The Informed Educator: Research and Teaching in the Anthropocene

Travis Fuchs | Season 2, Episode 8

In this episode, we sit down with Travis Fuchs to explore socially responsible science education and and the role science teaching can play in helping students engage critically with the world around them. Travis reflects on how science classrooms can help students engage with complex issues critically and thoughtfully, rather than treating scientific knowledge as neutral or disconnected from social concerns.

Anne Pasek | Season 2, Episode 7

In this episode, we sit down with Anne Pasek to explore the environmental politics of AI and digital technology. Anne pushes past the excitement and panic that often shape conversations about artificial intelligence, asking instead what these systems actually are in material terms and what they take to sustain. A key part of the discussion focuses on her framing of AI as “trash,” which helps reorient the conversation toward waste, infrastructure, and the broader ecological consequences of digital systems. Rather than treating AI as something abstract or futuristic, Anne brings it back down to earth and asks what it means to think about these tools more honestly.

Juliet Hess | Season 2, Episode 6

In this episode, we sit down with Juliet Hess to explore music education through a more critical and socially aware lens. Drawing on her work in the philosophy and sociology of music education, Juliet reflects on how music can become a point of encounter, giving students ways to engage with people, experiences, and perspectives they may not otherwise come across in everyday life. The conversation also touches on the emotional role music plays in people’s lives, especially for young learners, and how music education can either narrow that experience or create room for reflection and affirmation. Note: This conversation was recorded in August 2025

Katrina Keefer | Season 2, Episode 5

In this episode, we sit down with Katrina Keefer to explore how games and interactive design can create new ways of engaging with history in educational settings. Drawing on her work as a historian and game developer, Katrina reflects on the value of game-based learning while stressing the importance of using these tools with intention. A key part of the conversation centers on her Bunce Island project, which digitally recreates the historically significant site in Sierra Leone and invites learners to engage more directly with the history of the transatlantic slave trade, memory, and displacement. Rather than presenting the past as distant or static, Katrina shows how immersive design can help students encounter difficult histories in a way that feels more immediate and considered.

Dr. Li | Season 2, Episode 4

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Li to explore what a more holistic approach to AI education can look like in practice. Rather than treating AI as a purely technical subject, Dr. Li emphasizes the importance of helping students think critically about how these technologies shape society, identity, and everyday life. The conversation also explores Design Fiction Pedagogy, age-appropriate ways of teaching AI concepts, and the value of classroom spaces that encourage reflection, curiosity, and ethical engagement with emerging technologies.