by Becca LeCompte
I currently subscribe to no less than 65 podcasts. Yeah, it’s excessive. When I started planning this post, it was 58. I listen to podcasts through my car radio, while I walk my dog, and while I do the dishes. With the help of this medium, I learn about history, science, pop culture, music, movies, politics, and, of course, education. Podcasts provide listeners with on-demand, high-interest topics easily accessible with a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
But what is a podcast?
A podcast is an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download and consume at their own convenience. The name was created as a combination of the words “iPod” and “broadcast” by Generation X icon and MTV alumnus Adam Curry, who created the technology in 2004 so that he could download internet radio broadcasts to his iPod. Over the 15 years since, the phenomenon of the podcast has exploded. According to research from June 2019, over 750,000 podcasts have been created, with over 30 million episodes! This represents a repository of high-interest information that can be accessed easily and on-demand from a smartphone, tablet, or computer. It’s an education goldmine!
OK, but what are they about?
Chances are if you have a favorite actor or actress, he or she has a podcast (I am partial to “David Tennant Does a Podcast With…” and “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone”). There are podcasts for brushing your teeth and podcasts for meditation. Journalism, true-crime, and self-help podcasts of every kind can be found online with an almost cult-like following. I just finished an episode of Endless Thread where I learned what industry buys the most glitter (hint: it’s not makeup - that was my guess). The information can be fascinating, like the glitter tidbit, or poignant, like the stories shared on Terrible, Thanks for Asking which examines grief and how we navigate heartbreak. Still, others motivate me to improve the world, like the stories on, the investigative journalism podcast Reveal which shed light on mistakes of our past in the hope of preventing their repetition.
You can read more about using podcasts in the classroom with the Teach Create Motivate blog with this post: Using Podcasts in the Classroom. If you’re working with secondary students, or with project-based learning, check out The Subscribed Classroom and this post, Using Podcasts to Teach About Social Justice. Of course, you should listen to each podcast before you use it. Some long-standing favorites, like This American Life and Freakonomics Radio, keep a searchable archive of episodes with transcripts online for easy access. Below you’ll find several more podcasts you can use for professional learning or classroom activities and lessons, and a blurb about each one.
For the educator:
- Google Teacher Tribe: This podcast is like a serial edtech tutorial for any teacher using Google applications in the classroom. Learn about time-saving extensions and engaging, technology-enhanced lessons for your students with their tips and ideas.
- Teachers on Fire: Hear interviews with innovative, passionate educators and educational leaders in this podcast by Tim Cavey, an 8th-grade teacher from British Columbia. He selects people who are “on fire” with unique ideas and exciting strategies to increase student engagement, community involvement, or just general teacher energy.
- Truth for Teachers: National Board Certified teacher and experienced instructional coach Angela Watson tackles the tough issues in this podcast, emphasizing self-care ideas and open communication with colleagues to solve problems.
For younger students:
- Wow in the World: Veteran NPR hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz “guide curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey into the wonders of the world around them” in this fun, 30-minute podcast. They explore topics such as why onions make you cry or why zebras have stripes.
- Peace Out: Chanel Tsang tells short stories in this podcast that “help children calm down and relax by guiding them through visualization and breathing exercises”. Using it could help children work on mindfulness and self-regulation.
- Brains On: This award-winning podcast from American Public Media features science covered by kid scientists and reporters. They cover subjects like why humans sneeze and what it means when a cat purrs.
Thought-provoking content for older students:
- Imagined Life: A favorite for my tween, this podcast features a narrative of the moments and challenges that shaped someone’s life before they were famous. We love to gather clues to the identity of the person while we listen and try to guess correctly before the identity is revealed in the last seconds of the show. Be sure to listen to episodes before sharing with students to avoid sensitive content.
- Pessimists Archive: One of my two favorites on this list, Pessimists Archive documents the history of human resistance. From the printing press to bicycles to the walkman, people have been hesitant to embrace new things for all of recorded history. This podcast outlines the reactions people had in the past to objects or practices that are now commonplace. Be aware that this podcast sometimes includes adult language.
- Reply All: My other favorite podcast here, this bi-monthly show is hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman who tell stories with the general theme of technology and the internet. The show features segments like “Yes, Yes, No” where the two hosts explain a multi-layered Tweet to their boss, and “Super Tech Support” where a listener calls in with a curious technology problem for the hosts to troubleshoot. Again, some episodes can involve adult subjects and language, so listen ahead.
- Especially for this year: The 1619 Project: “The 1619 Project is a major initiative from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history, understanding 1619 as our true founding, and placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are.” This is another podcast you’ll want to screen first. The stories are important and powerful but can be difficult for students to hear.
Still not convinced? Check out this article from Common Sense Media which asserts that using podcasts can improve literacy in the classroom. Want to create podcasts instead of listening? Check out this article on teaching podcasting to teachers. As you explore the podcasting world, please share the names of podcasts you love in the comments of this post - I’m always interested in adding one more to my list. Happy listening!
Becca LeCompte is a CITT (Curriculum Integration Technology Teacher) for Hampton City Schools. Before taking this role, she taught middle and high school math at Jones, Bethel, Jones again, and then the Spratley Gifted Center in Hampton City Schools. In her spare time, she helps run a unique family business with her husband and son and talks about herself in the third person. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaLCITT.
