Best German American School Podcasts (2025)

1
How composer Leoš Janáček set his daughter’s last words to music 46:04

3M ago46:04

46:04

As 20-year-old Olga Janáčková lay dying from typhoid fever, her father wrote down everything she said. Later, he transformed those words—and gasps—into music. The grieving father, Czech composer Leoš Janáček, called the ultra-short musical pieces "speech melodies." In this episode, language writer Michael Erard invites cellist Petronella Torin to p…

1
Missing Mister? The Gender Imbalance in Elementary Teachers 53:27

4M ago53:27

53:27

IDEAS is joined by Dr. Shana Kennedy, Mr. Derek Getschow, and Mr. Sam Kleinman to discuss to what degree and in what ways the lack of male elementary teachers might be problematic. This podcast was produced and hosted by Daniel Lazar and was edited by Josie Riemer who wished she was there to host and share a few ideas. After editing, Josie noted th…

1
Hey JFK! What Does Trump's Victory Mean to YOU? 36:46

9M ago36:46

36:46

While the results and feelings are still fresh, JFKS IDEAS hit the hallways to ask students one question: what does the Trump victory and the Republican landslide mean to you? Student responses were varied and very interesting. If you support the IDEAS mission and you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please show your support by making a donation, h…

1
Checking in with 3 Ukrainian Students 19:38

9M ago19:38

19:38

Josie is joined by three Ukrainian students to explore their experiences at JFK, their hopes for Ukraine, their hopes for their futures...and food. This podcast was hosted, produced, edited, and engineered by Josie Riemer. If you are a JFK student and enjoy these conversations, please pop by B209 any Monday at lunch to take part. We'll be there. If…

1
Bratwurst, Burgers & Biko: Filipino TCKs at JFK 19:35

10M ago19:35

19:35

Josie Riemer is joined by four third culture kids to discuss how they balance their Filipino identities with their German and American identities at our German-American school. Our discussion was inspired by an article by Nathalia Hansel in the last edition of the IDEAS Journal. This podcast was hosted, produced, edited, and engineered by Josie Rie…

1
Will Icelandic survive the invasion of English? 18:57

1y ago18:57

18:57

Some Icelanders are becoming unsettled by this existential question: Will their language still be spoken in the future? Comedian and former Reykjavik mayor Jón Gnarr is convinced that this uniquely archaic-yet-modern language will one day die out. He says his children express themselves beautifully in English but speak limited Icelandic. Give it a …

1
The Berlin History Curriculum: Racist, Problematic, or Just Fine Thank You? 29:59

1y ago29:59

29:59

JFK students have long debated gender segregated sports classes. At long last, bringing student voices to the forefront, JFKS IDEAS has taken up this issue. Our discussion was inspired by an article featured in the last edition of the IDEAS Journal. This podcast was hosted, produced, edited, and engineered by Josie Riemer. Special thanks to Nurcan …

1
The language that gave Missouri its name 33:32

1y ago33:32

33:32

Many place names in the United States are borrowed from Native American words. It's often hard to trace the roots. Over time, the original names were often transformed beyond recognition, victims of mangled pronunciation. Suzanne Hogan is our guide to the origins of Missouri, a name rooted in the Chiwere language. Chiwere has been imperiled for gen…

1
Presenting Home, Interrupted 26:01

1y ago26:01

26:01

In this episode, we're handing over the reins to the podcast series, Home, Interrupted, produced by Feet in 2 Worlds. The series explores how the climate crisis affects immigrants across the U.S., and how immigrant communities are finding new ways to deal with a warming planet. In this episode, reporter Allison Salerno tells the stories of migrant …

1
Icelandic, the language that recycles everything 20:07

1y ago20:07

20:07

Icelanders are protective of their language. When a new piece of tech or a new disease emerges, people debate what to call these things in Icelandic. New words must sound and look Icelandic, otherwise they may not survive. The country's Knitting Words Committee is one of dozens of community panels charged with proposing new words. Typically, they r…

1
The bilingual edge: what the research says 26:38

1+ y ago26:38

26:38

In recent decades, Americans' perception of bilingualism has been transformed. As recently as the 1990s, the prevailing belief was that if a child grew up bilingual, they would be at a linguistic and cognitive disadvantage. Today, many Americans believe the opposite, that speaking more than one language carries advantages. But the hundreds of studi…

1
How Basque speakers saved their language 34:23

1+ y ago34:23

34:23

How did Basque survive Spain's military dictatorship under Francisco Franco when speaking, writing and reading it were illegal? With more than six dialects, how did its speakers agree on a standard way of writing the language? And how has Basque thrived in the decades since Franco died? Nina Porzucki tells the story of Europe's most mysterious lang…

