The hottest Education Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Education Topics

My Humanities Journey

Humanities in Revolt • 79 implied HN points • 18 Mar 23
🚌 Education Humanities Philosophy Literature Higher education Critical Thinking
  1. The dominant schooling system has been criticized by various great thinkers for failing to nurture critical thinking, creativity, and democratic values, highlighting the importance of reevaluating traditional education methods.
  2. Mark Twain and Jack London, despite being school dropouts, emphasized the distinction between 'schooling' and 'education,' emphasizing the role of life experiences and concentrated study in their intellectual development.
  3. Formal education is not the only path to learning, as illustrated by Dr. Nall's journey from a high school dropout to earning a doctorate, highlighting the value of informal learning, exploration, and deep critical thinking in one's educational journey.

I Finally Listened to You and I’m So Glad I Did

The Palindrome • 3 implied HN points • 15 Jan 26
🚌 Education STEM Math Machine Learning Online Learning EdTech Video
  1. A YouTube channel now hosts video versions of fan-favorite educational posts, with three "greatest hits" videos already uploaded.
  2. Subscribing is a quick, zero-cost way to support growth and help the channel reach more machine learning practitioners.
  3. The project aims to teach the fundamentals of math and machine learning clearly and steadily, avoiding hype and short-lived trends, with big plans for 2026.

The crisis of scholar-activism

The Path Not Taken • 264 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🚌 Education Activism Scholarship Academia Research
  1. Scholar-activism has faced a crisis lately, especially concerning left-wing positions like support for Palestine.
  2. There is tension between the original ideal of activism and its progression into institutionalized careerism.
  3. The future of scholar-activism is uncertain, with some scholar-activists falling silent and facing challenges in balancing their activism with their academic careers.

Learning by Doing

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
🚌 Education Learning Teaching Career Experiments Mindset
  1. Doing is often better than just thinking. If you want to learn a skill, just start practicing it a lot.
  2. Trying many things and being okay with failure helps you learn faster. When you're not focused on being perfect, you can improve more easily.
  3. Having a 'beginner's mind' can lead to better results. Beginners often do well because they aren't held back by too much prior knowledge or self-doubt.
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Unbundling the University, Part 3

The Good Science Project • 33 implied HN points • 05 Jul 25
🚌 Education Higher education Universities Research Policy
  1. Universities started as places to train clergy, gradually expanding to incorporate broader educational roles. They have evolved a lot over the centuries, shifting from teaching philosophy to becoming centers for research and technology.
  2. During the 20th century, the role of universities changed significantly, with them becoming major players in producing scientific research and technological innovation, especially after World War II. This boosted their importance in the economy and changed how they interact with industries.
  3. Today, universities serve many roles beyond just education, like acting as credentialing agencies, think tanks, and even investment firms. They are crucial in shaping cultural and professional pathways for many individuals.

What Rodeo can Teach Academia

Unsafe Science • 39 implied HN points • 04 Jun 25
🚌 Education Academia Learning methods Student Engagement
  1. Academia should encourage taking intellectual risks instead of being overly cautious. It's important for students to be bold in their ideas and learning.
  2. The responsibility to avoid harm should fall on individuals rather than institutions. Everyone should take personal accountability for their actions in academic settings.
  3. Adopting a rodeo mentality could improve the learning atmosphere in academia. This mindset helps foster resilience and creativity among students.

The Fall Question Contest Is In "Quick Answer" Phase

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 59 implied HN points • 14 Oct 23
🚌 Education Online Learning
  1. The Fall 2023 Question Contest is currently in the "quick answer" phase until October 27, transition to voting will happen then.
  2. During this phase, it's important to engage in discussions and benefit from the provided quick answers.
  3. Although you can still ask new questions and vote, prioritize participating in discussions and interacting with the quick answers.

Cranking The Learning Machine Up To 11

Neckar’s Notes • 436 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🚌 Education Learning Reading Learning Process Continuous Learning Information Consumption
  1. Focus on learning and growing every day through voracious reading and lifelong curiosity.
  2. Avoid the trap of consuming information to feel smarter without truly understanding or applying the knowledge.
  3. Seek balance between input, output, and periods of disengagement for optimal processing and application of information.

