RE: Network Challenge @ Durff’s Blog

mrsdurff at Durff’s Blog issued this challenge today:

“I challenge you to find and listen to a podcast to which you have never listened. You can find podcasts for free in iTunes, at NPR, or Podcast Alley (to name only a few places).  Then blog about the podcast on your blog. That’s it! Pretty simple, but can you do it? Will you do it?”

I will do it!  And I did.  And I’m very pleased with the results 🙂  I’ve been listening to podcasts for several years for pleasure, but only recently have I listened with my ed tech ears.  My personal computer’s iTunes podcatcher regularly gathers episodes of This Week in Tech, MacBreak Weekly, Security Now, and other shows in the Leo Laporte lineup.  I also listen religiously to This American Life, Car Talk, Radio Lab (when they get around to releasing new episodes), and Fresh Air from National Public Radio.  In addition to my own podcasts, my work computer regularly brings down the last remaining episodes of the SMARTBoard Lesson Podcast, The Teachers’ Podcast, and everything David Warlick comes across.  

So I took a copule of minutes after class today and came across Geek!Ed!  By their own admission,

“Geek!Ed! is a frequently-weekly netcast produced by five geeks (and occasional guests) from Pinckney Community Schools, MI. We’re geeks ineducation who aregeeked about the impact of technology on education.”  

Having completed 118 episodes to date, these geeks are not podcasting newbies by any means.  Within seconds, it’s obvious that they have an excellent rapport and are comfortable being recorded.  The newest episode mainly dealt with a 14 year old in their district who had used her mobile phone to distribute inappropriate pictures of herself to other students in the district.  They spoke about how the district was handling the situation, how the media had blown certain aspects of the story out of proportion, and how teachers there were seizing this teachable moment and making the most of it.

As soon as I finished my first episode, I subscribed and started downloading back episodes.  I’m almost finished listening to episode 117 now, in which one participant is reporting in using a skype/speaker assembly.  I certainly look forward to catching up with the 100+ episodes of this program.  It’s a keeper!

Thanks for issuing the challenge, Mrsdurff.