The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning

By Kyle Wagner

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Episodes: 100

Description

Want to turn your classroom into a hub of curiosity, innovation, and real-world impact but don't know where to start? The Student-Centered Shift with internationally acclaimed educator Kyle Wagner equips international school educators with the simple shifts to move from passive to active learning spaces, so you can grow more engaged and empowered learners. Every week, Kyle offers simple actionable tips, or hosts interviews with forward-thinking educators to share actionable strategies and proven frameworks to create a classroom buzzing with energy and purpose. Past guests include project-based powerhouse Ron Berger and bestselling author Gary Stager. By tuning in, you'll unlock: * The mindset shifts needed to transition from teacher-led to student-centered spaces. * Strategies to empower students as independent thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers. * Tips for designing and implementing project-based experiences * Practical ways to redefine your role from instructor to facilitator. Discover how Kyle made the same shifts to transform his own teaching from burnout to breakthrough—guiding students to publish bestselling novels, launch businesses, and build museums. Over 1,000 classrooms have experienced similar results worldwide—will yours be next? Let's shift learning together!

Episode Date
Want Students to Lead the Discussion? Try These 6 Thinking Hats
Sep 22, 2026
Want Future-Ready learners? Start with their STRENGTHS
Sep 15, 2026
Why Student-Centered Change Fails- And How to Make it Stick
Sep 01, 2026
Students struggling to collaborate? Co-Create Norms for High Functioning Project Teams
Aug 19, 2026
Afraid to Step Back in Project-Based Experiences? Former Student Shares What Happens With Independence
Aug 04, 2026
Think You're Building a Student-Centered Classroom? Start With These 5 Shifts
Jul 21, 2026
Struggling to Motivate Teenagers? What Adolescents Need To Thrive
Jul 07, 2026
Stop AI Cheating By Doing THIS: The Top 1% of Project-Based Learning Designs Chatbots Can't Replicate
Jun 23, 2026
Want Independent Learners? 5 Simple Shifts That Help Students Lead Their Projects
Jun 10, 2026
End- of- Year Burnout? One Simple Shift To Get Students To Care
May 26, 2026
Trying to Personalise for Neurodivergent Learners? Start with Student-Driven Projects
May 12, 2026
Think You're Giving Students Voice in Your Classroom? 3 Things Students Actually Want
Apr 28, 2026
Want Stronger Student Teams? Use These Simple Systems to Boost Collaboration and Ownership
Apr 14, 2026
Got Student Teams- But Don't Manage Themselves? Empower Student Project Managers for High-Functioning Teams
Apr 07, 2026
Can students LEAD parent/teacher conferences? Let students lead, save time, empower learners
Mar 24, 2026
How do you engage students like a game designer? Ignite passion, empower learners, enliven curriculum
Mar 19, 2026
From Eco Club to Curriculum: How to Scale Student-Led Change and Project-Based Learning
Mar 03, 2026
Burned Out in a Teacher-Led Classroom? 5 Classroom Resets for Ownership in Chinese New Year
Feb 13, 2026
Designing for the Adolescent Brain? Why Autonomy, Belonging, and Relevance Must Come First
Jan 27, 2026
Trying to Build Classroom Community Alone? Start a Student Led Council Instead
Jan 13, 2026
Tired of Micromanaging Students? Try This Self-Management Framework
Dec 30, 2025
Losing Momentum in Project-Based Experiences? Rotate Roles, Reignite Engagement
Dec 23, 2025
Why Student Agency Fails: 5 Simple Fixes
Dec 09, 2025
Struggling to Get Traction for Makerspace, Student-Centered Learning? How One Educator Built Momentum with a Single Space
Dec 02, 2025
Voice and Choice vs Curriculum Coverage (Replay)
Nov 18, 2025
Tired of Students asking, "What did I get?" 5 Step Process for Self-Evaluation and Growth.
Nov 04, 2025
Tired of Running Every Classroom Activity Yourself? Simple Shifts to Empower Student Leadership
Oct 28, 2025
Want Empowered Learners? Start with Who's Watching
Oct 21, 2025
Stuck Teaching in a Bubble? How Place Based Learning Brings the World to Your Students
Oct 14, 2025
Sick of Managing Every Project? How Student Managers Boost Engagement and Accountability
Sep 28, 2025
Want to Empower Students and Staff? 3 Shifts That Actually Work
Sep 10, 2025
Why Most Student Teams Fail. Three Shifts to Foster Collaboration and Ownership
Aug 19, 2025
Want more Curious Learners? Start with Yourself
Aug 06, 2025
Is Your Classroom Built for Student Thinking? 4 Design Shifts to Spark Shared Ownership
Jul 15, 2025
From Classroom to Co-Working Space: How to Design Learning Spaces That Invite Agency and Flow
Jul 08, 2025
Looking to Deepen Student Agency? Tools to Support Inquiry, Independence, and the Shift to Facilitator
Jul 01, 2025
Essential Summer Reading List: 5 Books That will Transform Your Life as an Educator
Jun 17, 2025
Is Inquiry Still Teacher-Led in Your Classroom? How to Design for True Student Ownership
Jun 10, 2025
