Objective
To identify podcasts that can be leveraged as tools for ongoing professional development and continuous education.
The estimated time frame for this activity is 60–90 minutes.
Explore this Website
Widely accessible to anyone at any time, podcasts and internet TV are great tools for continuous education and professional learning. Along with giving you the ability to take your professional development “on-the-go,” podcasts serve as gateways to other learning communities, organizations, and partnerships with similar interests, pursuits, and causes. Listed below are a few podcasts that provide content on the role and work of equity, justice, and cultural responsiveness in schools today.
Independently, read the titles of the podcasts below and their highlighted episodes and choose one of the episodes to listen to. Focus on a title that sparks curiosity, speaks to a desire to learn more, or is connected to an area of interest.
As you listen, be prepared to take note of two to three direct quotes/lines, parts, or ideas discussed within the podcast that do the following:
- Raise questions for you
- Confirm what you already believe
- Evoke an “aha” moment
- Conflict with or contradict your beliefs
- Cause you to reconsider prior assumptions
- Show constraints of the problem or topic
- Elicit strong or deeply felt emotions
Cult of Pedagogy by Jennifer Gonzalez
- 10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity with Pedro Noguera
- Historically Responsive Literacy: A More Complete Education for All Students
Just Talk! Educational Equity Podcast
Teaching While White
- Schools Succeeding at Failure with Tim Wise
- Recovering the Voice of Native Americans in the Classroom
Learning Unwrapped by Dr. Nancy Sulla
Stop & Think
(Key: T — Teachers, SL — School Leaders, DL — District Leaders)
The following questions are meant for individual reflection:
- What points in the episode resonated with you the most? (T, SL, DL)
- How does the content of the episode relate to your current role? (T, SL, DL)
- Did the episode confirm or challenge a belief you previously held? Explain your thinking. (T, SL, DL)
- What next steps did this episode prompt you to consider taking after listening?
- How does the message of this episode align with your school’s philosophy and mission? How might your philosophy or mission be expanded upon or revised after listening to this podcast? (SL, DL)
- After listening, what ideas for implementation within your classroom, school, or district do you have? (T, SL, DL)
Collaborate
The following activity can be completed in small groups of three to four individuals and within your grade-level, content, or faculty teams. To get started, carefully read the directions below:
The Golden Line Protocol
Before engaging in this protocol, read through our Guidelines for Engaging in Group Discussions and Protocols and determine who will be responsible for specific group roles such as the following:
- Timekeeper: Manages the discussion by ensuring that everyone gets a chance to speak and that the discussion stays within the given time frame.
- Birdwalk Manager: Ensures that everyone stays on task and focused on the conversation.
- Protocol Promoter: Reads the protocol directions and ensures that the collaborators are following the guidelines.
Directions
- After having listened to the podcast of your choice and independently reflecting, select at least two different “Golden Lines” that you want to share with your group. Having two options provides a choice in case someone else selects a similar line or thought and shares similar reactions.
- Each person has one minute to share his or her “Golden Line” by first stating which podcast they chose to listen to and why, and then explaining the significance of that line, idea, or thought. Keep in mind anything you noted that did the following:
- Raised questions for you
- Confirmed what you already believed
- Evoked an “aha” moment
- Conflicted with or contradicted your beliefs
- Caused you to reconsider prior assumptions
- Showed constraints of the problem or topip
- Elicited strong or deeply felt emotions
- As each person shares and responds to their “Golden Line,” all group members quietly listen.
- Whole-group discussion takes place after each person has had a chance to share. The group discusses overall trends, lingering questions, connections, implications, or next steps as it relates to the work and role each person has with their students, schools, and faculty.