BustED Pencils – Details, episodes & analysis

Pencil Busters, 2024 has been a wild ride! Join us for this very special Homeroom, as we take a look back at the standout moments of this past year. From the lows to the highs and the laughs to the cries, 2024 gave us a lot worth remembering.

From all of us at BustED Pencils: Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny, and Producer Jess, thank YOU for a fantastic year! We wish you a very Happy New Year and we'll see you in 2025 for a fresh year of Busting Pencils!

BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

As AI grows, we've wrestled on this show with what it IS. Is it just one new technology- however revolutionary- like a calculator? Or is it a major human-culture-shifting phenomenon? Anshul Sonak, our newest Pencil Buster, joining us representing Intel's Digital Readiness Program, argues that AI is the "new electricity." It will revolutionize how we use tools, how we live our lives, and how we do our work. And we- meaning ALL of us- need to be able to navigate through the technology. Anshul promotes Intel's Digital Readiness Program as a path to empower all of us to become tech literate through public-private partnerships. There's a better world ahead of us, so how do we get there? How about together?

BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Pencil Busters, we made it to another Friday- thank goodness! Welcome to our revamped Friday podcast, Free Throws and Face-Offs, where we'll follow the winter ESSENTIAL curricular activities in Wisconsin high schools. Civic Media host and sports broadcaster Chad Holmes joins us this week to preview the hockey, basketball, and wrestling seasons. We've got so much to look forward to, and we're so thankful to have you all along with us!

BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

The Supreme Court's decision today on Presidential Immunity has shaken up our understanding of democracy. Dr. Tim and Dr. Johnny are here to break it down and talk about what it means for the future of public education. Our touchstone today is Timothy Snyder's pamphlet, On Tyranny, 20 lessons to guide us in protecting democracy. We all have a role to play in protecting the institutions that serve our democracy.

Support Busted Pencils and Civic Media's mission to refresh hometown radio and look great at the same time with merch!

Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!

It's been a busy week on Busted Pencils! Did you miss something? Catch up on our best segments of the week now!

Save Our Schools Arizona is fighting to keep public money in public education, for Arizona and for us all. Student Loan Debt Relief took a major blow this week, Alan Collinge, founder of Student Loan Justice breaks it down with Tim and Johnny. There are many paths to becoming a top-notch educator, whether you know you want to be a teacher as a young child or find yourself in a career; Sam Todd, current bus driver and future teacher, is Busting Pencils for the first time! Finally, we're catching up with returning Pencil Buster, the Association for College and University Educators' co-founder and current president, Jonathan Gyurko.

Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!

The first Presidential debate was disappointing, but you know what's always exciting? BustED Pencils Friday, where we chop up the week! Tim and Johnny talk about how they felt watching the debate and their fears about what it portends for public education. We say all the time on Busted Pencils that public education is the heart of democracy, and there was absolutely no discussion of public ed in the debate. But all is not doom and gloom. Listen to hear what we can do to unite and rally for high quality public education!

Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!

Is your state lacking public school teachers? Well, we know your state is lacking public school teachers because every state is. One option to fill that shortage is for states to grow their own teachers. That's right, start with people working full time jobs serving their communities who want to learn how to teach, and get them the training they need to flourish, then realize you have the amazing teachers you need. Samantha Todd, current bus driver and future teacher, is participating in Western Michigan University's Grow Your Own Teacher program, and today, she's Busting Pencils.

Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!

Join Busted Pencils for an eye-opening discussion with Alan Collinge, the trailblazing founder of StudentLoanJustice.Org. Since 2005, this grassroots organization has been at the forefront of exposing the predatory nature of student loans in the U.S. Alan shares compelling insights into the tangled web of federal and private student loan systems, revealing the conflicts of interest and corporate lobbying that perpetuate student debt crises.

In this episode, Alan delves into the groundbreaking research that inspired The Student Borrower Bill of Rights and led to numerous exposés in major media outlets like 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Discover the real stories behind the statistics, the human impact of student loan policies, and the urgent need for systemic reform.

Don't miss this chance to hear from one of CNN/Money Magazine's "Financial Heroes" as he discusses his book, The Student Loan Scam, and shares how you can contribute to the fight for student loan justice. Tune in to understand the challenges borrowers face and the solutions that can lead to a fair lending system. Sign onto the petition at

Change.org/cancelstudentloans

Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!

Higher Education has a lot of secrets, but this one is pretty shocking: for a long time, educators at the collegiate level have not received formal training in how to teach. So thank goodness for ACUE- the Association for College and University Educators- which has now trained over 40,000 American educators to be effective teachers in its 10 years. Jonathan Gyurko, co-founder and President of ACUE and returning Pencil Buster is here to talk educating educators.

Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!

On the Busting Board today is Arizona's ESA program- vouchers by a new name- exposed in this recent CNN article. Beth Lewis, contributor to the CNN article, seasoned educator, mom, Executive Director of Save Our Schools (SOS) Arizona, and first time Pencil Buster is here to break it down. What's so bad about these voucher systems and how do they really affect public education? Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny, and Beth deliver a Voucher 101 lesson.

Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!