The Harvard EdCast

Gender Matters: Challenges Facing Women in Education

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic has exposed gender inequities that don't often get talked about in education. It doesn't matter whether women work in early childhood, or...

Transitioning into Adulthood

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How has the end of adolescence changed or has it at all? Harvard Professor Nancy Hill and Lecturer Alexis Redding set out to better understand changes...

Disrupting Whiteness in the Classroom

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Systemic racism has deeply permeated all aspects of our schools to the point it's gone viral. Racist curriculum and racist acts of teachers have trend...

Student Testing, Accountability, and COVID

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden's recent insistence that standardized testing should happen this year has been met with reluctance in many states. Harvard Professor A...

Propaganda Education for a Digital Age

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Think that propaganda is an outdated thing of the past? Well, think again. Propaganda is everywhere -- in the news, entertainment, politics, education...

The Intellectual Lives of Children

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Developmental Psychologist Susan Engel discusses the importance of nurturing young children's ideas, and why we need to pay closer attention to what t...

College Admissions During COVID

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What will the future of college be like post-COVID? If one thing is sure, COVID has already significantly altered college admissions. Princeton Review...

Fugitive Pedagogy in Black Education

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jarvis Givens tells the history of Black teachers and their covert actions in the classroom during the Jim Crow South. An assistant professor at the H...

Schools, Reopening, and the Cycle of Mistrust

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The latest research on COVID and schools emphasizes the importance of reopening but far too many schools remain closed. Harvard Professor Meira Levins...

Pivot Out Loud

20 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Introducing the new podcast Pivot Out Loud -- stories of education and life in a year of disruption. In this episode, Harvard EdCast host Jill Anderso...

Prioritizing Self-Care in Practice

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Educator's have always benefitted from self-care, and in today's challenging times, it is especially important. Harvard Lecturer Jackie Zeller discuss...

Tapping into Student Agency

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Educational sociologist Anindya Kundu recognized that students need more than grit to succeed in school. He studies the role of student agency, and ho...

What it Means to Learn Science

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How does the world solve complex problems like climate change? One answer may be to teach science in more complex and personal ways. Through the resea...

Finding Gratitude in Challenging Times

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Kristi Nelson, the executive director of a Network for Grateful Living, discusses why some people have an easier time finding gratitu...

The Amateur Enterprise of College Teaching

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How much has college teaching really changed in 150 years? Not very much, according to Jonathan Zimmerman, an education historian and professor at the...

Teaching Across a Political Divide

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

America seems more divided than ever. Paula McAvoy, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University, has long focused her work on helping e...

Applying Education Research to Practice

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Education research is often disconnected from the reality of practitioners in the field. Carrie Conaway, a senior lecturer at Harvard and an expert on...

How Colleges Fail Disadvantaged Students

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this encore episode of the Harvard EdCast, which originally aired on February 13, 2019, Tony Jack discusses the consequences of conflating access a...

How Covid-19 Impacts Rural Schools

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We don't often hear about the 15% of students who attend rural schools. It seems this population is often left out of national conversations about the...

Education in Uncertain Times

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Times are troubling for many higher education institutions around the country. With many enrollments down and huge drops in student applications for ...

The Role of Education in Democracy

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many people question the state of democracy in America. This is especially true of young people, who no longer share the same interest in democracy as...

Making Online Learning Work

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With many children learning remotely this fall, Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy – a leader in online learning – knows that it’s a daunting tas...

Improving College Access for Native People

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Only about 14 percent of Native Americans attend college and many often leave before graduating. TaraJean Yazzie-Mintz has spent much of the past thre...

The Digital Divide and Remote Learning

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic set off a race for schools to launch remote learning and to keep children from falling behind. But at what cost? In this episode of the E...

School Leadership During a Crisis

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With more than 55 million children out of school due to the pandemic, school leaders are facing the adaptive challenge of all time. The challenges go ...

Schooling for Critical Consciousness

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is the role of schools in teaching students, especially students of color, how to face oppression and develop political agency? Are there ways th...

The Benefits of Family Mealtimes

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Despite family meal times being hugely beneficial to kids, only about 30% of families manage to eat together regularly. Anne Fishel, executive directo...

Learning Loss and the Coronavirus

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With many schools closed around the country due to the Coronavirus, educators and parents may have growing concerns about how long students can go wi...

College Students in the Age of Surveillance

19 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This newest generation of college students know that algorithms tend to skew the truth online, but many feel it is par for the course. Alison Head, a ...

Schools, Families, and the Coronavirus

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many school districts are facing challenging decisions about how to prepare and respond to the novel Coronavirus including whether to close and try di...

Racial Differences in Special Education Identification

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard Lecturer Laura Schifter explains disproportionality and why so many students of color are placed in special education, often in separate class...

Getting Beyond the Literacy Debate

26 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's much debate in the literacy world about what's the best way to teach children to read. With two out of three children struggling to learn to r...

The Pitfalls of Oversharing Online

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Children aren't the only people compromising their privacy online. Grown ups are also taking to to digital media and technology, and oversharing infor...

Grading for Equity

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When Joe Feldman, author of Grading for Equity, looked closer at grading practices in schools across the country, he realized many practices are outda...

The Common and Yet Hidden Language Disorder

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Although more children have developmental language disorder (DLD) than autism -- most people have never heard of it. Dr. Tiffany Hogan, the director o...

Unconscious Bias in Schools

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many educators struggle with unconscious bias in their roles at school -- often in ways that can unknowingly perpetuate racism and negatively affect s...

Sticker Shock: The Actual Cost of College

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When many people see the college price tag, they believe it's financially out-of-reach. But Wellesley College Professor Phillip Levine, who studies co...

What Test Scores Actually Tell Us

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard Professor Andrew Ho thinks test scores can often simplify how we view student performance, school effectiveness, and educational opportunity. ...

Colleges as Courageous Spaces

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many college and university leaders recognize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work being done on their campus, but that doesn...

Prioritizing Student Mental Health in College

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Students are struggling with mental health issues on college campuses. Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, a founding director of McLean Hospital's College ...

Why We Need to Rethink Recess

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sociologist Rebecca London knows recess is an afterthought in many schools day. Too often, it's just seen as a break or a way to get some physical exe...

Higher Education's Biggest Conundrums

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David Wilson used college as a path out of poverty. Now, as the president of Morgan State University in Baltimore, he wants that to be the reality for...

Facing Challenges, Driving Success (in Chicago)

02 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Janice K. Jackson knew taking the role as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools would be challenging. She has inherited a history of problems in the d...

A Classic Problem -- Putting Diverse Books into Practice

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The books children read in the classroom today look a lot like they did decades ago. Kim Parker, cofounder of #Disrupttexts, wants to change that. In ...

Understanding Immigration

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Regardless of how you might feel about immigration, Harvard Professor Roberto Gonzales thinks we need to better understand its implications and how it...

The Quest for Deeper Learning in High Schools

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard researchers Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine talk about what they discovered while studying nontraditional, innovative high schools, and what we can l...

EdCast Extra: Teens Get Real About Inequity in College Access

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this EdCast extra, Harvard Senior Lecturer Richard Weissbourd along with Nicolas Burgess, 17, and Dequan Franks, 19, from Jacksonville, Florida, sp...

Putting Ethics First in College Admissions

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard Psychologist Rick Weissbourd guides parents (and high schools) to be better ethical role models, especially in the college admissions process....

The Making of a Bully-free School

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Educator Tina Owen-Moore speaks about the creation of the Alliance School in Milwaukee and strategies to combat bullying.

Redefining School Counseling

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mandy Savitz Romer, senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, shares misconceptions about the profession, and how the school counse...

Broadening Global Perspectives

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen discusses the world of global education, and how educators can incorporate a global approach in the classroom.

The Desegregation Compromise

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Vanessa Siddle Walker, professor of African American educational studies at Emory College, discusses the role of black educators in desegregation effo...

Moving Beyond Technical in Computer Science Education

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sepehr Vakil, an assistant professor at Northwestern University, talks about the importance of looking at computer science education beyond just the t...

The Complexities of Teacher Strikes

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard Professor Marty West talks about the wave of teacher strikes happening throughout the country and the complexities of teacher compensation tha...

Overparented, Underprepared

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Lythcott-Haims, the former dean of freshmen at Stanford University, talks about the dangers of overparenting and how it can make or break a chil...

The Rights of Public School Students

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Driver, a professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School, reflects on the history of Supreme Court education rulings and foreshadows ...

Replicating Effective Charter School Practice

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Cohodes, an assistant professor at Teachers College, talks about the state of charter schools and whether we can transfer effective charter scho...

How Colleges Fail Disadvantaged Students

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Jack, author of The Privileged Poor and assistant professor at Harvard, discusses the experiences of low income students as colleges try to diver...

Reducing Absences, Capturing School Days

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Todd Rogers, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and also director of the Student Social Support R&D lab, talks about discovering an effecti...

From Prison to Ph.D.

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Stanley Andrisse, director of From Prison Cell to Ph.D., shares his story and discusses the school to prison pipeline, and how higher education ca...

A Promise for Education

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf shares why she has focused so much of her term on education, and particularly the creation of Oakland Promise, which aims t...

How Personalized Learning Can Lead to Success

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lecturer Todd Rose discusses the importance of personalized learning in the quest for success, and how success will look different in the future.

Reaching Rural South Africa through Education

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Craig Paxton, executive director of Axium Education, shares the work being done to reach the millions of children living in rural communities througho...

The State of Sex Ed in America

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Catherine Brown, vice president of education policy at the Center for American Progress, provides insight into sex education standards around the coun...

The Harvard Trial: Evaluating Fairness in College Admissions

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Natasha Warikoo, an associate professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, discusses the Harvard trial and whether college admissions can ev...

Finding Faith in Education

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Irvin Scott, a senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, talks about why faith leaders can be key players in educational outcomes f...

Lessons Learned from the 2015 Mizzou Protests

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Trachtenberg, an associate professor of law at the University of Missouri, gives an insider look at what happened during the 2015 Mizzou protests ...

