Today’s episode features Taylor Nieman, CEO and co-founder of Toucan.  Toucan is an ed tech company that helps users learn without interrupting or adding to their daily routine.  In addition to sharing the story of how Toucan came to be, Taylor tells us about her undergraduate experience at Cornell, how she managed her team during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and how she balances the technical and strategic components of her role.

Toucan is free!  Check it out here, and make sure to follow Taylor on Twitter!

In the second half of our interview with Zoe, Amber and Ellie, they share their personal experiences and opinions about a wide variety of timeless topics that have been uniquely affected by the ongoing pandemic, including grading, extra curricular involvement and student social behaviors.

Today’s episode was actually recorded in late August with three students at the University of Michigan.  Zoe, Amber and Ellie wrote an insightful article about their early experiences studying during the pandemic; when I discovered their article, I reached out with the hope that they’d be willing to share more.  In the first half of our discussion, you’ll learn about their individual backgrounds and pick up a few pieces of advice on how educators can connect with their students during these unprecedented times.

In the second half of our discussion with John Warner, we discuss the importance of “GenEd” requirements, decision fatigue and even NCAA reform.  John discusses the culture of the comment sections that accompany some of his online work, and also shares some insights about remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.  For more from John, check out the links below:

• Follow John on Twitter.
• Read John’s column at The Chicago Tribune.
• Catch up on John’s latest for Inside Higher Education.
• Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities
• The Writer’s Practice: Building Confidence In Your Nonfiction Writing

John Warner has done a bit of everything: as a best-selling author, Chicago Tribune columnist, university professor and regular contributor to Inside Higher Education, his perspectives on writing and education are as refreshing as they are insightful.  In the first half of our discussion with John, he shares some details about his own education, his days editing McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and his motivation for writing two books about the writing process.

• Follow John on Twitter.
• Read John’s column at The Chicago Tribune.
• Catch up on John’s latest for Inside Higher Education.
• Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities
• The Writer’s Practice: Building Confidence In Your Nonfiction Writing

In the second half of our discussion with Dr. Peter Smith, he reflects on some of his recent publications and the future of education.  Dr. Smith and Tommy discuss the future of education technology, improving access to education and Dr. Smith’s current role at the University of Maryland Global Campus.  Dr. Smith closes with some advice for the next generation of educators and administrators.

On today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Peter Smith to the show.  Before assuming his current role at the University of Maryland Global Campus, Dr. Smith filled a number of unique roles within the world of education: US Congressman, founding president (of a community college in New England and a state university in California), lieutenant governor, dean, author and more.  Dr. Smith is a regular contributor at Inside Higher Education, and his work can be found at the link below:

• Dr. Peter Smith, Inside Higher Education

In the second half of our interview with Vanderbilt junior Ben Bryce, we discuss the process of transferring colleges and the importance of “fit” and rankings when comparing different schools.  Ben reflects on his path so far and offers some advice to incoming college students and their families.  Prospective college applicants interested in contacting Ben can reach him using the information below:

• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn

On this week’s show, we sit down with Ben Bryce to discuss the college application process.  Ben’s unconventional path took him from a public high school in Pennsylvania, a boarding school in Maine and a liberal arts college in Memphis before he eventually landed at Vanderbilt University.  We hope that by listening to Ben’s story, our audience is able to learn more about the different components of a college application and understand the importance tying these components together in one cohesive narrative.  Students and/or parents interested in contacting Ben can reach him using the information below:

• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn

In the final installment of our conversation with Matt Reed, we talk more about how his blog “Confessions of a Community College Dean” was informed by the culture shock he experienced as he filled a particularly rewarding but challenging role.  Matt talks about work-life balance, a parent’s perspective on the college admissions process, and the role of community college in our education system.

In our episode, I asked Matt to share three blog posts that he is particularly proud of.  You can check them out below:

1. Struggling with Stevens Point
2. Lower Ed: A Review
3. Escape Velocity