Mitch Weathers, a veteran high school science teacher and founder of Organized Binder, shares insights on executive functioning skills. He discusses his own learning challenges and the importance of these skills in education. Listeners gain practical strategies for teaching goal setting, time management, and organization to foster student engagement. Mitch highlights his new book aimed at supporting educators and advocates for systemic changes in classrooms. His commitment to improving student experiences is both inspiring and actionable.

Jared Cooney Horvath, a neuroscientist and author, shares his insights on technology’s impact on learning. He delves into the challenges posed by multitasking, arguing that it hampers educational outcomes. Horvath critiques the blind faith in AI to solve educational challenges, advocating for a balanced approach in integrating technology. He explores the evolution of human-tool interaction, urging a reflection on how modern tools influence our cognition and creativity, especially in children.

Natalia Kucirkova, a Professor of Early Childhood and Development, discusses the importance of digital literacy in today's education. She leads the WiKIT network to foster global collaboration among educators and developers. The conversation highlights the impact of AI on storytelling and learning while addressing data privacy concerns. Kucirkova also examines the balance needed between personalized learning and diverse educational experiences, emphasizing the crucial role of collaboration among stakeholders in EdTech.

Dominic Wyse, an author focused on evidence-based literacy education, and Charlotte Hacking, co-author of a significant literacy book, delve into the art of teaching reading and writing. They explore their research-informed book, emphasizing a balanced approach combining phonics with creativity. The duo introduces the Double Helix framework, highlighting the connection between reading and writing. Practical tips for educators and parents abound, including lesson plans that foster engagement and empower young learners to develop a genuine love for literacy.

This episode was funded by listeners like you. For more details on how to help support our podcast and gain access to exclusive content, please see our Patreon page. Show Notes:In Episode 83, Althea interviews Jamila Sams, CEO and founder of We Do It For the Culture (TM), a culturally responsive social emotional learning curriculum rooted in Hip-Hop culture for middle and high school students. Jamila discusses the five components of social-emotional learning, hip-hop, and shares examples of how the curriculum has connected with students. To learn more go to https://wedoit4theculture.com/

Guest Robert Malkin discusses empowering education to prevent human trafficking, experiential programs for students in global health, financial opportunities for high school research, and guidance on research experience for students and educators.

This episode was funded by listeners like you. For more details on how to help support our podcast and gain access to exclusive content, please see our Patreon page.Show Notes:In Episode 81, Megan, Cindy, Carolina, and Althea walk through their Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP) Annual Conference on Teaching (ACT) talk! The episode was recorded in October 2023 when all four Learning Scientists were together in Portland, Oregon for the conference. After they gave their formal talk, they recorded their talk in one of their hotel rooms to reach more people.Related to this talk, they recently published a paper in Educational Psychology Review paper on science communication about retrieval practice. The paper is geared toward researchers, calling for research on effective science communication efforts.Sumeracki, M. A., Nebel, C. L., Kaminske, A. N., & Kuepper-Tetzel, C. E. (2024). Turning roadblocks into speed bumps: A call for implementation reform in science communication about retrieval practice. Educational Psychology Review, 36, 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09854-5

Cindy interviews Kareem Farah, CEO and co-founder of the Modern Classrooms Project. They discuss the innovative approach of blending instruction, self-paced learning, and mastery-based assessment. They explore the problems with traditional teaching and the need for differentiation. They delve into the benefits of using bite-sized instructional videos and the availability of a free version of the program. They also discuss the implementation of self-pacing in the classroom for personalized learning experiences.

This episode was funded by listeners like you. For more details on how to help support our podcast and gain access to exclusive content, please see our Patreon page.Show Notes:In Episode 79, Althea interviews Spencer Russell, an award-winning teacher and educator about early childhood literacy. You can learn more about Spencer's approach to early childhood literacy at https://www.toddlersread.com/. Follow him on Instagram (@toddlerscanread) for tips and videos!

This episode was funded by listeners like you. For more details on how to help support our podcast and gain access to exclusive content, please see our Patreon page.Show Notes:In Episode 78, Megan, Cindy, Carolina, and Althea talk through the resources available on learningscientists.org.