The Transformative Power of Arts Education

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Andria Zafirakou, the 2018 Global Teacher Prize winner, shares how the arts can be a powerful tool of inclusion and resilience for children.

Who Goes to Private School?

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Stanford Professor Sean Reardon talks about the downward trend in private school enrollments, what this tells us about the middle class in America, an...

Demoralized, Not Drained

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Doris Santoro, an associate professor at Bowdoin, explores how many teachers are demoralized not burnt out in the profession. She also discusses how s...

Friday Night Lights Out: A Call to End Football in Schools

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Randall Curren, a professor at the University of Rochester, discusses why it’s ethically indefensible for schools to continue sponsoring tackle foot...

Putting Mister Rogers' Deep and Simple to Practice

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Early childhood education expert Junlei Li spoke to the Harvard EdCast recently about the meaning of high quality in early childhood education, how Fr...

Questioning the Truth in History

20 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Activist Minnijean Brown-Trickey discusses the Little Rock Nine and the importance of uncovering and understanding the truth in America.

Kids Need a Break

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Stanford University's Denise Pope, also co-founder of Challenge Success, shares what we need to think about when it comes to choosing summer enrichmen...

Smartphones, Teens, and Unhappiness

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

San Diego State University Professor Jean Twenge talks about her research that examining teens, smartphones and unhappiness.

Escuela Nueva

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Vicki Colbert, Yidan Prize winner, reflects on her work and research with Escuela Nueva.

Learning for Careers

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bob Schwartz and Nancy Hoffman, co-founders of the Pathways to Prosperity network and HGSE faculty, discuss what they’ve learned about preparing stu...

The Surprising Cost of School Security

18 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

UC-Berkeley Professor Calvin Morrill talks about how a high school changed with increased security policies, and shares some perspective on how this m...

Tackling Issues in Education

11 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

CJ Anderson, Super Bowl champion for the Denver Broncos, reflects on his community activism work and shares tips for other non-profit leaders.

Angel Investments

04 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Angel Rich, founder and CEO of The Wealth Factory, examines the intersection of financial literacy, technology, and education.

Making Smart Choices in Today's Screen-filled World

28 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Children's television producer Angela Santomero shares the inspirations behind her hit shows like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and talks about how pa...

AI and Education

21 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Wolfram, CEO of Wolfram Research, reflects on the evolving role of computational literacy and AI in education.

Mindset and Parenting

15 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Carol Dweck, Stanford professor of psychology, examines mindset, motivation, and parenting tips in the context of recently receiving the Yidan Prize.

Committing to the #CommonGood

07 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Rick Weissbourd, faculty director of Making Caring Common, discusses the launch of the Caring Schools #CommonGood Campaign.

Ask More of Him

27 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jackson Katz, an educator, activist, and creator of the Mentors in Violence Prevention program, discusses the significant role men play in preventing ...

Is "Free College" Really Free?

22 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is "Free College" Really Free? by Harvard Graduate School of Education

Dr. Ruth Talks Sex and Ed

14 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Ruth Talks Sex and Ed by Harvard Graduate School of Education

Walking the Talk - Episode 2 - John Wilson

07 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

John Wilson, former president of Morehouse College and former executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Univ...

Elmo Goes To Harvard

07 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Elmo (along with executive vice president Sherrie Westin) from Sesame Street visit the Harvard Ed School campus to discuss the global work Sesame Work...

Childhood adversity's Lasting Effect

31 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris shares how childhood adversity creates toxic stress that can impact health long term, and particularly how interventi...

Cornel West: Love, Hope, and Education

25 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cornel West: Love, Hope, and Education by Harvard Graduate School of Education

The Troublemakers at School

16 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Researcher and Author Carla Shalaby shares what she discovered from following four "troublemakers" as they made their way at school.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

10 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Georgetown University Professor William T. Gormley, Jr., discusses the importance of teaching critical thinking skills, especially in these times of “...

What “the Talk” Black Parents Have with Their Sons Tells Us About Racism

03 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Columbia University Assistant Professor Raygine DiAquoi shares what she discovered about how black parents talk to their sons today about race and dis...

Lifelong Kindergarten

14 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

MIT Professor Mitch Resnick, author of “Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play”, talks about cre...

Urban Preparation

06 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Chezare A. Warren, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, reflects on urban teacher preparation, culturally responsive teaching, and critic...

A Culture of Anxiety? The Culture is Us

29 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Psychotherapist Lynn Lyons talks about her work training educators to respond to student anxiety, and provides insight on what schools get right or wr...

The Importance of Refugee Education

08 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

John Palmer, Associate Professor and Chair of Educational Studies at Colgate University, reflects on refugee education in the Korean peninsula and bey...

Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power, and Consent on Campus

01 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Vanessa Grigoriadis, author, explores what’s really happening behind closed doors on America’s college campuses.

Advocating for Girl Education Around the World

26 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Documentary filmmaker and girls' education advocate Zuriel Oduwole discusses what inspired her to become an advocate for better access to girls' educa...