Shows
Learner-Centered SpacesAaron Blackwelder Says Learning Is MessyTwitter: https://twitter.com/AaronSBlackwel1Guest Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQbOHl3-uy2eX_TAoIZcmvb-Zj30YTJj6p4Zrpvo0sZ6Va4Q/viewform?usp=sf_link2023-07-0221 min
FLOURISHING EDUCATION - How do we re-MEMBER to BE, BE-come, and BE-long to FLOURISH TOGETHER?Episode 151 - What are the questions that drive what you do as a parent and human being with Gary Heidt?Why are things the way the are? And how can we make them better?
These are two of the questions that Gary asks himself every day and that he shared with me during this powerful imperfectly perfect new conversation on the podcast.
We also talked about flourishing at the individual and organisational, community and societal level and Gary's own journey as an educator and father over the last 30 years.
Here are some of the information Gary shared with us.
Books and other Readings that been formative for him:
Awakening...2022-07-161h 12
From Earning to LearningGrade Reform Round TableFrom Earning to Learning is the podcast where Dave Frangiosa shares research backed philosophies, thoughts on student engagement and classroom tested techniques that can help move students towards learning.
Twitter: @DavidFrangiosa
Website: www.reimaginedschools.com
This was such a great discussion. Some of the leading educators investigating and implementing alternate assessment methods share their views and advice for educators looking to change their grading practices. The panel includes:
Dave Schmittou
Twitter: @daveschmittou
Website: schmittou.net
Johanna Brown
Twitter: @johannabrown
Aaron Blackwelder2021-08-231h 17From Earning to LearningTG2 w/ Aaron BlackwelderFrom Earning to Learning is the podcast where Dave Frangiosa shares research backed philosophies, thoughts on student engagement and classroom tested techniques that can help move students towards learning.
In this episode, I'm joined by teacher, author, host of Beyond the Curriculum and co-founder of Teacher Going Gradeless, Aaron Blackwelder. Aaron shares so many great perspectives on education, including his views on accountability, which is a must listen.
Website: Teachers Going Gradeless
Twitter: @AaronSBlackwel1
Twitter: @DavidFrangiosa
Website: www.reimaginedschools.com2021-05-1937 min
beyond the curriculumInclusive Design: Dr. Jan Wilson | Season 3 Episode 5"We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color."
- Maya Angelou
Jan Wilson is a Wellspring Associate Professor of Gender Studies and History at the University of Tulsa. She is the author of the book Becoming Disabled: Forging a Disability View of the World and the articles “‘Who Has a Better Story Than Bran the Broken?’ Game of Thrones and the Power of Disability Narratives” and “Reimagining Disability and Inclusive...2021-03-0942 min
beyond the curriculumInclusive Schools: Kristin Uliasz | Season 3 Episode 4“The more you learn, the more you want to learn.”
— Lailah Gifty Akita
Kristen Uliasz is an Inclusion Specialist at Da Vinci Charter Academy & Emeritus Faculty with PBLWorks.org. Kristen will share her experience with schoolwide PBL that connects schools to the greater community by engaging learners of all abilities.
Kristen’s vision of inclusion centers around engaging all learners in authentic activities that connect students to the greater world. She challenges students and teachers in her school to build bridges between the classroom and the community through project-based learning.
In this season we are looking at inclusion and how creating...2021-03-0231 min
beyond the curriculumInclusive Classrooms: Kimberly Eckert | Season 3 Episode 3“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
— Mark Twain
Kimberly Eckert is the 2018 Lousiana State Teacher of the Year, 2020 ASCD Emerging Leader, 2020 Global Teacher Prize Finalist, 2019 NEA Social Justice Activist of the Year National Finalist, and a National Center for Learning Disabilities Expert Teacher.
Kimberly’s vision of inclusion starts with building inclusive spaces in the classroom. She challenges all of her students (both in general education and special education) to become advocates for inclusion.
In this season we are looking at inclusion and how creating more inclusive environments provides spaces where all learners can thrive.
We will be...2021-02-2228 min
beyond the curriculumInclusive Communities: Karen Krejcha | Season 3 Episode 2“When everyone is included, everyone wins.”
— Jesse Jackson
Karen Krejcha is the founder of Autism Empowerment--a nonprofit organization that advocates for the autistic community, host of the Autism Empowerment Podcast, and the editor and columnist of Spectrum Life Magazine. Besides this, she is the mother of two boys on the autism spectrum and an autist herself.
Karen’s vision of inclusion goes beyond the four walls of the school building. She sees inclusion through the lens of community and uses her position to create more inclusive environments in the neighborhoods surrounding the scho...2021-02-1537 min
beyond the curriculumAmy Campbell | Season 3 Episode 1Amy Campbell is the 2020 Washington State Teacher of the Year and a special ed teacher at Helen Baller Elementary in Camas, WA.
As Washington State Teacher of the Year, Amy uses her title to promote more inclusion. She believes that schools are microcosms of our world and by promoting more inclusion in schools we build a more inclusive community. Each one of us has a gift to offer and creating spaces where all members of the community are embraced and included helps our community grow.
In this season we are looking at inclusion and how...2021-02-0831 min
beyond the curriculumINCLUSION: Season 3 TrailerIn November 2018, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg posted a tweet in which she questions the traditional use of the word “inclusion” by explaining how she views it as a minimum and challenges us to go further.
She says:
It’s not about inclusion or even celebration. It’s about expansion.
Our culture is better when disabled folks expand its ideas about embodiment.
"Our culture is better when centering POC shifts its paradigms.
Our culture is better when nonbinary & trans ppl uproot its gendered BS.
Inclusion = you’re allowed to be here...2021-02-0102 min
beyond the curriculumThe Pointless Classroom with Gary Chu | Season 2 Episode 6“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
— Albert Einstein
Gary Chu is a high school mathematics teacher in a racially and culturally diverse suburb outside of Chicago. He is passionate about disrupting inequities. You can follow him on Twitter at @mrgarychu. Gary contributed a chapter to the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learn (and What to Do Instead) titled “The Pointless Classroom: A Math Teacher’s Ironic Choice Not in Not Calculating Grades”.
Throughout this series, I will be interviewing the contributors to this book to help gain a...2021-01-1225 min
beyond the curriculumA STEM Ungrading Case Study with Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh | Season 2 Episode 5Clarissa Sorenesn-Unruh teaches chemistry and statistics full-time at Central New Mexico Community College. She is a Ph.D. student in learning sciences, a Councilor for the Division of Chemical Education in the American Chemical Society, and a panelist for a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine symposium. Clarissa contributed a chapter to the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learn (and What to Do Instead) titled “A STEM Ungrading Case Study: A Reflection on First-Time implementation in Organic Chemistry II.”
In this episode, Clarissa will discuss her first experience with ungrading and pushing her students’ metacognition not on...2021-01-0528 min
beyond the curriculumCritique-Driven Learning and Assessment with Dr. Christopher Riesbeck | Season 2 Episode 4“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”
— Bill Gates
Christopher Riesbeck is an associate professor of computer science at Northwestern University and co-director of the Center for Computer Science and Learning Sciences. He has been doing critique-driven learning since 1997. Dr. Riesbeck is now working on computer-assisted coaching to help struggling students create artifacts worth critiquing. Christopher contributed a chapter to the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learn (and What to Do Instead) titled “Critique Driven Learning and Assessment” which centers around learning as doing.
In this episode...2020-12-2927 min
beyond the curriculumContract Grading and Peer Review with Dr. Christina Katopodis and Dr. Cathy Davidson | Season 2 Episode 3“Society is indeed a contract. ... It is a partnership in all science; a partnership in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in all perfection.”
— Edmund Burke
Dr. Katopodis is the Executive Director of Transformative Learning in the Humanities, a three-year initiative at City University of New York supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and recently received her doctorate in English at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and an adjunct instructor at New Jersey City University. She is a scholar of environmental studies, sound studies, and American literature. She has written articles published or forthc...2020-12-2227 min
beyond the curriculumLet’s Talk About Grading with Dr. Laura Gibbs | Season 2 Episode 2“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
— Albert Einstein
Dr. Laura Gibbs is a professor of humanities at the University of Oklahoma, teaching mythology and folklore online, challenging her students to develop higher-order Bloom Taxonomy along with 21st Century skills as they explore the content of her courses. Laura contributed a chapter to the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learn (and What to Do Instead) titled “Let’s talk about grading.”
