Inside Our MIND: Recent Episodes
MIND Research Institute
Inside Our MIND is the flagship podcast of MIND Research Institute.
We are a neuroscience and education social impact organization whose mission is to ensure that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world's most challenging problems. We are the creators of ST Math, a PreK-8 visual instructional program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of math through rigorous learning and creative problem solving.
With each episode of Inside Our MIND, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
Learn more about our work at mindresearch.org, and about our transformative math program at stmath.com.
Listen in to our interview with Nigel Nisbet, a rock musician, AP Physics and AP Computer Science teacher who did a tour of duty in an all-girls school, plus a specialist who devotes his time to reaching into the structure and beauty of mathematics and discussing the “science of learning math” from many angles. Nisbet who is currently the VP of Content Creation at MIND Education mentions how teaching modalities have changed and how learning has had to delve into facts of how people learn and the neuroscience of it all. He mentions a lot of the important mechanisms within the subject of math that are being addressed with advanced technology and what it means. LeiLani points out these important things that the software can do that human teachers find difficult such as true personalization for each point of potential student struggle, followed by Nisbet discussing how the “science of” is developed to manage this positively while still involving the teacher for certain particular human interactions to leverage expertise and emotional connection which causes better learning.
What is actionable? What is real engagement? LeiLani discusses these things, and a novel definition of equity with Dan Tracy from MIND Research Institute. Dan’s triple threat as a teacher, coder and trainer, makes this podcast discussion an interesting reveal on how to approach instruction – especially the subject of math.
A discussion with Ki Karou about the challenges of teaching today. Karou introduces five areas that the science of learning have identified as key to students’ doing – and how those are aids to accelerating learning, including the awesome capability of helping learners potentially jump through multiple grades to catch up in little time. Listen in to learn about things the neuroscience has uncovered including “self belief,” “schema building,” and more.Ki Karou is the Senior Director of Product Content at MIND Research Institute, where he leads a team oflearning and game designers, artists and mathematicians. Ki has been designing neuroscience-driven ed tech solutions for over a decade and is widely published and a top speaker in the edtech industry.
In this episode of the Learning Leadership Society Podcast, Host LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Nigel Nisbet, Vice President of Content Creation at the MIND Research Institute. Nisbet shifts the question from ‘How should I teach,' to ‘How do they learn?’ It’s a profound difference which helps you to focus on optimal learning methodologies, and to gain an understanding of the Science of Math.
In this episode of the Learning Leadership Society Podcast, Host LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Twana Young, Vice President of Curriculum and Instruction for Mind Research Institute. In addition to access, Young explains that there's also agency and power and identity and belonging, and those are all part of the different dimensions of equity, especially around mathematics. As Mind Research Institute builds out content and curriculum, they are thinking about the opportunities for agency, and who has the power. It is a fascinating look at equity through a different lens.
Host LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Jay Flores, Global STEM Ambassador, and founder of Invent the Change. “If our youth aren't loving math, or at least somewhat excited by it and challenged by it in positive ways, then they're going to have trouble with those problem-solving skills and navigating through ordinary life in the future,” said Flores. This is a fascinating look at the value of mathematics and STEM in the world of Emergent Bilinguals.
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, MIND’s Chief Data Science Officer Andrew Coulson returns for the latest chapter of our ongoing conversations about edtech evaluation and implementation. Andrew and Brian discuss the concept of attendance as it relates to edtech programs like ST Math. Andrew explains how attendance connects to our ST Math Theory of Change, and how establishing consistent attendance impacts students time and progress on the program.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
6:30 Theories of change and the "missing middle"
8:30 Attendance as a lens for evaluating implementation
15:00 Data on attendance and impact on time on program
19:00 How we identified attendance as a metric
22:30 Applicability of attendance to other programs
Thanks for listening to the show! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening, as it helps others find us.
