The hottest Teaching Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Education Topics

Risks to teaching as work and teachers as workers

imperfect offerings • 39 implied HN points • 17 Jul 23
🚌 Education Teaching AI Labor Issues EdTech Workforce
  1. Teachers are vulnerable to automation and AI tools that could change the nature of their work and how it's valued.
  2. AI has the potential to impact various professions beyond teaching, such as journalism, acting, music, and art, through automation of tasks and production.
  3. The use of AI in different sectors, driven by profit motives, can lead to job insecurity and challenges to worker's rights across industries.

STEM teaching deserves recognition

Science Forever • 39 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🚌 Education STEM Teaching Higher Ed Workforce Recognition
  1. Recognizing STEM teaching as a distinct workforce is important for addressing issues like racism, sexism, misconduct, and underrepresentation in the science field.
  2. Institutions struggle to balance the value of research and teaching, often favoring research in resource allocation and decision-making.
  3. Defining undergraduate teaching staff as a separate workforce could improve governance, professional development opportunities, and evaluation criteria, ultimately benefiting both educators and institutions in the long run.

Making Sense Together One Last Time

The Bigger Picture • 119 implied HN points • 18 Aug 22
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Sensemaking Online course Human connection Teaching Community
  1. The connections we build with others are more important than understanding how things connect. Deepening these connections leads to collective insight and understanding.
  2. Improving sensemaking involves inquiry together, bringing our whole selves to conversations, and drawing on collective intelligence. It's about listening deeply and collaborating for new ideas and solutions.
  3. Sensemaking 101 offers a transformative process with world-class teachers, group interactions, and practical exercises. It aims to empower individuals to navigate a complex world collectively.

Math is a Language. This is how you should learn it. [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 14 Jun 22
🚌 Education Math Language Learning Teaching Self-study
  1. Math is a language that helps express complex ideas in quantifiable ways, and understanding it is crucial for technical careers like AI and Engineering.
  2. Many people struggle with Math because they try to learn topics without understanding the context around them, similar to trying to learn a language without knowing any words or sentence structures.
  3. Learning Math effectively involves treating it like learning a language, starting with simple 'sentences' for specific situations, practicing, and gradually branching out to more complex ideas.
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Beyond the Grade: On Respectful Disagreements

Humanities in Revolt • 119 implied HN points • 06 May 22
🚌 Education Teaching
  1. Teaching involves guiding students to engage with opposing views in a respectful and responsible manner, which can lead to intellectual growth.
  2. Recognizing the difference between engaging with unreasonable arguments and engaging with intelligible arguments fosters respectful dialogue and mutual understanding.
  3. A humanistic education can offer the gift of allowing individuals to form respectful bonds with those holding different viewpoints.

What AI Education Is Missing

Technically Optimistic • 19 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🚌 Education AI Technology Policy Online Learning Teaching
  1. Technological progress should not prioritize profit over social responsibility, considering historical lessons like the detrimental impact of leaded gasoline.
  2. Education plays a crucial role in navigating the impact of AI, from preparing students for the evolving job market to enhancing the skills of teachers.
  3. AI education needs to focus on equipping students with technical knowledge, social consciousness, and adaptability to ensure they benefit from technology in a fair, equal manner.

Want to teach repair to K-12 kids? There's a grant for that!

Fight to Repair • 19 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🚌 Education Grants Teaching Sustainability Resources Programs
  1. The Culture of Repair Project is offering grants of up to $10,000 to create educational programs teaching sustainable repair to K-12 students.
  2. The projects funded by the grant focus on repair education as a way to address environmental and societal challenges through changing cultural relationships with material objects and social systems.
  3. Culture of Repair emphasizes the importance of repair in fostering a circular economy and encouraging active student engagement in choosing repair practices.

