Ways We Learn

About Ways We Learn

Your hosts Sean Dagony-Clark, Joe Burgess, and Brian Tobal are investigating the ways people learn across all modalities and ages. We'll investigate learning through storytelling, experience, and games. We'll look at learning in schools, businesses, and personal life. We’ll look at everything from learning techniques to educational technology, AI- and computer-assisted learning, effective classroom practices, and traditional and non-traditional learning approaches. Basically: all the ways we learn!

Publisher

Sean, Joe, and Brian investigate the ways people learn

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Dec 2022

Latest episode

26 Nov 2024

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Nov 2024

   Learning About Copyright Law with Ariel Diaz

   Ariel Diaz, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Boundless Learning, shares his side of the story behind the company's copyright lawsuit and its impact on the textbook market.

2. 

   19 Nov 2024

   AI as Learning Facilitator with Steve Midgley & Whitney Whealdon

   I've spent years in the field of ed tech. Along the way, I became disappointed by a lot of what I saw. There has been way too much “shiny new object syndrome,” and way too little of the actual learning transformation that it promised. Starting with blackboards, then whiteboards, then radio, then film strips, then TV, then calculators, then computers, then many other EdTech things – they all promise transformative learning, but they don't always deliver. So my question: is AI going to be different? Thankfully, Steve Midgley and Whitney Whealdon have some answers! Steve is the Founder and Managing Director of Learning Tapestry, and Whitney is the Director of Learning Innovation. Steve served as the Deputy Director of Educational Technology for Arne Duncan at the U. S. Department of Education and the Director of Education at the FCC. Whitney has worked in education for over 20 years, including 10 years at the Louisiana Department of Education, and led the creation of the ELA Guidebooks, which is an English language arts curriculum used in over 80 percent of Louisiana districts and other states nationwide. Both of these folks really know education, and they’re perfect guests for my big question today: how do the affordances of AI lead to truly transformative learning? Contents: 01:00 The Evolution and Challenges of EdTech 02:23 Learning Tapestry’s Purpose 03:43 Steve's Background and Vision 04:47 Whitney's Perspective on EdTech 10:46 AI's Potential in Education 21:08 AI in the Classroom 39:23 Academic Integrity 41:05 Practical AI for Teachers 43:52 AI as a Collaborative Partner 53:40 Quality Assurance in AI-Driven Learning 59:43 Ethical Considerations Links and further reading: Learning Tapestry: https://www.learningtapestry.com (https://www.learningtapestry.com) Steve’s bio: https://www.learningtapestry.com/steve-midgley.html (https://www.learningtapestry.com/steve-midgley.html) Whitney’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whealdon/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/whealdon/) And here’s the knowledge-building app they described! (Remember the frog > lily lad > chlorophyll example?) Wonderwood is an infinite digital encyclopedia and interactive learning app for children ages 3-8 to build their knowledge of the world: ⁠https://wonderwood.me/⁠ (https://wonderwood.me/) And here's the quote Steve referenced, with his intro: Here's a quote that is old but, for me at least, informs where our expectations need to shift to in the age of AI. The movement from computational to concept-based math is parallel to a movement from expressive to concept-based ELA - and the skills below reflect what I think are valuable to students regardless of how much support they get from AI in their schooling. "At school you are engaged not so much in acquiring knowledge as in making mental efforts under criticism... You go to a great school not so much for knowledge as for arts and habits; for the habit of attention, for the art of expression, for the art of assuming at a moment's notice a new intellectual position, for the art of entering quickly into another person's thoughts, for the habit of submitting to censure and refutation, for the art of indicating assent or dissent in graduated terms, for the habit of regarding minute points of accuracy, for the art of working out what is possible in a given time, for taste, for discrimination, for mental courage, and for mental soberness." - William Johnson Cory, 19th Century Headmaster at Eton

3. 

   12 Nov 2024

   Gamification That Doesn't Suck with Seth Trudeau

   Think about your experience with education. What was that experience like? For many of us, organized learning was sort of like a factory. A bunch of students along for the ride, not necessarily wanting to be there, but ingesting a lot of information that was handed down by a teacher, and waiting for a big scary test at the end. Now think about a time you've played a game. You may have found the game more enjoyable than some of your learning experiences. You’re more active in a game. You get quick feedback in a game. A game is really meant to be fun, even in that big scary test at the end. Seth Trudeau is someone who thinks education can and should be more like games. He is the founder and managing director of Routine Chaos, where he works with companies to build transformative products through deep product discovery and rigorous product development. He's built games, simulations, and applications for learners from primary school up through postgraduate studies. We sat down to discuss the potential benefits of gamification in education from classics like “Oregon Trail” to modern games like “Minecraft,” and the importance of creating engaging, skill-building environments in games. We talked about Pokemon tournaments and how such community-driven, game-based learning can be applied to educational contexts. And we looked at project-based and self-directed learning, and how teachers can foster meaningful motivation and interest in students. Contents: 00:58 Games vs. Traditional Learning 02:45 The Evolution of Gamification 09:09 Challenges in Educational Gaming 11:27 Effective Educational Games Today 13:48 The Value of Games in Learning 20:18 Gamification in Professional Training 24:17 Leveraging LLMs for Scenario-Based Learning 27:42 The Pokemon Company and Education 36:36 Mixed-Age Communities and No Age-Based Hierarchies 37:07 The Pokemon Tournament Experience 40:36 Rethinking Traditional Education Hierarchies 42:43 The Role of Critical Thinking in Education 53:45 Conceptual Exposure in Math Education 58:11 Project-Based and Interest-Driven Learning 01:04:26 Advice for Traditional Classrooms Links and Further Reading: Seth’s writing on gamification: https://routinechaos.substack.com/p/what-if-the-pokemon-company-took (https://routinechaos.substack.com/p/what-if-the-pokemon-company-took) More of Seth’s thoughts: https://routinechaos.substack.com/p/a-bit-more-on-gamification (https://routinechaos.substack.com/p/a-bit-more-on-gamification) Marc LeBlanc's 8 kinds of fun: http://algorithmancy.8kindsoffun.com (http://algorithmancy.8kindsoffun.com) Jesse Schell's Art of Game Design: https://schellgames.com/art-of-game-design (https://schellgames.com/art-of-game-design) The Importance of Play: https://www.routine-chaos.com/introducing-pursuit-of-play/ (https://www.routine-chaos.com/introducing-pursuit-of-play/)

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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