Podcasts, Interviews, and More.
Rebecca is a leading global expert on education, children’s learning, and the skills they need for work, life, and citizenship.
MindShift Podcast Disengaged Teens: What to Know and How to Help Them Find Their Spark
KQED's Ki Sung talks to Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of "The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better." They discuss the different modes of engagement and how to support teens at home and in school.
Top Class, The OECD Education Podcast How to Help Disengaged Teens Learn
How can you help disengaged teenagers rediscover their passion for learning? In this episode of Top Class, Rebecca Winthrop, a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, discusses ideas from the new book she has co-authored called ‘The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better’ with OECD’s Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher. Whether you’re a parent, teacher or simply interested in the topic, this episode outlines practical strategies and policies to make education engaging and relevant.
That’s Total Mom Sense Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop: The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better
I sit down with education experts and authors, Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, to delve into the challenges of re-engaging today’s teens in their learning and personal growth. We discuss insights from their work, The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better, exploring actionable strategies to support teens in thriving academically, emotionally, and socially. From addressing mental health to fostering meaningful connections, this conversation is packed with valuable tips for parents, educators, and anyone invested in the well-being of the next generation. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that will leave you inspired to empower the teens in your life!
Amanpour and Company Why Teens Are Checking out of School- and How to Bring Them Back
Are we properly preparing young people for life in a rapidly changing world? In an age of advanced artificial intelligence, climate change and conflict, authors Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop say we're not teaching children the skills they need, not only to stay engaged, but for the reality of later life. The co-authors join Michel Martin to explain some of the examples, and solutions, laid out in their new book "The Disengaged Teen."
Parenting Teenagers Untangled 122: How to get our teens to love Learning and why parents are the missing piece of the puzzle
We parents are deluding ourselves about how much our kids enjoy school, according to research for the book The Disengaged Teen. In survey responses 65% of parents thought their 10th grade kid loved school, whilst only 26% of 10th graders actually said they did.
A lot of educators admit that things go wrong in the teen years, and many fine minds are trying to work on ways to tackle the problem. In the meantime huge numbers of teens spend most of their time disengaged. Some take a lackluster approach, doing the bare minimum, some work hard but never really think about the path they're on, others simply check out by disrupting the class or refusing to turn up.
The result is a high boredom high stress environment, but in this amazing book Dr Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson explain that we parents have a immense power to influence our kids' engagement.
Drawing on scientific studies, and research with thousands of parents and educators, they have come up with an easy to understand framework and language for us to use with our own kids both in and beyond the classroom.
MSNBC Morning Joe Interview “The Disengaged Teen: Here’s What Parents and Teachers Need to Know
For the past five years, award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson and the Brookings Institution’s global education expert Rebecca Winthrop have been investigating why so many children lose their love of learning in adolescence.
The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better is a practical guide with strategies to turn disengagement to drive, and how parents can help their children engage better in school and beyond.
WGN-TV Interview “The Disengaged Teen: Helping Teens Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better”
For the past five years, award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson and the Brookings Institution’s global education expert Rebecca Winthrop have been investigating why so many children lose their love of learning in adolescence.
The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better is a practical guide with strategies to turn disengagement to drive, and how parents can help their children engage better in school and beyond.
Family Action Network Jenny Anderson, Rebecca Winthrop, Charles Duhigg- The Disengaged Teen
Adolescents are hardwired to explore and grow, and learning is mainly how they do this. But a shocking majority of teens are disengaged from school, simultaneously bored and overwhelmed. This is feeding an alarming teen mental health crisis. As kids get older and more independent, parents often feel powerless to help. But fear not, there are evidence-backed strategies to guide them from disengagement to drive, in and out of school.
For the past five years, award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson and the Brookings Institution’s global education expert Rebecca Winthrop, Ph.D. have been investigating why so many children lose their love of learning in adolescence. Based on extensive original research, including surveys of over 60,000 students, 25,000 parents and 6,000 teachers; as well as in-depth interviews with 100 students over years, their new book, "The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better" offers four modes of learning that students use to navigate through the shifting academic demands and social dynamics of middle and high school, shaping the internal narratives about their skills, potential, and identity: Resister, Passenger, Achiever, and Explorer. Understanding your child’s learning modes is vital for nurturing their ability to become Explorers. Anderson and Winthrop outline simple yet counterintuitive parenting strategies for connecting with your child, tailoring your listening and communication styles to their needs, igniting their curiosity, and building self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Anderson and Winthrop will be in conversation with Charles Duhigg (FAN ’24), Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author of the New York Times bestsellers "Supercommunicators" and "The Power of Habit."
