Podcasts as Professional Learning

I’m a podcast person. For years, my work included longer commutes, and I spent much of that time listening. It was easy to find episodes connected to my work, and I’ve started many conversations with, “I was listening to a podcast and heard…”

My colleagues and I even created our own podcast, Digital Learning Radio (still available), and many of my professional learning sessions include references and resources I first encountered through podcast listening.

There are podcasts on nearly every subject and genre imaginable. Listening audiences continue to grow, and many podcasts are now also available as videos, offering the option to listen or watch, depending on your context.

I’m always excited when a colleague recommends a specific episode, so I was especially glad to see Learning Forward Texas launch their new podcast, Forward Thinking (subscribe on Apple or Spotify).

Forward Thinking is designed for educators who lead and support professional learning in schools and districts. Its goal is to share ideas, perspectives, and practical insights from educators working to strengthen teaching and learning through high-quality professional learning.

The first episode features an interview with Dr. Chris Summers and focuses on supporting new teachers. It’s a strong start to what promises to be a thoughtful and relevant series, with additional episodes already scheduled for monthly release. (You can also watch the YouTube version.)

Listening to interviews like this reminds me that professional learning doesn’t always have to happen in a room, on a screen, or during a scheduled session. Sometimes it starts with a conversation we listen to while walking, driving, folding laundry, or sitting with a notebook.

Over time, I started to notice something else. If podcasts worked for me, they likely worked for others, too. Some of the educators I support prefer listening over reading. Others are curious about podcasts but don’t know where to begin.

That realization shifted how I thought about professional learning. Instead of simply recommending a podcast episode, I began to think about how to design around it.

Listening alone isn’t the learning, but it’s a powerful starting point. The learning happens in what we notice, how we make meaning, and what we do next.

Turning Listening into Learning

Several collaborators and I often find ourselves saying, after a terrific podcast episode or a great book, “Yes, but what are we going to do with it?” That question has become a helpful anchor. It shifts us from simply consuming content to thinking about how it might influence our practice.

For the final seasons of Digital Learning Radio, my co-host and I used the What, So What, Now What protocol to process what we were learning and to name what we wanted to do next. It provided a simple structure for reflection and accountability, and it’s a protocol that can be adapted to almost any learning experience.

Whether you prefer a structured protocol or a more flexible reflection, the goal is the same: to capture thinking in a way that leads to action. Here’s one simple template you can use to turn listening into learning. (Select USE TEMPLATE to make a private copy of this Google Doc.)

(If you’re designing or refining new teacher support, start with the first Forward Thinking episode featuring Dr. Chris Summers. Use this template to identify one idea that could strengthen your induction system, mentoring structures, or team approach.)

Capturing our thinking is one way to turn listening into learning. Another is to think about how we design an experience around the listening itself.

Designing with Podcasts

Podcasts have been a part of my own learning for years, and I’ve intentionally designed a variety of ways to incorporate them into professional learning experiences.

Podcasts can serve different purposes depending on how we structure the experience. Below are a few ways to think about using podcasts as a design move in professional learning.

1. Curate and Offer Choice

Provide a small, intentional set of podcast episodes connected to a theme, goal, or problem of practice.

Participants might:

• choose one episode from a curated list or a choice board

• listen independently (before or during a session)

• reflect using a template or protocol

• return to share key takeaways

This approach works well for:

• self-directed learning time

• conference sessions with built-in choice

• asynchronous professional learning

Example: A curated list of 3–4 podcast episodes with similar length and focus, followed by a structured debrief conversation or reflection form.

2. Design for Movement and Flexibility

Podcasts create learning opportunities that don’t require sitting in a room.

Participants might:

• scan QR codes connected to different episodes

• walk the building or go outside while listening

• complete a reflection or application task for credit

This approach works well for:

• conference environments

• wellness-focused professional learning

• rethinking how time and space are used

Example: QR codes placed around a conference space, allowing participants to explore topics through listening while moving, followed by a brief reflection.

3. Extend Learning Beyond the Session

Podcasts can expand learning before or after a formal experience.

Participants might:

• listen to an episode before a session to build background knowledge

• revisit an episode after a session to deepen understanding

• complete a reflection form for additional episodes related to a topic

This approach works well for:

• follow-up learning

• blended or asynchronous models

• extending one-time events into ongoing learning

Example: A reflection form paired with podcast listening, with optional credit for both listening and application.

4. Structure Collaborative Conversations

Like a book club, podcasts can anchor shared discussion.

Participants might:

• listen to a common episode

• come together in teams, PLCs, or for coaching conversations

• discuss insights, questions, and applications

This approach works well for:

• PLCs and team meetings

• leadership groups

• ongoing learning communities

Example: A “podcast club” model where participants listen in advance and use a simple discussion protocol during the meeting.

5. Embed Podcasts Within Other Learning Experiences

Podcasts don’t have to stand alone. They can be one option within a larger design.

Participants might:

• choose between reading, watching, or listening

• engage with a short audio clip as one pathway

• explore podcasts alongside articles, videos, or tools

This approach works well for:

• differentiated learning

• honoring different preferences

• reducing cognitive overload through choice

Each of these approaches starts with the same idea: podcasts are not the professional learning. They are a catalyst. The impact comes from how we design the experience around them.

From Listening to Action

When we structure listening with reflection, conversation, and application, we create space for ideas to take hold and grow. A single episode can spark a new approach, strengthen an existing practice, or open up a meaningful conversation with a team.

Learning Forward Texas’s new Forward Thinking podcast is one place to begin exploring these ideas in action, with conversations that connect directly to the work of designing and supporting professional learning.

You might start small:

• listen to an episode

• capture a few ideas using a simple template

• bring one takeaway to a conversation with your team

Sometimes, professional learning begins with listening. Learning comes from what we notice, how we make meaning, and what we choose to do next.

A Few Podcasts to Explore

If you’re looking to expand your listening, here are a few podcasts that have influenced my thinking:

• Curious Minds at Work - in-depth interviews with leading thinkers across fields; while not exclusively education-focused, many conversations feature familiar voices and offer ideas that translate powerfully into our work

• Teaching in Higher Ed – conversations about teaching and learning through a higher education lens, with insights that translate well across K–12 contexts

• Facilitating on Purpose – a focused resource for those who design and facilitate learning, with practical ideas for creating meaningful learning experiences

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Kathryn Laster brings over 30 years of education expertise as a math teacher, instructional coach, and digital learning consultant. As an independent consultant, she creates and facilitates transformative learning experiences through intentional, human-centered, tech-infused design, with a goal of normalizing excellence in professional learning.

Connect with Kathryn at kathrynlaster.info and at Refined Learning Design.