Nathan and Haeny are back for another Pop Off about recent cuts to funding for federal research. And they brought in a special guest: Vice Dean for Digital Innovation at Teachers College, Managing Director of the Digital Features Institute, and Pop and Play producer, Lalitha Vasudevan. What is being cut, what are the impacts and implications, and what can people who are concerned about these cuts do? Where was that research money going and why does it matter? Tune in to find out and get ideas about how to take action.
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website. Follow Pop and Play on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Haeny and Nathan aren’t just here to talk about children’s media - in this season finale, they’re here to MAKE children’s media! Welcome to a fictional tale of what happens after the end of the world, drawing on prompts and suggestions from this season’s guests and narrated by guest star Hannah Holbert. It’s an episode unlike any previous Pop and Play: we hope you enjoy it! And if you share it with any kids, let us know what they think! Send us a message at @popandplaypod on Instagram!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leaf Eaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
What kinds of shows and media are kids into these days? Haeny and Nathan go straight to the source to find out: kids, of course! Their guests this week are three pairs of kids aged six, eleven, and sixteen. They share their viewing habits and opinions, talk about who they watch with, and Haeny and Nathan learn that “kids media” and “adult media” aren’t always such separate things after all.
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website. Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or search “Pop and Play” wherever you listen to Podcasts and subscribe!
Our music is selections from Leaf Eaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Haeny and Nathan welcome to the show Andy Davenport, one of the creators of the hit children’s show Teletubbies. Find out about the origins of the show, the inspiration behind the teletubbies themselves, and Davenport’s background in children’s language development that all contribute to the show we know and love. This deep dive into the world of Teletubbies with its rolling hills and baby sun will get deep into why play is so vital to children’s experience of media.
Correction: We know spongebob lives in a pineapple under the sea, not “a little house underground” as Haeny says in the episode. Don't @ us.
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website. Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or search “Pop and Play” wherever you listen to Podcasts and subscribe!
Our music is selections from Leaf Eaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
In this episode, Haeny and Nathan talk with two of the creators of the award-winning kids and family podcast Story Pirates! Co-founder and Creative Director Lee Overtree and Co-founder and CEO Jamie Salka join to talk about how to treat children as true collaborators, both in podcasting, as well as the many other forms of media Story Pirates is creating including books, music and television. We’re warning you in advance: they talk a lot about Northwestern University - but they tie it all in to the creative communities and spaces that gave rise to their approach to making things with children and as artists and storytellers. Also, did you know that Story Pirates responds to tens of thousands of stories submitted to them by kids each year? Listen for more on the story behind the Story Pirates.
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leaf Eaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
This season is all about exploring children’s media, and this week Haeny and Nathan talk with Emily Reardon, Emmy Award-winning and patents-holding designer specializing in the development of emergent technologies for play and learning, and Michael Preston, Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Emily and Michael talk to us about their favorite TV shows growing up — remember Electric Company? — and the ways media and education are intertwined, particularly at the current moment. They’ll also talk about the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and its role in research about children’s media, and make the link between media and social learning (beyond the screen) that is so key to children’s development. They share about the changes they’re seeing in how children’s media is designed and experienced. Listen here to find out more about how children’s media and research inform each other!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Haeny and Nathan welcome Aaron Trammell, Associate Professor of Informatics at UC Irvine. He has recently published two books on play: Repairing Play, A Black Phenomenology, and The Privilege of Play. Both of these books — and this conversation — explore the challenging elements of play, and ask questions about how various communities understand play and access to different types of play. And of course they have fun talking about which classic games are right for which scenarios and going deep on games like Dungeons and Dragons.
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Join Haeny and Nathan in talking to Erica Halverson, professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, host of the podcast Arts Educators Save the World, and author of How the Arts Can Save Education, and co-founder of the Playmakers Lab in Chicago. Listen to Erica create musicals on the fly, explain Whoopensocker, a community she developed, and talk about the value of making art for its own sake. This episode gets into approaches to making art with children and making spaces to value their contributions.
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
In this episode, Haeny and Nathan go bonkers about fandom with Henry Jenkins, Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts, and Education at the University of Southern California, and Ioana Literat, Associate Professor and co-director of the Communication, Media, and Learning Technologies Design Program at Teachers College. They start off this episode talking about their own fan communities (you know Haeny is a T-Swift fan, right?), and the way information is shared within these communities. They also get into the way fan communities can intersect with civic culture and participation in both beneficial and troubling ways, as has been instantiated in the political landscape through fandoms as spaces for exercising voice and participation, but also online conspiracy theories.
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Check out Professor Jenkins’s podcast How Do You Like It So Far if you liked this episode!
