Spring Lizard Talks

Lizard Talks take place throughout the year and are an opportunity for professional adults, from within and without our school community, to share their expertise with high school students. This Spring has featured several Lizard Talks on the subject of meditation and consciousness, video game design, and better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, gender, and sexuality.

Jaime Flores

Hacking Life: The Journey of Self-Knowledge

Jaime Flores is the IT Coordinator at Oak Grove School and a Facilitator of Pneuma Transpersonal Training & Pneuma Breathwork. In the talk, Jaime explored how to unlock the hidden potential of our consciousness by drawing upon the wisdom of both ancient and modern sciences of the mind, including the Allegory of Plato’s Cave. Through this exploration, students were shown ways to approach life’s challenges with greater clarity and purpose.

Michael Hemmert Jensen – Gaming

Oak Grove parent and Software Engineer with 15 years of experience, Michael gave a wonderful presentation on the inner-workings of computer game design and more. Since 2014, he has been working at Riot Games developing systems for managing professional players in Esports tournaments, tracking game stats for broadcast teams and viewers, and handling video for online streaming. Recently, Michael has been working on the League of Legends deploy team, building tools for delivering regular updates to the game. In his free time, Michael loves DIY projects, 3D printing, travel, and, of course, playing video games.

Azalea Corral

Understanding the LGBTQ+ Community: What is Gender and Sexuality?

Azalea Corral is Pacific Pride Foundation‘s Training and Education Manager. She is a Latina woman who is part of the LGBTQ+ community. She is completing her Master’s Degree in International and Multicultural Education. Azalea grew up in both Santa Barbara and Goleta, and has worked professionally to create inclusive learning environments throughout California in places such as the University of California, Riverside, and San Francisco State University. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and practicing her photography skills.

Lizard Talk

Recent Blog Posts:

How Much is Too Much – Technology

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At what age should children have a Smartphone? Should an 11-year-old watch PG-13 movies? When is a good time to introduce video games (my child is begging to play!)? How much time in front of a screen is too much?
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High School Mini Projects

High School Mini Projects

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While the high school senior class is visiting our sister schools in India each year, the High School at Oak Grove dedicates two weeks to our "Mini Projects." Teachers lead small groups of students through an in-depth learning experiment into a craft, skill, or concept that piques the curiosities of both teachers and students. Examples have included: screen printing, song writing, sewing, cooking, screenwriting, ornamental mending, and improv.
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Podcast Interview with Jodi Grass

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In Episode 23 “Education as a Vehicle for Social Change,” Founding Mothers Podcast host Emily Race and Head of School Jodi Grass discuss the freedom that Oak Grove’s teachers have to implement activities that foster personal and social growth, outdoor and travel experiences to prepare youth and parents for the transition to adulthood, how students can support their mental health, and the value of questioning one’s thoughts to develop compassion.
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