1
Gender Segregated Sport Class? 33:47

1+ y ago33:47

33:47

JFK students have long debated gender segregated sports classes. At long last, bringing student voices to the forefront, JFKS IDEAS has taken up this issue. Our discussion was inspired by an article featured in the last edition of the IDEAS Journal. This podcast was hosted, produced, edited, and engineered by Josie Riemer. Special thanks to Nurcan …

1
Chinese sci-fi has crossed the translation barrier 30:25

1+ y ago30:25

30:25

Netflix's lavish new adaptation of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem is the latest 'translation' of one of this century's best, and best-selling, sci-fi novels. In this episode, we track the role of translation—on screen and on the page—in the global rise of Chinese sci-fi. Our guide is reporter and sci-fi aficionada Lydia Emmanouilidou who talks …

1
Digging into Black History Month 29:08

1+ y ago29:08

29:08

Why have Black History Month? How should it be celebrated? How can Black History best be celebrated while not overlooking the travesties endured by systemic oppression? We recorded one of our weekly IDEAS meetings to explore these questions and more. This podcast was hosted by our fearless Director, Merlina Vogel and edited and produced by the inim…

1
Why the French use the English word ‘black’ 21:59

1+ y ago21:59

21:59

The French language is replete with words borrowed from English, like 'weekend' and 'podcasting.' But French speakers' use of 'black' is in a category of its own: this one short syllable tells the story of France's racial and colonial legacies and how they stack up against U.S. history, from slavery to Black Lives Matter. Both countries are idealis…

1
The Irish language renaissance 34:45

1+ y ago34:45

34:45

Irish is among Europe's oldest languages. It's a near miracle that anyone speaks it today. Patrick talks with online Irish teacher Mollie Guidera whose students include a Kentucky farmer who speaks Irish to his horses; also with Irish scholar Jim McCloskey who developed a love of the language when he spent a summer living with Irish speakers. Irish…

1
From linguistic shame to pride 32:41

1+ y ago32:41

32:41

Israel Jesus used to be ashamed of being from the Mexican state of Oaxaca and speaking the local indigenous tongue, Triqui. When he moved to Salinas, California, a kid in his high school told Jesus he was destined to work in the fields nearby. But it was his knowledge of Triqui that sent him on a different path. A hospital in Salinas recruited Jesu…

1
Easing into multilingualism 20:41

1+ y ago20:41

20:41

Mastering six languages sounds like a slog, right? But in some corners of Europe, it happens—maybe not effortlessly, but more easily than in, say, Ohio. Gaston Dorren grew up speaking Limburgish at home, and Dutch at school. He fell in love in German and picked up Spanish in Latin America, all the while keeping English and French in his back pocket…

1
How the brain of an improv performer works 24:22

1+ y ago24:22

24:22

Does the brain of an improv comedian or freestyle rapper function in a particular way? Is it processing language faster than a regular, lower-improvising brain? Or is something else also going on, something to do with how we judge ourselves? We asked our pal Ari Daniel to look into this. He found a group of researchers and a group of professional i…

1
What's the Value of Class Participation? 26:12

1+ y ago26:12

26:12

Jakob, Josie, James, and Ophelia discuss to what extent class participation should determine a student's grade. We refer to an article in our most recent journal, which we heartily endorse. If you are a JFK student and enjoy these conversations, please pop by B209 any Monday at lunch to take part. We'll be there. If you enjoy our podcasts and journ…

1
The White Lives Matter Mankini Edition 42:05

1+ y ago42:05

42:05

Jakob, Josie, James, Ophelia, and Moss navigate some not-so-hypothetical scenarios, including whether students should feel obliged to interrupt racial (racist?) language...and if students should be able to wear mankinis to school. We refer to the data published in our most recent journal, which we heartily endorse. If you are a JFK student and enjo…

1
Exploring Academic Anxiety at JFK (part 2 of 2) 53:49

1+ y ago53:49

53:49

Jakob, Josie, James, Ophelia, and Moss continue their exploration of academic stress and anxiety. If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Make a donation, however humble, over here. We refer to the data published in our most recent journal, which we heartily endorse. Each guest recommended something related to our conversation…

1
Exploring Academic Anxiety at JFK 38:28

1+ y ago38:28

38:28

Jakob, Josie, James, Ophelia, and Moss explore academic stress and anxiety. We refer to the data published in our most recent journal, which we heartily endorse. If you are a JFK student and enjoy these conversations, please pop by B209 any Monday at lunch to take part. We'll be there. If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! M…

1
Sugar Sammy’s multilingual comedy 20:18

1+ y ago20:18

20:18

A conversation with comedian with Samir Khullar who grew up speaking Punjabi, Hindi, English and French. He does standup in all those languages, sometimes mixing them up. He has toured more than 40 countries, but audiences in his native Québec perhaps see the best of him. That's where he performs a bilingual French/English show called You're Gonna …

