Logic and Lore

Brian Widmer
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  • EDUCATION

Educational mercenaries Brian Widmer and Michael Shear share their love of storytelling and thoughtful observation. Brian is a specialized tutor with a musically obsessed brain. He regularly misses the movie references that Michael throws his way. Michael is an Education Specialist at a school full of turkeys and champions. He is a writer at heart and will metaphorically lead Brian on long walks for very short glasses of water.. so join us! And bring a snack.

Episodes

  1. 11/24/2021

    Thanksgiving Tea Time Talk!

    Hi Everyone! This week Michael and Brian take advantage of the time off to record a more relaxed tea time conversation. (Pardon the sounds of the cafe in the background.) Michael brought up some challenges that high school has been facing since the 20-21 pandemic school year left so many kids at home with 9th grade habits underdeveloped and many unhelpful habits in place instead. What can you do? Well you have to do something, and that's part of what we'll talk about in this episode. Also, the tea Michael refers to in the beginning is Blue Lady by Zest Tea. I have no idea why there's so much caffeine in it. Someone tell us on Instagram @logicandlore   ....or just say hi and tell us what you thought of the episode. We'd love to hear from you. If you feel led to support our show financially, check out https://anchor.fm/logicandlore/support and click "support." While we do keep things relatively clean, these conversations are geared toward mature audiences and may not be appropriate for younger listeners.

    52 min

  2. 11/15/2021

    IEP Crash Course

    Michael is back and here to answer my many questions about IEPs! Chances are you or someone you know will have a child who may be eligible or in need of an IEP, so what is it? I wanted to know what they were, how they come to be, what Michael gets to see on the "inside" of the process, and what might happen if things go pear shaped. Lucky for us, Michael has the answers.  He also has a ton of acronyms which I will make an incomplete glossary of... right here, go! FAPE - free appropriate public education, a right for students with disabilities protected by Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 SAI - specialized academic instruction SST - student study team SLP - speech language pathologist OHI - other health impairment, an eligibility category listed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act LEA - local educational agency Also, I learned today that the term 504, which is not quite the same as an IEP, actually comes from the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. So there ya go... plenty more laughs and learning in the episode, let us know what you think on our IG @logicandlore and if you really love us, you can support us directly. Find more details on that at https://anchor.fm/logicandlore/support and click "support." Thank you for listening!

    1h 12m

  3. 09/28/2021

    Approaching Things Sideways: a Conversation with Kate Lickfield

    Hi friends! Today's guest (while Michael is doing epic lifestuff) is my friend and teacher-in-training Kate Lickfield. I'm happy to have her perspective on the show, since her place on the educator's path is unique from any others I have had on the show. Not only is she open-minded and free from the sort of indoctrination that some long-term educators might be subject to (which means she has ideas about how things could be different in a really cool way!) but she also left a legit science-lab job to change everything and become a teacher! Also, Kate is just a generally good hearted person, and who doesn't like that? What could possess someone to drop everything and teach? How exactly is she "approaching things sideways?" Grab a mug of your choice sipping serum and find out! As always, find us on IG @logicandlore to stay in the loop and tell us what you think! We love to hear from you. Although this episode is clean, we gear our conversation toward mature listeners. It's not really tailored for kids.

    1h 36m

  4. 09/13/2021

    Feeling into the Layers of Teaching: a Conversation with Jasmine Hatton

    This week's episode features a conversation between Brian and Jasmine Hatton, a fellow educator, friend, and passionate human being. This was one conversation that we think anyone will enjoy, not just the learning nerds. Hear Jasmine's heart-touching stories, thought-provoking quotes, and the general silliness that she brought to our show. She really embodies an intuitive, whole-human approach to her work.  Jasmine, being one of us "educational mercenaries," is hard to pin one label to. She has been called a teacher, a clinician, a tutor, and yet none of these words is likely to give you an accurate picture on their own. She prefers to say she is simply herself, here to teach kids as best as she can and love them through the process. She leads a pretty quiet social media life, but may be found @itsthejazzlife on IG, and hopefully sometime again in the future of Logic and Lore. Michael is out and about doing big life things for now, but stay tuned as we look to have more guest conversations in the future. This episode was pretty clean, but as most of these conversations go, it is geared for more mature listeners.

