From art to social studies, the Tech Chicks tap the best in educational audio

Podcasts—if you haven’t already heard—are a great way to expand learning beyond the four walls of your classroom or library. Just imagine taking your students on a tour of the great halls of the Louvre one day and the high-altitude plains of the Peruvian altiplano the next. You can do all this and more with podcasts, episodic digital files that are the 21st-century equivalent of an old-time radio show. Available in audio only, enhanced (with images), or video formats, podcasts are available for free online, where you can download individual episodes or subscribe to a feed. We’ve gathered a selection of choice podcasts—some of our favorites—to help you introduce concepts, review lessons, and supplement the curriculum. We hope you’ll give a listen and consider sharing these dynamic resources with your students and teachers. The links in this article are available at techchicktips.net/slj/07Dec.

Art and Music

We have to say that although there are only two episodes, Art History in Just a Minute (well, more like four) is among our favorites. Produced by EwArt Productions and hosted by art historian Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe, this video podcast offers an amusing, but informative look at famous artwork, including da Vinci’s Last Supper. Maybe if we bombard him with requests, he’ll give us more. Another pick is Art History narrated by Antonia Bath and available via LearnOutLoud, an educational media company. Again, short (from two to six minutes long), but worthwhile, it includes companion Web episodes with links that allow you to download a PDF of the artwork discussed. We also like the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Otis College of Art and Design, which is a part of iTunes U. A section of the online music store, sporting the same look and feel of the Apple outpost, iTunes U provides listeners with lectures, presentations, and other content from institutions across the globe, including Duke University, Stanford, and Yale. It’s definitely worth a browse. In music, we like the Pandora Podcast Series. Sponsored by radio site Pandora—the one that lets you personalize a playlist according to your past favorites—these unique podcasts provide listeners with a backstory, of sorts, covering various musical genres. “Word Choice in Lyrics” and “Hip Hop Rhyme Schemes” are just two episodes in this highly accessible program. A more traditional presentation, but also worth a listen, is Music Appreciation. Produced by Tim Haley, a music professor at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, NC, this podcast consists of Haley’s informative and sometimes quirky recorded lectures. Created by blogger BamPro, Dance Vids is a great source for brief clips representing a range of artistic expression, including a beautifully shot rehearsal sequence inside a racquetball court. In the classical vein, Anaheim’s Ballet vodcast series is also recommended.

Language Arts

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing makes learning “the rules” fun for many ages. Hosted by “GG” herself, Mignon Fogarty, this podcast offers five- to 10- minute tips on common grammar faux pas, with most topics derived from listener requests. One segment, for example, is devoted to the use of “you and I” versus “you and me,” while another, “Barry Bond’s Least Favorite Punctuation Mark,” has a timely flavor (it’s the asterisk, in case you’re wondering). In fiction, there’s Storynory. Produced by U.K. journalists Matthew Lynn and Hugh Fraser, each episode stars Natasha, who reads a classic fairy tale, story, or myth selected by series host Prince Bertie, a frog. Ostensibly for young children, one fan gushed on the iTunes site, “I absolutely love Storynory—and I’m 19!” Pinky Dinky Doo, a character from the Noggin channel, has her own podcast in which she teaches a new word with a “big idea.” Sadly, there are only three episodes to this feed. Still, they provide young listeners with funny stories that encourage reading comprehension. Available in both audio-only and enhanced versions, the program provides related activities on the Web site. Super Why! by PBS Kids is another pick for younger children. With just two enhanced episodes as of this writing, this animated series teaches the alphabet, spelling, and reading comprehension. To encourage K–12 readers, there’s Booktalks Quick and Simple. Hosted by Nancy Keane, a library media specialist at Rundlett Middle School in Concord, NH, this daily podcast covers both new books and old favorites. Interested in some professional development? The International Reading Association has just launched a podcast that offers strategies for improving literacy instruction in K–12 classrooms.

Math

The series Video Math Tutor: Basic Math reviews the prerequisites of algebra. Created by professional math tutor Luis Anthony Ast, these segments (about five to 40 minutes in length) help students in seventh grade through high school visualize the concepts they are learning. Each lesson has a printed version available on the Web site. Dan’s Math Cast is another option for upper grades. The podcasts, produced by California math professor Daniel Bach, are geared toward high school juniors and seniors and at least one episode makes a reference not completely appropriate for younger listeners. But don’t let that stop you from checking out this podcast. Each episode offers freestanding features such as challenging problems and Dan’s answers to listener submitted questions, ideal for playing portions in class. Some concepts might be accessible to middle school students, as well. As for elementary grades, there simply aren’t that many math podcasts tailored for younger kids. Christopher Frederick, a graduate student at Colorado State University, has created Math Grad Podcast, our next gem. His goal? To demonstrate the importance of math in everyday life through various topics, from voting schemes to the mathematics of loan payments. Another podcast useful for reinforcing math concepts is The Math Factor, created by University of Arkansas math professor Chaim Goodman-Strauss and radio journalist Kyle Kellams. MP3 segments are available for play or download on their Web site, where you’ll also find related puzzles. Have you ever wondered how autistic savants perform their miraculous calculations or how infants do basic subtraction? Find out in Math Mutation, a podcast by Eric Seligman appropriate for high school students.

Science

Running just about a minute long, each video podcast episode from How Stuff Works proffers a tantalizing nugget that will have your students yearning to learn more about a range of subjects, from tattoos to tiger sharks. On this well-organized Web site, you’ll find extended articles, links to related subjects, and photo galleries. Who wouldn’t be fascinated by an album of UFO sightings? For more vidcasts, check out the offerings of the Discovery Network: Science Channel Video, Animal Planet Presents, and Discovery Channel Video. Peering beyond the visible spectrum of light is the Hidden Universe. This video series covers some exciting discoveries, courtesy of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Through infrared astronomy, Spitzer has revealed the universe in astonishing new detail. Segments run up to five minutes long and transcripts are provided for most. Of course, the venerable resource National Geographic (NG) does not disappoint with its syndicated programs. In National Geographic Minutes, you’ll get 60-second bites about a primate—the world’s smallest—that can fit in the palm of your hand and kangaroos that climb trees, among other subjects. World Talk is another NG podcast that offers weekly interviews (15–20 minutes each) with leading scientists. And Video Shorts and Wild Chronicles (also a vidcast) cover all manner of creatures. A new favorite of ours is TERRA: The Nature of Our World. A collective project by an international team of filmmakers, this video series presents an elegant view of “cutting edge science and the farthest horizons of the natural world.” Still can’t get enough of the subject? Then consider Science Update Podcast. Produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the series is available in daily and weekly versions, with 60-second episodes covering the latest in the field, including technology and medicine.

Social Studies

No social studies teacher should be without The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd. Styled as an old-time radio drama, this podcast series is supposedly the longest running one, in continuous production since April 2004. Created by Grant Baciocco and Doug Price, the popular program features the exploits of Dr. Floyd, a famous scientist, and his evil arch nemesis, Dr. Steve, as they encounter famous historical figures—Marc Antony, Meriwether Lewis, Susan B. Anthony, to name a few. There is also a video podcast version of the adventures, though this feed doesn’t have as many episodes as its audio-only counterpart. One of our favorite audio programs is the “Where in the World?” geography quiz, created by KidCast: Podcasting in the Classroom, a project of Dan Schmit, an author and ed-tech specialist. Students in classrooms around the globe contribute to the program, inviting listeners to guess their location based on a set of clues that they record and submit to the project. Listeners email their answers directly to the creators in a fun and challenging problem-solving exercise. Perhaps your students could be inspired to submit their own WhereCast. To access more podcasts, visit EPNWeb.org, the Educational Podcast Network. Maintained by blogger David Warlick, this site is a directory of podcasts intended to enhance learning. Organized by subject and level, from elementary to high school, EPN can help you find the perfect podcast for your class.

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Both educators with Killeen Independent School District in central Texas, Anna Adam and Helen Mowers are the creators of the podcast series Tech Chick Tips (techchicktips.net).