We’ve been developing instructional strategies for teaching K-12 students with podcasts, and along the way, we discovered an amazing educator community resource: HyperDocs. HyperDocs are digital lesson plans that are designed by teachers, for students. They give students access to all the content and instructional resources for a lesson in one organized digital space (learn…
Student choice is an important lever for engagement and personalized learning. The Universal Design for Learning Guidelines suggest “optimizing individual choice and autonomy” as an effective strategy for “providing multiple means of engagement” when designing learning experiences. Any student should be able to find a story of interest among the 2400+ short, engaging audio stories…
We are hearing that in this unprecedented time of COVID-19, more schools are thinking about summer enrichment programs for their students. With significant federal funding from the American Rescue Plan on the way to support student success this summer and in the upcoming school year, Chalkbeat published 6 tips to make your summer school successful. …
You might be hearing the word “equity” a lot these days, and we want to make clear what we mean when we say “Listenwise supports equitable learning.” According to The National Equity Project, “Educational equity means that each child receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential.” “Equitable learning” to…
(Pre-order the book and get stickers for your class!) Today’s blog post explores teaching listening to English learners from the chapter 5 in my upcoming book: Listen Wise: Teach Students to be Better Listeners. You can read more about why listening is a skill that matters (chapter 1), the neuroscience behind listening (chapter 2), and…
The pandemic has changed the landscape of education like never before. It has mobilized the use of technology and created challenges for many students, deepening disparities for some as a result of learning environment changes. As school learning environments continue shifting, it’s important to continue to address the needs of all students, especially striving learners. …
(Pre-order the book below and get stickers for your class!) Today’s blog post explores the intersection between listening and reading from chapter 4 in my upcoming book: Listen Wise: Teach Students to be Better Listeners. You can read more about why listening is a skill that matters (chapter 1), the neuroscience behind listening (chapter 2),…
Supporting students’ mental health will be a core focus for the 2021/22 school year.Many of our podcast lessons can be used to address more than one of the SEL core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision making and social awareness, as well as addressing issues like equity. We’ve tried to make it easy for…
(Pre-order the book and get stickers for your class!) Today’s blog post explores how to teach listening from a chapter in my upcoming book: Listen Wise: Teach Students to be Better Listeners. In my other sneak peeks, you can read more about chapter 1 and why listening is a skill that matters and chapter 2…
Many educators are seeking ways to diversify teaching resources and incorporate underrepresented voices and perspectives into their curriculum. Sharing and discussing podcasts featuring stories and viewpoints of real people in their own voices can activate students’ emotions, validate their experiences, foster empathy, and promote understanding of diverse perspectives. These stories can also seed constructive dialogue…