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
Our latest episode features a recent panel discussion about MIND's design approach to ST Math and other learning resources we create for schools, students, and families. Co-hosts Senior Academic Director Brian Coffey and Curriculum Developer Alyssa Ching interview our VP of Curriculum & Instruction Twana Young and VP of Product Matt Feldmann about user feedback, neuroscience, designing for all students, and of course, our beloved penguin Jiji.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
2:00 Intros
5:00 The WHY behind the approach
13:00 How input from teachers, students, and families shapes our programs
19:30 Neuroscience and embracing the messiness of learning
25:00 Design principles and processes
31:00 DEI and the asset-based lens
39:00 How a penguin impacts students' love of math learning
As always, if you enjoy the show, please rate and review it, which will help more people find us. And if you’ve got questions, comments or suggested topics for future shows, you can email us feedback directly at podcasts@mindreasearch.org.
In our latest episode, Brian and MIND’s Social Impact EVP and Executive Director Karin Wu are joined by Dr. Jo Webber, STEMconnector CEO and President, and the Founder and CEO of Pod. Jo and Karin discuss diversity gaps in STEM, as well as how collaborative action can impact STEM education and provide equitable opportunities for future STEM careers.
Jo shares some of her journey with us, including her mathematical roots and love of ST Math. She and Karin talk about the importance of mentorship, the Million Women Mentors (MWM) initiative, and the recent MWM summit. Jo also shares her vision for STEMconnector and how the organization works with partners to build, attract, and retain a sustainably diverse STEM workforce.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:00 STEMconnector’s work and building an equitable future
7:30 Jo’s journey and mathematical roots
11:30 Visualizing math through software
15:00 Million Women Mentors and representation in STEM
24:00 STEMconnector’s new platform for connecting the STEM workforce
27:30 STEMconnector’s research
30:00 Preparing today’s students for jobs that don’t exist yet
35:00 Opportunities to close experience gaps in STEM education and mentorship
38:00 Helping students see the possibilities in STEM
STEMconnector's Annual Summit is coming up on December 8, 2021. The theme of this year's event is broadening participation across underrepresented groups in STEM and the importance of doing so for addressing the current and future STEM talent crisis. You can learn more about the event and register here: https://2021-stemconnector-annual-summit.heysummit.com/
Thanks for listening to the show! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening, as it helps others find us.
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, I welcome our Massachusetts Professional Learning Designer Elizabeth Birie to the show for a conversation about edtech implementation. Elizabeth reflects back on her firsthand experiences with edtech as a teacher, and some of the challenges educators face when implementing programs. We discuss how her experiences have informed the work Elizabeth has been doing at MIND, supporting teachers, schools, and students who are using our ST Math program.
Over the past year, Elizabeth has also been lending her expertise to the EdTech Genome Project. Coordinated by the EdTech Evidence Exchange, the EdTech Genome project is "creating an evidence-based framework to help educators make better-informed decisions about which technologies to use in their classrooms and schools -- and how to implement them most effectively."
The EdTech Evidence Exchange just published a report on the EdTech Genome Project, which you can download here: https://edtechevidence.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1.-FINAL-EdTechGenomeProject-FinalReport_July2021-2.pdf.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:00 - Overview and past history of content
2:30 - Elizabeth’s teaching experience and working with MIND
6:00 - The importance of school and staff culture
10:00 - EdTech Genome Project overview
15: 30 - Defining staff culture for the project
22:00 - Staff culture and the impact of COVID-19
25:30 - Current status and next steps for the EdTech Genome Project
27:15 - Bringing insights back to MIND
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show.
You can learn more about the EdTech Genome Project at https://edtechevidence.org/.
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes MIND’s EVP and Executive Director of Social Impact Karin Wu back to the show, to reflect on the past thirteen months through a social impact lens. They discuss how our partners worked with and inspired us to meet the moment of school closures, and leverage our collective assets to support students, schools and families. They also talk about how the trauma of the pandemic, school closures, and racial and social injustice have increased awareness of long-standing issues in our education system, and created a window of opportunity for true foundational change to occur.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
2:15 - From the Week that Changed Everything to Now
4:30 - Time and Assets
7:15 - Meeting the Moment of COVID-19 School Closures
10:00 - Going Beyond Access to Support Equitable Learning
13:30 - The Value of Learning Time
18:00 - Math as an Impact Multiplier
23:00 - Taking Inspiration from Our Partners
27:00 - Equity and a Window for Foundational Change
30:00 - SEL and Building Problem Solver Identities
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show.
