December 7, 2023
This fall, Dr. Kim Inman, the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Shawnee State University, and her faculty launched a new podcast, Connecting Classrooms, to strengthen their connection to the local K-12 classrooms.
“What I really hope listeners take from Connecting Classrooms is that we have a lot here in our region and on our campus to offer,” Dr. Inman said. “You can come to the realization that you do not have to be in a larger region or on a bigger campus to explore your interests and to have a broad understanding of how we connect to the rest of the world.”
A podcast targeting local educators, Connecting Classrooms aims to bring the experts at SSU directly to the classroom as a supplemental resource for teachers. Connecting Classrooms seeks to support local educators in providing localized, educational material to use in the classroom to learn more about the arts and sciences on a local scale. Building off the episode content, the podcast offers extended materials, such as lesson plans and videos, for educators to build assignments and further educate the students on the topics that are discussed in the podcast. Not only does Dr. Inman want listeners to learn more about the area, but she hopes to inspire listeners by discussing the great things happening at SSU.
“We would like to profile current College of Arts & Sciences students as they are doing research, independent studies, and other interesting work that would appeal to a prospective high school student,” she said. “We want them to realize that they can get those experiences at SSU.”
Dr. Inman hopes that not only K-12 students gain knowledge from Connecting Classrooms, but also current SSU students who might be confused with their career path within the arts and sciences.
“It helps our students with the question, ‘What do I want to do with this degree?’” she said. “You can explore these things, talk to our faculty, and connect with featured students on the podcast to think about your options.”
Connecting Classrooms episodes are expected to be released once per month through the academic year, covering topics that range from predicting the sunrise and sunset through mathematics to linking local historical events to geology. Dr. Inman is excited about the knowledge and opportunities that this podcast will bring to the young, impressionable minds in the local region.
The podcast can be streamed on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, or by visiting shawnee.edu/connecting-classrooms-podcast.
To learn more about the programs within the College of Arts & Sciences at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/college-arts-sciences.