Best KQED Spark Podcasts (2025)

1
What Our First and Last Words Can Tell Us About Our Humanity 17:32

19d ago17:32

17:32

This month MindShift is sharing an excerpt of an episode from our friends at KQED's Forum. Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. KQED's Grace Won talks to linguist and author Michael Erard. In his new book, Bye Bye I Love You: The Story of Our First and Last Words, Erard compiles stories from medical archives a…

1
Can Better Conversations Fight Misinformation and Build Media Literacy? 33:02

2M ago33:02

33:02

Host Nimah Gobir moderates the MindShift KQED: Can Better Conversations Improve Media Literacy Among Students? panel at the 2025 SXSW EDU conference.By KQED

1
Minnie Phan: A Young Girl and the Power of Art 22:18

3M ago22:18

22:18

Vietnamese children’s book illustrator Minnie Phan talks to KQED's Ki Sung about using art to process events and heal wounds in the Vietnamese diaspora.By KQED

1
Why Handwriting Still Matters in the Age of Screens 15:31

4M ago15:31

15:31

KQED's Nimah Gobir talks to educator and language therapist, Dr. Nancy Cushen White about why handwriting is such a powerful tool for literacy learning.By KQED

1
Disengaged Teens: What to Know and How to Help Them Find Their Spark 30:40

5M ago30:40

30:40

KQED's Ki Sung talks to Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of "The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better." They discuss the different modes of engagement and how to support teens at home and in school.By KQED

1
How to Help Boys Thrive in a Changing World 17:58

6M ago17:58

17:58

Ruth Whippman, author of "Boy Mom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity" talks to KQED's Nimah Gobir about the biggest challenges facing boys today, and actionable steps parents and educators can take to make a difference for the boys in their lives.By KQED

1
Book Reading Goals for Young Readers with Traci Thomas 24:06

7M ago24:06

24:06

KQED's Ki Sung talks to host of The Stacks podcast, Traci Thomas, about rereading books she loved as a child with her own children, what's on her reading list as they grow and what she's learned about reading from all of her author interviews.By KQED

1
The Lasting Impact of Full-Length Reading 16:16

8M ago16:16

16:16

Journalist Rose Horowitch and Author Danielle Bayard Jackson join KQED's Nimah Gobir in conversation to explore the problem of reading stamina in college students.By KQED

1
How the Mentor Mindset Can Help Adults Show Up Better for Tweens and Teens 25:05

9M ago25:05

25:05

David Yeager is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and an expert in behavioral science. He just published a book titled “10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People.” He joins KQED's Ki Sung in conversation to share strategies adults can use to get into the best mindset for helping adolescents be their best selves.…

1
Why Poetry Is Making a Comeback in Schools 27:50

9M ago27:50

27:50

Hanif Abduraqqib. Sarah Kay. Elizabeth Acevedo. Clint Smith. Do any of these names sound familiar? How about Amanda Gorman? All of these writers are part of America’s thriving contemporary poetry scene. But you won’t find them in many text books, because high school poetry units tend to focus on dead poets, like Robert Frost, Walt Whitman and Edgar…

1
Humanizing History by Teaching with Primary Sources 27:56

10M ago27:56

27:56

If you think of social studies as a dry, dusty march of names and dates to memorize, think again. In the last two decades, as historical records have been digitized and made accessible to the public, teachers have begun using primary sources as portals for students to connect with the real people and places that came before them. At Rockingham Coun…

1
How to Get Kids Thinking Instead of Mimicking in Math Class 25:57

10M ago25:57

25:57

From book bans to chronic absenteeism to phone distractions, it’s a hard time to be a teacher. But amidst all the challenges, there’s something surprising happening among math teachers. Some of them say they’re more excited to go to work than ever before. Why? Because of a new approach to teaching math called “thinking classrooms” that has students…

1
The Black Panther Legacy and Oakland Community Schools 31:36

11M ago31:36

31:36

MindShift revisits the pioneering initiatives of the Black Panthers, who used a community school approach when they opened a first-of-its-kind school in East Oakland in 1973. Then we focus on Oakland Unified School District's ambitious journey to become a community school district. We’ll take a closer look at Oakland International High School (OIHS…

1
What Role Can Schools Play in Breaking Cycles of Homelessness? 24:00

11M ago24:00

24:00

This podcast episode explores Monarch School, a public school in San Diego County dedicated to serving unhoused students and their families. Highlighting the growing issue of homelessness among students and its adverse impact on education, we showcase Monarch School's community school model. By providing holistic support, including professionals an…

1
A Research-Backed Way to Improve Student Attendance 24:54

12M ago24:54

24:54

Not all students returned to school after the pandemic. Research shows that chronic absenteeism surged around the country. Niki Espinoza, a community school coordinator at Maple Elementary, discovered a strategy informed by Harvard research that centered collaboration with families. Using mail-based “nudges” and a social media campaign caused chron…

1
MindShift Returns With Season 9! 3:15

12M ago3:15

3:15

MindShift returns with Season 9! Discover solutions for raising our kids in the modern era. Hear from educators and experts creating pathways for students to flourish. Subscribe to receive new episodes starting July 16.By KQED

1
What's Lost When Books Are Banned? 38:23

1y ago38:23

38:23

We're sharing an episode from our friends at the Adult ISH podcast. In light of the latest number of attempted book bans as tracked by the American Library Association (ALA), Adult ISH hosts Nyge Turner and Dominique “Dom” French speak to Traci Thomas, host of “The Stacks” podcast, and Scott Stuart, author of “My Shadow is Purple,” about how removi…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

KQED Spark Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
KQED: Spark Art Video Podcast

KQED Spark

1
MindShift Podcast

KQED

1
What Our First and Last Words Can Tell Us About Our Humanity 17:32

1
Can Better Conversations Fight Misinformation and Build Media Literacy? 33:02

1
Minnie Phan: A Young Girl and the Power of Art 22:18

1
Why Handwriting Still Matters in the Age of Screens 15:31

1
Disengaged Teens: What to Know and How to Help Them Find Their Spark 30:40

1
How to Help Boys Thrive in a Changing World 17:58

1
Book Reading Goals for Young Readers with Traci Thomas 24:06

1
The Lasting Impact of Full-Length Reading 16:16

1
How the Mentor Mindset Can Help Adults Show Up Better for Tweens and Teens 25:05

1
Why Poetry Is Making a Comeback in Schools 27:50

1
Humanizing History by Teaching with Primary Sources 27:56

1
How to Get Kids Thinking Instead of Mimicking in Math Class 25:57

1
The Black Panther Legacy and Oakland Community Schools 31:36

1
What Role Can Schools Play in Breaking Cycles of Homelessness? 24:00

1
A Research-Backed Way to Improve Student Attendance 24:54

1
MindShift Returns With Season 9! 3:15

1
What's Lost When Books Are Banned? 38:23

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