Point of Learning

This year, I’ll be focusing more than usual on the podcast on how we can have better conversations, especially with people we disagree with. I’m honored to kick things off with someone whose new book I really love. Ilana Redstone is the author of The Certainty Trap: Why We Need to Question Ours

Robin Bernstein is the Dillon Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies and Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Harvard University. In this episode we discuss her latest book, Freeman's Challenge: The Murder That Shook America's Original Prison for P

I’ve wanted to record an episode with Dr. John Webb for a long time, because there’s almost no one with whom I’ve had so many conversations about what matters in education. An educator possessed of a deeply humane approach to kids, John strives to know each student as an individual—and has taught sev

To mark the 50th episode milestone, I’ve teamed up with Greg Jackson of Action J Productions to discuss our new video project called Point of Learning Master Class (not to be confused with the very well funded instructional video series whose registered trademark does not include a space between “Master�

If you’ve listened to this podcast for any amount of time, you’re already familiar with the music of Shayfer James. Shayfer’s songs “Weight of the World” and “Villainous Thing” have opened and closed nearly every episode since I started this podcast passion project in 2017. As an artist, Shayfe

On March 5th 2024, Peggy McIntosh was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame! In observation of Women’s History Month and celebration of this momentous achievement, I’m re-dropping our conversation from five years ago—which remains all too relevant as we continue to wage media wars over cult

One hundred and eighty years ago, on 19 December 1843, the first edition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was published. To celebrate, I’m releasing a special version of the story. Produced in 2001, this is the shortest edition of the story that I ever recorded (see below for the longer and medium-l

The heart of this special episode is the Back-to-School Address to Oakland, California faculty and staff by Superintendent Dr. Marcus A. Foster, given in the fall of 1973. You will hear a singular voice in U.S. education urging teachers, administrators, and support staff to keep students at the center of the

Capt. John Havlik knows a thing or two about stress. He retired in 2014 after more than 30 years of distinguished military service, nearly all of them as a Navy SEAL. He graduated from West Virginia University as the first swimmer in school history to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. He served a

As a special summer episode, I’m happy to share audio from my remarks at the Winter Institute of the New York State Council of School Superintendents (March 2023) on How to Engage Students as Citizens. Aligned with my major research and teaching interests of civil discourse and student perceptions of schoo