Embracing Complexity

As teachers and parents grapple with everything to do with artificial intelligence—both the opportunities and necessary guardrails—Felicia Wilks speaks to tech and education expert Eric Hudson about what schools are getting right, where they’re getting stuck, and how parents can support students through this technological transformation. Eric Hudson spent 10 years at Global Online Academy. Before that, he taught middle school, high school, and college students for 12 years. Today, he serves on the board of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools, consults on tech and education for institutions around the world, and writes a thought-provoking Substack newsletter called Learning on Purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Head of School Felicia Wilks invites four remarkable seniors to sit down and share their perspective on the year. As they prepare for the next chapter in their academic lives, Felicia asks what they're taking with them from their time at Spence and what is inspiring them as they leave the red doors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicia Wilks and renowned legal scholar Kenji Yoshino explore how educators and parents can cultivate critical thinking and thoughtful discernment in an era shaped by rapidly evolving technology, ubiquitous access to information, and deepening intellectual and political differences.A leading voice in constitutional and anti-discrimination law, Yoshino is also the author of several influential books addressing today’s most urgent legal and social challenges. He is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU and the director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. His latest book, How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America, is a hopeful call to action for creating a fairer society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicia Wilks talks to one of the most influential women in finance, Katie Koch, about the power of women’s voice and leadership. They discuss how Katie got her start in investing, cultivated her career, and continues to draw from her humanities education to solve complex investing challenges. Together, they explore topics including academic and professional pathways for young women, career ambitions and parenting, and the transformative impact of more women building, managing and contributing wealth today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zoe Hitzig '11 is a published poet, an economist, a fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows, and a researcher at the forefront of artificial intelligence. She joins Felicia Wilks for a wide-ranging conversation on what it means to engage in a constant cycle of inquiry during an age of rapid technological development. Together, they discuss how Zoe's multidisciplinary background informs her scholarship and her poetry, how students should think about AI and agency, and the one poem that has had the most profound impact on Zoe's intellectual journey.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The start of the school year inspires new hopes and aspirations in all of us. In our back-to-school episode, Felicia Wilks and award-winning author Jennifer Wallace talk about setting up students for healthy success, navigating the complexities of parenting today, and finding better balance.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Head of School Felicia Wilks shares the conversation with students from the lower, middle, and upper schools, as well as three teachers, as they reflect on an incredible year of learning and growth that stretches to all corners of Spence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicia Wilks and Spence alumnae Kathy Frazier '79 and Hollie Russon Gilman '04 discuss the power of women's leadership in all its complexity. They cover what it means to lead with courage, stay agile, grow professionally and personally, and much more.Kathy Frazier is a VP and wealth advisor with J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. She's built an incredible 35 year career in finance, beginning as a trader at Goldman Sachs.Hollie Russon Gilman is a political scientist, lecturer, advisor, and civic strategist. She's a senior fellow at the think tank New America, an affiliate fellow at Harvard's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and a senior advisor at the Trust for Civic Life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicia Wilks and Spence faculty members Eric Zahler, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Sara Moore, Kindergarten Head Teacher, discuss what it means to create vibrant learning opportunities for students. Drawing on their deep experience in the classroom and extensive knowledge of education research and brain science, they explore questions about designing courses, giving students agency, embracing technology, and much more.Plus, four Spence teachers share what they love most about being in the classroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Edmondson '77 is a renowned scholar on leadership and management, and a professor at Harvard Business School. She is also a beloved Spence School alumna. Amy Edmondson and Felicia Wilks dive into Amy’s latest book, The Right Kind of Wrong, and offer valuable insights for teachers, students, parents, and academic leaders on what it means to embrace "good failure." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.