The Dawn of a New Era in Learning: What to Expect This Autumn
This podcast episode explains the forthcoming evolution of the Education on Fire podcast, as I, Mark Taylor, prepare to embark on an exciting new chapter with esteemed educator Professor Dr. Ger Graus OBE. Central to our discussion will be the exploration of innovative educational theories derived from Ger’s autobiography, focusing on the concepts of connection, extension, and challenge in the learning process. We aim to illuminate the distinction between merely imparting knowledge and fostering genuine understanding, thereby empowering children to aspire to their fullest potential. Additionally, I express my profound gratitude to our longstanding sponsor, the National Association for Primary Education, whose unwavering support enables us to advance our mission of transforming educational experiences. As we anticipate our return on September 8th, I encourage our listeners to engage with us and share their thoughts on how we can best serve the educational community moving forward.
Takeaways:
- The Education on Fire podcast serves as a platform for creative and inspiring learning globally.
- Listeners can expect a series of enlightening conversations focusing on educational transformation and innovation.
- The upcoming autumn season will feature discussions with Professor Dr. Ger Graus on impactful educational theories.
- The importance of nurturing children’s aspirations through exposure to diverse learning experiences is emphasized throughout the podcast.
- The podcast intends to explore the intersection of education and artificial intelligence to enhance learning opportunities.
- Listeners are invited to contribute their preferences for future episodes, ensuring the content remains relevant and supportive.
www.educationonfire.com
Transcript
Hello, my name is Mark Taylor and welcome to the Education on Far podcast.
Speaker AThe place for creative and inspiring learning from around the world.
Speaker AListen to teachers, parents and mentors share how they are supporting children to live their best, authentic life and are proving to be a guiding light to us all.
Speaker AHello, welcome back to the Education on Far podcast.
Speaker AGreat to be back with you.
Speaker AThis is a solo show today.
Speaker AI wanted to come on and basically set the scene for what's going to happen over the next few weeks and a little bit about the exciting thing that we've got planned coming up into the autumn as well.
Speaker ASo the first thing is just to say I hope you're having a great summer so far.
Speaker ACertainly here in the uk, we're now sort of into the summer holidays.
Speaker AI'm going to take two or three weeks off and come back again on Monday 8th September.
Speaker AOriginally I planned on doing all sorts of extra things over the summer, but just realized that actually I need to practice what I preach a little bit in terms of well, being, looking after ourselves.
Speaker AIt's a chance for me to enjoy the summer.
Speaker AOur youngest is, is off to university in September, so it's our final sort of few weeks of having a child full time at home.
Speaker ASo really excited to make the most of that and enjoy every minute and not only the amount of time it would take just to, to keep the podcast going and all the other stuff, but actually do have the opportunity just to stop for a little while and make the most of that without my brain worrying on all those extra things.
Speaker AAnd I think that's going to be a very special time and you don't get a chance to do that every week, every day, every month or every year.
Speaker AAnd so I want to really sort of fully embrace that.
Speaker ASo yeah, we're going to take two or three weeks off as I said.
Speaker ABack with you again on Monday 8th September.
Speaker ANow I've got a few thank yous that I want to make sure that I get across to you just because they're so important for the show and for the ability for us to carry on.
Speaker AAnd we started back in 2016, so it really is such a lot of effort that goes into creating the show, but it's so rewarding and I think so many people that have been in touch are saying how much they get out of it as well.
Speaker ASo a really big thank you to the national association for Primary Education and they have been a sponsor and supporter of the podcast for many, many years and they've agreed to continue that into the next academic year, which is fantastic.
Speaker AIt means that we can plan, we can structure what we want to do and really make the show take the next level, as it were, really sort of push forward and, and have even more fantastic conversations and projects, which I'll explain a little bit more about as we go into the next academic year.
Speaker ANow, one of the things that is really important in terms of what they've done is they've really embrace the idea of return on involvement versus return on investment.
Speaker AThey've agreed year on, year out to do this because they believe in what we're doing here at Education on Fire, the fact that we're able to create so much content or conversations and interest and support for people, not necessarily on what they get from it.
Speaker AAnd of course I do share all the things that they do as well.
Speaker ABut it really is the fact that it's the, it's the quality and what we're trying to produce is what they really want to support.
Speaker AAnd that's a really special thing.