Additional notes and resources from this episode can be found on our blog at mindresearch.org.
Our latest episode features a Women in STEM discussion from a livestream panel hosted by MIND on March 10th featuring MIND’s Content Design Manager Nina Wu, The STEAM Connection founder Danielle Boyer, and Invent the Change Founder and CEO Jay Flores. Their discussion centered on gender gaps in STEM and STEAM education and the workforce, and what individuals and organizations can do to drive the cultural changes that need to occur in order to make STEM and STEAM more inclusive.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
3:00 Intros
5:30 The STEM Gender gap conversation in 2021
8:00 Power and culture in the STEM industry
13:00 Removing barriers and biases
20:30 Meeting students at what they're passionate about
24:00 Danielle's STEAM origins
28:00 Creating a sustainable culture change
33:00 Actions we all can take
37:00 Closing thoughts and recommendations
If you’d prefer to watch the panel instead, you can head over to MIND’s YouTube channel.
You can follow Danielle Boyer on LinkedIn here, and learn more about The Steam Connection at steamconnection.org. Danielle also co-hosts a weekly podcast called Hands-On Techie Talks, a “family EduTech podcast encouraging hands-on learning for children through technology and engineering.” The podcast can be found on all major platforms and you can listen on the STEAM Connection website as well.
You can follow Jay Flores on LinkedIn here, learn more about Invent the Change, and keep up with his current projects at www.jayfloresinspires.com. Episodes of Jay’s video series “It’s Not Magic, It’s Science” can be found on his YouTube channel. Here are some of the other links mentioned in the podcast:
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (https://www.aises.org/)
National Society of Black Engineers (https://www.nsbe.org/home.aspx)
Society of Women Engineers (https://swe.org/)
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (https://www.shpe.org/)
Thanks to Nina, Danielle and Jay for a wonderful conversation, and thanks to you for listening to the podcast! If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes MIND’s Chief Data Science Officer Andrew Coulson back to the show for a discussion around our ST Math Theory of Change. Andrew explains how the time and energy students invest in ST Math leads to mastery-based progression, math content coverage, and math proficiency gains. In the show notes for this episode on the MIND blog, you can download a copy of the ST Math Theory of Change.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45
2:30 The Importance of a Theory of Change
4:15 Minutes are a Starting Point
5:15 Self-Pacing, Content Coverage, and Summative Test Advantage
7:15 Maximizing Time on Activity in ST Math
8:30 Going Beyond Minutes
10:45 Productive Struggle
12:45 All Content for All Students
19:30 Unpacking a Program via Theory of Change
Intro
The Importance of a Theory of Change
Minutes are a Starting Point
Self-Paced and Mastery-Based
Covering Content and Math Standards
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show.
I want to give a special thanks to everyone who has guested on the Inside Our MIND podcast, and everyone who helped make the show a 2020 EdTech Leadership Award winner! Thank you for sharing your passion, expertise, and perspectives on improving education for the students we all serve!
Inside Our MIND is taking a bit of a late-summer break, but will return with a new season this fall, featuring new guests, and more conversations about making a positive impact for the present and future of all students, so they can solve the world's most challenging problems.
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Paul Blair, Director of Product for ST Math Platforms, to the program to provide some insight into the design process for the new ST Math. Paul sat down with Brian prior to the release of the new ST Math to talk about some of the needs and goals that drove the redesign of the new program, and how the community of ST Math users helped inform the process.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
2:45 The end of Flash and ST Math redesign beginnings
6:00 Enhancements to the games
9:45 Improved facilitation tools for teachers
11:45 Maximizing learning time in the program
18:00 ST Math user feedback
21:15 Measuring progress
25:00 A living model for the program
26:45 A continuous feedback loop
You can learn more about what’s new in ST Math for the 20-21 school year at stmath.com/whats-new. You can also play a selection of games from the new ST Math at stmath.com/play.
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Dr. Megan Kuhfeld to the program for a discussion about COVID-related school closures and their effects on students.
Megan is a research scientist at the not-for-profit organization NWEA. She seeks to understand students’ trajectories of academic and social-emotional learning and the school and neighborhood influences that promote optimal growth. Her work covers a range of topics, including longitudinal growth modeling, achievement gaps, and summer learning loss.
