The Ohio State University Inspire

The Ohio State University Inspire

The monthly Inspire Podcast asks Ohio State’s Education and Human Ecology experts — and everyday heroes — about the issues that people encounter in life: mental and physical health, inequity, lifelong learning, raising and teaching children. To discover why ... and why not? Because hidden in our dilemmas and most complex problems are exquisite solutions.

Episodes

September 17, 2025 27 mins

Schools are banning phones. But college students, workers also get pulled off task by digital devices. Here’s how smartphones can impact anyone’s thinking and learning. Link to transcript. Read tips on how to overcome digital distractions.

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Teaching students and experienced educators talk about being queer in a shifting landscape.

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Education leader Antoinette Miranda built a career of advocacy by making her own challenges, and others’, her personal mission. She’s not about to stop now. Transcript available. Get news and guest insights by subscribing to the Inspire Podcast Newsletter. Read more about the career of Antoinette Miranda.

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In a fast-paced, complex world, has the rulebook for raising adolescents been rewritten?

Link to transcript.

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December 18, 2024 21 mins

You know this elusive emotion when you feel it, and especially when you don’t. Learn ways to rethink and cultivate joy, even in the tough times

 

Link to transcript

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Overuse of media devices might impact white matter in developing brains, research shows. But it’s less about screens and more about the interactions that young children aren’t receiving. 

 

Link to transcript

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Repeating cycles in the United States could serve as lessons for a better future, if we first recognize them.

 

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Birth rates are declining. Ohio State researchers study possible reasons, economic solutions and discuss the scrutiny of another aspect of reproductive choice

 

Link to transcript

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Chatbot technology can boost learning motivation and student engagement. But first, educators must put parameters in place.

 

Link to transcript

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America is aging. How does mistreatment of our oldest members reflect our ageist attitudes? Research indicates how to fight the least-recognized form of abuse. 

 

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In America’s schools, Latine children make up nearly a third of students. Are we teaching them in ways that ensure their future, and ours? Latine literature shows a path forward.

Link to transcript 

See our experts' top picks for Latine children's and young adult books.

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If you think you can’t be duped by internet and phone scammers, you’re the victim they’re looking for. Here’s how fraudsters get inside your head and swindle people who think they can’t be “had.” Link to transcript
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Three “science of reading” researchers push back on the idea that teaching phonics alone will cure America’s literacy problems. Comprehension is the next big hurdle.

 

Link to transcript here

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March 20, 2024 29 mins

Driven by curiosity, young children recall details that adults miss. Discover why exploration is critical for learning and innovation, but in excess could lead to social turmoil

Credits: YouTube, Stanford; YouTube, DC Public Library; WXIA-TV; Woody Guthrie; video by Lindsay Rice 

Link to transcript

 

 

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Once rare, Black youth suicide spiked in recent years. Indigenous youth have struggled with the trend for decades. Can instilling community and culture reverse a heartbreaking phenomenon for us all?

 

Link to transcript

Read Theory into Practice: Homeplace and Black Joy in K-12 Education. Also, see tips on suicide prevention.

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Science is now uncovering the myriad ways that exercise impacts the brain. For less stress, improved cognition and a “feel-better” effect, there’s nothing quite like movement to boost mental health.

 

Link to transcript

 

Read expert tips on how best to stick with your exercise routine.

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December 1, 2023 2 mins

The monthly Inspire Podcast asks Ohio State's Education and Human Ecology experts — and everyday heroes — about the issues that people encounter in life: mental and physical health, inequity, lifelong learning, raising and teaching children.  To discover why ... and why not? Because hidden in our dilemmas and most complex problems are exquisite solutions. 

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November 15, 2023 28 mins

The provocative and high-powered music genre that turned 50 this year can be used to teach almost anything — if you first embrace its cultural relevance 

 

Listen to playlists of hip-hop songs recommended by Assistant Professor Jason Rawls and Professor Elaine Richardson, and those that appear in this episode: ⁠YouTube or Spotify

Credits: GloRilla, FSG Rell, Naz, Elaine Richardson, Kendrick Lamar, Skepta feat. JME, Megan Thee Stall...

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October 17, 2023 31 mins

Young people need stories that reflect their lives, experts say. Using censorship to deny that representation can have dangerous consequences.

 

Link to transcript. Read a National Council of Teachers of English article about continuing efforts to preserve intellectual freedom.

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September 20, 2023 25 mins

Noah and Asho scaled incredible obstacles just to make it to college. Somehow, they never gave up. How two students beat the odds, and the people who helped them believe in possibilities.

 

Link to transcript

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