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Conceptually Speaking

Trevor Aleo
Education
Critical Media Literacy
Social Justice
Climate Justice
Disciplinary Literacy
UCLA
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Political Discourse
Collaborative Inquiry
Large Language Models
Critical Thinking
Annotation
Dialogic Computing
Artificial Intelligence
AI Literacy
Schoolishness
Close Reading
Substack
Educational Pluralism
European Education Systems

Conceptually Speaking is a show about exploring the cognitive processes and social practices that help us make sense of our world. As as teacher-scholar interested in the intersection of educational theory, practice, and scholarship, I host conversations with guests ranging from practicing educators to neuroscientists and literary scholars to YouTube video essayists. Each episode shares a common p... more

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Artwork for Conceptually Speaking

Latest Episodes

In this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Dr. Al Filreis, the Kelly Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, faculty director of the Kelly Writers House, and the creator of ModPo—a free massive open online course about experimenta... more

In this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Dr. Alexander Manshel, English professor at McGill University and author of Writing Backwards: Historical Fiction and the Reshaping of the American Canon, to explore the under discussed histor... more

In this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence, professor of 20th and 21st century American and Latin American literature at Rutgers University and author of Anxieties of Experience: The Literatures of the Americas fro... more

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Dan Sinykin and Dr. Johanna Winant, editors of the new publication Close Reading for the 21st Century. While close reading is a foundational practice in literary studies, it’s also one that remains notoriously diffi... more

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Recent Guests

Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence
Associate Professor of English at Rutgers University, New Brunswick; scholar of 20th/21st century US and Latin American literatures; Substack writer
Rutgers University
Episode: Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence Talks Public Humanities & the Substack Literary Scene
Dan Sinykin
Winship Distinguished Research Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Emory
Emory University
Episode: Drs. Dan Sinykin & Johanna Winant Talk Close Reading for the 21st Century
Johanna Winant
Associate Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College
Reed College
Episode: Drs. Dan Sinykin & Johanna Winant Talk Close Reading for the 21st Century
Susan Blum
Cultural, linguistic and psychological anthropologist; author of Schoolishness, Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning
Episode: Dr. Susan Blum Talks Schoolishness, Alienated Education, & the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning
Rachel Horst
Digital literacy and arts-based scholar exploring AI and literacy
Episode: Dr. Rachel Horst Talks Entanglement and Literacy in the Age of AI
Marcus Luther
13th year high school English teacher
Episode: Marcus Luther Talks Leading and Learning in the Digital Teacher's Lounge
Dr. Matthew Seybold
Associate Professor of American Literature and Mark Twain Studies
Elmira College
Episode: Dr. Matt Seybold Talks Public Humanities & Podcasting
Dr. Remi Kalir
Associate Director of Faculty Development and Applied Research with the Learning, Innovation, and Lifetime Education at Duke University
Duke University
Episode: Dr. Remi Kalir Talks Annotation and Re/Marks on Power
Dr. Annie Abrams
Author of Short Changed, How Advanced Placement Cheats American Students
New York City Public Schools
Episode: Dr. Annie Abrams Talks Literature, Liberal Arts Education, and the College Board

Host

Trevor Aleo
Host of Conceptually Speaking

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Best of the best!

    Relevant and significant for ALL educators. Powerful ideas to push your thinking.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hannah Bender
    United States6 years ago
  • The Future of Education!

    Educators at all levels and roles should subscribe

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    741987Dom
    United States6 years ago
  • Great team

    These two respected experts are very dedicated to improving teaching and learning for all students and teachers. I’ve interviewed them both for our podcast and they bring excellent insights to every discussion.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Peteyski
    United States6 years ago
  • Can’t wait!!

    Can’t wait for the release!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    soccer nick
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience seems highly engaged and eager for more episodes.
Offers practical ideas that teachers can actually use in classrooms.
Guests are consistently credible and well-prepared, with clear expertise.
Thoughtful, rigorous discussions that professors and educators will appreciate.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#218
Germany/Education/How To
Apple Podcasts
#167
Philippines/Education/How To

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Dr. Susan Blum Talks Schoolishness, Alienated Education, & the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning
Q: Can you share a concrete example of authentic student work that demonstrates this shift?
Students producing digital journals or ebooks, with authorship and real audience beyond the classroom, illustrate how formats beyond traditional essays—like Tinder profiles for species or multimedia publications—can convey understanding in engaging, rigorous ways.
Dr. Susan Blum Talks Schoolishness, Alienated Education, & the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning
Q: What role does technology, especially AI, play in this transition?
AI shines a light on arbitrary, standardized tasks and can automate parts of the formal structure, which risks 'learning-lessness,' but also creates an opportunity to redesign courses around meaningful learning experiences and human collaboration rather than machine-feeding tasks.
Dr. Susan Blum Talks Schoolishness, Alienated Education, & the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning
Q: How do you help teachers and policymakers unlearn the 'game of school' and move toward more human-centered approaches?
Change comes from meeting people where they are, recognizing that many structures are historical and contextual rather than natural, and building supportive networks—through ungrading, bottom-up organizing, and creating spaces where students learn with authentic audiences and real-world relevance.
Dr. Susan Blum Talks Schoolishness, Alienated Education, & the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning
Q: For the uninitiated, can you share a little bit about your book Schoolishness?
Schoolishness is the third in a long-running inquiry into why people love learning yet find school a disaster; it identifies ten dimensions of how schooling structures learning in ways that can be alienating, and it contrasts this with authentic, joyful learning that occurs when learning is meaningful and connected to real-world contexts.
Dr. Rachel Horst Talks Entanglement and Literacy in the Age of AI
Q: How can educators balance critique with opportunity in this space?
Educators should foster spaces for radical resistance and experimentation, avoid moralizing certainties, and involve students in diverse perspectives to co-create knowledge rather than simply follow prescribed frameworks or tools.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Conceptually Speaking

What is Conceptually Speaking about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Conceptually Speaking centers on how people think and work together to understand education, mixing teacher practice, scholarly perspectives, and digital culture. Episodes frequently explore how teaching, learning, and literacy intersect with technology, pedagogy, and public scholarship, featuring educators, literary scholars, and education researchers who share practical methods, critical frameworks, and ideas for expanding access to knowledge. Notable threads include debates about AI literacy, close reading pedagogy, and the social dimensions of schooling, with a strong emphasis on collaborative, community-oriented approaches to education and learning in both K–12 and higher education contexts. The show tends to spotlight practical classr... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Conceptually Speaking?

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1. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of Conceptually Speaking are there?

Conceptually Speaking launched 6 years ago and published 86 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Conceptually Speaking?

Recent guests on Conceptually Speaking include:

1. Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence
2. Dan Sinykin
3. Johanna Winant
4. Susan Blum
5. Rachel Horst
6. Marcus Luther
7. Dr. Matthew Seybold
8. Dr. Remi Kalir

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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