Table Top Inventing Podcast

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Finding Resonance with Dr. Steve Kurti

  • Do you have teenagers?

  • We often think of teenagers as difficult or challenging, but is it possible that they are really the most innovative members of our society?

  • How much could a teenager create if they had the right tools?

  • Join us today as we discuss the potential in those wonderful years of teenagerhood.

WARNING! This is a listener advisory. The word "amazing" is over used in this podcast and will have to be retired from the English language after being so overworked in this episode.

Today's podcast is going to be a little unusual, but not in the way you might think. I'm not going to let you in on the surprise just yet. Instead I'm going to share one of my favorite quotes by George Bernard Shaw.

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

I've always wondered a little bit if I'm unreasonable because I've always tried to remold the world to suit me better or to match how I think the world SHOULD operate. Mostly this drives my wife crazy, and I get misunderstood a lot. However with the help of some friends in my mastermind group, I'm starting to get better at clarifying what we do and why.

The suggestions of my friends actually inspired this episode of the Table Top Inventing podcast. So here is the secret: Today's guest is me! Well, that's not the only secret, the host for today is a former guest of the show, Jody Maberry!

Jody and I hit it off so well in our interview that he and I started talking regularly. Jody is a great guy, he hosts two other podcasts, "The Park Leaders" podcast and the "Creating Disney Magic" podcast with Lee Cockerell, the former EVP for Walt Disney World in Florida.

If you want to give your teenager an opportunity to find a new level of curiosity and drive to discovery, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, deep intellectual curiosity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship, email me at stevekurti@ttinvent.com.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

 

Original Date: December 31, 2015

Category: Makers and Innovators

Direct download: 071_-_Finding_Resonance_with_Dr._Steve_Kurti.mp3
Category:Makers and Innovators -- posted at: 10:52pm PDT
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Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Educating Your Curiosity with Geoff WiggsHi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. This is the 6th and final episode in our "Powerful Podcast" series this December.

Today you'll hear Geoff Wiggs say...

"Art teachers who've never been to Europe, who've never been to the Louvre, who've never been to the National Galleries in London put pictures of paintings up, and you say, 'Wow, that's a pretty painting.'

Then you go and stand in front of it in the Louvre or in the National Gallery of London, and the scale and the brightness of the pigments and the brush strokes brings everything out. It changes everything. It goes from being a sterile picture to being an event, but you have to have a level of intellectual curiosity to hike to Paris, get into the Louvre, stand in line long enough to see this painting... and then you've got to have a little bit of a soul to say, 'Wow, that was really amazing!'" 

Geoff is a big fan of experiential learning as you'll hear on today's interview. Today's episode may be a little edgy and irreverent, but I don't think any of us is surprised that a few students make it through the US Education system with some scars.  Geoff is now a successful attorney in northern CA and his experience is worth some tough reflection.

Geoff is a lot of fun. I think I enjoy talking to him because he's always curious and has unusual perspectives on life. Curiosity is one of those traits that rarely follows us from childhood to adulthood, but those who manage to keep it intact as they mature seem to have a much more interesting life. If you want to give your teenager an opportunity to find that level of curiosity and drive to discovery, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, deep intellectual curiosity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurti@ttinvent.com.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

 

Original Episode Date: December 28, 2015

Category: Business Professionals

Direct download: 070_-_Educating_Your_Curiosity_with_Geoff_Wiggs.mp3
Category:Business Professionals -- posted at: 10:02pm PDT
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Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Gray BrightHi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. This is normally the point where our podcast theme comes in with the resonant voice of an inspiring high school educator, Willie Jones.

This is the 5th episode in a series of 6 of our most powerful podcasts from the first year of the Table Top Inventing show.

Here's a sneak peak from today's episode...

"Nearly everything I've built has come from a genesis of me going, 'I wish that existed!' and there's always been a fun element to it!" --Gray Bright

LOL! I love Gray Bright. His episode was one of the most high energy, fun interviews we did in the first year. You won't want to miss this funny, high-energy interview with a lively engineer. We talk about questions like:

  • Can a robotics engineer actually be any good as a stand-up comedian?
  • What happens if you retrofit your car with effects from a racing video game?
  • Do real engineers play with Legos?
  • How do you make your fridge shutoff automatically when you put on weight?

If you are an inventor and a kid at heart, you will LOVE today's interview. I am reminded of a quote by the late Randy Pausch, a computer science innovator from Carnegie Mellon. He said,

"I am going to keep having fun every day I have left, because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore."

For Randy, having fun was serious business because at the young age of 47 he died of complications from pancreatic cancer. Yet before he died, he had a chance to give his "last lecture" in which he discussed the importance of living life to the fullest and having fun. The dramatic circumstances of his last months compelled him to consider what was really important in life, and he realized that every single day is a gift. Some people like Randy and our guest today, Gray Bright, just seem determined to find all the fun life has to offer.

Gray was one of my favorite guests! He made me laugh all the way through, and I have always been inspired at how early his engineering ideas began. If you want to inspire a young inventor you know to pursue their dreams just like Gray has, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurti@ttinvent.com.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

Original Episode Date: December 24, 2015

Category: Makers and Innovators

Direct download: 069_-_Inspiring_Engineers_with_Gray_Bright.mp3
Category:Makers and Innovators -- posted at: 10:00pm PDT
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Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Troy Hartman - Table Top Inventing - Profound & Powerful Podcast SeriesHi, it's Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast.

This episode is the 4th in a series of 6 episodes--2 every week--in the month of December. We're bringing back 6 of the most Profound and Powerful Podcasts from our first year.

Here's a taste of what you'll hear today...


