Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, died last week at the age of 100. He lived a full life devoted to the American people and leaves behind a legacy of a man who led with compassion and firm defense of our democracy. As President, he established the federal Department of Education, officially created […]

Jan 6, 2025

20:54

Who designed our modern schooling system and what were their intentions? Ira David Socol is an educational provocateur, author of Designed to Fail: A History of Education in the United States, and our newest Pencil Buster! As Dr. Johnny often says, schooling too often gets in the way of education. We need to find ways […]

Guest: Ira David Socol

Jan 4, 2025

45:34

Let’s welcome our newest Pencil Buster, Brian Brandt! Brian is President of the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association (WHCA), head coach of Wausau West’s hockey program, and a tech ed high school teacher. My goodness, that’s one educated educator, and he knows how to talk education! Because coaching sports is about so much more than training […]

Jan 3, 2025

22:57

Happy New Year, Pencil Busters! We are so grateful to share this new year with you all. Today, we’re not quite making resolutions. We’re making predictions. What will 2025 bring us? And what will we bring to 2025? From vouchers to AI to teachers in politics, we make our best predictions for the new year. […]

Jan 1, 2025

25:15

Pencil Busters, 2024 has been a wild ride! Join us for this very special Homeroom, as we take a look back at the standout moments of this past year. From the lows to the highs and the laughs to the cries, 2024 gave us a lot worth remembering. From all of us at BustED Pencils: […]

Dec 30, 2024

29:59

As AI grows, we’ve wrestled on this show with what it IS. Is it just one new technology- however revolutionary- like a calculator? Or is it a major human-culture-shifting phenomenon? Anshul Sonak, our newest Pencil Buster, joining us representing Intel’s Digital Readiness Program, argues that AI is the “new electricity.” It will revolutionize how we […]

Guest: Anshul Sonak

Dec 23, 2024

24:33

This Saturday, we’re talking democracy. Well, we always do that. But this week we’re talking with Brian Gonzalez, retired Executive Director of Intel’s Government Partnerships and Initiatives division about how inclusive AI instruction can be a strong force for democratization. AI brings a fundamental shift to the digital divide. No longer is the primary concern […]

Guest: Brian Gonzalez

Dec 21, 2024

45:38

We are one month into the winter sports season, and things are heating up! Chad Holmes joins us to bust some pencils, with a check in on hockey, wrestling, and basketball. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are looking to reconnect with their communities. High school sports are a cost-friendly and accessible way to do […]

Guest: Chad Holmes

Dec 20, 2024

21:42

Dr. Jill Underly, Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, and a repeat Pencil Buster, joins Dr. Tim and Dr. Johnny to talk about our future. Specifically, Dr. Underly wants to talk about reinvesting in our futures. How? By restoring public school funding and choosing to invest in meeting the needs of our future educators, business leaders, […]

Guest: Dr. Jill Underly

Dec 18, 2024

26:18

As we continue the work of naming this moment, we wonder: what would Matt Damon’s mom say about all this? Thankfully, we have her number, so we asked! Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Paige, one of our favorite long-time Pencil Busters, returns to share her thoughts on what to do now. We live in a different moment than […]

Guest: Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Paige

Dec 16, 2024

22:27