Let me introduce you to Lydia and Kevon. Their energy, their relentless desire to turn ideas into experiments into products, together, is an inspiration. Lydia’s a math tutor, Kevon’s worked at the crossroad of tech and education for years. She’s the determined, achieving mother passionate about how to get students (including her own kids) cultivate interest in learning ; he’s the creative, tinkerer dad exploring how the latest tech tools can enhance learning possibilities, spicing up what schools provide, now empowering 12-16 years old to get out there with their unique projects. They are the parents of two daughters, 5 years old Avery and 3 years old Audrey.
Together, we talk about:
- navigating between creative learning and the school system learning
- children meltdown and the Whole Brain Child
- homeschooling vs “semi-homeschooling”, making time to bond with your kids
- local vs international schools in Hong Kong, homework and the pressure to perform
- knowing what you love and pursue it, teaching girls toughness
- what makes a good partner and teammate : enforcing what you said, being on the same side, (then) talking, taking responsibilities over
- Alpha School, reimagining the teacher's role
- AI x kids : carefully embracing AI to enhance learning
00:00 Introduction: Meet Lydia & Kevon
01:48 Family Background & Professional Journey
04:16 Building Fun Sheets: A Family Project
06:56 Challenges of Raising Young Children
16:01 Parenting Styles & Handling Meltdowns
24:25 Education in Hong Kong: School Choices & Pressures
32:00 Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling
42:40 Nurturing Traits: Independence, Toughness, and Curiosity
47:46 Communication & Partnership in Parenting
54:26 Bringing Creativity into Learning
57:12 Building in Public: Kevon’s Journey with Public Lab
1:01:33 Exploring AI in Education & Parenting
1:08:14 Thoughts on Alpha Schools & AI-Driven Learning
1:20:59 Book & Resource Recommendations
1:24:35 Worldschooling & Cultural Exchange
1:27:19 Final Thoughts
dig deeper:
- approaching music differently: https://instagram.com/p/DOxcAG6E5Fk
- how Alpha School works, by founder Mackenzie Price: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENdAWT6N0V4
- The Anxious Generation, a book by Jonathan Haidt: https://jonathanhaidt.com/anxious-generation/
- Brave New Words, How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing), a book by Salman Khan, founder of Khanmigo and the Khan Academy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740806/brave-new-words-by-salman-khan/
- The Whole-Brain Child, a book by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson: https://drdansiegel.com/book/the-whole-brain-child/
- The Disengaged Teen, a book by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop: https://www.thedisengagedteen.com/