education

Texas Standard: April 11, 2018

Texan Kevin Brady may not be a household name in the rest of the US, but after a surprise announcement on Capitol Hill that could quickly change.

What House Speaker Paul Ryan’s unexpected decision to retire from congress may mean for Texas. Kevin Diaz of the Houston Chronicle joins us.

Also, with the Facebook CEO set for more congressional questions, why the interrogation from a Texas senator yesterday is being called one of the more interesting moments.

You Tube Kids-just how safe for youngsters?

And what a massive new study tells us about the implications of holding schoolkids back a grade, come counterintuitive conclusions.

Texas Standard: March 21, 2018

With more than 500 federal state and local agents closing in, the Austin serial bomber blows himself up by the side of I-35. What we’re learning about the 24 year old behind a series of bomb attacks that gripped the state capitol city. We’ll speak with the mayor of Austin, Steve Adler on what might be some early takeaways from an incident unprecedented in the city’s history. Also, danger: the state’s credit rating may be primed to take a hit, the Texas comptroller joins us do discuss. Plus calls from republicans for Governor Abbot to show some humility? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Teaching Social Justice Through Art

Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with museum educator Sabrina Phillips of The Blanton, Social Studies Teacher at LBJ Highschool Andrea Gaines, Jessica Jolliffe of AISD, and Jullian Bontke from the Anti-Defamation League, to talk about how kids are learning new ways to discuss issues like immigration, bias, economic inequality, and more, through art.

How can art and museums provide space and time for feelings and experiences we have trouble articulating? How are parents, educators, museums, and school systems working together to cultivate more empathetic and engaged students?

Texas Standard: March 13, 2018

The Texan in charge of US diplomacy, isn’t anymore. After traveling the world, secretary of state Rex Tillerson is coming home, we’ll explore. Also, exploding parcels in the Texas capitol city. Police are trying to connect the dots, warning Austinites not to touch boxes left at front doors. And in Dallas explosions of another sort, these connected to gas mains. Lots of folks in big D asking questions, but not getting many answers. And what was the cause of the civil war? And how is it taught in Texas schools? Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 12, 2018

The president’s gamble over tariffs: why Texas may be in the crosshairs if Europe decides to go tit-for-tat. We’ll have a conversation with the EU ambassador. Plus, full speed ahead for the general election? For dozens of Texas candidates, the brakes are still on for the runoffs. We’ll lift the curtain on what it takes to get past the next political hurdle. And is a historic part of downtown El Paso ready for the bulldozer? Some residents say no one prepared them, and they’re pushing back. Also evangelical women in the era of Trump and me too. After allegations from a porn star and more, can Trump still count on support from the religious right? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 8, 2018

A culture of cover up? Claims of abuse against juvenile offenders are swept under the carpet according to a whistleblower, we’ll have the latest. Also, after Harvey, many homeowners and businesses wondered how the flooding could have happened, given the flood maps. A new study says that’s the problem: the maps are wrong. And a symbol of Texas honky tonk music packing bags for Memphis. What the move means for the live music capitol. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 22, 2018

Governor Abbott is not having it: schools need to implement safety measures or be be called out publicly, we’ll explore. Also, the reverend, crusades, and the role Texas played in all this. Plus, presidential Elections are coming up in Mexico: what’s different from US elections? And in Texas how do you become “election judge”? We’ll tell you. Also, the tug of war for the “rainy day fund”, could it pay for flooding? Plus boots that sustain the soul and a tech giant that’s house hunting. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 15, 2018

Harris County’s bail system treats the rich differently from the poor. An appeals court affirms that ruling. We’ll have the latest on what’s next and what it could mean for taxpayers. Also, a Texas lawmaker is leading an effort to roll back some requirements aimed at helping the disabled. We’ll explain. Plus, two native Texans are part of a suit that wants the feds to drop marijuana as a schedule 1 drug. What a ruling could mean. And we’ll explore technology as it’s being used in groundbreaking ways at the Olympics. Plus, LBJ did not like his presidential portrait. We’ll tell you why and what he did about it. Those stories and a whole lot more on todays Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 5, 2018

Botched executions: that’s the claim from the attorneys of the latest man put to death in Texas. We’ll examine the details. Also it’s incredibly delicate work: manufacturing and maintaining the country’s nuclear weapons. Why a new contract could be putting that work at an Amarillo plant at risk. And Mexico’s state owned petroleum company is mired in challenges. We’ll look at why and how it’s affecting the country’s relationship with the US. Plus, in Houston an effort to preserve a bit of Latino history, and a new book preserves the history of Big Spring. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Higher Ed: Who’s Really In Control of Learning

A lot of people have input when it comes to formal education: teachers, students, administrators, staff, and parents, just to name some. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss who out of all those groups, though, is actually in control of the quality of the education provided. Ed and Jennifer examine who does – and who actually should – take responsibility for education when there are so many cooks in the kitchen. They also discuss the critical role students play in owning their own educational experiences and the value of giving them autonomy (at least at a certain point in their formal education) to make choices for better or for worse. It’s also time for the solution to the “random walk” puzzler. It turns out that it’s anything but random.

This episode was recorded Nov. 7, 2017.

