Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, I finally released the fourth season, formerly advertised as Season 3 but due to the pandemic’s effect on the difference education systems around the world, I first published a special five-part series on Online Distance Learning.

Hence, the OVERTURNED Series has been renamed season 4 in our podcast stations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor among others. empowerED Podcast Season 4 celebrates the successes, challenges, and victories of educators and school leaders around the world who have flipped the status quo to enable better learning and teaching, inspire their school communities, and forge better pathways for students in their own contexts. OVERTURNED episodes dig deep into different areas in the lives of a teacher, student, and school leader as seen in the eyes of our nine incredible guests in this season. 

Leading the set of guests is our featured trailblazer and internationally-recognized education leader, Dr. Nadia Lopez, founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brooklyn, New York City. In our back-to-back banner episodes, we discussed the importance of visionary leadership in overturning a school system to enable a culture of better learning and teaching, trust, empathy, and innovation. We also talked about teacher well-being and how it’s a foundational necessity in ensuring a school community whose teachers teaches with much empathy, compassion, and expertise. And, a bonus reflection on her visit to the Philippines last year when she keynoted one conference that I co-lead and manage. Candid, fun, and full of inspiration and gratitude! Completing season 4 are my lovely guests from different countries around the world. Check out our episode list:

Alexandra Harper, former head of school in Sydney, Australia, opens to us the wonderful world of nature pedagogy and play-based learning in early education.

All the way from Denmark, Apple Distinguished Educator and Consultant, Jakob Esben Hansen shares the importance of thoughtful and purposeful design in building learning spaces.

Mio Horio, Global Teacher Prize 2018 Finalist from Japan, talks about how teaching English has become a way to introduce and develop global citizenship skills among her students  in a rural town in Japan.

From Adelaide, Australia, Stephanie Kriewaldt, Apple Distinguished Educator, talks about how she infuses project-based learning and technology tools to promote student voice and choice that lead to higher learner agency and innovation in the young learners of her school.

Apple Distinguished Educator and school leader, Joyce Zerda welcomes us to her music class that takes advantage of the apps in the iPad. She also gives us a glimpse of how she further deepen creativity in her classes through coding.

From Surigao City, Philippines, Dr. Venus Alboruto, multi-awarded Filipino teacher and 2019 Global Teacher Prize finalist opens up on the challenges of teaching in a Philippine public school and how she overcame these challenges through constant innovations that elevate her students’ academic performance.

2017 Global Teacher Prize finalist and award-winning theater education teacher, Estella Church, welcomes us into the world of theater education back in her school at California. Estella shares how her theater class has evolved into a safe place for her students to know themselves and practice social justice for their community.

Khairul Rusydi, co-founder and CEO of Reactor School in Singapore, discusses how entrepreneurship education can help students turn their passion projects into real-world startups and businesses.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2kHX53u or Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2kEpabQ.