Episode Notes

This episode comes from the Deeper Learning 2022 Conference.

This is a recording of the opening keynote, in which four educators from around the country told stories of deeper learning from their own lives.

Here's a little more about our four speakers:

German Gallardo German Gallardo is a Fulbright Scholar who holds a B.A. from the University of California Santa Cruz and a master’s from Claremont Graduate University. Before returning to education German served as an Executive Director and a non-profit consultant with a focus on the creation of healing programs for youth. As a social science educator German centers the knowledge and experiences of marginalized peoples through the use of project-based learning, inquiry-based instruction and youth participatory action research. German strives to create learning experiences that address generational trauma and community challenges, allowing students to identify and nurture their gifts and strengths to generate real world change. As a school founder German seeks to bring the founding principles that have guided his career to the families he serves. By focusing on healing generational trauma through the use of powerful educational experiences and the use of indigenous healing practices to create a school that challenges all forms of oppression and helps the community radically reimagine what is possible. German currently serves South Central Los Angeles California at Wallis Annenberg High School as a Dean of Culture. German is also developing professional development for school and developing a high school with La Junta Educativa collective. Connect with German~ [email protected]

Sommer Jones Sommer Jones is an alum of Longwood University, and a current graduate student in High Tech High’s GSE leadership program. Over her last 15 years as an educator, Sommer has taught middle and high school English, and served as an Instructional Technology and Innovation Coach. She is currently the Dean of Student Experience for K12 CREW Academy in Hopewell, Virginia where she supports teachers and students as they engage in their core values of Community, Real-World Deeper Learning, Empathy and Equity, and Championing the Wins. Sommer believes that culture and identity work remains at the heart of deeper learning, and she is passionate about co-designing brave and liberating learning spaces where students can elevate their voice, develop emotional resilience, and experience the freedom to become their most authentic selves in our schools and our communities.

Christian Martinez Christian Martinez, is an educator & poeta. Born in Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico, he and his family migrated to Oakland, California in 1999 to pursue a better future. Growing up in East Oakland deeply influenced his desire to elevate in the community. Christian witnessed and experienced the social and educational inequities first hand and wanted to contribute to leveling the playing field for communities of color. In 2010, Christian commenced his career as an educator in his beloved Fruitvale community. Here, he co-founded Latitude 37.8, a unique high school that focuses on real-world project-based learning, with strong arts, multimedia, and technology integration. The focus of the school deeply aligns with Christian's creative vision.

Christian developed a passion for music, recording and producing all while fostering a drive to succeed.

In 2018, Christian founded Noxhegalactica Podcast & Magazine. Noxhegalactica invites all participants--the host, its guest, and listeners--to reveal our struggles and build the community we never thought we would have. Noxhegalactica aims to elevate the community. Christian's is a big fan of fashion and promoting mental health. In 2019, he took a trip to Tokyo, Japan where he was inspired to uplift and motivate people through his message. He started his own clothing brand named swimgood. Swimgood is rooted in the idea that "No matter where you are in this ocean called life , you’ll be okay if you just swimgood."

Haben Ghebregergish Haben Ghebregergish is an alum of the University of Chicago and a current student at the Hamline University Graduate School of Education. This year she successfully defended her thesis entitled Math Students as Changemakers in a Transforming World: How African American Girls Connect Mathematics and Social Justice in the High School Classroom During Online Learning. Haben is the Lead Facilitator at the High School for Recording Arts. Haben has the pleasure of co-facilitating social justice mathematics courses at HSRA. The student-centered and problem-driven classes allow students to take ownership of their learning by exploring topics that are important to them, including the impact of the Black Lives Movement, Billionaires in our society, and owning a business. She is passionate about learning through travel and has collaborated with colleagues and students to organize trips to Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York City. Haben is also a coach to youth advocates in two organizations. The first is Bridgemakers, a nonprofit, youth-led organization that works on issues such as education reform and economic justice for marginalized Minnesotans ages 14-25. One of Bridgemakers’ most recent victories was passing a law that made high school students in Minnesota eligible for unemployment benefits. The second is Reconnect Rondo, whose mission is to revitalize the Rondo community of St. Paul, a once thriving black neighborhood that was devastated by the construction of I-94.