Student assignments in a time of language modelling

imperfect offerings • 19 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🚌 Education Teaching Curriculum Writing Technology Critical Thinking
  1. Educators can design accountable writing assignments to help students develop critical thinking skills and focus on aspects of human writing that large language models struggle with.
  2. Encouraging students to write from different positions or points of view, reflecting on personal experiences, and engaging in writing as part of a community can enhance accountability and support the development of writing skills.
  3. Using language model tools critically involves questioning their accuracy, biases, and potential impacts, while utilizing them creatively should be balanced with considering the limitations and risks associated with these tools.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

20th Century Musings in the 21st Century • 39 implied HN points • 02 May 23
🚌 Education Diversity Inclusion Teaching Mentoring Scholarship
  1. The author has taught at universities in Kyrgyzstan, Ghana, and Iraq, with a diverse student body including various ethnic groups from different countries.
  2. The author actively promotes historical understanding and constructive dialogue among different ethnic groups in the places where he has taught.
  3. The author emphasizes the importance of embracing the truth of the past without bias and has worked to support women's scholarship in underrepresented societies.

Learning to learn, playing slowly

Sunday Letters • 119 implied HN points • 10 Oct 21
🚌 Education Learning Teaching Music Technology Mental health
  1. When learning something new, it's easy to procrastinate or feel overwhelmed. Taking a slower approach can actually help you learn better.
  2. Playing slowly is key to mastering skills, like music or coding. It allows you to understand the basics without getting frustrated.
  3. Don't be afraid to make mistakes when learning. Embracing the messiness helps you improve and learn faster in the long run.

Start the week #85: Circularity

Eclecticism: Reflections on literature, writing and life • 7 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🚌 Education Teaching Literacy Technology Economics
  1. Starting a new career can come from a need to adapt to changing job markets. It's important to explore new opportunities when your current field seems uncertain.
  2. Learning new skills is crucial, and sometimes it takes the help of others to succeed. Getting guidance from colleagues can make a big difference.
  3. Connections made in the past can lead back to new opportunities. You might meet people again who can help you progress in your career.

Representing integers as a sum

Infinitely More • 7 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🚌 Education Mathematics Learning Teaching Proofs Exercises
  1. Every positive integer can be split into a sum in a specific number of ways. For any integer n, there are exactly 2^(n-1) ways to do this.
  2. To figure out how to split an integer, you can visualize it as a series of ones with spaces in between. Each space can either have a plus sign or not, giving rise to different sums.
  3. A common mistake in math is the 'fence-post error,' where people confuse the number of items with the number of spaces between them, leading to miscounts in things like days or numbers.

Proving the Moment

Journal of Gurdjieff Studies • 19 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Spirituality Teaching Experience Reality Consciousness
  1. Experiences can be considered a currency that, when managed wisely, can prolong life. It's about valuing and making the most of each new experience.
  2. To truly understand and experience the unknown, we must go beyond automatic perception. This involves staying present and actively engaging with the moment.
  3. Proving the moment, especially in challenging times, can lead to personal growth and self-awareness. It's like a process of inner roasting that expands our consciousness.

Why University Matters Beyond Jobs and Skills

Theory Matters • 16 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🚌 Education University Academia Teaching Higher education
  1. Universities are facing financial struggles due to a decline in student numbers, both domestic and international.
  2. There is a shift in the perception of universities, moving away from being seen as places of intellectual exploration to mere stepping stones for jobs.
  3. There is a call for universities to prioritize intellectual experiences over skill-building, avoid becoming 'skills factories,' and uphold honesty and standards.

Why doesn't my boss (or employee) make better decisions? | #4

The Pole • 19 implied HN points • 17 Jan 23
🚌 Education Teaching Knowledge sharing Problem Solving Learning Heuristics
  1. Innovators face resistance from standardizers when introducing new ideas, but persistence can lead to successful adoption.
  2. Using leverage to solve problems can be risky, so it's crucial to model reality accurately to mitigate risks.
  3. Information asymmetry between individuals, with different levels of knowledge and confidence, can impede optimal decision-making.

In the beginning....

The Bell Ringer • 99 implied HN points • 09 Dec 20
🚌 Education Learning Teaching Curriculum Policy Innovation
  1. The author took time to rethink their publication on education topics, showing the importance of reflection before action.
  2. The new newsletter aims to cover important issues related to education and hopes to engage readers.
  3. Subscribers are encouraged to share the newsletter with friends if they find it valuable, highlighting the value of community support.

