The Harvard EdCast
by Harvard Graduate School of Education
The Harvard EdCast asks a simple but complex question: What makes a difference for learners, educators, families, and communities?We talk with teachers, researchers, policymakers, and education leaders about the ideas shaping learning—from early childhood through college and career. Together, we explore promising approaches to education’s biggest challenges and inequities, and make complex ideas accessible to everyone.Produced by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the podcast is hosted by Jill Anderson, Senior Lecturer Junlei Li, and Ryan Nagelhout.Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Episodes
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Why the Reading and Math Wars Keep Coming Back | Jon Star
Education has seen it all before. A promising approach to teaching catches on, and then it becomes the center of a heated debate. That's happening with the science of reading, and increasingly, the science of math. But Harvard Professor Jon Star says these debates get at a bigger question in...
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Why Half of College Students Feel Alone and How to Fix It | Alexis Redding
00:00 – Rethinking the “Best Years” Narrative 01:30 – Are Students in Crisis—or in Transition? 03:00 – What the Data Really Says 05:00 – Loneliness as a Normal Developmental Experience 07:00 – The Expectation Gap 09:00 – When Language Gets Complicated 11:30 – The Institutional Dilemma 13:30 –...
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Why Moving Ahead in Math Isn’t Always the Right Move | Jon Star
00:00The case for rethinking how we challenge advanced math students 00:49Why focus on high-performing students during a time of learning recovery 01:09The tradeoff: prioritizing struggling students vs. supporting advanced learners 02:51Inside the classroom: the real challenge of differentiation...
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The Pressure to Chase Prestige in College Admissions | Jeff Selingo
00:00 Why families fixate on elite colleges—and the rise of the “panicking class” 01:15 How rankings shape decisions (and why they mislead) 03:10 The truth about differences between top-ranked schools 04:45 Why choosing a college feels so confusing 06:15 How test-optional, early decision, and the...
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What Mississippi Got Right About Reading | Kymyona Burk
0:25 — Why reading scores still struggle 2:15 — Rise of the science of reading 5:00 — Aligning leadership to drive reform 7:30 — Consistency and long-term commitment 10:00 — Implementation matters more than policy 12:30 — Where literacy efforts break down 14:30 — What teachers need to do 17:00 —...
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What Students Really Need from Sex Education | Shafia Zaloom
0:00 — Introduction 1:05 — The three types of sex education most people receive 3:20 — What comprehensive sexuality education actually means 5:10 — Why consent alone isn't enough 7:00 — Why sexuality education shouldn't be siloed in health class 9:20 — Why conversations about sexuality should…
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How Questions Can Transform Student-Centered Learning
Harvard Graduate School of Education ProfessorKaren Brennan sees classrooms as magical spaces when we begin with curiosity, not just content. “When I think about design process, from the initial moments of young people working on projects, all the way to the end where they've gone through the...
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Why Teachers Stay: What Research Reveals About Retention
When Doug Larkin and Suzanne Poole Patzelt set out to study the relationship between teacher pay and retention, what they found surprised them. “Without fail, no matter what school we went to, what state we were in, that was always the number one response,” Poole Patzelt says. “We did nothing to...
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How to Disagree Better: Strategies for Constructive Conversations
Disagreement is a part of everyday life, yet most of us avoid it whenever possible. Harvard Kennedy School Professor Julia Minson knows where and why our conversations often go wrong and how we can learn to disagree better. Minson, whose research focuses on how people engage with opposing...
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Civics at 250: Teaching Democracy in an Unfinished Nation
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, how should schools teach this foundational document? Harvard lecturer Eric Soto-Shed joins The Harvard EdCast to discuss how civics education is evolving from patriotic education and action civics to media...
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Understanding the Lives of Migrant Children in America
With about one in four children in the U.S. now living in immigrant families, Harvard Associate Professor Gabrielle Oliveira argues that supporting their wellbeing should be a national priority – not just for the children themselves, but for the strength of society as a whole. Yet for many...
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Race, Power, and the Making of America's Schools
Looking back at the early history of U.S. education, Harvard Professor Jarvis Givens says we’ve long told the story in fragments: Native education in one lane, Black education in another, and the rise of white common schools somewhere else. But in his latest research, he shows just how deeply...
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Is Education Research Becoming Partisan?
Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Jal Mehta knows that education research matters – it has the power to shape schools, classrooms, and policy. Yet, today, in increased political polarization, many may question whether education research can be neutral. “As a researcher, you have a…
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How High-Impact Tutoring Is Reshaping Post-Pandemic Learning Recovery
In the wake of the pandemic, tutoring has become a central strategy for helping students recover academically but not all tutoring is created equal. Liz Cohen, vice president of policy at 50CAN, has been closely studying the rapid rise of tutoring programs across the country, especially the...
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Can Universities Teach Us to Talk Again?
In an era when many Americans believe the country is too divided to come back together, Tufts University political scientist Eitan Hersh believes higher education has a crucial role to play in bridging divides and he’s putting that belief into practice through a new university center devoted to...