Speaker AAnd it's something we're going to be talking about more and more as we head into the autumn, not just in terms of naep, but in terms of how we go forward and other opportunities that are going to come.
Speaker ASo if you haven't actually been to their website or seen what they're about, please do go and check out nape.org.uk that's nape.org.uk and there you'll see some of the projects they're involved with, some of the related things that they sort of share to support you as teachers and also indeed parents, because their whole ethos is having a child first center of education, which of course is very also central to what we do here, and also links to the podcast and their YouTube channel and all the things that they're sharing as well.
Speaker ASo yeah, naep.org.uk is the place to go and find out more about that.
Speaker ANow, one very special thing that's happened to me over the last few months is I had Professor Dr. Gare Grouse Obe on the show, as you may well remember, he was.
Speaker AHe'd been on the 4th of September 2023 and also came back again in the 7th of April 2025 and he came to talk about his book, his autobiography, in terms of his professional life through a different lens.
Speaker ALessons from a Life and Education.
Speaker ANow, not only is it an absolute pleasure and an honor to chat to somebody like G. I first met him when I was interviewing him at the BET show in London a few years ago, but the Fact that he's been part of the community in terms of education, on fire and following what I'm doing.
Speaker AAnd he reached out to say that he wants to have more conversations about the work that he's done, to be able to share some of these ideas and to really sort of challenge what it is that we're doing, set the scene for what is possible in education and maybe just see what we can do to actually make a real difference in real time in terms of what are we waiting for?
Speaker AYou know, another change of government, another change of this.
Speaker AWe talk here about the silver bullet that may change education, which is probably never going to come.
Speaker ABut we want to see what is possible, work with those people that can make a difference.
Speaker AAnd the people that say they want to help and they want to make a change actually really make sure that that's possible.
Speaker ASo what we're going to be doing in the autumn is we're going to have a special series where I'm going to be having a regular conversation with Gay Grouse over a number of weeks about some of this important things which are actually embedded in his book.
Speaker ASome of these sort of education theories, the ethos, but based on practical and real life examples of what he's done over his career and some of the things that have actually materialized from that.
Speaker AAnd I think what's really exciting and the reason I really wanted to get involved in this is the fact that we're planning on not just having conversations about it, but we want to create something that's going to show it in action from the up.
Speaker AAnd we want to be able to do that, to be able to show the world what is possible, a kind of a blueprint for what is there.
Speaker ABut not as in you must do it like this to get the same outcomes, but to show you what is possible in this situation.
Speaker AAnd then it's then adapted depending on where you live and the people that are around you and your community.
Speaker AAnd we'll dive into that an awful lot as we do that.
Speaker ASo that's going to come back in September and we're going to start this series and it will be a series of around six weeks, weeks of conversations in terms of really diving in each to the chapters of his book.
Speaker AAnd then we're going to have some incredibly special guests coming on to be able to sort of support that and give you a real understanding of how that worked for them and the work that they're doing.
Speaker AAnd then from there our plan is to take it forward and start explaining how some of These projects may become a reality.
Speaker AAll of this is going to involve a lot of support and help and work and shouting it from the rooftops, from everyone involved in Education on Fire.
Speaker AWe think it's possible.
Speaker AWe think it's time to make that happen.
Speaker AWe think it's the time for the podcast to be a real beacon and a guiding light for what is possible.
Speaker AI've tried to do that with the interviews we've had over these last few years since 2016, but it really feels like now is the time to take that leap forward and be.
Speaker AAnd to be a guiding light, to lead the way and to really push some of those boundaries and get all the people that are part of this culture of wanting education and the support of children to look different, to be different, and what that looks like in terms of our own individual conversations and what we're doing, but also making that something.
Speaker ASomething a little bit more tangible on a larger scale.
Speaker ASo that's what I'm going to be talking about as we come back again in September.
Speaker AI also have the ability to kind of have guests coming on the show, as we've been doing before.
Speaker AAnd from that, I have to say, I've got enough people wanting to be on the show to take us through until 2027, which is just amazing.
Speaker AAnd thank you to everybody who gets in touch.
Speaker ABut what I want to do is I want to make sure that actually the podcast and the people that we talk to for those conversations are people that really, really support you.
Speaker AThis is here to make sure that you get the sorts of conversations that you need, the support that you need.