In this episode, Dr. Gibbs will discuss how ungrading is a natural fit for teaching...2020-12-1519 min
beyond the curriculumIntroducing Ungrading with Dr. Susan Blum | Season 2 Episode 1Dr. Susan Blum is a professor of anthropology a the University of Notre Dame and the editor of the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead).
In this episode, Susan discusses what led her to compile the book, what the book represents, and how it has been received.
This the first episode of a six-part series where you will hear from the chapter authors who will help us dive deeper into their ideas around assessment.
Follow:
Twitter
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Blog
Resources:
My Word...2020-12-0825 min
Human Restoration Project83: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning w/ Dr. Susan BlumTranscripts can be found via our website, humanrestorationproject.org.Today we are joined by Dr. Susan Blum, Dr. Blum is a professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, and the author of many works and articles, including her recently released: Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), which features fifteen different educators, such as Arthur Chiaravalli, Jesse Stommel, Aflie Kohn, and Laura Gibbs, speaking on their ideas and implementation of the practice. And as an interesting side note, more than half of the educators in the book have appeared on our...2020-12-0543 min
beyond the curriculumRevolutionizing Education Pt 5: Elevating Teachers of Color - Rodney Robinson | Episode 15As you live, believe in Life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth simply because the great end comes slowly, because time is long
- W. E. B. Du Bois
Rodney Robinson is the Senior Advisor, Richmond Public Schools Male teacher of Color Initiative at the Virgie Binford Education Center in Richmond, Virginia, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year, #8 Root Magazine Top Influential African Americans in 2019, and the HBCU Alumnus of the Year.
...2020-09-1440 min
beyond the curriculumRevolutionizing Education Pt 4: Equitable Solutions - Abdul Wright | Episode 14“Education is the platform that makes it possible to defeat all barriers.”
— Norbert Juma
Abdul Wright is a middle school Language Arts teacher and Literacy Coach, the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, and identified as a Minnesota, African American Heritage Award Honoree.
Abdul will discuss the impact teachers make on the journey of our young learners and how teachers need to remember it is our primary responsibility to invest in the lives of our students.
On July 9th, Abdul gave his keynote at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year’s Teache...2020-08-3133 min
beyond the curriculumRevolutionizing Education Pt 3: Liberating Education - Sharif El-Mekki | Episode 13— Paulo Freire“Learning is a process where knowledge is presented to us, then shaped through understanding, discussion, and reflection.”
Sharif is the CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development and former principal of Mastery Charter Schools - Shoemaker Campus, a neighborhood turnaround school in West Philadelphia. He is recognized by former students, their families, and the community as a consistent Freedom Fighter, agitator, and partner.
On July 8th, Sharif gave his keynote at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year’s Teacher Leadership Conference titled, “Liberating Education” where Sharif challenged educators to be intentional...2020-08-2440 min
beyond the curriculumRevolutionizing Education Pt 2: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy - Michael Soskil | Episode 12“An educated, enlightened and informed population is one of the surest ways of promoting the health of a democracy”
— Nelson Mandela
Michael Soskil is a fourth-grade science teacher, Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Teachers Advisory Committee, 2016 Global Teacher Prize Top-10 Finalist, and the editor of the book “Flip the System: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy.”
On July 8th, Michael gave his keynote at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year’s Teacher Leadership Conference titled, “Flip the System” where Michael challenged educators to be political in their role without being partisan.
2020-08-1737 min
beyond the curriculumRevolutionizing Education Pt 1: Education’s Role in Democracy - Ted Dintersmith | Episode 11"Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Though Ted Dintersmith made his fortune in venture capitalism, he’s made his greatest impact on education.
His books Most Likely to Succeed and What School Could Be and his film Most Likely to Succeed are gaining momentum and challenging policymakers, educators, and community members to reimagine the role of the school as it prepares our children for the future.
On...2020-08-1037 min
beyond the curriculumRevolutionizing Education: Introduction - Bob Williams | Episode 10“Being a teacher leader means that you can understand and realize the impact you have is really limitless.”
— Bob Williams - Acting CEO NNSTOY
On July 8-10, the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) hosted its Teacher Leadership Conference virtually. The title of the conference? Revolutionizing Education.
With the permission of NNSTOY, I decided to share the event with listeners. Over the next five episodes, you will hear from the event’s keynote speakers. Each episode will contain highlight of presentations and we will hear from the speakers themselves who will hel...2020-08-0312 min
beyond the curriculumP-Based Learning: Abe Moore | Episode 09"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."
