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Booklet

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(This was super long, I really apologize...)

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Podcasts/audio files can promote creativity in the classroom by allowing students to create new and interesting ways in which to show their understanding. I like the idea of having students create a "book report" style podcast to talk about a topic or a story they have read.

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Podcasts/audio files can promote creativity in the classroom by seeing what the students are capable of doing with the things that you give them.

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Episode #8 - Building Relationships With Your Students & Hacks For Keeping Them Engaged w/ Special Guest: Esther Brunat · Hot Mess Teacher Express Podcast (spotify.com)

This teacher authored podcast with special guest Esther Brunat gives teachers advice on building stronger relationships with students and engaging them more effectivley.

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Episode #8 - Building Relationships With Your Students & Hacks For Keeping Them Engaged w/ Special Guest: Esther Brunat

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Listen to this episode from Hot Mess Teacher Express Podcast on Spotify. In this episode, I'm joined by a hilarious high school math teacher and student engagement guru, Esther Brunat (@estherbrunat) for a conversation full of laughter and inspiration.

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I decided to listen to "The Creative Teacher Podcast with Kristen Hammond". Kristen talks about the importance of engaging students in the classroom right off the get-go and keeping them engaged. She talks about how positive first impressions are very important, and making a lasting impression that has students going home excited for the year and talking to their parents about what they did in class. She also talks about the importance of boundaries and high expectations, which helps teachers build and keep connections with their students.

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Starting the school year off right with a positive first impression is key. You want your students to be excited that you are their teacher! A student is more likely to look forward to the year ahead and stay engaged when they feel that their teacher likes them and wants to get to know them more.

Over my 8 years of teaching, it has been very clear to me that students AND parents need to start with a good first impression of you.

In the episode, you will learn:

6 key ways to establish student engagement at the beginning of the year
Ways you can continue student engagement throughout the entire year

Helpful Resources:

Smart and Simple Ways to Engage Guide
Free Classroom Community Podcast Series

Let's connect!

TPT Store: The Southern Teach by Kirsten
Website: thesouthernteach.com
Instagram: @thesouthernteach
Facebook: The Southern Teach
Blog: The Southern Teach Blog

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2. establishing student engagement from day one

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‎The Creative Teacher Podcast: 2. Establishing Student Engagement From Day One on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎Starting the school year off right with a positive first impression is key. You want your students to be excited that you are their teacher! A student is more likely to look forward to the year ahead and stay engaged when they feel that their teacher likes them and wants to get to know them more.

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This teacher-centered podcast talks about the way podcasts crate a way for exploration and different strategies in ways students and teachers can thrive.  It talks about the learning styles that can e done through podcasts as well as teachers promoting engaging teaching styles.  It offers a voice for students and talks about the importance listening has on students and the way it promotes their reading and ELA skills.

Emily Polaski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Listen to the interview with Lindsay Patterson, Monica Brady-Myerov,
and Marshall Escamilla (transcript):
Sponsored by Listenwise and Scholastic Scope

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you make a purchase through these links,
Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Imagine this scene in your classroom: Students are at their desks, completely engaged and attentive. But no one's talking. You're also quiet. Your students are not doing a worksheet. They're not watching a video. They're listening.

A podcast is playing from speakers at the front of the room. You can see how your students are caught up in the story. Every so often they laugh at a joke or gasp with surprise at a twist in the story. Their imaginations are alive. The words are turning into movies in their minds. Physically, they're in the classroom, but really, they're in another world.

That's the power of audio. And the best part? Just the act of listening to a good narrative helps your students become better learners. Podcasts are a screen-free, movement-enabling, ear-stimulating and eye-opening way to deliver content. Whether you are in-person, remote, hybrid, flipped or blended, podcasts can enhance your teaching in meaningful ways.

I've spent a lot of time thinking and learning about the benefits of podcasts for education. In 2015, I created Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, one of the first educational podcasts for kids. The following year, I helped put together a list of 8 Great Educational Podcasts for Kids for Cult of Pedagogy. I also co-founded Kids Listen, a non-profit organization advocating for podcasts for kids. And now, I'm the CEO of Tumble Media, a production company dedicated to creating children's educational audio. Through the years, I've interacted with teachers who have brought podcasts into their classrooms in incredibly innovative ways. I've done in-class demos and have seen students fall in love with podcasts. I wanted to share why using podcasts is so powerful in education. But there hasn't been a roadmap for how to bring audio into the classroom.

To build that roadmap, I teamed up with Monica Brady-Myerov, the founder and CEO of Listenwise, a platform for improving listening skills through podcasts and public radio stories. She's one of the pioneers of educational audio and author of the new book, Listen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners. Monica is an expert on the science of audio, the research behind it, and ultimately, how to use audio to enhance listening and learning.

In this blog post, we share what we've learned over years of immersion in educational audio-land, explore why podcasts are so great for education, and provide a roadmap for how to get started. Let's start with the science.

On the podcast, we talk with three leaders in educational podcasts (L to R): Lindsay Patterson, Marshall Escamilla, and Monica Brady-Myerov.

The Science of Listening

We are always listening. And yet a lifetime of hearing doesn't make us good listeners. We have to work at it. Years of research have proven the benefits of listening in education.

Listening Is a Critical Factor in Learning How to Read

Research tells us that better listeners are better readers. The Simple View of Reading formula developed by Gough & Tunmer shows that reading is a function of two key components: decoding and language comprehension. Listening is a key part of language comprehension. In the science of reading, the awareness of sounds that make up spoken words is critical. Listening to stories helps students hear grammar and syntax and understand how stories work. Incidental exposure to vocabulary through listening and reading together helps students learn the meaning of unknown words. Research shows listening while reading improves text reading rates and leads to higher comprehension.

As students get older, the importance of listening to reading doesn't disappear; it increases. Researchers found that, over time, the relative importance of listening comprehension increases as a child becomes a more proficient reader. Decoding is still important to reading comprehension, but it's less of a potential roadblock once kids have mastered it. In fact, by 8 th grade, literacy researcher Tiffany Hogan says " all of the reliable variance in reading comprehension could be explained by the listening comprehension factor."

In other words, introducing more listen-only content will benefit reading comprehension for years to come.

Listening Shapes Your Brain and Memory

Our brains make a mental imagery -the "movie in our minds"-of what we hear. When we listen, our ears aren't just passive absorbers of information. We are activating systems in the brains that are responsible for sight, sound, motor control and olfaction. "We imagine sounds using the same brain regions that allow us to hear real sounds," says cognitive scientist Benjamin Bergen.

Listening improves social-emotional wellbeing. Researchers found that when someone is engaged in a story, it's positively associated with psychological safety and negatively associated with social anxiety. And that connection actually improves your listening.

Listening Supports Multilingual Learning

For the English learners in classrooms, listening provides an equal opportunity to access content and hear authentically spoken language. While listening can occur at different speeds to improve comprehension, everyone is listening to the same text. Unlike reading exercises in which the text is leveled down to the reader's ability, listening-with the right scaffolding-has the same high level of academic language and content vocabulary.

In addition to learning about the world, listening is an excellent way to build background knowledge of the subject, a key element of listening comprehension, especially in learning a second language.

Why Podcasts Make a Great Addition to Your Classroom

Let's be honest: Audio has been lifting its weight in the classroom for decades in various forms. But podcasts have unique advantages. They feature authentic language, real conversations, and diverse voices. You can choose from a wide variety of topics-everything from stories, to history, to mindfulness, science, music, literature, and more-and some podcasters even make special episodes designed for the classroom. They're designed to catch the ear and hold attention in a way that feels almost magical. Best of all, podcasts fit any classroom budget: They're free.

Kids Love Podcasts

Podcasts aren't a tough sell for kids. They're a dedicated audience. One in 4 kids already listen to podcasts, according to Ipsos, a global market research firm. At Kids Listen, we found a variety of reasons behind this in our most recent survey of listening families. The top reason was that they are fun and entertaining (49 percent), followed by their educational appeal (33 percent). A host of other reasons included that podcasts build skills, calm kids, prompt family discussion, allow for multitasking, and provide regular new content. In one notable response, a teacher from Texas said, "One of the new TEKS for 4th and 5th graders is LISTENING. We listen most mornings in the classroom. The kids LOVE it."

When you introduce podcasts to your classroom, ask students if they have listened to podcasts, and which are their favorites. It may give you some ideas of podcasts to check out!

Podcasts are Portable and Mobile

A primary benefit of audio is that it doesn't tie students to a screen. That opens up a whole range of possibilities for creative educational experiences. This is highlighted by the most recent Kids Listen survey. We asked parents what activities children engage in while listening to podcasts. The majority of respondents (78 percent) responded that kids "just actively listen," they also did a variety of other things: Playing, working with art materials, getting ready for bed, doing chores, and other elements of their daily routine.

That flexibility at home translates to educational settings as well. Play a podcast while your students do classroom chores or creative activities that don't require mental focus. Cue up podcasts on their devices while they walk around the school, getting exercise while practicing their listening skills. Or combine podcast time with drawing-students can sketch scenes from the podcast as they listen. The list of things to do while listening is endless.

These ideas work for any podcast. But some podcasts are built around activity.

Mindfulness podcasts like Peace Out and Like You guide kids through meditation and movement.

Music education shows like Noodle Loaf and The Music Box encourage making music and moving around.

On Tumble, we've leaned into these audio advantages by designing episodes and audio courses that encourage active exploration. For example, our interactive episode "Solve the Case of The Sleeping Trees" leads students through making observations, asking questions, and making conclusions. The ideal setting to listen is outdoors, in nature.

Podcasts Are a Great Way to Explore Current Events

Most podcasts are designed to be evergreen; you can return to the same episodes year after year, and they'll still be relevant. But others are designed for the moment.

News podcasts are a great way to approach current events. Typically short, you can play episodes as a warmup for the day, or as a lead-in to larger discussions.

KidzNuz is designed for the classroom, with a quiz at the end of each daily episode to practice comprehension.

Published twice weekly, The Ten News clocks in at ten minutes: Each episode tackles the biggest headlines, followed by fun segments and trivia questions.

Newsy Jacuzzi is an international take on the news, hosted by a mother and daughter in India.

Listenwise curates daily current events for the classroom and gives you a bank of questions to spark conversation.

It's not just news podcasts that can help kids process current events and realities. At Your Level, hosted by an 11-year-old kid, did an episode on pandemic birthdays during the coronavirus lockdowns. Even fictional stories can take on elements of real life. For example, in the Stoopkid Stories episode "The BB Twins," the characters deal with the effects of their dance going viral on social media. Stories can also take on hot topics like The Imagine Neighborhood's 6-part series on Race, Identity, and Making Things Right.

Podcasts Come in a Variety of Lengths

Not only do podcasts provide a variety of content, they come in a variety of lengths. You can choose whether to make listening your main meal, or simply a side of your lesson.

Many educationally-minded podcast creators have consulted with teachers in order to develop special episodes that fit into classroom time.

Pamela Rogers, a school librarian and creator of the literature podcast Buttons & Figs, developed playlists of 5 minute interactive wordplay challenges for the classroom.

What Will She Do Next, a women's history podcast, creates 10 minute episodes in addition to their usual 20 minute episodes.

Timestorm, a serialized audio podcast for tweens and teens, creates 10 minute stand-alone minisodes.

Love Learning, which offers everything from poems to mediations for elementary students, clocks in episodes from one minute to 11 minutes.

Other short podcasts include the serialized fiction podcast Six Minutes, a personal growth podcast Five Minutes with Dad, African Folktales, and Two Whats and A Wow.

Other podcasters have found that 20 minutes is a great length for the classroom. Kitty Felde edits her episodes of Book Club for Kids and her series, The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, to that length based on teacher input. Eat Your Spanish, a language learning podcast, can serve as a full lesson at 20-25 minutes. From personal experience, Tumble's 15 minute episodes are frequently used in the classroom as well.

Listenwise offers a happy medium by editing longer podcasts and NPR stories into shorter versions. The audio stories are 5 minutes long and come with listening discussion questions, interactive transcripts and quizzes across a wide variety of subjects in ELA, social studies and science.

Podcasts Help You Meet Academic Standards

Aside from the fun benefits, there's a very practical one too. Listening now is an anchor standard of the Common Core. Even states that are not using Common Core standards include listening in their curriculum standards. Twenty-two states include listening in their high-stakes exam. If you are in California, Wisconsin or Indiana, a portion of your ELA exam is listening.

Practicing students' listening "muscle" for these tests makes sense, and you can build their listening stamina with a podcast. When they enjoy listening to podcasts, they'll be strong for the assessment audio. Following listening, asking kids to identify the main idea, make an inference or recall a specific detail from the story also addresses many other ELA standards. And if you listen to a podcast aligned with your curriculum such as an Earth Rangers episode on frogs and metamorphosis, you can also knock off some NGSS science standards.

Top 4 Places to Find Audio for Kids

Now that we've convinced you that adding audio to your instruction is an easy, fun way to build skills and knowledge, you're probably wondering where you find all this great audio? We've already mentioned a few shows and platforms, but here's a list of platforms for you to discover your favorite podcasts.