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Join Haeny and Nathan in talking to the makers of EcoLeaders, a TV series that’s part of BronxNet Television and available on Youtube that uses puppetry to explore collective responses to environmental issues. Jesus, Paola, and Logan are the family team behind the show, and ask questions like: How can children’s media also be activism? Through their stories of real-world issues impacting kids’ lived environments, the team behind EcoLeaders helps Haeny and Nathan think about the role of children’s media in activism and education. And you’ll hear Jesus, Paola and Logan dream up new characters, drawing on some of their favorite media like Doctor Who.
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Season 5 of Pop and Play is releasing next Tuesday, March 11! Since this upcoming season is focusing on children’s media, we’re releasing some past episodes where we’ve talked about children’s media! This week’s episode is from Season 2, originally released May 10, 2022! Haeny and Nathan talked with amazing scholar (and mentor to Haeny) Professor Anne Haas Dyson about Masters of the Universe: Revelations! (But really they mostly talked about how the media kids watch plays different important roles in their lives).
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
Access a transcript of this episode here. To learn about our guests, and more, visit our website. Follow Pop and Play on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
This week, Nathan and Haeny sit down with Dr. Jacqueline Simmons and Dr. Sarah Gerth van den Berg of the Black Paint Curriculum Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University to talk about their new podcast, Curriculum Encounters! They have an expansive, some might even say playful, approach to curriculum design. They ask us to think about the curriculum of all kinds of spaces and activities, beyond formalized plans for school lessons.
Curriculum Encounters is coming out February 27, 2025! Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen, and learn more on their website.
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
Access a transcript here. To learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
This March 11th, another season of Pop and Play is about to roll into your podcast feeds! This season, Haeny and Nathan are exploring children’s media. By talking with game designers, performers, artists, and kids, we’ll examine what it takes to make children’s media and how kids relate to it. And of course they play games and find out “what’s poppin.”
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
As researchers of kids’ play and pop culture, Haeny and Nathan have a few frequently asked questions they get from adults. These include, how much screen time is okay (if any)? How do I design or assess play in my curriculum? Is this game okay for my kid? Search no further! They’re here to bring you the answers you crave. Or will they do that annoying professor thing and wind up just turning them into more questions? Listen to find out!
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
We’re back with a new annual tradition(?)! It’s our New Year’s bonus episode - and it’s still January so the year is still new! Nathan and Haeny talk about some of their favorite pop culture topics from 2024, things they want to say goodbye to from last year, and hopes for play and pop culture in 2025. Disclaimer: Haeny and Nathan are not expert sources on the slang the kids are using.
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Gun Violence research and hope might not usually sound like they go together, but this week’s special Pop Off guest, Teachers College Professor Sonali Rajan, is here to share progress made in this often challenging field. Sonali Rajan is Professor of Health Promotion and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health.
Organizations Sonali mentioned in this episode:
Research Society for the Prevention of Fireaarm-Related Harms
Check out Sonali’s podcast on Gun Violence Research, (Re)Search for Solutions!
Op-Eds by Sonali:
As we reimagine schooling, let’s reimagine gun violence prevention, too (Hechinger Report)
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
This week, Nathan and Haeny are talking about “parents’ rights.” Having rights sounds great, but what do people mean when they talk about “parents’ rights”? How is that phrase used in service of the agenda of certain adults, and how does it position those adults in relationship to the rights of kids and other parents?
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
Sometimes we hear “it’s not the time for that” when it comes to play or diving into pop culture in difficult times. When times are hard, we might feel guilty about doing things that seem frivolous. But Haeny and Nathan are here to push back on the idea that there’s something wrong with playing—or when we don’t perform the “right” kind of “serious” response—when we deal with challenges, loss and grief.
Check out the zine Haeny mentions in the episode here.
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
This week, we’re going all the way back to season one with “Future Dreaming”. In this episode Haeny talks about speculative fiction and creative reimagining with Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, Olu Animashaun, and Lalitha Vasudevan.
We’re bringing you this re-release (originally released April 27, 2021) in case you missed this great conversation the first time. We’re going to bring a few older episodes back into the feed as we keep working on Season 5 and get ready to talk about children’s media (and other things) with a great set of new guests.
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.
It’s Halloween! Haeny and Nathan are here to frighten and delight you with some Halloween opinions in a just-for-fun holiday “Pop Off”! Do you have takes on costumes, candy, and scary movies? Follow @popandplay pod and send your thoughts! As a bonus, you’ll get to see the costumes Haeny and Nathan wore for this episode!
Please take our listener survey! We could really use your insight and opinions, and we want to hear your ideas for Pop Off topics and future guests!
For transcripts of this episode, to learn about our guests, and more, visit our website.
Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.
Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
This episode was edited by Adrienne Vitullo and Billy Collins. Website design and support by Abu Abdelbagi. Social media by Meier Clark, Blake Danzig, and Adrienne Vitullo. Produced by Haeny Yoon, Nathan Holbert, Lalitha Vasudevan, Billy Collins and Joe Riina-Ferrie at the Digital Futures Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University.