- Benjamin Franklin
Teachers are charged with preparing the next generation who will be tasked with being stewards of the world. Teachers can lecture about the skills that are necessary for adulthood, they can drill, and test them on these skills, or they can engage them in learning that makes a significant contribution to their community and the world in which they live.
Abe Moore is a year 6/7 teacher at Hallett Cove South Primary school in Adelaide...2020-07-2723 min
Teach Better Talk193: Better, more accurate feedback. - Mike Szczepanik and Brian Arnot chat with us about doing things you believe in, and providing better feedback to students.Mike Szczepanik and Brian Arnot chat with us about finding ways to better meet the needs of out students, doing things you believe in, and providing more accurate feedback.
More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/mikeszczepanik-brianarnot.
Mike and Brian's Recommendations
EdTech Tool:
Mike: Everything Google
Brian: Seesaw
Book:
Mike: “Stop Talking and Start Influencing” Jared Cooney Horvath
Brian: “Culturally Responsive Teaching & THE BRAIN” by Zaretta Hammond.
Who to Follow on Instagram:
Mike: Ken O’Connor @kenoc7, Rick Wormeli @rickwormeli2
Brian: Thomas Guskey @tguskey, Aaron Blackwelder @AaronSBlackwel1
YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog:
Mike: www.teachersgoinggradeless.com
Brian: www...2020-07-2737 min
beyond the curriculumArt Inquiry: Christine Miller | Episode 08Christine Miller is a retired high school Arts teacher from Plano, Texas. She believes deep, authentic learning comes from the learner posing the questions. Therefore, she used student inquiry to place her students in the center of her class.
Christine is the 2008-2009, Teacher of the Year, School for the Talented and Gifted, Dallas ISD, Williams High School, Plano ISD, Teacher of the Year, 2013-2014, Recipient of the Plano ISD Award of Excellence in Teaching Secondary Division, May 2014, Texas Art Education Association Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year, Nov. 2014, and National Art Education Association Western Region Secondary...2020-07-2021 min
beyond the curriculumSustainable Development Goals: Julia Fliss | Episode 07"The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing him for school, but for life."
- Maria Montessori
If teachers are preparing their learners for life then they need to engage them with life and the world in which they live. Our children will grow up and they will become the stewards of the earth. How we engage them today will determine the future.
Julia Fliss is a 6th grade English Language Arts teacher at Evergreen Middle School in Evergreen, Colorado. She believes in...2020-07-1328 min
beyond the curriculumTechquity: Kristine Napper | Episode 06"I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out..."
- Temple Grandin
The teacher’s primary job is to help students find their own voices. Because when we do, we help them become people who can engage with the world and, ultimately, make it a better place. Language, socio-economics, and physical and neurological diversity should not justify students sitting silently in the back. But how can educators help all students find their voices?
Kristine Napper, is an...2020-07-0630 min
beyond the curriculumInquiry: Michelle Cottrell-Williams | Episode 05It is fairly common for students to ask, “When will I ever use this?” This is not a meant to disparage the curriculum, but rather it is a challenge for teacher to make the content meaningful and worthwhile.
Michelle Cottrell-Williams, is an instructional coach at Gunston Middle School in
Arlington, VA, the 2018 Virginia State Teacher of the Year, and a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year.
Michelle sees herself as a disruptor who challenges her students to not only question the status-quo, but also to engage as citizens who are...2020-06-2927 min
beyond the curriculumBuilding Relationships: Dr. Jessica Zeller | Episode 04“When we drop fear, we can draw nearer to people, we can draw nearer to the earth, we can draw nearer to all the heavenly creatures that surround us.”
— bell hooks
When teachers create structures that "drop fear" and draw their students to them and to one another they create spaces where students can reach for the stars, and education is about discovering the limitless potential.
Jessica Zeller, PhD, is an associate professor of Dance at Texas Christian University and author of Shapes of American Ballet and has contributed to several anthologies of dance and blogs...2020-06-2227 min
beyond the curriculumTQE Reading: Marisa Thompson | Episode 03“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”
— Roald Dahl
It is the joy of reading that teachers want to inspire within their learners. However, somewhere along the way we lose sight of this and feel the pressure to assess reading with tests, essays, and presentations. The result: the joy of reading wanes, not only for students but for teachers. And thus, it drives teachers to begin...2020-06-2019 min
beyond the curriculumCourageous Conversations: Dr. Shantha Smith | Episode 02“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
— Arthur Ashe
In the wake of nation-wide protests that resulted from the death of an African American man at the knee of white police officers, it is clear racism is deeply ingrained in the fabric of our county. However, it is also clear that many Americans want to confront racism in order to become a nation that values ALL of its citizens regardless of race. Though conversations around racism are difficult, they are necessary if we want to make a significant impact.
So, how ca...2020-06-0827 min
beyond the curriculumAuthentic Writing: John Warner | Episode 01“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
— Sylvia Plath
If the purpose of writing is to do something bold and creative, does formal writing instruction typically used in schools help learners achieve this? Well, actually, the purpose of formulaic writing is to help students pass mandated state writing assessments and I, for one, have never been inspired by any five-paragraph essay.
So, how do we help students become writers with guts and im...2020-06-0124 min
beyond the curriculumTrailer - Welcome to Beyond the Curriculum“It’s not important what we cover in the class. It’s important what you discover.”
— Noam Chomsky
Jean Piaget has suggested that the principal goal of education should be to create learners who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what others in the past have done; but rather people who are creative, inventive, and inquisitive. This the essence of progressive education.
Beyond the Curriculum is a podcast dedicated to promoting progressive education. Each episode will feature an educator who will share practical approaches listeners can immediately use in their classrooms. Guests will expla...2020-05-2501 min
Human Restoration Project54: Making the Switch to Ungrading (feat. Abigail French, Dr. Susan Blum, and Dr. Laura Gibbs)Today, we're deep diving into ungrading. In episode 5, we looked at the gradeless movement and the pedagogy that surrounds it, and now we're looking at how it's incorporated, and the non-academic benefits of implementing it. To be clear, when I say "ungrading" - I'm referring to the movement away from grades. This doesn't necessarily mean that the class does not issue at grade at all. Typically, this means that grades are as limited as possible, as in one final grade at the end of a year, with opportunities to redo assignments or reach that goal in multiple ways.2019-08-311h 23
Teachers on Fire78 - Aaron Blackwelder: HS Teacher and Assessment LeaderAARON BLACKWELDER is a high school English teacher and golf coach at Woodland Public Schools in Woodland, Washington. He’s the founder of the Teachers Going Gradeless website and Twitter chat @TG2Chat and #TG2Chat. He’s also a father, husband, autism advocate, Google Certified Educator, and he’s loving life! Follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronSBlackwel1 and visit his blogs at mrblackwelder.wordpress.com and https://teachersgoinggradeless.com/, where he welcomes contributions from anyone with experience in the areas of gradeless assessment.In our conversation, Aaron recounts the beginnings of the TG2 site, chat, and mis...2019-04-1538 minHuman Restoration Project47: Redefining Assessment by Implementing Gradeless Learning feat. Jeffery Frieden, Aaron Blackwelder, & Nick CovingtonOn today's podcast, we're looking at the gradeless movement. There's a lot to be debated in the education system, but I'm hard-pressed to find a topic so steeped in research as this one. Whether it be motivation, willingness to learn, and even traditional test scores, not giving a grade shows improvement across the board.There's countless research articles, books, podcasts, psychologists, education experts, and more writing and studying the effects of grades. And every single time, whether it be 1850 or 2019, it seems to support the same outcome: Grades diminish motivation and do little to actually provide...2019-04-141h 02
25 Years of Vampire: The MasqueradeVampire Players Guide - Episode 91This book was written by Kraig Blackwelder, Carl Bowen, Ann Braidwood, Jacqueline Brasfield, Christopher Gunning, Conrad Hubbard, Evan Jamieson, Jim Kiley, Christopher Kobar, Rhiannon Louve, Ari Marmell, Matt McFarland, Patrick O’Duffy, Chip Quinn, Aaron Rosenberg, Myranda Sarro, Dean Shomshak, Greg Stolze, Adam Tinworth and Janet Trautvetter with development and additional material by Justin Achilli. the Vampire Players Guide was published October 6th, 2003 for White Wolf Publishing.Support the showhttps://linktr.ee/25YearsOfVtM2018-08-3137 min