The Excellent Conversation (with Wes & Amie)

WATEC misses you! (WATEC #012.5)

WATEC is taking a summer break. Looking forward to seeing you next month!

Not a Fair Fight—Individual instruction squares off against classroom learning. (WATEC #012)

Wes and Ted debate individual vs group instruction. Why is individual instruction so much better? The person you're teaching is always more complicated than the subject you're discussing. https://tutorted.com​ | https://wescarroll.com 00:37 Casual introduction of Wes and Ted and what has been going on lately 06:15 How can I tell if Ted's class would be the best option for me? 09:00 Chaos's role in creativity 10:20 Choosing your own methods of organization and learning styles 19:50 WC: A tea...

Plato vs Modern Education—What does it take to transmit wisdom? (WATEC #011)

"Plato scratched things in the dirt." Wes and Ted unpack that very cryptic quote that's been sitting on our planning spreadsheet since the beginning. https://tutorted.com​ | https://wescarroll.com

Plato vs Modern Education — What does it take to transmit wisdom? (WATEC #011)

"Plato scratched things in the dirt." Wes and Ted unpack that very cryptic quote that's been sitting on our planning spreadsheet since the beginning. https://tutorted.com​ | https://wescarroll.com

Parenting — How do parenting and tutoring overlap? (WATEC #010)

Wes and Ted don't parent their students, do they? Tutor Ted knows that he connects with students in a way that a parent typically cannot. Wes, both a tutor and a parent, weighs the similarities between tutoring and parenting... and the differences that everyone can learn from. What can parents do that tutors can't... and vice-versa? https://tutorted.com​  |  https://wescarroll.com

Parenting—How do parenting and tutoring overlap? (WATEC #010)

Wes and Ted don't parent their students, do they? Tutor Ted knows that he connects with students in a way that a parent typically cannot. Wes, both a tutor and a parent, weighs the similarities between tutoring and parenting... and the differences that everyone can learn from. What can parents do that tutors can't... and vice-versa? https://tutorted.com​  |  https://wescarroll.com

The Post-Zoom Classroom—What have we learned from the pandemic? (WATEC #009​)

Wes and Ted have been thinking about how changes to the traditional school structure affects students—in bad ways and in good. Today they venture (eventually!) into a chat about what specific aspects of school under pandemic might help us as we exit our quarantine—and hope these changes make education even better. https://tutorted.com​  |  https://wescarroll.com

The Post-Zoom Classroom — What have we learned from the pandemic? (WATEC #009​)

Wes and Ted have been thinking about how changes to the traditional school structure affects students—in bad ways and in good. Today they venture (eventually!) into a chat about what specific aspects of school under pandemic might help us as we exit our quarantine—and hope these changes make education even better. https://tutorted.com​  |  https://wescarroll.com

Excellence, pt. 2—What is the true value of excellence? (WATEC #008)

Wes and Ted answer deeper questions about excellence. If we agree that excellence should not be an end goal, what should be? Does excellence represent craftsmanship rather than artistry? Is Bill Gates excellent? Is Mark Zuckerberg excellent, or something else? If excellence travels along a linear path (from, say, inept-to-adequate-to-good-to-excellent), what does that imply about the flexibility and utility of it? Is excellence an end-state or a waypoint? https://tutorted.com​​  |  https://...

Excellence, pt. 1—What is excellence? And why am I chasing it? (WATEC #007)

Wes and Ted discuss their old frenemy "excellence," and come to some surprising conclusions. Among them: Ted is not sure he endorses the pursuit of it. Why do we pursue it? What are we really after? Wes and Ted offer practical steps for achieving excellence (in case they haven't talked you out of pursuing it). https://tutorted.com​​  |  https://wescarroll.com​ 01:20​ Intro 06:50​ Topic of the day: Excellence (or burritos?) 10:20​ Excellence was part of the set of expectations in general 1...

Subject Tests—The SAT Subject Tests are no more (WATEC #006)

While Wes mourns the loss of the problem-solving of the Math Level 2 Subject Test, Ted kicks dirt on the grave of the tests he considers completely pointless. https://tutorted.com​​  |  https://wescarroll.com​ 00:12​ News on this day, January 20, 2021 01:12​ https://wescarroll.com/poignant/​ 05:00​ Who are Wes and Ted? 13:15​ Puzzle hunts 15:15​ Getting past brick walls 20:37​ Why solve puzzles? 22:15​ QAnon as a puzzle hunt 24:12​ Humans are natural problem solvers 25:20​ SAT Subject Tes...

Process—What do you tell yourself to get stuff done? (WATEC #005)

How come there's such a gap between what we want to do and what we actually do? And how can we close that gap? Wes & Ted get real. https://tutorted.com​​  |  https://wescarroll.com​ 00:09​ "Have a less unpleasant day!" 01:04​ Process - What do you tell yourself to get stuff done? 06:48​ Can I program myself (like a computer)? 08:30​ You can't make a perfect thing 11:59​ Change your mind all day long 13:00​ Study your own brain really carefully 14:34​ Are our brains monolithic agents? 17:27...

