Podcasts about student learning

In this podcast special, Dominique Beech sits down with Dr Dan Edwards, Acting Head of ACER's Student Learning and Progress Division, to talk about the future of assessment. He shares his insights on how assessment can support students at key transition points across K-12, the impact of AI, and more.

 How does North Dakota track student progress across different grade levels and learning environments? Through the ND A+ system, the state uses exams, checkpoints, and classroom tools to monitor growth in subjects like reading, math, and science while helping educators spot learning gaps. From public schools to home education and English learners, North Dakota's approach is designed to keep families and schools informed every step of the way. 

In this re-release episode, Garth sits down with members of the APA's Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI) Working Group on Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment: Jennifer Thompson, Kristin Whitlock, Jane Halonen, Sue Frantz (not featured), and Eric Landrum. Together, they explore how the project took shape, the leadership behind it, the move toward a thematic revolution, and what it means to take a content-agnostic approach to teaching psychology. Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by AI.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Dr. Michelle Miller, professor of psychological sciences at Northern Arizona University, explores how attention shapes memory and learning, discusses the limits of “catching up” after distraction, and shares research-backed strategies for staying engaged, managing distractions, and supporting long-term student success.

In this episode, Dr. Michelle Miller of Northern Arizona University breaks down the science behind attention and how it shapes student learning and success. She explains how today's constant distractions affect focus, what happens when students lose attention during key moments, and how that impacts memory and long-term understanding. The conversation examines how faculty can approach engagement in their classrooms and how institutions can better support attention as part of broader student success efforts.

Protect your family with our 1-minute free parent quiz https://www.smartsocial.com/newsletter Join our next weekly live parent events:  https://smartsocial.com/events Episode Summary: Join host Josh Ochs on the SmartSocial.com Podcast as he talks with Dr. Dylan Smith, Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning in Oldham County Schools (Kentucky), about what ethical AI use really looks like for students and why “keeping the human in the loop” matters. Dr. Smith shares the digital safety trends schools are seeing nationwide, what has improved since Oldham County strengthened its phone policy, and how excessive screen time can shrink attention spans and amplify FOMO, stress, and poor sleep. They also dig into deepfakes and why “just joking” can still create real legal risk, plus you will hear teen advice on red flags when a stranger online gets too personal or pushes to meet offline. The episode closes with practical guardrails for AI in schools and simple ways families can build healthier habits together. Become a Smart Social VIP (Very Informed Parents) Member: https://SmartSocial.com/vip District Leaders: Schedule a free phone consultation to get ideas on how to protect your students in your community https://smartsocial.com/partner Download the free Smart Social app: https://www.smartsocial.com/appdownload Learn about the top 190+ popular teen apps: https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers/ View the top parental control software: https://smartsocial.com/parental-control-software/ The SmartSocial.com Podcast helps parents and educators to keep their kids safe on social media, so they can Shine Online™

Bryan and Steve discuss experiences where they allow graduate students to struggle through certain professional experiences to support long term learning, even if that comes at the expense of near-term research outputs. Enjoy!

Protect your family with our 1-minute free parent quiz https://www.smartsocial.com/newsletter   Join our next weekly live parent events:  https://smartsocial.com/events   Episode Summary:   Join host Josh Ochs on the SmartSocial.com Podcast as he talks with Dr. Dylan Smith, Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning in Oldham County Schools (Kentucky), about what ethical AI use really looks like for students and why “keeping the human in the loop” matters. Dr. Smith shares the digital safety trends schools are seeing nationwide, what has improved since Oldham County strengthened its phone policy, and how excessive screen time can shrink attention spans and amplify FOMO, stress, and poor sleep. They also dig into deepfakes and why “just joking” can still create real legal risk, plus you will hear teen advice on red flags when a stranger online gets too personal or pushes to meet offline. The episode closes with practical guardrails for AI in schools and simple ways families can build healthier habits together. Become a Smart Social VIP (Very Informed Parents) Member: https://SmartSocial.com/vip   District Leaders: Schedule a free phone consultation to get ideas on how to protect your students in your community https://smartsocial.com/partner   Download the free Smart Social app: https://www.smartsocial.com/appdownload   Learn about the top 190+ popular teen apps: https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers/   View the top parental control software: https://smartsocial.com/parental-control-software/   The SmartSocial.com Podcast helps parents and educators to keep their kids safe on social media, so they can Shine Online™

Continuous improvement isn't a yearly plan; it's a disciplined cycle that keeps learning moving forward. Today, we explore how 90-day goals and evidence routines drive real student gains.In this podcast, we'll unpack rapid learning cycles, team reflection, and clear success criteria so schools shift from “plans on shelves” to classroom progress.#EducationalLeader,Kim “When students are well led, they learn well.”Website: http://kimdmoore.comBook: http://leadershipchairbook.comLinkedIn:  https://linkedin.com/in/kimdmooreYouTube: https://youtube.com/@EducationalLeaderThe views shared in the Educational Leadership Moment are solely mine and do not reflect the positions of my employer or any entity within the local, state, or federal government sectors.

Mindfulness enjoys a lot of popularity these days. In this episode, we talk to Professor Karen Brounéus (Uppsala University) about how we can integrate mindfulness exercises into our classrooms and how mindfulness can assist student learning. Not only has Karen been using mindfulness in her own peace and conflict studies courses, but she also offers mindfulness training to Swedish members of parliament. Karen shows how a lay person can make of these techniques and even offers an example of how this can be done. 

This conversation delves into the use of mini whiteboards in educational settings, exploring their benefits, challenges, and the cognitive science behind their effectiveness. Educators share their experiences and insights on implementing mini whiteboards to enhance student engagement and understanding, while also addressing potential pitfalls and the importance of routines in their use. Follow on Twitter: @AmberBHaven | @AndrewWatsonTTB | @bamradionetwork | @jonHarper70bd Related Resources: White Board Tips | I Was Wrong About Whiteboards | More tools and Tips Amber Haven is a STEM educator, speaker, and advocate for evidence-informed teaching with over 15 years of classroom experience. She is dedicated to refining her own practice while translating and showcasing evidence-informed strategies in authentic classroom settings. Dylan Kane is a 7th grade math teacher at a rural public school in Colorado. He writes a Substack called Five Twelve Thirteen about the intersection of evidence-informed practice and the realities of classroom teaching. Andrew Watson has been teaching since 1988, studying brains since 2008, and combining those fields since 2012. As a consultant and conference speaker, he works with students and teachers to make learning easier and teaching more effective. Author of three books, he writes frequently on memory, attention, motivation, and skepticism." Brett Benson teaches 7th grade World Studies at a middle school in Omaha, Nebraska. He serves as our social studies department head. Last year he started the “CogSci PLC” at his school to help study the science of learning and evidence-based practices and strategies with teachers throughout the building . Last year the PLC focused on retrieval practice and working this year on Rosenshine's principles of instruction. He has been teaching for 18 years. Keywords mini whiteboards, education, teaching strategies, classroom engagement, cognitive science, instructional choices, formative assessment, student participation, teaching tools, learning support Takeaways Mini whiteboards can quickly gauge student understanding. They support various instructional strategies across subjects. Effective use requires clear routines and expectations. Overuse can lead to distractions and disengagement. They provide immediate feedback for teachers. Cognitive load management is crucial when using them. Not the only tool for checking understanding; variety is key. Engagement is enhanced when students feel safe to share. Assessment for learning is more effective than assessment of learning. Intentional questioning is vital for maximizing their benefits. Quotables "How can teachers use whiteboards effectively?" "Routines make mini whiteboards effective." "Be intentional about what you're looking for." Chapters 00:00 Exploring Mini Whiteboards in Education 06:51Practical Applications and Benefits 13:33 Challenges and Limitations of Mini Whiteboards 19:53 Cognitive Science Perspectives on Whiteboards 25:53 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

DESCRIPTION:In this episode, Tem discusses the concept of structured talk in education, emphasising its role in enhancing student learning and engagement. She explains how structured talk builds on traditional methods like think-pair-share by providing specific guidelines and roles for students during discussions. Tem shares practical examples of implementing structured talk in the classroom, highlighting its benefits for pacing lessons and ensuring all students participate meaningfully. She also addresses the need to adapt structured talk for diverse learners, ensuring that all students can benefit from this approach.If you would like bespoke support, book a discovery call today: https://calendly.com/tem-helpingteachersthrive/discovery-call KEY TAKEAWAYS:Structured talk enhances student learning and engagement.Using sentence starters helps students initiate discussions.Forensic monitoring allows teachers to assess understanding in real-time.Structured talk can improve lesson pacing and focus.Adapting structured talk for diverse learners is essential.BEST MOMENTS:"It allows everybody to have a voice.""You're being really specific with how you want this done.""Telling the students exactly what you are looking for"VALUABLE RESOURCES:https://patreon.com/thehelpingteachersthrivehub?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkEPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/high-engagement-learning-through-think-pair-share/id1681843058?i=1000641096494ABOUT THE HOST:Since embarking on her teaching journey in 2009, Tem has been on a mission to empower students to reach their fullest potential. Specialising as a Secondary Physical Education Teacher, Tem also has experience in Special Educational Needs (SEN) as a class teacher in an SEN provision. With an unwavering commitment to helping students become the best versions of themselves, Tem believes in the power of education to shape not just academic prowess, but character and resilience. Having mentored numerous teachers throughout her career, she is not only shaping young minds but also nurturing the growth of those who guide them.ABOUT THE SHOW:The podcast for teachers of many years, trainee teachers or Early Career Teachers (ECTs). Join Tem as she delves into the diverse world of teaching, offering valuable insights, tips, and advice on a variety of teaching strategies to help teachers thrive as classroom practitioners. CONNECT & CONTACT: Email: tem@helpingteachersthrive.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/temsteachingtipsInstagram: instagram.com/temsteachingtipsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tem-ezimokhai-23306a263 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textFor those of you that don't know, in the modern system of medical school clinical rotations, students typically rotate at their "home institutions" or medical school affiliates.  One of the criticisms of post-graduate Osteopathic Medical education is that at some schools, students need to do a significant number of away rotations especially if they are interested in competitive surgical specialties.  The VSLO is an organization through the AAMC which allows American MD and American DO students to coordinate these rotations with outside hospitals.   This episode is mainly in response to posts on Redit and Youtube commenting on the process for Osteopathic Medical Students.  To shed some light on the topic, In this episode, we will interview Robin Carle, the director of VSLO at the AAMC to shed some light on the VSLO process and the validity of the comments regarding biases within the system against DO's. 

Teacher evaluations can vary wildly—sometimes they are regularly scheduled; at other times they happen at the last minute before the school year ends. These appraisals typically involve an administrator observing a classroom lesson, which can feel contrived and stressful, resembling a mere "check-the-box" exercise. Frequently, the focus centers on teacher behaviors rather than examining the impact on student learning outcomes and the actions contributing to those outcomes. In this episode with Dr. Greg Moncada, we delve into the teacher appraisal system and explore how it can be transformed to prioritize student learning, better align with the school's mission, and more effectively support the professional growth of educators.Greg is the Head of Harare International School (HIS) in Zimbabwe and was previously the founding director of the Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST), the Qatar Foundations' new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) school. Prior to his leading role at HIS and QAST, Dr. Moncada started new schools and programs throughout his career, including a progressive middle school based on the “This We Believe' model and district-wide STEM programs in Elementary, Middle, and High School settings.  Dr. Moncada specializes in developing student-centered learning models, progressive learning models, and multiverse organizational structures between schools and organizations. With more than 30 years of experience, Greg has held teaching and leadership positions in International schools in Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, as well as in the United States. Greg holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Minnesota, an MA in Leadership from Lehigh University, PA, and an MA in Science Education from Louisiana State University.Our guiding question for this show was: “How can teacher appraisal systems be designed to ensure improved student learning?”Some of the topics covered include:Greg's perspective on the term “teacher appraisal system”Separating the code of conduct from teacher appraisalAligning teacher appraisal and professional growth with other structuresDifferentiating for roles other than teacher, such as counselor, instructional coach, and athletic coachSupporting staff members to step out of their comfort zonesAdministrator appraisal and professional growthHead of School appraisal and the role of the school boardGreg's Contact Information: LinkedInThis episode waSupport the show Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Have you witnessed this in your classroom or had teachers share it as a coaching request? "When the cognitive load rises, many students default to learned- helplessness or passive habits. I see it in the quick, 'I don't get it' before they have engaged with the problem, in the immediate search for confirmation rather than justification, and in the quiet waiting for me to circulate rather than making an initial attempt.” Science teacher-leader, Colin Simpson, shares his observations and strategies implemented to build student learning approaches. Connect with Colin here.  Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!  

Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, is joined by Christopher Nadon to discuss a recent essay he wrote on how educators are failing their students by embracing the importance of “lived experience.” Christopher Nadon (B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago) has taught political philosophy and humanities at Emet Classical Academy, Claremont McKenna College, Trinity College, and Kyev-Mohyla Academy. He writes on the character and history of republican government understood as self-rule in authors such as Herodotus, Xenophon, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Sarpi, Hobbes, Locke, Tocqueville, and Lincoln. Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if more quizzes created more joy—not stress? Lee Jenkins shows host Andrew Stotz how Deming-inspired practices like random-concept quizzes, student-led charts, and "all-time best" celebrations turn classrooms into true learning systems that build confidence, motivation, and real understanding. A simple shift in method—massive shift in joy. (View the powerpoint referenced in the podcast.) TRANSCRIPT 0:00:02.2 Andrew Stotz: My name is Andrew Stotz and I'll be your host as we dive deeper into the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Today, I'm talking with Lee Jenkins, who is a career educator in public schools, completing his full-time work as a school district superintendent. During that work, he was introduced to the teachings of Dr. Deming and has been applying those teachings to his life and work since. In his business, Crazy Simple Education, he helps people apply Dr. Deming's principles in their schools to bring joy back to learning, to help kids learn more. The topic for today is how educators have applied Dr. Deming's ideas to learning. Lee, take it away.   0:00:42.8 Lee Jenkins: Thank you so much, Andrew. It's amazing what Dr. Deming taught in five minutes. I've been able to teach that for over 20 years. It's just amazing. And then you see in the next slide, it was Lou Rhodes. And this is just a short little review of what we did on the first podcast. But he's the one that said, I think you're going to enjoy this. Little did he know how much I was going to enjoy that in 1990 when he said that. And then in 1992, heard Dr. Deming in person as the statistician. And he described in five minutes just a little touch of what was different about a classroom as opposed to all the other systems that he was teaching. And so over time, you're going to see how it's been implemented with great joy with so many people. He taught that education should have a learning system instead of an inspection system. And that's what we have, is an inspection system. The state departments of education inspect the schools and the teachers inspect the kids. We don't have a learning system. So if you think about that distinction, it's truly a learning system. And you're going to see that as we go through this today.   0:01:51.2 Andrew Stotz: Lee, I was just... After listening to you in the last episode and listening to some of our other great guests on the show, I talked to my students about this. And one of my students, after I went through it and talked about the random sampling as an example of questions to understand the level of knowledge that students as a group are getting, one of my students at this prestigious university I teach at in Thailand said, "So why are you grading us? "   0:02:26.1 Lee Jenkins: Yes. Yes. That's it.   0:02:27.4 Andrew Stotz: And I said... Lee, I need help. I gave my best answer and that is, "I decided that right now, the fight with the university to change the way it's done is not a fight I'm prepared to take. But what I'm going to do is try to deliver the best experience I can in the room." Now, that was a bit of a cop out, but that's part of... People who are listening and viewing this are also caught in a system, in a trap, an inspection system. So it's just great to hear you talk about this and it can help us think about how we can handle it.   0:03:09.9 Lee Jenkins: People say that education hasn't been improved for 50 years. Then think about it. We've had an inspection system for 50 years. Maybe that's the problem, right? So here's what Dr. Deming taught. Tell them what you want them to know first week of school. Here it is. You're going to give them a weekly quiz. The quiz is going to be the square root of the total number of concepts you want them to learn. So a teacher teaching a second language, 400 vocabulary words, they had 20 words a week at random out of the 400. It's simple, but it's crazy that you don't... People say, "How can you assess them on something you haven't taught yet? " You can, if you have a learning system. And then he said to build a scatter diagram and a class run chart. And let's look at those two just to review. The scatter diagram, and if you can't see this, it's just across the x-axis on the bottom. It says 1 to 14, which is for half a year. The y-axis goes from 0 to 10 because there are 10 questions every week in this classroom. And we have a dot by how many kids got 0 right, how many kids got 1 right, how many kids got 2 right. And if you look at over a semester, you can see all the dots moving from the lower left corner up to the upper right corner. So that's the scatter diagram.   0:04:29.7 Andrew Stotz: That's all the students in the class. That's not one individual student.   0:04:33.0 Lee Jenkins: That's not one student. It's the whole class because you're the manager of the learning of a classroom. He taught that. And then he said graph the total correct for the whole classroom.   0:04:46.6 Andrew Stotz: So you just did what he said.   0:04:49.8 Lee Jenkins: Yeah, add it up. It is simple and it is crazy. I mean, all the coaches who are listening to this know when you go to a game, you add up the total for every athlete. You add it up to get a total for the team. Then that same coach is in the classroom on Monday and they never think about that this is a team of learners. It's the same thing. Add it up. And they love it. And they help each other and they contribute and they celebrate when a struggling student helps the class out as much as a student that's advanced.   0:05:24.2 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. I mean we're social creatures, right? We want to be part of a group. We want to contribute. It's just such a clear principle.   0:05:35.0 Lee Jenkins: Yeah, it's simple. So then here's the expansion. Here's different things that happened over time with the process, and we'll share those with you. One was people said, well, ya know, my problem is not... It's partly they don't remember what I'm teaching well enough, but they clearly don't remember the prior courses. So this is a high school math teacher teaching geometry, and so she has half of her questions are coming from geometry because they're teaching geometry. But the other half of the questions come from the four courses they had in math prior because she knows they don't remember it. And then there's a secondary science department. The same thing. They said half of our questions for every quiz have to be from the prior courses, not just the current one. Because students think...   0:06:29.6 Andrew Stotz: Wow! That's fascinating. And before you go for that, so let's look at geometry. You've got these buckets. Before geometry is algebra two, and before that is algebra one, and before that's pre-algebra, and before that is math seven. I remember my pre-algebra class at school with Dr...Mr. Tyler. He was the football coach, and that guy was a slave driver. Even if you got the question wrong, if you structured your answering process right, you would get half points.   0:06:58.9 Lee Jenkins: Oh, okay. Yes.   0:06:59.6 Andrew Stotz: He helped me learn the structure and the order of solving algebra problems, but if I didn't do that well or I didn't have him as a teacher, I could end up in geometry not actually knowing that. But what the heck is this geometry teacher supposed to do if they find out that the class doesn't really understand some of the prior core principles?   0:07:21.7 Lee Jenkins: Well, they, obviously, they need to teach it, and so part of it they do. The other part of it is the kids don't want to forget the prior courses. If you just throw all these into a bucket and they don't say where it's from, they don't... Well, okay, I missed a question. But when you say, you're in 11th grade in geometry, and you missed the 7th grade question, they don't like that. So it builds, it's a visual. It's right in front of the room every day. They can see, I need to know all of this. And the science teacher is the same thing. The kids say, I'm in chemistry now. I don't need biology. Why do I need that? Until you see it right there in front of you every day, and you think, oh, I'm supposed to learn this.   0:08:12.9 Andrew Stotz: Gosh, it just brings me back to when I was in high school, and I really got frustrated because the pace was really fast, and I felt like I didn't fully understand the prior material, and now I'm on to the next. And that was, and I felt like I was building on a shaky foundation, and this is a part of addressing that.   0:08:33.7 Lee Jenkins: It is, absolutely. So that's one of the changes that was made. Teachers took and expanded that to the whole curriculum as opposed to only the course they're teaching.   0:08:43.0 Andrew Stotz: And just to think about that, is that in order to truly do that, you really want to have the math, the pre-algebra, the algebra, the algebra 2, and the geometry teachers all working on the same playbook.   0:08:56.2 Lee Jenkins: Yes, yes. And when we do make those lists for each class, there's no duplicates.   0:09:02.7 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:09:04.3 Lee Jenkins: I mean, like with the science, I remember the biology teacher saying to the chemistry teacher, "You teach that? I teach that also." And they'd been teaching next door to each other for 10 years and didn't know it. So they have to say, who owns that one? So it's all a system that's tightly designed.   0:09:25.1 Andrew Stotz: And in the academic world of universities where I've taught, there's this thing that they want to give you independence to teach what you want in the way you want. I don't know about what's happening in schools these days, but is the curriculum pretty much set and therefore the teacher can't veer from that and therefore this would not be a problem? Or is it that, hey, every teacher's doing something different and it doesn't all work together?   0:09:53.6 Lee Jenkins: Right. What's the "what." The essential "what", needs to be agreed upon no matter who's teaching it. Now, on these lists, we don't put trivia. And trivia should be in the classroom. It's fun. It's interesting, but they're not accountable for it.   0:10:11.3 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:10:11.7 Lee Jenkins: So it's what's essential for the kids to know. And the teachers, when they have time, the principal sets aside a day and said, okay, science department, get together, get this listed, what you want. They like that discussion and the agreement of what's expected.   0:10:30.1 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:10:31.8 Lee Jenkins: The next thing that was added, Dr. Deming did not talk about students graphing their individual progress. So this is a student run chart, not a class run chart. So you can see...   0:10:46.3 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, that's interesting. Before you even go into that, it makes me think about the factory. It was kind of accepted that the statistics guys would kind of run the run charts and management would look at it. It would be public, it wasn't hidden. But the idea of really bringing the accountability to the people on the production line is what this reminds me of.   0:11:10.0 Lee Jenkins: It's exactly the same, and the kids like making the graphs. When you see, this is a younger child, but it's done by a high school child, not all of them, but some of them, but who like to doodle, they become very, it's kind of pieces of art, but they own it. They own that learning. They can see how they're doing, and they're so happy when it goes up, but it goes down at times. Why does it go down? They went down because bad luck, because it's random. Sometimes you choose the hard ones, but overall, you see a progress of going up and up and up, and so that's why it's not an inspection chart. It's a learning chart. It's showing a picture of my learning.   0:11:58.8 Andrew Stotz: And just to be clear, the first two charts we saw were looking at the overall classroom, but now the chart you're showing is one student mapping their progress throughout the quizzes.   0:12:11.7 Lee Jenkins: Yes, every student does their own, and if the teacher is scoring the papers to give them back to them, the results, they have to change, a slight change, instead of putting how many, they put a plus at how many correct, because you're graphing the number correct.   0:12:30.6 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:12:32.8 Lee Jenkins: And then another thing is kind of a celebration, a thank you, when students do better than ever before. So if a student had two right and then three right, and then they finally had five right, they never had five right all year long, they do something for the kid quickly to just say, yay, this child went and hit the gong. Just means I did more than, got more right than ever before. So what's the power of that? Dr. Deming wants every student to win. And I've been in classrooms six weeks after school started, maybe four or five in that time, and say, "Is there anybody in here who hasn't had a personal best? " I've never had a hand go up. They all have by then. Now, so you can be a struggling student, you can be an advanced student, but they all have a record of doing better than ever before, and we have ways of celebrating that.   0:13:32.4 Andrew Stotz: And that also is the idea of the objective really here is to improve ourselves relative to our prior selves.   0:13:43.7 Lee Jenkins: Yes, you're in competition with your prior self, that's it, yes. And I would say it's even 1% of the time that I saw somebody twist that and make it into a bribe. It's not a bribe, it's a thank you. I'm so proud of you, it's a thank you. It's a completely different mindset. They want to do that. And if we look at the next one...   0:14:09.8 Andrew Stotz: And just to understand this one last thing is that, are you saying that in a classroom when a student hits an all-time high, they go up and bang the gong or the teacher bangs it or what?   0:14:19.3 Lee Jenkins: No, the kid does it, the kid does it. Or whatever's done. One, you know that in sports where they make a tunnel and the athletes run through that tunnel of other athletes. There was a classroom that did that. The kids made a tunnel and the ones who had an all-time best that week ran through the tunnel. Okay? And there's...   0:14:41.0 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. And you could do simple things. You could also just say, if you did an all-time best, stand up.   0:14:46.6 Lee Jenkins: Yeah, it could be... But we try to make it something fun.   0:14:51.3 Andrew Stotz: Yep, yep.   0:14:52.3 Lee Jenkins: Something that's enjoyable for them. And it depends on the age. Here's one, another classroom, they wrote their name on a shape when they had a personal best. If you go to the next slide.   0:15:05.4 Andrew Stotz: Okay.   0:15:05.8 Lee Jenkins: You will see there's a collection of probably 200 shapes. With individual kids, they wrote their name on it when they had a personal best. And see, it's everybody. And it's a graphic in the hallway that lets all the other classrooms see, look how much we're learning.   0:15:29.9 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:15:30.3 Lee Jenkins: Because every time you have a personal best, you put your name. This happens to be a star instead of a feather, but they put it up there.   0:15:36.7 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:15:39.1 Lee Jenkins: And then here's a middle school. When they have a personal best, they write their name on the whiteboard. And the kids have made kind of a Scrabble out of it, a crossword puzzle, where they can use the letters from somebody else's name to make their name. They love it. And they particularly like it because their friends who happen to be in that classroom but a different period, when they come in, they see their friends' names. Again, it's everybody. It's simple. Write your name on the whiteboard when you have a personal best. And then this is a high school. They had the game Kerplunk. And if anybody's not seen that, it's a cylinder. And it has holes. About halfway up it has a bunch of holes. And you put straws through the holes. And then you put marbles on top. When a kid has a personal best, they pull a straw out. When you pull enough straws out that all the marbles on top come crashing down, that's why they call it Kerplunk. And then the class does something for a couple minutes of fun. But it's everybody.   0:16:49.0 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:16:49.8 Lee Jenkins: Then here is, they added the word all-time best. That was an addition.   0:16:57.7 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:16:58.1 Lee Jenkins: And this is a class run chart, like I showed you last time, where you add up the total for the whole class. But when the class has more correct than ever before, it's an all-time best. We use that word for kids also, and you'll see in school that the initials ATB are very common in the schools.   0:17:22.1 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:17:23.3 Lee Jenkins: It's one of the most common things. And you can't see it, but I'm looking at this when they had 28 quizzes in the year, and there are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight times during the year out of 28 that the class had an all-time best. Also, if you look at the x-axis, it's 28. Dr. Deming said every week, and it was changed to 28 instead of every week.   0:18:03.6 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:18:03.9 Lee Jenkins: That was a huge deal for me because I knew that every week was too much. There's snow days. There's things that happen, and you just... In the schools, it's too much going on for it to be every week. But I also knew that every other week's not enough. Not for kids to really prove that they're learning. Plus, they like them. They want...   0:18:29.6 Andrew Stotz: So, what does the 28 mean? Why 28?   