Special interlude #2: The science of learning, the humility of teaching

Peter C. Brown is a bestselling writer and novelist, retired from a career as a management consultant. He is the lead author of Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (Harvard University Press, 2014). Make it Stick has been translated into 17 foreign languages and received international acclaim for changing the way we understand learning. 

Bethany Lockhart Johnson is co-host of the podcast Math Teacher Lounge, as well as a curriculum design consultant, elementary school educator, and author. Prior to serving as a multiple-subject teacher, she taught theater and dance, and now loves incorporating movement and creative play into her classroom. Bethany is committed to helping students find joy in discovering their identities as mathematicians. In addition to her role as a full-time classroom teacher, Bethany is a Student Achievement Partners California Core Advocate and is active in national and local mathematics organizations. Bethany is a member of the Illustrative Mathematics Elementary Curriculum Steering Committee and serves as a consultant, creating materials to support families during distance learning.

Dan Meyer, director of research for Desmos Classroom, is co-host of the podcast Math Teacher Lounge. Dan Meyer taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, “Good Morning America,” “Everyday With Rachael Ray,” and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is currently the Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan has worked with teachers in all 50 states and internationally, and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

Eric Cross, the host of the podcast Science Connections, is a grade 7 science/technology teacher, grade-level lead, and digital learning innovator for Albert Einstein Academies, an International Baccalaureate school. He is also an adjunct professor of learning and technology at the University of San Diego.