Podcasts

     The first podcast I listened to had to do with student motivation. The speakers urged teachers to work to motivate students rather than expecting students to walk into class motivated. They argued that there are no students without motivation, only students in demotivating situations who need help finding their motivation. it encouraged teachers to get to know their students as people. Take notice of student interests and be aware of student backgrounds. Teachers should not think of themselves as teachers of math or English but as teachers of people, putting the students before the subject or tests. Teachers should create a welcoming environment and help students imagine bright futures for themselves so that they can find motivation even if they come from places or families that drain motivation.
     The second podcast I listened to was to inform people on the state of poverty, education, and girls in schools across the globe as well as how to interpret and predict statistics on such issues. Though the majority of the talk was just statistics, it caught my interest because of the emphasis on global education and education for peoples across the world who do not have the same access to quality education that we do. Though the statistics were not all good, in general they seem to be improving with time.
     To my surprise, I very much enjoyed learning this information through listening to podcasts. I enjoy traditional media and would have liked sitting down to read an article with the same information, but the podcast gave me freedom to do other things while becoming informed. It is a lot easier to exercise, do dishes, or go about my morning routine while listening to a podcast than it is to do those same things while reading an article. That being said, I feel as though I learn more through reading than listening to a podcast on the same issue. Because I have the freedom to do other things, all of my attention is not focused on listening and I miss details. I think I will use podcasts to supplement other learning, but they will not replace written articles in my life.