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How Curiosity Can Unlock Learning for Every Child
Curiosity is one of our most powerful, yet often overlooked, human drives, especially in education. Elizabeth Bonawitz, associate professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, explains that while there’s no single definition of curiosity, it’s best understood as an internal desire to...
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The Rural Promise: Pathways to Opportunity for Every Student
Dreama Gentry grew up in Appalachian Kentucky, in a community often defined by outsiders for what it lacked. But what she saw was strength, connection, and possibility. Today, as the founder and CEO of Partners for Rural Impact, she’s working to make sure the 14 million young people growing up in...
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Teaching Students to Think Critically About AI
When educators talk about artificial intelligence, the conversation often begins with excitement about its potential. But for Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie Heath, that excitement must be matched with caution, context, and critical awareness. “AI is a piece of technology. It's not human, but…
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School Vouchers Explained: What the New Federal Program Means
Congress has passed the nation’s first federal school voucher–style program, set to begin in 2027. Supporters call it a landmark expansion of parental choice, while critics fear it will divert billions from public schools. Harvard Professor Marty West says the program raises important questions...
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Banning Cell Phones: Quick Fix or False Hope?
Schools around the world are cracking down on student cell phones, with many turning to outright bans as a fix for distraction, bullying, or mental health struggles. But as University of Birmingham Professor Vicky Goodyear and Harvard’s Carrie James explain, the story is more complicated than a...
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What It Really Means to Be a Strategic Leader
Strategic leadership may be one of the hardest — and most vital — skills for school leaders to master. Liz City, senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a long-time coach to school and system leaders across the country, says strategic leadership is not innate but a skill...
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Why Invest in Global Education Now
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the statistics on global education — millions of children, especially in low- and middle-income countries, are spending years in school without mastering foundational skills. But as Harvard Lecturer Robert Jenkins reminds us, we can't afford to stay stuck in what…
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What Textbooks Teach Us — And What They Don’t
Texas and California often appear to be worlds apart when it comes to politics and culture, but the education students are getting – as far as their textbooks go, at least – may not be so different. University of Chicago Assistant Professor Anjali Adukia investigated more than 260 textbooks used…
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The Words We Choose: How Language Shapes Children's Emotional Lives
As a third-grade teacher, Lily Howard Scott noticed how she spoke to students impacted more than just their experience in the classroom. How teachers speak to their students and intentional shifts in language can nurture children’s inner lives, foster self-regulation and reduce perfectionism, she...
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How to Educate for Social Action
To succeed in school, in life, and as contributors to a more equitable society, students must be able to recognize, analyze, and challenge systemic injustices, say Harvard Lecturer Aaliyah El-Amin and Boston College Professor Scott Seider. Through their research, they are examining what it truly...
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Cybersecurity: The Greatest Threat Schools Aren’t Ready For
In today’s digital landscape, schools face growing cybersecurity threats that can disrupt learning, compromise sensitive data, and leave administrators scrambling to recover. With cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated, understanding these risks and being prepared is more critical than ever,...
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Empathy, Dignity, and Courageous Action in Schools
How we see the world and interact with each other, especially whether we create welcoming environments of acceptance, does not always come naturally. Tim Shriver, chair of the Special Olympics, and Stephanie Jones, a Harvard professor whose research focuses on social emotional development, say…
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Reducing Stress in Schools
Post-pandemic schools are still feeling the aftershocks—socially, emotionally, and politically – say educators and co-authors Mathew Portell and Tyisha Noise. Educators, students, and administrators are navigating a landscape that feels more uncertain than ever, with growing political pressures,...
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How the History of Black and Native Education Can Inform Our Future
Eve L. Ewing wants people to talk, not just about how American schools started, but also how that can inform the future of schools, especially for Black and Native children. She argues that Black and Native children’s schooling experience is more than just a footnote, but a central narrative in...
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Unpacking the DoEd: What Do They Actually Do?
The U.S. Department of Education has been a subject of political debate since its creation in 1980. “It's the one whose status has been most tenuous from the inception. So the recent calls we've heard to eliminate the Department of Education have really been a constant feature of its history from...
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Want a Better School? Invest in the People
When it comes to making an impact on school outcomes, Harvard Professor Ebony Bridwell-Mitchell says we often overlook the power of relationships within the school. “I think the complexity of how relationships work is one of the reasons why the first place we often go when we're trying to improve...
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Portraits of a Better High School Graduate
Andrew Tucker says the growing adoption of Portraits of a Graduate in K-12 education is a way to address gaps in education and prepare students to thrive in an evolving workforce. Portraits of a Graduate (POG) are frameworks, adopted by a state or district, that defines the skills and…
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How Schools Make Race
Laura Chávez-Moreno says bilingual education inadvertently creates boundaries around Latinx identity by gathering Spanish-speaking students together. “Bilingual education, rightfully so, has focused on language,” says Chávez-Moreno, an assistant professor at UCLA. “But there has to be also a...