Texas Standard: February 2, 2018

Have you seen maps of political districts that just look like they were drawn to achieve some certain result? We’ll explain how math could identify and prevent gerrymandering. Plus Mexican-American Studies are slowly gaining traction in school districts across Texas. We’ll look at why it’s been delayed at the state level and how some school districts are forging ahead on their own. And we’ll take you inside the business and passion of raising and breeding Texas Longhorns. Plus it’s Friday, that means the Typewriter rodeo and a wrap of the biggest political stories of the week. Today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 1, 2018

It could be more penny-pinching ahead for Texas lawmakers and the state budget. We’ll get the economic outlook from the Texas controller. Plus one year after President Trump announced an executive order restricting travel from some Muslim-majority countries. Now Texas immigrants from those countries still face uncertainty. We’ll have the story. And taking the pulse of US-Mexico relations as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson heads south of the border. Also kids these days are exposed to a lot of technology from a very young age. What we should consider when it comes to childcare tech. Plus remembering the Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew 15 years after it disintegrated in the skies over east Texas. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 31, 2018

How was President Trump’s first State of the Union? You might not be surprised that it depends on who you ask. We’ll have a Texas perspective. Also the Texas Rangers are getting involved in an investigation into a US Gymnastics team facility outside of Huntsville, we’ll have the latest. And Houston consistently sits towards the top of lists of worst traffic cities in the US. A look at how Space City’s highways came about and how they re-shaped communities. Plus, what happens when local lawmakers disagree with a Texas mandate? We’ll explore. We’ll also head to Waco to visit a new Arts facility, and we’ll take the red pencil to a recent claim by a man hoping to be the state’s next governor. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 26, 2018

The pot is sweetened: a proposed path to citizenship for 1.8 million. But is the overall flavor of the deal too terrible for many lawmakers? We’ll explore. Plus, the hub of Harris County’s criminal justice system has been closed because of Hurricane Harvey flooding, and could be for years to come. And in Marfa a secretive company opens up to school kids. And in Montreal NAFTA negotiations that could have big effects on Texas. All that plus the Typewriter Rodeo and a wrap of the week in Texas politics, today on the Texas Standard:

Higher Ed: What “Like” Means In Education

We know what it means to “like” something. But does that word carry extra meaning in education and learning? What does it mean when students say they “like” a class or fear a teacher doesn’t “like” them? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore perceptions and realities of “likes” in education. Whether or not students and teachers like a class or each other is actually a pretty complicated topic. Students may “like” a class because they did well, but is that the best criteria for judging a class? What about teachers who bring in donuts on course evaluation day; should their goal be for students to “like” them and write a positive evaluation? In this era of “likes” on social media, Ed and Jennifer discuss what it really means – and should mean – to “like” something in the realm of education and learning. Check out the full episode to see if you like the latest puzzler about a “random walk.”

This episode was recorded Nov. 7, 2017.

How Long Until Spring?

It’s mid-January, it’s cold, and it’s the time of year when we begin to ask the question: how long until spring? That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

You Talk White (Ep. 1)

Delve into the history of the “black southern dialect” and hear about the insecurities and expectations when speaking in white or intellectual spaces. DaLyah and Jackie discuss the shaming that comes from friends and family when not speaking “black” enough. Their guest is the author of “Sista, Speak! Black Women Kinfolk Talk About Language and Literacy,” Dr. Sonja L. Lanehart.

Texas Standard: December 22, 2017

Before Harvey, developers were allowed to build homes inside reservoirs. How did they get the green light? And did anyone warn the buyers? The story today on the Standard.

Texas based AT&T giving 200,000 workers $1000 bonuses. The company says it’s thanks to the tax cuts just passed by congress. Now other companies are joining in the bonus giving spree. We’ll hear what may be the corporate calculation behind the bonus boom.

And with fewer than 1% of all Americans on active duty- a growing divide between the military and civilians

Also remember small town Texas? For those who may have forgotten, a writer in Abilene on seven pressing issues.

Higher Ed: The Great Homework Debate

There has been an ongoing debate in education about a staple of the school landscape: homework. Do students get too much? Too little? What role does – and should – homework play in education? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss all things homework. It has long been a complaint of students – and some parents, too – that too much homework is a problem and can throw a young student’s life out of balance. Ed and Jennifer discuss the history of homework; if Ed (as a teacher) thinks students have too much; and what he advocates as an alternative to homework at some levels of school. Listen to the full episode for more takes on the role of homework in education and to get the solution to last episode’s “Let’s Make A Deal” puzzler. And take note: the strategy in solving this puzzler has real world applications for making decisions and answering multiple-choice questions.

This episode was recorded Nov. 7, 2017.

Texas Standard: December 11, 2017

Should Texas child protective services be forced to recruit more foster care families? A federal case nears a climax, we’ll have the latest. Also, a south Texas lawmaker calls for hearings on Russian meddling in Mexico’s elections? US Congressman Henry Cuellar tells us why he’s concerned, and why Texans should take note. Plus, net neutrality reconsidered: as the FCC approaches what could be a landmark vote, we’ll explore the practical implications of the proposed change. And retired teachers leaving a state health care system in droves, and agents stand down for an emotional family reunion at the border near el paso. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: