The Digital Learning Team at Grant Wood AEA are proud to introduce you to our latest project - a brand new podcast for teachers called The EdTech Take Out. Each episode is dedicated to bringing you bite-sized technology tips that you can use in your classroom to enhance teaching and learning. It's a podcast for teachers, by teachers, and a great way for you to take your professional learning with you wherever you are.

The EdTech Take Out is hosted by Jonathan Wylie and Mindy Cairney, but special guests will appear from time to time to add their voice and expertise. The podcast will feature a wide range of topics related to the use of technology in K-12 classrooms and can be accessed on demand.

 If recent research is to be believed, podcasts are a growing medium and there are several people who predict that podcasts are destined for big things in 2016. Some call this the Serial effect, after the popular "whodunnit" podcast of the same name. However, regardless of what you think the true cause is, podcasts are undoubtedly more popular today that they ever have been.

At Grant Wood, the Digital Learning team are always looking at future trends and how they might impact teaching and learning in the classroom. This particular medium looks to have a lot of potential for new ways to disseminate, and demonstrate, learning.

With this in mind, we are looking at using The EdTech Take Out as a way to augment our team's existing professional development model. In light of the increasing demands on a teacher's schedule, many of our workshops and courses have already moved to a hybrid format with a mix of online and face-to-face participation. The podcast is a way we can take that one step further and deliver PD in a package that can be accessed anywhere, and at any time.

Another way we are exploring podcasts is as a way to model their impact for teachers and students as part of a learning environment. In future episodes we will explore the potential of podcasts in the classroom and how they can be used by both students and teachers as a way to show they can  collaborate, create and communicate.

Learn more about our plans for the podcast in Episode 1 of The EdTech Take Out.

You can listen to The Edtech Take Out in a number of different ways. Here is a quick guide for some of the more popular devices that may be available to you.

Listen on a Mac or PC:

• Click this link to open the podcast in iTunes, or
  
• Listen to the latest episodes on the Digital Learning YouTube channel or
  
• Go to www.dlgwaea.org/podcast and listen to episodes on our website.
  

Listen on an iPhone or iPad:

• Tap on this link while viewing this page on your iOS device, or
• Open Apple's Podcasts app, search for The EdTech Take Out, then tap Subscribe, or
• Do the same in a podcast app like Overcast, Skipcast, Downcast, & Pocket Casts, or
  
• Listen to the latest episodes on the Digital Learning YouTube channel or
  
• Go to www.dlgwaea.org/podcast and listen to episodes on our website.

Listen on the NEW Apple TV

• Download the Podcasts app, search for The EdTech Take Out, then tap Subscribe or
  
• Listen to the latest episodes on the Digital Learning YouTube channel
  

Listen on an Android phone or tablet:

• Tap on this link while viewing this page on your Android device, or
  
• Search for The EdTech Take Out in an app like DoggCatcher, & Podcast & Radio Addict, or
  
• Listen to the latest episodes on the Digital Learning YouTube channel or
  
• Go to www.dlgwaea.org/podcast and listen to episodes on our website.

Listen on a Chromebook:

• Go to www.dlgwaea.org/podcast and listen to episodes on our website or
  
• Listen to the latest episodes on the Digital Learning YouTube channel
  

If you need help listening to The EdTech Takeout on any of these devices, please email us for support and troubleshooting at podcast@gwaea.org.

Both Mindy and Jonathan are keen to deliver a podcast that is relevant and timely to teachers so they welcome any suggestions that you may have for future episodes. You can email your ideas to podcast@gwaea.org or record a voice memo on your phone and send that too.

If you're on social media, feel free to reach out to the Digital Learning Team on Twitter at @DLGWAEA or connect directly with the hosts:

• Jonathan Wylie (@jonathanwylie)
• Mindy Cairney (@TeamCairney)

If you like what you hear, we would love for you to subscribe, rate and leave a review The EdTech Take Out on iTunes. This is the #1 way that you can help us grow the podcast. We realize that not everyone has an Apple device, but if you have an Apple ID, you can still rate us and leave us a review. We won't have ads on this podcast, or ask you for money, but if you want to support the show, this is a great way to do it!

Jonathan Wylie, Technology Consultant, Grant Wood AEA - @jonathanwylie

For more posts like this, please subscribe to our blog! You can also connect with us on social media if you Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter or add us to your circles on Google+. 

Check out who has joined so far:

• Margaret Neary Elementary School, Massachusetts
• Pocahontas Area Community School, Pocahontas, Iowa
• Alburnett Elementary, Alburnett, Iowa
• Solon Middle School, Solon, Iowa
• Norway Elementary, ​Norway, Iowa
• Schleswig CSD, Schleswig, Iowa
• North Linn Elementary School, Troy Mills, Iowa
• North Linn Middle School, Troy Mills, Iowa
• Carpenter Elementary, Monticello, Iowa
• Easton Unified School District, Kansas

Like a regular makerspace, there are no set-in-stone rules.  Feel free to participate in any Think, Make, Innovate challenge at any time.  And the lessons that we share are guidelines.  Change it up to best fit into your school makerspace time.  We hope the videos and plans provide starters to get schools in the making spirit.  Allowing your students to create in a makerspace offers valuable experiences in design, experimentation, and creativity.  We have been so happy to see the amount of creativity that has been shared in our Maker Community.  Our Maker Community has taken the maker topics presented and completely made it their own by putting their own personal twist on the topic.  We love to see what you create and will add you to our Maker Community if you tag us on social media @dlgwaea or email us at makerspace@gwaea.org.  

Coming up in the next few months, you will see more area schools highlighted in episodes (we've added teaser photos to the episode page).  If you’d like to be notified of upcoming episodes or would like to pair with us on a future episode, complete this form or send us an email.

Hope you are enjoying the show and Have Fun Making!


~Amber Bridge, Technology Consultant - @abridgesmith

For more posts like this, please subscribe to our blog! You can also connect with us on social media if you Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter or add us to your circles on Google+. 
​