Being the 45th podcast, this is an update on where it is headed, and where it has been.  The point of this podcast is to help families navigate the world of parenting teens and to contend with the many issues involved in education, for thi...

Ryan makes a prediction, as well as a wish, for what the middle and high school classroom will look like tomorrow. And spoiler alert... tech and tradition are not in direct combat with one another, but rather can supplement each other perfectly...

The way to teach a concept that you hope will stick, is to package it through entertainment.  Just as the producers of Jurassic Park, The Martian, and countless other sci-fi movies, if you don't agree.  Ryan elaborates on this topic i...

As with any new technology, the arrival of AI in education is being viewed with extreme skepticism.  Will it make us dumber as a society, or propel us to new heights? Maybe the best way to think about it is to review how the pa...

The best solutions are simple ones.  In this episode, Ryan explains how we fundamentally have mischaracterized what a teacher needs to look like.  Once we address this, the shortage will disappear, with no increase to the education bu...

Many organizations complain about "mission creep," in which they engage in things that are tangential to their original mission... but nowhere is this as commonplace as it is in education. 

In the pursuit of helping your kid to reach their goals, does it feel like they have become your goals, rather than that of your kids? This is common, as we have the best of intentions... but should and can be avoided at all costs.&...

Whether or not you could pass high school right now is less a commentary on your education and intelligence, and more a measure of the relevance of high school curriculum to adult life.And spoiler alert... you could NOT pass high school ...

Has your kid been recommended for testing for a 504 plan? In this episode, Ryan breaks down what it is, what it does and does not do for your kid, and some pros and cons.As usual, the concept is well-intentioned... but reveals some deep ...

There are some times in a nation's history in which events cause it to turn down a particular path... not always for the best.  The Russian space program inadvertently had a profound effect on Education in the U.S. and traces of that are s...

Oh...you are having a boy? How do you plan to deal with their ADHD?  Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration... but barely.  This episode breaks down how kids are actually diagnosed, the recommended treatments, and what is wrong with the wh...

Is it possible that things were done better, years in the past? Aware of the risk of placing unwarranted value on nostalgia, Ryan explains what a text book from the 50s revealed, as a potentially amazing way to present math topics to kids.

An easy justification for ineffective teachers, for years, has been "I'm not here to entertain the kids."  The fact is, to be a great teacher, you have to have the ability to inspire and entertain kids... and in this episode, Ryan articula...

There are pros and cons to any decision or situation, and choosing what to do after high school is no different.  As usual, it pretty much entirely depends on the kid!

While this is an obvious attempt at humor, and involves some hyperbole, once you hear the similarities between prison and large high school campuses, you can't "unsee" them.  Having worked in these schools, Ryan paints a funny picture of h...

Ask yourself, any kid you know, and anyone who you can corner... "Did you read the books assigned in high school?"  The resounding answer will be "No."  But why? We inherently love reading... don't we?Ryan breaks down the reaso...

For some of us, having our kids addicted to video games is our worst fear... but what if it is an indicator of a broader interest in computers and computer science in general? Ryan explains the pattern he's seen between kids that lo...

Before you celebrate the resumption of old policies and ideas about the benefits of a strict home or classroom, it might pay to give the potential outcomes of those policies some thought.  That is exactly what Ryan does in this episode.&nb...

It is hard to decide if we are in favor or against a particular bill without going deep on what it entails... which is exactly what Ryan does in this episode.  Ultimately, it seems to come down to what your perception of what homeschooling...

In this episode, Ryan explains how and why the majority of kids begin to dislike school in middle and high school, as opposed to elementary school.  Spoiler alert... it has to do with the innate development of kids, and how the system is d...

In a take on Robert Kiyosaki's book, "Why A students work for C students," Ryan points out how and why this is exactly true.  He also promotes the idea of eradicating the notion that A students in school are somehow "better" than C student...

People that are obsessed with their house plants will know that, by simply moving a plant to the spot at which it will do best, solves the majority of problems associated with growing flourishing plants. Well... the same goes for kids. 

It is nearly impossible that a group of kids would learn at exactly the same pace, so why do we do it that way in school? More importantly, is there any other way to do it, efficiently and effectively? Funny you ask... Ryan breaks down exactly ...

Rather than judging kids for cheating in school, Ryan suggests we look at the "why" behind it, and some possible solutions for eliminating the students' perceived need for it. 

In this episode, Ryan explains why districts can't afford to offer kids dozens of different electives, and how Nexbooks has solved that problem.  Now, you can literally allow each kid to follow their passions and interests, and to take ele...