Category Archives: Uncategorized

What Can We Learn from the History of Education?

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Poem: Choruses from the Rock VI, by T.S. Eliot 

Statement of the Whole: Steve and Jason look at the last 250 years of education in America in a brief survey format.  Gleaning a few lessons only whets the appetite to dig in deeper.  Join them for this quick flight through the fancies of American education and where all the past might be taking us in the future.  

Notes: 

Coming soon: Steve’s full presentation of A History of Education in America.  A series of monologues in which Steve outlines the history of education in America and traces the roots of where we are today.  This will be available behind our paywall soon, once we open up our shop, The Sideporch. 

Black·board /ˈblakbôrd/ noun.  a large board with a smooth, typically dark, surface attached to a wall or supported on an easel and used for writing on with chalk, especially by teachers in schools. 

Books mentioned: 

Marrou, Henri Irenee. A History of Education in Antiquity. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1982. 

Ravitch, Diane. Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform. Touchstone, 2001. 

The Joys of Research

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Poem: Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room, by William Wordsworth  

Statement of the Whole: Research this!  The dust clouds billow up and the sneezing begins.  Most students unfortunately have been taught to despise the task of research.  Jason and Steve beg to differ, viewing it as inquiry into the unknown, the natural result of wonder and questing for truth.  Join them for some thoughts on how to turn this task into a life-long pursuit.  No Googling going on here! 

Resources: 

TED on procrastination 

Help with Boontling

A Math Story Retold

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A story with Craig Conticchio 

Quote: by G.K. Chesterton — “The difference between the poet and the mathematician is that the poet tries to get his head into the heavens while the mathematician tries to get the heavens into his head.” 

Statement of the Whole: There are moments in Jason and Steve’s lives when something is said and they think, “that has to go on the podcast.”  This is one of those moments taking form.  Steve’s boss shows up to tell a story about his studies in math during college and then discusses some of the ideas coming from the story with Steve.  In the end, it all adds up. 

Resources: 

Work on chaos theory that Craig mentioned: https://www.wolframscience.com 

Folks who think number is beautiful: https://www.goldennumber.net/ 

What Can We Learn from the History of Education?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Poem: Choruses from the Rock VI, by T.S. Eliot 

Statement of the Whole: Steve and Jason look at the last 250 years of education in America in a brief survey format.  Gleaning a few lessons only whets the appetite to dig in deeper.  Join them for this quick flight through the fancies of American education and where all the past might be taking us in the future.  

Notes: 

Coming soon: Steve’s full presentation of A History of Education in America.  A series of monologues in which Steve outlines the history of education in America and traces the roots of where we are today.  This will be available behind our paywall soon, once we open up our shop, The Sideporch. 

Black·board /ˈblakbôrd/ noun.  a large board with a smooth, typically dark, surface attached to a wall or supported on an easel and used for writing on with chalk, especially by teachers in schools. 

Books mentioned: 

Marrou, Henri Irenee, and Henri Irénée Marrou. A History of Education in Antiquity. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1982. 

Ravitch, Diane. Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform. Touchstone, 2001. 

Reading Retention Re-examined

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Season Two, Episode 18 

Reading Retention Re-examined 

Another question from our listening audience 

Poem: “To Sleep” by William Wordsworth 

Statement of the Whole: Good reading is a good work.  It is not simple.  Many have experienced the sinking feeling of reading something, and shortly thereafter not remembering what they read.   

Resources: 

Goodreads 

Adler, How to Read a Book

Adler, How to Mark a Book 

Commonplace book:  How To Keep A Commonplace Book – YouTube 

The Role of Seminar in Education, with John Donohue

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Poem: none 

Statement of the Whole: Talking.  Conversation.  Dialectic.  Can words that pass between us really change the world?  In this podcast, Steve brings in a guest, John Donohue, to chat about the use of Seminar in education.  What are the benefits and possible pitfalls of just having a conversation be the central method of a classroom?  Join in the conversation. 

Resources: 

Great book on using Seminar with younger readers: Socratic Circles 

Steve’s written description of his high school Seminar Course 

Old video about Steve’s community roundtable, an evening type of Seminar for high schoolers in his town 

Whatcha Got in the Steam Pot? How Do Teachers Relax?

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Our Annual National Teacher Appreciation Day Show 

Poem: “Italian Food” by Shel Silverstein 

Statement of the Whole:  This is our second annual National Teacher Appreciation Day Show.  To celebrate, Jason and Steve have fun discussing what “down time” looks like for a teacher.  What does one who loves to teach all day do to take it easy?  Because they both find cooking relaxing, that is what is in the pot for this episode.  Try some of their relaxation stew. 

Resources: 

Link to Steve’s infrequent foray into food blogging: Bringing It to the Table 

Jason’s Onion Ring recipe: click here 

For those who want to enter the fragrant and soothing scene of offset smoking, click here. 

Salt: A World History 

The Art of Teaching 

Have You Read? The Abolition of Man

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Poem: No poem, Jason tortures Steve with Spanish instead 

Statement of the Whole: Is all truth relative, or are there some things that all men can agree upon?  The implications of this issue on education cannot be overstated.  If all truth is relative to the individual, or to culture, or anything, then education cannot cultivate wisdom and virtue, because it cannot assert any one thing as wise or virtuous.  With adept skill, C.S. Lewis brought this to bear in his small work, The Abolition of Man.  Jason and Steve talk their way through his insights in this podcast review of Lewis’ work. 

Resources: 

A great blog about Lewis, among others: click here 

The official CS Lewis website 

What Do You Do When Truth Sneaks into the Classroom?

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Allowing space for profundity, welcoming revelation. 

Poem: “Adam’s Curse” by William Butler Yeats 

Statement of the Whole: Many times, it is the unexpected appearance of a moment of truth that makes everything change in the classroom.  We had it planned to go this way, and then up pops the head of truth and now we are going in another direction.  The boys of Backporch Ed discuss ways to deal with this mystery, and basically bask in the glory of the unknown.  Will you join them? 

 

How Do You Write Good?

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Poem: “An Unstamped Letter on our Rural Letter Box” by Robert Frost 

Statement of the Whole:  Any art can be taught, but it is not taught in the same way that information is imparted.  Jason and Steve share various experiences and teaching ideas about the mystical art of teaching writing.  Join in the conversation and red-line their ideas. 

Resources: Some helpful websites for good programs of composition 

Circe’s Lost Tools of Writing 

Institute for Excellence in Writing