0:18:33.5 Lee Jenkins: It's seven times a quarter instead of nine times a quarter. That's why.   0:18:37.1 Andrew Stotz: Okay.   0:18:38.3 Lee Jenkins: So, out of a quarter, two times they didn't. And actually, the complaint the kids had was, why aren't we doing one this week? And so, in a sub-sense, it's only for the teacher to just kind of a sense of... It just eases up a little bit. For the teacher, not for the kids.   0:18:55.8 Andrew Stotz: So, in other words, rather than strictly tying it to a week, you tie it to the number of quizzes that you're going to do, and then you manage that.   0:19:08.6 Lee Jenkins: Yeah, and I've never heard anybody say they couldn't get the 28 in. It's reasonable.   0:19:12.5 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:19:13.1 Lee Jenkins: Yeah. It's a reasonable...   0:19:16.3 Andrew Stotz: Just for people that don't recall, like myself, I can't even remember what numbers of days in the classroom and numbers of weeks in a class and stuff like that, can you just remind me what that is?   0:19:29.6 Lee Jenkins: Okay, in a year, the school is divided into quarters, and there's 36 weeks in the year. So, there's nine weeks per quarter, and we're quizzing seven of those nine weeks.   0:19:42.8 Andrew Stotz: Perfect, okay, got it. Okay.   0:19:46.5 Lee Jenkins: Now, here is something else that has been added, and it is the goal. And so, Dr. Deming talks against numerical goals, and we agree with that. That goal is not an artificial number. It's the best from the prior year. So, it's a real number. So, the students are trying to outperform the prior years.   0:20:18.6 Andrew Stotz: So, this is the best that the system could produce in the past period?   0:20:23.8 Lee Jenkins: Yeah, are we smarter than the kids that you had the last several years? Are we smarter...   0:20:29.5 Andrew Stotz: Am I teaching better? Are you learning better?   0:20:33.5 Lee Jenkins: No, it's a challenge. It's a challenge, and they are so excited when they do better than the prior years. So, how did they get so high up there? Part of it is because there are kids who get, on the quizzes, they get perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect, and it's kind of boring for them. And so, we've come up with... When you get them all right seven times, it could be five, it could be six, we've usually gone with seven, then you don't take the quiz anymore in the room because you've proven you know it. And then we give you a harder one.   0:21:17.0 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:21:18.3 Lee Jenkins: The class gets credit for the quiz you didn't take, plus how many you get on the next one. So, that helps it to go on up because you've got kids that are, the word we're using is they test out. They've proven they know it.   0:21:34.9 Andrew Stotz: Yep. Yep.   0:21:36.5 Lee Jenkins: We use the, when I talk with the teachers, the flip of the coin statistics. If a kid gets a perfect score, you have a 50% chance they're lucky, and a 50% chance they know all the content for the year.   0:21:49.7 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:21:49.9 Lee Jenkins: You don't know what it is. After seven times, you're up to 99% sure they really do know all of it.   0:21:56.3 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:21:57.1 Lee Jenkins: Yeah. Oh, this day, this is a run chart from a middle school, and they had one more right than ever before. They are beyond happy. And you will see kids in the rooms doing a chest bump.   0:22:20.2 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:22:20.4 Lee Jenkins: A kid that's struggling, and says, it was me. I'm the one that put us over the top. If it hadn't been for my two questions right, we wouldn't all be celebrating. And of course, if you don't count it, you'd never know as a student or a teacher that you had your best. Nobody'd never know.   0:22:43.3 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Yep.   0:22:44.0 Lee Jenkins: Count it out and graph it. Oh, they're so happy.   0:22:48.2 Andrew Stotz: Yeah.   0:22:48.5 Lee Jenkins: So that... And then here is a run chart by grade level. This is 16 classrooms together.   0:23:01.5 Andrew Stotz: What does that mean, 16 classrooms?   0:23:03.9 Lee Jenkins: There's four science classes, four English, four math, and four history. And we took all of those questions right from 16 rooms and calculated a percent correct.   0:23:19.2 Andrew Stotz: So in other words, how we're learning as a school or how we're learning all the subjects, how would you describe that?   0:23:25.9 Lee Jenkins: This was grade seven.   0:23:28.3 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:23:28.9 Lee Jenkins: This was for the grade seven teachers. They wanted to have a total for their grade level.   0:23:35.5 Andrew Stotz: And so it starts off on quiz number one, that students got 16% correct. That's quiz number one.   0:23:46.7 Lee Jenkins: Right.   0:23:46.9 Andrew Stotz: Or quizzes number one.   0:23:50.7 Lee Jenkins: For quiz number one. Right. You can't say week one, it's quiz one.   0:23:53.2 Andrew Stotz: Yep, yep. Sorry.   0:23:53.8 Lee Jenkins: And this is for first semester, because there's 14 right there.   0:24:00.4 Andrew Stotz: Yep, yep. And then by the time they get to quiz number 13, that's, or quiz number 13 for all four subjects brought together into one measure, they're at, say, they've gone from 16 to 55.   0:24:14.5 Lee Jenkins: Yes. So you can say that at halfway through the year, the seventh grade class, 16 classrooms, but seventh graders know half of the content. And you know it's in their long-term memory. They couldn't study the night before.   0:24:31.9 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:24:31.8 Lee Jenkins: Because you don't know what's going to be chosen at random. They know half of the content.   0:24:37.8 Andrew Stotz: And interesting that we see kind of a linear rise. I wonder if there's an exponential rise towards the end as the students get totally pumped up and into it and they're learning more.   0:24:47.8 Lee Jenkins: They are. They want to get as close as they can. It won't land on 100%.   0:24:54.0 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:24:55.0 Lee Jenkins: Somebody's going to miss something, but it gets really close.   0:24:57.7 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:25:01.3 Lee Jenkins: Now here's something else we've added. Because Dr. Deming talked about the classroom, this is a whole school. And they're all taking a math quiz. It's an elementary from kindergarten through fifth grade. On Thursday afternoon, the teachers go in to their computer on a Google Doc and they put in how many questions their classroom got right on the quiz that week. It's all set up in advance and there's a total. And then on Friday, the principal announces if they had an all school time best, all-time best for the school. And you can see...   0:25:45.8 Andrew Stotz: And the number here is 3878 I see in quiz number 28. Is that the total number of correct answers out of accumulating all the different quizzes of quiz number 8, all the different classes that do quiz number 28?   0:26:00.4 Lee Jenkins: Yes. On quiz 28, they answered 3,878 math questions correct.   0:26:06.2 Andrew Stotz: And somebody could look at this and say, "Oh, come on, kids are just going to game this, right? It's just quiz questions and all that." Now, I think I understand why that's not going to be the case. But how would you explain to somebody that says that?   0:26:21.4 Lee Jenkins: Hey, as the kids get older... Let's go back. This is math.   0:26:28.0 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:26:28.5 Lee Jenkins: So the concepts are the same, but the questions are different. So they can't game it. And other subjects where it's not math, teachers tell me that three different questions per concept is enough and they don't game it. They can't. But if you only had for every question for the year, I mean, for every concept, if you only had one question, they would game it. They just remember the answer to the question.   0:26:58.7 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:26:58.9 Lee Jenkins: Yeah. As they get older.   0:27:00.7 Andrew Stotz: And what would you say to some people that may look at that and say, "Oh, you're just teaching to the quiz or teaching to the exam? "   0:27:13.3 Lee Jenkins: Well, we're saying, here's what you're going to learn this year. University professors give out syllabuses. A syllabus is what you're going to teach, which is different from stating this is what the kids are going to learn. And so when you list what you want them to learn, this is evidence they learned it. Now, yes, we're teaching to what we said we want them to know. It didn't come... When you teach to the test, that often means that somebody else made up the test that I've got to teach to that test they made up because there's high stakes.   0:27:55.3 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:27:55.6 Lee Jenkins: But when we as faculty say what we want the kids to know, we're not teaching to the test, we're teaching to what we said we want them to know.   0:28:05.5 Andrew Stotz: Yep. Yep. And then the other thing I would say is when you get students so deeply involved in the whole process, ultimately young kids actually are not going to necessarily celebrate cheating.   0:28:22.8 Lee Jenkins: No, no, they're not.   0:28:25.5 Andrew Stotz: They understand right and wrong. They haven't gotten to the level where adults are, where we put a lot of gray area between right and wrong and politicians will lie about this and that to get in office or get money or whatever.   0:28:37.4 Lee Jenkins: Let me tell you a story about the cheating. There were three fourth grades in a row in a school. And in the middle between the other two fourth grades, they did cheat early in the year. They got a very high score. Then the teacher found out how they cheated and stopped it so they couldn't do it anymore. But they couldn't get classroom best because they had an artificial high score. So they're saying to her, "We cheated teacher, take it away that score that we cheated." She says, "No, you cheated." It took them till November before they could have a classroom best.   0:29:16.7 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:29:17.4 Lee Jenkins: So they paid a price for it. Now, people have fun with random. This is out of the state of Delaware. It looks like a skeleton from Halloween and they spray painted lima beans, put them inside the skull, wrote numerals on them and you draw the numerals out and that's the concept you're going to quiz. So there's been fun with how you do random, fun with how we celebrate.   0:29:55.0 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:29:55.2 Lee Jenkins: Fun with making the graph pretty with I get to put Google... I mean, I get to scribble on it and do different things that make it pretty. Yeah. And here is a... There is a styrofoam nose. I'd say it's a meter tall styrofoam nose. And the teacher had slips of paper with the concepts on them. And an eighth grader said, that is boring. Brought in a styrofoam nose and you put the slips up the nostril and that's where you pull out...   0:30:26.2 Andrew Stotz: Only kids are going to come up with that.   0:30:28.1 Lee Jenkins: Yes, I know. And this is a history teacher, world history. She has 65 concepts are going to learn during the year. She gave them the list, put the 65 on a tongue depressor, put them in a bucket. She pulls eight out each week and the kids have to put the eight in chronological order from memory.   0:30:52.3 Andrew Stotz: Right. That's interesting.   0:30:53.5 Lee Jenkins: But they can't do it in the beginning.   0:30:55.1 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:30:56.0 Lee Jenkins: But by the end of the year, you want every kid to be able to pull any eight you pull out and put them in chronological order, not because they know dates, but because they know history.   0:31:06.2 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Yep.   0:31:10.1 Lee Jenkins: And then here from Saskatchewan is a teacher who hyperlinked the periodic table. It's up on the whiteboard. So in the bucket are the names of elements. So if a student pulls out the word potassium, they go up to the whiteboard and they click on the letter K. It's hyperlinked. When they click on it, up comes a question about biology. The question has nothing to do with potassium.   0:31:42.6 Andrew Stotz: Oh!   0:31:44.4 Lee Jenkins: It's just a clever way to do random.   0:31:48.6 Andrew Stotz: Yep. Yep.   0:31:50.1 Lee Jenkins: Okay. And then we celebrate as a whole class. This is a class that's celebrating doing the wave. They've been to athletic events. They've seen people do the wave at athletic events. When the class has an all-time best as a class, they do something quick to celebrate. They're doing the wave. This classroom, they have a spinner. And the kids chose 10 ways they wanted to celebrate. I said, "What's your favorite? " And they said, "Hamster ball." I said, "What's a hamster ball? " They said, "We've got a hamster in the room. We put it in a hamster ball, put it in the middle of the room and watch where it goes."   0:32:32.7 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:32:34.4 Lee Jenkins: Fun. This is the whole school again. Just celebrating. One principal, when the school had an all-time best, somebody came in and cut his tie off. And he had dads giving him all their old ties to cut off. Yeah. And then they like to do item analysis. That's kids doing that.   0:32:59.0 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:33:00.1 Lee Jenkins: They like to tell you what it is we most need help with.   0:33:04.2 Andrew Stotz: So this is looking at errors to say what we're struggling with. What does that mean?   0:33:07.7 Lee Jenkins: Yeah, here's the most room, most missed item in the whole room, all the way to the right, the item that nobody in the room missed it.   0:33:15.8 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, like allusion. I'd miss that too.   0:33:21.1 Lee Jenkins: And then we made histograms. So it's taking the data from the scattered diagram and putting a different one together for each week. So the kids see an L-shaped curve in the beginning, a bell curve in the middle of the year, and a J-shape at the end of the year. And this was taken because they were so excited that they could see the J finally. They knew the J was coming, and there it was.   0:33:47.8 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:33:49.7 Lee Jenkins: Yeah. And then we used the information from the scatter diagram to calculate effect size and to see what's the effect of all of this compared to all the other things in the world that have been done. And we got six times the average of the effect size research from John Hattie. If you don't cram and forget, you actually just remember, of course, it's a lot higher. Duh, of course.   0:34:15.5 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:34:18.0 Lee Jenkins: And we did the scatter diagram that I showed earlier, we mentioned earlier, that's what we use. And when John Hattie saw the scatter diagram, he said, "That's what you need for effect size."   0:34:29.6 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:34:30.3 Lee Jenkins: Because effect size is you increase the mean and you reduce the variation. I've been talking a lot about knowledge. I haven't been talking about skills. The same process works for skills. And this is the dichotomous rubric. It's on my website. It's blank. It's free. And we use the dichotomous rubric to measure skills.   0:34:53.4 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:34:56.6 Lee Jenkins: So this is my pastor. It was, school was starting, he called two kids up on the platform and he said, "What are you excited about school? School started. What are you excited about? " The girl says, "See my friends." And the boy said, "Quizzes."   0:35:09.3 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, making my charts, seeing the quiz, watching the progress.   0:35:13.3 Lee Jenkins: It's hard to believe, but that's exactly what happens. And there's the Jenkins curve, which is the loss of enthusiasm year by year through the grades. I would have never done this without Deming because he talked about graphs have to be long and skinny.   0:35:29.3 Andrew Stotz: Man, we just grind down the kids in a normal situation.   0:35:32.9 Lee Jenkins: Just grind them down.   0:35:34.4 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:35:34.7 Lee Jenkins: Every year, fewer and fewer kids love school.   0:35:37.3 Andrew Stotz: Yep.   0:35:39.9 Lee Jenkins: So podcast number three, when it comes up, will be the future. What can we do because of all this that we haven't done before? It'll be fun.   0:35:51.2 Andrew Stotz: Wow! That is a lot of stuff. If you were to take all that we just went through, which was really fun and exciting, what would be the one takeaway you want people to get from that?   0:36:04.2 Lee Jenkins: The takeaway is that we can keep the intrinsic motivation alive that children were born with. And when we keep it alive, the complaint in the staff room will be, I can't keep up with all these things that these kids want to learn.   0:36:22.3 Andrew Stotz: Yeah.   0:36:23.7 Lee Jenkins: Instead of complaining that they won't sit still, they won't do the work, we'd be saying, "I can't keep up. They want to learn so much. I'm overloaded with what they want to know."   0:36:32.7 Andrew Stotz: And the end result is they become lifelong learners.   0:36:38.0 Lee Jenkins: Yes, absolutely. Yeah.   0:36:38.2 Andrew Stotz: Yeah.   0:36:38.9 Lee Jenkins: Yeah.   0:36:39.2 Andrew Stotz: I'm going to wrap it up there. And Lee, on behalf of everyone at the Deming Institute, I want to thank you again for this discussion. It was fascinating and it was fun. So for listeners, remember to go to Deming.org to continue your journey. And this is your host, Andrew Stotz, and I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Deming that ties directly in to what we've been talking about, and that is, people are entitled to joy in work. And I'm going to add in, learning.

