What's the Big Idea?

In which Dan talks about puberty--that rite of passage that many of us would sooner forget--and how for kids today it looks and feels so very different from a generation ago. He talks to Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, hosts of the excellent Puberty Podcast and co-authors of the forthcoming book This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained . Dan, Cara, and Vanessa discuss the role ad...

In which Dan talks with Celeste Kirsh, middle school educator, podcast host, and Ph. D. student. Celeste is a deeply reflective and thoughtful person, and so Dan picks her brain about digital media literacy, teaching young people to write, and why we should be hopeful about the future. As always, I welcome comments and questions on Twitter and Instagram @bigideaed Featured on the show and further...

In which Dan talks with Annie Abrams, public school teacher and author of the new book Shortchanged: How Advanced Placement Cheats Students . Dan was always skeptical of the AP for reasons related to cost and its content-heavy nature, but after reading Abrams' rich analysis and critique of the program, it's clear that there's a lot more to it than that. Dan and Annie discuss why the...

In which Dan interviews Yehudah Potok, Director of Jewish Education Program and  Lead for the Antisemitism Project at Facing History and Ourselves .  A recent uptick in antisemitism around the U.S. had Dan wondering about the state of Holocaust education, so he reached out to Facing History, which has long been a leading voice in education for authentic, deep learning around hard topics like racis...

In which Dan discusses history, representation, and America's blindspots with Femi Redwood (@femiredwood), journalist and host of the podcast Beyond Black History Month, which has just kicked off its second season. They talk about the very idea of Black History Month in both schools and American media, the country's reluctance to engage with history, significant topics that are being ove...

In which Dan learns all about the book adaptation process from Rebecca Stefoff (@RebeccaStefoff), author of numerous fiction and nonfiction titles. Notably, Rebecca has adapted important works by Howard Zinn, Ronald Takaki, and Charles Darwin, and her efforts have made seminal texts such as A People's History of the United States accessible for young people. Dan and Rebecca talk about her car...

In which Dan talks with Kindra Neely (@kindraneely), author of the new graphic memoir Numb to This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting .  Neely is a survivor of the 2015 shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Numb to This is both a documentary of the events and an intimate personal account of the human toll of a mass shooting. Neely explores the role of media in covering mass shootings,...

In which Dan chats with Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) about the gains, pains, and learning that comes with being a professional educator. Our fast-paced, get-it-now culture can lead teachers to think that they should be polished and amazing NOW. Monte's career, and reflection on that career, suggest that patience is a virtue and that we can all grow into greatness. As always, I welcome comments a...

In which Dan asks a bunch of really smart educators, "What have the past two+ years taught us?" We're entering another school year of pandemic teaching and learning, so what do we have to show for it? Forget the think pieces online and the ranting at local school board meetings; what can these innovative teachers tell us about where education has (and hasn't) gone since March 2...

In which Dan chats with author Barbara Dee about her work writing powerful novels about middle school students, for middle school students. Barbara's 13th novel comes out this fall, and her books take on issues ranging from mental health to addiction to eco-anxiety. Dan and Barbara discuss how she finds the sweet spot in writing fiction at the middle school level, her characters, her career,...

In which Dan examines the behemoth that is traditional grading--you know, the A-F and 0-100 scales, and GPAs. Dan is joined by Susan Blum (@SusanDebraBlum) who has done a ton of thinking, speaking, and writing about how teachers can move away from this crude, harmful practice and towards something called ungrading. Susan edited and contributed to Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning...

In which Dan takes a close look at the recent spread of censorship aimed at schools and libraries across the United States. Hundreds (!) of new laws have been proposed in just months that would put teachers and curriculums under the microscope, and books are being pulled from shelves. The common denominator? The ideas and books being questioned all challenge orthodox views of American society, his...

In which Dan interviews Monica Brady-Myerov, founder and CEO of Listenwise, a learning platform that helps teachers bring podcasts and other audio into the classroom. Before starting Listenwise, Monica was an award-winning public radio journalist, and Dan and Monica talk about what she learned about storytelling during those years. Then they discuss why schools need to do more to teach listening s...

