The Better Learning Podcast combines education and entertainment in a fresh, engaging format where guests share their favorite school-related movies. Host Kevin Stoller leads dynamic conversations, exploring memorable scenes, iconic characters, and timeless lessons through award-style categories like “The John Keating Award” for standout teachers and “Realistic or Ridiculous?” to dissect school life portrayals.
With humor, analysis, and reflection, each episode celebrates the fun, flaws, and impact of these films while sparking nostalgia and insights. Whether you’re an educator, student, or movie buff, join us to relive the movies that shaped how we see school life, and share your favorites.
February 12, 2025
Radio is a powerful example of why being different doesn’t mean being wrong—and how society often struggles with that distinction.
Based on a true story, the film follows the relationship between high school football coach Harold Jones (played by Ed Harris) and a young man with an intellectual disability, James Robert “Radio” Kennedy (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.). Initially an outcast in the community, Radio is taken under Coach Jones’s wing, gradually becoming a beloved figure at the school.
The film ultimately teaches that just because someone doesn’t fit traditional expectations doesn’t mean they’re wrong or less than. True strength lies in compassion, and real leadership is about lifting others up rather than shutting them out. Radio encourages us to rethink our biases and embrace people for who they are, not just for how they compare to societal norms.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tM6BfspoBnA
Takeaways:
- Education should be student focussed
- Everyone should have a chance to learn
- One person can change a community
About Meredith Watassek:
Meredith Watassek joined Stantec as an Education Planner after more than 24 years in Education. The last nine years of her career as an educator, she served as Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the sixth largest school district in Texas. Meredith has guided dozens of Stantec clients through the engagement process on projects while simultaneously leading planning and specifications development for future academic spaces.
Several of her most recent projects include School Master Planning for Alvin Community College, visioning and design of the Career and Technical Education Center for Lamar CISD, and School Master Planning and Specifications for Salteaux First Nations in Saskatchewan, Canada. Before joining Stantec, Meredith oversaw Stantec’s design and execution of the James Reese Career and Technical Education Center for Fort Bend Independent School District in Sugar Land, TX, defining program and project scope for the new facility.
With a rich background in CTE, Meredith can communicate with educators in a way that architects cannot; because she’s been in their shoes, at the front of a classroom, managing both success factors and the student experience. She believes that learning environments shape a student's experience, even if just passively. It is inside schools that students develop beliefs about their ability to be successful. For this reason, Meredith maintains that designers, planners, architects, and contractors have a responsibility to provide the most nurturing environment possible for students.
Connect with Meredith Watassek:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/watassek-meredith-a561b23a/
Twitter: https://x.com/MWatassek
Connect with co-host, Carla Cummins:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-cummins-01449659/
Connect with host, Kevin Stoller:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstoller/
Episode 219 of the Better Learning Podcast
Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.
For more information on our partners:
Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/
Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/
Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/
EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/
Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/
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