One of the weaknesses in my teaching I regularly reflect on, is how easily I can get out of touch with what’s going on in my students’ lives. I easily forget what it is like to start something completely new. There are also contexts I can only do my best to empathize with, since I never lost a parent while attending college, wasn’t the first person in my family to attend college, and always knew where my next meal was coming from…

Thank goodness for Mike Wesch‘s new podcast: LIFE101.

His new podcast is designed to share “real stories about real students seeking a real education.” It is done in a This American Life style of storytelling that captivated me from the very beginning of the episode. While he is only slated to release a new episode every couple of months, I have no doubt they will be reverberating in my mind during the time between episodes.

I’m completely hooked and am looking forward to getting to interview Mike Wesch for my podcast, Teaching in Higher Ed in a couple of weeks.

I’m not the only podcaster at Vanguard.

David Pecoraro produces and co-hosts the wise Student Caring podcast, while Stephen Moore produces and hosts the engaging Stephen Explains the News podcast.

When I first start expressing my love for learning via podcast, some people respond that they aren’t technical and they wouldn’t be able to tackle learning how to listen until they had more time.

Here’s the great news for anyone reading who feels the same way. It’s super easy.

Listen via a Web Browser

All you need to listen to a podcast is:

• Your web browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)

Head to the website for the podcast you want to listen to and press the play button for the episode you want to hear.

Listen via a Mobile Device

Better yet, if you have a smart phone or tablet, there are plenty of apps that allow you to subscribe to your choice of podcasts and have a regular source for professional development flowing right into you life on a daily basis.

iPhone / iOS

There’s a built-in app on iPhones and iPads called Podcasts. You probably have it on your device, already, and just don’t realize it. Go to your home screen, swipe down to access the search feature and search for podcasts. One you’re there, search for the podcast you want to subscribe to and select subscribe. Apple’s website offers further instructions about listening via streaming, or downloading episodes to your device.

Android

The Google app store has a number of applications you can use for listening to podcasts. This list should get you started in determining which one is right for you.