Generations Cafe - Is it Worth A Listen?

Review of Generations Cafe Podcast by Amy Johnson Crow #genealogy #podcasts


With15 percent of Americans listening to podcasts on a weekly basis for entertainment and enlightenment, this platform is attracting the attention of entrepreneurial individuals and groups to start creating new podcast channels. A number of new channels are genealogy focus. With two powerhouse podcasts available for genealogy and a few second tear channels, is it worth your time to try something new?

Andy and I do listen to podcasts on a regular basis, with Andy listening more than me because of his regular trips to his full-time engineering job. My trip to my full-time job means living my bedroom. In any case, I prefer podcasts about homeschool encouragement, politics, and social media marketing. Notice what we don't see me listening to often - genealogy podcasts. 

For myself, I don't have enough time for lengthy genealogy podcasts. Additionally, I am a "Show Me" learner when it comes to genealogy. When I attempt to comprehend genetic triangulation or reading and analyzing a census, I need to see what you're talking about to understand. Thus, I prefer YouTube channels to podcasts. 

But that's about to change with Generations Cafe by Amy Johnson Crow.

Episode Six of Generations Cafe by Amy Johnson Crow

Amy is so knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics but what I have loved about following her blog, watching her in person lectures and Facebook Lives, is she is always trying to hone her craft as an educator. She just keeps improving her content delivery in ways that respect the platform she is using (written word, spoken content, or video) and works to master the skills to be an excellent teacher. 

When Amy announced she was starting a new podcast via her newsletter and blog, I was skeptical but curious. Could she create a podcast that would interest me enough to tune in? 

Yes, she did!

I've completed Episode Six, "Citing Sources Without Stressing Out." Citations are one of the unnecessarily complicated aspects of intermediate and advanced genealogy. I cringe when anyone attempts to discuss citations because they don't do it well. They'll stress the importance of identifying where you obtained your information, which I completely agree, but they fail miserably in discussing the key components. And if any topic needs a "Show Me" approach, it's citations. 

However, in less than 17 minutes, Amy Johnson Crow did the impossible. She motivated me about the importance of citations, fully described "Site What You See" with concrete examples, and briefly explained what is necessary for a citation without making my head explode. Then, for those who want visual support to an audio platform, she offered a free guide to practice citation examples. 

She did all of this with excellent vocal pacing that was not too fast that I had to hit the 15-second rewind button or too slow that I pressed the 1.5x the speed button to consume the episode in less time. 

Review of Generations Cafe by Amy Johnson Crow - a new podcast that you have to listen to


So kudos for Amy Johnson Crow and her new venture, Generations Cafe, for making my list of favorite podcasts. Be sure to check out her latest episodes on iTunes, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. 

Comments

  1. genealogylizgauffreauOctober 15, 2018 at 7:58 PM

    I'm a huge fan of everything Amy Johnson Crow does, for the reasons you've noted. I love her new podcast!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Devon Noel LeeOctober 18, 2018 at 10:25 AM

      Glad you and I share the same points as why we enjoy Amy. She's really working hard to helping us all be better researchers.

      Delete

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