World Schooling on the Water: Danielle Vandehei on Sailing, Unschooling and Finding Alignment
Danielle Vandehei is a world-schooling sailor mum who, with her husband and son, spent the last four years building a life around sailing, exploration and learning through experience.
Danielle shares how a breaking point on land — a demanding job, a young child, and a longing for more intentional time together — pushed the family to sell their home, their farm animals, and nearly everything they owned to learn to sail from scratch. She’s honest about the messy, non-linear reality behind that decision: budget overruns, a house that took a year to sell, a stint in a minivan through Mexico, and plenty of “we’re not in alignment yet, that’s okay” moments along the way.
How does education actually works aboard their boat — starting not with a curriculum, but with deschooling themselves as parents first. Danielle explains how her son learns numbers through fishing, reading through his fish identification book, and social confidence through navigating world-school hubs full of kids of every age and language.
Danielle has created Water World Micro Expeditions, the family’s new venture inviting other families aboard to experience sailing, marine life, and reconnection with nature in San Blas, Panama — plus where their vision is headed next.
Key Takeaways
- Deschool the parent first. Before a child can learn differently, the adult often has to unlearn their own assumptions about what “proper” education looks like.
- Follow the interest, not the age bracket. Danielle’s son learns to read through a fish identification book and does mental math through abacus — because those are his interests, not a set curriculum.
- Learning is 0 to 99, not 5 to 18. There’s no finish line — removing the pressure of a deadline changes how both kids and adults relate to learning.
- Nothing about this life was linear. Selling a 40-acre property took eight months; the house took a year to sell; they went from camper to minivan to boat and back again. Alignment came in its own time.
- Resilience is the standout FIRE value here — the willingness to stay in motion through setbacks (a blown transmission, a slow house sale) rather than let fear shut the plan down.
- Social confidence grows through real exposure, not curriculum: Danielle’s son now approaches kids and adults of any age or language unprompted, something she attributes directly to years of varied, real-world interaction.
- Community over content. Water World Micro Expeditions isn’t about replicating school on a boat — it’s about giving families a lived experience of sailing, marine life, and reconnecting with themselves and each other.
Chapters:
- 00:02 – Introduction to World Schooling
- 04:15 – Transition to a New Way of Living
- 09:51 – Transitioning to a New Lifestyle
- 16:38 – Deschooling and Adapting to New Learning Environments
- 27:47 – Nurturing Well-Being in Education
- 34:22 – Connecting with Nature and Learning through Experience
- 37:50 – Building a Vision for Water World
https://waterworldmicroexpeditions.com/
Facebook Danielle Marie Vandehei
IG- Legacy_throughmotherhood
🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire, get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources.
https://www.educationonfire.com
🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities
https://www.educationonfire.com/support
#EducationOnFire
Show Sponsors –
National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)
Their Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape
From idea to live show – hands-on sessions to help you launch, grow, and streamline your brand.
Teaching Chemistry Through Art, Dance and Drama with Zafra Lerman
Zafra Lerman is a scientist, educator and humanitarian. She received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel and conducted research on Isotope Effects at Cornell and Northwestern Universities in the U.S. and the ETH, Zurich, Switzerland. She developed an innovative approach of teaching science through art, music, drama, dance, and rap which was successful with underprivileged students around the globe.
She worked on human rights cases in the former Soviet Union, Russia, China, Guatemala, Cuba, Peru, and South Africa and was successful in preventing executions, releasing prisoners from jail and bringing dissidents to freedom. She is the President of the Malta Conferences Foundation, which uses science diplomacy as a bridge to peace in the Middle East by bringing scientists from all countries in the Middle East together with Nobel Laureates.
This five-day conference puts scientists under the same roof to develop collaborations and friendships that overcome the chasms of distrust and intolerance. She received over forty international awards, including the Presidential Award for Mentoring from President Clinton (1999), AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy (2015), American Physical Society Andrei Sakharov Prize for Human Rights (2016), Peace and Justice prize from the UN NOVUS summit (2016), Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (2017), and she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by a member of the US Congress and a member of the French Parliament (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025).
Her book “Human Rights and Peace: A Personal Odyssey” was published in August 2024. On March 6, 2025 she received in New York the International Advocate for Peace Award from the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. Previous awardees include Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Paul McCartney.
Chapters:
- 00:19 – Innovative Approaches to Teaching Science
- 01:05 – The Journey into Education and Science
- 20:49 – Innovative Teaching Methods in Chemistry
- 36:46 – Human Rights and Science Education
- 44:33 – Focusing on the Middle East: A New Direction
https://zafralerman.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zafralerman
🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire, get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources.
https://www.educationonfire.com
🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities
https://www.educationonfire.com/support
#EducationOnFire
Show Sponsors –
National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)
Their Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape
From idea to live show – hands-on sessions to help you launch, grow, and streamline your brand.
Ethical Persuasion in Education with Patrick van der Burght (Cialdini Institute)
Mark Taylor talks with Patrick van der Burght — business partner of Dr. Robert Cialdini and founder member of the Cialdini Institute — about the science of ethical persuasion and what it means for teachers, parents, and school leaders.
Patrick explains why 90-95% of our decisions are made by the brain’s fast, automatic “System 1” rather than deliberate reasoning, why human attention spans have now dropped below that of a goldfish, and how Cialdini’s seven universal principles of persuasion (reciprocity, liking, unity, social proof, authority, consistency, and scarcity) can help educators build trust, motivate students, and lead more effectively — without ever resorting to manipulation.
