Fresh Forward

This week’s guest is Mihaela Tabacaru. Our conversation is about organized chaos in education. About how to stay messy and be comfortable with that messiness, and not knowing the power of facilitating the in-between spaces of connection, acknowledgment, safety, and personal growth. We touch upon the relevance of humans in times of AI. Furthermore, we will discuss the value of failure and the safe space the education process can provide to create opportunities to fail safely. Mihaela Tabacaru is born and raised in Romania and graduated as an organizational psychologist. She moved to Norway and together with a partner, she started “Newschool”, a company that empowers kids in schools to take more ownership of their assignments. Now she's off to new adventures connecting systems thinking and business development in various domains. Through learning design and facilitation, of course. Connect with her here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihaelatabacaru/Connect with Neža here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nezakrekAudio editing by Darko Šavija, music by Robert Meunier (Premium Beats license)

Papers and readings are very common tools in education. Today's guest Chris McMorran tried something different and incorporated making a podcast into his teachings in order to keep his students deeply engaged. In this episode, we talk about the results of using podcasts, the ups and downs, and the beauty of co-creation with students. Chris McMorran is an associate professor of Japanese Studies at the National University of Singapore. He's a cultural geographer of contemporary Japan and a published author. Do you want to know more about Chris McMorrans' work? Check the following links: “Home on the Dot” podcast: https://blog.nus.edu.sg/homeonthedot/ “Ryokan” book: https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/ryokan-mobilizing-hospitality-in-rural-japan/ NUS profile: https://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/jpscmm/ Sign up for the newsletter to receive handy dandy handouts and checklists that will help you up your facilitation & trainer & teaching game at: www.nezakrek.com/newsletter Audio editing by Darko Šavija, music by Robert Meunier (Premium Beats license)

Maura McAdam is internationally renowned for her pioneering work in gender equality and women's entrepreneurship and has been ranked amongst the top 2% of scientists in the world for research impact of her research on entrepreneurship. In this episode, we talk about how you can really bring your classroom to life and create a worthwhile learning experience for your students. Entrepreneurship is experiential learning, mindset, theory, and skills. How can we use this to become better educators? Want to see more of her work? Check here: https://business.dcu.ie/staff/professor-maura-mcadam/ https://mauramcadam.com/ Sign up for the newsletter to receive handy dandy handouts and checklists that will help you up your facilitation & trainer & teaching game at: www.nezakrek.com/newsletter Audio editing by Darko Šavija, music by Robert Meunier (Premium Beats license)

This episode's guest is Sylvia Bronkhorst. Her program “Learning with head, heart, and hands” innovates learning at HAN University of Applied Sciences here in The Netherlands. The goal of her program is to get students and teachers excited about education that approaches the whole human being, rather than exclusively the brain. This starts with trust and building a strong community. Out of that trust, you can create space, to have students explore and to let them make mistakes. The initiative is theirs, not mine. Curious about how this works? Have a listen! Connect with Sylvia on LinkedIn: Sylvia Bronkhorst | LinkedIn Sign up for the newsletter to receive handy dandy handouts and checklists that will help you up your facilitation & trainer & teaching game at: www.nezakrek.com/newsletter Audio editing by Darko Šavija, music by Robert Meunier (Premium Beats license)

Today we are talking about playfulness leadership and how it can bring ease and joy (back) to education. Because it’s ok to play. If you are able to lean into this playfulness leadership you will be able to create awesome learning experiences. Connect with me on linkedin: Neza Krek. Sign up for the newsletter to receive handy dandy handouts and checklists that will help you up your facilitation & trainer & teaching game at: www.nezakrek.com/newsletter Audio editing by Darko Šavija, music by Robert Meunier (Premium Beats license)

How can we create a better world and improve education by connecting with our natural cycles? In this episode, my guest Carola von Zsemery will explain everything about what could this connection look like and what are the benefits of connecting with our natural cycles. She has been diving deep into self-discovery, personal development, and inner growth. Since 2016 she focuses on women's work guiding ceremonies for women to reconnect with their sacred femininity. Contact details: www.thesoundofsisterhood.de Instagram: @carola_flowindiscipline Or @thesoundofsisterhood Sign up for the newsletter to receive handy dandy handouts and checklists that will help you up your facilitation & trainer & teaching game at: www.nezakrek.com/newsletter Audio editing by Darko Šavija, music by Robert Meunier (Premium Beats license)

Hello, dear Fresh Forward listener! The new podcast season is in the making and in the meanwhile, I prepared a few bonus episodes for you. You see, I asked each of my guests from the first season to bring in a question for me. The episode you're about to listen to is a patchwork of my answers to their questions about education, learning, facilitation, transformation, and business. And remember: February 16th we start the new season of the Fresh Forward podcast for daring educators. Till then, have fun! Cheers, Neža!

The academic environment is often very competitive. Anke de Vrieze and Meghann Ormond initiated the Transformative Learning Hub with one central question: how to integrate head, heart, and hands in higher education? And to connect people with diverse backgrounds to break down walls and barriers between teaching and research.