December 9, 2024
By Aleta Margolis, Founder and President
Listen to this week’s Hooray For Monday podcast for Aleta’s conversation with educator and innovator Esther Wojcicki. They discuss how to engage students, AI in the classroom, student-led learning, and more!
This week I’m delighted to share a conversation with my friend and inspired colleague, Esther Wojcicki.
Often called “The Godmother of Silicon Valley,” Esther is a pioneer in the integration of technology into the classroom, and an award-winning teacher and journalist who travels the world teaching educators and policymakers how to make school engaging for students. She is also an extraordinary mother and grandmother, and the author of the book How to Raise Successful People.
When Esther and I met back in 2018, we quickly realized we share many beliefs about teaching and learning. We are both committed to making school an engaging, meaningful experience for students, and their teachers.
I encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast to hear Esther describe…
How she started her journalism career when women were not welcome in the newsroom unless they wrote for the “women’s section.”
Why and how she began her teaching career.
How she tossed out lecturing in favor of teaching “the real thing.”
How she champions collaborative learning, and how you can too!
How she grew her journalism program at Palo Alto High School from one class to hundreds of students each year.
How to engage students whose literacy skills are years below grade level — not only to bring them up to grade level, but also to help them thrive.
The best argument I’ve ever heard for student-led learning! (In explaining why students should get to decide what they write about, Esther told me, “I used to say…if you were going to write about my story ideas, you’d all be writing about menopause!”)
How teachers and parents can support the young people in their lives through Esther’s signature approach to raising successful people, TRICK: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness.
With the cold weather hitting hard and the sun setting early, these last weeks of the year can be tough for teachers and students. Esther’s stories, advice, and expertise offer some much-needed sunlight and warmth.
I hope you enjoy them.
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