October 28-30, 2026 |
Kansas City, MO

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John Watkins

John Watkins

DirectorInquiry & Learning for Change

John Watkins is a passionate, equity-seeking leader, with over four decades experience in educational change as a coach, consultant, evaluator, and researcher. His work supports innovative leadership that accelerates emergence; team development that brings together diverse perspectives for creative and equitable liberatory design; and complex system change in schools, school districts, and other educational organizations. John has a BA from Amherst College and an MEd and an EdD from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. After a career as an Outward Bound Instructor and high school art and technical theatre teacher, John focused his work on such systemic change initiatives as school restructuring with the Coalition of Essential Schools; the Smaller Learning Communities initiatives in Philadelphia, South Central and Watts areas of Los Angeles, and other communities; the small schools movement, with the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools; the Linked Learning College and Career Pathways initiative in California; and as Co-Director of the Deeper Learning Dozen, a community of practice of senior leadership teams from 12 school districts around North America focused on system change, equity, and deeper learning. John lives in Oakland, California, with his spouse, who teaches English in the Public Health Pathway at Oakland High School. John has two grown sons and two grandchildren. He and his spouse love long trekking, building projects, cooking, locavore food sourcing and dining, and gardening.

Thu Oct 29•8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

A Conversation at the Intersection of Learning and Design

At the intersection of cutting-edge research on learning and development and innovative design principles for K-12 spaces lies a dynamic conversation:

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At the intersection of cutting-edge research on learning and development and innovative design principles for K-12 spaces lies a dynamic conversation: whether — and how — our understanding of learning informs the design of learning spaces and, conver

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At the intersection of cutting-edge research on learning and development and innovative design principles for K-12 spaces lies a dynamic conversation: whether — and how — our understanding of learning informs the design of learning spaces and, conversely, how the design of these spaces influences the potential thriving of all learners. Through interactive discussions and activities, participants will explore the intricate interplay between learni

…

At the intersection of cutting-edge research on learning and development and innovative design principles for K-12 spaces lies a dynamic conversation: whether — and how — our understanding of learning informs the design of learning spaces and, conversely, how the design of these spaces influences the potential thriving of all learners. Through interactive discussions and activities, participants will explore the intricate interplay between learning principles and design strategies, fostering an environment where diverse learners can flourish.

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EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)Session TypeTRACK 1: Learning Spaces, Reimagined — Evolving physical spaces shaping the future of learningSession Track
Jesse Readlynn
Jesse ReadlynnProject Interior Designer, Labella Associates
John Watkins
John WatkinsDirector, Inquiry & Learning for Change
Tags:Group E
Allow Registration:No
Capacity Unlimited:No
Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:N/A
Learner Engagement:Jesse and John focus on the human system, are deeply guided by a sense of purpose (public education, equity, deeper learning), believe in the importance of adult experiential and collaborative learning that happens at the intersection of theory and practice, and value the practical utility of the learning that emerges in the interactive nature of the sessions we lead. We often follow the John Heron Cycle of Experiential Learning in the design of adult learning experiences and processes: moving from affective experiences, in this case, an activity that moves “from I to We;” to an imaginal activity that explores the possibilities at the intersection of the design and learning principles; a conceptual activity that explores how we might apply these to actual learners and learning; and a practical activity that explores the tensions involved, and asks participants to construct some useful next steps for themselves. Our session will include four interactive moments, one for each of the learning objectives (Objective 1: a think - pair - share on learning experiences; Objective 2: a short “design challenge;” Objective 3: a trio carousel brainstorm focused on learner conditions, learner experiences, and learner outcomes; Objective 4: a table group practical reflection that raises tensions, and discusses how you might address them, and use these ideas in your own design work).
Learning Objective 1:Explore how the latest research on learning and development (and resulting future focused learning models) influences, or might influence, the design of learning spaces, grounded in concrete examples from schools and districts.