Speaker ASo please get in touch and let me know.
Speaker AWhat are the shows that really speak to you?
Speaker AWhat would you like more of?
Speaker AWhat would you like less of?
Speaker AAnd I'm thinking is that kind of, do we split that up into primary and secondary schools or elementary, middle schools, you know, even what countries are ones which are really helpful when they're related to you.
Speaker AIs it.
Speaker AShould we do more things, topic or subject, based on.
Speaker AAre we going to do things which need to focus on things like AI, or do you actually like the current mix of things that we're talking about so far?
Speaker ALet me know, because it's really important that I try and give you what it is that is the most helpful for you, what's most supportive for you?
Speaker ABest way of doing that, just send me an email marketucationonfar.com and from there I'll start to plan all of those people who've been in touch to make sure that we, we make sure that we schedule those people who want to be on the show, but are also going to give us and you the kind of conversations in the insights that are going be really helpful.
Speaker ASo yeah, Mark.
Speaker AEducationonfire.com and then I will look through all of that and we'll start to plan on all those conversations as well.
Speaker AIn terms of the, the practicalities of that either I'll start to tag that on to the, the season after I've been talking to Gare and all that wonderful stuff that we're doing, or if it's really, really popular and we think that the projects that we're going to be doing are going to be long lasting and far reaching, which I really hope they are.
Speaker AI'll just start to bring those other normal conversations and interviews that I have and where they increase the podcast to two a week.
Speaker ASo we'll see how that goes.
Speaker AI'm here and open to do whatever's going to be helpful for everybody.
Speaker ANow the other thing I just wanted to mention again is the fact that not only do we obviously have this audio podcast, but most of the podcasts that I now produce are also available on YouTube.
Speaker AAnd to find out what they are and to see what they look like, do go to educationonfire.com YouTube and there you can see what it looks like on your iPad, on your phone, any tablet.
Speaker AAnd of course so many people are now watching things on tv.
Speaker ASo I wanted to do it partly because I wanted that ability to be able to show it in those different mediums and those different formats.
Speaker ABut also there's the opportunity to create additional things there which I can't do on the audio podcast, which have a more sort of visual approach.
Speaker AIf it's people who've got websites, if it's people who have got videos or things that they want to demonstrate and show, we can do that as well.
Speaker AAnd of course, the other thing that I really love is the fact that I think this is probably the musician in me.
Speaker AIt's that kind of live element, is our live shows, our live podcasts, where it happens at a certain time on a certain day.
Speaker AAnd what that does is it means that we can interact in real time.
Speaker AYou can ask questions, you can leave a comment, you can just watch if you want to.
Speaker AAnd also they are there on YouTube after that for you to watch as a replay as well.
Speaker ASo I really love doing those things as well.
Speaker ASo if you haven't been and looked at the YouTube channel, do go and do that because there'll be one or two things there that you won't have just heard on this audio play playlist as well.
Speaker ASo, as part of those live shows, we're going to be doing some things which are supportive for the national association for Primary Education, because I obviously want to give them a voice and to be able to support the work they're doing.
Speaker ABut I think one of our main focuses is going to be on AI now, mainly because I've had so many people get in touch with amazing things they want to share on this.
Speaker AAnd we also know it's going to be so important in all of our lives going forward, especially in education, especially in learning and especially for children, because they are just going to be immersed in all of this and we want to make sure it's positive, it's supportive and that we can give them the best insights possible.
Speaker ASo we're going to have sort of a live mini series all about AI, which is going to be happening.
Speaker AAnd of course, I'll let you know when all of that is and then we're going to be able to.
Speaker ATo make the most of that.
Speaker ASo, as I said, we'll take a break.
Speaker AWe'll be back on the 8th of September.
Speaker AIt gives me a chance while the schools are off.
Speaker AI teach in two different schools for teaching drums and percussion, so that's always sort of a nice fit, because obviously that's off until September as well.
Speaker AAnd, yeah, I'm really looking forward to being able to start this new exciting chapter with Gare when we come back.
Speaker AAnd there are some really interesting things that he talks about in his book, which will obviously go through, but a couple of things which just really, really strike me that we're going to be diving into.
Speaker AAnd that's his idea of everything related to learning being about connect, extend and challenge.
