Monday, March 26, 2018

12 Terrific Podcasts to Learn Something New Everyday

As lifelong learners, we should always be looking for ways to learn something new everyday. One of my favorite tools for this is podcasts.

This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me well. If there was an "Eric Curts Bingo Game" one of the squares would be:
  • Eric says "Speaking of that topic, I was just listening to a podcast recently that talked about that, and I learned…"

For what it's worth, some of the other squares would probably be:
  • Eric drinks a Coke Zero.
  • Eric tells you about a movie or TV show you JUST HAVE TO SEE.

Back to podcasts though… I have blogged about podcasts before, including 11 of my favorite podcasts that deal specifically with Educational Technology. I would encourage you to check out that post to see that list of recommendations. However, podcasts can be a great way for you, and your students, to learn information from a wider range of topics.

At last count, my podcast app indicates that I am currently subscribed to 155 podcasts. Now I certainly can't listen to all of those, but they provide me with new options everyday to learn something new. In this blog post I would like to share some of my favorite podcasts for learning new information. These can be great for your own personal growth, to bring into class and incorporate into a lesson, or for your students to use for their own learning.

Note: Some of these podcasts can have episodes that deal with more mature topics, but the hosts are always good about mentioning that early in the episode if that is the case.


Listening to Podcasts

(As shared in my earlier post) Before we jump into the list, if you are new to podcasts, here are some quick options for how you can listen to them:

  • On your computer - Most all podcasts have an associated website where you can find and play all of their episodes right from your web browser.

For each of the podcasts listed below you can simply search for the title in your podcast app to locate and subscribe to them. For those that have direct subscriptions links for iOS or Android, I have included those links as well.

Helpful hint: Most podcast players allow you to adjust the playback speed. You can listen much faster than people can talk, so you can save even more time by playing episodes at a faster pace. Depending on the podcast, my sweet spot is between 1.6X and 1.8X the normal speed. The only drawback is when I happen to hear the hosts speak in real life, they sound sort of sad as they speak at such a slow rate.


1) 99% Invisible

  • Description - Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we've just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture.
  • Website - https://99percentinvisible.org
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link


2) Every Little Thing



3) Freakonomics

  • Description - Have fun discovering the hidden side of everything with host Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the best-selling "Freakonomics” books. Each week, hear surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature.
  • Website - http://freakonomics.com/archive/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link


4) No Such Thing As A Fish

  • Description - A podcast from the QI offices in which the writers of the hit BBC show huddle around a microphone and discuss the best things they've found out this week.
  • Website - http://qi.com/podcast/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link
  • Subscribe with RSS feed - Click for link


5) Omnibus

  • Description - Twice a week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.
  • Website - https://www.omnibusproject.com/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link


6) Part-Time Genius

  • Description - In each episode, these Part-Time Geniuses dive headfirst into a seemingly ridiculous topic, collecting memorable facts and uncovering secret histories in pursuit of genuine answers.
  • Website - https://www.parttimegenius.show/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link


7) Radiolab

  • Description - Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. 
  • Website - http://www.radiolab.org/series/podcasts/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link
  • Subscribe with RSS feed - Click for link


8) Ridiculous History

  • Description - Each week, longtime friends and veteran podcasters Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History.
  • Website - https://www.ridiculoushistoryshow.com/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link


9) Science Vs

  • Description - There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Gimlet Media that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don't have to.
  • Website - https://www.gimletmedia.com/science-vs/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link
  • Subscribe with RSS feed - Click for link


10) Stuff You Should Know

  • Description - How do landfills work? How do mosquitos work? Join Josh and Chuck as they explore the Stuff You Should Know about everything from genes to the Galapagos in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
  • Website - https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link


11) The Allusionist



12) The Past and The Curious

  • Description - A History Podcast for Kids! Parents love us, Teachers love us, and most importantly, kids do too! History can be amazing, inspiring and relevant to anyone. We love to share the stories of Spies, funny foods, George Washington's foibles, early advancements in cartooning and ballooning and much more! A professional music score and important songs accompany nearly every themed episode.
  • Website - http://thepastandthecurious.com/
  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Click for link
  • Subscribe on Google Play Music - Click for link


Conclusion

Hopefully the list above will give you some new podcasts to check out, or remind you to revisit one of these valuable resources. I am sure I left out many other great podcasts that you and your students can learn from, so please feel free to share your suggestions in the comments below.


Post by Eric Curts. Bring me to your school, organization, or conference with over 50 PD sessions to choose from. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts and on Google+ at plus.google.com/+EricCurts1

3 comments:

  1. Hi Eric,

    This post is timely as I'm preparing a post on The Edublogger about podcasts. I'll link to this post and let you know when I publish it.

    By the way, my bingo square would also say "I was listening to a podcast on..." I LOVE podcasts. Oh and I USED to be a big Coke Zero fan too! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's the link, Eric. Thanks again! https://theedublogger.edublogs.org/2018/04/02/podcasting/

      Delete
  2. Check out the NPR podcasts too. Hidden Brain is currently my favorite and has been for a while. TED Radio Hour is obviously fantastic. Invisibilia and Code Switch are two more NPR podcasts that are phenomenal.

    I'm also a big fan of You Are Not So Smart, which recently did a huge, five-part series on the Backfire Effect (why people actually strengthen their original conviction when confronted with evidence to the contrary). Great stuff.

    The Vanished has great missing persons case profiles for forensics classes or criminal justice courses to analyze.

    Finally, I love Stay Tuned with Preet, which features some political stuff but also focuses on really interesting interviews about everything from the NYPD to the opioid crisis.

    I love podcasts too, so thanks so much for sharing yours!!

    ReplyDelete