Kids Listen is a nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality audio content especially made for kids, with over 130 member podcasts. The Kids Listen App (for iOs, Android, and web browser) organizes these podcasts by age, interest, and curated playlists. The Kids Listen Activity Podcast brings you episodes from different podcasts, paired with suggested activities for further learning. Kids Listen University is a place to find podcast-based lessons and curriculum.

This online platform brings NPR and podcasts to the classroom with easy-to-use podcast lessons and listening comprehension quizzes. The collection of 2500+ curriculum-aligned podcasts for grades 2-12 keep teaching connected to the real world. Free for teachers, a Premium subscription available for schools.

Librarians Pamela Rogers and Anne Bensfield write a regular column about "Kidcasts," exploring recommended episodes by themes like "Black Changemakers," "Podcasts to Encourage Mindfulness," and "Poetry." They created this handy poster with their top "classroom-ready" podcasts.

A paid subscription for teachers or parents who want ad-free streaming services for kids podcasts ages 3-13. PINNA is quickly producing new podcasts for kids so there is a lot to explore on this platform.

Additionally, I've written two kidcast recommendation articles for The New York Times: A Big List of Podcasts for Little Kids and A Big List of Podcasts for Bigger Kids.

More kids' podcasts are coming out all the time, so keep your ears open. With all these resources, all you need to do is go forth and listen!

Come back for more.
Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Why You Should Bring Podcasts Into Your Classroom

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Podcasts are a screen-free, movement-enabling, ear-stimulating and eye-opening way to deliver content. Learn the benefits and where to find great ones.

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Today a Reader; Tomorrow a Leader · Minutes With Mother Goose (spotify.com)

This podcast produced by Rebekah Gooslin is co-authored by her as well as her 4th grade students. In this episode student's are sharing their favorite books and reading strategies. They also share why they believe it is important to read everyday. This episode is set up as a question-answer with teacher and students.

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In today’s episode you will hear from special guest as they share tips and strategies for students and parents on the topic of reading. You will also hear from several fourth grade student who share their favorite books and reading strategies. Remember, a great adventure awaits for you inside the pages of a new book! Mrs. Gooslin leaves her students the message, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader!”

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ditch-the-textbook-and-replace-it-with/id606677009?i=1000364822628
This episode discussed how there are better ways to teach students without the textbooks being the main source. From the guest speaker, Matt Miller, he states that some of the best teachers do not use textbooks because they know how their students need to learn, and that may or may not be through the textbook. He also said that educators should make the teaching personal and have a positive relationship with their students.

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Our guest is committed to teaching beyond the textbook. In this segment, we explore how he engages and effectively teaches using other resources.

Follow: @coolcatteacher @jmattmiller @bamradionetwork
#edtechchat #edchat #edtech

Matt Miller is a Spanish teacher at Turkey Run High School. He has infused technology and innovative teaching methods in his classes for more than 10 years. Matt is a Google Certified Teacher, PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator and Bammy! Awards nominee. He writes at the Ditch That Textbook blog about using technology and creative ideas in teaching. Reach him at matt@DitchThatTextbook.com

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ditch the textbook and replace it with...

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every classroom matters with cool cat teacher

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‎Every Classroom Matters With Cool Cat Teacher: Ditch the Textbook and Replace It with... on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our guest is committed to teaching beyond the textbook. In this segment, we explore how he engages and effectively teaches using other resources. Follow: @coolcatteacher @jmattmiller @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Matt Miller is a Spanish teacher at Turkey Run High School....

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I listened to the Cultofpedagogy Podcast where Jennifer Gonzalez interviews three educators about their experiences when using podcasts in the classroom, the science of listening, and how podcasts can benefit students and student learning. One statement that really stuck out to me was how podcasts feature authentic language, real conversations, and diverse voices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Listen to the interview with Lindsay Patterson, Monica Brady-Myerov,
and Marshall Escamilla (transcript):
Sponsored by Listenwise and Scholastic Scope

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you make a purchase through these links,
Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Imagine this scene in your classroom: Students are at their desks, completely engaged and attentive. But no one's talking. You're also quiet. Your students are not doing a worksheet. They're not watching a video. They're listening.

A podcast is playing from speakers at the front of the room. You can see how your students are caught up in the story. Every so often they laugh at a joke or gasp with surprise at a twist in the story. Their imaginations are alive. The words are turning into movies in their minds. Physically, they're in the classroom, but really, they're in another world.

That's the power of audio. And the best part? Just the act of listening to a good narrative helps your students become better learners. Podcasts are a screen-free, movement-enabling, ear-stimulating and eye-opening way to deliver content. Whether you are in-person, remote, hybrid, flipped or blended, podcasts can enhance your teaching in meaningful ways.

I've spent a lot of time thinking and learning about the benefits of podcasts for education. In 2015, I created Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, one of the first educational podcasts for kids. The following year, I helped put together a list of 8 Great Educational Podcasts for Kids for Cult of Pedagogy. I also co-founded Kids Listen, a non-profit organization advocating for podcasts for kids. And now, I'm the CEO of Tumble Media, a production company dedicated to creating children's educational audio. Through the years, I've interacted with teachers who have brought podcasts into their classrooms in incredibly innovative ways. I've done in-class demos and have seen students fall in love with podcasts. I wanted to share why using podcasts is so powerful in education. But there hasn't been a roadmap for how to bring audio into the classroom.

To build that roadmap, I teamed up with Monica Brady-Myerov, the founder and CEO of Listenwise, a platform for improving listening skills through podcasts and public radio stories. She's one of the pioneers of educational audio and author of the new book, Listen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners. Monica is an expert on the science of audio, the research behind it, and ultimately, how to use audio to enhance listening and learning.

In this blog post, we share what we've learned over years of immersion in educational audio-land, explore why podcasts are so great for education, and provide a roadmap for how to get started. Let's start with the science.

On the podcast, we talk with three leaders in educational podcasts (L to R): Lindsay Patterson, Marshall Escamilla, and Monica Brady-Myerov.

The Science of Listening

We are always listening. And yet a lifetime of hearing doesn't make us good listeners. We have to work at it. Years of research have proven the benefits of listening in education.

Listening Is a Critical Factor in Learning How to Read

Research tells us that better listeners are better readers. The Simple View of Reading formula developed by Gough & Tunmer shows that reading is a function of two key components: decoding and language comprehension. Listening is a key part of language comprehension. In the science of reading, the awareness of sounds that make up spoken words is critical. Listening to stories helps students hear grammar and syntax and understand how stories work. Incidental exposure to vocabulary through listening and reading together helps students learn the meaning of unknown words. Research shows listening while reading improves text reading rates and leads to higher comprehension.

As students get older, the importance of listening to reading doesn't disappear; it increases. Researchers found that, over time, the relative importance of listening comprehension increases as a child becomes a more proficient reader. Decoding is still important to reading comprehension, but it's less of a potential roadblock once kids have mastered it. In fact, by 8 th grade, literacy researcher Tiffany Hogan says " all of the reliable variance in reading comprehension could be explained by the listening comprehension factor."

In other words, introducing more listen-only content will benefit reading comprehension for years to come.

Listening Shapes Your Brain and Memory

Our brains make a mental imagery -the "movie in our minds"-of what we hear. When we listen, our ears aren't just passive absorbers of information. We are activating systems in the brains that are responsible for sight, sound, motor control and olfaction. "We imagine sounds using the same brain regions that allow us to hear real sounds," says cognitive scientist Benjamin Bergen.

Listening improves social-emotional wellbeing. Researchers found that when someone is engaged in a story, it's positively associated with psychological safety and negatively associated with social anxiety. And that connection actually improves your listening.

Listening Supports Multilingual Learning

For the English learners in classrooms, listening provides an equal opportunity to access content and hear authentically spoken language. While listening can occur at different speeds to improve comprehension, everyone is listening to the same text. Unlike reading exercises in which the text is leveled down to the reader's ability, listening-with the right scaffolding-has the same high level of academic language and content vocabulary.

In addition to learning about the world, listening is an excellent way to build background knowledge of the subject, a key element of listening comprehension, especially in learning a second language.

Why Podcasts Make a Great Addition to Your Classroom

Let's be honest: Audio has been lifting its weight in the classroom for decades in various forms. But podcasts have unique advantages. They feature authentic language, real conversations, and diverse voices. You can choose from a wide variety of topics-everything from stories, to history, to mindfulness, science, music, literature, and more-and some podcasters even make special episodes designed for the classroom. They're designed to catch the ear and hold attention in a way that feels almost magical. Best of all, podcasts fit any classroom budget: They're free.

Kids Love Podcasts

Podcasts aren't a tough sell for kids. They're a dedicated audience. One in 4 kids already listen to podcasts, according to Ipsos, a global market research firm. At Kids Listen, we found a variety of reasons behind this in our most recent survey of listening families. The top reason was that they are fun and entertaining (49 percent), followed by their educational appeal (33 percent). A host of other reasons included that podcasts build skills, calm kids, prompt family discussion, allow for multitasking, and provide regular new content. In one notable response, a teacher from Texas said, "One of the new TEKS for 4th and 5th graders is LISTENING. We listen most mornings in the classroom. The kids LOVE it."

When you introduce podcasts to your classroom, ask students if they have listened to podcasts, and which are their favorites. It may give you some ideas of podcasts to check out!

Podcasts are Portable and Mobile

A primary benefit of audio is that it doesn't tie students to a screen. That opens up a whole range of possibilities for creative educational experiences. This is highlighted by the most recent Kids Listen survey. We asked parents what activities children engage in while listening to podcasts. The majority of respondents (78 percent) responded that kids "just actively listen," they also did a variety of other things: Playing, working with art materials, getting ready for bed, doing chores, and other elements of their daily routine.

That flexibility at home translates to educational settings as well. Play a podcast while your students do classroom chores or creative activities that don't require mental focus. Cue up podcasts on their devices while they walk around the school, getting exercise while practicing their listening skills. Or combine podcast time with drawing-students can sketch scenes from the podcast as they listen. The list of things to do while listening is endless.

These ideas work for any podcast. But some podcasts are built around activity.

Mindfulness podcasts like Peace Out and Like You guide kids through meditation and movement.

Music education shows like Noodle Loaf and The Music Box encourage making music and moving around.

On Tumble, we've leaned into these audio advantages by designing episodes and audio courses that encourage active exploration. For example, our interactive episode "Solve the Case of The Sleeping Trees" leads students through making observations, asking questions, and making conclusions. The ideal setting to listen is outdoors, in nature.

Podcasts Are a Great Way to Explore Current Events

Most podcasts are designed to be evergreen; you can return to the same episodes year after year, and they'll still be relevant. But others are designed for the moment.

News podcasts are a great way to approach current events. Typically short, you can play episodes as a warmup for the day, or as a lead-in to larger discussions.

KidzNuz is designed for the classroom, with a quiz at the end of each daily episode to practice comprehension.

Published twice weekly, The Ten News clocks in at ten minutes: Each episode tackles the biggest headlines, followed by fun segments and trivia questions.

Newsy Jacuzzi is an international take on the news, hosted by a mother and daughter in India.

Listenwise curates daily current events for the classroom and gives you a bank of questions to spark conversation.

It's not just news podcasts that can help kids process current events and realities. At Your Level, hosted by an 11-year-old kid, did an episode on pandemic birthdays during the coronavirus lockdowns. Even fictional stories can take on elements of real life. For example, in the Stoopkid Stories episode "The BB Twins," the characters deal with the effects of their dance going viral on social media. Stories can also take on hot topics like The Imagine Neighborhood's 6-part series on Race, Identity, and Making Things Right.

Podcasts Come in a Variety of Lengths

Not only do podcasts provide a variety of content, they come in a variety of lengths. You can choose whether to make listening your main meal, or simply a side of your lesson.

Many educationally-minded podcast creators have consulted with teachers in order to develop special episodes that fit into classroom time.

Pamela Rogers, a school librarian and creator of the literature podcast Buttons & Figs, developed playlists of 5 minute interactive wordplay challenges for the classroom.

What Will She Do Next, a women's history podcast, creates 10 minute episodes in addition to their usual 20 minute episodes.

Timestorm, a serialized audio podcast for tweens and teens, creates 10 minute stand-alone minisodes.

Love Learning, which offers everything from poems to mediations for elementary students, clocks in episodes from one minute to 11 minutes.

Other short podcasts include the serialized fiction podcast Six Minutes, a personal growth podcast Five Minutes with Dad, African Folktales, and Two Whats and A Wow.

Other podcasters have found that 20 minutes is a great length for the classroom. Kitty Felde edits her episodes of Book Club for Kids and her series, The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, to that length based on teacher input. Eat Your Spanish, a language learning podcast, can serve as a full lesson at 20-25 minutes. From personal experience, Tumble's 15 minute episodes are frequently used in the classroom as well.

Listenwise offers a happy medium by editing longer podcasts and NPR stories into shorter versions. The audio stories are 5 minutes long and come with listening discussion questions, interactive transcripts and quizzes across a wide variety of subjects in ELA, social studies and science.

Podcasts Help You Meet Academic Standards

Aside from the fun benefits, there's a very practical one too. Listening now is an anchor standard of the Common Core. Even states that are not using Common Core standards include listening in their curriculum standards. Twenty-two states include listening in their high-stakes exam. If you are in California, Wisconsin or Indiana, a portion of your ELA exam is listening.

Practicing students' listening "muscle" for these tests makes sense, and you can build their listening stamina with a podcast. When they enjoy listening to podcasts, they'll be strong for the assessment audio. Following listening, asking kids to identify the main idea, make an inference or recall a specific detail from the story also addresses many other ELA standards. And if you listen to a podcast aligned with your curriculum such as an Earth Rangers episode on frogs and metamorphosis, you can also knock off some NGSS science standards.

Top 4 Places to Find Audio for Kids

Now that we've convinced you that adding audio to your instruction is an easy, fun way to build skills and knowledge, you're probably wondering where you find all this great audio? We've already mentioned a few shows and platforms, but here's a list of platforms for you to discover your favorite podcasts.

Kids Listen is a nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality audio content especially made for kids, with over 130 member podcasts. The Kids Listen App (for iOs, Android, and web browser) organizes these podcasts by age, interest, and curated playlists. The Kids Listen Activity Podcast brings you episodes from different podcasts, paired with suggested activities for further learning. Kids Listen University is a place to find podcast-based lessons and curriculum.

This online platform brings NPR and podcasts to the classroom with easy-to-use podcast lessons and listening comprehension quizzes. The collection of 2500+ curriculum-aligned podcasts for grades 2-12 keep teaching connected to the real world. Free for teachers, a Premium subscription available for schools.

Librarians Pamela Rogers and Anne Bensfield write a regular column about "Kidcasts," exploring recommended episodes by themes like "Black Changemakers," "Podcasts to Encourage Mindfulness," and "Poetry." They created this handy poster with their top "classroom-ready" podcasts.

A paid subscription for teachers or parents who want ad-free streaming services for kids podcasts ages 3-13. PINNA is quickly producing new podcasts for kids so there is a lot to explore on this platform.

Additionally, I've written two kidcast recommendation articles for The New York Times: A Big List of Podcasts for Little Kids and A Big List of Podcasts for Bigger Kids.

More kids' podcasts are coming out all the time, so keep your ears open. With all these resources, all you need to do is go forth and listen!

Come back for more.
Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Why You Should Bring Podcasts Into Your Classroom

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Podcasts are a screen-free, movement-enabling, ear-stimulating and eye-opening way to deliver content. Learn the benefits and where to find great ones.

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Take a deep breath podcast was all about breathing!  In this podcast it was student based and incorporated engaging and creative ways to express the details on breathing.  The students talked about how we automatically know how to breathe without thinking about it.  students created a cheer to release the ways we breathe.  They also had a lung doctor speak on the podcast and explain the organ our bodies use in order to breathe.

Emily Polaski

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Julie and her daughter, children's author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too!

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Take a deep breath: How does breathing work?

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Julie and her daughter, children's author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too!

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I listened to "Allergy Attack: How our bodies can overract". This podcast is focused on an 11 year old, Lily, and Molly, the host. Lily basically speaks about the differences in allergies and how it affects her (sneezing, eyes watering, etc). They also speak about how doctors are treating allergies, and how there might be new allergies emerging in the future. Molly also touches on how and why allergies happen, and how our bodies tolerate them.

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Julie and her daughter, children's author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too!

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Allergy Attack: How our bodies can overreact

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Pollen, peanuts, dust mites. These things aren't poisonous - so why do some people's bodies act like they are? In this episode, we'll find out what happens during an allergic reaction, explore why only some people have allergies and hear about new treatments.

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Podcasts/audio files can promote collaboration in the classroom because students are able to listen and speak using audio file and podcasts in multiple settings.  This works with accessibility and the access students have in creating their own podcast or listening to new podcast as a form of learning. Students can work as pairs, in groups, and as a class as well as with students in other classes and can combine their recordings into one entire podcast or audio file.  

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Podcasts/audio files can promote collaboration in the classroom because students are able to listen and speak using audio file and podcasts in multiple settings.  This works with accessibility and the access students have in creating their own podcast or listening to new podcast as a form of learning. Students can work as pairs, in groups, and as a class as well as with students in other classes and can combine their recordings into one entire podcast or audio file.  

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Emily Polaski

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This episode is a Squirrel themed adventure course that explores a few of the skills they use to survive: gathering nuts, traveling in trees, and speaking like a squirrel. This podcast involves students and adults asking and answering questions to further thinking.

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Squirrelsperience: Trying out squirrel skills

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We’re heading to a squirrel-themed adventure course and practicing a few of the skills they use to survive: gathering nuts, traveling in trees, and speaking like a squirrel.

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Jennifer Gonzalez interviews three teachers about how these teachers bring podcasts into their own classroom. They speak about their recognition of how podcasts are extremely beneficial to them and their students. Podcasts of almost everything can be found to meet standards, interests of students, and a lot are free!

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Listen to the interview with Lindsay Patterson, Monica Brady-Myerov,
and Marshall Escamilla (transcript):
Sponsored by Listenwise and Scholastic Scope

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you make a purchase through these links,
Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Imagine this scene in your classroom: Students are at their desks, completely engaged and attentive. But no one's talking. You're also quiet. Your students are not doing a worksheet. They're not watching a video. They're listening.

A podcast is playing from speakers at the front of the room. You can see how your students are caught up in the story. Every so often they laugh at a joke or gasp with surprise at a twist in the story. Their imaginations are alive. The words are turning into movies in their minds. Physically, they're in the classroom, but really, they're in another world.

That's the power of audio. And the best part? Just the act of listening to a good narrative helps your students become better learners. Podcasts are a screen-free, movement-enabling, ear-stimulating and eye-opening way to deliver content. Whether you are in-person, remote, hybrid, flipped or blended, podcasts can enhance your teaching in meaningful ways.

I've spent a lot of time thinking and learning about the benefits of podcasts for education. In 2015, I created Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, one of the first educational podcasts for kids. The following year, I helped put together a list of 8 Great Educational Podcasts for Kids for Cult of Pedagogy. I also co-founded Kids Listen, a non-profit organization advocating for podcasts for kids. And now, I'm the CEO of Tumble Media, a production company dedicated to creating children's educational audio. Through the years, I've interacted with teachers who have brought podcasts into their classrooms in incredibly innovative ways. I've done in-class demos and have seen students fall in love with podcasts. I wanted to share why using podcasts is so powerful in education. But there hasn't been a roadmap for how to bring audio into the classroom.

To build that roadmap, I teamed up with Monica Brady-Myerov, the founder and CEO of Listenwise, a platform for improving listening skills through podcasts and public radio stories. She's one of the pioneers of educational audio and author of the new book, Listen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners. Monica is an expert on the science of audio, the research behind it, and ultimately, how to use audio to enhance listening and learning.

In this blog post, we share what we've learned over years of immersion in educational audio-land, explore why podcasts are so great for education, and provide a roadmap for how to get started. Let's start with the science.

On the podcast, we talk with three leaders in educational podcasts (L to R): Lindsay Patterson, Marshall Escamilla, and Monica Brady-Myerov.

The Science of Listening

We are always listening. And yet a lifetime of hearing doesn't make us good listeners. We have to work at it. Years of research have proven the benefits of listening in education.

Listening Is a Critical Factor in Learning How to Read

Research tells us that better listeners are better readers. The Simple View of Reading formula developed by Gough & Tunmer shows that reading is a function of two key components: decoding and language comprehension. Listening is a key part of language comprehension. In the science of reading, the awareness of sounds that make up spoken words is critical. Listening to stories helps students hear grammar and syntax and understand how stories work. Incidental exposure to vocabulary through listening and reading together helps students learn the meaning of unknown words. Research shows listening while reading improves text reading rates and leads to higher comprehension.

As students get older, the importance of listening to reading doesn't disappear; it increases. Researchers found that, over time, the relative importance of listening comprehension increases as a child becomes a more proficient reader. Decoding is still important to reading comprehension, but it's less of a potential roadblock once kids have mastered it. In fact, by 8 th grade, literacy researcher Tiffany Hogan says " all of the reliable variance in reading comprehension could be explained by the listening comprehension factor."

In other words, introducing more listen-only content will benefit reading comprehension for years to come.

Listening Shapes Your Brain and Memory

Our brains make a mental imagery -the "movie in our minds"-of what we hear. When we listen, our ears aren't just passive absorbers of information. We are activating systems in the brains that are responsible for sight, sound, motor control and olfaction. "We imagine sounds using the same brain regions that allow us to hear real sounds," says cognitive scientist Benjamin Bergen.

Listening improves social-emotional wellbeing. Researchers found that when someone is engaged in a story, it's positively associated with psychological safety and negatively associated with social anxiety. And that connection actually improves your listening.

Listening Supports Multilingual Learning

For the English learners in classrooms, listening provides an equal opportunity to access content and hear authentically spoken language. While listening can occur at different speeds to improve comprehension, everyone is listening to the same text. Unlike reading exercises in which the text is leveled down to the reader's ability, listening-with the right scaffolding-has the same high level of academic language and content vocabulary.

In addition to learning about the world, listening is an excellent way to build background knowledge of the subject, a key element of listening comprehension, especially in learning a second language.

Why Podcasts Make a Great Addition to Your Classroom

Let's be honest: Audio has been lifting its weight in the classroom for decades in various forms. But podcasts have unique advantages. They feature authentic language, real conversations, and diverse voices. You can choose from a wide variety of topics-everything from stories, to history, to mindfulness, science, music, literature, and more-and some podcasters even make special episodes designed for the classroom. They're designed to catch the ear and hold attention in a way that feels almost magical. Best of all, podcasts fit any classroom budget: They're free.

Kids Love Podcasts

Podcasts aren't a tough sell for kids. They're a dedicated audience. One in 4 kids already listen to podcasts, according to Ipsos, a global market research firm. At Kids Listen, we found a variety of reasons behind this in our most recent survey of listening families. The top reason was that they are fun and entertaining (49 percent), followed by their educational appeal (33 percent). A host of other reasons included that podcasts build skills, calm kids, prompt family discussion, allow for multitasking, and provide regular new content. In one notable response, a teacher from Texas said, "One of the new TEKS for 4th and 5th graders is LISTENING. We listen most mornings in the classroom. The kids LOVE it."

When you introduce podcasts to your classroom, ask students if they have listened to podcasts, and which are their favorites. It may give you some ideas of podcasts to check out!

Podcasts are Portable and Mobile

A primary benefit of audio is that it doesn't tie students to a screen. That opens up a whole range of possibilities for creative educational experiences. This is highlighted by the most recent Kids Listen survey. We asked parents what activities children engage in while listening to podcasts. The majority of respondents (78 percent) responded that kids "just actively listen," they also did a variety of other things: Playing, working with art materials, getting ready for bed, doing chores, and other elements of their daily routine.

That flexibility at home translates to educational settings as well. Play a podcast while your students do classroom chores or creative activities that don't require mental focus. Cue up podcasts on their devices while they walk around the school, getting exercise while practicing their listening skills. Or combine podcast time with drawing-students can sketch scenes from the podcast as they listen. The list of things to do while listening is endless.

These ideas work for any podcast. But some podcasts are built around activity.

Mindfulness podcasts like Peace Out and Like You guide kids through meditation and movement.

Music education shows like Noodle Loaf and The Music Box encourage making music and moving around.

On Tumble, we've leaned into these audio advantages by designing episodes and audio courses that encourage active exploration. For example, our interactive episode "Solve the Case of The Sleeping Trees" leads students through making observations, asking questions, and making conclusions. The ideal setting to listen is outdoors, in nature.

Podcasts Are a Great Way to Explore Current Events

Most podcasts are designed to be evergreen; you can return to the same episodes year after year, and they'll still be relevant. But others are designed for the moment.

News podcasts are a great way to approach current events. Typically short, you can play episodes as a warmup for the day, or as a lead-in to larger discussions.

KidzNuz is designed for the classroom, with a quiz at the end of each daily episode to practice comprehension.

Published twice weekly, The Ten News clocks in at ten minutes: Each episode tackles the biggest headlines, followed by fun segments and trivia questions.

Newsy Jacuzzi is an international take on the news, hosted by a mother and daughter in India.

Listenwise curates daily current events for the classroom and gives you a bank of questions to spark conversation.

It's not just news podcasts that can help kids process current events and realities. At Your Level, hosted by an 11-year-old kid, did an episode on pandemic birthdays during the coronavirus lockdowns. Even fictional stories can take on elements of real life. For example, in the Stoopkid Stories episode "The BB Twins," the characters deal with the effects of their dance going viral on social media. Stories can also take on hot topics like The Imagine Neighborhood's 6-part series on Race, Identity, and Making Things Right.

Podcasts Come in a Variety of Lengths

Not only do podcasts provide a variety of content, they come in a variety of lengths. You can choose whether to make listening your main meal, or simply a side of your lesson.

Many educationally-minded podcast creators have consulted with teachers in order to develop special episodes that fit into classroom time.

Pamela Rogers, a school librarian and creator of the literature podcast Buttons & Figs, developed playlists of 5 minute interactive wordplay challenges for the classroom.

What Will She Do Next, a women's history podcast, creates 10 minute episodes in addition to their usual 20 minute episodes.

Timestorm, a serialized audio podcast for tweens and teens, creates 10 minute stand-alone minisodes.

Love Learning, which offers everything from poems to mediations for elementary students, clocks in episodes from one minute to 11 minutes.

Other short podcasts include the serialized fiction podcast Six Minutes, a personal growth podcast Five Minutes with Dad, African Folktales, and Two Whats and A Wow.

Other podcasters have found that 20 minutes is a great length for the classroom. Kitty Felde edits her episodes of Book Club for Kids and her series, The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, to that length based on teacher input. Eat Your Spanish, a language learning podcast, can serve as a full lesson at 20-25 minutes. From personal experience, Tumble's 15 minute episodes are frequently used in the classroom as well.

Listenwise offers a happy medium by editing longer podcasts and NPR stories into shorter versions. The audio stories are 5 minutes long and come with listening discussion questions, interactive transcripts and quizzes across a wide variety of subjects in ELA, social studies and science.

Podcasts Help You Meet Academic Standards

Aside from the fun benefits, there's a very practical one too. Listening now is an anchor standard of the Common Core. Even states that are not using Common Core standards include listening in their curriculum standards. Twenty-two states include listening in their high-stakes exam. If you are in California, Wisconsin or Indiana, a portion of your ELA exam is listening.

Practicing students' listening "muscle" for these tests makes sense, and you can build their listening stamina with a podcast. When they enjoy listening to podcasts, they'll be strong for the assessment audio. Following listening, asking kids to identify the main idea, make an inference or recall a specific detail from the story also addresses many other ELA standards. And if you listen to a podcast aligned with your curriculum such as an Earth Rangers episode on frogs and metamorphosis, you can also knock off some NGSS science standards.

Top 4 Places to Find Audio for Kids

Now that we've convinced you that adding audio to your instruction is an easy, fun way to build skills and knowledge, you're probably wondering where you find all this great audio? We've already mentioned a few shows and platforms, but here's a list of platforms for you to discover your favorite podcasts.

Kids Listen is a nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality audio content especially made for kids, with over 130 member podcasts. The Kids Listen App (for iOs, Android, and web browser) organizes these podcasts by age, interest, and curated playlists. The Kids Listen Activity Podcast brings you episodes from different podcasts, paired with suggested activities for further learning. Kids Listen University is a place to find podcast-based lessons and curriculum.

This online platform brings NPR and podcasts to the classroom with easy-to-use podcast lessons and listening comprehension quizzes. The collection of 2500+ curriculum-aligned podcasts for grades 2-12 keep teaching connected to the real world. Free for teachers, a Premium subscription available for schools.

Librarians Pamela Rogers and Anne Bensfield write a regular column about "Kidcasts," exploring recommended episodes by themes like "Black Changemakers," "Podcasts to Encourage Mindfulness," and "Poetry." They created this handy poster with their top "classroom-ready" podcasts.

A paid subscription for teachers or parents who want ad-free streaming services for kids podcasts ages 3-13. PINNA is quickly producing new podcasts for kids so there is a lot to explore on this platform.

Additionally, I've written two kidcast recommendation articles for The New York Times: A Big List of Podcasts for Little Kids and A Big List of Podcasts for Bigger Kids.

More kids' podcasts are coming out all the time, so keep your ears open. With all these resources, all you need to do is go forth and listen!

Come back for more.
Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Why You Should Bring Podcasts Into Your Classroom

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Podcasts are a screen-free, movement-enabling, ear-stimulating and eye-opening way to deliver content. Learn the benefits and where to find great ones.

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https://www.brainson.org/episode/2021/07/06/why-do-songs-get-stuck-in-our-heads
The podcast I listened to discussed how certain songs can stay stuck in our heads for long periods of time and how to get rid of them. The adult and the child, who are the hosts, called the phrase "ear-worms" and they received responses from numerous children giving advice on how to get a song out their own heads. I like this podcast because the hosts made it interactive with the listeners, and gives them a chance to be involved.

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SOPHIA: You are listening to "Brains On!", where we're serious about being curious. "Brains On!" is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

MOLLY BLOOM: Come on, Sophia. Let's see what the crew is up to before our taping.

SOPHIA: Sure!

MOLLY BLOOM: Elevator, seventh floor, please.

ELEVATOR: Seventh floor coming up. Please enjoy this elevator music.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

SOPHIA: That's catchy.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, yeah. I've actually had that melody stuck in my head for days.

[BELL DINGS]

[ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS]

ELEVATOR: Here you go, seventh floor.

[HUMMING]

SOPHIA: Hey, Marc, Sanden, and Menaka. What are you guys doing?

MARC SANCHEZ: Oh, hey, Sophia and Molly. We're finally entering the annual butter sculpture contest. We've been talking about it for ages.

MENAKA WILHELM: You butter believe it. I mean, if all four of us enter, one of us is bound to win grand prize, "Best in Butter."

SANDEN TOTTEN: Yeah, this way we'll have a margarine-ly good chance of winning. Ha, ha. Anyone? Do you know what you're going to make?

MENAKA WILHELM: Oh, of course I do, Sanden. I'm going to sculpt a pair of hands, and I'm calling it "Butterfingers."

SOPHIA: Ooh, that's good, Menaka.

MENAKA WILHELM: Thanks, Sophia. What about you, Marc?

MOLLY BLOOM: [HUMMING]

MARC SANCHEZ: Maybe I'll make a set of mugs. I'll call them "Butter cups."

MENAKA WILHELM: Oo, and then fill them with popcorn? Perfect for movie night.

MOLLY BLOOM: [HUMMING]

MARC SANCHEZ: I was planning on making a cow. Buttermilk, anyone?

MENAKA WILHELM: Whoa, that's a winner for sure.

MARC SANCHEZ: Menaka, are you buttering me up?

MOLLY BLOOM: [HUMMING AND VOCALIZING]

ALL: Molly!

MARC SANCHEZ: What's with the humming? You've been at it this entire time.

MOLLY BLOOM: I am so sorry. It's the tune from the elevator. I've had it in my head all week. It's kind of driving me bananas, and I don't know how to make it stop.

MENAKA WILHELM: Molly, there's only one way to solve this.

MARC SANCHEZ: You have to high-five a dog three times.

[DOG BARKS]

SANDEN TOTTEN: No, that's for good luck. You're supposed to sneak up and scare the song out of your head, like this-- boo!

- Ah! Oh. [HUMMING] It's still there.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Oh, right. That's for hiccups. I get those two confused.

MENAKA WILHELM: No dogs and definitely no sneak attacks. The only way to solve this problem is to do an episode about it. Hit it.

[THEME MUSIC]

MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to "Brains On!" from American Public Media. I'm Molly Bloom, and this week my friend Sophia is joining us from Walnut Creek, California. Welcome, Sophia.

SOPHIA: Hi, Molly.

[HUMMING]

- Molly?

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, I'm so sorry. Sophia I can't shake that song.

SOPHIA: Sounds like you have an earworm.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh! There's a worm in there?

SOPHIA: No, an earworm is just a name for a song that gets stuck in your head. I promise there is no real worms.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, whew. That's a relief. That's an odd name.

SOPHIA: Yeah, right? The word earworm comes from the German word, Ohrwurm, which is an actual type of worm. But in the mid-20th century, Germans started using it to describe a musical itch.

MOLLY BLOOM: That is exactly how it feels. If only I could scratch it. Sophia, have you ever experienced an earworm?

SOPHIA: Yes, I have.

MOLLY BLOOM: What was it?

SOPHIA: It was a song that, when I was in band, we kept practicing it over and over again and I couldn't stop doing it with my fingers.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oof. Did it get annoying? Did it bother you?

SOPHIA: Kind of. Because when I was trying to do my homework, it ended up doing that.

MOLLY BLOOM: It can be very distracting. Were you able to get it out? Is it still in your head today?

SOPHIA: Ah, yeah, it's still in my head today, but it's much less.

MOLLY BLOOM: Well, that's good. Can you sing a little bit of it for us?

SOPHIA: So it goes doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo. And then it goes-- and then there's a flute solo part. And then there is like trumpets and saxophones.

MOLLY BLOOM: So you have, like, a whole orchestra in your head?

[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC SWELLING]

Well, our listeners have experienced getting songs stuck in their head too, so we asked them for help getting this song out of my head. And here are their ideas.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

LISTENER 1: My advice is for you to take a walk so you can get the song out of your head.

LISTENER 2: My advice is like you go, like, a high pitch like-- [SINGING HIGH-PITCHED]. Like, a big, high-pitched voice.

LISTENER 3: I think of a song that I don't like and hum it a little bit, and then I have this song that I don't like stuck in my head.

LISTENER 4: I have an idea to get the song stuck out of your head. Try doing something you really, really like.

LISTENER 5: My idea for getting rid of earworms or songs stuck in your head is to listen to a different song for a while.

LISTENER 6: I think you can get a stuck song out of your head is by thinking about another song constantly and maybe that'll cancel each other out.

MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks to Evelyn, Emily, Ellis, Eleanor, Aiden, and Winnie for your suggestions.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Oh, I never thought about trying any of that.

MOLLY BLOOM: Hey, it's our pal, Ruby Guthrie.

SOPHIA: Welcome.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Hi, Molly. Hi Sophia. Yeah, this happens to me all the time. You're just going about your day, eating your grilled cheese in peace, and then bam-- there's that catchy chorus looping again and again and again. And it sounds something like doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo and it's just stuck in your noggin. It's living in your head, rent-free.

MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly. And I think it needs to start paying.

RUBY GUTHRIE: This constant looping, it's called involuntary musical imagery, more commonly known as an earworm. And these earworms are kind of mysterious things, but they intrigue a lot of researchers, like Lauren Stewart.

LAUREN STEWART: Hello, I'm Lauren Stewart. I'm a professor in psychology at Goldsmiths University of London.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Lauren researches how music interacts with our brains, including earworms.

LAUREN STEWART: Yeah, so an earworm is a snippet of music that comes unbidden into the mind and repeats at least once without you having any conscious control of that experience. So a tune just pops into your head, and then typically, it stays with you for a while. And normally, it's a particular section of a tune. It can be pop music. It can be classical music. There might be lyrics, there might not be.

RUBY GUTHRIE: And earworms are really common. Nearly 90% of people experience them every week. For some, it's even more often. Despite this, researchers still don't really know why these songs randomly pop into our heads. But Lauren does have one theory. It's because we're just surrounded by so much music.

LAUREN STEWART: There's a thought that actually earworms are just a byproduct of the fact that our brains have a repertoire of literally hundreds of thousands of tunes that we've been exposed to over our lifetime. So it might be a kind of a spillover from the fact that we have all of these tunes in our head.

LAUREN STEWART: Think about it. When you're not jamming out to your latest dance mix on your phone--

[MUSIC PLAYING]

--you're listening to the radio in the car--

[MUSIC PLAYING]

--or hearing a jingle on the TV.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Music has never been more accessible to us. So earworms could simply be our brains reacting to all these constant tunes. That's one theory, at least. And we do know there's a lot going on in our brains when we listen to music.

LAUREN STEWART: We know that music is the product of a symphony of brain activity, really. There isn't a single brain area that does music. It's really a concerted effort of a number of different brain areas working together.

RUBY GUTHRIE: First, a part of your brain called the auditory cortex is activated. That's in your temporal lobe, just behind your ears. That's where your brain processes audio.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MARC SANCHEZ (AS BRAIN): Oo, what a sweet tune. This auditory cortex approves.

- Your frontal lobes are also activated. Those are located just behind your forehead. And those lobes are involved with memory and language.

MARC SANCHEZ (AS BRAIN): Yo, frontal lobes, you hearing this? It's supes catchy, am I right?

MARC SANCHEZ (AS FRONTAL LOBES): Totally. I'm going to memorize these lyrics by heart.

RUBY GUTHRIE: And what's most interesting is even though we're not actually listening to music when we experience an earworm, our brains activate the same areas and react as if we were listening to a song.

SOPHIA: Whoa, brain power.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Pretty cool, right? And although these earworms are random, Lauren says there are certain things that can trigger earworms, like listening to something on repeat or hearing just a snippet of a song or sometimes, even a memory can start up an earworm.

MOLLY BLOOM: So a lot of different things can set off an earworm. But is there any kind of music that's more likely to be an earworm?

RUBY GUTHRIE: That's a great question, and something Lauren studied too. Lauren and her team gathered a big list of songs that people would often get stuck in their head. Songs like "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga--

[LADY GAGA, "BAD ROMANCE"]

LADY GAGA: (SINGING) Oh, oh, oh, oh, caught in a bad romance.

RUBY GUTHRIE: "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple.

[DEEP PURPLE, "SMOKE ON THE WATER"]

And "My Sharona" by The Knack.

[THE KNACK, "MY SHARONA"]

- (SINGING) Whoa! My--my-- my Sharona.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Then they analyzed all these songs and looked for any similarities in the way the songs were composed. It turns out earworms usually have a familiar pattern but with a slight twist.

LAUREN STEWART: It's a combination of something that's highly familiar to the brain and therefore, very predictable and comfortable, but with just enough interest to be memorable and for the brain to kind of notice that there's something a bit unique.

RUBY GUTHRIE: OK, so what she means is that most songs have a certain structure to them. And the chords, the notes in the song, follow a certain progression. According to Lauren's study, these earworm songs often followed a typical pattern but would add a slight twist to make it unique. Let's listen to "Bad Romance."

[LADY GAGA, "BAD ROMANCE"]

LADY GAGA: (SINGING) Roma, roma, ma, ma, Ga Ga, oo la la, want your bad romance. Ra, ra, ah, ah, ah.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Catchy, right? At first, this chorus follows a classic chord progression.

LADY GAGA: (SINGING) I want your love and I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance.

LAUREN STEWART: And this is exactly what your brain is expecting.

MARC SANCHEZ (AS BRAIN): This is a certified predictable bop. Totes fresh.

RUBY GUTHRIE: But when Gaga repeats the chorus, there's a slight change.

LADY GAGA: (SINGING) Oh, oh, oh, I want your love and all your lover's revenge. You and me could write a bad romance.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Did you hear it? The note went from a G--

[PIANO NOTE]

--to a G sharp--

[PIANO NOTE]

--which sounds a little bit funky, right?

MARC SANCHEZ (AS BRAIN): Whoa. I was not expecting that, a groovy curveball.

RUBY GUTHRIE: It's really subtle.

LADY GAGA: (SINGING) Oh, oh, oh--

[PIANO NOTE]

--I want your love and all your lover's revenge. You and me--

[PIANO NOTE]

--could write a bad romance.

RUBY GUTHRIE: That slight difference can really make a song stick out and then stick to your brain. And that's what we mean by a familiar pattern with a slight twist.

LAUREN STEWART: So it's like a sweet spot-- predictable, but still interesting.

MARC SANCHEZ (AS BRAIN): [HUMMING]

RUBY GUTHRIE: The study also found that songs with an up tempo, or a faster beat, were more likely to be earworms. Additionally, just like when we listen to music, an earworm may reflect the kind of mood you're in.

LAUREN STEWART: If people are in an upbeat state, they will get upbeat earworms and vise versa. And that parallels what we know about how people actually listen to real music.

RUBY GUTHRIE: If you're happy, you're probably listening to something upbeat with major chords like this.

[MUSIC, "MOZART'S NO.16"]

Notice how it sounds bright, almost positive? Then there's the opposite, which is called a minor key.

[SLOW, SAD MUSIC]

You're more likely to listen to this if you're feeling sluggish or maybe sad. But truly, any song can be an earworm, no matter the genre, singer, or style. Earworms know no bounds.

SOPHIA: Earworms for all.

RUBY GUTHRIE: Yes, the most democratic of imaginary worms, earworms are something most everyone has experienced. And soon enough, you'll get through it too, Molly.

MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks for sharing, Ruby.

RUBY GUTHRIE: No problemo. I got to skedaddle, though. Marc saved me a butter cup full of popcorn. Ta-ta.

SOPHIA: See ya.

MARC SANCHEZ: (SINGING) Ah, Brains On! [CLEARS THROAT]

MOLLY BLOOM: Here's something I'll never get sick of hearing. It's time for the--

- Shh.

[OSCILLATING TONES]

Mystery sound.

[OSCILLATING TONES]

MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.

[CLINK]

It is extremely short, so let's hear it again.

[CLINK]

One more time for good measure.

[CLINK]

All right, Sophia, what is your guess?

SOPHIA: So I think maybe it's like somebody throwing a rock onto, like, a piece of metal?

MOLLY BLOOM: Hmm. That's very specific.

SOPHIA: And for some reason, somebody welding comes to mind. I don't know why.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, interesting. I like that your brain went there. Well, we'll give you another chance to hear it and have another guess a little bit later in the show.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

We are working on an episode all about teeth. And we want to know if you were the tooth fairy, what would you give kids in exchange for their teeth instead of money and why? Sophia, what do you think the tooth fairy should exchange for those mighty molars?

SOPHIA: Maybe, like, candy because if you have too much candy, your teeth won't look good. And if the tooth that the tooth fairy picked up was good, then she could give them candy because it's like a special treat.

MOLLY BLOOM: Hm, so she's like, hey, it looks like you have not been eating too much candy, so here's a little candy as a reward. Is that what you're saying?

SOPHIA: Yeah and then maybe a note to go along with it.

MOLLY BLOOM: A very nice idea. Well, listeners, we want to hear from you too. You can share your answer with us by heading to brainson.org/contact. And while you're there, you can send us your mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.

SOPHIA: Like this one.

OLIVER: This is Oliver from Oakland, California. I have a question. And the question is, do spiders have bones?

MOLLY BLOOM: We'll answer that question during our Moment of Um, and we'll read the latest group of listeners to be added to the Brain's Honor Roll, all at the end of the show.

SOPHIA: So keep listening.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, it's back. OK, focus, Molly. You're listening to "Brains On!" from American Public Media. I'm Molly.

SOPHIA: And I'm Sophia.

MOLLY BLOOM: Sophia, are you ready to hear that mystery sound again?

SOPHIA: Yes.

MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Here it is.

[CLINK]

How about one more time?

[CLINK]

So before, you thought like welding, metal, stone on metal.

SOPHIA: I also hear, like, glass. Like a glass cup and somebody maybe dropping it.

MOLLY BLOOM: Very good. You ready to hear that answer?

SOPHIA: Yes.

MOLLY BLOOM: Here, with the answer, is 15-year-old musician Ruby Kirk.

RUBY KIRK: The song you just heard was me clinking a glass with a spoon.

[CLINK]

MOLLY BLOOM: Hey, you were really close. You got there. [? You're ?] with the glass. So instead of dropping it, it was just someone hitting it with a spoon.

SOPHIA: Hmm.

MOLLY BLOOM: Nicely done.

[CLINKING]

Well, Ruby actually used that sound she recorded to make chords in a song she wrote. Let's hear her explain the process.

RUBY KIRK: Hi, my name is Ruby Kirk. I'm from Philly and I'm 15 years old. I'm a guitarist, musician, and I produce my own music. I took the glass clinking sound and I--

[CLINK]

--put it into my computer, and I added reverb to make it sound like it was in a room. And I made it into a keyboard and pitched around and put chords. And it sounds like this.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

I made a keyboard out of the glass clinking sound because I think it's really cool to make music from the sounds around us in the world and not just pre-made sounds that anyone can have access to anywhere. So I think it's really fun to make, like, drums from clapping your hands and recording that and then putting that in a song. And I think it's more unique and original, and it can make your music sound more like you. So I did that.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

So one thing that I like to do is on my guitar, I can put down a loop of some chords.

[GUITAR STRUMMING]

And then I'll just play around on the scale in the key all over the fretboard until I find a lick that I like and I think sounds good over it. And I can just jam over the courts for an hour or like half an hour.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

And I can find a melody that I like, and then I can record that or make it the center and then play other notes and then go back to that one lick that I found that I liked.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I always go to my parents-- I'll be like, I'll work on a song and I'm like, oh, my god, guys. Listen to this or hear this. What do you guys think? And they'll tell me what they think. They'll tell me if they like it or if it's catchy.

And then sometimes, I'll play the song for them and then maybe an hour later, one of my parents will say I have that song stuck in my head or I have your song stuck in my head. And that will make me really happy.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It's cool when a song of mine is stuck in someone else's head because it shows that the song was catchy and it shows that I guess I did my job in making the song stick. And maybe they'll want to go back and listen to it again.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MOLLY BLOOM: So what do you think about that, Sophia? What stood out to you about what she said?

SOPHIA: How she wants her music to be more like her instead of, like, sounds that people can just have access to in everyday life. But she wants to make her own sounds and put them into her songs to make them original and unique.

MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, it's super cool. I bet those unique sounds that make them even more catchy.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MOLLY BLOOM: Da-da, da-da da. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.

SOPHIA: Uh-oh, you're still humming.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, no. Maybe, like, I will never, ever get this song out of my head.

ALL: Molly!

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, hey, Sanden, Menaka, and Marc. What are you guys doing here?

MARC SANCHEZ: Hey, Molly. We're taking a break from our butter sculptures to help you out.

SANDEN TOTTEN: And don't worry, we found a giant freezer to store them in the meantime.

MENAKA WILHELM: Yeah, no meltdowns for us. Anyway, all of us have been brainstorming and researching ways to help get your earworm out. Oh, my goodness. You guys are lifesavers. I feel like I've been using all my brain power to ignore this song. What do you suggest, Sanden?

SANDEN TOTTEN: Well instead of ignoring it, why not play it but with a twist?

MOLLY BLOOM: Hm. I'm listening.

SANDEN TOTTEN: My first thought? Play this song on the piano but with your feet. Many studies show that playing an entire earworm out loud can help get rid of them. Why not kick it up a notch?

MOLLY BLOOM: What? I don't want to get my dirty feet juices on my beautiful piano.

SANDEN TOTTEN: I'm afraid it's the only way, Molly. I'll stand over here while you tickle the keys with your toes.

MOLLY BLOOM: Fine, I'll do it.

[RANDOM PIANO NOTES]

Ah, now it's worse, and the piano's all stinky.

MENAKA WILHELM: I have an idea.

MOLLY BLOOM: I'm all ears.

MENAKA WILHELM: OK, but just one question. Why are we yelling?

MOLLY BLOOM: I'm sorry. My earworms just played really loudly in my head. What's your idea?

MENAKA WILHELM: Well, according to researchers at the University of Reading in the UK, chewing gum makes it harder to hear the earworms in your head.

MOLLY BLOOM: Why is that?

MENAKA WILHELM: Well, it's because when you move your jaw to chew, that interferes with both your internal dialogue-- that's the voice or the sounds inside your head-- and your short-term memory. So while you're chewing, it might make it harder for your brain to keep the rhythm of the song in your head.

MOLLY BLOOM: Hm. I guess it's worth a shot. I just got to find some gum.

SOPHIA: Ooh-ooh. I have some. It's kimchi flavored.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my favorite.

[CHEWING LOUDLY]

That definitely made it better but it's still there.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Oh, let me sing a cure tune I made for you. I learned about them from a study conducted in both Finland and the UK. Apparently, some songs can neutralize earworms without becoming earworms themselves. That's why they're called cure tunes.

MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Let's hear it.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Ahem. Oh, please save Molly Bloom. She must get out a tune stuck in her ear. Send her the cure for it, happy and glorious. Soon she will be free of it. Please save Molly Bloom.

MOLLY BLOOM: OK. OK, yeah. It's getting better.

SOPHIA: You know what, Molly? Maybe it's best if you just let it be.

MOLLY BLOOM: Why is that?

SOPHIA: Well, I realized that focusing on getting rid of earworms just gives them more attention. If you just go with the flow and let them be, they're bound to fade away.

MENAKA WILHELM: That's a great point, Sophia. In fact, the same researcher that led the study on chewing gum also found that actively trying to block earworms is less successful than passively accepting them.

MOLLY BLOOM: Hm, are you saying that time is the best medicine for earworms?

MENAKA WILHELM: Exactly.

MOLLY BLOOM: All right. I'll let it be. You know, the song's not that bad.

SANDEN TOTTEN: You know, I also heard conversations can help get rid of earworms.

MOLLY BLOOM: Really? Why?

SANDEN TOTTEN: Well, apparently it's because talking with other people uses a lot of the same brain resources as replaying music in your head. So the neurons and synapses that keep earworms alive, they have to focus on other things when you're in conversations with people.

MARC SANCHEZ: So, kind of like what we're doing right now?

SANDEN TOTTEN: Yeah, exactly.

MOLLY BLOOM: [GASP] It's gone. The song isn't stuck in my head anymore.

ALL: Yay!

[CHEERING]

MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks, guys. Now I can finally focus on more pressing matters.

MENAKA WILHELM: Like what?

MOLLY BLOOM: My butter sculpture, of course. I'm making a pair of wings. I'm calling it "Butterfly."

SANDEN TOTTEN: Best in butter, here we come!

[CHEERING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MOLLY BLOOM: An earworm is when a song pops into your head and loops over and over.

SOPHIA: While some songs may be more catchy than others, an earworm can strike at any time to anyone.

MOLLY BLOOM: The stickiest songs tend to have a familiar musical pattern but with a slight twist.

SOPHIA: There are different ways you can try to get rid of an earworm. But when in doubt, wait it out.

MOLLY BLOOM: That's it for this episode of "Brains On!"

