Episodes

  • Year in Review - 2025
    Dec 26 2025

    In this episode, Rob and Jared reflect on this year's podcast. Thank you to our listeners and followers who have joined us this year! On to year 4!

    Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
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    18 mins
  • Book Review: "Teach Like a Human" with Dr. Dave Mulder
    Dec 19 2025

    How do Christian educators approach Generative AI with caution? How can educators find the balance between using GAI as a tool and having it take over their teaching? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Dr. Dave Mulder about his new book Teach Like a Human.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • Teach Like a Human: Playful Practice and Serious Faith in the Age of AI – Dave Mulder
    • Interpreting Your World: Five Lenses for Engaging Theology and Culture – Justin Bailey
    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
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    29 mins
  • Reflections on OLC Accelerate Conference with Dr. Bob Lutz
    Dec 12 2025

    In this episode, Rob and Jared reflect on the OLC Accelerate 2025 conference in Orlando, FL. They are joined by Dr. Bob Lutz, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Cedarville University.

    Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Take our survey
    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
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    19 mins
  • Yes We Tried...
    Dec 5 2025

    What did Rob and Jared take away from our series, “Have You Tried...”? What innovative strategies made their way into their classes? Join Rob and Jared as they reflect on the series and how they tried to put these ideas into practice.

    Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Take our survey
    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
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    23 mins
  • Mind Mapping for Systems Thinking with Dr. Larry Cox II
    Nov 28 2025

    We've discussed how mind mapping can impact teaching and learning, but what other applications exist? How can mind mapping help solve problems or organize thinking? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Larry Cox II (Senior Instructional Designer at Virginia Tech) about his presentation on using mind mapping techniques in systems thinking while at the 2025 OLC Accelerate Conference.

    Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • Organise Ideas: Thinking by Hand, Extending the Mind – Caviglioli and Goodwin
    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
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    26 mins
  • Have You Tried...Mind Mapping?
    Nov 21 2025

    What is mind mapping? How can it be an effective tool for making connections between concepts? How can it help us process knowledge more effectively? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss how mind mapping can help students and teachers work through ideas.

    Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • The Ultimate Book of Mind Maps - Tony Buzan
    • Learning with concept and knowledge maps: A meta-analysis - Nesbit, J. C., & Adesope, O. O.
    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
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    24 mins
  • Have You Tried...Music as a Tool?
    Nov 14 2025

    What impact can familiar and unfamiliar music have on students in teaching? Do beats per minute correlate to cognition? Join Rob and Jared as they reflect on their interview with Dr. Deforia Lane and discuss the usage of music in education.


    Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
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    23 mins
  • Music as a Tool with Dr. Deforia Lane
    Nov 7 2025

    What happens in the brain when music is played? How can music be used for teaching and learning? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Deforia Lane (PhD in Music Education & Music Therapy from Case Western Reserve University) about how educators can use music to influence their students’ success.

    Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.

    View a transcript of this week's episode.

    Resources

    • FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL

    Chat with us!

    • Connect with us via LinkedIn
    • Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins