Why a podcast?

I set out in search of something I could do as an instructional technology coordinator that could help further the school towards our goals. One of those long-term goals is to collaborate across content areas. But before I can collaborate with someone outside of my department I would need to know what the heck they are teaching already! Becoming more aware of what others are doing is a great way to spark ideas for where collaboration might naturally fit in. Plus, even if we do not end up collaborating, we can always learn something new just from listening to what others are doing or how they're doing it. And it's great to connect with colleagues, too. (This is probably the best part!)

I had a few other ideas for how we could become more aware of what others were doing (sharing on digital platforms, awarding badges to folks who shared resources...), but they all involved teachers "doing" more. Producing things to share, additional tasks and giving more time that we just don't have is NOT an option... So I thought the easiest way to share what folks are doing in their classrooms would be for me to go out and ask, record our conversation, and share it for all to hear! Easy, do-able, and mobile PD that we can listen to whenever and wherever it works during our busy days. And listening to one another in this way has the potential to create deeper relationships between colleagues. A podcast seems like an innovative idea to achieve multiple school (and personal) goals. So here we go!