Trending In Education

Following on the heels of our conversation with the researchers who studied the impact of environmental factors, including temperature, on performance, here we dive in to get more reactions from Dan, Mike, and a few friends of the show.  The most buzzworthy component of the research has been the findings that women, on average, perform better on cognitive tasks in warmer temperatures while men, on average, tend to perform better in cooler temperatures.  We welcome Dr Erika Blumenthal to the show for the first time to get her takes on this hot topic, and bring back friend of the show, Kristen Smith, to help round out the conversation. Find a microclimate to listen optimally, turn up the volume, listen in and enjoy. 

You most likely saw a news article or morning television show covering a recent study on temperature and performance. Mike and Dan chat with the researchers behind the story!  Debates have raged for decades on office temperature and how it might change the way we work. This research shows that women do perform better in warmer temperatures, while men perform better in cooler temperatures. We talk with Dr. Agne Kajackaite, WZB, Berlin Social Science Center and Dr. Tom Chang, Associate Professor of Finance and Business Economics at USC about the process, results, and potential implications of their project. How might educators and test proctors better understand how a shared environment can be best set up for everyone? Can students use this sort of information to prepare themselves for better performance on test day? We discuss all this and what other factors, such as pollen levels, might truly change one's ability to perform at top levels.

On a very special Fourth of July extra, we share some news about co-host Brandon Jones. We talk through some of the highlights of Trending in Education over the past two-and-a-half plus years. We also discuss what topics we look forward to revisiting as the show accelerates into the future. We also bring back an old feature of our podcast, the quiz! Dan quizzes Brandon and Mike on July 4th history. Light your sparklers and tune in!

We revisit the Meeker report after our high-level discussion last week, to drill down on Mary Meeker's outlook for education and online education throughout the world. The world is changing at an ever increasing pace. How is online education attempting to keep up? We take a look at the intersection of public and private partnerships with MOOCs. Have MOOCs made the move up the Gartner Hype Cycles' Plateau of Productivity? As more colleges and universities move online, have we solved for the proper credentialing of future students? Are these schools moving their brick and mortar curriculum online properly and what should students and life-long learners be aware of as they seek out learning tools? Finally, how does a player like YouTube influence the space and what might their own platform look like in the future?We discuss all that and more on our latest. Tune in and join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook @TrendingInEd. 

What might the global landscape of learning and education look like in 2030? We dive into a recent dynamic report from HolonIq.com on five key trends to watch for over the next 10 plus years. In a global market place that is set to reach over 10 trillion dollars in the year 2030, how might the world of learning and education evolve? Will learning be most influenced through regional change or will a global big bang in learning and education change the state of play? What demographic and technology changes will influence the space? We dive into the five macrotrends highlighted in the report and get all futuristic in our mindsets for this week's show. Listen in and enjoy.

It's that time of year again! Join us as we dive into the 2019 Meeker Internet Trends Report. Mike and Brandon take a high level look at the report in it's entirety and explore what trends Mary Meeker thinks are most important. For the first time, over 50% of the world has access to the internet and that number should continue to climb. What does that mean for education, learning, and connectivity around the globe?How has our consumption of digital media changed and how important are mobile devices in that consumption? In a world where more and more content is created each day, how do we, as consumers, adapt to it all? How important will curation of content be as we’re all “drinking from the firehose” of midern life? We have all that and more on this first episode of two diving into the Meeker report!

A recent "click-bait" story out of the Washington Post describes a study in Italy that explores using Twitter to study a novel. The study, done at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, split students into two groups: one group used more standard classroom approaches to reading and understanding a novel while the other group used Twitter to learn about the book. The results showed that the students on who studied on Twitter struggled in retention and understanding of the novel. Does this prove that Twitter is, in fact, "eroding our intelligence" as the WaPo headline decries? Do studies like this help or hurt the cause of those trying to fight against Fake News and social media's shortcomings? Can using Twitter be a positive in certain contexts, lesson plans, and content domains?  We talk about all of this and more on our latest episode. Tune in and feel free to tweet about it! 

