The Playground

Mark is speaking with his history teacher Scott Schaffner about making history classes fun and interesting to students. 

When we observe history as events we didn’t see but just hear about from others, it opens new perspectives on a different way of approaching the discipline of history. Questions like how and why something happened are so much fun because we get to analyze history and not just accept it. 

It is important to dig a little deeper into history because it will provide us with answers and solutions to today’s problems.

Show notes:
🥱 Scott is a history professor and Mark is his student: why do students think history is boring? 00:54
🕵 Keys on how to make history classes interesting: less memorization because everybody's version of events of what happened is different.  04:16
🔁 History repeats itself: understanding the how and why has an impact on our life now as well. 08:13
🤔 Rise of Hitler: understanding a German person in 1933 and all reasons and patterns that impacted life then. 10:12
🤓 History is written by winners: Churchill wrote about his leadership during WW2, and Woodrow Wilson would be considered a racist. 11:43
🗝️ Without knowing history, there are no solutions: history is giving answers to understanding how and why things are in the world that we live in now. 15:40
👀 Looking at all perspectives - analyzing is the key: war in Ukraine. 18:39
✨ Making classes fun: engaging students to think about why behind historical events. 22:36

Links:
Connect with us: www.ascendnow.org 

Want to start a podcast, but you are not sure how to? 

Manmohini shares dozens of different solutions to the questions about how you do it and what are the tricks to create a great podcast. What are the first steps, what to think about first, and how to create something that captures your audience’s attention and enthusiasm, especially in this case, what teenagers, can find engaging? 

Check this podcast to see why podcasting is the future and what is the real power of podcasts. 

🎙️ How to make a successful podcast. 00:25
🧠 Podcasts engage persons’ minds and capture their imagination. 01:07
🤩 Process of creating a podcast: choosing the topic, finding the target audience, and pre-preparing questions. 03:01
🎧 Technology is necessary for creating a creative podcast. 04:47
🤔 How to decide the length of podcasts should be. 07:22
👀 Deciding on the podcast topic: ask yourself these questions. 09:16
💡 Netflix vs. podcasts: the art of storytelling combined with technology. 14:45
🎯 Manmohini loves history: the radio was the invention that truly revolutionized the power of communicating. 18:09

Links:

Connect with us: www.ascendnow.org

Could the answer to helping kids cope with post-pandemic anxiety involve picking up a needle and yarn? In this episode, we’re sitting down with my mom and grandmother to talk about teenage mental health struggles and knitting.

Knitting is a great way to relieve stress because you have to focus on the task at hand. Your mind isn’t allowed to wander to the things you were worried about.

Look, I’m no doctor, but I would still prescribe anyone a couple of hours of knitting when feeling stressed.

🧶 Post-COVID mental health issues affect teenagers too: maybe knitting can help. 00:29
🤩 Knitting tradition in Alex’s family. 02:38
🍻 Knitting in groups and even in pubs: a form of fun and socializing.03:38
👵 Knitting is passed out through generations: no classes or YouTube tutorials like now. 05:56
☯️ The relaxing effect of knitting during the winter: it reduces your screen time.  07:30  
🙃 Knitting is rewarding, and it connects you to your inner child too. 09:30
🤔 There is not enough knitting content for kids out there. 12:47
😇 Knitting teaches you patience.14:50
🧸 Knitted wild animal friends book by Louise Crowther is so cute and beautiful. 
🌟 Alex would love to have more friends in knitting: starting a knitting club? 17:53
🧠 Mental health themes and stress were not discussed before when my grandmother was young. 18:20
🎯 Knitting will help you to communicate better. 19:25

Links:

🎯 Connect with us: www.ascendnow.org