Hiring for a Student-Centered School? 3 Shifts to Attract the Right Educators
Jun 03, 2025
No Time and Space for Project-Based Learning? How One Shift Changes Everything
May 27, 2025
Teacher Led vs Peer Led: What Sparks Real Student Action?
May 20, 2025
Shifting From Teacher to Project Coach? Simple Tools for Self-Directed Learning
May 13, 2025
Structure vs. Space: What Students Really Need to Thrive
May 07, 2025
Is Your Schedule Working Against Student-Centered Learning? Here's How to Fix It
Apr 30, 2025
Voice and Choice vs. Curriculum Coverage? How One School is Making it Work
Apr 22, 2025
Planning Projects Across Subjects? Three Shifts to Make Them Work
Apr 15, 2025
Is your student data locked away? Use AI to put learning power in student's hands
Apr 08, 2025
Why Student-Centered Change Fails—and How Leaders Can Make It Stick
Apr 01, 2025
Overwhelmed by Student-Centered Program Design? Start with Story and Stakeholders
Mar 26, 2025
Stuck in Classroom-Based Learning? How Community Connections Boost Engagement and Real-World Learning
Mar 18, 2025
Too many projects to manage? Shift to Mentor Mode for easier PBL and Less Overwhelm
Mar 11, 2025
Why Students Struggle with Problem-Solving: Build Entrepreneurial Mindsets Without the Chaos
Mar 04, 2025
Why Traditional Assessment Fails—And How Co-Creation Drives Ownership and Better Work
Feb 25, 2025
Using AI to Simplify Project-Based Learning w/ Thom and Phil
Feb 19, 2025
Are Students Just Memorizing Standards? How PEER Teaching Unlocks Deeper Engagement and Understanding"
Feb 11, 2025
Stuck in Teacher-Led Projects? How Student-Initiated Projects Boost Engagement and Deeper Learning.
Feb 04, 2025
Why Traditional Classroom Setups Fail International Learners (And How to Create Spaces Where Students Thrive)
Jan 22, 2025
How to build 100% learner agency: Where Students Run the School w/ Peter Hutton
Jan 01, 2025
Ditch Resolutions: Build your 2025 Student-Centered Classroom Vision
Dec 18, 2024
Running Your First Project: From Teacher Led to Student-Led Environments
Dec 11, 2024
The Brain Museum: Unlocking Student Agency in Secondary Classrooms
Nov 20, 2024
From Classroom to Creative Studio: Empowering Students to Design a Better World
Oct 23, 2024
From Isolated Classroom to IMPACT in the Community
Oct 08, 2024
From Grades to Documenting Learning Journeys
Sep 25, 2024
How to Help Kids Create Work that MATTERS with Matt Neylon
Sep 18, 2024
From Teacher to Facilitator of Learning Environments
Sep 04, 2024
From Isolated to Collaborative Learning Environments (Shift #8)
Jul 30, 2024
From Worksheets to Real World Work (Shift #5/6)
Jul 25, 2024
From Siloed to Trans-disciplinary Learning Experiences (Shift #4)
Jul 22, 2024
From Led by Content to Led by INQUIRY (Shift #2/3)
Jul 17, 2024
From Teacher designed to CO-DESIGNED Learning (Shift #1)
Jul 14, 2024
Co-Designing Learning with Kids and the Bio-Collective w/ Dr. Ben Freud
Jun 05, 2024
Accelerating Deeper Learning Classrooms: Transformation Story with Jenn Fisher
May 22, 2024
Green School Bali: Teaching regenerative education w/ Kenny Peavy
Apr 17, 2024
Empowering our SEN Learners w/ Ail Durban and Tamaryn Yatu
Apr 03, 2024
Cultivating Creativity in Classrooms
Mar 20, 2024
How to EMPOWER Adolescent Learners
Feb 14, 2024
Using AI to Design your first Project-Based Experience
Jan 17, 2024
Building a Student-Centered Program: Connect Academy
Dec 19, 2023
Effectively EXHIBITING Student Work: 5 Things to Consider
Dec 06, 2023
Designing INCLUSIVE Learning Experiences that empower 'Exceptional Learners'
Nov 22, 2023
How to Co-Design Experiences with Learners
Nov 07, 2023
Becoming an Experiential Learning Facilitator w/ Justin Bedard
Aug 09, 2023
Story of Transformation: From PBL 1.0 to PBL 2.0
Jul 26, 2023
Using AI to Enhance Learning Experiences
Jul 12, 2023
Story of Transformation: From Teacher Designed to Co-Designed
Jun 28, 2023
Building agile and creative learner mindsets with Designed inGenuity (DIG)
Jun 07, 2023
11 Lessons for Re-Imagining the Schooling Experience with Steve Shapiro
May 02, 2023
Competency Based Reporting: The Co-Curricular Transcript w/Hamza Ansaar
Apr 19, 2023
The IMPACT of Project-Based Learning on our Learners
Mar 29, 2023
How to Authentically Assess Project-Based Experiences: The four 'A's of Assessment
Mar 21, 2023
Going Gradeless with Gary Heidt
Feb 28, 2023
Think Global, Act Local: Reaching global SDGs through community driven projects w/ Paul Karpawich
Feb 15, 2023
From MakerSpace to MakerMindset w/Mark Loundy
Feb 01, 2023
Capturing Evidence of Student Growth in PBL Experiences w/ Aaron Schorn
Jan 18, 2023
Enlarging the IMPACT of PBL experiences w/ Stacey Duchrow
Jan 05, 2023
Buiiding Learner-Centered Environments that support Learner-Centered EXPERIENCES w/ Ashley Durdle
Dec 21, 2022
Addressing global Issues through local, curriculum connected projects and partnerships w/ Margo LaPointe
Dec 07, 2022
Developing creative problem solvers through small, inter-disciplinary learning communities w/Jeff Harwood and Amber Kotcher
Nov 24, 2022
Transforming your classroom into a student-run business w/ Elyse Burden and John Cahalin
Nov 16, 2022