A recent study out of Stanford University shows that a new creation, Quizbot, proves to be more effective in students' knowledge retention than old school flashcards. We dive into how the Quizbot works and why it appears to be a welcomed addition to a student's studying tool box. How can the Quizbot's interactivity help students where analog study aides may fall flat? How might something like the Quizbot help augment study aides already in use? With chat and other text-based formats already popular across the web, how easily could this sort of instruction be introduce to students? And how does this relate to the blending of great human teaching with emerging innovation in technology and new media? Listen in to find out more and enjoy!

Happy Father's Day! On this extra, we tackle a news story out of Canada about the implementation of robot babies as a study tool for onboarding and training medical professionals. How might robot babies better prepare healthcare professionals for everything that could happen during the early days of life? Where might screen-based simulations be a better learning tool than a robot? Will future medical trainees get lost and creeped out in the uncanny valley? Listen in to hear all this and more.

As IQ has been thrust into the mainstream news with folks measuring each other based on obscure psychometric quotients, we take some time to look at what it's supposed to represent and what exactly can be understood by this number. We touch on Howard Gardner's work on multiple intelligences and raise some questions about whether IQ is an idea past its prime. What value do we get from IQ numbers and is it something that is fixed or changes over time? We explore the weaponization of IQ and the downside of pigeon-holing someone based on their IQ. How do EQ (Emotional Quotient) and AQ (Adaptability or Adversity Quotient) relate to IQ and which quotient(s) are most germane to life in our modern world? How does the math behind IQ, (your mental age over your actual age) remind us that life-long learning truly is important? We discuss all these things and more on our latest episode. Listen up and enjoy!

Octochamps? Octochamps! This year's Scripps Spelling Bee finished in an eight way tie. We discuss the fallout from the way it all ended and attempt to conjure up new innovations to the Spelling Bee and to Bees in general. We hit on some of the history of the National Bee along the way..What went wrong at this year's spelling be too cause an eight way tie? How has spelling bee prep changed the game for some of the brightest spellers in the country? Would a few simple tweaks to the rules and preparation help change the results? We conclude by musing over whether it's it time to ditch the Spelling Bee and replace it with a multievent Beecathalon? Tune in for all that and more. You'll be gladiolus you did!

If you step into a classroom today, you're likely to hear the tap tap of keyboards and cell phones, as students attempt to type down as many notes as possible from the lecture. While technology in the classroom can help push students forward, does technology win out on note-taking or does the "old school" paper and pen(cil) approach win the day? This week we dive into the digital v analog note-taking debate! Recent studies have shown that retention rates are higher for students who take notes with a pen and paper. What is it about the "old school" approach that proves better? How can students resist the pull of technology to take better notes? Should note-taking, notes management, and other studying techniques be something schools focus on with younger students? What technology can be used to get the best of both worlds?All that and Mike works on a sketch of Dan live on the show! Get your notepads and pens ready as you listen in and enjoy!

Inspired by Robert Smith's announcement that his family would help pay off the debt of the 2019 Morehouse College graduating class, we dive into commencement season. We look at what makes a great speech to graduates. Looking at speeches from this year and hearkening back to the best from the past few years, what common themes tie them together? Do the best speeches combine compassion and humor? Mike muses about working on his own commencement speech and what that might entail. Brandon shares a story of his own brush with commencement greatness. Dust off your cap and gown and have a listen!

On our latest episode of the Citadel, Brandon, Mike, and Dan break down the final episode of Game of Thrones. We talk through the all the major plot points, discuss what's next for those characters that are still with us, and share what we think could have been better. SPOILER ALERT!!! We talk about the conclusion of GoT in the show and in the rest of the description!Was Jon and Dany's final scene on par with the death of the Night King? Did the show runners deliver on story lines that have been building since season one? What should we think of the future of the monarchy in Westeros? Which future stories are the most compelling?We discuss all that and discuss the potential for spinoffs along with the prequels already in production. Tune in and join the conversation on Twitter using @TrendingInEd.

Why did the engineer teach the robot to tell a joke? To see if they could be funny, clearly.On our latest episode, we dive into a recent article on teaching artificial intelligence to tell jokes and puns. The Wired article we dig into describes the work of He He, a postdoc candidate at Stanford, who is attempting to teach robots how to construct and tell puns and jokes. How might a world where robots can tell good jokes change what we find funny? How does a shared human experience inform how we understand enjoying humor? How might AI work in conjunction with humans to write better jokes and comedies? We also share some of our favorite jokes and puns about robots, as well as a tease out another topic on chat bots. Tune in and enjoy!

