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Talking about Unconscious Bias in Schools
Tracey A. Benson is the co—author, with Sarah Fiarman, of a recently published book titled “Unconscious Bias in Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism.” In this discussion, Tracey, who is an Assistant Professor of Education Leadership at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, discusses how we can have productive and potentially transformative… Read More

Ideation in Digital and Augmented Reality
The first of a two-part series on augmented and virtual reality, this episode how ideas behind effective simulations start. Dr. Patti McSteen, Associate Dean of Students at Ohio University and Detective Rick Sargent of the Ohio University Police Department brought an idea to the Immersive Media Initiative team at OU. That idea was turned into… Read More

Episode 207: Micro-Credentialing to Empower Teachers w/ Lynette Guastaferro
Teaching Matters is not just a great name for a podcast, its also a great name for an organization devoted to teacher development. Today’s guest is Lynette Guastaferro, the CEO of the non-profit organization, Teaching Matters, based in New York City. We will learn from Guastaferro how the organization uses micro-credentialing to empower teachers with… Read More

Episode 206 : Terri Givens
Excellence in teaching and learning is increasingly tied to the need for assessment. As both students and methods of instruction change, faculty are called upon to assess learning in ways that are increasingly nuanced so that meaningful improvements can be made across programs and within specific courses. Dr. Terri Givens, an education consultant and former… Read More

Episode 205 : Ron Regev, Chief Music Officer for Tonara
Learning to play a musical instrument presents a number of winding paths for students. Besides needing to learn concepts related to music theory, students must also integrate their conceptual understanding with development of fine motor skills. Often overlooked is the affective dimension of learning. How can music educators keep students motivated to practice so that… Read More

Ecuador Series Program 3— Service Learning in the Field
In addition to the project-based work surrounding the fight against Chagas disease, students and faculty engaged in service learning project. In this episode, participants described two of the project. Following their explanations, I reflect on the important role of reflexivity in these types of learning situations.

Episode 122 : The Ten Principles for Building a High Quality System of Assessment
In an effort to improve assessment practices, a collaboration between 19 different organizations representing educational researchers, educational policy reform advocates, private sector interests, and others, recently released “The Ten Principles for Building a High Quality System of Assessment.” (http://deeperlearning4all.org/10-principles-building-high-quality-system-assessments) A primary objective of the Ten Principles is to improve the ecological validity of assessment practices… Read More

Episode 121 : Jitka Nelson, 2017 Indiana Teacher of the Year
Teaching Matters is excited to announce a special series of podcasts with award-winning teachers who will share their personal stories about teaching excellence. The second program in this series is with Jitka Nelson, who was selected as the 2017 Indiana Teacher of the Year through a program of the Council of Chief State School Officials… Read More

Episode 117 : Place-Based Learning In the Grand Tetons
This episode expands on the topic of place-based learning, which was also covered in Episode 103. Whereas the previous interview focused on place-based learning in an urban setting, this episode focuses on a rural-based program, the Teton Science School. The science school offers place-based experiences for students and faculty, and also helps conduct workshops on… Read More

Episode 115 : Eva Moskowitz, Educational Reform Advocate
Eva Moskowitz is a leading figure in the education reform movement promoting charter schools. Her charter school system, the Success Academy Charter Schools in New York City, has 45 locations and serves nearly 15,000 students. In this episode of Teaching Matters, Moskowitz describes how her schools have created a culture of success despite the many… Read More

Episode 114 : Sydney Chaffee, 2017 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year
Teaching Matters is excited to announce a special series of podcasts with award-winning teachers who will share their personal stories about teaching excellence. The first program in this series is with Sydney Chaffee, who was selected as the 2017 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officials, which is the… Read More

Episode 113 : Math and Science Teaching Challenges w/ Dr. Courtney Koestler
Math and Science education poses challenges for teachers as they confront phobias, anxieties and perceived differential abilities among students. Dr. Courtney Koestler, Director of the OHIO Center for Equity in Math and Science in the Patton College of Education at Ohio University, discusses the political dimensions of math and science education as well as the… Read More

Episode 112 : Student/Teacher Communication Motives with Dr. Scott Myers
Students have a variety of motives for communicating with their instructors over the course of a semester or term. In this episode, Dr. Scott Myers from West Virginia University discusses a recent study he published in the journal, Communication Education, titled, “A longitudinal analysis of students’ motives for communicating with their instructors.” Dr. Myers research… Read More

