flickr photo shared by Ken Whytock under a Creative Commons ( BY-NC ) license
I really enjoy engaging with different ideas via Podcasts. Don’t get me wrong, I love to read posts, books and watch videos. However, Podcasts are both easy to dip in and out of, as well as consume in everyday situations. Some of my regulars are 2 Regular Teachers, Radio National’s Big Ideas, Teachers Education Review, Radio National’s Future Tense, Guardian Tech Weekly and BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time. I have written about some of these before, comparing each to a particular refreshment. However, since that time, Today in Digital Education (TIDE) Podcast has arrived.
TIDE is a weekly podcast created by Dai Barnes and Doug Belshaw discussing everything from education, technology, and everything in between. I think that ‘everything in between’ is an understatement. Although there is a lot of talk about technology and education, a field which both are a part of, what makes the podcast is at its margins. Discussions bounce around between parenthood, politics and productivity. To me this is something of an embodiment of Belshaw’s own particular exploration of digital literacies, something that goes beyond just the constructive and communicative use of a tool, but a confident, creative and critical engagement with culture. For those who fear the echo chamber, the wide mix of thoughts and ideas shared each week quickly dissolves that.
Coming back to the analogy of refreshments, I think that TIDE is akin to turning up to a shabby pub on a Sunday afternoon, thinking that you are just going to have a causal conversation about this and that, only to discover a session of drinking craft beer. The session seems to drag on into the night and somehow evolves into finishing things off with a glass of top-shelf single-malt whiskey.
For me, TIDE has filled in the void left by Ed Tech Crew and taken it to a new level. Even if you do not have the time (on average, an hour and a half each week) to listen, the links alone are worth skimming through. So if you haven’t already, go check it out. You will not be disappointed.
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TIDE Podcast – Education, Technology and Everything In-between by Aaron Davis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Great reflection Tim. I like your point about privilege to be given insight into Doug and Dai’s lives through the TIDE Podcast.
Reflecting on the death of David Bowie, St Vincent suggests that “we have lost a hero, we have lost a friend”.
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I felt something similar when hearing of Dai’s passing. I never met Bowie and never met Dai. With his passing, I was left reflecting upon the impact TIDE has had on my life.
I have listened to every episode, often sped up, but listened none-the-less. Although there were many of Dai’s arguments that challenged me and others that I disagreed with, his manner was always positive. I was always grateful for his openness and honesty. This is what I will miss the most and feel had the biggest impact on me as a learner.
My favourite memory is when he shared his failed job interview where he found himself standing on-top of a table. Priceless!
Thank you Doug and Eylan for compiling this celebration of Dai’s life.