This systematic review investigates how HPE students utilise GenAI and examines how these uses align with Laurillard's six learning types compared to conventional and digital technologies. Read the accompanying article here: https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15746

When a teacher is planning a learning activity, what's the movie that's running in their mind? Are they mostly seeing what they are doing as a teacher or what their learners are doing? When teachers, like athletic and performing arts coaches, focus on the student learning actions they modify instructional moves as soon as recognizing that the needed learning behaviors are missing. Coaches can observe and build coaching conferences around student learning production behaviors. Listen to Becca Silver's Podcast here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!  

 In the 1960s and 1970s-when many communities resisted school integration and schools held low expectations for working-class kids and constricted teachers' autonomy-educators and students at a multiracial public high school in California collaborated to achieve something remarkable: they created a cohesive community that gave students a powerful sense of belonging.Over its 25-year life, the student leaders of Sunnyvale High School collaborated with visionary staff to reduce violence, broaden, and enrich the curriculum to include US Black history and Mexican American literature, and increase girls' access to sports. Working together, they fostered a collective sense of pride, persistence, and possibility that fed the success of students and graduates in careers and in communities.How did adults and youth forge such a powerful ethos of engagement and mutual responsibility, enabling so many to thrive? At a time when issues of racial and gender inequality are as heated as they were half a century ago, what lessons does the school offer? In this book, the story of Sunnyvale High School is told by the students and educators who shaped it and made it meaningful. They attest to the lifelong impact of their shared experience.She is the author of Working-Class Kids and Visionary Educators in a Multiracial School: A Story of Belonging. https://www.amazon.com/Working-Class-Visionary-Educators-Multiracial-School/dp/1666959685http://www.yourlotandparcel.org

Today on AOTA Shorts: In a both groundbreaking and not at all surprising analysis of student test scores from a Florida community besieged by ICE terrorism and lawless detainment of community members, it turns out that this sort of madness has a negative effect on student learning. Who'd a thunk it? Will this deter the right wing extremists in power to change course?  Probably not. But, it's even more clear than ever that this has nothing to do with law and order, or keeping communities safe. It's doing deep, systemic harm to kids and communities, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The data also shows that the harms to student learning extend beyond just those students who are undocumented, or who are themselves the targets of ICE terrorism. The entire community is negatively affected, especially those students who are Spanish speaking. Manuel and Jeff discuss!Woah, new format! AOTA Shorts give a brief, quick-hitting breakdown of a single story in this increasingly wild world of education that you can enjoy in the car, at work, or in those precious minutes of down time you (maybe) get during your busy day.  Let us know what you think in the comments!MAXIMUM WOKENESS ALERT -- get your All of the Above swag, including your own “Teach the Truth” shirt! In this moment of relentless attacks on teaching truth in the classroom, we got you covered. https://all-of-the-above-store.creator-spring.com Watch, listen and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our latest content!Listen on Apple Podcast and Spotify Website: https://AOTAshow.com

Send us a text[Podcast Sponsor]  Kind Cotton: Soft, sustainable apparel, where every purchase provides a book to a child.In this episode, Becca sits down with Steve Barkley, a pioneer in instructional coaching whose influence has shaped how educators think about growth, feedback, and collaboration. Together, they unpack what it really takes to create lasting change in classrooms; not through evaluation, but through curiosity and conversation.Steve shares his journey from being observed every day as a student teacher to becoming one of the most respected voices in peer coaching. Along the way, he reveals a mindset shift that changed everything: great coaching isn't about watching teachers. It's about watching students.You'll hear how focusing on student actions opens new doors for learning, reflection, and impact. Becca and Steve explore how to: → Plan lessons and coaching sessions with student behaviors in mind → Use observation and questioning to drive meaningful reflection → Support teachers with empathy, not judgment → Build thriving professional learning communities that keep everyone growingPacked with real-world insights and practical takeaways, this episode is a powerful reminder that when we focus on students first, everything else follows.Check out The Principals Exchange Virtual Conference [January 28-29, 2026]! 

If you've ever wrapped up what felt like a perfectly modeled lesson only to see blank stares when your students try it on their own, you're not alone. You know the moment: you've explained, demonstrated, and thought aloud, but when it's their turn, they freeze. The problem often isn't the modeling itself—it's that students need more support between watching and doing. That's where effective scaffolding comes in.In this episode, I break down the four key steps of scaffolding—modeling, approximating, fading away, and independent learning—and share why each one matters. You'll learn how these steps help students internalize new skills rather than just imitate what they see, and how skipping a single phase can lead to confusion or frustration. When we add in those middle scaffolds, we create the structure students need to build true confidence and independence.Ultimately, scaffolding is about slowing down the learning process just enough so that all students have the chance to succeed. When we give them the right amount of support—and remove it at the right time—we set them up for meaningful growth and long-term learning. This episode will help you reflect on your own scaffolding practices and feel confident making small, intentional shifts that lead to big results.Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Sign up for my FREE Revision Made Easy email series here!Follow me on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany. To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode278.

