Two Teachers Talking™
Teachers know that when classes are done, the beer has been poured, teachers gather around the table, and the talk turns to...teaching. Great (and not so great ideas) are tossed around, argued, praised, and ridiculed. What's been missing is a microphone on the table. Until now. If you're a teacher, and especially if you're teaching in Japan, have a listen. Tony and Charles talk about what they've learned, what works, what doesn't, and what other teachers like you have to say.
Episodes
As a non-Japanese English teacher in Japan, there are a million ways to shoot oneself in the foot…or worse. We look at some of the pitfalls that lie in wait when dealing with administration, staff, colleagues, and students.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
David is the creator of many online tutorial videos, the Field Guide series, and the cohost of the MacPower Users podcast. Tony and Charles talk with David about his journey from engineer to lawyer to Mac nerd to educator. We discuss teaching tech, tech for teachers, and, of course Stoicism and arete.
- Macsparky: https://www.macsparky.com/
- Stephen Fry on AI: https://youtu.be/-Cw37g39g00?si=4uHb006ynMa82Uu...
Much is being written about students, ethics, and AI. What about teachers? What are the ethical issues regarding teachers and their use of AI? We do our best to determine where some of the lines are. (Yes, AI was used in preparation for this podcast.)
Mentioned:
Stephen Fry https://youtu.be/-Cw37g39g00?si=SyqZw4RduQUqSJW-
Are you conscious? A conversation between Dawkins and ChatGPT https://richarddawkins.substa...
The teacher gets the desks turned on him. Tony talks about the challenges he faces in his efforts to learn Spanish, with a focus on his use of Duolingo.
Links
Full notes can be found here:
You’ve got a couple of students who have the hunger, the drive to learn. What tools can you recommend to help them up their game? Have a listen. Tools Mentioned Anki https://apps.ankiweb.net - free flashcard creation tool Citation Machine https://www.citationmachine.net - citation generator and more Claude AI https://claude.ai Duolingo https://www.duolingo.com Elicit https://elicit.com - Summarize researc...
Part two. The two old farts are in their rocking chairs on the front porch, watching the sun go down. Pull up a chair while they talk about the lessons they’ve learned and the wisdom they have accumulated over the years…and all the ways they’ve screwed up.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
The two old farts are in their rocking chairs on the front porch, watching the sun go down. Pull up a chair while they talk about the lessons they’ve learned and the wisdom they have accumulated over the years…and all the ways they’ve screwed up. They go so deep, it will be a two-parter.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
This month we wrestle with the smartphone controversy. What are the issues? What are the upsides? What is the most sensible way of dealing with this bit of tech in your classroom? Plus, a big announcement.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
We open the mailbag and field questions from listeners. Be sure to listen through to the end for the big reveal. Apologies for the audio not meeting our usual standards. 猿も木から落ちる!
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
Digital Surveillance: Who’s watching you and your students? We discuss some of the ways we are tracked daily, by both human and non-human agents. 👀 Better read those Terms of Service agreements.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
Charles again talks with his daughter, this time about university graduation, future plans, how it feels to set out on a new phase in life, and some of the things learned while studying to become a teacher.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
It’s week three, and the course you so painstakingly crafted over the break is, well, tanking. We talk about what you can do to reboot. Never give up.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
We talk a little about last month’s podcast, and then it’s WELCOME TO RETIREMENT for Charles. Sayonara lectures, student workshops, expectations, predictions, adjustments - it’s a packed episode, even without an April Fool joke.
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
Japan vs. Mexico. No, not the flop sport where players can’t use their hands. We talk with Prof. Alison Kitzman, now at Arkansas State University, Querétaro, about the differences and similarities in teaching English to students in Japan and in Mexico. There are surprises. And dogs.
ASU - Queretaro https://astate.edu.mx/
Kindai University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindai\_University
Full notes can be found he...
A discussion on traditional and new forms of cheating, motivations for cheating, how to deal with cheating (with or without institutional support), and a perhaps overly optimistic hope of prevention.
Bonus links:
- All the Times Students Thought They Got Away With Cheating but Were Very, Very Wrong https://www.weareteachers.com/bad-cheating-stories
- 19 Stories From Teachers Who Caught Their Students Cheating In Incr...
Instead of a look back at 2023, we examine how teaching English in Japan has changed since we stepped off a plane and into a classroom many years ago–and what hasn’t. Happy New Year! 明けましておめでとうございます！
Full notes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
In a pre-holiday frenzy, we tackle three not-so-mini-topics:
- Syllabus preparation - Grading preparation - About that winter breakHappy holidays, everyone!
Full notes and past episodes can be found here:
- Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.org
Charles talks with his former student Taishi Watanabe about teaching English, and what it's like returning to school after working.
Mentioned: Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence? Australian Council for Educational Research Melbourne.
Lukianoff, G., & Haidt, J. (2015, August 11). The Coddling of the American Mind. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archiv...
We take a second look at AI and ChatGPT, how they’re changing our teaching worlds, and suggest some ways to ease adaptation.
Be sure to take a look at the list of works we used to create the podcast (on website). Appearance on the list is no indication of endorsement, and quality of the items is all over the map. Some educators asked for their ideas exhibit little understanding of what AI and GPT are. We can learn fro...
Tony and Charles struggle with that question and discuss the best ways to reach our students. It’s not simple.
Mentioned, previous episodes:
- - 154 Desirable Difficulties - November 2022
- - 130 Learning Styles - November 2020
- - 118 Great Expectations Revisited - January 2020
- - 60 Great Expectations - March 2015 ...
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