Episode #20 Fighting fascism by not listening to podcasts

After a bit of a sidestep into how we’re each using AI, Greg and Caiti jump into a conversation about ‘rote learning’ and a startling claim that it’s driving preservice teachers out of the profession. We argue that explicit teaching is more than just slide decks and explore how teacher training, shared curriculum and school-system structures shape successful implementation.

The conversation then moves onto the brilliant Sold a Story podcast and some of the reactions to it, including the arguments being made against it. Greg and Caiti unpack some of these criticisms, discuss the difference between Direct Instruction (‘big DI’) and direct instruction (‘little DI’), and consider what the debate reveals about how evidence-informed teaching is represented and challenged.

Finally, we discover that the fight against fascism might be simpler than we thought: apparently, all you need to do is not listen to podcasts. At least, that’s the case according to one rather interesting response to Sold a Story.

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Greg Ashman

Greg is a school leader at Ballarat Clarendon College and holds a PhD in instructional design from UNSW.

Substack – Filling the Pail

LinkedIn – Greg Ashman

X/Twitter – @greg_ashman

If you’re interested in working with Greg at Ballarat Clarendon College, please see here for open roles and expressions of interest.

Caiti Wade

Caiti is a leader of pedagogy at a boys’ secondary school in Brisbane, education consultant and is doing her doctorate in cognitive science.

Substack – The Disruptive Educator

LinkedIn – Caiti Wade

X/Twitter – @caiti_wade

Episode resources

* Why ‘rote learning’ mandate is driving new teachers away | The Adelaide

* Rote is back. Or at least something very like it - EduResearch Matters

* Sold a Story | Podcast

* The argument against Sold a Story that proves why we need it | Filling the Pail Substack

* Selling a story that’s lost the plot - by Benjamin Riley

* Curios of the week #190 - by Greg Ashman - Filling The Pail

* Direct instruction is the American default | Michael Pershan

Acknowledgement of country

We would like to acknowledge The Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we record this podcast, the lands of the Wadawurrung People, and the lands of the Jagera and Turrbal Peoples, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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