Send us a textImagine a school where grades reward collaboration, character, and genuine mastery—not just memorization and speed. In this episode, Dean of Academics Marc Aronson shares how his school, Cheshire Academy,  rethought assessment through Grading What Matters, a framework focused on authentic learning, student agency, and mission-aligned outcomes.We explore Final Demonstrations of Learning instead of exams, a Community of Learners model that grades students on contribution and engagement, and a fully open honors pathway where any student can earn honors inside their regular class.Drawing from research by Grant Wiggins and Eric Mazur, Marc explains why performance assessments build deeper learning, why narrative feedback matters more than percentages, and how shifting to mission-based grading builds belonging, confidence, and durable skills.What you'll learn:• How to design authentic assessments & FDOLs• How to grade collaboration and community contribution• Why narrative feedback drives real motivation• Practical steps to begin grading what truly mattersIf grades shape how students see themselves, let them measure what counts: mastery, growth, and contribution.

Join the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast for a CARS Reading Skills Workshop where we dissect the Nov 5 Daily CARS passage, “Student Learning,” line by line. You'll hear how Jack and the team approach each sentence, track shifts in author attitude, and distill paragraph main ideas—so you're primed to crush the questions that follow.What you'll learnHow to read CARS passages sentence by sentence without over-annotatingSpotting contrast words and knowing what the author cares about mostTracking names & viewpoints efficiently (who said what—and why it matters)Distinguishing preference vs. effectiveness claimsIdentifying repeating main ideas (e.g., social expectations) and building a hierarchy of importanceApplying the read to the 7 associated questions to check comprehensionTry the passage & questionsFind the Daily CARS passage for Nov 5 here: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/student-learningWant to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com!

Inside the AI Classroom: Dan & Ray's Big AI-in-Education Download In this fast-paced news roundup, Dan and Ray dive head-first into the latest research and developments shaping AI in education. From MIT's Perspectives for the Perplexed guide for schools, to McKinsey's take on "agentic AI," to Google's LearnLM experiments with AI-powered textbooks, the duo unpack what every educator needs to know right now. They explore what's happening inside classrooms, universities, and edtech labs — including new findings on AI literacy, evolving assessment design, and why "policing AI use" misses the point. Plus, they debate the rise of AI-integrated browsers like ChatGPT Atlas, what it means for assessment integrity, and how tools like Microsoft Copilot are reshaping both teaching and admin work. It's the ultimate AI-in-education briefing — thoughtful, fast, and full of insights (and laughs) from two of the field's most passionate voices. Here's all the links to news and research mentioned in the podcast (and, most importantly) the Two Ronnies Fork Handles sketch! Fork Handles https://youtu.be/sO6EE1xTXmw?si=5Iix8Jo_xiZCRVCn News MIT "Guide to AI in Schools: Perspectives for the Perplexed" https://tsl.mit.edu/ai-guidebook/ https://tsl.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GuideToAIInSchools.pdf One year of agentic AI: Six lessons from the people doing the work https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/one-year-of-agentic-ai-six-lessons-from-the-people-doing-the-work OpenAI Atlas (and Perplexity Comet) https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-atlas/ An Opinionated Guide to Using AI Right Now https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/an-opinionated-guide-to-using-ai Google "Learn Your Way" pilot https://learnyourway.withgoogle.com/ Towards an AI-Augmented Textbook https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13348 Experimentally Testing AI-Powered Content Transformations on Student Learning https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.18664 PEW Research into AI attitudes around the world https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/10/15/how-people-around-the-world-view-ai/ Copilot in Windows https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/10/16/making-every-windows-11-pc-an-ai-pc/ Copilot consumer updates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4jXM8yTdnQ&feature=youtu.be M365 Copilot Education updates https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/blog/2025/10/designing-microsoft-365-copilot-to-empower-educators-students-and-staff/?msockid=0a3b30f5f88b6061226e245bf9b96140 BBC: The lecturers learning to spot AI misconduct https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2kn3gn8vl9o UNE are rolling out their Madgwick AI system to all students https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aaronbdriver_aiineducation-highered-enterpriseai-activity-7378920493543845888-aZ3I Research The Bubble and Burner Model of AI-Infusion: A Framework for Teaching and Learning https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5501341 Firm or Fickle? Evaluating Large Language Models Consistency in Sequential Interactions https://aclanthology.org/2025.findings-acl.347/ GASLIGHTBENCH: Quantifying LLM Susceptibility to Social Prompting, https://openreview.net/forum?id=0BYRYwGCbK What does 'good teaching' mean in the AI age? https://journals.sfu.ca/jalt/index.php/jalt/article/view/3649 How university students work on assessment tasks with generative artificial intelligence: matters of judgement https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2025.2570328 AI Knows Best? The Paradox Of Expertise, Ai-Reliance, And Performance In Educational Tutoring Decision-Making Tasks http://arxiv.org/pdf/2509.16772v1

Megan and guest host Gretchen Wegner explore the concept of cognitive overload and its impact on students' learning abilities, particularly focusing on working memory and its limited capacity. Listen to learn about working memory which has a limited capacity and ... Read More » The post 599: Cognitive Overload in Student Learning with Gretchen Wegner appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Want students who can learn, solve problems, and adapt? Find out how to make it happen with my guest Eva Mireles!In this episode, Eva breaks down the three processes that support student learning: metacognition, executive functioning, and self-regulation. Eva shares practical strategies for supporting metacognition, developing executive functioning skills, and fostering self-regulation as students grow. You'll also learn about common mistakes, how SEL fits in, and why it's important to explicitly teach and model these skills.Listen now to discover the three processes that support student learning!-Chrissy BeltranBuzzing with Ms. B Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buzzingwithmsbBuzzing with Ms. B TpT - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Chrissy-Beltran-Buzzing-With-Ms-BInstructional Coach Binder Megapack – Editable Forms, Calendars, Planning Tools - https://buzzingwithmsb.com/product/instructional-coach-binder-megapack-editable-forms-calendars-planning-toolsConfident Literacy Coach Course - http://www.confidentliteracycoach.comFree Five Literacy Coaching Priorities Video Course - https://www.buzzingwithmsb.com/literacycoachInstructional Coaching with Ms. B Show Notes - https://buzzingwithmsb.com/Episode251Thank you for listening to Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast. If you love the show, share it with a coach who would love it too, subscribe to this podcast, or leave me a review on iTunes! It's free and it helps others find this show, too. Happy coaching!Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by ParentPowered.The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.Research shows that when families are engaged, students thrive. Strong family engagement is a must, but it can feel daunting and complex. Where do you start? In this edWeb podcast, Rebecca Honig and Françoise Lartigue from ParentPowered explore 10 powerful things you can do to ensure strong partnerships with families.From strategies that build trust and mitigate parental anxiety to strengths-based ways you can partner with parents around student learning, they cover highly doable actions you can take to break down barriers and ensure that you're reaching and engaging ALL families. They also share numerous tools and resources that you can immediately use in your work with families.Listeners leave with:Ways to build trust and mitigate parental anxietyStrategies to ensure clear, strengths-based communication with familiesWays to break down barriers to participationSteps to scaffold family engagementPathways to partner with ALL families around student learningConcrete tools and resources to use with familiesThis edWeb podcast is of interest to PreK-12 teachers, school leaders, district leaders, education technology leaders, and family liaisons.ParentPoweredCreating easy-to-use tools for great parenting to improve the lives of all childrenDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

This week, Mike Petrilli digs into the latest NAEP results—and explores whether the rise of smartphones and social media might help explain them. It's another solo episode, just Mike and the mic.On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner shares a new REACH study showing that school voucher programs have boosted private school enrollment by just 3 percent so far—but are already putting upward pressure on tuition.Recommended contentThe Best Takes on the Worst NAEP Scores Ever —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLEDSchools, but not states, should ban phones —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLEDCellphone bans are not enough —Henry Seton for the Thomas B. Fordham InstituteStudent Test Scores Keep Falling. What's Really to Blame? —Martin R. West, Education WeekPay Attention, Kid!—Daniel T. Willingham, EducationNextThe Effects of Universal School Vouchers on Private School Tuition and Enrollment: A National Analysis —Douglas N. Harris and Gabriel Olivier, REACH (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

We're teaming up for a shared episode with the Anna and Shè from the Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast to talk about the what reflective teaching is and how to start finding ways to incorporate it into your work. This is part two of a two-part experimental mini-series, continuing where we left of and moving into conversations about practical strategies to implement Reflective Teaching. The previous episode was done the DIESOL way, and this episode is done the Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast way. If you liked this episdoe, please check out more of Anna and Shé's work as they do excellent work contributing to the field. Show notes: www.DIESOL.org/126

Seth Offenbach shares about his article, Kindness and Community in an Online Asynchronous Classroom, on episode 586 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast. Quotes from the episode I had to recognize the reality that my classroom was never going to be the number one priority for people during the pandemic. -Seth Offenbach When we teach, why not be kind? -Seth Offenbach My goal is to challenge my students intellectually. My goal is not to stress them out. -Seth Offenbach We all miss deadlines. -Seth Offenbach In order to truly be kind, you have to create a safe space for the students where they feel that they can come to you, talk to you and learn with you. -Seth Offenbach Resources Kindness and Community in an Online Asynchronous Classroom, by Seth Offenbach Currents in Teaching and Learning – January 2025 edition Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto, by Kevin M. Gannon The Social Justice Syllabus Design Tool: A First Step in Doing Social Justice Pedagogy, by Sherria D. Taylor and Maria J. Veri Feeling Better: A Year without Deadlines, by Doreen Thierauf A Pedagogy of Kindness, by Catherine Denial Cultivating Compassionate Community to Foster Academic Integrity?, by Maha Bali and Yasser Tammer An Equity Syllabus Liquid Syllabus, by Michelle Pacansky-Brock Jesse Stommel The Practice of Ungrading, by Jesse Stommel Remi Kalir's Annotated Syllabus Go Ahead and Ask for More Time on That Deadline, by Ashley Whillans A Pedagogy of Kindness: The Cornerstone for Student Learning and Wellness, by Fiona Rawle Effect of Syllabus Tone: Students' Perceptions of Instructor and Course, by Harnish & Bridges Replacing Power with Flexible Structure: Implementing Flexible Deadlines to Improve Student Learning Experiences, by Hills & Peacock Enhancing Social Presence in Online Learning, by Joyce & Brown The 1:1 method, by Seth Godin  Master Slave Husband Wife, by Ilyon Woo 

We're teaming up for a shared episode with the Anna and Shè from the Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast to talk about the what reflective teaching is and how to start finding ways to incorporate it into your work. This episode goes deep - far beyond thinking about your lesson and moving into transformative teaching for dedicated educators. Listen in for a deeper understanding of reflective teaching and approaches you can make to use it to improve experiences for both you and your students. This is part one of a two-part experimental mini-series. This episode is done the DIESOL way, and the next episode will be done the Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast way. We hope you'll check out more of Anna and Shé's work as they do excellent work contributing to the field. Show notes: www.DIESOL.org/125 

Send us a textOn this episode we're revisiting a popular and timely episode from 2022 with three former College of Charleston students, Jaylen Newell, Bella Pack, and Lauren Pinto about successfully managing the first few weeks and months of college.Their advice is timeless and will benefit new students who are starting classes, finding their way around campus and making new friends. From finding parking and making friends to avoiding dorm kitchen disasters (yes, water does go in microwave mac and cheese), the trio offers heartfelt insights drawn from their own college journeys. They discuss the importance of getting involved in clubs, exploring Charleston's vibrant culture and embracing academic resources like the Center for Student Learning.The episode also touches on deeper themes like homesickness, mental health, and the value of taking risks and staying open to change, whether it's switching majors or discovering unexpected passions. With humor, honesty, and encouragement, Jaylen, Bella, and Lauren remind new students that college is not just about academics, but about growth, connection and finding your place.Resources from this episode:Clubs and organizationsCenter for Excellence in Peer EducationOffice of Student WellnessDepartment of Residence Life

On this show, host Famida Choudhary was joined by Komal Mule, an accomplished ICT educator with over 11 years of experience in computer science, robotics, and curriculum innovation. Together, they dived into how coding, robotics, and ICT integration can enhance collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. From cross-curricular projects to hands-on challenges, this conversation explores how technology not only boosts engagement but also prepares students with the confidence and skills needed for the future.

