Hack Learning

In this episode of Hack Learning "Uncut"--the unedited, occasionally-interrupted, under-eight-minute edition of the Hack Learning Podcast, Mark Barnes riffs on the word "rigor" and its use in education. Referencing a discussion on the Teachers Throwing Out Grades Facebook group page, Mark shares a few members' thoughts on the pros and cons of rigorous instruction.One member asks: Does anyone else shudder when they hear an admin use the word "rigor"?Some say the word is misunderstood, while others contend it's something all kids need.Learn more in this edition of Hack Learning Uncut.Learn more at http://hacklearningpodcast.com and http://nogradesclassroom.com

During a presidential debate, a citizen asked Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump if they are appropriate for kids. In this episode, Mark Barnes expands on the question while explaining how to discuss politics and other sensitive issues in school and in your classroom. Mark suggests that teachers stop telling kids that their views on politics are personal. Rather, he says to tell students what you really think, which helps educators hack the problem of seeming too distant and unreal to kids. Learn two simple things you can do tomorrow, in order to discuss politics and other sensitive issues in school, without igniting an argument or even chaos. It's time to open up with students.Learn more at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.Visit our sponsor Kiddom at http://kiddom.co/hacklearning.Please rate and review Hack Learning on iTunes.

James Alan Sturtevant calls student engagement the "whole ballgame", and who would know this better than the 32-year veteran teacher, rapidly becoming known around the education world as the student engagement guru.While most teachers are racing for the door when they've been in education for 30 years, Sturtevant, whom Hack Learning nicknamed Jamstur (learn why in the podcast episode above), calls teaching a privilege and continues to raise the bar for all education stakeholders when it comes to engaging students and making teaching and learning fun.Sturtevant explains the 3 keys to student engagement, which underpin all 50 of his tips and tools in his new book, Hacking Engagement. http://hackingengagement.comLearn more on Episode 64 at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.

Mark Barnes explains how one Baltimore school repurposed and rebranded its detention room, turning it into a Mindful Moment Room, dramatically impacting schoolwide student behavior and almost magically making suspensions disappear. In Episode 63 of the Hack Learning Podcast, Mark explains how meditation, specifically mindfulness, calms students and helps them focus less on chaos and more on learning. In the What You Can Do Tomorrow segment, Mark explains how to learn practical meditation techniques, recommends powerful resources, and shares his own experience with meditation, which reduced anxiety and helped this veteran educator better cope with his own student behavior issues.For more about mindfulness and meditation resources, visit Episode 63 at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.This is Hacking School Discipline.Check out our sponsor, Kiddom, and learn how to empower your students for free. Visit http://kiddom.co/hacklearning

Renowned author, presenter, and memory expert Brad Zupp rarely forgets things. Since 2009, Zupp has been dedicated to testing the limits of his own memory while helping others learn the benefits that come from memory improvement.Zupp shows both adults and children how to supercharge their memories to improve grades, relationships, productivity, and peace of mind while remembering more of what they see, hear and read. You might even call Brad Zupp a memory athlete; he's a two-time American record-setter at the World Memory Championships.In this episode of the Hack Learning Podcast, Zupp, author of Unlock Your Amazing Memory, shares 3 surprisingly easy ways to remember things and provides right-now solutions for improving memory at home and in school. Learn more at http://hacklearningpodcast.com, Episode 62.

Jon Harper admits that in more than a decade in education, he's made plenty of mistakes. Some might call Harper a mistakes guru. He interviews experienced education stakeholders about their mistakes on his popular Bam Radio podcast, My Bad.In Episode 61 of the Hack Learning Podcast, Harper shares his journey to becoming a mistakes expert and provides steps for leveraging the power of mistakes, so we can become better teachers and learners.Learn more about Harper, the My Bad podcast, and how to turn mistakes into life lessons on Episode 61 at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.