SOPHIA: "Brains On!" is produced by Sanden Totten, Marc Sanchez, Menaka Wilhelm and Molly Bloom.

MOLLY BLOOM: We had production help from Ruby Guthrie and Kristina Lopez. And our intern is Koon Seong [? Dorji. ?] We had engineering help from Alex Simpson and Veronica Rodriguez. Special thanks to Morgan [? Karady, ?] Vicki Crackler, Jack Silvernagle, and Allie Katz.

SOPHIA: "Brains On!" is a nonprofit public radio program.

MOLLY BLOOM: You can support the show at brainson.org/fans. There you can find links to donate or join our free fan club or check out our "Brains On!" merch.

SOPHIA: We now have "Brains On!" shirts, baseball hats, and face masks.

MOLLY BLOOM: And you can buy the "Brains On!" book there too. That's brainson.org/fans.

SOPHIA: And now, before we go, it's time for the Moment of Um.

[REPEATED UMS]

OLIVER: Do spiders have bones?

ELEANOR SPICER RICE: Spiders do not have bones. They have something called an exoskeleton, which is like a shell, a hollow shell that's filled with all their goopy organs. So basically, their bones are on the outside of their bodies. Hi my name is Eleanor Spicer Rice and I'm an entomologist. That means I study bugs. And I wrote the book "Dr. Eleanor's Book of Common Spiders."

An exoskeleton is made mostly of this stuff called chitin, and it also has something called calcium carbonate in it. Now, chitin is the same stuff that makes squid beaks or the cell walls in mushrooms or even snail teeth. Snails have teeth, but really it's like this scrapey little tongue, and that's also made out of chitin. Calcium carbonate is the stuff that seashells and crab shells are made of, or egg shells and pearls.

Now, exoskeletons are different from our skeletons because they're on the outside of our bodies. If you think about our bones, they are on the inside of our bodies, and then all of our organs are attached to them and our skins on the outside, right? So when we grow, our skin stretches and our bones stretch, and we can spread out like that. Well, exoskeletons are shells on the outside of the body. So if something wants to grow, it has to make a new exoskeleton that's bigger.

So what it does is, like what a spider does when a spider wants to grow, is it makes this real tender, soft, squishy exoskeleton on the inside of its old shell. And then, when it gets big enough, the old shell breaks down the back and the spider will squeeze out of it like we will kind of squeeze out of a tight pair of blue jeans. And then there's our spider, and it's all squishy and soft. So it has to hide somewhere so that it can get hard and turn back into the spiders that we know and love.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[REPEATED UMS]

MOLLY BLOOM: I can't wait to hear this list. It's the Brain's Honor Roll. These are the incredible listeners who send us their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives.

[LISTING HONOR ROLL]

[THEME MUSIC]

We'll be back soon with more answers to your questions.

SOPHIA: Thanks for listening.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You know that feeling where you get a snippet of a song stuck in your head and it loops over and over? Those hard to shake songs are also known as earworms, and in this episode Molly has a particularly sticky one in her brain.

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Claire

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Podcasts/audio files can promote participation in the classroom because teachers are able to create and edit their podcasts after. Student are also able to work ahead, at their own pace, on their own time. Teachers can also use podcasts to promote  creativity in the classroom because it allows students to be creative in their own way. They are able to create a script and audio that embodies their own personality and extent of knowledge.

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Podcasts/audio files can promote creativity in the classroom by creating an opportunity for student-led learning. A podcast/audio file assignment is the perfect way to introduce creativity into learning. By having students use their knowledge and understanding to build their own product of learning that showcases their comprehension and connections.

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https://www.brainson.org/episode/2021/06/01/totally-slothsome-all-about-sloths
Even though it can be a bit long, Brains On! is a great podcast forum for kids made by kids. I liked this episode because my favorite animals are sloths and the students provide information about them. The adults in the podcast also interact with the students to ask further questions abut what they notice about sloths.

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NARRATOR: You're listening to Brains On where we're serious about being curious.

NARRATOR: Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Come on, Harvey, you can do it. Just say "totally slothsome."

[BEEP]

HARVEY: I'm sorry, Sanden. I cannot complete this task. I do not recognize the command.

[BEEP]

SANDEN TOTTEN: "Slothsome," I created my own word by combining "sloths" with "awesome." See, "slothsome?"

[BEEP]

HARVEY: Are you looking for a recipe for some sauce?

[BEEP]

SANDEN TOTTEN: Ugh, no, why is this so hard?

[BEEP]

CRISTINA AREU: Sanden, what are you doing?

SANDEN TOTTEN: Oh, hey, Cristina. Hey, Molly. I'm just trying to expand Harvey's vocabulary. You?

MOLLY BLOOM: We're just heading over to the studio.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Slothsome.

CRISTINA AREU: He's doing it again.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh yeah, he's always trying to get us to adopt his word inventions. Sanden, this is just like when you tried to make turdriffic happen.

CRISTINA AREU: Or caketastic.

SANDEN TOTTEN: But slothsome is different.

MOLLY BLOOM: Is it? It's kind of a mouthful.

CRISTINA AREU: Yeah, can you even say it three times fast?

SANDEN TOTTEN: Slothsome, slothsome, sloth-- slothsome-- sloth-- no, apparently, I can't. But I can say it three times slowly. Check it out. (SLOWLY) Sloth--

MOLLY BLOOM: Sorry, Sanden, we've got to go. We've got a show to tape.

CRISTINA AREU: See you later.

SANDEN TOTTEN: I hope it's slothsome. It'll catch on eventually.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MOLLY BLOOM: You are listening to Brains On for American Public Media. I'm Molly Bloom. And my co-host today is Cristina Areu from Miami. Hi, Cristina.

CRISTINA AREU: Hi, Molly.

MOLLY BLOOM: So not only is Cristina a Brains On fan, she's also one of the voices of Brains On en Español. If you haven't checked it out yet, there are currently six episodes of Spanish Brains On. You can find it by searching for Brains On en Español at our website or wherever you get your podcasts. So Cristina, I'm curious, what was your favorite fact you learned working on Brains On en Español?

CRISTINA AREU: Learning why our shoes smell. And the reason is because our glands get bigger and they can trap more odors.

MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly. You learn so much. So, Cristina, you also have another podcast that you host as well, right?

CRISTINA AREU: Yes, it is called Catalina Stars Young and Famous with Cristina Areu and I'm Christina Areu.

MOLLY BLOOM: That makes sense. So what do you do on your podcast?

CRISTINA AREU: I interview young Latinx stars.

MOLLY BLOOM: Very cool. So who are some of the stars you've talked to recently?

CRISTINA AREU: Natalia Clement and Justina.

MOLLY BLOOM: Well, you're an accomplished podcaster, but you also happen to be a superfan of sloths. So, Cristina, what is your favorite thing about sloths?

CRISTINA AREU: That they move slow.

MOLLY BLOOM: Why do you like that about them?

CRISTINA AREU: Because it's just so cute. They move slow even though they can move fast. And they're the slowest mammal on Earth.

MOLLY BLOOM: I am also a very big sloth fan. I wrote a report on three-toed sloths back in third grade and have been in love ever since. And it turns out our listeners are obsessed too. You all send us so many sloth questions.

CRISTINA AREU: So we're going to start by answering this one.

CAMILA AND ARTHUR: Why are sloths so slow?

MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks to Camila and Arthur for that question. If there's one thing sloths are famous for, it's being slow.

CRISTINA AREU: They move slowly. They digest slowly. They even blink slowly. If a sloth were a Brains On co-host, the beginning of the show would sound like this. (SLOWLY) You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious.

MOLLY BLOOM: OK, now, we should probably stop there because that could take a while. But, yeah, sloths are slow.

CRISTINA AREU: But it's not because they're lazy. It's because they're really, really efficient.

MOLLY BLOOM: That means they use every bit of energy they have very wisely. Because it's really hard for sloths to get energy.

CRISTINA AREU: Yeah, they live in trees and eat flowers and leaves. But those things don't have a lot of nutrients. So they have to make the most of what little they get.

MOLLY BLOOM: For example, sloths have multi-chambered stomachs, like a cow, that let them slowly digest that food and squeeze out every bit of nutrition from this limited diet.

CRISTINA AREU: They also move as little as possible to save energy. And when they do move, they move slowly.

MOLLY BLOOM: They also have three extra vertebrae in their neck so they can swivel their heads almost all the way around, another neat energy-saving trick. Why move to see something when you can just turn your head?

CRISTINA AREU: Sloths have so many fascinating adaptations that let them live in this very specific tree-dwelling lifestyle.

MOLLY BLOOM: Here to tell us more about how amazingly cool sloths are is zoologist Lucy Cooke.

CRISTINA AREU: She's the founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society. Welcome, Lucy.

LUCY COOKE: Hello, hello, hello, hello.

CRISTINA AREU: What inspired you to start the Sloth Appreciation Society?

LUCY COOKE: Well, that's a very good question. I started the Sloth Appreciation Society-- it was about 10 years ago now. I felt that sloths were getting a bad rap and that people didn't really understand how amazing they are. And I still remember very clearly the first time I saw a sloth. And it kind of blew my mind, you know? And I just, I just was mesmerized by how slow they are.

You know, as a zoologist, I just wanted to understand them. But also, on top of that, they have these amazing faces that look a bit like they're humans with these wonderful smiles. So there's a lot to love.

CRISTINA AREU: We're going to ask you a few questions sent in to us from our listeners. This one is from Ivy in Austin, Texas. "How are sloths able to "swim?

LUCY COOKE: So sloths live on leaves. And when they are digesting their leaves, they generate quite a lot of gas. As if there wasn't enough reasons to love sloths, they're the only mammal that we know of that doesn't fart. And so what happens with all this gas is that it forms an in-built buoyancy device that basically makes them bob along in water.

CRISTINA AREU: Wow.

MOLLY BLOOM: Could you just describe what it looks like when they do swim?

LUCY COOKE: When sloths do swim, it's incredibly cute. Because they do a sort of a doggy paddle-- a slothy paddle, I should say, really. The legs don't do much. But the arms do a sort of slothy doggy paddle out the front, whilst they're big inflated fart-filled belly bobs and keeps them-- keeps the body--

CRISTINA AREU: Aw, so cute.

LUCY COOKE: Yeah.

MOLLY BLOOM: And do they swim as slow as they do everything else?

LUCY COOKE: No, no, that's the amazing thing.

CRISTINA AREU: What?

LUCY COOKE: I think it's something like when they swim, they're are actually three times faster than they are when they're on-- when they're crawling along the ground. So, yeah, they swim a lot faster than they crawl, which is amazing.

CRISTINA AREU: Our next question is from Lillian in California. "Are sloth babies just as slow as their parents? Or do they have more energy like human kids?"

LUCY COOKE: I would say-- you know, I don't know the answer to that. So, I mean, how wonderful to be asked a question that's so imaginative that I've not been asked it before and I don't know the answer. So thank you very much for that. I've watched sloth mothers and babies together. And the babies are also very slow like their mothers.

And the thing is about being fast is it burns a lot of energy. And when you're a little baby, you want to use all your energy for growing and getting bigger. So my guess would be that they are as slow, if not slower than their parents, say that all of their energy goes into growing into adults and isn't wasted on whizzing around unnecessarily.

CRISTINA AREU: Luke from California wrote in with this question.

LUKE: Why do you sloths have long claws?

LUCY COOKE: Well, so sloths have claws because it helps them dangle from trees. You know, sloths are just amazing energy savers. They really kind of wrote the book on sustainable living.

And one of the ways that they save a lot of energy is by hanging from trees. And the way that they dangle is using those claws, which are actually very long and curved. And so they sort of grip on like a clothesline peg and just dangle there.

CRISTINA AREU: Levi from Knoxville, Tennessee wrote in with this question.

LEVI: If sloths sleep upside down, why don't their hands let go when they're sleeping?

LUCY COOKE: They just clamp those claws tight and so I suspect that the control of that muscle that clamps that claw and that limb onto the tree, that's not controlled by their consciousness. That's something that's an unconscious control so that it can't be overridden by being asleep.

CRISTINA AREU: Marina from Milwaukee was wondering--

MARINA: How do sloths not get headaches when the blood rushes to their head?

LUCY COOKE: I mean, exactly. How? How do they do that? It's amazing, right?

My understanding is that they have the valves in their blood vessels such that they pump blood against the force-- with more efficiency against the force of gravity. And then the other thing that that's really cool is because they're upside down, they have these really huge stomachs that they eat a lot of food. And that, because they're upside down, could crush their lungs and make breathing really difficult. Scientists have discovered that they have sticky bits on their ribs that prevent the stomach from collapsing on their lungs and make breathing easier. So they have all of these extraordinary adaptations to leading an inverted life.

CRISTINA AREU: I have a question. How heavy are sloths?

LUCY COOKE: So this is surprising, right? So a lot of their size is taken up by their fur. They have a very deep and dense fur coat. And that's one of their energy-saving tactics that they-- even though they live in the tropics where it's really, really warm, they wear this really thick coat like they're an Arctic creature. And that keeps all their body warmth in.

