Category Archives: Blog

Sans Forgetica and Desirable Difficulty – Trending In Education – Extra

Sans Forgetica is a new font/typset out of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia that was designed specifically to aid in memory and retention. The font is designed to be slightly challenging to read and that “desirable difficulty” makes it a surprisingly effective memory aid. On this episode, Dan and Mike catch up…

Cognitive Hacks, Memory Palaces, and Mnemonics – Trending In Education – Episoide 140

Mike and Brandon sit down to explore mnemonic tools like “Memory Palaces” and “the method of loci” which are learning performance hacks that have been shown to aid in memory. We use the book Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foerr as a backdrop to our discussion of memory, retention, and recall. How can memory techniques…

Gritty, Mascots, and Learning – Trending In Education – Episode 139

On this week’s episode, Mike, Brandon, and Dan take on the latest internet sensation, Gritty the new mascot for the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers introduced Gritty as their new mascot late in September and since then, he(?)’s been feagured across multiple news channels and media outlets. As Mike might say, Gritty is “Zeitgeist-y!” Our trio…

Language Learning and the E-Learning Landscape – Trending In Education – Extra

Mike sits down with Katie Nielson, the Chief Education Officer for Voxy.com. Katie talks about what it’s like to be the other kind of CEO. We talk about Voxy’s approach to teaching English to non-native speakers and the challenges for both individual learners and larger groups of students. We reminisce a bit about the early…

Learning Analytics in Education – Trending In Education – Episode 137

This week, Mike and Brandon are joined by David Niemi, Kaplan’s VP of Measurement and Larry Rudman, Kaplan’s VP of Instruction to discuss David’s recently published book, Learning Analytics in Education. David explains what went into creating the book, which he Edited and Co-Authored, as the group takes a critical look at how to think…

Next Gen Talent and High School Workforce Partnerships – Trending In Education – Episode 136

Mike, Brandon, and Dan welcome in Dan Gonzalez, co-founder of District C, to the show. Distric C is a non-profit focused on workforce training and real-life learning for high schoolers through partnerships with local businesses. We discuss what employers and managers say most new hires are missing and how students can get a head start…

Intergenerational Thinking and Learning from YouTube – Trending in Education – Extra

On this extra, Mike and Dan dig into a few recent articles on GenZ and their preferred learning modes and platforms. Spoiler alert: research is showing GenZ prefers visual, video content and Youtube. How does this differ from Millennials and older generations? Along similar lines, we explore the decision by the New York Times Magazine to…

The Changing Media Consumption Landscape – Trending in Education – Episode 134

The squad sits down with Jean Ellen Cowgill, the GM of Tic Toc Media, the social arm of Bloomberg Media, to explore how media consumption patterns are changing and how media (and learning) companies are evolving to meet the change. Jean Ellen explains how Tic Toc was formed and how they think about creating “nutirent-rich”…

The Argument Against Screen Time – Trending In Education – Extra

Mike and Brandon sit down with Professor Nicholas Tampio of Fordham University to discuss his recent Aeon article on “looking up from your screens.” Professor Tampio argues in favor of limiting screen time amongst school age children and getting out in nature more. The conversation covers the drawbacks to too much screen time, how parents…

Music, Synesthesia, and Flow States – Trending in Education – Extra

Following up on our music and learning episode, Mike and Dan sit down with Ken Florence to discuss his own personal experiences with music and learning. As a performer, a composer, and a musical educator, Ken brings multiple perspectives to the conversation. Ken shares his experiences of synesthesia and how that impacts how he interacts…