On this episode of Wide Walls, I’m joined by Dr. Gary Stager — educator, author, jazz lover, and one of the most outspoken champions of constructionism and learning-by-doing in classrooms.
Gary has spent decades reimagining how children learn, championing hands-on, creative, and learner-driven approaches inspired by the work of Seymour Papert and Reggio Emilia philosophy.
He is the co-founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge institute, which brings together educators from around the world to explore powerful ideas in learning, technology, and making.
He’s also the author of highly influential books and articles on progressive education, including Invent to Learn, co-written with Sylvia Libow Martinez, and more recently Twenty Things to Do with a Computer - Forward 50: Future Visions of Education.
In this episode, we discuss:
🎷 Jazz as a Model for Learning
Jazz blends mastery, collaboration, and deep listening. Excellence emerges from practice, tradition, and co-creation — not shortcuts. Classrooms should aspire to that same standard.
🌱 Reanimating the Art of Teaching
Teaching is not curriculum delivery. It’s designing environments where powerful ideas can flourish. Empathy and intuition matter as much as content.
🚀 High Ceilings Matter
Creativity without ambition is shallow. Students need real complexity and meaningful standards to grow.
💻 Computers as Intellectual Laboratories
Programming is a way of thinking, not just a skill. When students model ideas with code, they engage deeply with concepts. Making with bits expands what’s possible.
❤️ Love Over Duty
Dignity and meaningful work reduce discipline better than rules. Students remember relationships, not worksheets. Love is a better master than duty.
Find more about Gary and his work:
