncompliant” and really understand student behavior in context. 
• What truly neurodiversity-affirming classrooms look like and how schools, families, and clinicians can partner so kids don’t have to be three different people in three different settings. 
• Using nonbinary thinking to rethink “behavior problems” in schools  
• What neurodiversity-affirming practice actually looks like in real classrooms  
• How schools, families, and clinicians can work together instead of in silos 
• How we move past binaries like “good/bad kid” or “compliant/noncompliant” and into more flexible, compassionate ways of understanding behavior. That ties into neurodiversity-affirming classrooms and better partnerships between educators, families, and therapy providers.
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
Thanks to Dr. Karly Kordvoa and the RBT Textbook that I was recently asked to contribute to. We also just talked about it on her podcast podcast The Grey Area.
 
Dr. Genevieve Leonard Series by Estelle Ryan


Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions

David Cook
Lead Strategist, Learning Ecosystems Design Consulting
Quotes of the Podcast: "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." — Alvin Toffler
Introduction of Guest BIO – 
With three decades working with schools, school systems, regional and state agencies and national education organizations David Cook, Principal Strategist at Learning Ecosystems Design, is an expert on what it takes to make change happen in education systems. David is a nationally respected voice in the transformation conversation. He retired in 2024 from the state agency level after 27 years at the Kentucky Department of Education, the last 15 as Director of Innovative Learning. During his tenure he has:
· Oversaw a statewide initiative to shift assessment, accountability and the credentialing of learning from a one size fits all state level approach, to one where communities design Local Accountability Models that measure the competencies found in a Portrait of a Learner/Graduate and provide a public facing dashboard for those local indicators. (2021-2024).  
·   Directed Kentucky's development of a competency-based education system including the initial efforts in developing a Portrait of a Learner
· Co-authored and implemented the first district level innovation zone program in the country, Kentucky's Districts of Innovation Program (2013). 
· Designed and implemented the longest continuously operating statewide remote learning system in the country, Kentucky's Non-Traditional Instruction Program (2011).
· Authored Kentucky's award-winning Education Recovery Program (2010).
· Has authored and co-authored numerous pieces of legislation and Kentucky Board of Education administrative regulation. 
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators.

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education?
• The Driving Test,
• The Need for A NEW Education System
• The AI Telescope
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
What School Could Be - Dintersmith
The End of Average - Rose
Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions

​Bradley Scheel 
Imagination Project
Quotes of the Podcast: 
All failures of the future will be failures of the imagination. 
Introduction of Guest BIO – 
Wylde Scott is a Sultan, Matador, and Knight through and through, who has lived in Shanghai, Bangkok, and Timbuktu and still keeps a house on the bright side of the moon… When not living in his imagination, Wylde is an award-winning children’s author and founder of The Imagination Project and Wylde Scott Entertainment. In addition to dreaming up fantastic tales for young readers, Wylde spends his time in elementary schools, bookstores, and libraries creating fun-filled events for children, parents, and teachers alike. His mission is to ignite imaginations worldwide and empower children with the mindset that anything is possible. On his YouTube channel for kids, Wylde is committed to creating safe, educational, and exciting content for young children based on imagination and play. His many years spent studying storytelling, the imagination, and creativity, combined with his extensive experience applying those lessons in live environments, are the foundations of this book.
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators. 

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education?
• Why is Imagination the most important skill for the age of Artificial Intelligence. 
• Imagination is not a mystery. It is a very buildable skill set everyone can utilize. - we just need time and attention. Our current scaffolding for education will not work in the 21st Century. We must adjust to meet the circumstance. Those who don't will be left behind. 
• We can reframe and rework education so that both Children AND teachers come to school excited, energized and ready to learn and build. 
• Should we have AI in Education? 
• Why are the years of 5-10 so important to develop these skills? 
• What should a typical day look like for a developing child?
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation is the first to seriously discuss what technology is doing to our youth. 
Biggest Fan of Sir Ken Robinson- can't believe twenty years later little has changed.
Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions

Michael Crawford
VP of Strategic Initiatives, America Succeeds
Quotes of the Podcast: "We know more than we can tell" - Michael Polanyi
Introduction of Guest BIO – 
Michael Crawford is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at America Succeeds, where he leads efforts to advance durable skills. Prior to this role, Michael held positions in research, strategy, and partnerships at organizations including VELA, WGU, Real World Scholars, and the Kauffman Foundation. He is a frequent speaker, mentor, and facilitator on topics like human development, entrepreneurship, and the future of learning. Michael holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan, an MS in Sport Psychology from Michigan State University, and a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Kansas. Outside of work, he enjoys time with loved ones, traveling, and reading voraciously across a wide range of topics.
Interview
Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators.

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education?
• Speaker on the Future of Learning
• Durable skills  - Pathsmith
• implications of AI on Durable Skills 
• Research Practice Collaborative [high school research])
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?” 

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts
(podcast) 'Your Undivided Attention' by The Center for Humane Technology

Support the show
Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox
Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions