podcasting by Terry Freedman.gif
I’ve trawled through the web to find some decent podcasts for teachers of Computing. Believe me, it wasn’t easy: some are unlistenable to. Anyway, here are some of the best, at least in my opinion.
This list is from an article I wrote for Sec Ed in 2018.
Chips with Everything (UK): This podcast from The Guardian covers a wide variety of topics, is updated weekly and comes in under 30 minutes. So what’s not to like? Well, some might quibble at the fact that it covers more than computer science, or even not pure computer science. It focuses instead on how it’s applied. For instance, recent episodes look at Raspberry Pi, algorithms and robots masquerading as humans. It’s very enjoyable and informative: http://bit.ly/SecEdChips
Day in Tech History (US): As its name suggests, this looks at what technology was discovered, invented or featured in the news for whatever reason on today’s date in the past. It’s updated every day, and at under 10 minutes is quite short. On the plus side it would be good for listening with students as a stimulus for discussion, such as the one covering the introduction of ethernet. On the downside, it’s quite random, as you might expect. For example, there’s one on McDonalds, and one on the launch of the Wordperfect suite (does anyone remember that?): http://dayintechhistory.com
Edtech Minute (US): The host speaks very fast: well, he’s got to get through everything in a minute! In fact, some episodes are two minutes, but it is a great idea if you are pressed for time (and who isn’t?). It is very up-to-date in terms of the topics covered, such as new features in Google applications. It includes tech tips for teachers, and even book recommendations: http://bit.ly/SecEdMin
Edtech Situation Room (US): This features two American educators. One of them is Wes Fryer, who is quite well-known on the ed-tech circuit in schools. The subjects covered are quite random, and while some are interesting (such as bots), it is a bit of pot luck. The episodes are quite long – around an hour or more as a rule – and because each episode covers a variety of topics you’ll have to look in the information section rather than the title to find out what’s being discussed: http://bit.ly/SecEdSit
Microsoft Innovative Expert (US): Before you say “we’re not a Microsoft school” and move on to the next one, hang on a second. Although this is American, it’s not just US-centred, and although it’s based around Microsoft products and projects, there are some topics which have a wider application. For instance: Should kids learn computer science? What makes a great data assessment tool? How can we create a safe learning environment? And it’s only around 30 minutes long: http://bit.ly/SecEdMS
Ten-minute Teacher Podcast (US): This is the podcast from Vicki Davis, a well-known ed-tech personality who has run the Cool Cat Teacher blog for years. Vicki lives and works in Georgia, USA, and her podcast mostly consists of interviews with experts. It doesn’t cover only ed-tech, and rarely covers computer science. Still, topics have included assessment, how to use Google Slides and social media. It’s very short and updated every weekday: www.coolcatteacher.com/podcast/
Educating Technology (US): With a new episode every week, this is a very up-to-date show comprising two American men chatting about ed-tech. At 40 minutes, it is a bit on the long side but it is worth giving it a try: http://bit.ly/SecEdEd
The Edtech Podcast (UK): This is British, typically lasts around 30 minutes, and consists of interviews with educators. Sophie Bailey is the host, and recent topics have include AR and Nordic Ed Tech: https://theedtechpodcast.com/edtechpodcast/
The TechEducator Podcast (US): The content of this podcast is quite eclectic. For example, social media, ways of using video in the classroom, and computer science for all students. The length ranges from under half-an-hour to over an hour. It’s American, so some topics, such as data privacy laws, are not entirely relevant: http://bit.ly/SecEdTech
The Wireducator (US): At around 30 to 60 minutes long, this American podcast features interviews covering a range of topics, such as leadership, and ways of using video in the classroom. It’s interesting: https://wirededucator.com/podcast/
The whole four-part series
Podcasts And Videos For Computing Teachers: Introduction
10 Podcasts For Computing Teachers