The Brighter Side of Education: Research, Innovation & Resources

Epizode

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  How Adaptive Learning Changes Teaching Without Replacing It 01.10.2026 28min

  Send us Fan Mail If a student can get a perfectly tailored lesson from AI in seconds, what exactly is the teacher’s job, and what does school become? That question sits underneath every new adaptive platform, every AI policy debate, and every parent’s uneasy feeling that “personalized” might also mean “alone.” We talk with Tom Woelper, Head of School at Cheshire Academy, about what’s genuinely promising in adaptive learning technology and where schools can go too far. We dig into why pairing ...
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  How to Identify and Treat Math Anxiety in Learners| Dr. Aditya Nagrath 03.09.2026 26min

  Send us Fan Mail We talk with mathematician and computer scientist, Dr. Aditya Nagrath, about why students avoid math even when they are capable and how confusion can harden into anxiety over time. We focus on treating math anxiety by rebuilding understanding, reshaping beliefs, and using practical strategies that teachers and parents can apply right away. • math anxiety as a cycle of stress, self-doubt, and avoidance • early comprehension gaps in quantity and math language • manipulatives a...
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  History as the Human Story: Teaching Students to Think, Question, and Live Wisely 06.08.2026 34min

  Send us Fan Mail History is the human story, a way of seeing the world and our place in it. In this episode of The Brighter Side of Education, Dr. Lisa Hassler welcomes back historian and Associate Professor Dr. Christopher Berg for a thoughtful conversation about the purpose of history education, how it has changed over time, and why it remains essential in today’s classrooms. Drawing from his work in Why Study History?, History and the Public Good, and “My Friend! You and I Have Passed Our ...
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  Why Kids Miss School: A Human-Centered Approach to Absenteeism | Dr. Ivory Toldson 21.05.2026 31min

  Send us Fan Mail Chronic absenteeism keeps getting described as a kid problem, but the evidence tells a different story. When we label students as “disengaged,” we miss what is often right in front of us: unreliable transportation, health crises, caregiving demands, and school policies that punish families for not having options. I’m joined by Dr. Ivory Toldson, Chief of Research for Concentric Educational Solutions and a professor at Howard University, to unpack insights from his white pape...
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  When Schools Can’t Find the Right Teacher: Expanding Access to Learning 09.04.2026 24min

  Send us Fan Mail A student’s future should not depend on whether their school can find a qualified chemistry teacher this year—but that’s often how geography-bound education works. When the PISA 2022 report revealed declines in performance and widening gaps across countries, it’s easy to point to motivation or effort. This conversation takes a different angle: what if the real constraint is the structure of schooling and how learning is organized? Dr. Lisa Hassler is joined by Maurice O’Shann...
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  More Than Play: What Toybuilding Teaches Students | Rick Hartman 26.03.2026 24min

  Send us Fan Mail In many classrooms, toys are something we put away when it’s time to get serious. But what if toys are actually one of the most effective ways to teach? In this episode of The Brighter Side of Education, Dr. Lisa Hassler explores toybuilding as a powerful instructional approach with educational toymaker Rick Hartman, founder of School of Toy. With over 25 years of experience and more than one million students reached, Rick shares how building simple toys transforms learning f...
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  Not Your Granny’s Grammar: Bringing Joy Back to Writing and Grammar | Patty McGee 12.03.2026 20min

  Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like grammar turns a lively class silent? We dig into a brighter way forward with literacy consultant and author Patty McGee, exploring how short, focused routines transform grammar from rote correction into a set of powerful choices that make writing clearer, bolder, and more authentic. Instead of chasing perfection on worksheets, we show how to build sentence craft in tiny, joyful steps that actually transfer to real writing. We start by naming the problem: isola...
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  Rebuilding Student Focus: Neuroscience-Informed Cognitive Training | Dominick Fedele 26.02.2026 26min

  Send us Fan Mail Educators across grade levels are observing a consistent pattern: students are increasingly distracted, mentally fatigued, and less able to sustain focus during academic tasks. These challenges affect reading comprehension, problem-solving, written expression, and overall learning stamina. This episode examines the cognitive and neurological foundations behind these trends and explores how neuroscience-informed innovation may support learning readiness. Drawing on research in...
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  Competency-Based Learning & Human-Centered Design: A Future-Ready Shift | Camp 12.02.2026 24min

  Send us Fan Mail As automation and artificial intelligence reshape the future of work, educators face a critical question: Are we preparing students for a world defined by automation and innovation? In this episode of The Brighter Side of Education, Dr. Lisa Hassler speaks with Camp, Head of Teaching and Learning at New England Innovation Academy, about how competency-based learning and human-centered design can work together to support meaningful, future-ready education. The conversation exp...
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  Innovation in STEM Education: Preparing Students for an Ever- Changing World | Dr. Jennifer Berry 29.01.2026 22min

  Send us Fan Mail How can STEM education keep pace with a rapidly changing world? In this episode of The Brighter Side of Education, host Dr. Lisa Hassler explores innovative approaches to STEM learning with Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab. This conversation examines how authentic, project-based STEM experiences help students build STEM identity, develop problem-solving skills, and see real connections between classroom learning and future careers. Drawing on research, classroom examples, ...
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  Intentional Kindness in Schools | Bucket Filling with Carol McCloud 15.01.2026 20min