In which Dan chats with Molly Josephs, the adult who works on This Teenage Life, a podcast hosted by teens to talk about issues that matter to them. Dan and Molly discuss how TTL got its start, why student voices are more important than ever, and why the real goal is honest, productive conversation. They also talk about how teachers everywhere can (and should!) try out podcasting in the classroom....

In which Dan and special guest co-host Kim Dzwonkowski talk with  Angela Hanscom about the importance of getting kids outside, away from overly structured activities and hovering adults. Angela is the best-selling author of Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children and the founder of Timbernook . Dan, Kim, and Angela talk about how our o...

In which Dan talks with Ebonee Rice (@EboneeSpeaks), Senior VP of Educator Network at the News Literacy Project. They talk about the unprecedented amount of information at our fingertips, the danger of passive media consumption, the importance of understanding how news gets made, and the incredible work of the News Literacy Project.  Mentioned in the show: Why do people claim things that can be ea...

In which Dan talks with educator, author, and speaker Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp) about the importance of developing young readers. For over a decade Pernille has run the Global Read Aloud, a six-week program that unites classrooms around a single text. Dan and Pernille discuss what it means to be a reader, helping our reluctant readers find books that speak to them, and why teachers need to lis...

In which Dan is joined by Colorado educator Julia Fliss to discuss the importance of cultivating globally-minded students in our increasingly interconnected world. Dan and Julia start by examining the power of learning additional languages as a portal into deeper cultural understanding. Then they discuss the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, local activism, and Julia's work with Girl R...

In which Dan hosts the always-candid Monise Seward (@MoniseLSeward), a special education teacher and interventionist. Living in Georgia, Monise had a front row seat to one of the most tumultuous years in American history and she comes on the pod to talk about teaching and learning during the pandemic, election denialism, historical ignorance, and what she's optimistic about. As always, I welc...

In which Dan talks with educator, author, and big thinker Casey Jakubowski. They discuss rural education, the state of the teaching profession, the current debate over history class, and progressivism. As always I welcome comments and questions on Twitter @BigIdeaEd Mentioned in the show: Thinking About Teaching: A Rural Social Studies Teacher's Path to Strive for Excellence by Casey Jakubows...

In which Dan talks with Chris McNutt, an Ohio educator, the executive director of the Human Restoration Project, and a leading voice for a progressive, human-centered education. They talk about the manufactured myth of "learning loss", media literacy, and the incredible work of HRP. As always, I welcome comments and questions on Twitter @BigIdeaEd Mentioned in the show: From the Human Re...

In which Dan wraps up the school year and this season of What's the Big Idea? by sitting down with six thoughtful and reflective students to discuss the year and the future. They share lessons on the past fifteen months, go deep on the pluses and minuses of social media, talk about whether or not they feel heard as young people, and describe what makes a good life. As always we welcome commen...

In which Dan calls on Jessica Kirkland (@jkirk___), a high school English teacher in Virginia, to reflect on this unprecedented year. After describing what this year was like for her students, Jessica talks remote learning, learning "loss", diversity and inclusion, and how we should approach the next school year with student humanity in mind. As always, we welcome feedback on Twitter and...

In which Dan talks about the urgent need to protect LGBTQ students and empower teachers to become active allies. He's joined by Jean-Marie Navetta, Director of Learning and Inclusion at PFLAG. After discussing the troubling stream of anti-LGBTQ legislation from across the country, Dan and Jean-Marie examine ways in which schools can become more safe and inclusive for LGBTQ students. As always...

In which Dan discusses what makes meaningful assessment with Tyler Rablin (@Mr_Rablin), an English teacher and instructional coach in Washington state. They talk student voice in the assessment process, why quality feedback matters and why sometimes students just won't take the feedback, and how ideas like growth mindset and grit can be used to get teachers off the hook for our bad practices....