Discourse in our Time
This week’s Beyond the Syllabus brings together of-the-moment public debates, critical research, and retellings of history that cause us to renew our perspective on and passion for discourse in the classroom and beyond.
Office Hours: Jamie Poskin
We spoke with TeachFX Founder Jamie Poskin to learn about his inspiration for and vision of technology’s role in improving class discussions.
Politics, Economics, and the Lives of Teenagers
After a pandemic, and an election, what does work look like for teenagers, and how can educators and employers work together to (re)imagine the future of teen work?
Office Hours with Jessica Yarbro
“If students are used to group discussions being just “talk,” it’s important to be up front about what, specifically, you’re doing. It’s formative.”
Office Hours with Natalie Chapman
“Before, during, and after writing, there are opportunities to leverage classroom community, and I actually think that writing and discussion can both improve each other. We say that writing should happen every day and be a key element of the classroom, and I think discussion is the same way.”
Debunking Mythologies in Art, Politics, and Medicine
Mythologies, debunked: how newly clarified information can inspire teachers and students to discuss, and learn, better.
Office Hours with Claire Goldsmith
A conversation with Claire Goldsmith, Executive Director of Malone Schools Online Network and online learning optimist.
Self Paced Learning and Student-Led Discussion, Together?
Beyond the Syllabus posts offer a round-up of resources that are “practice-adjacent,” as Katherine often says. We offer recs for podcasts, fiction and non, and TED talks that offer delightful – if surprising – ways to rethink or enrich discussion practice. This week, we tapped into the trend of self-paced learning, which has become especially…
Protagonists: Teddy Romeyn
“For me, especially as a young teacher who’s still trying to figure it out, I’ll have students who will try to take the conversation in a completely different direction than what I had planned. Then I start to get worried, and I feel I have to reel the entire class back in. My mentor, though, challenged me to let it happen and then take advantage of the tangent. I’m trying to learn to do that, instead of letting it bother me.”
Protagonists: Joanna Balla-Elliott
“I’m working with a professor from grad school to bring authentic texts into vocabulary instruction that amplify diverse voices and expose students to issues of justice and equity. I’m interested in how we can promote a love of words as we teach students to think about their world.”