Self-direction—Owning your own learning (WATEC #004)

We get to witness our students transition from children to young adults. Along the way, they develop self-direction—the means and desire to shape their own learning. We talk about what students need in order to successfully attain this critical quality. https://tutorted.com​  |  https://wescarroll.com​ 00:10​ Warming up and topic introduction: Self-direction 03:26​ Different priorities: what matters to us 05:12​ Everything that we do is a reflection of our personhood 08:24​ Process your inp...

Tools—What tools, technological and otherwise, help students get ahead? (WATEC #003)

Every trade requires a trusted toolkit. What tools belong in the kit of a great learner? Wes and Ted weigh in. https://wescarroll.com  |  https://tutorted.com 01:35 Tools - What works best? 02:37 Every time I hear about the latest platform, I'm inherently skeptical... 04:18 Digital Minimalism 08:21 Managing your own dopamine loop 10:37 Losing focus on the ultimate goal 11:38 Trying to have a comfortable and fulfilling life 14:38 Specific tools that can help 15:45 Tools for memorization - ...

003: What tools—technological and otherwise—help students get ahead?

Every trade requires a trusted toolkit. What tools belong in the kit of a great learner?  Wes and Ted weigh in.

Tools (003): What tools—technological and otherwise—help students get ahead?

Every trade requires a trusted toolkit. What tools belong in the kit of a great learner?  Wes and Ted weigh in. https://wescarroll.com   &   https://tutorted.com

Zoom—Can you learn through video conferencing? (WATEC #002)

What do students need to do in order to make online learning effective? Wes and Ted have strong opinions on the matter—as always. https://tutorted.com  |  https://wescarroll.com 00:00 Intro 01:05 Brainstorming and Introspection 07:00 Learning Under COVID -19 08:40 ADHD as a Continuum 10:20 Audio Learners and Visual Learners 13:45 The Absence of Socialization in COVID Education 14:38 The Novelty of the Classroom 16:36 What do Want to Accomplish [In Education]? 18:50 Administrators 21:05 Tea...

002: Can you learn over Zoom?

What do students need to do in order to make online learning effective?  Wes and Ted have strong opinions on the matter—as always.

Zoom (002): Can you learn through video conferencing?

What do students need to do in order to make online learning effective?  Wes and Ted have strong opinions on the matter—as always. https://wescarroll.com   &   https://tutorted.com

Technological Tools—What Works, and Why?

COVID-19—The pandemic is showing us problems in education that have always been there (WATEC #001)

Wes and Ted gripe, gab, and get to work highlighting the problems we've all known were there. Do they solve 'em? Watch and find out! https://wescarroll.com  |  https://tutorted.com 1:07 Digression #1: "Kabuki" & "Inertia" 3:53 Ted rocks the SST Korean test 5:15 COVID-19 reveals flaws in the education system 9:26 Specialization and teachers 12:12 Three massive questions 15:10 "Our education system isn't perfect..." 19:49 Knowledge or tricks? A false dichotomy 24:41 The emotional side of le...

COVID-19 is showing us problems in education that have always been there.

Wes and Ted gripe, gab, and get to work highlighting the problems we've all known were there. Do they solve 'em? Watch and find out! 1:07 Digression #1: "Kabuki" & "Inertia" 3:53 Ted rocks the SST Korean test 5:15 COVID-19 reveals flaws in the education system 9:26 Specialization and teachers 12:12 Three massive questions 15:10 "Our education system isn't perfect..." 19:49 Knowledge or tricks? A false dichotomy 24:41 The emotional side of learning 26:18 Our infamous teachers: Sr. Enriquez ...

COVID-19 (001): The pandemic is showing us problems in education that have always been there

Wes and Ted gripe, gab, and get to work highlighting the problems we've all known were there. Do they solve 'em? Watch and find out! https://wescarroll.com   &   https://tutorted.com 1:07 Digression #1: "Kabuki" & "Inertia" 3:53 Ted rocks the SST Korean test 5:15 COVID-19 reveals flaws in the education system 9:26 Specialization and teachers 12:12 Three massive questions 15:10 "Our education system isn't perfect..." 19:49 Knowledge or tricks? A false dichotomy 24:41 The emotional side of ...

001: COVID-19 is showing us problems in education that have always been there.

Wes and Ted gripe, gab, and get to work highlighting the problems we've all known were there. Do they solve 'em? Watch and find out! 1:07 Digression #1: "Kabuki" & "Inertia" 3:53 Ted rocks the SST Korean test 5:15 COVID-19 reveals flaws in the education system 9:26 Specialization and teachers 12:12 Three massive questions 15:10 "Our education system isn't perfect..." 19:49 Knowledge or tricks? A false dichotomy 24:41 The emotional side of learning 26:18 Our infamous teachers: Sr. Enriquez ...