Conceptually Speaking
Conceptually Speaking is a show about exploring the cognitive processes and social practices that help us make sense of our world. As as teacher-scholar interested in the intersection of educational theory, practice, and scholarship, I host conversations with guests ranging from practicing educators to neuroscientists and literary scholars to YouTube video essayists. Each episode shares a common purpose: to consider, critique, and reconceptualize what we think and feel about education. If you enjoy the show and want to learn more, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, find me on Substack, and check out trevoraleo.com for more information, resources, and details on professional learning.
Conceptually Speaking
Oliver Caviglioli Talks Metaphors, Design, and Visual-Spatial Thinking
Our guest this week is Oliver Caviglioi, an author, illustrator, and previous head of special school from across the pond in the UK. What makes him such an impressive thinker (and great guest) is his ability to explore educational theory from an artistic and scientific perspective. Better still, he weaves and integrates them to the point, where you’ll soon realize that there’s way more overlap than you might have expected. The true beauty of this episode though lies in Oliver’s ability to leverage the very metaphors he recommends teachers use in his own explanations.
Our conversation today will be anchored by the concepts of organization, design, and explanation, which undergird all of the fascinating educational and explanatory principles Oliver will be sharing with us today. Today’s episode is filled with tons of practical tips that you’ll be able to use in your classroom or online. By the time it wraps, we hope you’ll come to agree visual-spatial thinking and metaphors are two of the most powerful tools in our instructional utility belt. Enjoy!