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This month we are joined by two authors of a piece on constraints that fuel creativity. They share how limits on our writing help us focus on new parts of the writing process and make interesting connections along the way. Later, we read about how errors are essential to the learning process and what we as teachers can do to make more productive use of the errors students will inevitably make.

This month we look at professional development. A fresh framework for PD lays out how we need to consider teacher learning in-context, with definite answers to the “for whom” and “when” when discussing whether something works. Later, we look at norms for co-teaching by examining the role of a mentor teacher while a student teacher works with students. How should the mentor engage or intervene during a lesson?

This month we are joined again by guest Youki Terada to discuss his 2022 education research roundup. His team at Edutopia has curated their 10 top studies of the year - from retrieval practice to play-based learning - and we discuss every last one of them in a marathon episode.

Digital literacy skills are important for teachers to consider across many teaching contexts. We read about how critical ignoring should be part of what we are teaching to help students manage the information overload of today’s digital landscape. Later, we read a classroom study of how reverse engineering can help students get more out of their first robotics experiences. The benefits over “forward” designs reached their collaborative skills and what they learned.

This month we read a robust, experimental study on teaching self-regulation and the increasing benefits to students over time. They learn more AND close a key achievement gap. Later, we read about a pedagogy of enactment - how to learn about teaching through teaching. It underscores the many ways we improve through practice.

The theories about teaching students according to learning styles have been debunked in research, but the idea has been difficult to interrupt in practice. We read a new paper focused on helping teachers move on from old thinking related to learning styles with more productive contemporary research. Later, we look at a listener recommendation focused on helping students think about how they view their own learning, in order to promote more effective practices among students.

Staffing challenges in districts across the United States are fueling a narrative of a nationwide teacher shortage. However, Paul Bruno joins us to talk about his recent work showing there may not be a national shortage… or national anything. Later, we read a paper showing some of the inequitable impacts of math homework, and the persistence of a meritocracy myth despite teachers’ knowledge of the inequity.

This month we reflect on our year of reading scholarship and growing as humans. First we’ll return to the segments we felt had the greatest impact on our practice and our thinking from the research we read. Later, we’ll reflect specifically on our praxis. We share some of the changes we’re making in our classroom and in our study that is moving us toward our goals as education practitioners. Finally, we’ll share a bit about how our lives are changing outside of school… and mark the 2022 recipients of the Mug of Honor.

As the summer of 2022 wanes, we will spend some time looking at the bigger picture of how education has been affected by COVID-19 these past few years. We read reviews of the current research on COVID impacts on mental health and academic outcomes, with thoughts on how it may impact our prep for the coming year. Later, we react to a review of research on visual displays and the importance of intentionally developing visual literacy. How can we help students learn to decode visual language?

Why are people so influenced by false information, even when they know better? We are joined by researcher Nikita Antonia Salovich to discuss her recent work on evaluative mindsets, and how we can apply on-going work to how we handle information in the classroom. Later, we discuss Culturally Responsive Science Teaching - and how teachers can better cultivate sociopolitical consciousness with students.

When professional development programs conflict with overemphasis on test scores, teachers face a precarious tension between their growth and the ever present threat of dubious evaluations. We read about an effort to sustain professional development in writing instruction amid a high-stakes testing environment. Later, we look at the correlation between increasing cultural socialization and reductions in suspensions for Black students. These findings illustrate the need for a culturally competent teaching workforce.

The routines, rewards, and incentives we use in the classroom can help students build productive habits they use throughout their lives. We read about a series of studies that found how rewarding cognitive effort can lead to greater intrinsic motivation for participants… even after the rewards. We think about how this could apply in classrooms. Later, we discuss a recent report promoting research on the positive impacts of professional learning. How can we get the most from our time and energy in PD?

Retrieval practice has a ton of research support, but we’re still figuring out the when and how of its effective use in instruction. We read a series of studies comparing the impacts of post-testing and pre-testing on measures of learning, with the results showing tremendous power in pre-tests. Later, we read a study showing how local poems and songs provide viable material for reading instruction. The added benefits of local connections for student appreciation offer a powerful tool for facilitating student learning.

Technology has taken a prominent position in many schools as we have taught these past few years, yet we need to look at who is using what technological tools… and why? We read how technology manifests and reproduces categorical inequalities in education, with some lessons on how to disrupt those means of sorting students. Later, we read an article critiquing the prominent savior narrative used in education to avoid important conversations about classroom power dynamics and the treatment of teachers in society.

Universal Design for Learning is an exciting framework to improve accessibility of instruction. However, Dr. Guy Boysen joins us to discuss his critiques of the existing research to support UDL and how future work could improve confidence among scholars. Later, Lali DeRosier returns to the show to share a paper on science discourse in urban classrooms. We explore why science talk matters, and how to facilitate just & effective discourse among students.

All learning is brain-based, which means taking care of our brain is part of a good education. We read a scoping review to look at some examples of how healthy habits can impact learning, motivation, and mental wellness. Later, we read a study that compared the efficacy of student argumentation when approached collaboratively or adversarially. The results suggest there are specific benefits to helping students argue in parallel. NOTE: equipment problems have caused some issues with sound quality. Our apologies, and we are making changes for future tapings.

Students need feedback on their work in order to improve, but what is the impact of different approaches to giving that feedback? We read a study of how students perceive the feedback they get, and how it impacts their motivation and vitality. We see the applications for helping students boost their sense of competency. Later, we read a teacher-written journal paper on applications of Cognitive Load Theory. We find implications for helping students manage their cognitive resources, especially when applying IEPs and 504 plans.

State standards set the expectations for what teachers teach in the classroom, but we should continue to examine who is represented in those standards… and who is erased? We read a study of state civics standards to analyze where Indigenous nations are represented. We learned from these examples to see how to explicitly include Indigenous nations in instruction. Later, we read a study of how teacher responsiveness is an essential tool for providing equitable instruction in classrooms. What role do teachers have to use their agency to change the classroom experience to better align to what students need?

Starting another school year with pandemic concerns rising again, it’s important to address student mental wellness as a classroom goal. We read a national survey that asked students how they feel about school, both at the moment and as they remember it. The results give us concrete opportunities to support student wellness this fall. Later, we read a design-based study that evaluated a culturally sustaining approach to multilingual literacy. This example shows how to help students reach reading AND content goals.

This month we reflect on our year of reading scholarship and growing as humans. First we’ll return to the segments we felt had the greatest impact on our practice and our thinking from the research we read. Later, we’ll reflect specifically on our praxis. We share some of the changes we’re making in our classroom and in our study that is moving us toward our goals as education practitioners. Finally, we’ll share a bit about how our lives are changing outside of school… and mark the 2021 recipient of the Mug of Honor.