Submit Questions for the Current Question Contest!

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 199 implied HN points • 13 Jul 22
🚌 Education Q&A Membership Contest Articles
  1. Masterpass members can submit questions for the monthly question contest, with three questions potentially winning detailed responses in various formats.
  2. The Q&A sessions happen monthly and are exclusive to Masterpass members.
  3. Chris Masterjohn, PhD, hosts the question contest and provides researched answers in written, audio, and video formats.

Why I do what I do

box. • 119 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
🚌 Education Personal Growth Career development Goal setting Self-reflection Mental health
  1. It's important to know why you do what you do. Understanding your motivations helps connect your experiences and can guide your decisions in life.
  2. Focusing on values instead of just metrics leads to a healthier mindset. Set goals based on what makes you happy, not just on numbers or achievements.
  3. Surround yourself with people who care about you for who you are. Real connections are more valuable than any accomplishment or title.

The Forthcoming Future: MIT Students and Desired Number of Children

Heterodox STEM • 78 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🚌 Education Surveys Demographics Fertility Research Gender Studies Cultural Trends
  1. MIT students on average want around two children. The desire varies across different demographics and can be influenced by factors like gender and relationship status.
  2. Women at MIT generally desire fewer children, with many expressing concerns about balancing family and career. In contrast, men tend to prefer slightly larger families.
  3. Religious beliefs can affect how many children students want, with religious individuals generally preferring more children than those who identify as non-religious.

The best work is on the B-side

The Recovering Academic • 59 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🚌 Education Instructional Design Career transition Networking Soft skills Literature
  1. Instructional design involves designing and building learning materials and experiences, which can range from formal training programs to informal learning spaces like Slack groups or podcasts.
  2. Effective diversity and inclusion training goes beyond just one-time sessions and includes ongoing discussions, cultural shifts, and deep engagement with materials like literature to foster lasting change.
  3. For individuals leaving academia, networking is a key strategy for marketing oneself, building relationships, and ultimately finding career opportunities outside of traditional education settings.

How to Predict the Future

Think Future • 59 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🚌 Education Trend Analysis
  1. Forecasting the future involves arranging knowns and unknowns in smart ways.
  2. Professional futurists provide multiple forecasts and help plan for different scenarios.
  3. To predict the future, identify major trends, critical variables, and generate structured scenarios.

Identifying and Expanding your Leadership Style

The Leadership Lab • 59 implied HN points • 21 May 23
🚌 Education Leadership Development Personal Development Professional Growth Self-awareness
  1. Identify your natural leadership style and the polar opposite adaptive style; aim to integrate and balance both for enhanced leadership capabilities
  2. Recognize the limitations of being overly attached to your natural leadership style; embracing the adaptive style can expand your leadership toolkit
  3. Practice self-awareness to notice when your default leadership style is ineffective, and experiment with leading from your adaptive style in specific settings to cultivate a more balanced approach

How Writing has helped me- even though it's failed [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 28 May 23
🚌 Education Writing Learning Communication Documentation Personal Development
  1. Creating content can provide exposure and opportunities, leading to networking and industry insights.
  2. Content creation can enhance learning by fostering a continuous search for knowledge and interactions with followers.
  3. Crafting content improves communication skills, critical thinking, and documentation, which can have a positive impact on personal and professional growth.

The Illusion of Shared Power and the Elite-eat-Elite World

Holodoxa • 59 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🚌 Education Philosophy Science Politics History Literature
  1. The book 'The Machiavellians' explores a unique political tradition that dissects politics pragmatically, focusing on power and manipulation.
  2. Democratic elitism, discussed by figures like Gaetano Mosca, argues all societies are ruled by a minority elite, manipulating the masses through various means.
  3. The idea of the 'iron law of oligarchy' by Robert Michels emphasizes how organizations tend to become oligarchic over time, exploring the dynamics of leadership and power.

Primary school teaching is too hard

Penelope Trunk's Substack • 39 implied HN points • 24 Dec 23
🚌 Education Teaching Challenges Impact Community
  1. Historically, primary and secondary school teaching was not meant to be a long-term profession, often taken on by women until they got married.
  2. Teaching comes with high demand but low reward, little influence over the lives of children, and isolation from the community.
  3. Many teachers enter the profession because they love working with young people, but the demanding job often leads to burnout and lack of respect.

Two Master Fallacies

Fake Noûs • 306 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
🚌 Education Logic Critical Thinking
  1. Assumption is a common error where people quickly believe something with little evidence.
  2. Dogmatism is the resistance to changing beliefs, even in the face of evidence.
  3. To avoid assumption, consider alternatives, objections, empirical tests, and listen to different perspectives. To combat dogmatism, question your beliefs and avoid dogmatic techniques like ignoring contrary evidence and appealing only to your belief system.

✍️✍️ Awards, Conferences, Events and Fellowship Deadlines ✍️✍️ — February 24

Inside The Newsroom • 58 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🚌 Education Awards Conferences Events Fellowships
  1. The post highlights upcoming journalism awards, conferences, events, and fellowship deadlines for February 24.
  2. It features opportunities like scholarships, awards, workshops, and training programs for journalists and media professionals.
  3. There are diverse offerings, such as Global Shining Light Award, NABJ Scholarships, and Investigative Journalist Equity Initiative.

Productive Struggle, Q&A

Pershmail • 58 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🚌 Education Teaching Research Learning Evidence
  1. Productive struggle has different definitions in research, leading to confusion and debate.
  2. Research on productive struggle focuses on the importance of struggle as a component of learning.
  3. It's crucial to dig deeper and understand the specific mechanisms through which struggle can lead to learning.

Unbundling the University, Part 2

The Good Science Project • 33 implied HN points • 29 Jun 25
🚌 Education Research Academia Technology Innovation Policy Funding
  1. Universities hold a lot of power over research, making it hard for new technologies to develop outside of these institutions. This limits the ability to change how research works.
  2. Most funding for research goes through universities, which creates barriers for people and organizations trying to do innovative work. It makes it tough to get money unless you're linked to an academic institution.
  3. Academic rules shape how research is done and valued. The focus on novelty can lead to creating interesting ideas that may not always be useful, which isn't helpful for advancements in technology.

Lesson Plan: Model Home

The Field Trip Newsletter • 58 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🚌 Education Geography Art Architecture Design Literature
  1. The lesson plan focuses on teaching children about different housing styles around the world
  2. Children are encouraged to create a blueprint design of their own home and build a model home from another part of the world
  3. Additional ideas include hosting a mini film festival, studying global weather patterns, and building structures from around the world

Shape of the Week: Zonogon

Pershmail • 58 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🚌 Education Mathematics Teaching Geometry Learning
  1. The 'Shape of the Week' feature introduces a new geometric shape each week to expand knowledge and make learning fun.
  2. A zonogon is a parallelogram with point symmetry and can be dissected into multiple parallelograms, creating an interesting mathematical pattern.
  3. Regular zonogons can produce beautiful dissections, and studying them can lead to exploring concepts like Minkowski's First Theorem.

Coase GPT

Knowledge Problem • 58 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
🚌 Education Research Academic Interdisciplinary Analysis Theory
  1. Large language models like ChatGPT and Google Bard struggle with interpreting academic research questions accurately.
  2. Coase's analysis in 'The Problem of Social Cost' emphasizes the importance of well-defined property rights and bargaining in resolving externalities.
  3. Specific, focused queries help improve the accuracy of responses from large language models.

Salaries, Staffing, and School Sizes

SFEDup • 58 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🚌 Education Staffing Salaries Compensation Programs
  1. San Francisco Unified School District employs more certificated staff per thousand students compared to most other districts in the state.
  2. San Francisco has the smallest elementary schools and highest percentage of small schools among Bay Area districts.
  3. San Francisco spends more on teacher compensation than most districts, primarily due to employing more teachers and providing benefits to retired teachers.