The golden oldies

Theory Matters • 7 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🚌 Education Theory Teaching Learning
  1. It's important to study the foundational thinkers of political theory like Plato, Hobbes, and Locke, even if we don't always agree with them, as their ideas continue to shape contemporary debates about justice and freedom.
  2. Shortcuts in learning and work can lead to a lack of foundational knowledge and reduced quality in outcomes, affecting areas from education to construction.
  3. Putting in the hard work to learn the fundamentals is essential, even in a society where speed and quantity are often prioritized over quality, to avoid producing individuals who lack true understanding and depth of knowledge.

From GED to PhD

Humanities in Revolt • 39 implied HN points • 19 Aug 21
🚌 Education Humanities Philosophy Teaching
  1. The journey from GED to PhD is unique and valuable, showcasing the transformative power of education and perseverance.
  2. Philosophy and the humanities encourage critical thinking, open dialogue, and diverse perspectives, fostering intellectual growth and self-actualization.
  3. Bridging the gap between academic scholarship and everyday life is important to make complex ideas accessible and relevant, highlighting the significance of humanistic insights.

Get a Year of This Newsletter Free

Technology Made Simple • 19 implied HN points • 16 May 22
🚌 Education Newsletter Tribute Teaching Mentorship Learning
  1. The author is offering a free one-year premium subscription to their newsletter as a tribute to their grandmother, who was a dedicated educator.
  2. The grandmother's life story is shared, emphasizing her commitment to education and how she impacted the lives of her family members and students.
  3. Education is highlighted as a powerful tool for success, especially during challenging times, and the importance of spreading knowledge and opportunities to others is emphasized.

one idea, one week

Jyri And • 1 HN point • 29 Apr 24
🚌 Education Writing Teaching Learning Research
  1. Writing one piece each week can help you think deeply about your topic without rushing. This way, you have time for ideas to develop and connect.
  2. Using an intense weekly writing schedule can mimic the tutorial system of schools like Oxford. It encourages self-discipline and in-depth learning.
  3. Even when you struggle with your writing during the week, taking notes and coming back to the topic can spark new insights and make everything click at the end.

Elementary Schoolers are taking Algebra I

Kids Who Love Math • 3 HN points • 13 Mar 24
🚌 Education Math Teaching Learning Parenting
  1. Elementary schoolers are taking high school level Algebra I, which is surprising because it's not common and not widely discussed.
  2. The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon explains how we notice things more once we become aware of them, like kids excelling in advanced math.
  3. The Roger Bannister Effect shows how breaking through perceived limits can inspire others to achieve new possibilities, such as young children excelling in higher-level math.

Colleges need to improve teaching to earn public trust

Science Forever • 1 HN point • 12 Mar 24
🚌 Education Teaching Higher education Faculty Students Administration
  1. Colleges should prioritize teaching above research and other activities to regain public trust.
  2. There is a discrepancy between public expectation of universities focusing on teaching and the actual allocation of resources to research and unrelated activities.
  3. Improving teaching quality requires collaboration among faculty, administrators, and trustees to adjust incentives and prioritize education.

The Antidebate: Experiments in the Art of Sensemaking for a World Gone Slightly Mad.

The Joyous Struggle • 1 HN point • 20 Feb 24
🚌 Education Teaching Learning Research Innovation Collaboration
  1. The antidebate focuses on speaking differently rather than arguing well to enhance meaningful communication by changing the setting, process, and permission.
  2. It is a conversational innovation recognizing varying power dynamics in conversations, embodying a collaborative and competitive inquiry.
  3. The antidebate emerged as a response to the lack of efficacy of traditional debate and aims to prefigure new ways of thinking, talking, and living together.

Use Simple Language

Rational Dino’s Substack • 2 HN points • 26 Mar 24
🚌 Education Communication Literacy Teaching Language Public Speaking
  1. Using simple language helps people understand you better. When we use complicated words and sentences, many might not get what we're saying.
  2. Many successful publications and companies use simple language. This makes it easier for everyone to read and enjoy their content, which leads to more people engaging with it.
  3. Improving communication skills takes practice. Using readability tools can help you simplify what you write, making it clearer and more accessible for others.