ClassCast Podcast

In this highlight clip from Episode 013 of the ClassCast Podcast, teacher and writer Beth Konkoski talks with host Ryan Tibbens about grading, how GPA-mania hurts education, college admissions, how competition for admission to elite universities might be counterproductive, and the relationship between high school grades and future success.


Corrections/References

• The Yuval Noah Harari book referenced is actually Homo Deus.  Here's what Harari has to say about grading: "The modern educational system provides numerous other examples of reality bowing down to written records. When measuring the width of my desk, the yardstick I am using matters little. My desk remains the same width regardless of whether I say it is 200 centimetres or 78.74 inches. However, when bureaucracies measure people, the yardsticks they choose make all the difference. When schools began assessing people according to precise marks, the lives of millions of students and teachers changed dramatically. Marks are a relatively new invention. Hunter-gatherers were never marked for their achievements, and even thousands of years after the Agricultural Revolution, few educational establishments used precise marks. A medieval apprentice cobbler did not receive at the end of the year a piece of paper saying he has got an A on shoelaces but a C minus on buckles. An undergraduate in Shakespeare’s 
  day left Oxford with one of only two possible results - with a degree, or without one. Nobody thought of giving one student a final mark of 74 and another student 88."
• Grading, as we think of it, wasn't even conceived of until the late 1700s, didn't begin to take on modern forms and labels until the late 1800s, and didn't come into widespread use until the first half of the 1900s. Check out a history of grading in US Education.
• High school valedictorians (whose unweighted GPAs usually hover at or near 4.0) actually have an average GPA of 3.4-3.6 in college, slightly higher than the 3.2 claimed in this episode. Here is a reference to one study on the subject. 
• Millionaires/CEOs of major businesses tend to be C+/B- students in college. Check it out. 
• Click this link to learn more about (or purchase) Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath. 

Support the show

In this 3+ minute highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Episode 012, world traveler Sierra Wharton discusses her Peace Corps and teaching abroad goals with host Ryan Tibbens.  Since the recording of this episode, Sierra has been selected to serve in the Peace Corps: for two years, she will teach English as a Foreign Language in Ecuador. 

Support the show

Episode 013 of the ClassCast Podcast features host Ryan Tibbens and teacher, author, and innovator Beth Konkoski discussing the value of school, challenges in the modern classroom, student stress and pressures, innovative instruction, administrative initiatives, how cultural changes have undermined classroom education, and more. 

Support the show

In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Episode 013, talented writer, innovator, and teacher Beth Konkoski speaks with host Ryan Tibbens about student stress, forced resume creation, and fantasy (sports) students. If you or a loved one has experienced unnecessary stress, over-competitive behaviors, and detachment from the reality of educaiton, you can't afford to miss this highlight and (soon) full episode! 

Support the show

In this highlight clip from Episode 005 of the ClassCast Podcast, teacher and debate coach Jim Dunning questions host Ryan Tibbens about his motivations to become a teacher and our motivations for learning in school.

Support the show

In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.012, host Ryan Tibbens and world traveler Sierra Wharton discuss her experiences attending college abroad, how it can actually save money, and how credentials earned in foreign countries can (or can't) function in the United States. 

Support the show

In ClassCast Podcast Episode 012, host Ryan Tibbens discusses studying abroad, exchange students, international travel, multiculturalism, and more with Sierra Wharton, a future teacher who has been an exchange student, hosted many exchange students, attended college in Europe, and believes that multiculturalism and travel make people better.  Enjoy this discussion and learn more about the exchange experience, how some US school systems discourage exchange programs, family dynamics, and world travel. 

Support the show

In this quick clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.011, business technology consultant Ryan Orr talks with his former English teacher, our host Ryan Tibbens, about athletics, time management, and understanding purpose in education. If you enjoy this clip, check out the full episode! 

Support the show

ClassCast Podcast Episode 011 showcases a discussion with Ryan Orr, a technology consultant, public health enthusiast, former premed student, and the founder of Drop Dead Premed, a mentoring and support service for premed students considering academic and professional changes in lieu of medical school. A former student of our host, Ryan Patrick Tibbens, Ryan Patrick Orr (coincidence, no relation) reflects on his high school and college experiences, ways to improve school, premed, public health, bioethics, and much, much more.  Please enjoy this wide-ranging discussion, and let us know what questions or topics you'd like us to address in the future! 

Support the show

In this first clip from ClassCast Podcast Episode 011, Ryan Orr -- owner/operator of DropDeadPreMed.com, public health enthusiast, tech consultant, and former student of our host, Ryan Tibbens -- addresses the MCAT and the daunting tasks that await all who plan to become doctors.  Check out this quick clip now, and watch for the full episode this weekend. 

Support the show