1
Is Mx here to stay? 29:26

1+ y ago29:26

29:26

When a word first enters the language, it sounds weird to some, radical to others and comforting to just a few. Only later does it seem 'natural.' So it was with the honorific Ms in the 20th century. So it may be with the non-binary Mx. Today, British banks and utilities routinely give customers the option to use Mx. Will American companies follow …

1
Too Soon? Media Role in Pushing a Certain Youth Vibe 15:00

1+ y ago15:00

15:00

Merle, Yona, and Sina discuss how media might be pushing kids to chase a certain visual aesthetic that might (might!) be beyond their years. If you are a JFK student and enjoy these types of conversations, please pop by B209 any Monday at lunch to take part. We'll be there. Follow the IDEAS Pod wherever you listen. Share your favorite episodes with…

1
Too Woke to Watch? 18:33

1+ y ago18:33

18:33

This episode is a lightly edited recording of a recent IDEAS meeting where we explored if and how young people should interact with old media (especially books and films) that are teeming with racism, sexism, and/or homophobia. If you are a JFK student and enjoy these types of conversations, please pop by B209 any Monday at lunch to take part. We'l…

1
Americans, Brits and the foreignness of English 24:32

1+ y ago24:32

24:32

American English and British English aren't different languages. But they're not the same either, even if they're getting closer. There are all those different words for things: diaper/nappy, faucet/tap and so on. More challenging are common words used in subtly different ways: sure, reckon, middle class. Who better to ask about these and other ter…

1
In Conversation with Four Ukrainian Students at JFKS 29:56

1+ y ago29:56

29:56

Merlina and Sina share a discussion with Tolik, Anton, Eugene, and Polina, four Ukrainian students at JFKS. If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Make a donation, however humble, over here. Check out Tolik's music on Soundcloud. Polina urges you to learn about Vitsche and follow them on Instagram. Eugene wants you to catch u…

1
A German-speaking outpost in the American Midwest 28:00

2y ago28:00

28:00

German used to be one of the most widely-spoken languages in the United States. A survey in 1900 listed 613 US-based German-language newspapers. Today, only a handful survive, and German is barely spoken at all. One exception is Cole Camp, Missouri. Our guide, Suzanne Hogan, hosts public radio station KCUR's podcast, A People's History of Kansas Ci…

1
Season 4 is coming 2:57

2y ago2:57

2:57

In our upcoming season, we have stories about voice clones, tongue twisters and small languages fighting back. We'll hear from comedians, bilingual lovers and badly-behaved grandmothers. Look out for the first episode on November 1. Music by Harry Edvino and The Freeharmonic Orchestra. Photo by Patrick Cox. Subtitle is a production of Quiet Juice a…

1
55 - Zord of the Plants 1:35:47

2y ago1:35:47

1:35:47

The Shieldless face off against the ultra-powerful Barleysau pig-zord in a timed trial. Their first place spot in the Crystal Bearer tournament is on the line. Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sassly Naturespring is Nadine Kühn Erich Miller is Sebastian Kinder Jasper Kasper is Lukas …

1
JK Takes a Break 3:12

2y ago3:12

3:12

Thanks for sticking with us a stay tuned for updates! We won't be gone long! Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/jk.were.rolling/ JK, We're Rolling! JK, We're Rolling! website Facebook/ReviewBy Magical Hats Network

1
Bonus: World Building, Player Dynamics, and Mutual Fangirling (W/ Ashleigh Hoppe) 1:14:49

2y ago1:14:49

1:14:49

Michael Moore and Ashleigh Hoppe discuss their journeys as young, aspiring podcasters and game masters! Check Ashleigh and friends out at Horizon's Point: Allegedly a DnD Podcast! Thanks for listening and we'll be back next week. Have follow-up questions after today's conversation? Find us on social media and ask away! Visit our Patreon! Check us o…

1
54 - Corn to be Wild (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:08:29

2y ago1:08:29

1:08:29

The Shieldless FINALLY talk to some horseshield students and the next challenge begins. It's maize meets maze for this next test - and medical staff are nearby to help! Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sassly Naturespring is Nadine Kühn Erich Miller is Sebastian Kinder Jasper Kasper …

1
Freedom of Religious Expression at JFKS? 29:21

2y ago29:21

29:21

Moana moderates a discussion with two devoutly Christian JFKS students about the degree to which they feel they can be themselves and express themselves freely at JFKS. Is JFKS welcoming to ALL students? If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Make a donation, however humble, over here. Follow the IDEAS Pod wherever you listen…

1
53 - Put the Vial in the Potion and You Drink 'Em Both Up (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:17:12