Along the way: a study that took student success rates from 14% to 86%, why asking for “advice” beats asking for “feedback,” and why public commitment is a far stronger motivator than private commitment.
Guest: Patrick van der Burght, co-author of How to Hear Yes More Often (2024) and host of Ethical Persuasion Unlocked.
Chapters:
- 00:03 – Introduction to Patrick Van der Burght
- 05:08 – The Science of Decision Making
- 11:24 – Understanding Decision-Making: System One vs System Two
- 16:40 – The Impact of Attention Span on Decision Making
- 26:52 – The Importance of Early Persuasion Skills
- 31:19 – The Power of Compliments and Relationships
- 41:14 – Principles of Influence and Authority
- 48:59 – The Impact of Appearance on Perception
- 56:12 – The Importance of Feedback, Inspiration, Resilience, and Empowerment
https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/
https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/free-influence-persuasion/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/
Twitter: https://x.com/yesmoreoften
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion
Book: https://yesmoreoften.com/
Profile: https://patrickvanderburght.com
🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire, get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources.
https://www.educationonfire.com
🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities
https://www.educationonfire.com/support
#EducationOnFire
Show Sponsors –
National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)
Their Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape
From idea to live show – hands-on sessions to help you launch, grow, and streamline your brand.
From Career Days to Career Systems: Dr. Sophia Morgan on Fixing Career Education
Dr. Sophia Nicole Morgan is an educator, author, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on career literacy, academic advising, and helping students make intentional decisions about their futures. Her career spans Jamaica, the United States, and China.
She is the founder of Explore Career Academy, a platform dedicated to helping schools integrate career exploration and college planning into everyday learning.
Dr. Morgan is the author of several career development resources, including The High Schooler’s Guide to College and Career Planning and Reflections: A College and Career Journal for Middle Schoolers. Her work equips students with the tools to reflect on their strengths, explore career possibilities, and plan meaningful academic pathways.
Originally from Williamsfield, Westmoreland, Jamaica, Dr. Morgan is passionate about helping schools ensure that every student graduates with clarity, purpose, and direction.
Takeaways:
- Dr. Sophia Morgan emphasizes the importance of career literacy in education, equipping students for their future.
- Explore Career Academy aims to provide tailored resources to ensure every student has a post-secondary plan.
- The podcast discusses the need for continuous career support for students beyond one-off career days.
- Dr. Morgan shares her journey from Jamaica to China, highlighting cultural differences and commonalities.
- The importance of involving parents, teachers, and administrators in supporting students’ career paths is underscored.
- Career literacy should start early, integrating career awareness into learning from kindergarten through grade 12.
Chapters:
- 00:02 – Introducing Dr. Sophia Morgan
- 00:31 – Navigating Cultural Transitions and Career Guidance
- 20:25 – The Importance of Career Literacy in Early Education
- 22:19 – Exploring Career Awareness in Education
- 31:39 – Exploring Career Literacy and Global Opportunities
https://www.explorecareeracademy.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sophia-morgan-1a784671
🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire, get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources.
https://www.educationonfire.com
🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities
https://www.educationonfire.com/support
#EducationOnFire
Show Sponsors –
National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)
Their Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape
From idea to live show – hands-on sessions to help you launch, grow, and streamline your brand.
Wyzly Founder Adam Adler: Turning Screen Time Battles Into Learning Wins
Adam Adler is a Charleston-based founder and investor focused on building technology that creates healthier, more sustainable systems — for families, communities, and the next generation.
The idea for Wyzly didn’t come from a pitch deck or a boardroom. It came from Adam’s daughter, Isla. At seven years old, Isla proposed a simple idea that every parent instantly understands: what if kids could earn screen time by learning first?
That moment sparked the creation of Wyzly — a learn-to-earn screen time platform designed to eliminate daily screen battles without punishment or restriction.
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in private equity, data-driven businesses, and systems design, Adam built Wyzly from the ground up. The platform uses AI to generate curriculum-aligned learning challenges tailored to each child’s age, grade, and school district.
Key Takeaways
- It’s the only app with this level of iOS integration. Two years working with Apple let Wyzly act as a true gatekeeper for all apps — unlocking them only after kids answer curriculum-aligned questions.
- The AI adapts to each child. Questions adjust in difficulty based on performance and are tailored to age, grade, and school district.
- It interrupts “doom scrolling,” not just screen time. Built-in breaks prompt learning moments during long stretches of passive use — his daughter’s idea.
- Built with real experts, not guesswork. The team includes 14 in-house staff, teachers, a school principal, and a licensed child mental health counselor.
- His daughter helped design it firsthand. She tested features, flagged confusing questions, and shaped the UX from a kid’s point of view.
- Currently U.S./iOS only, K–6. Android and more grades/countries are planned for next year.
Chapters:
- 00:13 – The Inspiration Behind Wyzly
- 02:50 – The Birth of Wisely: A New Approach to Screen Time
- 09:27 – Introducing the App and Its Unique Approach to Screen Time Management
- 17:33 – The Importance of Sports in Education and Life
- 22:26 – Navigating Technology and Parenting
- 29:11 – Empowering Children: A New Approach to Parenting
https://www.wyzly.app
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamadler-charleston
🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire, get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources.
https://www.educationonfire.com
🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities
https://www.educationonfire.com/support
#EducationOnFire
https://creativeamplifiers.live/
https://creativeamplifiers.substack.com/
Show Sponsor – National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)
Their Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape