It’s harder to monitor student progress when you are not with them for most of their work time. Many teachers used Listenwise during class time when they could walk around the classroom, see who needed help, answer questions, or provide support where needed. Now it’s much harder to see the struggle, confusion, or disengagement in…
As students return to school, they are undoubtedly bringing a wide variety of emotions to class, including potentially those resulting from traumatic experiences such as loss of loved ones and unsafe home situations. Regardless of background, many have sustained high anxiety for months, which could impact their learning and their emotional health for a long…
During remote learning this spring, students were often expected to do a lot more self-directed learning than before. At the same time teachers were in need of engaging content more than ever, because a disengaged student who’s expected to work independently is probably not doing much learning at all! As many educators are refining their…
Spring 2020 Our collection of more than 2000 expertly told stories touch upon a wide variety of topics and themes. There is undoubtedly something for everyone. Here are some staff favorites, with some thoughts about how they have affected us. Squirrels Are Listening I like this one because it tells a small story and a…
In times of stress, there is nothing like a good story to engage the mind and nourish the soul. Our collection of audio stories covers thousands of topics, from prehistoric penguins to pollution, from homelessness to high tech, from sneaker culture to star gazing, and much more. Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite…
This article was originally published in Edsurge November 5, 2019. I have always believed in the power of audio. For decades as an NPR reporter, I created captivating audio stories. But it’s only been in the past few years that the rest of the world has caught up to my love of a good audio…
This blog post is in collaboration with Jeff Bradbury of TeacherCast. Read more on his blog. How can you bring podcasting into your classroom? Start with selecting a purpose that aligns with your curriculum. Will students create podcasts that inform, persuade, analyze, reflect, tell a story, or some combination? Once you have defined a task,…
Today, we highlight an innovative podcasting lesson from Erik Eve’s (a Listenwise Teacher Advocate) 8th-grade social studies class in Lindenhurst, NY, featuring their explorations of historic Washington D.C sites and reflections on their field trip experience. For this project, Erik used podcasting as a medium to inspire student engagement and deepen learning, with the only…
The release of the Mueller report has clarified the threat to American democracy posed by foreign interference in the U.S. election process, including manipulation of the public through social media. As we look ahead to the next election cycle, the urgency of teaching media literacy continues to grow. In honor of National Media Literacy Week…
Listenwise Advocate Sebastian Byers teaches middle and high school students in the Union County Public School district in Monroe, North Carolina. He teaches in a blended online program called Union County Virtual, where he is the program’s Science Teacher in Residence. We sat down with Sebastian to learn about his approach to teaching science in an…