FreshEd

In this discussion, Ben Williamson, a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh, addresses the digital transformation in education. He explores the challenges brought on by the pandemic, highlighting the shift towards cloud computing and the rising influence of major tech firms. Williamson discusses the rentier model of EdTech, raising concerns about financial dependencies and the implications for educational autonomy. He also critically assesses the role of generative AI in learning, stressing the need for caution and deeper consideration of its impacts.

Today we launch a new project at FreshEd called The Thinking Ear. The Thinking Ear is a collection of episodes produced by you, offering a sonic space to share ideas on education worldwide. Think of it as an audio journal. If you’re interested in developing your own podcast episode about your research, please get in touch. The Thinking Ear is open for submissions. We will offer support to develop your idea into a podcast before airing it on the FreshEd platform. We think a space for anyone to contribute a podcast episode is important because sonic productions expand our understanding. Research is no longer confined to niche journal articles or shared in half-empty conference rooms. Podcasts encourage us to think both analytically and creatively about research and increase our public impact. We want to democratize podcast creation by offering our listeners opportunities to make their voices heard. So welcome to The Thinking Ear and I hope many of you will consider making your own episodes in the future. To kick things off Jordan Corson tells a short story about a particular understanding of the idea of universal education, composed in the style of writer Jorge Luis Borges. Jordan Corson is an Assistant Professor of education at Stockton University. freshedpodcast.com/TTE-corson/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Twitter: @TheThinkingEar Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/ --

We are starting a FreshEd community and want you to join for as little as $10/month. If you want to join our growing community, please head over to FreshEdpodcast.com/support -- Today we explore the rise of neuroscience in initial teacher education in Australia. My guests are Andrew Skourdoumbis and Emma Rowe. Andrew Skourdoumbis is an associate professor in education at Deakin University where Emma Rowe is a Senior Lecturer. Their new co-written article is “A critique of ‘Strong Beginnings’ initial teacher education reforms: mandating neuroscience as core curriculum within the ‘what works’ movement”, which was published in the Australian Educational Researcher. freshedpodcast.com/skourdoumbis-rowe/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/

A quick reminder before today’s episode: FreshEd is in the middle of its membership drive. Please sign up to become a member of FreshEd. We need your support. Join us today at freshedpodcast.com/support -- Today we remember Debbie Epstein, who recently passed away. Debbie was a major figure in the field of education whose work brought together cultural studies and sociology. Ever an activist, Debbie made important and lasting contributions to how we think about anti-racism and sexuality and education. I’ve asked Debbie’s long-time friend and collaborator, Jane Kenway, to join me to talk Debbie. After Jane’s introduction, I’m going to replay my interview with Debbie from 2017. Please forgive the sound quality. FreshEd was less than two years old at the time and I was clearly still learning the technical ropes. freshedpodcast.com/remembering-epstein/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/

Become a FreshEd Member today! https://freshedpodcast.com/support/ -- This week we look at elite private schools and how they are the engine of privilege. With me are Clive and Myra Hamilton. Clive Hamilton is a professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University and Myra Hamilton is Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. Their new book is The Privileged Few. freshedpodcast.com/hamilton/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/

Before we start today’s episode, I want to encourage you to become a member of FreshEd. We are building a community of people around the world committed to the pursuit of knowledge and ideas related to education broadly defined. If you find FreshEd a valuable educational resource, then place sign up to become a member today: FreshEdpodacst.com/support -- Today we continue our mini-series called the FreshEd Questionnaire. I’ve been asking guests a set of standard questions after each interview. These questions focus on how guests approach writing, reading, research, and supervision. I want to talk about them to highlight the many different approaches to the day-to-day activities we do inside universities. Today’s episode focuses on books. I asked guests to name their favorite book or author and why. Here’s what they had to say. Guests include: Tricia Bromley Neal Hutchens Amy Shuffelton Dave Cormierr Elena Aydarova Joshua Ehrlich Jesica Oddy Steven Lewis Rebecca Spratt Nidal Al Haj Sleiman Liz Shchepetylnykova Irv Epstein Sirojuddin Arif Leonardo Garnier Audrey Bryan Kirsi Yliniva Gita Steiner-Khamsi Jamie Martin You Yun Seu’ula Johansson-Fua Kehaulani Vaughn Michael Rumbelow Mir Abdullah Miri Greg Skutches Prem Kumar Rajaram Juuso Henrik Nieminen Nasmi Anuar freshedpodcast.com/362-questionnaire/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/

Today we continue our mini-series called the FreshEd Questionnaire. I’ve been asking guests a set of standard questions after each interview. These questions focus on how guests approach writing, reading, research, and supervision. These are the day-to-day activities we do inside universities, but we don’t talk too much about them. I want to talk about them to highlight the many different approaches. I think these insights will be valuable to students, especially those that are about to start graduate school. Guests in this mash-up: Tricia Bromley Neal Hutchens Amy Shuffelton Dave Cormierr Elena Aydarova Joshua Ehrlich Jesica Oddy Steven Lewis Rebecca Spratt Nidal Al Haj Sleiman Liz Shchepetylnykova Irv Epstein Sirojuddin Arif Karen Mundy Leonardo Garnier Audrey Bryan Kirsi Yliniva Gita Steiner-Khamsi https://freshedpodcast.com/361-questionnaire/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/

Today we unpack the neuro-affective turn in education. With me are Kirsi Yliniva and Audrey Bryan. Kirsi Yliniva is a PhD researcher and university teacher in the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Oulu. Audrey Bryan is an associate professor of sociology in the School of Human Development at Dublin City University’s Institute of Education. Together with Kristiina Brunila, they have recently published the article “‘The future we want’? – The ideal twenty-first century learner and education’s neuro-affective turn.” freshedpodcast.com/yliniva-bryan/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/

Today we unpack the global education policy known as School Autonomy with Accountability (SAWA). My guest is Gita Steiner-Khamsi who outlines the importance of using a temporal dimension when understanding policy borrowing and lending. Gita Steiner-Khamsi is the W. H. Kilpatrick Professor of Comparative Education at Teachers College, Columbia University and by courtesy Honorary UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education Policy at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Her new co-written article is entitled: The School-Autonomy-with-Accountability reform in Iceland: Looking back and making sense, which was published in the Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy. freshedpodcast.com/359-steiner-khamsi/ -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/

Today You Yun joins me to talk about Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). She critiques the approach to SEL advocated by western organizations by showing how conceptions of the self, other, and emotions are not universal. By exploring these concepts from Confucian and Daoist philosophies, she begins to show alternative ways to think about SEL. You Yun is an Associate Professor in the department of Education at the East China Normal University. Her new article is "Learn to become a unique interrelated person: An alternative of social-emotional learning drawing on Confucianism and Daoism," which was published in Educational Philosophy and Theory. freshedpodcast.com/you -- Get in touch! Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com Support FreshEd: www.freshedpodcast.com/support/