Sunday, April 09, 2006

National Public Radio

I haven't listened to NPR in quite sometime. It used to be the wake up channel on my clock radio, but as soon as I was awake, it was off. Chris called me yesterday and told me to tune into the local NPR station to check out the program. Since then, my car radio station has not changed and I've learned some interesting things.

1. Global Explorers is a program that takes middle school and high school students to various "environmental destinations" around the world from the Amazon to Tanzania to the Arctic. In addition to the environmental consciousness of the trip, it also focuses on education before the trip (9-11 introductory lessons for students and teacher) and service during and after the trip. A service-learning project is integrated into the trip and an expectation to carry on such a project upon return to the States.


2. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is a popular PBS show for kids that I enjoyed for many, many years. Yesterday, there was a rebroadcast of a twentysomething journalist's interview with Mr. Fred Rodgers. I wasn't really paying attention at the beginning of the show, but the gist of it was that this journalist arranged a meeting with Mr. Rogers because they had once met when the journalist was 5 or 6. I think they lived in the same neighborhood or something. Well, anyways, Mr. McFeely, the friendly neighborhood delivery man is really Mr. Rogers' PR guy and arrived the whole thing. Weird. In addition, Daniel Tiger, one of my favorite characters in the Land of Make Believe, was really a meow-meow factory reject puppet. Poor Daniel Tiger.



3. Today, Beverly Cleary was interviewed, author of the Ramona series and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I loved those books when I was little. I remember reading them a lot in third grade, that was a tough year to begin with. I think I may have even had a Ramona Quimby Diary. How cool!! Cleary is 90 years old this week and she began writing these books while she was a children's librarian. She remembers little boys asking for books about things they did and liked. So, she decided to write The Mouse and the Motorcycle after her son wanted a book about a motorcycle. You can check out the blurb and hear audio from the interview here.

3 comments:

Gina said...

I like "Calling All Pets" on NPR. It's a call-in show that answers pet questions. I came across it while stuck in traffic one day and was riveted! I've had a hard time finding it againg though. I think it's only on during the weekends.

dria said...

I've listened to calling all pets. I think it's a Saturday show. What'dya Know? is a funny show. It is broadcast from Monona Terrace and the guy is a total Wisconsinite. I think it's on Saturdays at 10 or 10:30am.

Whitney said...

I'm a big NPR fan. I've got all kinds of podcasts on my ipod. One of my favorites is Science Fridays on Talk of the Nation. I also enjoy Michael Feldman's What'dya Know and This American Life, featuring one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris. I always feel so informed and education when listening to NPR. It's very relaxing for me to listen on my long drives to and fro as well!