So they seem a lot bigger. And, in fact, when you see sloths that have got wet, they look like drowned rats. I mean, they really, you can see then. And they have these sort of skinny limbs. And they have this big old belly, which is full of digesting leaves. But their limbs are long and skinny.

So they're actually really light. And a three-toed sloth is about the size of a large house cat. But it doesn't weigh anything like as much as a house cat.

MOLLY BLOOM: That is amazing. Sloths are so cool. And so, as the founder of the South Appreciation Society, do you feel like there's any lessons that humans could learn from the sloth way of life?

LUCY COOKE: You know, we're all very aware these days about the need to be much more clever and careful about our energy use and how to recycle energy and how to respect the planet. And I just think sloths are really icons of sustainable living. They've survived tens of millions of years on this planet because they're really good at saving energy. And so I think they've got a whole lot to teach us about that. And they're the original tree huggers. So they should encourage us all to go out there and hug a tree.

CRISTINA AREU: Thanks for answering our questions, Lucy.

LUCY COOKE: I've really enjoyed this interview. Really, really good questions. So I'm really impressed. Thank you everybody.

CRISTINA AREU: Thank you, Lucy.

MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks, Lucy.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, Brains On.

MOLLY BLOOM: Sloths have lots of incredible adaptations or biological tricks that allow them to live the most efficient lives.

CRISTINA AREU: But there's one sloth behavior that confused scientists because it wasn't efficient at all. You see, sloths lived their whole lives up in a big tall tree.

JONATHAN PAULI: About every week, a three-toed sloth will descend. It'll climb down from that big tall tree. And it'll poop at the base of it.

MOLLY BLOOM: That's Jonathan Pauli. He's an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he studies sloths.

JONATHAN PAULI: And then it will crawl right back up. Well, this is really ritualized. By ritualized, I mean it's really every week. It's really something that they do kind of on a weekly basis.

MOLLY BLOOM: This poop behavior was surprising because it seemed to be the opposite of what sloth usually do, which is try to use as little energy as possible.

CRISTINA AREU: Climbing down a tree and then back up again takes a lot of energy. Why would they do this just to poop? Why not just poop way up in the tree and let it fall down?

MOLLY BLOOM: Plus, being on the ground is dangerous for sloths. They are much more likely to be eaten by predators like a jaguar or dog or coyote.

CRISTINA AREU: Lucky for us and all curious people everywhere, Jonathan Pauli is something of a sloth sleuth.

MOLLY BLOOM: He and his research partner, Zach Peery, started studying sloths about 10 years ago.

CRISTINA AREU: And one of the things they wanted to understand was why sloths make this weekly trek to go to the ground just a poop.

JONATHAN PAULI: It must be important. There must be a benefit if they're literally dying to do it, but also really working hard to do it too.

MOLLY BLOOM: In just a minute, Jonathan is going to walk us through a sort of scientific detective story.

JONATHAN PAULI: It is a detective story. It was a lot of fun.

MOLLY BLOOM: But first, it's time for your ears to play detective. It's the--

NARRATOR: Shhh. (WHISPERING) Mystery sound.

MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.

[FLAPPING AND FLUTTERING]

Super short, so we will hear it again.

[FLAPPING AND FLUTTERING]

I feel like it's so short we should hear it three times. Here it is.

[FLAPPING AND FLUTTERING]

All right, Cristina, what is your guess?

CRISTINA AREU: My guess is it's something banging against something metal.

MOLLY BLOOM: Mm, wonderful, wonderful thought. Well, we're going to hear it again. So you'll have another chance to guess in just a little bit.

Here at Brains On, we've been answering your questions about the coronavirus for over a year now. This has been a tough and challenging year for everyone, but we hope you've had some moments of joy too and we'd like to hear about them.

CRISTINA AREU: We're working on a new episode and would like to hear about the things from the last year that have been a positive force in your life.

MOLLY BLOOM: Was it more time with your family, learning a new skill? Cristina, is there anything that comes to mind for you that was a good thing about the last year?

CRISTINA AREU: Going out in nature and seeing all different types of birds and animals.

MOLLY BLOOM: That is so cool. Do you have a new favorite bird or animal you've been able to see?

CRISTINA AREU: I did see a couple of Blue Jays.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, beautiful. Yeah, I agree. I think nature has really been a big thing for me this year too. And I really liked being outside of my backyard and seeing the seasons change has been really lovely. Listeners, we'd love for you to record your thoughts and send them to us at brainson.org/contact.

CRISTINA AREU: You can also send us a drawing, mystery sound, or a question.

MOLLY BLOOM: Like this one.

NADIA: Hi, Brains On. I'm Nadia from Phoenix, Arizona. And my question is, why do ostriches stick their head in the ground?

CRISTINA AREU: We'll answer that at the end of the show. And we'll shout out the latest group to join the Brains Honor Roll. So keep listening.

You're listening to Brains On from American Public Media. I'm Cristina.

MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. And this is the mystery sound again.

[FLAPPING AND FLUTTERING]

CRISTINA AREU: I have a new idea on what it is.

MOLLY BLOOM: Let's hear it one more time. And then I'm going to love to hear your new idea.

[FLAPPING AND FLUTTERING]

OK, one more time.

[FLAPPING AND FLUTTERING]

All right, what is your new thought?

CRISTINA AREU: It's a bird.

MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh. Did talking about birds sort of jog that in your memory?

CRISTINA AREU: Yeah.

MOLLY BLOOM: I love that.

CRISTINA AREU: And it sounds like a bird is flapping its wings really hard.

MOLLY BLOOM: Mm, excellent guess. You ready for the answer?

CRISTINA AREU: Yes.

MOLLY BLOOM: All right, here it is.

PHAEDRA MYERS: Hello, my name is Phaedra Myers and that was the mystery sound of my chicken flapping.

MOLLY BLOOM: Hey.

CRISTINA AREU: I knew it was a bird. I knew it was a bird.

MOLLY BLOOM: You got it 100%.

CRISTINA AREU: I knew it was a bird.

MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. Nice work, really great. It was a bird. It was a chicken flapping its wings really hard, just like you said.

CRISTINA AREU: Yes.

MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent ears.

CRISTINA AREU: I didn't know what type of bird it was.

MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, I think it would be very difficult to identify what kind of bird just by the sound. It seems probably impossible. So I think you got it as right on as you possibly could. Well done.

NARRATOR: (SINGING) Brains On. [COUGHS]

MOLLY BLOOM: All right, we've solved that mystery. But now it's time to solve the case of the perilous poop journey.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

CRISTINA AREU: You'll recall our detective scientist Dr. Jonathan Pauli was on the case.

MOLLY BLOOM: He and his research partner were trying to figure out why sloths would bother making their way to the ground to poop.

CRISTINA AREU: The first clue, moths.

MOLLY BLOOM: Sloths have a kind of flightless moth living in their fur, a sloth moth, if you will.

CRISTINA AREU: Like the best roommates, the moths don't play loud music or leave their dishes in the sink. They don't harm the sloth at all. They just keep it company.

MOLLY BLOOM: And it turns out, the moth wouldn't exist without sloth poop.

CRISTINA AREU: When the sloths come down for its weekly poop, female moths will jump down onto the poop and lay their eggs.

JONATHAN PAULI: Now, those eggs develop into larvae. And those larvae then eat the poo. They actually create a really cool chamber within each sloth dung. And it'll eat that. It'll eat the sloth down for its own energy and its own nutrition. And eventually, it will eat enough and grow enough that it will pupate and it will turn into a moth. And for one beautiful fleeting moment, this moth, it has the ability to fly.

And so what does that flying moth do? Well, it drifts up into the tree. At the top of that tree is often a sloth. And they land in the fur of the sloth. And when they land in the fur of the sloth, they actually lose the ability to fly. Their wings get so beaten up that they're not really able to fly effectively. So then they're stranded. And so the cycle continues.

CRISTINA AREU: OK, the moth need a sloth to survive and make more moth babies. But it doesn't seem like the sloth is getting anything out of it.

MOLLY BLOOM: That brings us to the second clue, algae.

JONATHAN PAULI: And so what we realized is that the more moths that a sloth has on its fur, the more algae that a sloth has on its fur. Sloths carry really thick mass of green algae that make them blend in very well with the trees. The idea being that if you're really green and you carry this algae, these things like harpy eagles, which use vision to hunt, won't see you as well. So maybe you'll be able to avoid being killed.

MOLLY BLOOM: So as these moths live their whole lives in the sloths' fur, they eventually die and start decomposing, feeding the algae on the sloth's back and making it more protected from predators.

JONATHAN PAULI: Now this is not something that they're thinking of. They're not thinking, oh, I've got to go poop so I can keep my algae alive, Not, at all. It's one of those indirect benefits that those sloths that do this behavior and maintain their moths have the algae and live longer.

CRISTINA AREU: And that's how Jonathan solved the case of the perilous poop journey.

MOLLY BLOOM: And it all started with a question.

JONATHAN PAULI: It's good to ask questions. That's what we should be doing every day.

MOLLY BLOOM: And thanks to Jonathan's questions and detective work, we also know sloths are the slowest mammals in the world. But there are some other slow animals that deserve to be recognized as well.

CRISTINA AREU: Sounds like the perfect time for So You Think You Can Slow Mo.

[APPLAUSE]

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Welcome back to So You Think You Can Slow Mo, your top time-consuming talent show. I'm your host, Syd Slothworthy. Let's meet today's contestants, Kenny Koala--

KENNY: G'day, mate.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: --Brock the banana slug--

BROCK: Super slimed to be here, bro.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: --and Tina the tortoise.

TINA: Hi.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Each of you will have a chance to showcase your slowest skills today. So are you ready for the slow mo show-off?

KENNY: Oh, you know it.

TINA: Yes.

BROCK: Bet.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Kenny Koala, what will you be doing for us today?

KENNY: Crikey, I reckon my best talent napping. First, I slowly scale a eucalyptus tree, find an ace spot and get comfortable. Then I'll start to doze off. [YAWNS]

I usually sleep for at least 18 hours a day. And if I get hungry, I'll just nab a bit of eucalyptus to snack on.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: But Kenny, isn't eucalyptus poisonous?

KENNY: [YAWNS] Well, mate, to most everyone else, yes. But koalas can flush out the toxins, meaning I can eat pounds of leaves without ever getting sick. The leaves don't give me much energy though. So I have to nap.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Wow-wee, that's mighty impressive.

[APPLAUSE]

Thanks, Kenny.

KENNY: [SNORING]

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Uh, Kenny? And he's fallen asleep. Well, on to the next contestant. Here to perform the world's slowest and slimiest samba, it's Brock the banana slug.

[APPLAUSE]

BROCK: I shimmy to the right. I shimmy to the left.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Just look at him slide across that stage it's taking him ages.

BROCK: I move at a whopping 6 and 1/2 inches per minute. And that's if I'm in a rush.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: I'm absolutely mesmerized by your moves. What's your secret, Brock?

BROCK: It's all in the slime, dude. Not only does it help me glide, but it protects me from predators trying to cop these moves-- well, and from eating me. The slime is most poisonous, bro.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: A defensive dancer, we love to see it.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you, Brock. OK, last but not least, all the way from the Galapagos Islands, we have Tina the tortoise. Tina, what talent do you have for us?

TINA: [CHOMPING] I brought a snack because I'm the most gradual grazer I know.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Let me get this straight, your talent is eating?

TINA: [CHOMPING] Well, kind of. I have a super slow metabolism, which means it takes a long time for my body to transform food into energy. I can go up to a whole year without eating or drinking a single thing.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Legit lethargic, that is one slow stomach.

TINA: And now we wait. This could take a while.

SYD SLOTHWORTHY: Looks like that's all the time we have for today. We'll check back in with Tina in a couple of weeks. Thanks for watching So You Think You Can Slow Mo.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MOLLY BLOOM: Sloths aren't lazy. They just live extremely energy efficient lives.

CRISTINA AREU: They have all sorts of amazing adaptations that allow them to live happily and slowly up in the trees.

MOLLY BLOOM: Three-toed sloths make a dangerous pooping journey once a week, but they do it in support of their moth friends and algae camouflage.

CRISTINA AREU: Just like sloths, other animals use their slow nature as a way to survive.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Wow, these facts are totally slothsome. Anybody? [SCOFFS] Come on.

CRISTINA AREU: Oh, Sanden.

MOLLY BLOOM: That's it for this episode of Brains On.

CRISTINA AREU: Brains On is produced by Menaka Wilhelm, Sanden Totten, Marc Sanchez, and Molly Bloom.

MOLLY BLOOM: We had production help from Ruby Guthrie and Christina Lopez and engineering help from Veronica Rodriguez and Alejandro Juan. Special thanks to Cathy Areu, Lupe De Los Santos, Rosie DuPont, Paul Guthrie, and Jack Silver Nagel.

CRISTINA AREU: Brains On is a nonprofit Public Radio program. You can support the show at brainson.org/fans.

MOLLY BLOOM: There you can find links to donate or join our free fan club or check out our new Brains On merch.

