58. The School Heard Around the World: Global Online Academy, Directed by Michael Nachbar

Are you a small school wishing you could expand your course offerings? A student who has always wanted to explore a new area of study? Or maybe a teacher longing to teach about a passion topic area that is not offered at your school? Well, look no further!

The Global Online Academy, in operation since 2011, addresses all of these issues. The Academy partners with schools around the world to offer over 60 courses, many of which introduce students to areas of study to which they may not otherwise have access.

This is one of two interviews with Michael Nachbar, Executive Director of GOA. This one focuses on GOA and its approach to teaching and learning. We will soon post the second interview with Michael on his ideas for “future-proofing” education.  

Our Guiding Question for this first show was, “What is the Global Online Academy (GOA), and how does it approach online learning from a humanistic perspective?” 

Here are some of the topics covered: 

• The history and mission of GOA
• The lab-school nature of GOA
• The people aspect of GOA - students, teachers, and administrators 
• A holistic, inquiry, design-focused approach to teaching and learning
• How the GOA courses supplement the core classes students take at their home school

Michael spearheads a global network of schools and educators dedicated to transforming education. His expertise lies in integrating foundational teaching principles with cutting-edge technologies and innovative pedagogies.

A sought-after speaker, Michael regularly presents at national and international conferences on topics including non-profit leadership and educational innovation trends. His thought leadership is widely recognized and respected across the educational community.

In addition to his role at GOA, Michael serves as a Lakeside School trustee. He has served on the boards of many other organizations, including the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), as a founding board member of the Mastery Transcript Consortium, Summer Search, the Independent School Association Network (ISAnet), and JUMP! Foundation.

Michael holds a B.A. in English and Psychology from Indiana University and earned an M.A. in Education Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. His career in education began as a Teach For America corps member, laying a strong foundation for his ongoing commitment to educational excellence, innovation, and equity.

Michael’s Contact Information: LinkedIn | Global Online Academy (scroll down for contact info)

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.