Edutopia Podcast

The Edible Schoolyard was a great podcast. It was exciting to see kids learning while they were doing hands-on tasks. I love how that one garden taught them science, math, cooking, responsibility, independence, and lots more. The best part for me was when the boy could explain how the plant became dry vegetation and then soil and then the soil helped grow another plant to complete and restart the cycle. It really was great to see that you don't have to hammer in the book work, and kids can learn from real life experiences.

A Night in the Global Village was another great podcast. It not only showed students about true hunger and poverty, but it let them live it for a short time. I like how each were divided into groups with different conditions. The best part is that the different groups were all given different supplies such as matches, food, flashlights, etc., but no group had a way to complete a meal. This forced the students to work together to try to reach one goal. This was a great way to teach independence but an even better way to teach teamwork.

These podcasts taught me that I don't have to be another boring teacher. I can have fun with my class and at the same time they have the ability to learn something that is very important. I like the Edible Schoolyard the best. I could see myself having a class like that because I love hands-on learning. It's one thing to teach children something from a book, but it is another thing to let live it, feel it, and experiences it. I think that any prospective teacher should watch these because these were doable and enjoyable projects, and I think the smiles on the kids faces showed that.