Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer

Mike and Tarlin are back to break down episodes 5 and 6 of the ESPN Docuseries, The Last Dance, as it chronicles the 1990s Bulls culminating in their final season together in 1998. This week we tackle the middle hump in the 10 episode series as we get to know the darker side of Michael Jordan. His rampant competitiveness and purposeful avoidance of political stands set the stage for a challenging bid for a "Threepeat" in 1993 and we get glimpses of the challenges Michael faced managing his celebrity. We dive into the Kobe-Michael dynamic, the Dream Team and its snubbing of Isaiah Thomas, the Tony Kukoc saga, and even touch on the battles between Jordan's Bulls and the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns.Sunday nights are alive again with sports and 1990s nostalgia and there are many lessons to be learned from this compelling glimpse into the life of an ultracompetitive superstar and his team as they strive for dominance. We hope you enjoy the ride as much as we do!

Russell Glass returns to Trending in Education to talk about the broader state of behavioral health from his vantage point as CEO of Ginger, an industry-leading behavioral health app. Building on trends we've already been tracking around behavioral health, pre-coronavirus, Russell walks us through patterns of usage that mark a significant shift since broad stay-at-home and social distancing orders have spread across the globe. What can we learn from this data? How can an organization like Ginger navigate this complexity while retaining shared values and collective focus? We discuss all of this and get a few updates about Russell's children's book, Voting With a Porpoise as we grant Russell his official "Friend of Show" bona fides. Hope you enjoy.

As a Bonus Trending in Education Extra, we're releasing the first of a series of shows on The Last Dance, the must-see ESPN docuseries on the final season of the legendary 1990s Chicago Bulls. Tarlin Ray and Mike Palmer dissect the first four episodes of the 10-episode series and draw relevant lessons to life, management, leadership, and team chemistry in the 2020s. We'll be back with more soon as we continue to Run It Back to review, critique, and learn from must-see TV like The Last Dance. We hope you enjoy!And don't fret, we're continuing to pump out your regularly scheduled Trending in Education shows as we venture into new spaces with shows like this one. We hope you enjoy!

Ray Belli joins Mike for today's episode exploring the power of language and audio in the evolution of culture and human understanding. Ray hosts a language and etymology podcast called Words for Granted and he's also a founding member of the Lyceum team. We explore the dynamic nature of word meanings using a few examples from the King James Bible. From there, we touch quickly on Shakespeare and the notion of poetic license before concluding with some musings on how new audio formats like podcasting and technologies like Speech-to-Text are bringing renewed life to the oral tradition with significant implications for linguists and lovers of language everywhere.

Mike welcomes Melissa Griffith and Dan Strafford back to the show to analyze Mary Meeker's new report that explores the new trends that are emerging in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Which trends will remain and which will fade? How will organizations, schools, educators, parents, and learners grapple with the new normal? How might we adapt to thrive amid the widespread, pervasive sense of disruption and uncertainty?We discuss all of this as we digest and begin to synthesize the esteemed Mary Meeker's latest report on Covid-19.

Stephen Kosslyn joins Mike to explore the transformative power of synchronous learning as the world rapidly moves online. Countering the perception that online learning is asynchronous, Stephen outlines his experiences first as Dean at the Minerva Schools startup and most recently at Foundry College. In both cases, the curriculum and the technology that powers it is designed with synchronous and active learning as a central pillar in the instructional design.Stephen explains the power of teaching hacks and heuristics to adult learners at Foundry with the goal of advancing them in their careers while preparing them for the future of work. Humans will continue to thrive doing meaningful work that leverages our unique ability to understand emotion and context in ways that won't soon be automated. Foundry College exists to power this evolution.It's a fascinating discussion and we thank Stephen for his time and look forward to continuing the conversation in the future.

On today's episode, Jenna Spinelle joins Mike to talk about civics, the gig economy, and the sudden shift to remote teaching. Jenna is a writer, instructor, and podcaster in higher education who recently launched a new course focused on teaching undergrads how to engage in the gig economy. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she had to quickly shift from delivering the course face to face to teaching remotely. Jenna shares her experiences and perspectives on emergency remote teaching (ERT) as we dive into the growing importance of the gig economy in our professional lives these days. After touching on the importance of pursuing one's passions, building a portfolio, and developing the entrepreneurial skills needed to be.a gig employee, we conclude by exploring Jenna's work in teaching civics through her podcast, Democracy Works, and through the network of podcasts she founded called The Democracy Group.We hope you enjoy listening to this wide-ranging and relevant conversation about the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education..

Mike is once again joined by Tarlin Ray to talk about generational zeitgeists in light of the coronavirus pandemic. As two GenXers, we wonder what the global pandemic means to the oft-forgotten, former latchkey kids of the 70s and 80s. Then we explore the challenges faced by Boomers and Millennials before shifting to the rising GenZ and “Alpha” generations.What are the financial implications? Will this make generational differences seem more parochial and trivial as we all grapple with a shared, global experience? What are the educational implications and the impact to the workforce, organizational leaders, and hiring managers?We explore all of this and once again thank the first responders and frontline workers in the worldwide battle against the virus.Be safe and be well. And thank you for listening.

Mike and Dan break down our 2020 March Madness for Learning Trends tournament. We begin by reflecting on how crazy a month it was and by thanking all the frontline workers who are leading our response to the covid-19 pandemic.Then we talk through the trends that deserved more love while analyzing each successive round in our brackets. We then culminate the festivities with our takes on the Final Four, the Finals, and then announce the winner. And you know we get zeitgeisty along the way as we try to make sense of the transformative period in which we're living. Which learning trend wins the day? Listen in to find out.Thanks as always for listening. Despite the pandemic, we won't stop podding and we hope you won't stop listening. Take that coronavirus! Please be safe out there.

Mike is joined by Helen Lee Bouygues, the Founder of the Reboot Foundation, to discuss the research her foundation has published about critical thinking. We begin by exploring what drove Helen to found Reboot and why critical thinking is so essential to a healthy, relevant, and fulfilling life in these confusing times. Helen shares research into the adverse impact of social media use on understanding of the realities relating to the Covid-19 pandemic and provides tips and tools for parents who are trying to instill good critical thinking in their children beginning at an early age. Helen also warns of the dangers of fake news and deep fakes as it becomes increasingly tempting to seek instant gratification when searching for answers in the digital world.Helen and the Reboot Foundation are doing fascinating and relevant research and we're happy to help raise awareness of the essential importance of critical thinking skills in human development in the turbulent age in which we are living. We hope you enjoy listening.