About this podcast
Over more than a third of a century, Alfie Kohn has offered a multifaceted defense of progressive education as well as research-based critiques of rewards and punishments, grades, standardized testing, homework, competition, and other aspects of traditional schooling (and parenting). Each episode of Kohn’s Zone will offer 20-30 minutes of provocative reflections on a topic having to do with teaching and learning — or with human behavior more generally; occasional longer segments will feature conversations with leading experts in education. Watch this space for new episodes, which will appear as if by magic every two weeks or so. You can listen here, or, better yet, on the podcast’s home, AlfieKohn.org/podcasts, which offers other resources. And to support us, please visit https://coff.ee/kohnszone. PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio. ART: Abi Kohn.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 34 episodes
- Learning to Think Like a Scientist · 38 minNovember 1, 2026 Learning to Think Like a Scientist “The heart of science,” said the educator Sylvia Farnham-Diggory, “is the drive to discover, not the mastery of laboratory…
- Aggressive Nostalgia · 24 minOctober 15, 2026 Aggressive Nostalgia “Schools are getting worse and worse; young people today can barely read and write! In the old days, education standards were higher, kids…
- Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools · 1 h 6 minOctober 1, 2026 Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools More than a quarter-century after “No Child Left Behind” deliberately left millions of children behind by imposing…
- Caution: Contents Under Pressure · 26 minSeptember 15, 2026 Caution: Contents Under Pressure The psychological consequences of pressuring children to perform well academically (and, worse, to outperform their peers)…
- How Not to Deal with Bullying · 30 minSeptember 1, 2026 How Not to Deal with Bullying The amount of bullying that goes on in schools is as sobering as the psychological impact it has on its victims, sometimes…
- Teaching KindnessAugust 15, 2026 Teaching Kindness How can schools help children to become not only good learners but also good people? What’s involved in cultivating a genuine concern about…
- The Pseudoscience of Reading · 1 h 4 minAugust 1, 2026 The Pseudoscience of Reading What the real science of reading shows is that there isn’t a single method for learning how to read that’s ideal for all children…
- The Remarkable Benefits of Diversity · 30 minJuly 15, 2026 The Remarkable Benefits of Diversity Even if you aren’t ideologically opposed to segregation in schools, research shows that it doesn’t make sense for practical…
- Raising Reflective Rebels · 30 minJuly 1, 2026 Raising Reflective Rebels We’re faced with a silent epidemic of obedience, a pervasive failure to become outraged by outrageous things. Adults whose highest…
- Fun Without Winning or Losing · 30 minJune 15, 2026 Fun Without Winning or Losing We have been raised – and, in turn, raise our children – to take on faith that recreation requires competition, that half the people…
- “Progressive High School” Is Not an Oxymoron · 1 h 14 minJune 1, 2026 "PROGRESSIVE HIGH SCHOOL" IS NOT AN OXYMORON In theory, the fact that all but a handful of states have eliminated do-or-die exit exams allows high schools to…
- Grade Inflation Is Not the ProblemMay 15, 2026 Grade Inflation Is Not the Problem When you look at student transcripts (rather than at self-reports), it's less clear that average grades are rising over time. And…
- Beneath the What and the How Is the Why · 27 minMay 1, 2026 Beneath the What and the How Is the Why In the absence of an affirmative definition of mental health, psychology doesn't become value-free; its values - and the…
- The Best Classroom Discussions, Hands DownApril 15, 2026 The Best Classroom Discussions, Hands Down In traditional classrooms, students may contribute to a discussion only by raising their hands and waiting for the…
- The Assault on Public Education · 1 h 7 minApril 1, 2026 The Assault on Public Education: A Conversation with Jennifer Berkshire Public schools, says Jennifer Berkshire, are the places "where we start to solve problems…
- Friendly Excursions into Disequilibrium · 17 minMarch 15, 2026 Friendly Excursions into Disequilibrium Enforced harmony is counterproductive. Pushing students (or employees) to come to agreement prematurely tends to undermine…
- Who’s Cheating Whom? · 31 minMarch 1, 2026 Who's Cheating Whom? We're often warned about an "epidemic" of academic cheating and urged to do more to deter and punish the devious culprits. But we've had a…
- The Whole Point Is That There’s No Point · 20 minFebruary 15, 2026 The Whole Point Is That There's No Point Early-childhood educators remind us how vital it is for kids to have plentiful opportunities to engage in free play…
- Beyond “Electronic Flashcards” · 59 minFebruary 1, 2026 Beyond "Electronic Flashcards": A Conversation with Gary Stager Computers in classrooms may have the potential to radically enrich and democratize student…
- How to Kill Kids’ Interest in ReadingJanuary 15, 2026 How to Kill Kids' Interest in Reading Surveys reveal that fewer children and adults are reading for pleasure. This might be due partly to social media, but…