Wise On Air 103: Is Boredom, not Tech, the Real Enemy of Teen Learning?
In this episode of WISE On Air, we dive into a critical conversation about teen disengagement with Rebecca Winthrop, co-author of the newly released book "The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better." Rebecca, who serves as a senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, brings fresh insights from her groundbreaking research, which reveals a startling disconnect: while parents think 60% of kids love school, the reality is that by 12th grade, only 25% actually do. Her book, which launched with conversations featuring Gayle King and Drew Barrymore on Oprah Daily, offers a powerful framework for understanding how teens engage with learning and what we can do to help them thrive. Through extensive research involving hundreds of interviews with students, parents, and educators, Rebecca and her co-author Jenny Anderson identify four distinct modes of engagement that shape how teens approach learning. More importantly, they provide practical strategies for parents and educators to help teens develop what they call "explorer muscles" - the skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex world. The timing couldn't be more crucial. With rapid technological changes and evolving workplace demands, helping teens become engaged learners isn't just about academic success - it's about preparing them for a future where adaptability and self-directed learning are essential skills
National Parents Union Let’s Get Real About Disengaged Teens: Townhall Event
A conversation for parents and teens on self esteem, motivation, and why teens are disengaged
This is So Awkward How Teens Learn
Kids have different learning styles, sometimes to the pride (or frustration) of their parents. They also have different learning modes, that can shift and change even throughout the day. Journalist Jenny Anderson and education researcher Rebecca Winthrop have created a framework to understand why kids become disengaged learners or unhappy achievers, and how the adults in their lives can help to re-engage, support, and encourage them.
Future Learning Design Supporting Disengaged Teens to Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better: A Conversation with Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop
This episode is a fantastic conversation with 2 brilliant women who have been whipping up a storm this week with the release of their amazing new book The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better! Dr Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson chat with me about the disengagement crisis facing our young people and what we, as parents and educators, can do about it.
Jenny Anderson is an author and an award-winning journalist who spent over a decade at The New York Times before pioneering coverage on the science of learning at Quartz. She contributes to TIME, The New York Times and The Atlantic, among other publications.
Rebecca Winthrop is a leading global authority on education. She is the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, where she conducts studies on how to better support children’s learning, and is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
Learning Explorations Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop
Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop are the authors of the new book The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better.
Jenny is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker with more than 25 years of experience. Her work has appeared in some of the world’s leading publications, including The New York Times, where she was on staff for 10 years, TIME, The Atlantic and Quartz.
Rebecca is a leading global authority on education. She is the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is a highly sought after advisor and speaker including by parent networks, school leaders, the White House, the United Nations and Fortune 500 companies.
Always Learning Helping Teens Learn, Feel, and Live Better (ft. Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop)
Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of "The Disengaged Teen," educate us on the pressing issue of disengagement among teens in education. They share personal stories, research findings, and the importance of agency and engagement modes. Jenny and Rebecca discuss the impact of societal pressures, the role of teachers, and the need for structural changes in education to foster a more engaging learning environment for students. The conversation explores the decline of laughter and curiosity in children as they grow, the importance of answering their questions, and the multifaceted nature of engagement in education. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by traditional public schools and the need for engagement beyond mere academic performance. We learn about a more nuanced approach to education that recognizes the individuality of each child and the dynamic nature of their learning experiences.
CollegeAdmissions.com Underdog Students: Helping the Disengaged Teen Shift Into Explorer Mode
"Every parent with a teen should read this book." -Oprah Winfrey
That's what Oprah said about THE DISENGAGED TEEN: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better. Jeb White had the privilege of discussing the invaluable insights from co-author Rebecca Winthrop in an exclusive interview. Dive into their conversation in this episode. THE DISENGAGED TEEN offers a comprehensive guide for parents navigating the challenges of disengaged or stressed teens, providing actionable steps to enhance their academic and emotional well-being. Explore the evidence-based strategies unveiled by Rebecca and her co-author Jenny Anderson, promising a transformative approach to parenting.
Totally Booked With Zibby Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better
Zibby is joined by award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson and the Brookings Institution’s global education expert Rebecca Winthrop to discuss THE DISENGAGED TEEN, a ground-breaking exploration of stressed-out teens who have lost their love of learning, and what to do to support their academic and emotional success. The authors discuss systemic issues in schooling, the impact of technology, the role of emotions in learning, and the science behind how kids learn. Then, they share strategies for parents and communities to foster curiosity and problem-solving skills!
