Meet the team - Lisa Taner

Lisa Taner - Head of Educational Content

Hey Lisa! Can you tell us a bit about your role and responsibilities at Lyfta?

Together with the Lyfta content team, I help create immersive learning resources based on the wonderful human stories in our films. We link these with Lyfta skills and values, core topics and the UN Sustainable Development Goals; and then create example lesson and assembly plans for use in school or at home. The Lyfta platform now contains well over 100 lesson and assembly plans teachers can use or adapt with the lesson builder tool.

What's your favourite part of your role as Head of Educational Content?

I love seeing the new films, submitted by film makers from around the world, and collaborating with the team to explore the documentaries to create rich media content and lessons with global themes.

Tell us a bit about your background and experience, before Lyfta.

I have over 20 years of experience in primary education, as a teaching assistant, a teacher, a senior leader and a Local Authority consultant. My background is in global learning and development education so I'm proud to be bringing exciting content with global themes to learners everywhere!

We'd love to know what your favourite Lyfta storyworld is and why.

That's like asking me to choose a favourite child! If I had to choose one I'd say Beachcomber from Cornwall, as it allows learners to explore the problem of ocean plastic and consider ways they can be responsible citizens.

I also love the Pride storyworld, as Qwensley's story is so powerful. This storyworld also gives us the chance to take a virtual visit to a Pride parade in Curacao through a 360° video!

Do you have a favourite person featured in a Lyfta storyworld?

Another difficult one! Habiba is special as her story dispels so many stereotypes. Habiba's film shows her courage and determination to see herself, her family and the wider world as people, not labels.

Which Lyfta storyworld release are you most looking forward to and why?

We have lots up our sleeve but one that I'm really happy about is Amazonian Treats from Peru, as teachers have been asking for rainforest content for some time, and it's an opportunity to talk about biodiversity; a personal passion.

What is your favourite food?

Mulukhiyah/Molokhia is a leafy green stew that doesn't look very appetising, but is delicious! It's a bit like strong spinach in a tomato and onion sauce. Many countries have a version of this dish, including Egypt, but my mother-in-law's Turkish Cypriot recipe can't be beaten in my view!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Apart from spending time with my family, I love to travel when possible and I'd describe myself as an ocean enthusiast, with a passion for marine mammals. I've been on a few whale watching trips, and trained to be a volunteer marine mammal surveyor before lockdown. I really hope to get back to this in the coming years. I also love reading, wildlife documentaries and swimming. I'm a lifelong learner; I tutor on an international primary education module and I'm studying science, both with The Open University.

Can you tell us about a travel experience that has had an impact on you?

As a school teacher I led several international school partnerships including a long-term project with a school in the western region of Ghana. Reciprocal visits between our London school and partner school were very powerful, as they brought to life aspects of global citizenship I thought I'd understood, but had only imagined.

Inspired by the discovery of the word 'Herzensbildung', meaning training one's heart to see the humanity of another, we're asking the team for their favourite word. What's yours?

I learnt the word 'Fernweh' last year, a German word that means longing for travel; a stronger form of wanderlust. It seems very apt for the times we are living in.

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