History, Biology, English, Calculus. Those are some of the more traditional subjects taught in classrooms. But what if happiness were taught in school? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss teaching happiness in school. What would that look like in a classroom? And if it could be taught, should it be taught? Not as a separate subject, but as part of just about all subjects students already study. What does happiness even mean?
Dr. Ed Burger
Higher Ed: Who’s An “Expert” In Education?
“Takes one to know one.” Remember that phrase? It’s usually tossed around as an insult during an argument. But, could there be a grain of truth in that? What does it mean to be an expert in something? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss what qualifies (and what doesn’t) when it comes to being an expert in education. Just about all of us have been to school of some kind at some point along the way. Does that mean we know what’s best when it comes to education policy and curriculum? Who does know best: trained educators and administrators steeped in the knowledge? Or more detached observers with expertise in other areas?
Higher Ed: Technology, Art, Ethics, and More Converge in 3-D Printing
3-D printing seems like a great deal. Need something? Print it up. Anything from food to clothing to houses can be printed and used. But just because we can print it, should we? And what about people who don’t have access to the technology? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss the convergence of technology, economics, art, ethics, and morality in grappling with the issues raised by what 3-D printing can do. And what about the impact of 3-D printing on education and learning?
Higher Ed: Love of Learning
Think back to your early days of school – nursery school and kindergarten, even into first grade. Learning was full of fun and creative discovery. But as time goes by, that fun disappears from the scene, and so can our love of learning. In this Valentine’s episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss how we’ve lost that lovin’ feeling in learning, and how we can get it back. They’ll also inventory what’s in Ed’s refrigerator. What does this have to do with a love of learning? Listen to find out!
Higher Ed: 175 Years of History in Less Than 10 Minutes
Southwestern University in Georgetown is celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2015. In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern’s President Dr. Ed Burger explore the history of Southwestern University on its demisemiseptcentennial. Or as some call it, the quartoseptcentennial. It’s also known as the septaquintaquinquecentennial. As it turns out, Southwestern’s history is very much intertwined with the history of higher ed in Texas.
Higher Ed: The Ins and Outs of Liberal Arts
The phrase “liberal arts” often goes hand in hand with discussions about higher education. But really, what are the liberal arts? Are they liberal? Are they arts? How about none of the above? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore what comprises liberal arts. They not only answer that nagging question, “Liberal arts: singular or plural?”, they also discuss how a liberal arts education is more about the approach to the subjects than the subjects themselves.
Higher Ed: The Art of Creating Questions
The old saying goes something like this: “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it it, does it make a sound?” A variation on that might go: “If someone asks a question, and no one is around to hear it, what good does it do?” A lot, as it turns out. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger exchange questions and answers about the art and importance of questions to learning. They explore how the act of simply creating a question can change the whole dynamic of learning. But what about the answer, you might ask? Guess what; most of the benefit might actually come without ever even getting answer!
Higher Ed: The Importance of Failure to Learning
In this episode of KUT’s podcast, “Higher Ed,” KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talks with Dr. Ed Burger, President of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, about how important failure is to learning and success. What?! That’s the opposite of just about everything we’ve ever been taught. But it turns out intentionally failing is actually a critical step to ultimate success in learning.