Megan recently co-authored a research brief titled “The COVID-19 Slide: What summer learning loss can tell us about the potential impact of school closures on student academic achievement.” She also co-authored a new working paper, called “Projecting the potential impacts of COVID-19 school closures on academic achievement,” which built on the COVID Slide brief and highlighted the increased variability of student needs that schools will likely be seeing in the future.
In her discussion with Brian, Megan provides an overview of both studies, and they talk about the immediate and long-term challenges the current situation is creating for students, schools and families.
You can learn more about NWEA on their website nwea.org, and follow Megan on Twitter at @MeganKuhfeld.
Topics Covered:
0:45 Intro
2:45 NWEA and Megan’s work
5:00 Seasonal learning loss data and its application to the COVID-19 situation
8:00 Slowdown or slide--projected learning losses
12:30 Additional COVID-19-specific challenges
15:15 Increased variability of needs for next school year
18:45 Social and emotional challenges for students and families
21:30 Moving forward--thoughts and recommendations
Links:
COVID-19 Slide Research Brief: https://www.nwea.org/content/uploads/2020/05/Collaborative-Brief_Covid19-Slide-APR20.pdf
COVID-19 Impact Working Paper: https://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai20-226
CRPE: https://www.crpe.org/
CASEL--COVID-19 Resources: https://casel.org/covid-resources/
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Dr. Molly B. Zielezinski to the show for a discussion on demystifying edtech research. Molly is the founder and CEO of MBZ Labs, where she and her team work to bridge the gaps between edtech, academia, and educational practice. Molly was the co-author of the excellent thought leadership piece “Debunking the Gold Standard Myths in Edtech Efficacy,” and MBZ Labs just published a great resource with NewSchools Venture Fund, “Optimizing Edtech for an Expanded Definition for Student Success.”
Molly shares her origin story, and provides insights into the process of making research more usable for both edtech companies, as well as educators and administrators.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:00 Molly’s Teaching and learning journey
6:00 The disconnect between research and practitioners
7:00 Moving beyond the classroom and founding MBZ Labs
11:00 MBZ Labs mission to get better tools in the hands of students
13:00 Efficacy portfolios
16:00 Use of technology by underserved students
21:00 Translating research content for different audiences
25:00 Building a solid research foundation
27:30 Edtech and the Expanded Definition of Student Success (EDSS)
30:00 The process of translating and demystifying research
Links:
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-05-21-debunking-the-gold-standard-myths-in-edtech-efficacy
https://mbzlabs.com/optimizing-edtech-for-student-success_mbzlabs2020/
https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/scope-report-promising-practices-v1.pdf
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Senior User Experience (UX) Researcher Alesha Arp back to the show for a discussion on what it truly means to be data-driven. They talk about the overuse of the term “data-driven,” and what it means for data to be actionable. Alesha shares insights from her research and the conversations she’s had with ST Math users that helped inform the redesign of ST Math.
You can listen to the episode in the player below:
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
4:00 What does data-driven mean?
6:00 Focusing on how you get there
8:00 The danger of focusing on a single metric
12:00 Implementation challenges that informed new ST Math design
16:30 Providing the right metrics and making data actionable
28:00 Empowering students to set their own goals
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Senior Director of Product Management Edie Perkins to the show to talk about the recently announced new version of our flagship program, ST Math. Edie provided an overview of the enhancements and new features that will help students, teachers and administrators get even more out of the program.
Over the next several months, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into those new features and enhancements, both here on the podcast and on our blog. You can also find even more information on stmath.com, which now has a “What’s New” page, as well as even more of our new ST Math games and resources for you to experience.
Topics:
0:45 Intro
2:30 The word is out
4:15 What's not changing
5:00 The goal of making more learning happen
6:00 The new student experience
10:45 The new teacher experience
15:45 The new administrator experience
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Executive Director & VP of Social Impact Karin Wu back to the show. We start off discussing how Karin was recently featured in STEMConnector’s Million Women Mentors: Leaders to Learn From series. Karin has also been conducting visits and participating in events across the country with our donors and strategic partners, like John Deere, Phillips 66, Rockwell Automation, the One8 Foundation and more.
