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Episode 264: Education’s Race to the Bottom of the Brain Stem
Manage episode 516892527 series 2507740
I did not coin this phrase. I borrowed from former Google Exec Tristan Harris. Social media companies are trying to outcompete the others for attention by appealing to ever more primal drives, dragging human cognition “down the brain stem” instead of cultivating critical thought. Is Education falling into the same trap?
On Facebook, X and Substack this week, I posted some thoughts that started a LOT of conversation.
“Maybe the most unhealthy thing we teach teachers, is that if the cheap dopamine addicted teens in their room are not brimming with excitement during your class, you are “failing to engage them,” as if students do not bear any responsibility for their own engagement.
This belief causes teachers to seek to gamify instruction, find gimmicks, cut corners, dumb down and reduce the load. But, more tragically, it causes young teachers with potential to be great teachers to give up and change professions.
The reality is that it is not a fair expectation for teachers to compete with “the entertainment value of a cell phone.” With quality instruction, often times, the dopamine hit may take days, or weeks to finally drop. This should be encouraged, supported and reinforced.”

This issue has come up on the channel before. First in my review of the “Anxious Generation” book, and from many concerned colleagues since. In this episode we dive into the colleague conversation, and discuss strategies possible solutions in YOUR classroom!
Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope
October Bonus: Fly on the Wall at Literacy PD by Chris Munce
As always, behind the scenes bonuses and extras for paid subscribers!
Read on Substack


Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!
For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and Facebook


View this profile on InstagramChoralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos
@choralosophypodca
332 episodes
Manage episode 516892527 series 2507740
I did not coin this phrase. I borrowed from former Google Exec Tristan Harris. Social media companies are trying to outcompete the others for attention by appealing to ever more primal drives, dragging human cognition “down the brain stem” instead of cultivating critical thought. Is Education falling into the same trap?
On Facebook, X and Substack this week, I posted some thoughts that started a LOT of conversation.
“Maybe the most unhealthy thing we teach teachers, is that if the cheap dopamine addicted teens in their room are not brimming with excitement during your class, you are “failing to engage them,” as if students do not bear any responsibility for their own engagement.
This belief causes teachers to seek to gamify instruction, find gimmicks, cut corners, dumb down and reduce the load. But, more tragically, it causes young teachers with potential to be great teachers to give up and change professions.
The reality is that it is not a fair expectation for teachers to compete with “the entertainment value of a cell phone.” With quality instruction, often times, the dopamine hit may take days, or weeks to finally drop. This should be encouraged, supported and reinforced.”

This issue has come up on the channel before. First in my review of the “Anxious Generation” book, and from many concerned colleagues since. In this episode we dive into the colleague conversation, and discuss strategies possible solutions in YOUR classroom!
Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope
October Bonus: Fly on the Wall at Literacy PD by Chris Munce
As always, behind the scenes bonuses and extras for paid subscribers!
Read on Substack


Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!
For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and Facebook


View this profile on InstagramChoralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos
@choralosophypodca
332 episodes
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