Thinking in the Midst

Barb Stengel and Philip Kitcher talk with us and each other about the internal relation between philosophy and education, about pragmatism and its enduring relevance, and about the place of education within human life generally and contemporary political-economy arrangements in particular. For Philip's book that we discuss throughout, click here. For other recent and relevant work of his, click here and here. For some of Barb's recent and relevant work, click here and here. For a transcript of the episode, click here. We want your suggestions! If you've got topics you want to hear discussed, or folks you want to hear from, please use this form to tell us!

Cecilia Traugh and Kevin Gary speak with Cara and Derek about descriptive inquiry, the structures of schooling, the nature of boredom, and the cultivation in oneself and one's students of a capacity to attend. For a transcript of the episode, click here. For more of Kevin's work, click here. For more on Ceclia's projects, click here and here. To suggest guests or topics, use the form here.

Rachel Wahl and Tony Laden come on the show to speak with Cara and Derek about their work on the dynamics of conversation and its role in the grand project of being with others. For more of Rachel's work, click here, here, and here. For more of Tony's work, click here, here, and here. For the transcript of the episode, click here. And to suggest authors or topics, please use this form here.

Tyson Lewis and Silas Krabbe sit down with Cara and Derek to discuss the rise and the nature of fascism, as well as what an antifascist education might look like, might involve, and might require. For more of Tyson's work on the subject, click here. For Silas's book, click here For a transcript of the episode, click here. To suggest future guests and topics, click here.

Jessica Heybach and Mike Gunzenhauser join Cara and Derek to talk about the moral lives and daily burdens of school and system leaders, and the kinds of training and formation work required to develop good and thoughtful leaders. For more of Mike's work on the subject, see here, here, and here. For Jessica's work in this area, see here and here. For the transcript of this episode, click here. To suggest a guest or a topic, use this form.

Kal Alston and Nick Burbules join Cara and Derek to talk about where the field of philosophy of education has been and where it is going, particularly in a US-American context. And fear not: We cover everyone's favorite question -- how do we know who a philosopher of education is, especially as the number of academic appointments with those words in the job title continues to dwindle? For Dr. Burbules's recent work on phronesis, click here. For Dr. Alston's 2021 PES Presidential Address, click here. For a transcript of this episode, click here. Suggest a topic or guest by using this form here!

Jia Lee and Jason Wozniak sit down with Cara and Derek to talk about educational and organizing practices under various iterations of neoliberal policies directing school reform. For more information on the organizations mentioned here, see The Debt Collective and the Alliance for Quality Education. For a transcript of this episode, click here. To suggest guests/topics for the show, click here.

This week, Larry Blum and Sarah Blum-Smith join the show to talk about the legislation passed in several states (though we focus on Florida and New Hampshire) seeking to regulate what educators can teach with respect to race. For more of Larry's work on this issue, see his books here, here, and here. And you can find all of his other publications on his website, too! For the transcript for this episode, click here. And as always, please use this form if you would like to suggest future topics or guests (including yourself) for us to include!

In this episode, we talk to the University of North Carolina's Ethan Hutt and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell's Jack Schneider about the functions, the histories, and the techniques associated with grades, tests, and transcripts. The two of them cover the topic at length in their forthcoming book, which will be available for pre-order shortly. For more of their coauthored work, see here and here. To listen to the education podcast on which Jack is a co-host, check out Have You Heard? For a transcript of this episode, click here. And if you'd like to recommend a topic or a guest (including yourself!) for future episodes, please use this form!

In this episode, we hear from Barb Stengel, Jessica Lussier, and Joel Westheimer, as they reflect, in the context of a PES 2023 panel, on Noddings's legacy; and Cara sits down with Noddings's former student and longtime friend, Lynda Stone, to think about what it means for a philosopher's work to live on. For a transcript of this episode, click here. To suggest future guests and topics for the show, use this form!