Podcasts

Podcasts are similar to radio shows. They are typically in an audio format and vary in length. You can subscribe to your favorite podcasts and choose the episodes you want to listen to at your convenience. Listening to podcasts is easy! For more information on the definition of podcasts, click here.

For Students:

Have you thought of using podcasts in your classroom with your students? Think of how you could use podcasts in your lessons while incorporating the 4 'C's. Check these out as you may find several that will fit right into your subject area. Maybe you will even start a class podcast of your own!

  • Book Club for Kids--What's great about these podcasts is you hear a group of middle school kids talking about a book they have read. Questions are posed to the students by moderator Kitty Felde, and each episode features a celebrity reader. Some of the books discussed are: Beautiful Creatures, Bees on the Roof, and Dead End in Norvelt.
  • Brains On!--Produced by MPR News and Southern California Pubic radio, this podcast features kids in each episode. The topics relate to science. Past episodes include: "How does the Internet get to us?", "Going underground at Wind Cave National Park", and "Lighting the way for sea turtles at Gulf Islands National Seashore".
  • But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids--Approximately two times a month, Vermont Public Radio offers podcasts on a variety of topics based on questions kids have asked. Examples of topics include: "Why do we like to eat certain foods?", "How do popcorn kernels pop?", and "Why is the world split into countries?".
  • Shabam!--This science podcast has a unique style based around a theme. This first season begins with the story of three kids who are separated from their parents during a zombie apocalypse. Over the course of 10 episodes you will follow their quest to reunite with their families. But their experience leads us to another conclusion - that there’s a lot of science all around us that we take for granted.
  • The Past, The Curious--Mick Sullivan, Manager of Youth and Family Programs at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky just started this new podcast. According to the website's mission statement, "History is amazing. The stories from our collective past have the power to transform people today. It is our goal to share true stories of inspiration, humor, and the incredible achievements of all types of people, many of which are sadly under-shared, and to do so in an easily accessible and diverse manner. Through bite-sized audio-based stories, music, a web magazine, and illustrated children’s books, we aim to spark the curiosity of children, parents, teachers, and anyone else who loves a great story and has an interest, of any size, in the past." Examples of episodes posted include "Mail Tales", "World's Fair Structures", and "What's the deal with the Christmas pickle?".

For Teachers:

With so many podcasts to choose from, how do you know which ones are worth listening to? After all, your time is valuable, and you want to make the most of each minute you have available. Below is a short list of some podcasts worth checking out.

  • 10-Minute Teacher--This new podcast by Vicki Davis, Cool Cat Teacher, is designed for busy people. A lot of information is squeezed into just 10 minutes. She also provides the show notes with the transcript and links. Each day has a theme.
    • Motivational Mondays –start your week strong
    • Tech Tool Tuesdays –deep dive into a tool or two
    • Wildcard Wednesdays –cool stories from around the world’s classrooms
    • Thought Leader Thursdays –hear from top researchers and authors
    • 5-Idea Fridays –get ideas for your lesson planning and the week ahead
  • Cult of Pedagogy--Jennifer Gonzalez describes her podcasts as: "Teaching strategies, classroom management, education reform, educational technology — if it has something to do with teaching, we’re talking about it. On the podcast, I interview educators, students, administrators and parents about the psychological and social dynamics of school, trade secrets, and other juicy things you’ll never learn in a textbook. Other episodes feature me on my own, offering advice on ways to make your teaching more effective and more fun."
  • Google Teacher Tribe Podcast--Kasey Bell and Matt Miller have a weekly podcast "designed to give teachers practical ideas for using G Suite and other Google tools." They share their favorite Google tips and tricks, updates, and effective strategies as well as conduct interviews with inspiring teachers each week.
  • TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network--Join host Jeff Bradbury along with other educators and educational technology creators as they discuss the latest in educational tech and pedagogy. Their goal is to help you find and use the right educational technology for your classroom. You can also watch the podcast live on Tuesdays at 5 PM PST. Who knows? Maybe you will ask Jeff to bring TeacherCast Live Broadcasting broadcast to an event at your school!