Karin shared some experiences and takeaways from these visits, including what our partners have in common that makes them such a great match for MIND.
Topics:
0:45 Intro
3:30 MWM Leaders to Learn From
6:30 Facing Challenges with Optimism
8:45 Social Impact Road Trip
10:00 Seeing Impact with One8 in MA
13:00 Matthew Peterson's MA Presentation
17:00 Getting Inspired with John Deere in IL
19:30 Rockwell Automation Fair in Chicago
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker, or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
Additional Resources:
https://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/5-reasons-we-are-thankful-for-our-partners
https://www.stemconnector.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Leader-Profie-Karin-Wu-1.pdf
https://www.mindresearch.org/2019
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes MIND’s Lead Mathematician Brandon Smith back to the show, for a discussion on family engagement. Building on our previous discussions of student engagement and getting dynamically active in learning, we explore the challenges that schools face when trying to put together family night events that truly engage parents and students. Brandon explains four common missteps that can be avoided when designing family nights, and provides guidance on how to put families in the driver's seat to provide an experience that both parents and students will take back home with them. Brandon also outlines some of the resources we are developing for schools that will help make designing, organizing and implementing family nights easier and more impactful.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:00 Reaching students' families and social networks
11:30 Changing the focus
15:00 Intrinsic vs.Extrinsic motivators
20:30 Who is driving the experience
25:30 Shortcoming of station rotation or "fair" model
30:45 The cell phone metric
33:30 Resources for engaging family nights
For more resources on student and family engagement, visit mindresearch.org and mathmindsgames.com.
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker, or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes MIND’s Lead Mathematician Brandon Smith back to the show, for a discussion on project-based and problem-based learning. Brandon talks about the similarities and differences between the two, as well as some common misconceptions about them. He also provides some guidance on how to get the most out of project and problem-based learning by increasing student choice, creatively reframing problems, and adding more fun to the process.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:15 Problem-based and project-based defined
5:00 Creativity as an action
7:30 Challenges in current PBL approaches
10:00 Tackling solvable problems
15:00 Testing and Iterating
17:45 Encouraging risk-taking
20:00 Reframing existing PBL opportunities
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Chief Data Science Officer Andrew Coulson back to the show to discuss the topic of Statistical Significance. Andrew provides an overview of the concept, and explains how taking a binary perspective toward statistical significance can lead to misinterpretation and misinformation. They discuss the American Statistical Association's recommendation to get rid of the term entirely, which is gaining support in the scientific community. They also use point to a recent evidence review which provided a textbook example of ignoring promising study results because of a binary perspective. As always, Andrew provides some takeaways for educators about looking beyond one metric or one study when gathering information on a tool or resource for districts, schools and classrooms.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:15 - What is Statistical Significance?
4:30 - The Problem with a Binary Mindset
6:15 - Misinterpretations and Missing Results
9:00 - ASA Moves Away from Statistical Significance
12:00 - Factors that Affect Statistical Significance
13:20 - Don't Rest on One Result
17:30 - Takeaways
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Lead Mathematician and Product Director Brandon Smith back to the podcast for a conversation about creativity. They talk about creativity being an action that we take, as opposed to a quality we either have or don’t have. Brandon explains his concept of the Creative Engine, a way to rapidly test assumptions and get informative feedback when trying to solve a problem.
Topics:
0:45 Intro
3:45--Creativity as an action
7:00--The Creative Engine
8:30--Steps in the cycle
10:00--Testing assumptions, not ideas
12:30--Intentional iteration
15:45--Not treating ideas as an absolute
18:45--Measuring creativity by the iterative cycle
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Executive Director & VP of Social Impact Karin Wu to the show for a discussion about MIND’s mission and how our partners help us pursue it. Karin shares the story of what brought her to MIND, which leads to an exploration of how personally the mission resonates with so many people who work here. She also highlights some of the work our partners are doing with us, and how integral their support is to MIND’s success.
Topics:
0:45 Intro
3:00 Karin's MIND origin story
6:00 What makes MIND different
7:30 Why JiJi resonates with educators and students
8:30 Taking the MIND mission personally
10:45: The importance and uniqueness of our partnerships
13:00 How current partners help advance the mission
15:00 The diverse ways partners can support MIND's work
17:45 Looking ahead
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released! For more information on MIND and how you can partner with us, head to www.mindresearch.org.
