Marco Cimino is a well known figure in Australian Edutwitter. He regularly contributes to #AussieEd discussions, and shares resource and teaching ideas to his 2000 plus followers. Marco is also a keen member of the IEUA NSW/ACT Young Members’ Initiative, recently contributing to a preservice teacher Ask Me Anything event and also to the Union’s response to NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) policy documents.
In this interview, IEUA NSW/ACT Organiser Keith Heggart sat down with Cimino to talk about another of his projects. Since the start of 2018, he has been recording his Oh the Humanities (and Social Sciences)! podcast, which provides both practical advice and a quirky take on all things to do with Humanities and Social Sciences education.
The podcast releases new episodes every month and covers a whole range of topics relevant to the modern teacher. Some of the more notable episodes have titles like Zombie Geography; they cover topics like Flipped Learning, STEM and using the past to teach the present (and future).
Here’s what Cimino had to say.
IE: What is your current role and who is your current employer?
Cimino: I am a HSIE, RE, and VET teacher at Magdalene Catholic High School, Narellan.
IE: What is your podcast about? Who are your guests?
Cimino: My podcast is aimed at teachers (and even students) of the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS). It focuses on teaching and learning strategies within the HASS classroom, and also some general education as well (wellbeing, education and change etc). My guests range from teachers (primary, secondary, and tertiary) to edubusiness leaders. Ultimately, if you are involved in HASS in any way, shape, or form, I want to share your story.
IE: What made you start a podcast? What do you see as the advantages?
Cimino: The podcast was originally a monthly Twitter chat, however, I saw the value in being able to convey these stories in a much more detailed way. I also noticed a distinct lack of HSIE/HASS/SOSE related podcasts in Australia, and being the Business Studies teacher I am, I jumped at the chance to offer teachers and students this resource. The advantages are numerous: I get to talk to some of the most amazing educators around, and then share this experience with everyone.
IE: What was the most memorable episode?
Cimino: All of my episodes are memorable in their own way, so it’s hard to choose. It’s kind of like asking a parent who their favourite child is. Because I cover such a wide range of topics and ideas, there’s not one standout episode.
IE: How can readers get access to your podcast?
Cimino: Readers can access the podcast in a number of ways:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/hasschat
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/oh-the-humanities-and-social-sciences/id1331749901?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23VS5zZkshoAKxywhYwdaq
Do you have a podcast? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know at ieu@ieu.asn.au.