Tea for Teaching

Transition to College

Many students experience challenges transitioning from high school to college. In this episode, Beckie Supiano joins us to discuss changes in the K-12 environment that impact student preparation for college. Beckie is a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education. She began her work at The Chronicle as an intern in 2008 and is a co-author, with Beth McMurtrie of The Chronicle’s Teaching Newsletter.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Mentor Mindset

Many attempts at influencing adolescent behavior fail. In this episode, David S. Yeager joins us to the use of a mentor mindset by faculty members can  increase student motivation and academic success. 

David is the Raymond Dixon Centennial Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and a co-founder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. He is best known for his research with Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth and Greg Walton on interventions that influence adolescent behaviors. David has served as a consultant for Google, Microsoft, Disney and the World Bank, and is the recipient of over 15 awards for his work in social, developmental, and educational psychology. He has published extensively in scholarly publications, and his research has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and many, many other places. David and Carol Dweck and others have also created a MasterClass on The Power of Mindset. His most recent book is 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

CURE for Engagement

Authentic learning experiences help to create intrinsic motivation for students. In this episode, Julia Koeppe, Bonnie Hall, Paul Craig, and Rebecca Roberts join us to discuss BASIL, a course-based undergraduate research experience in Chemistry that has been implemented in many institutions.

Julia is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department here at SUNY-Oswego. Bonnie is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Chemistry & Physics Department at Grand View University. Paul is a Professor in the School of Chemistry and Material Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Rebecca is a Professor in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program in the Department of Biology at Ursinus College.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Civic Pedagogies

Class discussions of public policy issues can be challenging in our politically polarized environment. In this episode, Lauren C. Bell, Allison Rank, and Carah Ong Whaley join us to discuss a new resource that suggests a variety of strategies that encourage students to address their differences and to engage productively in civic engagement projects.  

Allison is an Associate Professor of American Politics and chair of the Department of Politics here at SUNY-Oswego. Lauren is the inaugural James L. Miller Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs at Randolf-Macon College. Carah is the Vice President of Election Protection at Issue One and is a co-chair of the American Political Science Association’s Civic Engagement section and a member of the APSA’s Civic Engagement Committee. Allison, Lauren, and Carah are editors of Civic Pedagogies: Teaching Civic Engagement in an Era of Divisive Politics, which was recently released by Springer.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

The Disengaged Teen

Educators at all levels have raised concerns about growing student disengagement. In this episode, Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson join us to discuss their new book, The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better, which examines the causes of, and possible solutions, to this problem.

Rebecca is the Director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, where she leads global studies on how to better support children’s learning, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Jenny is an award-winning journalist who spent over a decade at The New York Times before pioneering coverage on the science of learning at Quartz. She now writes a column on education in Time. 

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Student Motivation and UDL

Providing more autonomy can increase students’ intrinsic motivation. In this episode, Chris Hromalik joins us to discuss ways of increasing student autonomy within the UDL framework. an Assistant Professor of Spanish and Distance Learning Instruction and Design at SUNY Oswego. He is also the Project Manager of the Universal Design for Learning at SUNY Project. In this role he provides Universal Design for Learning professional development across the SUNY system. Chris is also the recipient of a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. His research focuses on UDL as well as statistical analysis on applied linguistics and education.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Why Don't Students Read?

There has been a consistent downward trend in the amount of time college students spend reading and completing assignments outside of class. In this episode, Betsy Barre joins us to discuss some strategies that might be used to increase student motivation to engage with assigned coursework.

Betsy is an Assistant Provost and the Executive Director of the Center for Advancement of Teaching at Wake Forest University. In 2017 she won, with Justin Esarey, the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education’s Innovation Award for their Course Workload Estimator. Among her many other roles, Betsy is also a Professor in the Department for the Study of Religions.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Connecting to Core Values

Engaging and motivating students starts but doesn’t end with inclusion. In this episode, Bryan Dewsbury joins us to discuss ways of connecting class content to students’ core values to prepare students to productively engage with their communities as we work with our students to make our disciplines more equitable. 

Bryan is an Associate Professor of Biology at Florida International University. He is the Principal Investigator of the Science Education and Society research program, an Associate Director of the STEM Transformational Institute where he directs the Division of Transformative Education, and a Fellow in the John N. Gardner Institute. Bryan is also one of the co-authors of The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching. He is the developer of a free MOOC on Inclusive Teaching, offered through the HHMI Biointeractive and Science and Education Society. Bryan is a highly regarded keynote speaker and workshop leader.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Growth-Mindset Messaging

First-generation college students, on average, have lower GPAs and higher dropout rates than continuing-generation students. In this episode, Elizabeth Canning, Makita White, and William B. Davis join us to discuss a growth-mindset intervention that has eliminated this equity gap in a large STEM class. 

Elizabeth is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Washington State University. Makita is a graduate student at WSU’s Experimental Psychology Program, and William is a Professor of Molecular Biology and the Interim Vice Provost for Academic Excellence and Student Achievement at WSU.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Failing Our Future

The traditional grading system that we are all used to is of relatively recent historical origin. In this episode, Josh Eyler joins us to discuss research on problems associated with traditional grading systems and possible solutions at different scales and in different educational contexts.

Josh is the Director of Faculty Development, the Director of the ThinkForward Quality Enhancement Plan, and a faculty member in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Mississippi. He is the author of How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories behind Effective Teaching and a forthcoming  book, Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, and What We Can Do About It.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.