Episodes 24
Avg. Duration 37m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.8 (33)
Since Jul 2025
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
85%
Hosting
www.alfiekohn.org

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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.

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Recent Episodes

“Progressive High School” Is Not an Oxymoron

Jun 01, 2026 1h 14m

June 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 finally do right by…

Grade Inflation Is Not the Problem

May 15, 2026

May 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 even if some grades…

Beneath the What and the How Is the Why

May 01, 2026 26m

May 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 goals of therapy – are…

The Best Classroom Discussions, Hands Down

Apr 15, 2026

April 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 teacher to call on them.…

The Assault on Public Education

Apr 01, 2026 1h 7m

April 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 together” and from…

Friendly Excursions into Disequilibrium

Mar 15, 2026 16m

March 15, 2026 Friendly Excursions into Disequilibrium Enforced harmony is counterproductive. Pushing students (or employees) to come to agreement prematurely tends to undermine learning (or produce…

Who’s Cheating Whom?

Mar 01, 2026 31m

March 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 century of research…

The Whole Point Is That There’s No Point

Feb 15, 2026 19m

February 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 – which, sadly, is…

Beyond “Electronic Flashcards”

Feb 01, 2026 59m

February 1, 2026 Beyond “Electronic Flashcards”: A Conversation with Gary Stager Computers in classrooms may have the potential to radically enrich and democratize student learning, but the reality…

How to Kill Kids’ Interest in Reading

Jan 15, 2026

January 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 certain classroom…

Who Gets to Decide? – Part 2

Jan 01, 2026 26m

January 1, 2026 Who Gets to Decide? – Part 2 Intellectually vibrant classrooms are distinguished by teachers who do a lot more asking than telling. Their motto when confronting challenges or…

Who Gets to Decide? – Part 1

Dec 15, 2025 20m

December 15, 2025 Who Gets to Decide? – Part 1 An impressive body of research shows that people of all ages – including students in classrooms – are happier, healthier, and more productive when they…

The Curious Case of the Incurious Children

Dec 01, 2025 1h 8m

December 1, 2025 The Curious Case of the Incurious Children A Conversation with Susan Engel Everyone agrees that it’s good to be curious, but that doesn’t mean schools are committed to fostering…

It’s Not Just You

Nov 15, 2025 34m

November 15, 2025 It’s Not Just You The most popular initiatives in education tend to be strategies for “fixing the kids.” A focus on the deficits of individual students, rather than a critical…

Making Kids Work a Second Shift

Nov 01, 2025 46m

November 1, 2025 Making Kids Work a Second Shift Too often the debate over homework is restricted to its quantity — or, at best, its quality. But such discussions take for granted the need for some…

A.I., as in Anti-Intellectual

Oct 15, 2025 27m

October 15, 2025 A.I., as in Anti-Intellectual People who express concern about the use of AI in schools often focus on how it allows students to get away with something (by using OpenAI to write…

Death by Civics

Oct 01, 2025 1h 5m

October 1, 2025 Death by Civics A Conversation with Joel Westheimer About the Role of Education in Democratic Life   Suppose you wanted young people to develop a commitment to democracy,…

The Failure of Failure

Sep 15, 2025

September 15, 2025 The Failure of Failure The notion that kids today have it too easy and would benefit from more experiences with failure is no longer a surprising, contrarian claim; it has become…

Bad Signs

Sep 01, 2025 26m

September 1, 2025 Bad Signs The posters and signs adorning school walls speak volumes about the people who put them there, revealing a surprising amount about their views of children, their…

Confusing Harder with Better

Aug 15, 2025 24m

August 15, 2025 Confusing Harder with Better What do the following have in common? a) parents who don’t seem particularly concerned about whether what their kids are doing in school is engaging or…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Kohn's Zone have?

Kohn's Zone has published 24 episodes since July 2025, covering topics in Kids & Family, Parenting.

Is Kohn's Zone still active?

Kohn's Zone is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 37m.

How do I contact Kohn's Zone for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Kohn's Zone, including email and social media links.

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