193. Chris Edwards on Educational Reform and Thought Experiments

The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer

Dialogue, Science, Reason, Michaelshermer, Natural Sciences, Skeptic

4.4 • 921 Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2021

⏱️ 123 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Michael Shermer speaks with Chris Edwards about educational reform, his study and teaching of world history, the problems in K–12 education, the zip-code model vs. the seat time model of education and how they result in massively different educational outcomes, how “no child left behind” left children behind, federal vs. state educational systems, cheating scandals and what to do about them, the future of education in a world of free (or nearly free) online learning, comparing the U.S. educational system to other countries. Shermer and Edwards also discuss thought experiments, based on Edwards’ latest book, Thought Experiments: History and Applications for Education.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the Michael Sherman Show.
0:07.0	My guest today is Chris Edwards.
0:10.0	He has a E.D.D. and teaches AP world history, that is Advanced Placement World History and an English
0:17.6	course on critical thinking at a public high school in the Midwest. He's the author of to explain it all everything you wanted to
0:25.0	know about the popularity of world history today. Connecting the dots in
0:29.2	world history. Themocracy, how educators can teach democratic ideals in feminism, and beyond obsolete how to upgrade
0:38.4	classroom practice and school structure.
0:40.5	His new book is Thought Experiment's history and applications for education.
0:46.0	Okay most of our conversation today almost two hours went all on education.
0:52.2	Problems with their educational system,
0:54.4	K through 12, higher education,
0:57.4	the problem that public schools are divided up by zip code
1:01.9	and that creates this Matthew effect of to those who have more
1:05.9	shall be given and that you know real estate goes up in school districts with better
1:11.2	schools and that therefore poorer school districts have
1:16.0	crumbier schools and you get this massive division we talk about that as
1:20.4	possibly an example of one of these sort of systemic racism problems that has nothing to do with
1:26.8	personal racism. Everybody could be as liberal and tolerant as could be and you still have these kind of built
1:31.5	in divisions that are you you know, the result of this, you know, century long structure of our educational system, public educational system.
1:40.0	Anyway, so from there we talk about how to change that, you know, that we have a seat time model.
1:45.6	You know, how many hours, 180 hours have to be spent, you know, students with their butts in the seats
1:52.0	and that's the that's the criteria well how
	...

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