What Fresh Hell: Laughing In the Face of Motherhood Fresh Take: Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, "The Disengaged Teen"
Are teenagers destined to be bored by high school, or are we missing an important piece of the puzzle? Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of THE DISENGAGED TEEN, explain what's behind the teen disengagement crisis and how parents can act.
Jenny Anderson is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker with more than 25 years of experience. Rebecca Winthrop is the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
Jenny, Rebecca, and Margaret discuss:
The four different modes of learning that teens tend to engage in
What academic disengagement in a teen really signals about them
How parents can help their kids get more excited about learning
Tea for Teaching The Disengaged Teen
Educators at all levels have raised concerns about growing student disengagement. In this episode, Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson join us to discuss their new book, The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better, which examines the causes of, and possible solutions, to this problem.
Rebecca is the Director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, where she leads global studies on how to better support children’s learning, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Jenny is an award-winning journalist who spent over a decade at The New York Times before pioneering coverage on the science of learning at Quartz. She now writes a column on education in Time.
The He’s Just A Social Worker Show Dr. Rebecca Winthrop “The Disengaged Teenager.”
Rebecca Winthrop is a senior fellow and Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. With a focus on global education, she works to equip young people with the skills they need to thrive in work, life, and civic engagement. Co-author of The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better, she explores innovative strategies to improve education, particularly for marginalized youth using her four learning modes. Winthrop advises governments and organizations worldwide and lectures at Georgetown University, driving efforts to make education more inclusive and impactful. In this powerful conversation Rebecca reminds us that connected teens create unstoppable change
Earn and Invest The Disengaged Teen w/ Rebecca Winthrop
Do you have a disengaged teen? Do you know one? In this episode we talk with Rebecca Winthrop about her new book, The Disengaged Teen, and more importantly how to help kids who are not thriving in our educational system. I highly recommend this episode for parents and non-parents alike.
Future Forward Special Guest Episode
Today: The Kids are all right. But are they? Author and Senior Fellow Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings went on a wild ride into the world of education and kids, and what she found may surprise you. In this episode, she discusses the differences between the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation, Socrates’ mistrust of the written word, the age-old worry every generation has about its youth. and the importance of student engagement and agency
Education Development Trust In conversation with… Rebecca Winthrop
Rebecca Winthrop is a senior research fellow and co-director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, where she has remained for over 15 years, and was previously the Senior Technical Advisor for Education at the International Rescue Committee. Rebecca’s key focuses are promoting quality and relevant education, particularly for the most marginalised children and youth. In a new episode of ‘In conversation with...’, our CEO Dan Sandhu talks to Rebecca about the global challenges in international education development, including:
equipping young people with the right mix of skills to thrive in today’s world
harnessing technology to rethink educational models in low-resource settings
what international development organisations can do to enhance their support in foundational learning
how Brookings is going to make a difference in education in the next few years.
HundrED How Family Engagement Leads to Student Success
Engaging parents and families to help make education more aligned with innovative pedagogy is critical if change efforts to education are to be sustained. But how do we build more trusting relationships between families and schools? In this video, the Grable Foundation’s Executive Director Gregg Behr sits down with HundrED's Head of Research Crystal Green and Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow and Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution for a discussion on the impact of parental engagement.
EnlightED Rebecca Winthrop and Emilia Ahvenjärvi : Risks & Opportunities for Education (sub. ENG)
Rebecca Winthrop, Director of the Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution, and Emilia Ahvenjärvi, Science and Education Attaché at the Embassy of Finland in Buenos Aires talk about risks and opportunities in education.
OECD Education Keynote speeches: Jack Ma and HRH Princess Laurentien | Session 1, Day 1 | Forum for World Education
Rebecca Winthrop weighs in on a panel for the Forum of World Education on the visions for the future of education and what it will take to achieve them.
The Brookings Cafeteria The power of parents in accelerating global education progress
Senior Fellow Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, says that global organizations project that by 2030 half of the world's young people will not have the 21st-century skills and academic competencies they will need to thrive. The pace of change is too slow, and it could take a century for the poorest children to catch up. What's needed, she said, is a way to rapidly accelerate progress by leapfrogging education. And parents have a crucial role to play in this transformation. In this episode, Winthrop talks with four education leaders, whom she met at the LEGO Idea Conference in Denmark, about the role of parents and the power of innovative approaches like playful learning in pursuing education transformation.
