This week we discuss an Edutopia article on differentiating instruction without separating students. This article intersects several important aspects of teaching- good questioning strategies, making content accessible for students- and addresses the challenge of doing this when students are coming at a topic from a lot of different places.

Link to Article

Intro Music: David Biedenbender

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In this episode, Ashley shares her thoughts on the podcast episode, In Defense of Dabbling with Karen Walrond, which emphasizes the value of being an amateur and trying new things without a serious end goal. They bring up some specific examples from their childhoods, as well as talking about this decidedly non-education focused episode has so many important connections for educators and learners.

Intro Music: David Biedenbener

Other Music: Paul Krasnoshchok from Pixabay

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Welcome to our new series in Teach Wonder, Everything but the Book Study, where one of us has read the article we are about to discuss, and one of us hasn't. In this episode, Julie brings an article from The Guardian about a Finnish preschool experiment where natural forest elements were imported into schoolyards, enhancing children's health.

Article Link: How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health

Intro Music: David Biedenbender

Other Music: Paul Krasnoshchok from Pixabay

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In this episode, we discuss updates to our Educator Institute, a professional learning community focused on equitable teaching practices in STEM. We talk about the challenges we faced when testing our self-reflection tool as one for observation and how we shifted things. If you work with future teachers, or are trying to better your own practice, this episode is a one that talks about the intentional ways we have to self-reflection and pitfalls to avoid when observing others.

Intro Music by: David Biedenbender

Music by Viacheslav Starostin

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Ashley and Julie discuss the Educator Institute, a project aimed at bridging the gap between classroom teachers and future educators. They emphasize the importance of shared language and practices among educators. They talk about their experiences using the tool to both self-reflection and observe others.

Intro Music: David Biedenbender

Other Music: by Clavier Clavier from Pixabay

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In this episode Ashley O'Neil and Julie Cunningham discuss the book Troublemakers by Carla Shalaby as it relates to curiosity and agency. This book was part of the summer work in the Educator Institute, discussed in Episodes 1 and 2. In this episode they've each brought specific examples from the book and explore how these examples challenged or reframed their thinking. Throughout the podcast, the balance between classroom management and fostering authentic student engagement and self-expression is a central theme. They wrap up the episode by discussing some ways that teachers can sustain these types of practices in the classroom.

Read the book: Troublemakers

Intro Music: David Biedenbender

Outro Music: Leigh Robinson from Pixabay

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Ashley and Julie are hear talking about what Risky Play has to do with Curiosity in the classroom. They highlight the need for educators to shift from replication to genuine learning, valuing respectful relationships and deeper skills. Ashley reflects on her experience with a homeschool group, noting the challenge of balancing student agency with personal expectations.

Link to Article on Risky Play

Intro Music: David Biedenbender

Outtro Music: Music by Christoph Scholl from Pixabay

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Ashley O'Neil and Julie Cunningham, hosts of the Teach Wonder podcast, discuss the Educator Institute, a new project at Central Michigan University's Center for Excellence in STEM education. The Educator Institute began this summer when a group of educators and Center staff created a professional learning community who then developed an educator observation tool. This tool is intended to scaffold reflection on equitable classroom practices in STEM education. The tool will be piloted by members of the learning community, Center staff and pre-service teachers who work with children in the maker space at the Center. You are invited to join us on our journey this fall as we make meaning out of our experiences with the tool in our learning community.

Intro Music: David Biedenbender

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