In this edition of the EdCast, Mehta discusses his book and reflects on our country’s troubled quest to remake schooling.

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iTunes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

“I am so honored to serve the school as academic dean. This is a tremendous place with smart, hard-working people committed to improving education,” Long said. “I look forward to supporting their efforts and helping with the governance of the school.”

Long will begin in her role as academic dean on July 1.

“I am enormously pleased to announce that Bridget Terry Long has agreed to serve as the next academic dean. Given the transitions in the dean’s office, HGSE needs a proven and dedicated leader like Bridget,” McCartney wrote in a letter to the community. “She will bring to this position a wealth of expertise in education and policy, a track record of research that has directly improved student outcomes, and a demonstrated capacity for exceptional service to the school. In addition to her significant research and teaching commitments, Bridget has served the school as faculty director of the Ed.D. Program and as chair of the Ph.D. steering committee this past academic year, and she has been an active member of the dean’s cabinet.”

An economist with expertise in access to higher education and college student success, Long joined the Ed School as an assistant professor in 2000, and became a professor in 2009. Long’s research examines the transition from high school to higher education and beyond, focusing on college access and choice, factors that influence student outcomes, and the behavior of postsecondary institutions. Some of her projects have included: “Improving Access to College Information and Financial Aid,” a study on the effects of simplifying the financial aid application process; “Understanding Barriers and Examining Interventions,” a series of research studies focused on college enrollment and completion for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and  “Addressing the Problem of Insufficient High School Preparation,” which focuses on state efforts to regulate college remedial programs and reforms that attempt to reduce the need for remediation.

In June 2010, Long was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a member of the National Board of Education Sciences, the advisory panel of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. She was elected chair of the board in October 2011. She is also on the boards of directors for the MDRC education subcommittee, Soldiers Field Park Children Center, Commonwealth Corporation of Massachusetts, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Public Education Nominating Committee.

She is currently a faculty research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and served as a visiting scholar at the New England Public Policy Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Long received her Ph.D. and M.A. from the Harvard University Department of Economics and her A.B. from Princeton University.

“I came [to HGSE] to expand my understanding of issues related to adult post-secondary education so that I could apply technology in ways that make more of an impact on my students, and identify areas of inquiry that would support asking further questions through the rest of my career,” Shaw says. “Technology can make a difference for adult learners, particularly the ways in which technology can support people learning from each other.”

Post-HGSE, Shaw plans to continue teaching and training adults, helping them to navigate the ever-changing work landscape. “So many changes are blowing through the workplace right now that many adults are being left behind,” he says, “but there are so many new technologies that can support them catching up and getting ahead.”

“When you mention Harvey Shaw’s name to TIE students, three words crop up immediately and repeatedly: curiosity, engagement, and generosity,” says Senior Lecturer Joe Blatt, director of TIE. “Based on my experience of Harvey, in class and in the cohort, I couldn’t agree more. Curiosity, engagement, and generosity are qualities we highly value in TIE, and Harvey Shaw clearly embodies them every day in every interaction.  His selection as Intellectual Contribution award winner was universally acclaimed in our cohort.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for TIE, Shaw answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education? Learning experiences mean much more when they are personally relevant, especially if they support you reflecting on your past, synthesizing your present thinking, and looking ahead to your future. Learning takes many shapes, forms, and experiences, any of which may blow your mind and change your practice for the better. When brainstorming, do so with a diverse team – multiple perspectives and multiple disciplines can make for more robust thinking and meaning.  Social relationships play a huge role in making meaning in the world, and technology can support those relationships. Use research in shaping the development of ideas and solutions.

How did you stay inspired throughout the year? My family — and especially my wife, Mindy — have been boundless in their support and encouragement.  I tried to experience every class as a learner, teacher, designer, and developer, deploying different perspectives as a way to keep the experience fresh. I found a group of friends, some in TIE, some in other programs, to bounce ideas off of and take risks in my thinking. I took a winter term class on something completely outside of my prior experience — informal learning for children — to open new ways of thinking about learning.

