Two Pint PLC

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 hel...

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 Lo...

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 teach...

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...

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. Final...

This month we are talking about race, and read a series of papers looking at the experience of Black students in US education. First, we read an article that examined the story of “The Space Traders” as a starting point for imagining what it looks like to create Black Education Spaces for students to express fugitivity and create racial counterspaces. Later, we read an empirical study that measure...

Student social, emotional, and behavior development will be a critical consideration for teachers returning to physical classrooms in the fall. We read a national study examining the various methods schools use to screen students for social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Universal screening is still rare in the US, but its impacts are considerable. Later, we discuss the emotional display rules...

This month we are thinking… about thinking. We read a review of the applied research on retrieval practice, which recognizes the difference between “learning” something and “knowing” something. We reflect on the ways this has played out in our classrooms, and what we can learn from recent studies for how to improve our use of the technique. Later, we read a piece on translational research that mak...

Standardized testing is happening again this year. Researchers are talking about how to use the data more responsibly. We read an advising memo that describes some of the common problems with comparing testing data from this year to past years, so we can properly recognize the progress students have made this year. Later, we discuss several studies that look at the impact later high school start t...

Images and animations offer tools to visualize our content, but must strike a balance between ease-of-use and ability to prompt thinking. We read a study that tested the impact of prior knowledge and multimedia format on learning outcomes. Later, we read a case study about an administrator navigating a toxic district culture. Guest Jenn Binis joins us to examine the flaws in how the author present...

Gamification offers a fresh take on teaching design that offers increased engagement and improved learning. However, research to-date has been unclear about what components of gamification work. We read a meta-analysis that searches for which pieces of gamification can benefit your students. Later, we turned to a study of how research is interpreted by teachers. They identify which measures are po...

047 Epistemic Disobedience & Neuroscience Motivation by Laurence Woodruff & Michael Ralph

Science communication has been turned upside down by the explosion of popularity of social media platforms. We read a reconceptualization of nature-of-science education for the social media age. What is our job as teachers, of any content area, to prepare our students to be responsible consumers of science as citizens? Later, we turned to the role of a person’s self-concept in shaping how the inte...

The importance of mathematical reasoning is visible in conversations from pandemics to politics. Sarah Dolence joins us to discuss how a numeracy framework developed for citizens can inform math instruction for students. Later, we read research connecting instructional choices to student perceptions of classroom goal structures. From tasks to evaluations, are we incentivizing growth? Finally, Sara...

The future of teaching depends on training future educators, but pairing student teachers with effective veterans can be challenging. New research allays some fears from veteran teachers by showing that taking a student teacher does not negatively impact classroom outcomes. Later, we explore a critique of scripted curricula that shows their inconsistency with democratic values… even at a theoretic...

With many schools beginning the fall in remote or hybrid settings, we’re still thinking about digital teaching. Research on filming techniques shows how your camera and editing choices impact student retention and understanding. Later, we read about a new model for need-supportive teaching. Three essential elements build an engaging and productive classroom. Finally, we reflect on the role of teac...

This month we’ll have our year in review! We’re looking back at the papers that impacted our thinking and our practice. We’ll also reflect on our personal journey as educators during an academic year unlike any other.

This month we’re talking about racism in US education. Our first paper presents the experience of Black men who have been expelled from US schools. Their stories highlight systemic problems that produce a school-to-prison pipeline that we must work to dismantle. Later, we read about gentrification of New York schools. Ties between whiteness and school resources undermines schools in Black communit...

As our minds turn to plans for the fall, many districts are making “what if” plans for whether and how to return to in-person teaching. Guest host Kelly Kluthe brings guidelines for Missouri schools to consider how teachers can make use of safety recommendations in their classrooms. Later, we read an article about using critical analysis of online teaching to create humanizing pedagogy. We look at...

Our second month of emergency remote teaching leaves us searching for ways to help our students grow in all the areas we value. We start by reading a paper that identifies connections between socio-emotional constructs, with ways to promote growth in executive function and citizenship together. Later, we read a program guide to effectively planning remote field trips. Avoid common mistakes and fin...

Lali DeRosier joins us as a guest host for this month’s look at online teaching. The global pandemic of COVID-19 is affecting communities around the world, and many teachers are thrust into remote learning with little warning. First we read a study on the impact of interactive content and students-controlled challenge level. We look at how teachers can choose content to help their students stay en...