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Lead Mathematician and Product Director Brandon Smith back to the podcast for a conversation about academic discourse. They talk about how academic discourse in math goes far beyond the standard requirements of constructing arguments and critiquing reasoning. By taking a more holistic approach, teachers can create opportunities for academic discourse throughout the learning process, and support students’ natural curiosity in ways that lead to deeper understanding.
You can listen to the episode in the player below:
0:45 Intro
2:30 Going Beyond the Standards
5:00 Communication as a Human Endeavor
8:00 Content vs. How We Learn
10:50 Communicating with the Intent to Learn
14:00 Engaging When We Don’t have an Answer
19:00 Putting Focus on Process vs. Product
30:30 Multiple Modalities of Communication
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Senior Content and Brand Specialist Calli Wright back to the podcast to talk about our new storybook board games, MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara. Calli provides insight into the development of the games, from their origins at Math Fair to the iterative process of crafting stories that teach rules and allow for gameplay without facilitation.
You can find our more about the MathMINDs games and sign up for updates on availability at mindresearch.org/mathminds-games.
You can listen to the episode in the player below:
0:45 Intro
2:05 Our gaming origins
3:50 Benefits of tabletop games
5:00 Chance and choice in games
6:50 Game rules as a barrier to entry
10:00 Creating a learning experience
11:15 Evolution and iterations of the MathMINDs Games
14:20 Story as a vehicle for history, gameplay and learning
16:25 Experiential, episodic learning
19:00 How the MathMINDs Games help build mathematical schema
24:00 Where to find more info
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Senior Content and Brand Specialist Calli Wright to the podcast for a discussion on how educators can get more out of social media by taking a purposeful approach. Calli delves into the types of content that invite engagement, how different platforms serve different needs, and finding your learning community online.
Topics covered in this episode:
0:45 Intro
2:40 Pushing past the superficial layer
5:30 Purposeful use of social media
7:20 Talking about the “how”
9:00 Using social media for PD
12:00 Finding your community
18:00 Takeaways
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes User Experience (UX) Researcher Alesha Arp to the show for a discussion on user feedback and design. Alesha explains how we gather user feedback, and the design thinking that goes into updates we make to our ST Math program.
Topics covered in this episode:
0:45 Intro
2:35: Alesha's Work as a UX Researcher
6:00 Gathering user feedback
10:00 Classroom observation
11:45 Going beyond feedback
12:30 Identifying design issues
14:30 Making design decisions
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In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Chief Data Science Officer Andrew Coulson back to the show for the latest installment of an ongoing discussion about edtech evaluation. Andrew explains what effect size is, and its importance as it relates to evaluating studies of the impact of education technology programs.
Topics covered in this episode:
0:45 Intro
2:50 What is Effect Size
3:20 Why Effect Size is Important
4:15 Visualizing Effect Size
6:40 What is a Good Effect Size
8:15 Looking Beyond the Milestone Numbers
12:00 Questions Educators Should be Asking
14:40 ST Math's Effect Size
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Director of ST Math Content Ki Karou back to the show for a discussion on conceptual understanding. Ki gives an overview of the difference between procedural and conceptual learning, and how schemas are the foundation of conceptual understanding. He also delves into the neuroscience of deeper learning, and the shift in approach needed to facilitate conceptual learning in the classroom.
