Tip of the Week: 13 history podcasts that you actually want to listen to

Maybe it’s just me. But I have a hard time listening to fiction audio books. It’s a little better with non-fiction but it’s gotten to the point that I don’t even try.

But listening to history podcasts? Absolutely, yes please.

If you haven’t noticed, there’s been an absolute podcast explosion in the last few years. And with that huge spike in available podcasts, it makes sense that there would be more history casts available. The problem, of course, is trying to figure out which podcasts you should spend your time listening to.

I’m here to help.

Today we’ve got 13 top-notch history and social studies related podcasts perfect for making you and your kids smarter. But realize that by top-notch, I mean podcasts that I enjoy – your mileage may vary. There should be  something here for just about everybody. Try them all and then head back to your favorites.

Why should you hire a history student? (Spoiler alert. Cause they’re awesome)

For a long time, many in education have viewed the K-12 system as the minor leagues for college. We take pride in how many of our HS grads are accepted into colleges, especially the elite ones. We’ve created curriculum and tests and policy and tracks that encourage the jump from high school to university.

Nothing really wrong with that. I’m a big fan of the liberal arts myself. But not everyone is interested in two or four or eight more years of school. Some are ready to jump into other things. And that’s okay too. But the system can sometimes marginalize those sorts of students.

And so, over the last few years, there’s been a shift. A recent push is happening in a lot of places, Kansas included, to find ways for K-12 education to do a better job of prepping kids for careers as well as college. STEM and STEAM and Pathways and Career Clusters now are helping K-12 schools to become little training grounds for businesses.

Nothing really wrong with that. I’m a big fan of creating employable people myself. But not everyone wants to jump right into the job market. But at times, it can seem as if the push to create employable people marginalizes the humanities – history, art, literature.

I think we can and should do both. And I think most schools are doing a pretty good job of finding the balance. But I do hear more questions about the value of a humanities / history degree than I used to.

What can you do with that degree? How can studying history help you get a job?

And a few months ago, I ran across an old post at a site called Shaunanagins. The name alone was enough to suck me in. But the post title and content kept me around. 30 Reasons it’s Smart to Hire a History Student does a great job of addressing the questions of those who are unsure where the humanities fits into a 21st century curriculum

We know, because we see it every day, how important the transferable skills are that we teach in our classrooms. But Shauna Vert clearly articulates the reasons why businesses need to seek out the history majors.

Need a taste?

10 things you probably don’t know about Abraham Lincoln

It’s February 12. And we all know what that means.

“Time to go buy Valentine candy?”

Uh . . . no.

It’s Abraham Lincoln’s birthdate. Everyone knows this. Well, maybe not everyone. But for me, Lincoln’s birthday has always been one of the highlights of the year. Seriously. For as long as I can remember, February 12 has been a big day for me.

Lincoln has always been my favorite president. I can remember doing research, if you can call looking at his picture in the L volume of World Book Encyclopedia research, in first grade. And my appreciation for him has only grown since elementary school.

I grew up with the traditional rags to riches story of a self-made man, growing up in the wilds of the American west and becoming president. But he’s become much more complex as I’ve had the chance to spend time with him. Perhaps one of the most powerful professional learning experiences I have ever had was spending a week at Gettysburg College with historian Gabor Boritt.

Lincoln is more than just a tall guy with a really good media team. More than a guy who walked three miles in the rain to return six cents in change and who split wood to make fences.

So today . . . ten things you probably didn’t know about Abraham Lincoln.

100 books to read before you die (and a few more)

Amazon phrased it a bit differently when advertising their most recent list:

“100 Books to Read in a Lifetime.”

But I think my title puts a bit more urgency into the process. As in . . . get on it. You don’t have a lot of time left. Start reading cause you could get hit by a bus tomorrow.

However you want to view it, it’s a fun list. And for someone like me, a person who loves books and lists, this is perfect. Of course, the GoodReads people saw the need to edit the list using suggestions from their readers. Get that list here.

Jonesing for more? Try the Huffington Post’s 30 Books to Read Before You’re 30 and the New York Times 100 Greatest Books of All Time.

All of this book goodness got me started thinking about books I’ve read over the last few months and which ones have the potential to make some list somewhere. But I quickly figured out that what I’ve been reading lately probably won’t ever crack the Greatest Books of All Time list.

So I’m making my own list.

Tip of the Week: TED-Ed and Social Studies

I’m busy having a great time at Podstock 2013. It’s a sweet tech conference we put on every year in downtown Wichita that’s a ton of fun. And after last night’s vendor reception, I’m dragging just a bit. So . . . just a quick Tip this week.

Have you ever had a chance to check out the TED-Ed video tool? I’ve talked about it before and really think it offers some handy options for having kids mess with content outside of the classroom. Basically you take a TED or YouTube video, chop it up into small segments, provide additional online resources, create a series of low level and high level questions, and voila, sweet out of class homework and in class conversation starter.

You can even have kids create TED-Ed videos as assessment pieces.

And just recently, I ran across Angela Hamblen Cunningham’s list of TED-Ed videos related specifically to social studies topics. A short teaser?

History Now journal

It’s the middle of June.

I’m guessing most of you are not missing your classroom yet. But if you’re like most teachers, eventually you’ll need a history fix. You’ll need to start planning for next fall. You’ll need to pick up a book or a journal to learn something new.

And when you do, come back here because here’s the link you need: