Dr. Bourgeois and Mr. Miller spend their 108th episode by tackling some of the ways in which education is making the news. The hosts address a cell phone ban in Massachusetts' public schools, a re-dedication to education by the Communist Chinese government and the International Day of Education, as established by the United Nations, gets the attention of the host with this year's focal theme on AI and automation.

In speaking of China, the hosts bring up Dr. Carrie Currier's episode on the geopolitical forces China is currently dealing with. The link to episode 89 is below with the news that Dr. Currier will, hopefully soon, return to the podcast to speak on education in China.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5UAJiEYh2rjgXfZVdwSs2G?si=UR8UzkELQNeDoj9pNVJxDQ

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The hosts are joined by the dynamic Kyle Queal to discuss the nature of leadership within industry and the connective tissues that link those lessons to the classroom and to the athletic realm. The three seek to tease out such questions as what does a leader need to do when taking over an operation, how does a leader get the most from those working with them and how translatable are such skills and methods when applied to other areas and industries - be they non-profit groups, religious organizations, schools and, in this case, the Dallas Cowboys.

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Today, the hosts enter a brave new world - the world of social media. Even though they have railed against it for years, the hosts sell their souls in hopes for greater and broader listenership. The hosts discuss the changes, what we hope to gain from it and what it might mean for them and their posterity.

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The hosts dive into the ideas of grit and determination in an attempt to understand how it develops and how it can be engendered. In the course of the conversation, the hosts dive into examples of grit and determination in their own lives, with examples stretching from the classroom and the tennis courts to the parade grounds of bootcamp in Parris Island.

A show announcement: Our next episode will reveal our new Instagram account.

During the conversation, Dr. Bourgeois, who has researched the topic and read much upon the same, suggested two books which might be of interest to those willing and wanting to read further on the topic:

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

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Going into the Christmas holidays and not wanting to discuss the aforementioned day, the hosts decide to channel Jerry Seinfeld and do an episode about nothing. Now, as Seinfeld himself explained it, nothing does not mean nothing but it allows for an organic exploration of whatever topics pop into the minds' of the hosts and in doing so, they cover topics such as vamping, radio, funerals and pianists and a few other topics in between. In addition, the hosts make an announcement about the podcast going forward at the end of the episode.

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Following a recent trip to the nation's capital, Mr. Miller introduces the history of the city and then, both hosts delve into the culture of Washington. Comparing it to other great cities, the hosts discover how the city compares to many of the world's great cities - the bounty of great people, wonderful cuisine and, of course, unmatched historical monuments and places.

One of the museums that the Miller family explored was the Planet Word Museum. It is a remarkable visit and if you are ever in the city, please see the historical and national landmarks but don't forget this celebration of our language.

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Dr. Bourgeois and Mr. Miller discuss anger and how it is manifested in modern culture and to what degree it is helpful. We also take a look at how religions and philosophies have attempted to address the issue of anger. In the discussion, we move from Christianity to Buddhism to Stoicism in search of an answer. And like most things, perhaps the answer lies within ourselves.

During the podcast, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh's book Being Peace was referenced as a guide to disciplining one's mind from the chaos that surrounds us on a daily basis.

Prior to the episode's focus, Mr. Miller referenced two historically bent podcasts he finds particularly intriguing.

The first is The Ancients - a podcast found on all platforms that focuses on the ancient world, its people, civilizations and moments in time that altered the history of the regions set in.

The second is American Elections; Wicked Game - a podcast does a deep dive on each presidential election. This is a fascinating look at the forces and people that have shaped those who have sought the highest office in the land.

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There is no better way to start the second 100 episodes of The Old School then with a return appearance of Dr. Paul Weinhold. In this episode, the three readers discuss their first literary influences - either authors or literary characters. The three also discuss the notion of younger generations and the reading of entire books. This includes a look at curriculum as well as how testing has impacted the reading of books by students; be they good or bad ramifications.

Please check out Dr. Weinhold's first appearance, where the conversation took the episode into a deep dive of Shakespeare.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6M8FT60opIHa4QsTKVG8gB?si=c1b067ca7f69493f

Correction: Mr. Miller got tongue-tied with his two references of Sherlock Holmes' books - he meant to refer to the A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four.

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