Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

This episode features Kate Jones, author and educator focused on women's empowerment in education, and Shannen Doherty, an advocate for women's leadership in the field. They discuss the inspiration behind Kate's book and the barriers women face in pursuing leadership roles. The conversation highlights the importance of creating supportive environments and the role of male allies in fostering gender equality. Personal anecdotes illustrate the challenges of self-promotion and public speaking, while offering practical resources for professional development.

Discussion on misconceptions about pupils who use English as an additional language (EAL), importance of supporting bilingual students in language development, stages of language proficiency in bilingual children, assessing English language proficiency using the Bell Foundation Yale Assessment Framework, understanding language use and utilizing collected data effectively, supporting migrant learners and refugees in schools, challenges faced by professionals working with EAL learners

Topics discussed include multilingual perspectives, early years pedagogy, strategies for accessing research papers, challenges and rewards of supporting students with English as an additional language, collecting proficiency data for EAL students, and understanding and supporting EAL learners in the classroom.

Esteemed researchers Douglas Clements, Renee Lizcano, and Julie Sarama discuss fascinating topics in early math research and pedagogy. They explore the role of play in the classroom, the appropriateness of direct instruction with young learners, and how research can inform classroom practice. This thought-provoking episode is a must-listen for educators and anyone interested in the intersection of research, pedagogy, and early mathematics.

Neil Almond, a teacher and co-creator of AI Education newsletter, explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. The podcast delves into the definition and purpose of AI, its use in lesson planning, generating diagrams, and reducing teacher workload. They also discuss the limitations of AI in generating accurate and unbiased content, emphasizing the importance of checking for accuracy and biases. Overall, a fascinating discussion on the role of AI in education.

Lloyd Williams-Jones, a dedicated primary school teacher, dives into the transformative journey of implementing evidence-informed reading strategies. He shares insights on initial pandemic challenges and the crucial role of effective leadership and collaboration. The conversation highlights how reflective practices and training through video resources have invigorated both teaching methods and student engagement. Williams-Jones discusses the importance of maintaining fidelity to established practices while navigating the complexities of educational change.

Professor Kathy Rastle discusses the significance of morphology in primary education, its influence on vocabulary development and reading comprehension. She explores the role of morphology in reading, emphasizes the effectiveness of phonics programs, and highlights the importance of specialized knowledge in morphological parsing. The podcast also covers the concept of high utility morphemes, affixes in word meaning transformation, and the need for explicit teaching of morphology.

Neil Gorton, a senior leader at BIS Vietnam, shares his insights on the vital role of self-guided professional development for teachers. He discusses his personal journey and principles that empower educators to take control of their growth. The conversation highlights strategies for balancing work and family life while supporting colleagues’ development. Neil also tackles how to select and prioritize whole-school goals amidst high teacher mobility, questioning whether personalized or whole-school development should take precedence.

Jonny Hall, creator of MathsBot.com, joins the podcast to discuss the inspiration behind the website and the most important features teachers can utilize. He shares his priorities for the site's updates and teases changes for the academic year. The conversation also explores the benefits and limitations of using AI in teaching and the importance of physical and virtual manipulatives in math education. Future plans for the website and sponsorship opportunities are also discussed.

In this engaging conversation, Sarah Larsen, a secondary geography teacher with 26 years of experience, shares her passion for geography and cognitive science in education. She discusses the essence of effective geography teaching and the transformative role of fieldwork. Sarah highlights the need for structured, meaningful fieldwork to foster student engagement and understanding. She also explores what foundational geography knowledge primary students should have, advocating for strong mapping skills and writing proficiency to prepare them for secondary education.