Hamsa Bastani, Associate Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions at the Wharton School, examines the opportunities and risks of integrating AI into K–12 education, emphasizing the need for foundational skills, guardrails, and human connection to ensure technology enhances—rather than undermines—student learning and motivation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers,Nuclear fission is a safe, powerful, and reliable means of generating nearly limitless clean energy to power the modern world. A few public safety scares and a lot of bad press over the half-century has greatly delayed our nuclear future. But with climate change and energy-hungry AI making daily headlines, the time — finally — for a nuclear renaissance seems to have arrived.Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I talk with Dr. Tim Gregory about the safety and efficacy of modern nuclear power, as well as the ambitious energy goals we should set for our society.Gregory is a nuclear scientist at the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. He is also a popular science broadcaster on radio and TV, and an author. His most recent book, Going Nuclear: How Atomic Energy Will Save the World is out now.In This Episode* A false start for a nuclear future (1:29)* Motivators for a revival (7:20)* About nuclear waste . . . (12:41)* Not your mother's reactors (17:25)* Commercial fusion, coming soon . . . ? (23:06)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation. A false start for a nuclear future (1:29)The truth is that radiation, we're living in it all the time, it's completely inescapable because we're all living in a sea of background radiation.Pethokoukis: Why do America, Europe, Japan not today get most of their power from nuclear fission, since that would've been a very reasonable prediction to make in 1965 or 1975, but it has not worked out that way? What's your best take on why it hasn't?Going back to the '50s and '60s, it looked like that was the world that we currently live in. It was all to play for, and there were a few reasons why that didn't happen, but the main two were Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. It's a startling statistic that the US built more nuclear reactors in the five years leading up to Three Mile Island than it has built since. And similarly on this side of the Atlantic, Europe built more nuclear reactors in the five years leading up to Chernobyl than it has built since, which is just astounding, especially given that nobody died in Three Mile Island and nobody was even exposed to anything beyond the background radiation as a result of that nuclear accident.Chernobyl, of course, was far more consequential and far more serious than Three Mile Island. 30-odd people died in the immediate aftermath, mostly people who were working at the power station and the first responders, famously the firefighters who were exposed to massive amounts of radiation, and probably a couple of hundred people died in the affected population from thyroid cancer. It was people who were children and adolescents at the time of the accident.So although every death from Chernobyl was a tragedy because it was avoidable, they're not in proportion to the mythic reputation of the night in question. It certainly wasn't reason to effectively end nuclear power expansion in Europe because of course we had to get that power from somewhere, and it mainly came from fossil fuels, which are not just a little bit more deadly than nuclear power, they're orders of magnitude more deadly than nuclear power. When you add up all of the deaths from nuclear power and compare those deaths to the amount of electricity that we harvest from nuclear power, it's actually as safe as wind and solar, whereas fossil fuels kill hundreds or thousands of times more people per unit of power. To answer your question, it's complicated and there are many answers, but the main two were Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.I wonder how things might have unfolded if those events hadn't happened or if society had responded proportionally to the actual damage. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are portrayed in documentaries and on TV as far deadlier than they really were, and they still loom large in the public imagination in a really unhelpful way.You see it online, actually, quite a lot about the predicted death toll from Chernobyl, because, of course, there's no way of saying exactly which cases of cancer were caused by Chernobyl and which ones would've happened anyway. Sometimes you see estimates that are up in the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of deaths from Chernobyl. They are always based on a flawed scientific hypothesis called the linear no-threshold model that I go into in quite some detail in chapter eight of my book, which is all about the human health effects of exposure to radiation. This model is very contested in the literature. It's one of the most controversial areas of medical science, actually, the effects of radiation on the human body, and all of these massive numbers you see of the death toll from Chernobyl, they're all based on this really kind of clunky, flawed, contentious hypothesis. My reading of the literature is that there's very, very little physical evidence to support this particular hypothesis, but people take it and run. I don't know if it would be too far to accuse people of pushing a certain idea of Chernobyl, but it almost certainly vastly, vastly overestimates the effects.I think a large part of the reason of why this had such a massive impact on the public and politicians is this lingering sense of radiophobia that completely blight society. We've all seen it in the movies, in TV shows, even in music and computer games — radiation is constantly used as a tool to invoke fear and mistrust. It's this invisible, centerless, silent specter that's kind of there in the background: It means birth defects, it means cancers, it means ill health. We've all kind of grown up in this culture where the motif of radiation is bad news, it's dangerous, and that inevitably gets tied to people's sense of nuclear power. So when you get something like Three Mile Island, society's imagination and its preconceptions of radiation, it's just like a dry haystack waiting for a flint spark to land on it, and up it goes in flames and people's imaginations run away with them.The truth is that radiation, we're living in it all the time, it's completely inescapable because we're all living in a sea of background radiation. There's this amazing statistic that if you live within a couple of miles of a nuclear power station, the extra amount of radiation you're exposed to annually is about the same as eating a banana. Bananas are slightly radioactive because of the slight amount of potassium-40 that they naturally contain. Even in the wake of these nuclear accidents like Chernobyl, and more recently Fukushima, the amount of radiation that the public was exposed to barely registers and, in fact, is less than the background radiation in lots of places on the earth.Motivators for a revival (7:20)We have no idea what emerging technologies are on the horizon that will also require massive amounts of power, and that's exactly where nuclear can shine.You just suddenly reminded me of a story of when I was in college in the late 1980s, taking a class on the nuclear fuel cycle. You know it was an easy class because there was an ampersand in it. “Nuclear fuel cycle” would've been difficult. “Nuclear fuel cycle & the environment,” you knew it was not a difficult class.The man who taught it was a nuclear scientist and, at one point, he said that he would have no problem having a nuclear reactor in his backyard. This was post-Three Mile Island, post-Chernobyl, and the reaction among the students — they were just astounded that he would be willing to have this unbelievably dangerous facility in his backyard.We have this fear of nuclear power, and there's sort of an economic component, but now we're seeing what appears to be a nuclear renaissance. I don't think it's driven by fear of climate change, I think it's driven A) by fear that if you are afraid of climate change, just solar and wind aren't going to get you to where you want to be; and then B) we seem like we're going to need a lot of clean energy for all these AI data centers. So it really does seem to be a perfect storm after a half-century.And who knows what next. When I started writing Going Nuclear, the AI story hadn't broken yet, and so all of the electricity projections for our future demand, which, they range from doubling to tripling, we're going to need a lot of carbon-free electricity if we've got any hope of electrifying society whilst getting rid of fossil fuels. All of those estimates were underestimates because nobody saw AI coming.It's been very, very interesting just in the last six, 12 months seeing Big Tech in North America moving first on this. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have all either invested or actually placed orders for small modular reactors specifically to power their AI data centers. In some ways, they've kind of led the charge on this. They've moved faster than most nation states, although it is encouraging, actually, here in the UK, just a couple of weeks ago, the government announced that our new nuclear power station is definitely going ahead down in Sizewell in Suffolk in the south of England. That's a 3.2 gigawatt nuclear reactor, it's absolutely massive. But it's been really, really encouraging to see Big Tech in the private sector in North America take the situation into their own hands. If anyone's real about electricity demands and how reliable you need it, it's Big Tech with these data centers.I always think, go back five, 10 years, talk of AI was only on the niche subreddits and techie podcasts where people were talking about it. It broke into the mainstream all of a sudden. Who knows what is going to happen in the next five or 10 years. We have no idea what emerging technologies are on the horizon that will also require massive amounts of power, and that's exactly where nuclear can shine.In the US, at least, I don't think decarbonization alone is enough to win broad support for nuclear, since a big chunk of the country doesn't think we actually need to do that. But I think that pairing it with the promise of rapid AI-driven economic growth creates a stronger case.I tried to appeal to a really broad church in Going Nuclear because I really, really do believe that whether you are completely preoccupied by climate change and environmental issues or you're completely preoccupied by economic growth, and raising living, standards and all of that kind of thing, all the monetary side of things, nuclear is for you because if you solve the energy problem, you solve both problems at once. You solve the economic problem and the environmental problem.There's this really interesting relationship between GDP per head — which is obviously incredibly important in economic terms — and energy consumption per head, and it's basically a straight line relationship between the two. There are no rich countries that aren't also massive consumers of energy, so if you really, really care about the economy, you should really also be caring about energy consumption and providing energy abundance so people can go out and use that energy to create wealth and prosperity. Again, that's where nuclear comes in. You can use nuclear power to sate that massive energy demand that growing economies require.This podcast is very pro-wealth and prosperity, but I'll also say, if the nuclear dreams of the '60s where you had, in this country, what was the former Atomic Energy Commission expecting there to be 1000 nuclear reactors in this country by the year 2000, we're not having this conversation about climate change. It is amazing that what some people view as an existential crisis could have been prevented — by the United States and other western countries, at least — just making a different political decision.We would be spending all of our time talking about something else, and how nice would that be?For sure. I'm sure there'd be other existential crises to worry about.But for sure, we wouldn't be talking about climate change was anywhere near the volume or the sense of urgency as we are now if we would've carried on with the nuclear expansion that really took off in the '70s and the '80s. It would be something that would be coming our way in a couple of centuries.About nuclear waste . . . (12:41). . . a 100 percent nuclear-powered life for about 80 years, their nuclear waste would barely fill a wine glass or a coffee cup. I don't know if you've ever seen the television show For All Mankind?I haven't. So many people have recommended it to me.It's great. It's an alt-history that looks at what if the Space Race had never stopped. As a result, we had a much more tech-enthusiastic society, which included being much more pro-nuclear.Anyway, imagine if you are on a plane talking to the person next to you, and the topic of your book comes up, and the person says hey, I like energy, wealth, prosperity, but what are you going to do about the nuclear waste?That almost exact situation has happened, but on a train rather than an airplane. One of the cool things about uranium is just how much energy you can get from a very small amount of it. If typical person in a highly developed economy, say North America, Europe, something like that, if they produced all of their power over their entire lifetime from nuclear alone, so forget fossil fuels, forget wind and solar, a 100 percent nuclear-powered life for about 80 years, their nuclear waste would barely fill a wine glass or a coffee cup. You need a very small amount of uranium to power somebody's life, and the natural conclusion of that is you get a very small amount of waste for a lifetime of power. So in terms of the numbers, and the amount of nuclear waste, it's just not that much of a problem.However, I don't want to just try and trivialize it out of existence with some cool pithy statistics and some cool back-of-the-envelopes physics calculations because we still have to do something with the nuclear waste. This stuff is going to be radioactive for the best part of a million years. Thankfully, it's quite an easy argument to make because good old Finland, which is one of the most nuclear nations on the planet as a share of nuclear in its grid, has solved this problem. It has implemented — and it's actually working now — the world's first and currently only geological repository for nuclear waste. Their idea is essentially to bury it in impermeable bedrock and leave it there because, as with all radioactive objects, nuclear waste becomes less radioactive over time. The idea is that, in a million years, Finland's nuclear waste won't be nuclear waste anymore, it will just be waste. A million years sounds like a really long time to our ears, but it's actually —It does.It sounds like a long time, but it is the blink of an eye, geologically. So to a geologist, a million years just comes and goes straight away. So it's really not that difficult to keep nuclear waste safe underground on those sorts of timescales. However — and this is the really cool thing, and this is one of the arguments that I make in my book — there are actually technologies that we can use to recycle nuclear waste. It turns out that when you pull uranium out of a reactor, once it's been burned for a couple of years in a reactor, 95 percent of the atoms are still usable. You can still use them to generate nuclear power. So by throwing away nuclear waste when it's been through a nuclear reactor once, we're actually squandering like 95 percent of material that we're throwing away.The theory is this sort of the technology behind breeder reactors?That's exactly right, yes.What about the plutonium? People are worried about the plutonium!People are worried about the plutonium, but in a breeder reactor, you get rid of the plutonium because you split it into fission products, and fission products are still radioactive, but they have much shorter half-lives than plutonium. So rather than being radioactive for, say, a million years, they're only radioactive, really, for a couple of centuries, maybe 1000 years, which is a very, very different situation when you think about long-term storage.I read so many papers and memos from the '50s when these reactors were first being built and demonstrated, and they worked, by the way, they're actually quite easy to build, it just happened in a couple of years. Breeder reactors were really seen as the future of humanity's power demands. Forget traditional nuclear power stations that we all use at the moment, which are just kind of once through and then you throw away 95 percent of the energy at the end of it. These breeder reactors were really, really seen as the future.They never came to fruition because we discovered lots of uranium around the globe, and so the supply of uranium went up around the time that the nuclear power expansion around the world kind of seized up, so the uranium demand dropped as the supply increased, so the demand for these breeder reactors kind of petered out and fizzled out. But if we're really, really serious about the medium-term future of humanity when it comes to energy, abundance, and prosperity, we need to be taking a second look at these breeder reactors because there's enough uranium and thorium in the ground around the world now to power the world for almost 1000 years. After that, we'll have something else. Maybe we'll have nuclear fusion.Well, I hope it doesn't take a thousand years for nuclear fusion.Yes, me too.Not your mother's reactors (17:25)In 2005, France got 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear. They almost decarbonized their grid by accident before anybody cared about climate change, and that was during a time when their economy was absolutely booming.I don't think most people are aware of how much innovation has taken place around nuclear in the past few years, or even few decades. It's not just a climate change issue or that we need to power these data centers — the technology has vastly improved. There are newer, safer technologies, so we're not talking about 1975-style reactors.Even if it were the 1975-style reactors, that would be fine because they're pretty good and they have an absolutely impeccable safety record punctuated by a very small number of high-profile events such as Chernobyl and Fukushima. I'm not to count Three Mile Island on that list because nobody died, but you know what I mean.But the modern nuclear reactors are amazing. The ones that are coming out of France, the EPRs, the European Power Reactors, there are going to be two of those in the UK's new nuclear power station, and they've been designed to withstand an airplane flying into the side of them, so they're basically bomb-proof.As for these small modular reactors, that's getting people very excited, too. As their name suggests, they're small. How small is a reasonable question — the answer is as small as you want to go. These things are scalable, and I've seen designs for just one-megawatt reactors that could easily fit inside a shipping container. They could fit in the parking lots around the side of a data center, or in the basement even, all the way up to multi-hundred-megawatt reactors that could fit on a couple of tennis courts worth of land. But it's really the modular part that's the most interesting thing. That's the ‘M' and that's never been done before.Which really gets to the economics of the SMRs.It really does. The idea is you could build upwards of 90 percent of these reactors on a factory line. We know from the history of industrialization that as soon as you start mass producing things, the unit cost just plummets and the timescales shrink. No one has achieved that yet, though. There's a lot of hype around small modular reactors, and so it's kind of important not to get complacent and really keep our eye on the ultimate goal, which is mass-production and mass rapid deployment of nuclear power stations, crucially in the places where you need them the most, as well.We often think about just decarbonizing our electricity supply or decoupling our electricity supply from volatilities in the fossil fuel market, but it's about more than electricity, as well. We need heat for things like making steel, making the ammonia that feeds most people on the planet, food and drinks factories, car manufacturers, plants that rely on steam. You need heat, and thankfully, the primary energy from a nuclear reactor is heat. The electricity is secondary. We have to put effort into making that. The heat just kind of happens. So there's this idea that we could use the surplus heat from nuclear reactors to power industrial processes that are very, very difficult to decarbonize. Small modular reactors would be perfect for that because you could nestle them into the industrial centers that need the heat close by. So honestly, it is really our imaginations that are the limits with these small modular reactors.They've opened a couple of nuclear reactors down in Georgia here. The second one was a lot cheaper and faster to build because they had already learned a bunch of lessons building that first one, and it really gets at sort of that repeatability where every single reactor doesn't have to be this one-off bespoke project. That is not how it works in the world of business. How you get cheaper things is by building things over and over, you get very good at building them, and then you're able to turn these things out at scale. That has not been the economic situation with nuclear reactors, but hopefully with small modular reactors, or even if we just start building a lot of big advanced reactors, we'll get those economies of scale and hopefully the economic issue will then take care of itself.For sure, and it is exactly the same here in the UK. The last reactor that we connected to the grid was in 1995. I was 18 months old. I don't even know if I was fluent in speaking at 18 months old. I was really, really young. Our newest nuclear power station, Hinkley Point C, which is going to come online in the next couple of years, was hideously expensive. The uncharitable view of that is that it's just a complete farce and is just a complete embarrassment, but honestly, you've got to think about it: 1995, the last nuclear reactor in the UK, it was going to take a long time, it was going to be expensive, basically doing it from scratch. We had no supply chain. We didn't really have a workforce that had ever built a nuclear reactor before, and with this new reactor that just got announced a couple of weeks ago, the projected price is 20 percent cheaper, and it is still too expensive, it's still more expensive than it should be, but you're exactly right.By tapping into those economies of scale, the cost per nuclear reactor will fall, and France did this in the '70s and '80s. Their nuclear program is so amazing. France is still the most nuclear nation on the planet as a share of its total electricity. In 2005, France got 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear. They almost decarbonized their grid by accident before anybody cared about climate change, and that was during a time when their economy was absolutely booming. By the way, still today, all of those reactors are still working and they pay less than the European Union average for that electricity, so this idea that nuclear makes your electricity expensive is simply not true. They built 55 nuclear reactors in 25 years, and they did them in parallel. It was just absolutely amazing. I would love to see a French-style nuclear rollout in all developed countries across the world. I think that would just be absolutely amazing.Commercial fusion, coming soon . . . ? (23:06)I think we're pretty good at doing things when we put our minds to it, but certainly not in the next couple of decades. But luckily, we already have a proven way of producing lots of energy, and that's with nuclear fission, in the meantime.What is your enthusiasm level or expectation about nuclear fusion? I can tell you that the Silicon Valley people I talk to are very positive. I know they're inherently very positive people, but they're very enthusiastic about the prospects over the next decade, if not sooner, of commercial fusion. How about you?It would be incredible. The last question that I was asked in my PhD interview 10 years ago was, “If you could solve one scientific or engineering problem, what would it be?” and my answer was nuclear fusion. And that would be the answer that I would give today. It just seems to me to be obviously the solution to the long-term energy needs of humanity. However, I'm less optimistic, perhaps, than the Silicon Valley crowd. The running joke, of course, is that it's always 40 years away and it recedes into the future at one year per year. So I would love to be proved wrong, but realistically — no one's even got it working in a prototype power station. That's before we even think about commercializing it and deploying it at scale. I really, really think that we're decades away, maybe even something like a century. I'd be surprised if it took longer than a century, actually. I think we're pretty good at doing things when we put our minds to it, but certainly not in the next couple of decades. But luckily, we already have a proven way of producing lots of energy, and that's with nuclear fission, in the meantime.Don't go to California with that attitude. I can tell you that even when I go there and I talk about AI, if I say that AI will do anything less than improve economic growth by a factor of 100, they just about throw me out over there. Let me just finish up by asking you this: Earlier, we mentioned Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. How resilient do you think this nuclear renaissance is to an accident?Even if we take the rate of accident over the last 70 years of nuclear power production and we maintain that same level of rate of accident, if you like, it's still one of the safest things that our species does, and everyone talks about the death toll from nuclear power, but nobody talks about the lives that it's already saved because of the fossil fuels, that it's displaced fossil fuels. They're so amazing in some ways, they're so convenient, they're so energy-dense, they've created the modern world as we all enjoy it in the developed world and as the developing world is heading towards it. But there are some really, really nasty consequences of fossil fuels, and whether or not you care about climate change, even the air pollution alone and the toll that that takes on human health is enough to want to phase them out. Nuclear power already is orders of magnitude safer than fossil fuels and I read this really amazing paper that globally, it was something like between the '70s and the '90s, nuclear power saved about two million lives because of the fossil fuels that it displaced. That's, again, orders of magnitude more lives that have been lost as a consequence of nuclear power, mostly because of Chernobyl and Fukushima. Even if the safety record of nuclear in the past stays the same and we forward-project that into the future, it's still a winning horse to bet on.If in the UK they've started up one new nuclear reactor in the past 30 years, right? How many would you guess will be started over the next 15 years?Four or five. Something like that, I think; although I don't know.Is that a significant number to you?It's not enough for my liking. I would like to see many, many more. Look at France. I know I keep going back to it, but it's such a brilliant example. If France hadn't done what they'd done in between the '70s and the '90s — 55 nuclear reactors in 25 years, all of which are still working — it would be a much more difficult case to make because there would be no historical precedent for it. So, maybe predictably, I wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than a French-scale nuclear rollout, let's put it that way.On sale everywhere The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were PromisedMicro Reads▶ Economics* The U.S. Marches Toward State Capitalism With American Characteristics - WSJ* AI Spending Is Propping Up the Economy, Right? It's Complicated. - Barron's* Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle. - NYT* Sam Altman says Gen Z are the 'luckiest' kids in history thanks to AI, despite mounting job displacement dread - NYT* Lab-Grown Diamonds Are Testing the Power of Markets - Bberg Opinion* Why globalisation needs a leader: Hegemons, alignment, and trade - CEPR* The Rising Returns to R&D: Ideas Are not Getting Harder to Find - SSRN* An Assessment of China's Innovative Capacity - The Fed* Markets are so used to the TACO trade they didn't even blink when Trump extended a tariff delay with China - Fortune* Labor unions mobilize to challenge advance of algorithms in workplaces - Wapo* ChatGPT loves this bull market. Human investors are more cautious. - Axios* What is required for a post-growth model? - Arxiv* What Would It Take to Bring Back US Manufacturing? - Bridgewater▶ Business* An AI Replay of the Browser Wars, Bankrolled by Google - Bberg* Alexa Got an A.I. Brain Transplant. How Smart Is It Now? - NYT* Google and IBM believe first workable quantum computer is in sight - FT* Why does Jeff Bezos keep buying launches from Elon Musk? - Ars* Beijing demands Chinese tech giants justify purchases of Nvidia's H20 chips - FT* An AI Replay of the Browser Wars, Bankrolled by Google - Bberg Opinion* Why Businesses Say Tariffs Have a Delayed Effect on Inflation - Richmond Fed* Lisa Su Runs AMD—and Is Out for Nvidia's Blood - Wired* Forget the White House Sideshow. Intel Must Decide What It Wants to Be. - WSJ* With Billions at Risk, Nvidia CEO Buys His Way Out of the Trade Battle - WSJ* Donald Trump's 100% tariff threat looms over chip sector despite relief for Apple - FT* Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival - FT* Threads is nearing X's daily app users, new data shows - TechCrunch▶ Policy/Politics* Trump's China gamble - Axios* U.S. Government to Take Cut of Nvidia and AMD A.I. Chip Sales to China - NYT* A Guaranteed Annual Income Flop - WSJ Opinion* Big Tech's next major political battle may already be brewing in your backyard - Politico* Trump order gives political appointees vast powers over research grants - Nature* China has its own concerns about Nvidia H20 chips - FT* How the US Could Lose the AI Arms Race to China - Bberg Opinion* America's New AI Plan Is Great. There's Just One Problem. - Bberg Opinion* Trump, Seeking Friendlier Economic Data, Names New Statistics Chief - NYT* Trump's chief science adviser faces a storm of criticism: what's next? - Nature* Trump Is Squandering the Greatest Gift of the Manhattan Project - NYT Opinion▶ AI/Digital* Can OpenAI's GPT-5 model live up to sky-high expectations? - FT* Google, Schmoogle: When to Ditch Web Search for Deep Research - WSJ* AI Won't Kill Software. It Will Simply Give It New Life. - Barron's* Chatbot Conversations Never End. That's a Problem for Autistic People. - WSJ* Volunteers fight to keep ‘AI slop' off Wikipedia - Wapo* Trump's Tariffs Won't Solve U.S. Chip-Making Dilemma - WSJ* GenAI Misinformation, Trust, and News Consumption: Evidence from a Field Experiment - NBER* GPT-5s Are Alive: Basic Facts, Benchmarks and the Model Card - Don't Worry About the Vase* What you may have missed about GPT-5 - MIT* Why A.I. Should Make Parents Rethink Posting Photos of Their Children Online - NYT* 21 Ways People Are Using A.I. at Work - NYT* AI and Jobs: The Final Word (Until the Next One) - EIG* These workers don't fear artificial intelligence. They're getting degrees in it. - Wapo* AI Gossip - Arxiv* Meet the early-adopter judges using AI - MIT* The GPT-5 rollout has been a big mess - Ars* A Humanoid Social Robot as a Teaching Assistant in the Classroom - Arxiv* OpenAI Scrambles to Update GPT-5 After Users Revolt - Wired* Sam Altman and the whale - MIT* This is what happens when ChatGPT tries to write scripture - Vox* How AI could create the first one-person unicorn - Economist* AI Robs My Students of the Ability to Think - WSJ Opinion* Part I: Tricks or Traps? A Deep Dive into RL for LLM Reasoning - Arxiv▶ Biotech/Health* Scientists Are Finally Making Progress Against Alzheimer's - WSJ Opinion* The Dawn of a New Era in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Treatment - RealClearScience* RFK Jr. shifts $500 million from mRNA research to 'safer' vaccines. Do the data back that up? - Reason* How Older People Are Reaping Brain Benefits From New Tech - NYT* Did Disease Defeat Napoleon? - SciAm* Scientists Discover a Viral Cause of One of The World's Most Common Cancers - ScienceAlert* ‘A tipping point': An update from the frontiers of Alzheimer's disease research - Yale News* A new measure of health is revolutionising how we think about ageing - NS* First proof brain's powerhouses drive – and can reverse – dementia symptoms - NA* The Problem Is With Men's Sperm - NYT Opinion▶ Clean Energy/Climate* The Whole World Is Switching to EVs Faster Than You - Bberg Opinion* Misperceptions About Air Pollution: Implications for Willingness to Pay and Environmental Inequality - NBER* Texas prepares for war as invasion of flesh-eating flies appears imminent - Ars* Data Center Energy Demand Will Double Over the Next Five Years - Apollo Academy* Why Did Air Conditioning Adoption Accelerate Faster Than Predicted? Evidence from Mexico - NBER* Microwaving rocks could help mining operations pull CO2 out of the air - NS* Ford's Model T Moment Isn't About the Car - Heatmap* Five countries account for 71% of the world's nuclear generation capacity - EIA* AI may need the power equivalent of 50 large nuclear plants - E&E▶ Space/Transportation* NASA plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon—a space lawyer explains why - Ars* Rocket Lab's Surprise Stock Move After Solid Earnings - Barron's▶ Up Wing/Down Wing* James Lovell, the steady astronaut who brought Apollo 13 home safely, has died - Ars* Vaccine Misinformation Is a Symptom of a Dangerous Breakdown - NYT Opinion* We're hardwired for negativity. That doesn't mean we're doomed to it. - Vox* To Study Viking Seafarers, He Took 26 Voyages in a Traditional Boat - NYT* End is near for the landline-based service that got America online in the '90s - Wapo▶ Substacks/Newsletters* Who will actually profit from the AI boom? - Noahpinion* OpenAI GPT-5 One Unified System - AI Supremacy* Proportional representation is the solution to gerrymandering - Slow Boring* Why I Stopped Being a Climate Catastrophist - The Ecomodernist* How Many Jobs Depend on Exports? - Conversable Economist* ChatGPT Classic - Joshua Gans' Newsletter* Is Air Travel Getting Worse? - Maximum Progress▶ Social Media* On AI Progress - @daniel_271828* On AI Usage - @emollick* On Generative AI and Student Learning - @jburnmurdoch Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. 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Are your course worksheets just glorified notes, or are they driving real transformation? This episode reveals why intentional workbooks are the secret to boosting student success and creating "wow" moments. Learn how to design resources that turn passive learning into active application and lasting impact.Learn how to:Move beyond generic follow-alongs: Design workbooks that dive deep with outcome-aligned, probing questions.Vary activity types for engagement: Encourage both reflection and immediate action with diverse prompts and tangible takeaways.Design for feedback and accessibility: Ensure your resources are user-friendly and continuously improved based on student needs.Weekly Action Item:Review Your Resources: Take a moment to audit an existing course workbook or plan for your next one. Are you creating generic follow-alongs, or are you designing deep, outcome-aligned, varied, and accessible workbooks?Add Probing Questions: For one section of your workbook, replace simple content restatement with 3-5 probing questions that encourage deep introspection and application.Plan for Feedback: Decide how you'll gather feedback on your workbooks/resources (e.g., a simple survey question, a specific prompt).Time Stamps:00:00 — Introduction: The Importance of Workbooks01:19 — Show Intro & Welcome01:41 — Why Workbooks Matter & Common Pitfalls06:43 — Three Steps to Transformative Workbooks18:03 — Designing for Feedback & Accessibility20:50 — Final Thoughts & Call to ActionShow Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasWork With Dr. Moira:Join Office Hours for support and mentoring to get your digital course done. (https://digitalcourse.pro/Office-Hours)Make sure that your content is accessible with The Accessibility Mini Course for Online Creators. (https://digitalcourse.pro/accessibility)