    1h 25m

  5. 09/06/2021

    Hidden Curriculum: Learning Is Not A Test Result

    Join us for the (alleged) season finale of Hidden Curriculum, where we will rant about tests of many kinds! Academic, cognitive, admissions, certifications, etc. What is our problem with tests anyway? We don't think the tests themselves are a problem. Tests are tools, snapshots in time, bits of information. But they aren't perfect, and they aren't definitive and absolute. They also come loaded with socialized norms, expectations, and beliefs. They don't give you the complete picture of a person's worth or ability. And before you worry that this episode will be too technical, I should let you know there are plenty of easy-to-digest stories and rants along the way. We hope it changes your mind and brightens your day!

    1h 51m

  6. 08/23/2021

    Hidden Curriculum: Learning Is An Organic Act

    Organic, but not like the soy-milk, raw sugar, half-caff, no-whip latte you might be picturing (ehem, Michael!) NO, like the fact that we are all living, breathing, complex organisms that have totally individual needs and personalities and you can't just put us in one box and expect laser-precision outcomes! Oh my goodness, what do I even say. Prepare to ride the Tangent Train. We go off the rails quite a bit in this episode, and there will be a follow-up to this to touch on some of what we missed. For starters: learning is lopsided, there is no one-size-fits-all, and the teachers that don't care... suck. And more. Just listen. Bring a snack. Get some water. Go outside. Let us know what you think on Instagram @logicandlore I mentioned a few resources in the show: Response to Student Evaluations by Sarah E. Smith Motivated Minds by Deborah Stipek, Ph.D., and Kathy Seal While we aren't terribly explicit on the show, the conversations are geared for a mature audience. This is not for kids.

    1h 34m

  7. 08/16/2021

    Hidden Curriculum: Learning Is A Physical Act

    How often do we treat "thought" as something that happens in an invisible bubble outside of our heads? Reality check: thinking and learning happens in the body, it physically changes our brain! Or one could say that physically changing the brain is what makes us learn. Why do we care? Because most textbooks and programs aren't explicitly addressing our physical state at all! It's hilarious that you could read a textbook about the body without the author involving your body in the learning process... Some of the biggest challenges and boons to learning are physical! Join us for a listen, and make sure to bring a snack, some water, and maybe take a stretch break. Better yet, listen to us while you work out or get things done around the house! Come tell us how this episode moved you on Instagram @logicandlore *While these conversations aren't terribly explicit, they are geared for more mature listeners. This probably isn't for kids.

    1h 12m

  8. 08/09/2021

    Hidden Curriculum: Learning Can Be Traumatic (And Healing)

    Hey everyone! Since our last episode covered the emotional side of learning, we thought it was time to talk about trauma responses in the learning environment. We aren't therapists, but we will inevitably encounter students carrying some level of trauma, and sometimes learning itself is the trigger. We aren't qualified to do trauma resolution, but we are responsible for how we react when a trauma response comes out of left field. Can we be informed enough to know when to walk a student back to the task at hand and when they really need to calm their agitated nervous system? And how might that look different if a learner carries trauma? You might know how tricky this is, or you might just wonder what on earth I'm talking about... either way, join us! We don't use terribly explicit language here, but this conversation is geared for mature listeners. It may not be appropriate for younger listeners.

    1h 16m

  9. 08/02/2021

    Hidden Curriculum: Learning Is An Emotional Act

    That's right, learning is intrinsically emotional. When we learn, we feel. But what if our kids hate going to school? What if they feel dread, frustration, or defeat? What if curiosity is dying in the name of education as we know it? And what do we aim to do about it? It won't always be easy, but there will be plenty of great stories along the way as Michael and Brian tackle this difficult truth and many others in the Hidden Curriculum series. Join us. Note: while we aren't using terribly explicit language, our conversations are geared for adults. Some of it may not be appropriate for younger people.

    1h 22m
  • 9 Episodes

About

Educational mercenaries Brian Widmer and Michael Shear share their love of storytelling and thoughtful observation. Brian is a specialized tutor with a musically obsessed brain. He regularly misses the movie references that Michael throws his way. Michael is an Education Specialist at a school full of turkeys and champions. He is a writer at heart and will metaphorically lead Brian on long walks for very short glasses of water.. so join us! And bring a snack.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Widmer
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Brian Widmer
  • Show Website
    Logic and Lore