CRISTINA AREU: We now have Brains On shirts, baseball hats, and face masks.

MOLLY BLOOM: And you can buy the Brains On book there too. That's brainson.org/fans.

CRISTINA AREU: Now, before we go, it's time for our moment of "um."

ALL: Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um.

NADIA: Why do ostriches stick their head in the ground?

SUSHMA REDDY: That's a very good question. So my name is Sushma Reddy. And I am the Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology at the Bell Museum that's at the University of Minnesota.

Ostriches don't do that for-- to avoid things. What they're doing when they bury their heads is probably one of at least three things. One is that they actually lay their eggs on the ground in a nest that the males scrapes out.

And they lay eggs in this nest. And so they use their bills to turn the eggs and as they're incubating them and as they're taking care of them. And so they're probably bending down to turn eggs.

Another reason why they might do that is to eat, right? So they're eating by bending down. But sometimes they're also ingesting little bits of rock. And they use that to help in digestion of the things that they eat. They eat plants mainly. And so they need a little bit of extra help to kind of get that grinding in their stomachs.

Finally, they have really long necks. And so they often kind of lift their heads up and curve it down to look around so they can get different angles. They have really good eyesight. And so using their necks in different angles will help them to really get a good view of what's around them, if there are predators around, and help them to see what they need to see.

ALL: Um. Um. Um.

MOLLY BLOOM: I'm looking at this list from every possible viewpoint and it looks amazing. This is the Brains Honor Roll. These are the incredible listeners who share their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives with us.

[LISTING HONOR ROLL]

We'll be back soon with more answers to your questions.

CRISTINA AREU: Thanks for listening.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Slow moving sloths and their perma-smiles have captured the heart and minds of people everywhere. Find out what makes this slowest moving mammal tick.

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https://www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast/
This episode focused on the challenges and ways to overcome difficulties in education caused by the pandemic. The best way for teachers to get through the current uncertain times is to work with the tools that they are most comfortable with and are efficient with being absorbed by students.

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Speaking - Teacher Keynote and Spotlights with Vicki Davis

# data[].attributes.body
Podcast/ audio files can promote creativity in the classroom by giving the students the opportunity to create and share their own ideas. Podcast/ audio files can promote authentic and meaningful learning because students now are living in a multimedia culture where products, like these, are used daily.

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Podcasts/audio files can promote accessibility in the classroom by providing another way for students to have differentiated representation of content. Students can listen longer than watching or reading. Podcasts are a great resource for students to learn content in a new and engaging way. To add, if the podcasters speak too fast, transcripts can be provided for people to read.

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This episode talked about hoe Podcasting can help improve the listening skills of students. They spend the first couple of minutes describing a podcast and its focus on the spoken word. They discussed how beneficial it is to listen to something instead of watching it unfold in front of you. They talk about how listening can help encourage creativity through the imagining of the images associated with the words you are hearing. They gave tips for someone who is starting out in the podcast world. Then they go in and talk about hoe podcasts help improve student oral comprehension skills and listening proficiency skills. Podcasts help students learn how to listen carefully, pick up details, and convey visual images.

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A candid, look at the new big ideas that are transforming classrooms everywhere from a practicing teacher's point of view.

A candid, look at the new big ideas that are transforming classrooms everywhere from a practicing teacher's point of view.

TeacherMike72

Not every bit of wisdom is immediately applicable to my particular situation, but her interviews are innovative and their subjects know their trade. Vicki, you really help add legitimacy to our profession and your enthusiasm is contagious. Great work!

Motivation

I appreciate the motivation that comes from listening to these podcasts! It helps a teacher like me continue to feel motived to do her best as she continues to learn the ropes of online learning! Thank you for the advice and tips as well!

How to make Priorities...

Seems like two really nice people. I heard a lot of validation to each other.
I also heard, ... in the teaching industry everyone validates that you're supposed to work a lot.

You feel sorry that they think that way. And it's a negative to not bring work home. So, I'm feeling a bit envious and wanting to know how to walk away from my job at the end of the day without bringing homework. The advice was never given. Just a commercial for your coaching. I'm sure it's great. But I listen for 30 minutes... And I didn't get the tip.

I'll try another show, and see what happens.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
every classroom matters with cool cat teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‎Every Classroom Matters With Cool Cat Teacher on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A candid, look at the new big ideas that are transforming classrooms everywhere from a practicing teacher's point of view.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.kidnuz.org/podcast
I listened to the episode posted today 10/20/21. I think this podcasts can be popular among students because it gives them a news like broadcast but geared towards news that students will find interesting and will be able to relate to. They discussed Halloween displays, popular apps, and Superman.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
KidNuz - six minutes of today's top news stories, current events, politics, science, entertainment, sports and more - all nonpartisan and age-appropriate for kids.

# data[].attributes.body
Podcasts/audio files promote creativity in the classroom by allowing students to create their own dialogue based on the content they are learning through the lessons. Students are much more inclined to learn and absorb a lesson when they are able to engage with the content and creating personalized podcasts are very popular amongst students.

# data[].attributes.body
This podcast is about homework and reimagining what homework can be now. This teacher says just doing things as a family can be good homework (counting while brushing teeth, reading with a parent, etc.). The teacher also states that worksheets are not good homework. I enjoyed this podcast because it is informative and helpful.

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‎Every Classroom Matters With Cool Cat Teacher: Reimagining Homework with Teachers, Students and Parents on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎Show Every Classroom Matters With Cool Cat Teacher, Ep Reimagining Homework with Teachers, Students and Parents - Mar 31, 2017

# data[].attributes.body
Podcasts/audio files can promote accessibility in the classroom by allowing the students to retrieve the information from anywhere. Additionally, they can listen to it wherever they are, whether it is inside or outside of the classroom, at any time. And it gives them the opportunity to learn new and interesting topics

# data[].attributes.body
I listened to Episode 1: Six Minutes Begins. I really like the story-telling nature of the podcast! It was interesting to listen to for every bit of the 7 minutes! The story they are telling is a thrilling story of a girl named Holiday who was found in the cold waters of Alaska. I think they did an excellent job of introducing this story and hooking the listener.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Discover the most downloaded family audio drama in history. Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she'll soon learn she's not alone in the world.
From Peabody Award-winning Gen-Z Media, creators of The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel and The Big Fib, Six Minutes is a thrilling adventure for the whole family. New episodes of Season 3, Six Minutes: Out of Time release every Tuesday and Thursday.
Produced by Gen-Z Media. For more great Gen-Z shows visit http://gzmshows.com

Discover the most downloaded family audio drama in history. Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she'll soon learn she's not alone in the world.
From Peabody Award-winning Gen-Z Media, creators of The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel and The Big Fib, Six Minutes is a thrilling adventure for the whole family. New episodes of Season 3, Six Minutes: Out of Time release every Tuesday and Thursday.
Produced by Gen-Z Media. For more great Gen-Z shows visit http://gzmshows.com

When?

WHEN IS SEASON FOUR??????? I really love the show though!
I also support the ship caseliegh.

NOW part2 warning spoilers

January 19th-the head master isn't Jude it's the founder of the school Gwenaver Fontaine is still the head master. And have Remy and Cye already met because like she said that she recinised Cyebot's voice. WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! And is is bad that I kinda like Cam(I'm a girl🫥😬) and so like um if the the future version of Cye came back through the portal then the one that we know as the original is 2 years in the future.

Bro this is just what I listen to every day the best podcast I have ever listened to 🤩🥳🤩🥳

Love it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover the most downloaded family audio drama in history. Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she'll soon learn she's not alone in the world. From Peabody Award-wi...

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Cult of Pedagogy
As a teacher who is teaching ELA, reading, and writing, using podcasts is a great tool to boost your student's language and listening comprehension skills. Without the visual of a video, students' listening skills are fully being used and by frequently using podcasts in the classroom you are improving upon these skills. Overall, podcasts are a great tool for teachers in order to improve upon their student language and listening skills.

# data[].attributes.body
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/every-classroom-matters-with-cool-cat-teacher/id606677009

4 powerful ways to teach students through play:
This podcast was very informational and it reminded me of a radio talk show. There were different teachers in the podcast that were asking and answering questions back and forth. The podcast was informational and gave many options to teach students through play.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A candid, look at the new big ideas that are transforming classrooms everywhere from a practicing teacher's point of view.

A candid, look at the new big ideas that are transforming classrooms everywhere from a practicing teacher's point of view.

TeacherMike72

Not every bit of wisdom is immediately applicable to my particular situation, but her interviews are innovative and their subjects know their trade. Vicki, you really help add legitimacy to our profession and your enthusiasm is contagious. Great work!

Motivation

I appreciate the motivation that comes from listening to these podcasts! It helps a teacher like me continue to feel motived to do her best as she continues to learn the ropes of online learning! Thank you for the advice and tips as well!

How to make Priorities...

Seems like two really nice people. I heard a lot of validation to each other.
I also heard, ... in the teaching industry everyone validates that you're supposed to work a lot.

You feel sorry that they think that way. And it's a negative to not bring work home. So, I'm feeling a bit envious and wanting to know how to walk away from my job at the end of the day without bringing homework. The advice was never given. Just a commercial for your coaching. I'm sure it's great. But I listen for 30 minutes... And I didn't get the tip.

I'll try another show, and see what happens.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
every classroom matters with cool cat teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‎Every Classroom Matters With Cool Cat Teacher on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A candid, look at the new big ideas that are transforming classrooms everywhere from a practicing teacher's point of view.

# data[].attributes.body
Podcasts/audio files promote accessibility in the classroom by including students who cannot read or have a reading disability. Audio files provide the same information as written text just in a way that is more accessible to students with different abilities.

# data[].attributes.body
Brain On! Episode: Crystals
This episode features an adult or more likely an educator speaking to children about crystals. Students submitted their questions or opinions on crystals and then come on to the podcast to explain further or get their questions answers.

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Listen to this episode from Brains On! Science podcast for kids on Spotify. This episode shines a light on crystals, and they're sparkling right back at us! We'll zoom way in on a diamond to understand the structure that makes crystals special, and hear about some unexpected crystals, too (hint: chocolate chip cookies contain a few different crystals!).

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/six-minutes/id1348470106

I listened to Episode 1 of Remy's Life Interrupted. It was a nice and short introduction to her life and what her podcast would be about. I loved that she called it a diary because that is what I believe students could use their podcast for also. She discussed her family life, why she started the podcast, and what she would talk about in the future episodes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Discover the most downloaded family audio drama in history. Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she'll soon learn she's not alone in the world.
From Peabody Award-winning Gen-Z Media, creators of The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel and The Big Fib, Six Minutes is a thrilling adventure for the whole family. New episodes of Season 3, Six Minutes: Out of Time release every Tuesday and Thursday.
Produced by Gen-Z Media. For more great Gen-Z shows visit http://gzmshows.com

Discover the most downloaded family audio drama in history. Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she'll soon learn she's not alone in the world.
From Peabody Award-winning Gen-Z Media, creators of The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel and The Big Fib, Six Minutes is a thrilling adventure for the whole family. New episodes of Season 3, Six Minutes: Out of Time release every Tuesday and Thursday.
Produced by Gen-Z Media. For more great Gen-Z shows visit http://gzmshows.com

When?

WHEN IS SEASON FOUR??????? I really love the show though!
I also support the ship caseliegh.

NOW part2 warning spoilers

January 19th-the head master isn't Jude it's the founder of the school Gwenaver Fontaine is still the head master. And have Remy and Cye already met because like she said that she recinised Cyebot's voice. WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! And is is bad that I kinda like Cam(I'm a girl🫥😬) and so like um if the the future version of Cye came back through the portal then the one that we know as the original is 2 years in the future.

Bro this is just what I listen to every day the best podcast I have ever listened to 🤩🥳🤩🥳

Love it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover the most downloaded family audio drama in history. Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she'll soon learn she's not alone in the world. From Peabody Award-wi...

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Podcasts/audio files can promote higher order thinking skills in the classroom by allowing students to create a product after learning about a subject/topic. The teacher can ask an open ended question that requires a higher level of thinking than yes/no or multiple choice questions.

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Podcasts/audio files can promote creativity in the classroom by allowing students to make a script and audio of themselves expressing a wide range of topics. Because podcasts are so flexible, students can use this tool to express anything they would like to. By making a script, they are able to add elements of their personalities and humor to it in order to make it entertaining to the listener.

# data[].attributes.body
Podcasts/ audio files can promote creativity in the classroom by giving students another way to express themselves. They can tell stories and talk to others without the pressure of standing up in front of people in a classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.brainson.org/episode/2015/08/13/thunder-lightning-and-tornadoes-where-do-they-come-from

This podcast involves children asking questions to the adults who make the podcast. The podcast can help students learn about weather and how thunder, lightning, and tornadoes form. This allows children to ask questions they are curious about (anything from weather to the invention of trash is included in this podcast).

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Thunder, lightning and tornadoes: Where do they come from?

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There are some basic ingredients to make thunderstorms and tornadoes. We’ll find out what they are – and how to observe these powerful and amazing storms safely.