No Such Thing

The Society That Learns Paulo Blikstein and Deborah Fields on how Thailand transformed itself through constructionismWhat happens when a whole nation decides learning is the way through its hardest problems? In the late 1990s, amid economic crisis, Thai leaders invited Seymour Papert to help rethink learning. He refused to give them a formula. Instead, farmers, factory technicians, and teachers built their own Thai constructionism and kept at it for nearly 30 years. We talk about the cages people build for themselves, why real stakes change how we learn, and what Thailand added to Papert’s ideas.In this episode 00:22 Formative learning experiences 05:07 How Paulo and Debbie came to tell this story 09:43 What constructionism is 22:42 From Papert’s lab to a nation’s problems 30:35 “People build cages for themselves” 36:43 Khit-pen, Buddhism, and Thai constructionism 51:03 Hope, failure, and what the world can learnPaulo Blikstein is a Professor of Education and an Affiliate Associate Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University, where he directs the Transformative Learning Technologies Lab and the Paulo Freire Initiative. Blikstein’s main research, inspired by Freire’s critical pedagogy, focuses on how new technologies can transform the learning of science, engineering, AI, and computation. In 2010, he created the FabLearn program, the first academic initiative to bring maker education to schools. A recipient of the National Science Foundation Early Career Award and the AERA Jan Hawkins Early Career Award, Paulo has published in venues such as the Journal of the Learning Sciences, Nature Biotech, the Journal of Engineering Education, and the Journal of Learning Analytics. He holds two patents for developing Google Bloks, a tangible programming toolkit for preschool children, and is the co-inventor of the GoGo Board, the first open-source robotics platform for education. As a child, Paulo spent 8 years at the lab school Madalena Freire (Paulo Freire’s daughter) created in São Paulo. He earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern University, following an MSc. from the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.Eng. and B.Eng. from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Paulo is the co-author of The Society That Learns: Constructionism and Lifelong Learning in Thailand (MIT Press, 2026).Deborah A. Fields is a research professor of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University. In her boundary-crossing research, she inspires and advocates for learners making connections of identity and learning across institutional and everyday spaces. This includes designing spaces for learners’ creative expression with digital media, coding, and everyday craft materials. She was the lead developer of the e-textiles Exploring Computer Science curricular unit and has been a part of training many teachers to support kids’ designing and coding in creative ways, most recently with AI auditing. Her work has appeared in journals such as Mind, Culture and Activity, the International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, and the Harvard Educational Review. She is a fellow of the International Society of Design and Development in Education. Deborah is the co-author of two MIT Press books: The Society That Learns: Constructionism and Lifelong Learning in Thailand (2026) and Connected Play: Tween Life in a Virtual World (2013).LinksThe Society That Learns (MIT Press), including the free PDF: https://thesocietythatlearns.com/All book proceeds support the Suksapattana Foundation’s educational work in Thailand.

Dr. Vikki Katz is Professor and Fletcher Jones Foundation Endowed Chair in Free Speech at Chapman University in Orange, CA. She is also Executive Director of Or Initiative, which is dedicated to developing evidence-based alternatives to how young people (dis)engage with each other over contentious and complex issues, including the Middle East conflict and rising U.S. antisemitism. Or Initiative develops civil discourse interventions specific to the needs of middle school, high school, and college-aged young people, with an emphasis on how to develop these crucial communication skills in an increasingly digital information environment.Dr. Katz’s research program has advanced equitable access to digital and educational opportunities for lower-income, working-class, and immigrant young people and families, with support from funders including Samueli Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Foundation, and Spencer Foundation. Prior to joining the Chapman University faculty in 2022, Dr. Katz was a professor at Rutgers University. She has also served as Visiting Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation, Senior Research Fellow at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, and as Editor of the Journal of Children and Media.Links:https://www.chapman.edu/our-faculty/vikki-katz.aspxhttps://orinitiative.org/about/

Spencer Striker, PhD is a digital learning designer, producer, and Professor of Digital Media Design at Northwestern University in Qatar. For more than two decades, he has led international creative teams producing award‑winning learning experiences across mobile games, interactive narratives, VR, and podcasts—supported by major funders including the NEH, NSF, QNRF, QRDI, and the Doha Film Institute. His work, released entirely free for anyone to use, includes Chaos Corp | Troll Farm Simulator, the History Adventures series, Dr. Sara | Disease Detective, and Plague of Athens | VR. His latest project, Al-Khwarizmi: Father of Algebra & the Algorithm, is a 30-episode, AI-animated docudrama series on the life of the ninth-century mathematician, funded by the Doha Film Institute and released free worldwide in summer 2026.Striker’s practice sits at the intersection of digital learning design and university‑level production teaching, spanning 2D/3D design, sound, web, podcasting, AI tools, and “vibe coding.” Before academia, he served as founding Creative Director of Galxyz, a Silicon Valley learning‑game studio backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Emerson Collective, and co‑founded the Media Arts & Game Development program at the University of Wisconsin‑Whitewater. His work reflects a core conviction: learning sticks when it is experienced—and relevance and context are the engine of game‑based learning.Links:https://www.spencerstriker.com/https://www.spencerstriker.com/al-khwarizmi

Dr. Megan Buning is a sport psychology researcher, coach educator, and former Division I athlete whose work sits at the intersection of communication, motivation, and performance. Across her career she’s studied how coaches shape athlete experience — especially in softball — through expectations, tone, and the subtle cues that athletes interpret far more deeply than coaches often realize. Her research spans gendered communication, coach–athlete meaning‑making, and the ways video and reflective practice can help coaches see what they’re actually teaching. She’s presented internationally on coach communication, trained youth and collegiate coaches, and built programs that help coaches understand their impact with more clarity and intention.Beyond the field, Dr. Buning has applied her work to contexts like umpire development, faculty coaching, virtual training environments, and performance under pressure. Whether she’s helping an umpire analyze decision‑making on video or guiding instructors through reflective practice, her throughline is consistent — people learn best when they understand how their communication lands. Her work bridges lived experience, scientific rigor, and practical coaching wisdom, making her a rare voice who can speak fluently about athletes, educators, and emerging technologies like AI that are reshaping how we see and understand performance.Links:https://annescollege.fsu.edu/dr-megan-buninghttps://www.millioncoaches.org/resources/

Mia Hood is a curriculum designer, writing coach, and teacher educator based in New York. She has worked as a professor of literacy and secondary education at the City University of New York and a professor of professional writing at New York University. Mia received her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, where she studied sociocultural and critical perspectives on literacy. https://substack.com/@popstackhttps://www.routledge.com/Pop-Culture-Literacies-Teaching-Interpretation-Response-and-Composition-in-a-Digital-World/Hood/p/book/9781032667041Episode from Rosanne Season 2: https://youtu.be/tWf25CfjYx0?si=KdRU-M47hnTW-qkv

Mike Taubman is a lifelong educator working at the intersection of AI literacy, career‑connected learning, purpose development, and moral inquiry — all in service of helping students flourish in a rapidly evolving world.As a teacher he is currently expanding his purpose development and career-connected learning program for upperclassmen into an Innovation Studio at Uncommon Schools that will explore and codify emerging pedagogies that support long‑term student success. This spring he also co‑taught an AI literacy pilot class built around an original “AI Driver’s License” framework, collaborating with a Stanford researcher to study the learning environment the curriculum creates. As an AI Innovation Lead, he helps steer Uncommon’s network‑wide instructional AI strategy, supporting 20,000 students and 2,000 teachers across 52 schools.Mike’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chalkbeat, and in education texts including Leverage Leadership, Teach Like a Champion, and Love and Literacy, as well as books by prominent education researchers.From 2022 to 2025, Mike was a Stanford Digital Education Fellow, supporting Stanford’s work bringing credit‑bearing hybrid courses to students in Title I high schools nationwide and helping develop and pilot an AI literacy curriculum for high schoolers.He is currently an AI fellow with the Center for Reinventing Public Education, AI for Equity, and Playlab. He writes a weekly Substack, “AI Waypoints,” to share what he’s thinking and learning as he explores the role of AI in education.Links:Uncommon: https://uncommonschools.org/Mike's Substack: https://aiwaypoints.substack.com/Ikigai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IkigaiStanford SLE: https://sis.stanford.edu/structured-liberal-education-sleIn Search of Deeper Learning: https://a.co/d/0407hHpXOn the Daily: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/technology/ai-literacy-newark-school-chatbots.html

Dr. Katie Brown has spent nearly three decades leveraging the science behind high-impact language instruction to create scalable, sustainable English learning solutions. As founder and chief education officer of EnGen, a Certified B Corporation, she is pioneering a personalized, career-aligned, mobile-first approach to English upskilling and is engaging cross-sector partners – Fortune 500 companies, regional employers, higher education institutions, apprenticeship programs, and government institutions – to connect workers with high-demand skills, credentials, and employment. An expert in adult learning, education technology, and instructional design, Katie has crafted numerous award-winning language courses and authored multiple technology patents to deliver high-impact language training to millions of learners. Katie holds a PhD in second language acquisition from the University of Maryland, and is a frequent speaker, author, and panel moderator. Find her work on LinkedIn.Links:https://getengen.com/teamhttps://www.chieflearningofficer.com/profiles/katie-brown/https://www.kenningassociates.com/katie-brown-of-engen/

Tracy Fullerton, M.F.A. is an experimental game designer, professor and director emeritus of the USC Games program. Her research center, the Game Innovation Lab, has produced several influential independent games, including Cloud, flOw, Darfur is Dying, The Night Journey, with artist Bill Viola and Walden, a game, a simulation of Henry David Thoreau’s experiment at Walden Pond which was named “Game of the Year” at Games for Change 2017 and “Developer Choice” at IndieCade 2017. Tracy is the author of “Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games,” a design textbook used at game programs worldwide, and holder of the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment. In addition to her teaching and design, she is a member of the Board of Directors for Square Enix Holdings, Co. and Games for Change.Prior to joining the USC faculty, she was president and founder of the interactive television game developer, Spiderdance, Inc. Spiderdance’s games included NBC’s Weakest Link, MTV’s webRIOT, The WB’s No Boundaries, History Channel’s History IQ, Sony Game Show Network’s Inquizition and TBS’s Cyber Bond. Before starting Spiderdance, Tracy was a founding member of the New York design firm R/GA Interactive. As a producer and creative director she created games and interactive products for clients including Sony, Intel, Microsoft, AdAge, Ticketmaster, Compaq, and Warner Bros. among many others. Notable projects include Sony’s Multiplayer Jeopardy! and Multiplayer Wheel of Fortune and MSN’s NetWits, the first multiplayer casual game. Additionally, Tracy was Creative Director at the interactive film studio Interfilm, where she wrote and co-directed the “cinematic game” Ride for Your Life, starring Adam West and Matthew Lillard. She began her career as a designer at Bob Abel’s company Synapse, where she worked on the interactive documentary Columbus: Encounter, Discovery and Beyond and other early interactive projects.Tracy’s work has received numerous industry honors including an Emmy nomination for interactive television, best Family/Board Game from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, most “sublime experience,” the “Impact” and “Trailblazer” awards from the Indiecade Festival, ID Magazine’s Interactive Design Review, Communication Arts Interactive Design Annual, several New Media Invision awards, iMix Best of Show, the Digital Coast Innovation Award, IBC’s Nombre D’Or, Time Magazine’s Best of the Web and the Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100.Matthew Farber, Ed.D. is Associate Professor of Educational Technology and Codirector of the Gaming SEL Lab at the University of Northern Colorado. He is a play theorist who studies how games can foster empathy, compassion, perspective-taking, and ethical decision-making. He was a contributing writer for Origin101, the official learning companion for Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed film Origin. Author of several books and articles, Dr. Farber writes for Edutopia, has been invited to the White House and to keynote for UNESCO, and has been interviewed by NPR, The Washington Post, APA Monitor on Psychology, EdSurge, The Denver Post, Fast Company, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. He has codeveloped game-based lessons with Tracy Fullerton for her award-winning Walden, a game EDU. In The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully, Fullerton and Farber explore how personal and subjective meanings are evoked through a new theory of player response.Links:  https://matthewfarber.com/https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262552233/the-well-read-game/https://www.tracyfullerton.com/https://www.gamesforchange.org/

Sangita Shresthova, PhD is a multilingual scholar specializing in civic participation, popular culture, and the intersections of digital media and intercultural communication. She leads a range of projects examining civic engagement in both digital and physical spaces. Shresthova’s expertise in designing and executing complex qualitative research is exemplified by her leadership in a multi-year study of youth activism in the digital age, which culminated in the publication of By Any Media Necessary: The New Youth Activism.Shresthova’s published works include Practicing Futures: The Civic Imagination Action Handbook and Popular Culture and the Civic Imagination: Case Studies of Creative Social Change, which explore how imaginative practices and popular culture can foster creative social transformation. She is also a co-creator of the Digital Civics Toolkit, a widely recognized resource designed to support educators and community leaders in guiding youth learning in digital environments. The toolkit was named one of the “Best Edtech of 2018” and continues to be a vital resource for fostering digital literacy and civic engagement.Her two recent books,  We Are Civic Media (Northwestern University Press) and Connected Cultures: How to Parent Across Borders (Channel View Publications) further expand her contributions to civic media studies and cross-cultural communication.Links:www.sangitashresthova.comWe are Civic MediaTransformative Media PedagogiesPracticing Futures: A Civic Imagination Action HandbookPopular Culture and the Civic Imagination: Case Studies of Creative Social Changehttps://www.multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/the-cross-cultural-parenting-playbook/?SF1=work_id&ST1=CVIEW-684985269b12f