2y ago1:17:12

1:17:12

The Shieldless face their first Crystal Bearer tournament challenge. Newton bears gifts. The group gets a statue. Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sassly Naturespring is Nadine Kühn Erich Miller is Sebastian Kinder Jasper Kasper is Lukas Fischer Our cover art is by Pascal Jounais JK,…

1
Rainbow Capitalism: PRIDE for Sale? 22:39

2y ago22:39

22:39

Merle moderates of discussion among IDEAS members about "rainbow capitalism", exploring the costs and benefits of companies capitalizing on Pride Month. If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Make a donation, however humble, over here. Follow the IDEAS Pod wherever you listen. Share your favorite episodes with your friends. T…

1
52 - The Sorcerer's Stone (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:08:12

2y ago1:08:12

1:08:12

The Shieldless recover from their brutal class with Star Newsong. Sassly sleeps it off while the boys go solo for an evening. An unexpected visitor leaves a magic message. Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sassly Naturespring is Nadine Kühn Erich Miller is Sebastian Kinder Jasper Kasp…

1
51 - Riders on the Storm (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:28:54

2y ago1:28:54

1:28:54

We briefly uploaded the wrong audio today! Sorry for those that had their listening experience affected! All is as it should be now - May 10, 23 10:17 am. It's time for class with Star Newsong and she wants to see if the Shieldless are really up for to the test. But can the group solve her puzzle before she gets too carried away? Or before they get…

1
50 - When You Miss a Class with Star (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:36:58

2+ y ago1:36:58

1:36:58

The Shieldless are back in school and back to work. After a wild night of magical deals, scary nightmares, and not-so-veiled threats, the group must catch-up with what they've missed since they left school. Not everyone is pleased in their long absence.... Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael …

1
49 - Sweet Dreams Aren't Made of These (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:15:32

2+ y ago1:15:32

1:15:32

The Shieldless must each face down the forces of the shadow realm separately. What will they do to protect those close to them? What will they discover? What deal will they make when faced with darkness? Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sassly Naturespring is Nadine Kühn Erich Miller…

1
48 - Back to Life, Back to Really Freaky Dreams (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:36:38

2+ y ago1:36:38

1:36:38

The Shieldless are back in Neudrachenberg and a tournament is on the way! There's a lot they can do to prepare themselves. A trip to the dining hall, some old friends, and actually using some of those magic materials they've been gathering are on the list! And when night falls, the Shieldless aren't the only ones to return to the castle. And an eve…

1
Real People Explore Artificial Intelligence 12:27

2+ y ago12:27

12:27

Tony sits down with Editor-in-Chief of the IDEAS Journal, Lina Sattar, to discuss our new issue on AI. If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Make a donation, however humble, over here. Follow the IDEAS Pod wherever you listen. Share your favorite episodes with your friends. This episode was developed, co-hosted, and produced…

1
47 - Like a Boss..ehhr...Ross (Fragmented Castle Arc) 1:23:29

2+ y ago1:23:29

1:23:29

The Shieldless return to Neudrachenburg, but all is not as they left it. The barriers are weakening. Mysterious break-ins, catastrophic thefts, a desperate proposal. Our heroes my be the last line of defence before everything comes crumbling down. Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sas…

1
Demonstrating with Data: IDEAS Teaches Teachers 23:04

2+ y ago23:04

23:04

Miles and Merle share student survey data from our IDEAS Journals with a group of distinguished JFKS teachers. The teachers discuss what the data suggests about student experiences with identity and diversity at JFKS. If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Make a donation, however humble, over here. Follow the IDEAS Pod where…

1
46 - Not So Miraculous Ladybug (Hidden Memories Arc) 1:41:29

2+ y ago1:41:29

1:41:29

The Shieldless have their chance at interrogation and hope for a way to get back to Neudrachenberg. Stickers are a hot commodity. A homecoming is not as homey as anticipated. Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sassly Naturespring is Nadine Kühn Erich Miller is Sebastian Kinder Jasper K…

1
A Moment with the Magician Master Q&A 25:16

2+ y ago25:16

25:16

Nadine turns the table on Michael and puts him in the hot seat with some questions about character creation, the world of Neudrachenberg, and more. Sassly also drops by. Visit our Patreon! Check us out at jkwererolling.captivate.fm Our Magician Master is Michael Moore Sassly Naturespring is Nadine Kühn Erich Miller is Sebastian Kinder Jasper Kasper…

1
On Body Image... 28:22

2+ y ago28:22

28:22

Yona and Sina interview Miles, Santiago, and Carmen about their contributions to the Body Image issue of the IDEAS Journal. If you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Make a donation, however humble, over here. Follow the IDEAS Pod wherever you listen. Share your favorite episodes with your friends. This episode was developed, co…

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German American School Podcasts

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