Hey everyone, ⚠️ Warning: This issue leans heavily into music education. BUT, I promise the learning design underneath applies to any educational experience. ⚠️ Musical performances go like this: Lights dim Audience quiets Conductor steps on the podium like they’re summoning ancient magic (Fig. 1A) The learners (our performers) think: If I crack that note, civilization collapses. Figure 1A: Nézet-Séguin summoning demons conducting. All that pressure makes sense. Performances, final exams,...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey everyone, I’m celebrating 1 year 🎉 of writing these newsletters by revisiting one of the very first topics I covered: AI in education. A year ago, most conversations sounded like this: “AI is cheating.”“AI will replace teachers.”“AI is a terrible amalgamation of human history and now society is collapsing.” Well, the sky is still here, and AI hasn’t gone anywhere. So, I don’t want to talk about whether AI belongs in education anymore. It’s here. Your learners are using it. The better...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey everyone, Pop quiz Which of these are scientifically proven strategies/statements for learning? (Select all that apply… except you can’t really) A) Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic learning stylesB) Teaching to a student’s “dominant intelligence” (multiple intelligence)C) People are left-brained OR right-brainedD) We only use 10% of our brain If you picked none… congrats.If you picked any… you’re not alone! This issue comes a couple weeks after April Fools, but some of the biggest pranks in...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hey everyone, “Bite-sized chunks can increase efficiency and transfer of learning by 17%.” (Pulled from a lit review) That’s a pretty bold freakin’ stat. However, many read the term microlearning, assume the science, and implement something that is NOT what it should be. Microlearning is powerful. It’s also wildly easy to misuse. So this issue breaks down both. By the end, I want YOU to decide where it fits best in your curriculum. Sorry, I came in hot with the Zoolander memes What...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Hey everyone, Learning isn’t confined to the experience you curate. Does that idea make you uncomfortable? Relieved? Defensive? Curious enough to lean in? If learning is happening everywhere anyway, the real question becomes: Are we designing in a way that acknowledges it, or pretending our learning exists in isolation? This issue explores the value of cross-curricular learning and why stepping outside “your lane” might be one of the most efficient ways to strengthen both your curriculum AND...
6 months ago • 3 min read
Hey everyone, and Happy New Year! The annual Mr. Combs School of Music Alumni Event™ (best name ever, full credit accepted, thank you) happened on December 29th. I’ve been at the same program for over 12 years, and every winter I invite former students to a local food court to reconnect and reflect on the small but mighty community we’ve built together. It’s tradition to go around the table, celebrate wins from the past year, and share goals and growth areas for the year ahead. Tangent #1: Of...
6 months ago • 3 min read
Hey everyone, As a father of an 8- and 6-year-old, this issue hits close to home. Watching young kids process the world and move skills into long-term memory is mind-blowing (metaphorically speaking, the kids still have heads). Seeing what humans absorb effortlessly, and what absolutely does not stick without help, reminds you quickly that, bruh, you really can’t control everything. But on their learning journey, they carry a backpack called “cognitive load,” and the weight shifts minute to...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Hey everyone, If the goal of education is growth, then failure is one of the greatest sources of data we have. But put yourself in the shoes of a learner for a moment, in a culture where success is the only acceptable outcome. Failure is avoided at almost all costs, creating fear, impeding on the learning process. Fear treading on my learners…? I hope you get the meme and read it in her voice So let’s dive into the art of failure! Self Reflection Is this you or your classroom? We praise...
9 months ago • 2 min read
Hey everyone, First, a huge thank you to everyone I met at the Maryland Conference last week! And, huge shoutout to Corrin for helping me with my first time exhibiting. As a fake extrovert this was both thrilling and terrifying. Note the volunteer and free professional development services ;) I had a bunch of inspiring conversations about objective writing at the conference (yes, I’m apparently not the only person who gets excited about this), and I realized something: a lot of us are haunted...
9 months ago • 3 min read