Speaker AAnd the reason I love all these things is because what it does is it takes away from just the subject matter, the normal state of learning.
Speaker AIt takes about the essence of what learning is and how that's going to be put together.
Speaker AThe other thing that he talks about a lot is the idea that children can only aspire to what they know exists.
Speaker ASo what they learn, how they learn, where they learn it, such an integral part of what's going on.
Speaker AHe also also talks about the idea of scaffolding and safety nets.
Speaker ASo we actually kind of, as the adults, as the educators, build this world, which gives them the support that they need.
Speaker AAnd actually, then, you know, should you need a safe pair of hands, then you're there for that as well.
Speaker AAnd how all this fits into not only what we think about learning, but this is the exciting thing for me is the fact that he's had so much experience about what that looks like in things that have really worked and things which could have progressed and things which were supported by previous governments, things which were the.
Speaker AThen stopped.
Speaker AWe can talk about all those things and what those real impacts had and more importantly, what those real life impacts were for children and what that looked like going forward.
Speaker AAnd a really integral part, and this is something I'm going to be asking you to get involved in as well, is the idea of partnerships.
Speaker AThe idea of working with us, working in a way of being able to set something up, both in terms of practical things.
Speaker AIs there a community, an organization, a school, a group of schools that want to be involved in actually demonstrating and putting some of these things in practice, being able to share these things with your community, with your people that you work with?
Speaker AAnd also in terms of partnerships, from a financial point of view, you know, I talked before about the idea of Nate being really supportive.
Speaker AThat idea of return on involvement versus return on investment.
Speaker AThe investment is something you never quite know about.
Speaker AIt might be a numbers game in terms of people listening.
Speaker AWhat we're really looking forward to are those companies that have money that want to support education and they want to do it and they want to be involved in something like this because they know it's important.
Speaker AAnd it's the thing I remember from my visits to BET and the conversations I have with some of these big tech companies is we have great conversations about what's possible, but it doesn't always need to look a certain way in order to do that.
Speaker AWe need to create environment situations, have these conversations, show exactly how all the conversations, in fact, this positive learning and how that might look can actually come back to us.
Speaker AAnd.
Speaker AAnd with that comes a little bit of understanding, a little bit of involvement, and a chance for us to be able to put that forward.
Speaker AAnd with that comes a certain cost element.
Speaker AAnd from a podcast point of view, whether that's the editing process, whether it's marketing, whether it's being able to put all these things together with a small team, all of that's going to be something which we're going to be looking to expand as we go into this next year.
Speaker ASo, yeah, we'll be talking about that as well.
Speaker ANow, the best way to keep on top of absolutely everything, apart from listening to the podcast, of course, is to join our mailing list.
Speaker AIf you go to educationonfar.com on the homepage there gives you a chance to actually sign up, be on the mailing list.
Speaker AAnd that's where I'm going to be introducing so many of these things coming through.
Speaker AAnd that's really, really exciting.
Speaker ASo just to wrap up, my biggest reason for being on here is to actually, just to say thank you to my guests who've been on for all of these shows.
Speaker AToday is episode 457.
Speaker AIt is amazing.
Speaker AI can't quite believe it.
Speaker ABut as well as the people that have been guests, it's actually you for listening.
Speaker AThank you so much for being part of the community.
Speaker AThank you for your support, thank you for your messages, thank you for all your insights.
Speaker AAnd my dream and my hope is that by the time we reach episode 500, the impact of this podcast that we've had on the wider community reaching positive effects on education for our children is going to be really, really positive in a way I've not been able to do before.
Speaker AAnd this is just kind of bringing all of the information, all of the expertise, all of the experience that we've been doing in the last nine to really make a big difference.
Speaker ASo this is a short break now until the 8th of September, and then when we come back, it's going to be education on FAR 2.0, so to speak.
Speaker AWe're going to be really putting all these things I've spoken about into place.
Speaker AThank you so much indeed.
Speaker AEnjoy your next few weeks, enjoy the time with your family, get some rest, get some positivity ready for the academic year for 25, 26.
Speaker AAnd I can't wait to get started with it then.
Speaker AThank you so much indeed.
Speaker AThanks for listening to the Education on Fire podcast.
Speaker AFor more information of each episode and to get in touch, go to educationonfire.
Speaker ACom.
Speaker AEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.