Episode 111 – Immersive Media for Teaching and Learning
Virtual and augmented reality are poised to disrupt media consumption in all areas—entertainment, journalism, and education to name a few. Are you skeptical about this influencing your teaching and learning? If so, think about how smart phones and mobile computing has changed the ways in which we consume information. Virtual and augmented reality is the… Read More

Episode 110 – Appalachian Peace and Justice Network
On this episode, Scott Titsworth welcomes two members of the Appalachian Peace & Justice Network, a non-profit organization that empowers and challenges groups and individuals to work for peace and social justice, to talk about how the organization helps to embed social and emotional learning directly into schools in the region. Mara Giglio, director of… Read More

Episode 109 – Problem-Based Learning
Dr. Craig Davis and Mr. Chuck Borghese teach courses in strategic communication in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Both Craig and Chuck draw upon years of experience working in the communication industry to integrate real world, problem-based learning into their courses. They emphasize creativity, problem-solving, team-based collaboration, and real-world application…. Read More

Episode 108 – Academic Service Learning
Academic Service Learning is a pedagogical approach to problem-based learning that involves maximizing benefits for both learners and local communities in which educational projects are enacted. This episode describes an ongoing (20-year) project in Ecuador involving faculty from multiple disciplines and multiple universities. Dr. Mario Grijalva, Director of Ohio University’s Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute,… Read More

Episode 107 – Accelerating Opportunity Model
This program focuses on the link between educational credentials and future earning potential for students. Guests on the program describe an initiative called, Accelerating Opportunity, which is designed to advance the credentials of underprepared students with the objective of increasing their preparedness for careers that could increase their earning potential. Our discussion is centered on… Read More

Episode 106 : The Problem of Cell Phone Use in Class
On this episode of Teaching Matters, Scott discusses the problem, the challenge, and the rewards of technology, specifically cell phones, in the classroom with Dave Panzer, Director of Sales at Pocket Points, Inc. and Dr. Jeff Kuznekoff, Assistant Professor of Communication at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Pocket Points is a new app providing a… Read More

Episode 105 : Dr. Renee Middleton
On this episode of Teaching Matters, host Scott Titsworth talks with Dr. Renee Middleton, Dean of Ohio University’s Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services, about how their college prepares new and experienced teachers for the constantly changing landscape of education.

Episode 104 : Eric Berlin – Using Puzzles to Promote Creative Thinking
Teaching students to think creatively about problems is a critical step in promoting metacognition, problem-solving, and even productive collaboration. A lifelong puzzle enthusiast, Eric Berlin has created a variety of resources, including puzzle-based mystery novels and free word puzzles, that can be used by teachers, parents, and students to promote creative thinking. In this episode,… Read More

Episode 103 : Jeffery Partridge
Colleges and universities sometimes have an “arm distance” relationship with their communities. Alternatively, Dr. Jeffrey Partridge, Director of the Heritage Project at Capital Community College in Hartford Connecticut, offers a more productive approach. In a recent essay titled, “Higher Ed Approaches to Empowering Students,” which appeared on the Getting Smart online community, Dr. Partridge discusses… Read More

Episode 102 : Filip Noterdaeme – Stories of Students’ Apologies
In previous times, students who missed class either ignored the transgression, or were forced to address the issue with their teacher during office hours, or during a subsequent class period. Modern communication tools, however, offer new avenues for accounts, excuses, and apologies surrounding absences. In his recent book titled, Dear Professor: A Chronicle of Absences,… Read More

Episode 101: Wendy Merb-Brown
When students enter college, or undergo other similar transitions during their academic careers, they are at greater risk of academic difficulties. This episode features Wendy Merb-Brown, who is the Assistant Dean of University College at Ohio University. Wendy directs a campus wide learning community program for first-year students, which is designed to support students as… Read More

Episode 015 : Stephen Hunt
Dr. Stephen Hunt is Director of the School of Communication at Illinois State University in Normal Illinois. For several years, Steve and his colleagues have worked with the American Democracy Project, which is a program of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, to integrate political engagement activities into college curricular and co-curricular experiences…. Read More