Ron Berger makes his third appearance on the podcast to engage Rod and Jal in a conversation focused on the idea of craftsmanship, and how quality and tangibility can, and should be applied to education. All three share personal experiences across the fields of carpentry, woodworking, writing, and of course education, emphasizing the importance of craftsmanship and critique in almost everything we do.
Ron Berger is Chief Academic Officer for EL Education, an organization that partners with districts and charter boards to found public schools in low-income communities. EL Education’s core work is building teacher capacity in schools and districts through professional coaching, resources and open-source curriculum. He is an Annenberg Foundation Teacher Scholar, received the Autodesk Foundation National Teacher of the Year award, and is the author of six books.
Highlights from this unique exploration of craftsmanship include: remembering a time when we aspired to make quality, tangible things instead of living in a rushed, transactional and mostly disposable society; a beautiful carpentry analogy that challenges the way we prepare teachers; the importance of a "crew" for learning in all aspects of life; how a calligraphy lesson from Ron turned into a transformational experience; why models and critique can be powerful tools in the classroom; tying the theme of craftsmanship back to improving educational systems; and the long-awaited return of the lightning round!
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Email us at freerangehumanspod@gmail.com or Tweet us at @jal_mehta and @Rodroad219