Teaching Meaning: Beyond "Just Tell Them"
About this episode
Drew Perkins interviews Christian Moore to discuss the limitations of traditional instruction methods and the importance of enactivism in teaching.
Drew Perkins talks with with author and educator Christian Moore to critically examine the "just tell them" model of instruction often championed by popular "science of learning" advocates. Drawing from his book, Teaching Meaning: What Works When Telling Isn't Enough , Moore introduces the framework of "enactivism"—the cognitive science-based perspective that meaning cannot be simply transmitted from teacher to student, but must be actively enacted through experience. This conversation challenges the reliance on scripted, atomized curricula and argues for a "Teaching With" approach that prioritizes professional judgment, relational adaptation, and the critical role of variation in student learning. Links & Resources Mentioned In This Episode Have some feedback you'd like to share? You can email me at drew@thoughtstretchers.org . If you enjoyed this episode, please share it and please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening. Key Takeaways & Learning Objectives The Enactivist Framework: Understand the shift from viewing students as "storage vessels" to "active inferencers" who construct meaning through mutual, relational adaptation. Defining Instructional…
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