For several years, members of Ector County ISD’s Digital Learning team had “played around” with the idea of a podcast.
In January, they began broadcasting Level Up Your Learning. Always looking for new and different ways to reach teachers for professional learning, podcasts were an avenue to do that.
“… It would be a way for us to share information with people anywhere, anytime,” Director of Digital Learning Lauren Tavarez said.
They had plans to launch the podcast, and then COVID hit.
“Now we’re back to a point where I felt like we could take it on, so we started it in early January,” Tavarez said.
They are aiming to have a podcast every two weeks.
“We’re going to release a new one every two weeks, so we’re now up to two episodes,” Tavarez said.
Digital Learning Specialist Jessica Dominguez said they are trying to keep the podcasts to no more than 15 minutes.
“So it’s something that they can just listen to on the drive home, or on the way to work, breaks, lunch,” Dominguez said.
Tavarez added that educators can listen to the podcasts during their conference period or while taking a walk.
Dominguez said there is a link in their newsletters currently.
Tavarez said it can be searched on Spotify and people can try Anchor.
“Anchor … shoots it out to the major platforms …,” Dominguez said.
Tavarez said they are learning as they go.
“Jess has been … core to helping edit the podcast. We all sit down (and) we record. … (If) nothing else, we look official because we’ve got these microphones that we use for the podcasts. But then Jess and Amanda Webber (a digital learning specialist) take it and edit it, put it all together, get it ready to go and then are able to shoot it out to the podcast universe,” Tavarez said.
Dominguez said the first podcast introduced them and their view on instructional technology.
“Now we’re moving on to what we call the four C’s, which is … creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. So our plan is for the next four podcasts to cover each one of those C’s and how it can be implemented into the classroom,” Dominguez said.
Tavarez said they are hoping to build teachers’ pedagogy and understanding of what digital tools can do in their classroom.
“And so the the focus for the podcast will be all about … sharing digital learning, tools, ideas, lessons that can be used, benefits to our students. It’s just a different way to reach people, as opposed to having a session from four to five in the afternoon and people having to come to a training spot, they can do it anywhere,” Tavarez said.
She added that they have a planning document for future podcasts the team has shared. When they think of things, see things, have conversations with teachers, principals or district leadership that can prompt some ideas they can discuss.
They have received some positive feedback so far. Dominguez said teachers like the podcast’s brevity.
“… I think keeping it short and sweet is … going to help our teachers get a bite of what could possibly be, and then they reach back out to us to say … tell me more about what you were talking about. But it’s just to kind of to whet their appetite on the possibilities,” she added.
Tavarez said she has had several people tell her they are always waiting to see what the digital team is going to do next.
“… I took that as a huge compliment because we honestly do look for ways. I give a lot of credit to Uvalde ISD, their blended learning, personalized learning department. We’ve kind of become friends with their coordinator through different conferences, through social media, Facebook, Twitter, but they actually did a presentation on their podcast on how they put it together, pulled it off, the different things that they shared …,” Tavarez said.
She added that the ECISD team went to a conference in the fall and during the session they decided to try the podcast.
“We started planning at that point. I give them a lot of credit. I think that shows the power of having that network of people … that you can you can also learn from, follow and get ideas,” Tavarez said.
Dominguez added that they are trying to keep the podcast more general and not just ECISD focused so any educator can listen and take something from it.
“This last last podcast, they did mention some resources so they put it on the website. …,” Dominguez said.
“So it’s not only going to be where they can hear it, but they can go back and look at resources that are mentioned. I think it’s going to work out well,” she added.
Dominguez said she thinks it will work out well.
“… It’s been a lot of fun and I think it’s going to be great for us too as another outlet to share information,” Tavarez said.
Dominguez said it also helps different styles of teacher learners. Some like to see things, some like to be shown and some people want to listen about it.
“I think this is just another learning modality to reach different learning styles,” Dominguez said.
Tavarez said the digital learning team sees a lot of value and puts a lot of focus on personalizing the professional learning for staff.
“… We’ve already started doing several things and created and built several new opportunities with that personalized focus, to be able to reach different learning styles for staff and accommodate crazy schedules. Teachers have 1,000,003 things they’re asked to do in a day. And so if we can provide another opportunity that doesn’t require them to be sitting somewhere to do it, but still becoming a better educator, I think it’s an awesome opportunity,” Tavarez said.
She added that you can listen to the podcasts more than once.
Tavarez said it took about an afternoon to finish the first podcast. But she said they will get faster.
“… It was pretty scripted … just for us to feel more comfortable. But that’s what I love about doing new things because I can’t wait for the 20th episode …,” Tavarez said.
The first podcast also showcased everyone’s personalities. But then they decided to have two or three of the digital team on the podcast.
But also that first one had all of them involved.
“… I can already hear huge improvements in the second one. Mandy (Hinojos) and Webby did a great job. It’s much more conversational and it just flows very well with just having the two people instead of all six of us,” Tavarez said.