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? Take classes that not only investigate specific technologies and the role of technology in education, but that look into the many, many other challenges that face educators. Talk with as many people here as you can to learn from them and test your thinking — this may be the lowest-risk environment for your ideas as you’ll encounter in your career.  While you’re here, create something tangible based on research, get it in the hands of some learners, and document their experience — it’s an amazing, humbling process.  Keep your ears open for interesting classes that you didn’t take or couldn’t fit in, and at the end of the semester, find someone in the class and get the readings.

Despite your busy schedule, you always make time for … A good conversation.  And the sauté station in the Gutman cafeteria.

What will you change in education and why? That’s a really good question. Being a full-time student again has really adjusted my thinking on what it’s like to be a learner today. So much has changed, and yet so many things remain the same, that predicting the exact nature of change is difficult. I can only start from the fact that learning takes at least two people, and so does change. Whatever I’m involved with, I won’t be alone, and we’ll be in it together with our learners, which is where we belong.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

The Language and Literacy (L&L) Program student came to campus ready to better understand reading development and instructional methods from early childhood through high school, and what research suggests works in terms of literacy intervention programs.

“Maura came to the Language and Literacy Program full of questions about developing literacy, about struggling readers, and about supporting teachers. She has been a voracious learner, seeking out colleagues, mentor teachers, and instructors, to fulfill her goals,” says Lecturer Pamela Mason, director of L&L. “Along her quest she has challenged others to broaden their perspectives and deepen their learning, always questioning what is in the best interest of students.”

Ultimately, Ross wanted to apply what she learned in the program to her own work with students and teachers in low-income schools. After graduation, Ross will be headed to Washington D.C. to work as a literacy coordinator at DC Prep Benning Elementary School. “I’m excited to be joining the team of teachers engaged in literacy instruction to ensure all students who attend our school get an excellent education and are empowered readers, writers, and thinkers,” she says.

Upon learning that she had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for L&L, Ross answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education? This is not new, but I saw it in a whole new light this year: teacher development is critical to improving outcomes for students. I saw this in research, class, and practice this year, and am more convinced than ever that we need strong leaders in our schools who are deeply committed to the development of their teachers. Without this strong development, we lose teachers too soon, do not cultivate the strengths in the teachers we have, and enter a cycle of turnover or apathy that is unproductive for adults and kids. In this process of teacher development, we need to build communities amongst our teaching teams in which vulnerability is welcomed and people get to know each other’s reasons for doing this work each day. In the pursuit of making safe and productive learning environments for our students, we should start by committing to that as adults with one another.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? Professor Nonie Lesaux’s class, Connecting Literacy Assessment with Instructional Improvement: Response to Intervention in Practice, gave me the framework with which to approach school turnaround efforts and think about exactly what information schools and districts are using to drive information for instructional improvements and also where data is completely missing from the decisionmaking. This class offered a realistic case study of a school in the midst of literacy reform and walked through the thought process any leader could use to determine what to do next to support that school’s progress. I was inspired by Lesaux’s clear and straightforward thinking about how schools can better use literacy data to drive decisionmaking, as well as how connected she continues to be to practice in schools and districts today. We were not talking hypothetical situations in her class. We were talking about what is actually happening, and what must change to see the growth in literacy learning our students so deserve.

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? Ask questions. Imagine the students and teachers you worked with before you got to HGSE and investigate and learn on their behalf. There is so much great work to be done in literacy teaching and learning that will improve literacy rates across the country. The research is there, the examples of programs exists, and now we need people who get inspired by an idea and run with it in practice until all schools offer students the community to love reading, writing, and discussing all of their brilliant ideas.

What will you change in education and why? We need more leaders who know literacy instruction and literacy teachers who choose to lead. These do not need to change in formal positions, but the current divide between how we train teachers and how we train leaders has to change. We are failing to leverage the immense knowledge of our content experts in schools, districts and state initiatives, and at the same time, failing to continuously develop those content experts so they may move into meaningful leadership roles in which they expand the scope of their impact by supporting and developing others. I will develop myself to be that kind of instructional leader I believe we need more of throughout our school systems.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

“It’s very easy when you’re working to get so busy that you forget to look beyond the little sphere you operate in every day,” he says. “HGSE offered me the opportunity to step back and think about the big picture.”

Now heading back to his position at the University of Chicago, Follmer is thankful for the framework provided by HEP that taught him how to think through the many issues facing postsecondary education from a variety of perspectives. “I’ll take that framework with me wherever I go, whether in higher education administration or elsewhere,” he says.

“Daniel Follmer engaged in his master’s degree studies with enthusiasm and an enjoyment of learning that was contagious,” says Professor Judy McLaughlin, director of HEP. “He asked probing questions, made thoughtful comments, and regularly drew connections between course concepts and professional practice. Many of his classmates noted that he was generous with this time, helping them with papers and projects and thinking with them about their career possibilities.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for HEP, Follmer answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

How did you stay inspired throughout the year? It honestly wasn’t difficult. There are far too many interesting things happening on Appian Way to lose inspiration. 

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? More than any individual professor or class, what has most shaped my experience has been how well the courses complement each other. For example, and this really happened, on a Tuesday I was in a class with Bridget Terry Long hearing the economic perspective on college access. The next day, I was in a class with Mandy Savitz-Romer learning about the developmental processes that inform postsecondary and career planning. Then, on the walk home that day, I thought back to my History of American Higher Education class with Julie Reuben, in which we learned about when and how higher education first became more widely accessible in the United States. To be able to make these connections between different perspectives on the same issue is quite powerful and has shaped the way I think about every issue in education.

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? Spend time with the cohort, and go to Askwith Forums whenever you can. It’s really unusual to get to see such interesting and accomplished people in the same buildings you’re studying in. Plus, once you’re working again, you’ll always be able to find a reason that you can’t go to interesting talks.

Despite your busy schedule, you always make time for … Cooking. It’s a great way to step back from homework and have some time to think. Plus, when you’re elbow-deep in research and feel like you’re getting nowhere, cooking a nice meal allows you to accomplish something tangible.

If you could transport one person/place/thing from HGSE to your next destination, what would it be? The Higher Ed cohort, without question. I tried to convince them all to move to Chicago, to no avail. I wouldn’t have learned anywhere near as much, or had as much fun, without them.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

“At the end of 2008, I was homeless, jobless, and isolated, the result of my active alcohol and drug addiction,” he shares. “Today I am graduating with a master’s degree from Harvard University. There are so many reasons why I should not have this opportunity. Remembering that is how I stay inspired.”

Motivated to finally finish his Ed School journey, Romaneski returned with the goal of developing his skills in leadership and organizational behavior, hoping to one day aid in the growth and capacity of nonprofits and educational institutions.

“From the moment Ryan stepped foot on campus it was clear that he was a leader,” says John Collins, director of SSP. “His contributions to building the Special Studies cohort ranged from organizing career clinics and workshops, to promoting social gatherings, and informing the group of lectures and cultural events. The biggest contribution of all, however, was Ryan’s genuine interest and concern for his fellow students. He became a sought after peer adviser and someone who had the respect and admiration of the entire cohort. He is a remarkable man.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for SSP, Romaneski answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What are your post-HGSE plans? I will be completing an Education Pioneers Summer Fellowship with the Boston Public Schools. Following that, I would love to work as program director or project manager in one of the districts, charter management organizations, or nonprofits working at the forefront of the movement to redesign schools or transform learning through whole-district reform.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? Yes! So many! [Professor] Tom Hehir has been a friend for nearly 10 years, and I can honestly say I would not be at HGSE right now if it wasn’t for him. And [Professor] Monica Higgins has been, and continues to be, a huge part of my experience this year. A mentor and friend to me, Monica is an adept thinker, a brilliant woman, a skilled educator, and a caring soul.