  Send us Fan Mail What if a few words and a simple image could reshape how students treat each other—and how they feel about themselves? We dive into bucket filling, a plain-language framework that sparked a global kindness movement. Grounded in the CASEL competencies and early brain research, this approach replaces vague advice with three clear rules: be a bucket filler, try not to dip, and use your lid. Carol McCloud, president of Bucket Fillers Academy and author of 11 children’s books, sha...
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  Tinsel, Turkeys & Trying New Things: Holiday Special with the Hasslers 04.12.2025 22min

  Send us Fan Mail We hit “Go Live” to close our longest season yet and lean into a simple truth: growth beats perfect. Holiday crunch time made the choice easy—pivot, try the new thing, and share what’s working for educators and parents who want less noise and more clarity. We review the milestone that mattered most this year—CPD credits for listeners—so your professional learning can count toward recertification while you collect practical strategies you’ll actually use. Across the season, A...
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  How to Prepare Students for a Changing World | Barry Garapedian on Value Creation, Mindset, and Success 20.11.2025 22min

  Send us Fan Mail Are we preparing young people to follow instructions or to solve real problems? We explore a better path with Barry Garapedian—financial advisor, mentor, and author of Winning the Game of Life—who makes a compelling case for teaching value creation as the antidote to uncertainty, inflation, and the AI upheaval. Together, we unpack the hidden curriculum, why compliance still shadows classrooms, and how to build graduates who contribute, not just compete. Barry maps out his Se...
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  Grading What Matters: Rethinking Student Learning and Assessment | Marc Aronson 06.11.2025 23min

  Send us Fan Mail Imagine a school where grades reward collaboration, character, and genuine mastery—not just memorization and speed. In this episode, Dean of Academics Marc Aronson shares how his school, Cheshire Academy, rethought assessment through Grading What Matters, a framework focused on authentic learning, student agency, and mission-aligned outcomes. We explore Final Demonstrations of Learning instead of exams, a Community of Learners model that grades students on contributio...
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  From Players to Creators: How Student Game-Making Builds AI-Era Skills | Matt Dalio 23.10.2025 26min

  Send us Fan Mail Play isn’t just fun—it’s a blueprint for learning. In this episode, Dr. Lisa Hassler and Matt Dalio (Endless Studios/Foundation) explore how student game-making builds creativity, collaboration, and resilience while scaffolding real tools—from no-code building to Unity and Blender. We unpack the research on learning by making, connect Jane McGonigal’s mechanics of motivation to classroom practice, and trace a big-picture story from the printing press to software literacy.&nbs...
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  Supporting Students with ADHD: Executive Function Strategies for Teachers and Parents | Ann Dolin 09.10.2025 22min

  Send us Fan Mail Nearly 1 in 10 children are diagnosed with ADHD, yet most educators receive no formal training in supporting executive function deficits. This gap creates challenges for teachers, frustration for parents, and academic struggles for students who are often mislabeled as unmotivated or lazy. In this episode, Dr. Lisa Hassler speaks with Ann Dolin M.Ed., founder of Educational Connections and author of "Homework Made Simple," about the critical role of executive function in stude...
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  AI Education for Kids: Expert Guide for Teachers & Parents | Mike Todasco 25.09.2025 29min

  Send us Fan Mail The digital revolution in education is happening right now, and AI literacy has surged to become the #1 skill employers demand. With 70% of job skills projected to change by 2030, our conversation with Mike Todasco couldn't be more timely or crucial for parents and educators navigating this shifting landscape. Mike brings a rare dual perspective as both a visiting fellow at San Diego State University's AI Center and father of two school-aged children. His insights bridge the...
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  Handwriting Instruction: How it Boosts Literacy & Brain Development| Holly Britton 11.09.2025 24min

  Send us Fan Mail Discover why handwriting instruction is disappearing from classrooms and how this impacts your child's literacy development. In this research-backed episode, handwriting specialist Holly Britton reveals the neuroscience behind why forming letters by hand activates crucial brain pathways that typing cannot replicate. What You'll Learn: Why explicit handwriting instruction is missing from most schools and its impact on reading comprehensionThe kinesthetic connection between han...
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  A Gen Z Guide to Success: After College Insights| Annat Shrabstein 28.08.2025 30min

  Send us Fan Mail The transition from college to adulthood has dramatically transformed over recent decades, with financial independence, full-time employment, and independent living occurring much later for today's graduates than their 1980s counterparts. Yet despite these shifting timelines, Sallie Mae's latest research reveals that higher education continues to deliver tremendous value for Gen Z. According to Annat Shrabstein, Senior Director of Consumer Insights & Brand Strategy at Sa...
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  Who’s Behind the Curriculum? Missing Voices in Academic Publishing|Dr. Cassidy Sugimoto 14.08.2025 19min

  Send us Fan Mail Curriculum doesn’t start in the classroom—it starts in the knowledge system: the people, institutions, and practices that produce and disseminate research. Dr. Cassidy Sugimoto, a Tom and Marie Patton Professor and School Chair from the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, explains how publishing and citation practices flow into standards and textbooks. Dr. Sugimoto highlights the systemic barriers faced by women and underrepresented minorities in academia and how these ...