Turn off the Screens and Tune in with Podcasts

With an increase of screen-time for students and teachers,   the idea of closing our eyes and listening to podcasts is more appealing than ever! Listening to podcasts gives us the benefit of a good story, opportunity to learn,  or focus on self care without the screen time.  
We are offering 5 ways to turn off your screens and tune in with podcasts.  
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1. Learn something new! Listening to a podcast instead of reading text or watching a video taps into the audio learning styles. There are podcast episodes for practically any topic of interest for you and your students.  Listen to this episode from Mindshift where a teacher shares how he uses podcasts during instruction.  Share episodes of  Earsnacks​​  ​or Tumble Science with your students to compliment your lessons.

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 2. Podcasts provide free entertainment - anytime, anywhere!  If you are new to podcasts, start with some award winning podcasts  and you will find yourself recommending them to students and friends instead of TV series for a weekend bingefest!  Try This American Life , Wow in the World,  or  Story Pirates!

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 3. Get out of that chair and get moving!  Pick a podcast, any podcast and go for a walk with a great episode in your ears.    Here is a list from We Are Teachers to help you get started: 26 Best Podcasts for Students in Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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4. Step away from the screen, close your eyes and listen to a great story.  Older students  may enjoy the mysterious episodes in Welcome to Night Vale, while younger audiences  will find ​Flyist Fables​ ​ to their liking.
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5. With so much extra stress in our homes and schools now, consider bringing meditation and mindfulness to your students with episodes from Peace Out or this Sound Cloud, Meditation for Kids.

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As always, we recommend that you listen to our Somethin' to Tech About podcast episodes right fom from our website,  or search for us on Stitcher,  Spotify, Google Play, and iTunes.  Are you using podcasts in your lessons?  Share your favorites in the comments below. 

For more recommendations:
Best Podcast Apps and Sites for Students - Common Sense Media
Listening to podcasts helps students read and learn - MindShift
The Best Podcasts for Kids Sheltering at Home - Wired