Send me a Text!Have you ever walked into a kindergarten classroom and instantly felt the energy—bright colors, fun posters, cozy corners—and then flashbacked to your high school or college experience where the walls were... gray, plain, and uninspired? Yeah, me too.In this episode, I'm diving into a fascinating study that explores how classroom design changes as students get older—and what that says about how we treat learning at different ages. We'll unpack the research behind why creative environments foster engagement, how classroom aesthetics impact student success, and why older learners deserve inspiration too.As a former elementary teacher turned high school media instructor, I'm sharing how I've intentionally transformed my classroom into a warm, inviting space—and why I launched a sign business to help other teachers do the same. Because comfort isn't just for little kids. A creative space can shape how students show up—and how they believe in themselves.We'll talk:What the research says about classroom design and student performanceWhy color, comfort, and creativity belong in every grade levelHow your learning space might be helping—or hurting—your studentsTips to rethink your classroom setup, no matter your teaching levelWhy I believe classroom design is one of the most underrated tools in education✨ Plus: High schoolers give the most honest feedback—you'll hear how mine react to a colorful, comfy classroom made just for them.

Sylvia Palmer, supervisor of Reprographics at Jurupa Unified School District, talks about her path into printing, her in-plant's embrace of inkjet, and her experience at PRINTING United Expo, which she called  “an incredible opportunity.”

David M. Koehler, Dean of Instruction, Student Learning and Success, joins the Exchange to discuss the details.

Mike Wills is joined by Nompilo Tshuma, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Educational Technology and Higher Education Studies at Stellenbosch University, to unpack the double-edged sword of AI in academia. While powerful, these tools can lead students to blindly trust AI-generated content, bypass deep learning, and graduate with credentials but little true understanding. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textOn this episode of Speaking of … College of Charleston, Mark Del Mastro, Associate Provost for Academic and International Programs, and Chris Korey, Associate Provost for Student Success, talk about launching their new podcast, Faculty Off the Clock. This podcast takes you beyond the classroom to reveal the hidden lives of College of Charleston faculty. From woodworking enthusiasts to barbershop quartet singers, you'll meet professors with fascinating passions and stories that go far beyond academia. Korey and Del Mastro hope these conversations will highlight not only unique interests of the guests but will function as a bridge to connect people on campus with shared interests. “Both Mark and I were faculty members at one point, and most of your identity on campus is sort of tied up into what your scholarship is and teaching and you very rarely have opportunities to talk about what you do outside of that,” says Korey. “So we wanted to create a venue where people have the opportunity to talk about those things because it doesn't normally come up in our work environments.”Humor is a big part of their collaboration and Del Mastro and Korey make a habit of asking their guests a series of lightening round questions on topics from hot dogs vs. hamburgers to celebrity crushes. They also make it a point to ask guests about whether they like popcorn, which is a shared love and an ongoing joke between the hosts, and it gives them an opportunity to share their love of the Whirley Pop stove-pop popper. They end the episode by presenting guests with a customized bobblehead doll. “The whole purpose of the podcast is to show the lighter side of the faculty member and what better characterizes the lighter side of someone than a bobblehead?” says Del Mastro. Featured on this episode:Mark Del MastroAs Associate Provost for Academic and International Programs, Mark P. Del Mastro, Professor of Spanish/Hispanic Studies, provides leadership and support in the area of curriculum development and review and academic policy. He also oversees the Center for International Education, the Office of the Registrar, and the Office for Institutional Effectiveness.Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky and raised in northern New Jersey, Del Mastro earned his B.A. at Wake Forest University, his M.A. at Middlebury College, and his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. After defending his doctoral dissertation in August 1992, “Dr. D” relocated to Charleston, South Carolina to begin a career at The Citadel, where for 18 years he taught a variety of courses to include Spanish language and literature, and Hispanic culture and business.After serving four years as Head of The Citadel's Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, in July 2010 Del Mastro joined the College of Charleston where he served as Chair of the Department of Hispanic Studies until August 2019 when he transitioned to his current role as Associate Provost for Academic and International Programs in the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs.Chris KoreyAs Associate Provost for Student Success, Christopher Korey, Professor of Biology, leads the Office for the Academic Experience, which provides students with educationally purposeful activities that lead to deep learning, integrated social and intellectual development, and engagement with local and global communities. In this role, Dr. Korey leads eight units and multiple programs, including the Academic Advising and Planning Center, the Center for Academic Performance and Persistance, the Center for Excellence in Peer Education, the Center for Student Learning, First-Year Experience, REACH, Vet

How can technology enhance students' engagement in classroom learning? When are technologies helpful, and when are they harmful? In this episode, I talk to Dr. Dan Krutka, associate professor of social studies education at the University of North Texas. Dan's research sits at the intersection of technology, education, and democracy. We discuss how teachers can decide which technologies would strengthen their teaching or whether technologies would even be helpful at all. We also discuss many specific online tools and how they can be useful for enhancing student engagement and learning. In our conversation, Dan touches on a variety of other issues, as well, such as how to teach effectively in online learning environments.This episode was originally released in 2021. Links Related to this Episode:Dan Krutka's HomepagePICRAT Model for Tech Integration in Teacher Ed (CITE Journal)Glenn Wiebe's Blog - Technology in Social Studies Ed Teacher Resources:Padlet Site (digital creation tool)DocsTeach Site (primary sources & activities)Chronicling America (historical newspapers)Smithsonian Learning Labs (documents, recordings, images, & more)The Redistricting Game (simulation about gerrymandering)ESD Podcast Resources:Education for Sustainable Democracy SiteBrett's Open Access Research ArticlesEducation for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)Support the show

Allowing students to select from a variety of assessment strategies gives them an opportunity to create their own learning environment and choose their preferred pathway to academic success. Listen to this podcast to learn how Lisa Brennan used the VARK (visual, auditory, reading/writing/kinesthetic) framework to foster a sense agency to students in the assessment process. Read her article describing how you can use a similar strategy approach to assessment, or view her video if you prefer to engage with content visually.

The average American student is “less than halfway to a full academic recovery” from the effects of the Covid pandemic. That's according to a 2024 report by the Center on Reinventing Public Education. Studies show that lockdown also took a toll on kids' mental health, as well as social and emotional skills. And like other Covid impacts, these challenges often hit students of color the hardest. In the first of our series of shows examining the effects of the pandemic as we reach five years since lockdown, we'll look at how children, adolescents and young adults are faring. Guests: Petra Steinbuchel, medical director, Mental Health and Child Development at Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland Robin Lake, executive director, Center on Reinventing Public Education Aria Rani Sindledecker, junior at Mountain View High School; youth mental health advocate Emily Zavala, mental health and wellness coordinator, East Side Union High School District in San Jose