In our exploration of audio this week, podcasts were emphasized.  For the first time this year, I used a podcast in my classroom.  We were studying the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel, and my friend heard a podcast on PBS connecting to the ideas we were examining.  It was discussing one person's perspective that all Jewish people should leave Europe and move to Israel to stop all of the violent acts against the Jews.  It was not meant to be derogatory, but instead to detail the plight of the Jews in Europe.  We listened to it in class, and it was difficult for my students to listen without following along with a written text.  However, after listening to it twice, we had a powerful conversation about the topic.

In exploring podcasts, I found one that connected to the idea of indifference.  This theme was quite pronounced in the book Night and has become Elie Wiesel's mission: to alleviate indifference wherever it is shown.  This concept was highly discussed in our novel study and applied to all aspects of our lives, especially how it is shown in the teenage culture.  The podcast I found would be a wonderful addition to that unit.  Something about hearing this man's voice detailing his own experiences makes it more personal and emotional as opposed to simply reading the text.

Give it a listen!
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/105932/