"It was the easiest thing to do to just add a pair of skis, because I had already built the jet-pack. I was in Mammoth. There was snow, and I just said, "I'm gonna do this!" --Troy Hartman

What?! A back pack with jet engines?! That's crazy! How did a guy who was not a thrill-seeker get to the point of turning himself into a human rocket? Tune in today to learn about risk and courage from a non-thrill seeker.

My wife can tell you that my interview with Troy Hartman was probably the highlight of 2014 for me. Troy is an intelligent engineer who knows how to take calculated risks. He isn't a thrill seeker, but he understands deeply the value of taking the leap--literally--when it's time. If your techie teenager needs a little push to step outside their comfort zone and really begin innovating, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

In 2016 we'll be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurtiATttinventDOTcom.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

 

Original Release Date: 12/21/15

Category: Makers and Innovators

Direct download: 068_-_Calculated_Risk_with_Troy_Hartman.mp3
Category:Makers and Innovators -- posted at: 8:00pm PDT
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Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

David Thornburg - Profound and Powerful Podcasts Hi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. Normally, our podcast theme music comes in at this point, and we hear that inspiring voice.

If you've been following our episodes this month, you will know that we are adding an extra episode every week on Monday's for a total of 2 every week. Today's episode is 3 of 6 in our profound and powerful podcast series this month.

This episode revisits one of my favorite maker education evangelists, David Thornburg. Here is a taste of his story...

"Up through the middle grades, I had been identified as mildly mentally retarded. Yet when I started my undergrad work at Northwestern University in Electrical Engineering, I changed majors because in all the electrical engineering courses I could ace the finals on the first day of class." --David Thornburg (What made the change?)

Wow! How could we get our students prepared to ace their entry-level college finals on the first day of class? Listen to the whole episode for David's educational formula.

David Thornburg is one of the wisest educators I know. His views on inquiry-driven, project-based learning are both practical and powerful. If you would like to supercharge the education of your teenager in a similar way to David's education at Lane Tech, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking 10-15 select teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurtiATttinventDOTcom.

Original Release Date: 12/17/15

Category: Innovative Educators

Direct download: 067_-_A_Real_Education_with_David_Thornburg.mp3
Category:Technology Educators -- posted at: 9:00pm PDT
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Michael Wesch & Steve KurtiShow Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Hi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. This is normally the point where our podcast theme comes and my friend Willie Jones asks, "Do you dream of a classroom where learning is natural?".

Last episode we mentioned that we're releasing 2 of our best episodes every week until New Year's Eve. We wanted to share some of this year's best content at a time when you'll be able to digest it and reflect on how next year could be different. This is the second of six of our best episodes from the first year on the Table Top Inventing Podcast.

 I love this episode with Michael. He is a deep thinker and an insightful educator. I particularly like his comments about the "black boxes" in our society. Education truly is the great equalizer, but it must be an active process. If you would like to supercharge the education of your teenager, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurtiATttinventDOTcom.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

Original Release Date: 12/14/15

Category: Innovative Educators

Direct download: 066_-_Transformational_Learning_with_Michael_Wesch.mp3
Category:Technology Educators -- posted at: 9:20pm PDT
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Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Dr. Linda PolinHi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. For the next three weeks we are going to bring back six of our best podcast episodes. Since you are smart, you noticed that we're going to release two episodes every week. We'll be releasing an episode on Thursday as usual, but we'll also be releasing one every Monday.

In this episode, originally airing on November 6, 2014, Dr. Linda Polin and I have a lively discussion about taking back education from the forces that have corrupted it, including the answers to questions such as: 

  • How can you learn secrets directly from a great inventor?
  • How do we take back education from the dark forces of the universe?
  • How can we help students become who they were meant to be?

This was one of my favorite episodes! Dr. Linda Polin is a rockstar educator and not your run-of-the-mill boring college professor. She keeps threatening to retire, but there are many good teachers out there because they sat in her classroom to learn the true art of teaching!

Original Release Date: 12/10/15

Category: Innovative Educators

Direct download: 065_-_Taking_Back_Education_with_Linda_Polin.mp3
Category:Technology Educators -- posted at: 11:31pm PDT
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Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

 

How are ambition and serving others related?  Can we END neglected diseases in the third world?  How important are values and lifelong learning to success?  Join us on today's episode for a peek behind the curtain of true success.

Welcome to the Table Top Inventing podcast where we discuss innovation, success, and the path to a good life for teens and those who guide them.  We have a special treat for you today.  I had an opportunity to bump into a successful executive at a business conference earlier this fall.  I was so impressed by his story and the values of their company that I knew I had to find a way to bring his wisdom to our show.

Mark Stoleson is the CEO at Legatum a global private investment fund based in Dubai--The United Arab Emirates.  In the interview, Mark and I mostly cover the amazing successes and lessons he's learned along the way.  We didn't spend much time discussing the failures and challenges along the way, but afterward he told me,

"Steve, hopefully what will come out of this is something that is inspiring and not so far out of reach for people.  If we pull back the curtain a little farther, it has not been a continuous upward trajectory since elementary school with everything being a walk through fields of daisies.  It's had its ups and downs.  It's been a real life.

The secret of success in facing a challenge or a setback is what you do with the situation.  Even if hanging-on and persevering is the best you can do, that's doing really, really well.  Because it forms who you are and your character.  Some of the greatest benefits and opportunities come out of times of challenge."

I love the way Mark frames his experience.  As you listen to this interview remember some of the greatest success stories began in humble places.  It isn't about getting it right every time.  Success is about how you face what life brings.  Let's listen in for timeless wisdom from a life well-lived.

Original Release Date: 12/03/15

Category: Business Professionals

Direct download: 06420-20Ambition20and20Serving20with20Mark20Stoleson.mp3
Category:Business Professionals -- posted at: 10:00pm PDT
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