Why do so many students leave high school without the ability to write in compelling and interesting ways? According to John Warner, author of a new book titled “Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities,” it’s because we’re teaching them to write to a test, not to real life audiences. […]
#55: Author John Warner on Rethinking Writing Instruction and Schools Read More »
The compelling case for reimagining schools is not difficult to make. It’s a combination of common sense and a clear understanding of how the changes in the world are creating new challenges and opportunities for learners both in and out of school. In other words, the compelling case is built on a sense of urgency
#54 Old Urgencies, New Urgencies for Change Read More »
Will and Lyn talk with educator and library administrator Bud Hunt who asks us to consider when we stopped making schools a place of wonder? We discuss the connections between literacy and making (“making is a fundamental thing that people do”); a library’s purpose as a community space where people can engage in civil discourse;
#53: Why Don’t We Wonder in Schools Anymore? with Bud Hunt Read More »
Teacher-librarian and Senior Fellow for the Foundry Makerspace Heather Lister joins us for a conversation around this month’s Modern Learners Community theme: modern literacy. Heather provides valuable insights on the changing role of libraries as she works to fulfill her mission of “abolishing the stereotype of libraries and librarians.” In this podcast we discuss copyright
#52: Literacy, Libraries and Making with Heather Lister Read More »
Change School alumni Mark Heintz joins Bruce and me in another episode of the Modern Learners Podcast. You can join is in Change School. All the details are on the site! Mark is a Teaching and Learning Facilitator at Elk Grove High School in Illinois. Tired of viewing success only by a score. he and
#51: From Old School to Change School Read More »
Now that everyone is turning their focus to developing the skills and dispositions kids need to thrive in the future, many are starting to ask “Well, how do we assess those things?” As in how do we create a data point for curiosity or creativity or persistence? And what skills and dispositions should we be
#50: Measuring (Or Not) the Immeasurable Read More »
In episode 49 of the Modern Learners podcast, Missy and Lyn talk with Superintendent Dr. Joe Sanfileppo of the Fall Creek School District in Wisconsin. Joe is known in educational leadership circles as “the relationships guy,” a dynamic school leader who speaks often about the role of relationships in learning and who celebrates loudly the
#49: Dr. Joe Sanfileppo discusses Relationships, Leadership and Learning Read More »
As I wrote about in last week’s column, this new book titled Timeless Learning by Ira Socol, Pam Moran, and Chad Ratliff may just be the best book I’ve read about how to change schools and bring all the things we know are important about progressive learning to traditional public and private schools. In this
#48: Timeless Learning With Pam Moran and Ira Socol Read More »
Could it be that one of the biggest barriers to change is that we rarely have any real shared understanding of the language we use around learning? That’s one of the many interesting conclusions that Dr. Beth Holland arrived at while doing her recently published dissertation from Johns Hopkins University. And it’s one of the
#47: Dr. Beth Holland discusses Learning, Language, and Leading Read More »
In the kickoff to our Modern Learners Community July 2018 theme of “Refresh, Renew, Relax,” we hand the podcast reigns over to Missy Emler and Lyn Hilt of our Modern Learners team who talk with Dr. Joyce Young and Liza Engstrom from the High Health Network, an organization dedicated to helping leaders harness the power
#46: Mental and Physical Wellness for Educators Read More »
In this episode, Bruce and I discuss a powerful essay written by Carol Black titled Children, Learning, and the Evaluative Gaze of School, one that discusses the very real effects on kids of a culture of surveillance and assessment. Some of the questions we kick around: Why have we gotten to this point where we
#45: Watching our Kids Too Closely Read More »
Today I am excited to welcome Dr. Susan Blum to the show. Susan is a professor of anthropology at Notre Dame University and the author of one of my favorite reads of the last couple of years, a book titled “I Love to Learn; I Hate School: An Anthropology of College.” And, she’s also the
#44: “I Love Learning, I Hate School” Read More »
How important is it to ask what students think of their education? It’s vitally important for us to ask this of our students even though we may not be satisfied with what they say about their classroom experiences. Bruce and I are discussing this concept today, along with my recent eye-opening visit to a school
#43: Be Careful What You Ask For Read More »
Is instruction really necessary in schools? That’s just one of the many intriguing questions we dive into in our latest podcast with our friend, mentor, and educational leader, Gary Stager, in a conversation that will have you thinking hard (once again) about teaching and learning in the modern world. Gary’s focus is on the nature
#42: The Lost Art of Teaching with Gary Stager Read More »
Would you ever think that Justin Bieber would be the starting point for one of our conversations? Though it may sound crazy, that’s where we begin today, discussing what is possible through social media and technology, since there is no better poster-child for the subject. As always, we’re talking about what learning is and how
#41: Conflict with Competency Based Assessments Read More »
