What happens when students have more choice in how they learn and demonstrate what they know?

Dr. John McFarland shares examples of students extending their learning through art, music, dance, and other creative projects. We discuss student agency, meaningful extra credit, incorporating students' interests, and the value of giving students a voice in the learning experience.

This featured segment comes from Episode 2 of Education Upgrade.

In this featured segment from Education Upgrade, Jake Schulke and guest Brett Barker examine how traditional teaching methods, large class sizes, and an emphasis on career preparation can limit meaningful learning.

The conversation explores why students struggle to engage with English and social studies, whether conventional teaching practices encourage memorization over critical thinking, and how the structure of public education may contribute to these challenges.

Watch or listen to the full conversation in Episode 19.

Follow Education Upgrade for more conversations about teaching, learning, and rethinking education.

Can extrinsic rewards eventually help students become intrinsically motivated to learn?

Dr. John McFarland (Dr. Mack) shares how he built “Fantasy French,” a gamified classroom system using experience points, levels, character classes, special abilities, and collaborative rewards. We discuss how students responded to the system, how it encouraged cooperation, and what happened as students began taking greater ownership of their learning.

This featured segment comes from Episode 2 of Education Upgrade.