You can listen to the episode in the player below:
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
2:00 MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara Release (mindresearch.org/mathminds-games)
4:00 Conceptual Understanding and Schema Building
5:30 Procedural vs. Conceptual
8:00 Shifting Mindsets for Conceptual Learning
10:30 Conveying Information Visually
13:00 Assessing Conceptual Understanding
16:45 Teaching for Deep Understanding
21:40 Research on Optimizing for Short-Term Vs. Long Term Learning
28:45 Takeaways
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In our latest episode, MIND’s Lead Mathematician Brandon Smith joins Brian once again, this time for a discussion on informal learning. Brandon first explains how the achievement gap and the perception gap are symptoms of a larger problem called the experience gap. He then delves into the work ongoing MIND has been doing to bridge that experience gap, and the lessons learned along the way. Brandon also shares a bit about MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara, which re-imagine storytelling to connect math, games and history.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:45 The Achievement, Opportunity and Perception Gaps
6:20 Math Anxiety and Parental Influences
7:35 The Experience Gap
9:30 Moving Beyond the Classroom
10:45 Friendship and Culture Building with Math
12:45 Scaling Experiences for Accessibility and Impact
15:00 Designing Experiences that Build a Friendship with Math
21:00 Applying Lessons We’ve Learned
29:20 Using Storytelling to Break Through the Rules Barrier
36:30 MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara
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In our latest episode, Brian welcomes James Tanton, co-founder of the Global Math Project to the show. James is a mathematician, author, educator and advocate who currently serves as the Mathematician-at-Large for the Mathematical Association of America. He is driven by the belief that mathematics is accessible to all, is committed to sharing the delight and the beauty of math.
James talked with Brian about how the Global Math Project came to be, the overwhelming success of its inaugural year, and how that momentum has only increased as Global Math Week 2018 approaches. They talk about MIND’s partnership with the Global Math Project, the importance of the ambassador program, and what the goals are for this year’s event.
Global Math Week 2018 runs from October 10th through the 17th. You can find out more and sign up to participate at globalmathproject.org. You can also keep up with James on Twitter @JamesTanton. And keep an eye the MIND blog for information about the Global Math Week kickoff event that MIND will partnering with the Global Math Project on in the beginning of October.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
4:20 Discovering a Love of Math
9:30 Becoming an Educator
15:00 Path to the Global Math Project
19:00 GMW Year One Success
20:45 Partnering With MIND
23:20 Global Math Ambassadors
30:00 Goals for 2018 and Beyond
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes MIND’s Lead Mathematician Brandon Smith back to the show, for a conversation about rethinking student engagement. They discuss how engagement is only the first step to getting students dynamically active in their learning, and what guiding questions educators can use when creating or analyzing math experiences.
You can listen to the episode in the player below:
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
4:00 Misconceptions About Student Engagement
5:30 Engagement Is More Than Attraction
6:45 Moving From Engagement to Dynamically Active
8:45 The Danger of Treating Math as an Add-On
10:00 Does ______ Dynamically Activate My Students?
15:15 Guiding Questions When Creating or Analyzing Content
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes MIND’s Lead Mathematician Brandon Smith back to the podcast for a discussion on his approach to mathematizing anything. Brandon talks about how math is everywhere, but the lens society looks at math through is very limited. Through his “Three I’s to Mathematize” approach, Brandon explains how anything can become a math experience that enhances engagement and learning for all.
Brandon is presenting on this topic and more at the Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching in Houston, TX on July 16th. The conference will be held July 16th through the 18th at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston. You can register to attend at camtonline.org.
You can listen to the episode in the player below:
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:20 Making Math a Human Experience
6:45 What is Mathematizing? Music as a Metaphor
12:30 The Math Crisis and Math Anxiety
17:15 The Three I's
22:10 How Mathematizing Facilitates Academic Discourse
24:30 The Experience Gap
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Director of ST Math Content Ki Karou to the show for a discussion on game design, student engagement and more. Ki shares some of his experience from this year’s Game Developers Conference, and the unique and often challenging place that educational games hold in the industry. He and Brian then talk about some of the ways educators and administrators can ascertain whether an educational product is offering a true game-based learning experience, as opposed to a layer of gamification.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
3:00--GDC and what sets it apart
5:15--Educational Games place in the industry
7:30--Gamification vs. Meaningful Engagement
13:45--Putting on learning goggles
15:30--What thinking does the student have to do?
19:00--Lessons from GDC
21:30--Scaffolding Paths for Students
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Chief Data Science Officer Andrew Coulson back to the show to discuss a national study of ST Math recently released by independent education research firm WestEd. The national study was the largest study of its kind to evaluate an education technology math program, including over 150,000 students, and found that schools consistently using ST Math could boost their state test scores enough to, on average, jump by as much as 14 percentile points in their statewide math ranking.
Andrew and Brian discuss the results of the WestEd study, the innovative method used to analyze math scores across different states, and how this approach provides repeatable results on at scale.
Topics Covered in the Podcast:
0:45 Intro
2:35 Takeaways from our Previous Discussion On a New Paradigm for EdTech Evaluation
4:30 2018 WestEd Study--Why It’s Different
5:55 Challenges of Getting the Word Out
6:30 Looking at Assessments Across Different States
8:55 Repeatability of Studies
10:00 MIND’s Volume of ST Math Research
12:00 2018 WestEd Study Results
16:00 What Schools and Districts Should be Looking For in EdTech Program Evaluation
To learn more about the WestEd study, head over to stmath.com/wested.
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, host Brian LeTendre welcomes Anthony Kim to the show to discuss his new book The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools. Anthony and Brian discuss how schools and districts must change from an organizational standpoint in order to have a truly successful personalized learning model.
Anthony is a nationally recognized leader in education technology, school design, and personalized learning. He is the founder and CEO of Education Elements, through which he helps schools and districts change the way they think about teaching and learning. He has spoken nationally on personalized learning and has been featured in numerous publications and outlets, including EdSurge, District Administrator, and more. He's also the author of The Personalized Learning Playbook.
Topics Covered:
0:45 - Intro
3:30 - Ed Elements and Origin of The New School Rules
8:00 - Breaking Old Habits
11:45 Crucial Learning Networks
14:00 - The 6 New School Rules
22:45 - Defining Work and Roles
28:00 - Where to Start: Using the New School Rules
32:00 - Where to Find Out More
To learn more about Anthony's work, you can follow him on Twitter (@anthonx) and visit the Education Elements website (www.educationelements.com). You can get more information on The New School Rules at www.newschoolrules.com.
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, host Brian LeTendre is joined by MIND's Director of Programs and Events Mike Limon to talk about the K-12 Game-a-thon, a national event that challenges students to think critically and creatively to design a game that solves a mathematical problem Their discussion beings with a bit of history about MIND's community outreach events over the past several years, and how they helped inform what became the Game-a-thon.
Topics Covered:
0:45 - Intro
3:15- The Experience Gap
4:45 - History of Math Fair and Community Events
9:00 - Game-a-thon Overview and Origins
18:10 - Growth of Game-a-thon
22:45 - Guidelines and Resources
You can find all of the resources for this year's Game-a-thon, including how to sign-up, at mindresearch.org/gameathon.
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, host Brian LeTendre is joined by MIND Curriculum Specialist Dan Tracy for a discussion on assessment and adaptation. Dan delves into why leveling is not the answer when it comes to personalized learning, and why adapting at the point of learning is so crucial.
Additional Resources:
6 Ingredients for Personalized Learning Success: http://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/ingredients-for-personalized-learning-success
Inside Our MIND: Personalized Learning Misconceptions: http://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/podcast-personalized-learning-misconceptions
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you are listening to the show. You can also email us at podcasts@mindresearch.org. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our latest episode, host Brian LeTendre talks with MIND's Lead Mathematician Brandon Smith about some common misconceptions regarding personalized learning. Brandon also gives some guidance on what questions to be asking when designing or implementing a personalized learning model.
Additional Resources:
High-Performing District Looks for New Ways to Personalize Learning
http://www.stmath.com/profiles/marlboro-personalized-learning
What the Perception-Action Cycle Tells Us About How the Brain Learns
http://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/perception-action-cycle
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you are listening to the show. You can also email us at podcasts@mindresearch.org. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!
In our inaugural episode, host Brian LeTendre sits down with MIND's Chief Data Science Officer Andrew Coulson to talk about edtech evaluation. In the discussion, Andrew discusses the subject of his recent blog post on the need for a paradigm shift in edtech evaluation, and why multiple field studies are more valid than single gold standard experiments when gauging program impact.
You can read Andrew's full blog post and download the evaluation rubric here:
http://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/edtech-evaluation-rubric
Additional Resources:
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Information and Standards
https://www.evidenceforessa.org/
https://www.evidenceforessa.org/programs/math/elementary
Ed Tech Industry Network: Guidelines for Conducting and Reporting EdTech Impact Research in U.S. K-12 Schools
https://www.empiricaleducation.com/pdfs/guidelines.pdf
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!