HGSE Launches New iTunes U Podcast

A new podcast by the Harvard Graduate School of Education that seeks to capture the thoughts of education leaders made its debut on Harvard’s iTunes U yesterday.

“The Harvard EdCast” is a show produced by Matthew M. Weber, the new and social media officer for the School of Education. Weber says the new program aspires to be the next “Science Friday”—a popular podcast also on iTunes U—for education.

Each episode features a 15- to 20-minute discussion with a notable member of the education community.

The Harvard EdCast is “a series of conversations with thought leaders in the field of education, from across the country and around the world,” Weber, the show’s host, said in the first episode.

The guest speaker for the first installment was University President Drew G. Faust, who discussed her experience in leading a higher education community as well as her goals for a more integrated university.

A new episode will be available for download every Wednesday, and Weber said the next four have already been recorded.

Upcoming episodes will address topics such as summer reading, inner-city schools, and the benefits of a solid kindergarten education.

Michael G. Rodman, the Ed School director of communications, said the goal of EdCast is to address current issues in education, as well as talk to people making news in the field.

“Education is the building block for a just society,” Rodman said. “There are a lot of things out there that you don’t necessarily think about as education issues ... whether it is terrorism or things more obvious like the achievement gap. But all these things have a basis in education.”

Rodman, who helped launch the podcast, said he hopes that the new medium will further the Ed School’s mission to be the “nexus” for conversations about education.

“We’re serious about this,” Rodman said. “This isn’t just our talking to ourselves, but we’re talking to the world.”

Though the podcast is a pre-recorded show, audience members are highly encouraged to provide comments and interact with the education issues presented in each episode.

“It’s co-produced by everyone involved—host and listeners,” Weber said.

—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.