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The Untold Truths of the Superintendency
The superintendent’s role is challenging and always evolving but too often educators step into this leadership position not fully prepared for what’s ahead. As a position with high turnover and equally high isolation at times, Lindsay Whorton, The Holdsworth Center president, says we need to be...
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Think You're Creative? Think Again
Edward Clapp wants education to shift from a traditional, individualistic view of creativity toward a participatory, socially distributed perspective. Clapp, principal investigator at Harvard’s Project Zero and co-author of, “The Participatory Creativity Guide for Educators,” doesn’t see…
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The Problem Schools are Ignoring
Sexual misconduct by school employees is more prevalent than many of us want to believe, according to Charol Shakeshaft, a distinguished professor in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Many times, school culture gets in the way of stopping this abuse from happening.…
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Fixing Childcare in America
Elliot Haspel believes universal childcare can happen in America, especially because it affects everyone across red and blue lines. Haspel, senior fellow at Capita, says part of the challenge is recognizing that childcare is something Americans seen as a public good. Reflecting on the history of...
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Boys & the Crisis of Connection
Drawing from her research and interviews with boys over the past three decades, Niobe Way, a professor of developmental psychology at New York University, reveals how boys in early adolescence express a strong desire for close, emotionally intimate friendships, but as they grow older, societal...
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The Impact of AI on Children's Development
The explosion of artificial intelligence exposed many benefits and challenges for children interacting with AI, especially in educational and social contexts. “The big question becomes whether children can benefit from those AI interactions in a way that is similar to how they benefit from...
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Teaching the Election in Politically-Charged Times
The 2024 Election is anything but easy to teach in a classroom today where fears range from community backlash, restrictive state policies, and job security. For many teachers, the election is a topic to avoid, but Eric Soto-Shed, lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, insists…
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Summer Unplugged: Navigating Screen Time and Finding Balance for Kids
As millions of students prepare for summer vacation, many parents may worry about endless time spent on the screen. Michael Rich, pediatrician and Director of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital, says children spend more time on the screen during the summer but that the real...
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Reshaping Teacher Licensure: Lessons from the Pandemic
With looming threats of high teacher turnover rates during COVID-19, Olivia Chi, an assistant professor at Boston University, wanted to study how the pandemic shaped who decided to become a teacher. Many states foresaw serious disruptions to the teacher pipeline as testing centers and schools...
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Discipline in Schools: Why Is Hitting Still an Option?
While most schools in the United States do not report using corporal punishment – the use of pain as punishment -- it still impacts tens of thousands of students annually, particularly in states where it remains legal. Jaime Peterson, a pediatrician and assistant professor at Oregon Health and...
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Combatting Chronic Absenteeism through Family Engagement
Family engagement plays a pivotal role in combatting chronic absenteeism. The number of students who are chronically absent – missing 10% or more of the school year – has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Eyal Bergman, senior vice president at Learning Heroes, studied this issue and was surprised…
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Getting to College: FAFSA Challenges for First Gen Students
For many first-generation college students, the dream of pursuing a college degree is often accompanied by financial uncertainty and adversities that keep it as just a dream. The faulty rollout of a new, more simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form may only keep this...
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Why Math is the Greatest Equalizer in School
Math has a problem when it comes to equitable learning. The way math is taught and how students are tracked is part of the issue, according to Kentaro Iwasaki, a former math teacher who led new math standards in California and now works with school districts nationwide to overhaul their math...
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Why Emotional Intelligence Matters for Educators
Janet Patti and Robin Stern joined forces decades ago when they recognized the crucial role of emotional intelligence for school leaders. How educators understand and manage emotions can positively impact the entire school community, contribute to better leadership, well-being, and resilience.…
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Meddling Moms: The Movements Making Change in Public Schools
Over the past few years, a battle is taking place on many school grounds – one being driven by mothers that is inevitably shaping the future of schools. Laura Pappano – a journalist with decades covering education – couldn’t ignore the growing influence of these movements on education policies…
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Independent Play Key to Countering Children’s Declining Mental Health
In a world increasingly dominated by structured routines and adult supervision, renowned psychologist Peter Gray is not surprised that children’s mental health challenges and anxiety has been on the rise for decades. “We are so overprotecting children, because we are so always there to solve…
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Navigating Literacy Challenges, Fostering a Love of Reading
How do we teach children to love reading amidst the ongoing debates surrounding literacy curriculums and instructional methods, and the emphasis on student outcomes? It's something that Pamela Mason, senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, thinks about a lot. She's been both…
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About this show
The Harvard EdCast asks a simple but complex question: What makes a difference for learners, educators, families, and communities?We talk with teachers, researchers, policymakers, and education leaders about the ideas shaping learning—from early childhood through college and career. Together, we explore promising approaches to education’s biggest challenges and inequities, and make complex ideas accessible to everyone.Produced by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the podcast is hosted by Jill Anderson, Senior Lecturer Junlei Li, and Ryan Nagelhout.Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Hosted by
Harvard Graduate School of Education