What will you change in education and why? I will work to push the envelope with new and innovative school models that reshape how we educate students for college and career readiness.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education? Leading is not about getting others to follow you. It is about mobilizing people to face problematic realities and generate what is needed in order to make progress and improve the human condition.

If you could transport one person/place/thing from HGSE to your next destination, what would it be? The warmth and kindness I have received from my new friends this year. I hope I DO take it with me, wherever we are next year! 

The number one, biggest surprise of the last year was … How much I can actually do in a 24 hour period!

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

In this edition of the EdCast, Pillemer, professor of human development at Cornell University, discusses his book, where you can find the wisest Americans, and what just makes them so wise.

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iTunes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

“My classmates have been my inspiration. It was common to grab drinks after class and actively learn from each other’s leadership and work experiences,” Kalra says. “One of my favorite moments was spending time with classmates during Winter Storm Nemo. A group of us ‘hunkered down’ at a local pub and spent hours simply talking and laughing.”

Kalra says his classmates’ experiences in countries as diverse as China, India, Spain, Senegal, Lebanon, and South Sudan, left him “inspired by their example to live and work in cultures different than their own.”

“Kevin Kalra exemplifies that social progress is the result of the small efforts of ordinary people when they take responsibility to join others in helping to improve the world,” says Professor Fernando Reimers, director of IEP. “He understands also that at this time of enhanced global interdependence, education leaders need to engage in the global public sphere in creating and sustaining the global commons that expand educational opportunity. Kevin has the courage, the ethical sensibilities and the skills to lead globally.”

After graduation, Kalra will be working with an international multilateral agency on business engagement in global education, and later intends to join a private school company that is re-engineering the delivery of low-cost private education in Africa. Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for IEP, Kalra answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What was your goal upon entering the Ed School? My goal was to study the benefits, challenges, and impacts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) philanthropic efforts in international education. After college, I joined a Fortune 500 company as a geographer, and I used geographic information systems to communicate the company’s social impacts in education. While major companies make substantial annual investments in education, especially contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA), I learned there were few tools available to guide and evaluate their collective impact.

Is that goal any different now? My goal remained steady throughout the year, although I learned that the private sector in education encompasses different kinds of engagement and activities. CSR includes activities that align with core business as well as advocacy and philanthropy. Also, the efforts of social entrepreneurs, private schools, and businesses in the education industry all contribute to the achievement of the MDGs and EFA.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education? Take initiative to lead and have courage in times of uncertainty. In January, I asked my peers to join me on a study trek trip to Sri Lanka. While planning the trip, there were many unknowns, including an uncertain schedule, research beneficiaries, and how the state would react to a project of this nature. It required a delicate balance to collect data directly at the source and be respectful of the national vision of our host country. All went well, and we were able to produce a quality report for the Educate Lanka Foundation. Similarly, innovators will face such challenges, and it requires immense courage to test their ideas and realize their vision for global education reform.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? Professor Fernando Reimers and his course A132: Educational Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship in Comparative Perspective provided a framework to assess the feasibility of an idea in practice. When visiting the i-lab and speaking with entrepreneurs on campus, I find myself testing their theories of change and asking them to assess their own evidence for social impact. Outside of class, I am inspired by Professor Reimers’ example and abundant energy. In addition to being a well-established researcher, he finds time to be a dedicated practitioner, from serving on the advisory board of Room to Read to providing thought-leadership for education leaders from Brazil. I am equally inspired by the work and leadership of [Assistant Professor] Sarah-Dryden Peterson (the faculty adviser for the Sri Lanka study trek), [Professor] Richard Murnane, [Lecturer] Haiyan Hua, [Senior Lecturer] Katherine Merseth, and [HKS Adjunct Lecturer] Jane Nelson.      

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? Don’t take yourself too seriously. One of the greatest gifts from this year is knowing that after HGSE, I can call on a great group of friends, and we can reminisce over our times at HGSE. We built strong relationships in graduate school. While building a breadth of relationships is important, it is equally important to develop depth.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.