From MSU Today on Impact Radio: Yong Zhao is a university distinguished professor of education at MSU. His new book is Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization.

“America’s increasing reliance on standardized testing as a yardstick for educational success is a flawed policy that threatens to undermine our nation’s strengths of creativity and innovation,” says Zhao. “Right now we seem to be stuck with the idea of standards as the panacea to fix all of America’s education problems.

“I don’t deny that the U.S. education system has problems, but I don’t feel the problems can be solved by standards and high-stakes testing. Rather, standards and high-stakes testing run the risk of ruining the advantages and great tradition of the system.”

Zhao believes the federal government should stop endorsing standardized testing and instead reward schools for offering a diverse set of opportunities – from art to auto shop. He says accountability should be “input-based” rather than “output-based,” with schools being graded on whether they provide safe and clean facilities and a learning environment that provides global learning opportunities.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 19:37 – 11.2 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez is the author of “The Soloist,” the featured book in the 2009 One Book/One Community program.

Lopez talks about his relationship with Nathaniel Ayers and about the challenges facing the entire mental health system in the United States. And he talks about the plight of the newspaper industry in the digital age.

He talks about the honor of having an entire community read The Soloist and describes what he hopes readers of the book take from it.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 25:47 – 14.8 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: April is National Poetry Month.

Anita Skeen is a professor in MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and leads the Center for Poetry.

The Center for Poetry is la very active group that includes a number of student writers across several different majors at MSU.

Skeen tells us about the mission of the Center for Poetry, and she and her students read their poems for us.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 18:52 – 10.8 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: C. Leslie Charles is a lifelong Lansing area resident and MSU alumna who has enjoyed a long career as a professional speaker with an impressive list of satisfied clients throughout North America.

The author of seven books, Leslie’s acclaimed, “Why Is Everyone So Cranky?” thrust her into the media spotlight for over two years.

She discusses what it’s like to “make a living with your mind and your mouth.”

Leslie outlines the advantages of refining one’s public speaking skills, and how effective self-expression can enhance one’s career.

Charles talks about the benefits of the Toastmaster’s organization, too.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 13:30 – 7.7 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: From 1983 to 2003, nearly 27,000 young boys and men fled civil war in the Republic of Sudan. These “Lost Boys of Sudan” trekked 1,000 miles across Africa only to face starvation, wild animals and disease.

Benjamin Ajak of the San Diego area, a Lost Boy and co-author of “They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky,” relates his personal journey to freedom while in East Lansing as part of “One Book, One Community” events.

Ajak is joined by his American mentor, Judy A. Bernstein of San Diego, who, along with Ajak, and his cousins Benson and Alepho Deng, wrote the book detailing each man’s personal story.

The “One Book, One Community” project, co-sponsored by the city of East Lansing and MSU, encourages the city-university community to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. The book is assigned reading for all incoming MSU freshmen.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 9:41 – 5.5 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: Con and Steve Demos are putting together the definitive illustratvie history of MSU Spartan football in a book titled The Tradition Continues – Spartan Football.

The Demos project covers the three eras of Spartan/Aggie Football; MAC, MSC, and MSU. Over 124 years of football highlights are revealed, including many items never seen before by Spartan fans.

“It’s an illustrative history of the Michigan State football program,” says Con Demos. “It’s about 600 pages and includes 1,900 illustrations.”

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 17:33 – 10.1 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: Mohammed Ayoob is a University Distinguished Professor of international relations at MSU’s James Madison College and the Department of Political Science. In his book “The Many Faces of Political Islam,” Ayoob, a renowned scholar of Middle Eastern affairs, challenges Western assumptions about Islamic politics but also argues that democracy may be the “ideal antidote” to the appeal of Islamism and its rhetoric.

Ayoob defines political Islam and reveals what he means by the many faces of political Islam. He discusses some of the assumptions and perceptions that many Westerners have of Islam and offers his views on the realities.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 21:40 – 12.4 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: The One Book, One Community program encourages the East Lansing and MSU community to read the same book over a six-week period and to come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. The 2007 selection is Susan Carol McCarthy’s “Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands.”

Susan talks about her father and how he inspired her to write the book. And she talks about her decision to tell the book’s story through the eyes of the Reesa McMahon character. Evangeline Moore, whose father and mother also inspired McCarthy, joins the conversation and talks about her feelings about the book and about the continuing struggle for civil rights and racial equality.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 17:55 – 10.3 mb mp3

From MSU Today on Impact Radio: Jack Ebling is a broadcaster and writer who has covered high school, college, and pro sports for nearly 30 years. He has been named Michigan Sportswriter of the Year three times and was inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Ebling spent more than 24 years at the Lansing State Journal as a beat writer and columnist before moving to talk radio, television, and freelance writing.

Jack joins us to talk about his latest book, “Tales from the Detroit Tigers Dugout.” We also talk about state of pro and college sports in America today. Jack talks about digital technology and its impact on journalism and broadcasting.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Show 17:25 – 10 mb mp3

From MSU Today: John (Trey) Rogers is a professor of turfgrass science at MSU. His new book is Lawn Geek.

Rogers offers tips on mowing, watering, and fertilizing your way to a beautiful lawn.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Show 8:20 – 4.7 mb mp3

From MSU Today: MSU economics professor Charles Ballard returns to Spartan Podcast with his new book, “Michigan’s Economic Future.”

“Half a century ago, the world was knocking on Michigan’s door. But yesterday is gone, and it is not coming back,” Ballard says. “If the people of Michigan are to achieve a brighter economic future, we will need to develop new ways of thinking, and new ways of engaging with the rapidly changing global economy.”

Ballard offers intelligent and useful suggestions on everything from prisons to roads and from taxes to higher education. More than anything else, Ballard thinks the state needs to snap out of a counterproductive nostalgia for the past.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Show 14 Minutes 8 mb mp3

From MSU Today: Award-winning and best-selling author Jeannette Walls visited East Lansing as special guest in the 2006 One Book/One Community program, which encourages the East Lansing and Michigan State University community to read the same book over a six-week period and to come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. Although dozens of similar programs have been sponsored nationwide, this is one of the very few that brings together a city and a university. The book selection this year is Walls’ The Glass Castle.

Walls talks about the inspiration for Glass Castle, her feelings on the One Book program and about her day job as MSNBC gossip columnist. She also gives her views on the future of her beloved field of journalism.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Show 14 Minutes 8 mb mp3

If you are a book worm, Ray Walsh may have your dream job. As the owner of Curious Book Shop in East Lansing his store has literally thousands of books, magazines and other ephemera. And one of his passions is The Wizard of Oz. Ray discusses the enduring popularity of the tale and explores the life, and Michigan connections of the creator of Oz, L. Frank Baum.

Hosted by Bill Castanier, Jeff Smith and Scott Westerman

Hear the Show 31 Minutes 15mb mp3