Two Pint PLC

Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, provide a collegial network for educators to reflect on and improve their practice. We look at an evaluation of a pre-packaged PLC program that did not improve PLCs in schools, and wonder how we can support educators at the building level instead.

Later, we look at how very early math is learned by children. They experience the snowball effect, meaning it is far more important that learners have experiences with math regardless of the specific types of math they may experience. Math is good, m’kay.

Edutopia did another review of the best research of 2024, and we are here to talk about it. First, discussion of student errors can lead to big gains in student learning. However, those gains only come in an interactive, collaborative class culture.

Later, the remembered success effect shows that ending challenging learning experiences with clear victories on more attainable problems improves student perceptions of their learning in ways that can sustain their motivation long-term.

Teachers may give lectures or create videos to provide information to students, and the speed of information delivery affects the cognitive load of students. We read a study of video playback speed and support materials that shows speeding up the videos may not be particularly harmful to their usefulness, and that other supportive elements are more important to consider.

Later, we read a study of UDL practices and differentiation that shows formative assessment, adaptive grouping, and growth mindset all have distinct impacts on instructional differentiation.

This month is our official “AI episode.” We are joined by Ben Riley, who wrote a guide for considering the use of AI for education. Our discussion considers the tasks for which AI might be useful, and the multiple concerns we have for its use as a substitute for thinking.

Later, we read a study that shows AI can help people produce incrementally more creative task solutions. However, we are unconvinced that is ever the purpose of the educational process.

Effective statistics instruction - like many other disciplines - should empower students to ask questions and interrogate data to answer questions. We look at research evaluating the impact of an inquiry-focused statistics curriculum that showed very large gains for student learning by emphasizing statistical practice rather than mathematical routines.

Later, we read a review of creativity research that identified key areas where students need practice with creativity (just like any other skill). We must make space for risk-taking and student exploration.

We start Season 8 in a tempestuous election cycle in the United States. We are joined by guest host Chris Carter to discuss an approach to civic education in today’s political landscape, with a focus on grounded discussions based on essential anchor questions.

Later, we look at the absence of state standards for media literacy in the US. Their research provides a call and roadmap for teachers to prioritize explicit instruction in media literacy for students.

We review the most noteworthy papers of the past year, developments in our practice, and the top beers of AY23-24.

Many curriculum decisions are made at the district-level, but each classroom teacher must figure out how to implement those decisions for themselves. We read a study showing how “philosophical fidelity” is far more important than “mechanical fidelity” to the success of district efforts to improve instruction.

Later, we read a study of required behavior grades in Germany that shows those grades have zero positive impact on… well, anything.

It can feel like people in disagreement just aren’t listening to each other. We read a study showing disagreement significantly reduces our perceptions of being listened to, regardless of how well our audience does listen. We discuss takeaways for exhibiting active listening behaviors that reduce the effect.

Later, we read a review of research on aphantasia (or the condition of not seeing concrete images in your mind’s eye). We reflect on how this dimension of neurodiversity is connected to differences in a variety of human outcomes.

Practice is more effective when we space it out, rather than doing lots of repetitions all at once. We read research that looked at the effect of varied practice compared to identical practice over time. Their results show subtle variation helps students focus and remember the important elements upon recall.

Later, we read an account of the negative impacts of graded math homework disproportionately affecting mothers in Canada. We see how homework takes away from family time and undermines the development of math identities.