It all started with a Tweet.
It was around September, and I had finally figured out how to write a post in 40 (and now 280!) characters. I began following every handle I could related to education. And then one tweet caught my eye. It read something like this:
Share your interesting education stories on the radio! @voicEdcanada
Of course, I sent a message immediately. Within 24 hours, I was back and forth with Stephen Hurley, founder/chief catalyst of voicEd Radio, the Canadian-based radio show solely focused on education. He fell in love with my story about Nicholas, read Reversed: A Memoir in just a few days, and set up a six-week series to talk about the different parts of the book. Every Wednesday night, we spoke for an hour, and I was blown away by his dedication to the story. Nicholas and Chris both spoke on the air. I figured, once our series was over, our airtime would end.
But, during the last episodes, Stephen surprised me when he said he didn't want our talks to be over. Instead, he wanted to continue speaking with the other students I've worked with, as well as others in Nicholas' life.
I am so unbelievably grateful to have this opportunity, and be heard by other educators, parents, and learners worldwide.
February 3 was voicEd's first anniversary! They completed 18 hours of broadcasts, and I was honored to have a slot. During this time, I read the prologue of my book and a poem, before chatting with Nicholas (in London) and his fiancee, Lakshmi (in Edinburgh).
Our main topic of conversation was: “What teachers do you recall from you school days? What made them memorable?” I knew much of Nicholas experience, however, Lakshmi was educated in Chennai, India, so she expressed encounters with education from her home and some of her experience at Oxford.
But, the excitement doesn't stop there. Stephen and I have started another series where we will be interviewing the students I've worked with as a reading specialist. You can listen to the recordings here.
Hope you're listening in!
Cheers,
Lois
