Listen Edition ISTE
At the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference 2014, there were a ton of great high-tech solutions for educators. A ton. From robots to apps to 3D interfaces, the advances in the EdTech industry are astounding. However, we came across one startup that is capturing the power of one of the oldest technologies in the world. Listen Edition allows teachers to utilize and incorporate public radio broadcasts into their lessons.
Listen Edition curates public radio stories and builds custom lesson plans around them that are written to the Common Core and aligned with state standards. The lesson plans include class activities, homework, links to additional resources, and assessment evidence. Listen Edition teaches students critical listening and thinking skills. The use of current public radio stories allows teachers to weave 21st century interdisciplinary themes into core subjects, including civil literacy and global awareness.1
While the industry as a whole is shifting towards more immersive and more high-tech solutions, it is refreshing to see a company take an old school approach to education. Public radio is a great source of information. Say what you will about NPR, BBC, and others, but for all the criticisms, these public radio avenues have a ton of great objective commentary. We had a chance to speak with Karen Gage, the COO of Listen Edition, during the ISTE 2014 Conference. Karen told us a bit more about the company, as well as how some teachers are incorporating radio into their teaching:
