Podcasts are a powerful medium for consumers and creators. This year it’s been exciting to see so many educators enter the podcasting space. Regular followers of the blog know that I launched my podcast earlier this year. So you can imagine that I get pretty excited to talk about podcasts with my educator friends!
Fellow Apple Distinguished Educator Michael Hernandez introduced his new podcast to the world this year. I had the chance to listen to a handful of episodes. I know you’re going to absolutely love it too! Michael features stories and interviews around topics related to education in a digestible format each week. His podcast is called Change the Narrative, and you can find it in your favorite podcast app.
Change the Narrative Podcast
Michael was kind enough to take time to answer a few questions. You can read below about his new podcast and work in the field. Here’s the full interview!
What was your inspiration for starting your podcast? What does it mean to “change the narrative”?
The idea for this podcast originally came from a talk I gave at the ISTE Creative Constructor Lab in November, which was about fostering creativity in our classrooms, and how we need to nurture our own creative selves before we can expect our students to do the same. But this is a lot more than just being an artist. It’s about an innovative mindset–getting to a place where we can adapt and grow and be able to manage change productively.
Change the narrative means that no matter what we do — teach, learn, run a company — we need to rethink how we work, and question what we’ve been doing so that we can find a better way to be successful. The podcast has some answers, but really it’s a search for the answer to these questions.
What do you hope educators will take away from listening to your podcast?
I hope the ideas and conversations in each episode give listeners practical, actionable ideas for how to innovate in their own workplaces. But more importantly, I hope to facilitate a mind shift where we can embrace new ways of thinking about our work and how to be successful.
Podcasts for Professional Learning
How does audio format/podcasting help communicate this message?
Educators are used to being the smartest person in the room, and we overly rely on static resources like textbooks to convey information to our students. Episode Four of Season One is central to my belief that we need to reach out to other experts and model for our students that there are many sources of information around the world. We need to engage the world to search for ideas and people who can elevate our learning.
The format of my show — a reflection on an experience, followed by interviews with experts — is also a model of how we can teach our students because it’s based on observation, personal reflection, and research. Education is an ongoing journey, and this podcast is my personal journey to find out how to be a better teacher.
You’ve interviewed a variety of people for your podcast, what type of perspective do you hope to share?
I’m often inspired by people and experiences outside of the education world. So while I do interview educators in the podcast, I feel it’s important to hear other perspectives. For example, I talk with a scientist at Cornell, an app developer, and others. But what I’ve found is that there are common threads that run through all of these folks: a curiosity for the world and that they tap into personal passions to become successful in their professional lives. Why can’t school be like that?
Learning from Podcasts
Would you recommend a specific episode for someone just finding your podcast?
I think each episode addresses slightly different perspectives. The Season One Trailer sums up my purpose and helps frame the conversation for the entire series.
How can educators use your podcast in a discussion group or PLCs?
Like a book club, your friends and colleagues can listen to a particular episode, then find talking points that come up in the show. Consider what you’re already doing that’s similar to what the guests have to say, and those that are fresh perspectives. How might you integrate some of their ideas into your teaching practice?
What can we expect to see from you and the podcast over the next few months?
I hope that the podcast starts conversations about developing an innovative mindset, both online and at conferences where I speak. I publish a monthly email newsletter where I share resources related to innovation and digital literacy. This summer I’ll be presenting at ISTE. I hope to work on a bigger project related to the podcast this summer, too.
Subscribing to a podcast will make sure that new episodes are ready for you, and it helps other people find the podcast too. Head over to your favorite podcast app using one of these links to subscribe (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts) or search for Change the Narrative wherever you listen to podcasts!