Our fifth episode of the final season of The Citadel breaks down The Bells, Episode 5 of Season 8 of Game of Thrones. Be forewarned, we discuss numerous details of the show so if you're not a GoT fan or if you haven't seen the third episode of Season 8, steer clear for fear of spoilage.  Brandon, Mike, and Dan try to find bright spots in a season that's been headed in the wrong direction. We check in on the downward trend on Rotten Tomatoes and hope the final episode can correct the fall before the end of the series. How should we interpret Dany's actions? We see the prophecy of Varys' demise come true as he is put to death by the Dragon Queen and then she attacks King's Landing. Is she now, truly, the 'Mad Queen' or were these actions a necessary step to take Westeros and make it her own? Why didn't she lay waste to the Red Keep first, sparing the city? Will Jon's loyalty be put to the test with her actions? Jaime and Cersei are reunited and we get a brutal fight between the Hound and his brother the Mo

This week, we welcome Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, to the show to discuss school choice, innovation, and more. We dive into CER's history and goals on a national, state, and local level. Jeanne shares her views on what's wrong with our education system and how CER believes these problems can be fixed. She discusses where her organization spends its resources and time, as well as how they may find common ground they with folks on the other side of complex issues in educational policy and reform. We talk through what school choice means as CER sees it and what could help to provide all students with high quality education. As CER celebrates it's 25th anniversary, how might the next 25 years play forward for this organization and for learning and education as a whole? Tune in to find out!

Our fourth episode of the final season of The Citadel breaks down, The Last of the Starks, Episode 4 of Season 8 of Game of Thrones. Be forewarned, we discuss numerous details of the show so if you're not a GoT fan or if you haven't seen the third episode of Season 8, steer clear for fear of spoilage.  Brandon, Mike, and Dan make their way through what's been seen as a disappointing episode four of season eight. We begin in Winterfell for the victory toasts and celebrations, make our way through an uneven meeting betwen Bronn, Jaime, and Tyrion and a 'surprise' attack from Euron, and a meeting of the queens. Will Danaerys continue to be the chosen leader of those opposing Cersei or has Jon's revelation and popularity started to show cracks in her support? Have the show-runners lost their way? Rotten Tomatoes reviews continuing trend downward might answer that question for us. We talk through the coffee cup on set, Jaime and Brienne's time together, and much, much more. 

First, we say thank you to all the teachers out there as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day! Then, we dive into the latest wearable technology, hearables. As Fitbits and Apple Watches continue to flood the market, what is the latest technology available for our ears? Apple's Air pods are a popular example of the growing product area of smart, wearable audio devices known as hearables which are changing media consumption and have broad implications to learning.  How can hearables be used for learning and personalization? How can clarity controls and amplification created for those suffering from hearing loss make audio lectures and learning in crowded spaces more engaging for everyone? Are our ears a pathway to tracking our brain functionality and health more closely and dynamically? Find out how a Stanford Neuroscientist describes the possibilities. How long until cochlear implants combine with hearables to further blend humans with smart tech? In sum, we get futurist with our learnholes this week. What mo

Our third episode of the final season of The Citadel breaks down, The Long Night, Episode 3 of Season 8 of Game of Thrones. Be forewarned, we discuss numerous details of the show so if you're not a GoT fan or if you haven't seen the third episode of Season 8, steer clear for fear of spoilage.  We begin by checking in with Mike and Dan to set the stage for the podcast now that everyone has had time to digest and process this epic episode. Then we share highlights from our Sunday night live stream that included Brandon, Frank Jones, and Ken Florence, in addition to Mike and Dan. Ken is the composer of all the great music you here in our theme music and on each Citadel episode. We close out the show by getting more perspective now that the dust is settling with friend of the show, Kristen Smith. We talk through the Battle of Winterfell and those who were lost, and those we did not lose, in the battle versus the Army of the Dead. Where did the over/under come in on the number of major characters who died in this