Academic Distinctions: A Podcast to Make Sense of American Education

Zac Chase & Stephanie Melville

Hosted by Stephanie Melville and Zac Chase, "Academic Distinctions" is a podcast for educators that tackles the reading and research teachers often don't have time for. With experience as classroom teachers, district administrators, and federal policy wonks, the hosts bring a unique perspective to discussions on education's "greatest hits" and current events. The podcast is committed to delivering engaging, informative, and actionable content that is relevant and responsive to the needs of educators. 

  1. SEP 30

    014: Priorities, Student Loans, and School Psychologists...oh my?

    Send us a text Stephanie and Zac look more closely and provide context for three top education news stories from the last week. First, the U.S. Department of Education proposed a new priority for getting back to basics on math. And it looks, normal? Just kidding. Next, what is happening with the federal student loan program and who are we about to exclude. Finally, we care about student mental health supports...sort of. It's an episode with a lot of ellipses.

    24 min

  2. SEP 4

    013: Tutoring, Laptops, and Grading for Equity? Not a silver bullet among 'em.

    Send us a text Stephanie and Zac take a closer look three top education stories from the last week. 1. High-dosage tutoring doesn't pay off for districts after the pandemic. But it's a case of apples and oranges. 2. EdWeek talks to a teacher who has students put their computers away, and we've got questions about the rest of the story. 3. Fordham says teachers don't like equitable grading practices, and we wonder if they might be bringing bias to a pedagogy fight. Plus, we look at a review of big ideas from learning sciences important for pre-service teachers.

    19 min

  3. AUG 27

    0012: Do we need to know more about cybersecurity than a re-watch of Hackers and Sneakers?

    Send us a text Zac and Stephanie talk with Senior Director for Preparedness and Response at the Institute for Security and Technology, Michael Klein about the importance of cybersecurity for school systems, what families can do to help students, educators roles, and how we can practice our own cyber hygiene.

    42 min

  4. AUG 13

    011: A Conversation with Former Secretary of Education John King, Pt. 2

    Send us a text In this conclusion of our conversation with former U.S. Secretary of Education John King, we ask how we can build community and conversations with folks with whom we feel we have nothing in common.  Secretary King offers his example of reconciling with the decedents of those who enslaved his ancestors.

    15 min

  5. AUG 7

    010: A Conversation with Former Secretary of Education John King, Pt. 1

    Send us a text Zac and Stephanie welcome former U.S. Secreatary of Education John King to the show to discuss his new book Teacher by Teacher.  In this first part of the conversation, we discuss where we can find hope as public education is under attack, how we can fight for the rights of students across the country, and how we can begin vulnerable conversations with folks with whom we disagree.

    36 min

  6. JUL 31

    009: What might be the power in doubting our own self doubts?

    Send us a text Almost 20 years ago, Carol Dweck's work on mindsets set the education world ablaze. Not long after that, the field started using Dweck's work in some helpful and not-so-helpful ways.  In this episode, Zac and Stephanie sit down with Cathy Williams of Stanford University's You Cubed to talk about the impact of growth and fixed mindset and how people learn better when they believe they can...well, learn.

    42 min

  7. JUL 23

    008: Where's our money, Linda?

    Send us a text The Supreme Court says it's okay for the Trump Administration to shutter the U.S. Department of Education while they wait for the case to formally reach them. AND, the Office of Management and Budget withholds BILLIONS of Title funds from states and districts. All this has Zac and Stephanie reeling with questions. So, they ask Education Law Professor Jon Becker back on the show to...you guessed it...make sense of public education.

    34 min

  8. JUL 16

    007: How much research is enough to know...anything?

    Send us a text Stephanie and Zac talk with Dr. Maggie Beiting-Parrish about the possible intended and unintended consequences of John Hattie's work and what we should be asking when we see research in education and beyond.

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Hosted by Stephanie Melville and Zac Chase, "Academic Distinctions" is a podcast for educators that tackles the reading and research teachers often don't have time for. With experience as classroom teachers, district administrators, and federal policy wonks, the hosts bring a unique perspective to discussions on education's "greatest hits" and current events. The podcast is committed to delivering engaging, informative, and actionable content that is relevant and responsive to the needs of educators. 

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