When Hack Learning creator Mark Barnes realized his daughter's school backpack weighed in at a portly 20.2 pounds, he decided to tell the world that it's time to reimagine traditional homework. In this episode, Mark tells the story of weighing his daughter's backpack and finding tons--okay, pounds--of workbooks, textbooks, notebooks, and many other unnecessary items that make up her nightly homework. Mark asks the questions that many educators and parents won't ask, and supplies easy right-now solutions for reimaginging homework, improving teaching and learning, and lightening the load for kids.

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey explains the struggles that parents and teachers have with allowing kids to fail. Author of The Gift of Failure, Lahey had an amazing epiphany a few years ago: She had to allow her son to fail, so he could ultimately succeed. Lahey also shares 3 right now strategies to help you embrace failure and learn how to help kids channel it into success. Learn more about Jessica Lahey and her runaway hit, The Gift of Failure, by clicking into Episode 59 at hacklearningpodcast.com.

Why do students love some classes and hate others? What makes a certain teacher every kid's favorite? How do master teachers become so great? The answer is simple: Master teachers have daily habits that make them great teachers and learners. In Hack Learning Podcast Episode 58, Mark Barnes shares 3 powerful and simple things great teachers do. These 3 habits are part of the 10 Habits of Master Teachers presentation. Learn more at http://masterteacherhabits.com.

When learning is relevant, students become enthusiastic and engaged. Denis Sheeran, math teacher and author of Instant Relevance, explains how he uses real life experiences to bring relevance to not only math but to any subject or grade. Want to use a snow day, a slice of pizza, or a drive to the store to make learning relevant? Sheeran tells you how in Hack Learning Podcast Episode 57 -- Hacking Relevance. Learn more about Sheeran and his book on the show notes page at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.

Missouri school principal Naomi Austin shares her journey as a school leader, just completing her first year. Austin explains a new leader mistake she made and how she turned that apparent loss into a victory with her staff. Plus, she provides excellent advice for new and veteran leaders in classic Hack Learning style--with What You Can Do Tomorrow tips to build rapport with your stakeholders and to maintain momentum throughout the school year. Austin even explains what to do when leaders need a "kick in the pants". This is the Journey of a First-Year Leader. Learn more on our show notes page at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.

These three quick teaching and learning hacks, based on the runaway bestselling book, Hacking Leadership, are awesome for improving education at any school. Better still, they make people smile, and that’s a beautiful thing. Learn three simple leadership hacks you can implement tomorrow at school, home or in the workplace that will make your stakeholders smile and improve overall attitude and production. This is Hacking Positivity. Learn more at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.

Author James Sturtevant and I talk Hack Learning and student engagement.

Gerald Aungst, author of 5 Principles of the Modern Mathematics Classroom: Creating a Culture of Innovative Thinking, knows how to turn math haters into math lovers. In Episode 53 of the Hack Learning Podcast Aungst explains how he learned to inspire inquiry and conjecture in kids by creating unique situations where "something doesn't make sense or is not immediately obvious."Math teachers inspire curiosity in students by immersing them in a problem, Aungst says. Rather than handing them the correct formula and a worksheet, the teacher's job is to ask questions the lead to collaboration and conjecture. Questions like: "What can you figure out? What can you notice here?"When this strategy is employed, students often solve the problem with little or no teacher intervention, according to the author, and then even math haters begin to love math. Learn how to make kids love math from author/expert Gerald Aungst. For details and a link to Aungst' book, visit the show notes at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.

Learn how Dawn Casey-Rowe, author of Don't Sniff the Glue, navigates the rough waters of standardization in her classroom. In Episode 52 of the Hack Learning Series podcast, Dawn explains how she engages students by merging her business experience with learning outcomes, in order to capture the attention of even the most reluctant learners. Dawn shares several what-you-can-do-tomorrow strategies for teachers who want to create an innovative classroom, including using social media platforms like Snapchat (yes, you read right), even in a standardized society. Listen and learn how Dawn Casey-Rowe is De-standardizing her classroom, and learn more about Dawn on the show notes page at http://hacklearningpodcast.com.