I get frustrated because I think of all the things that I would rather be doing and can’t because of the traffic.
I recently decided that instead of bemoaning my lack of productivity, I was going to turn my half hour commute into a personalised, self directed professional learning session.
But that’s where I struck a problem – there are literally hundreds of different educational podcasts out there, so how was I to find which ones suited me?
If I was going to make best use of this time, I needed to find podcasts that were regularly updated, applicable to my work and the Australian context, and sufficiently interesting that I didn’t want to switch over to the radio.
After a bit of searching, I managed to come up with the list below. I hope that you’ll find it useful. I’ve picked some that are Australian, but also a few with an international focus.
Teachers’ Education Review
http://terpodcast.com
This is a fortnightly podcast hosted by Cameron Malcher and Corinne Campbell. It’s a lively podcast with lots of guests and a whole host of regular features. The best part about it is that Corinne and Cameron’s guests are often regular teachers – so as a podcast goes, it’s very close to practice, and filled with useful ideas for teachers. Corinne (@corisel) and Cameron (@Capitan_Typo) are both active on Twitter, too, and well worth following.
EdTechCrew
http://www.edtechcrew.net
This podcast is a little more focused than Teachers’ Education Review, as you might imagine from the name. Hosts Darrell Branson and Tony Richards use the podcast as a platform to talk about all things digital in education, including technologies, issues, tools and many other topics. The good thing is that it is an open, up front discussion about the benefits and challenges of technology.
Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers
http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers
For a more international feel, check out Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers podcast. This is a weekly blast of only 10 minutes – a mix of feel good, inspirational and practice teaching strategies for teachers in primary and lower secondary. It’s a little US centric, but sometimes it’s just the ticket – especially on Monday morning!
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
http://www.dancarlin.com
As an old history teacher, I had to throw in a history podcast – and the best that I’ve found is Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. Dan doesn’t release podcasts regularly, but when he does, they’re well worth listening to, as he unpacks historical events and puzzles with careful thought and detailed discussion. Of course, should you not be a history teacher, there are hundreds of other podcasts to choose from that might suit your subject area better.
Overcast
https://overcast.fm
My final entry isn’t a podcast at all – but a tool that I’ve found really useful for listening to podcasts. Most phones or tablets come with something built in to listen to podcasts, but I stumbled across Overcast, and I have to say that it makes the listening experience much more pleasurable. The user interface is simple, bright and effective. It’s free to download from the app store.