Civics, the Gig Economy, and Emergency Response Teaching with Jenna Spinelle

On today’s episode, Jenna Spinelle joins Mike to talk about civics, the gig economy, and the sudden shift to remote teaching. Jenna is a writer, instructor, and podcaster in higher education who recently launched a new course focused on teaching undergrads how to engage in the gig economy. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she had to quickly shift from delivering the course face-to-face to teaching remotely. Jenna shares her experiences and perspectives on emergency remote teaching (ERT) as we dive into the growing importance of the gig economy in our professional lives these days. After touching on the importance of pursuing one’s passions, building a portfolio, and developing the entrepreneurial skills needed to be.a gig employee, we conclude by exploring Jenna’s work in teaching civics through her podcast, Democracy Works, and through the network of podcasts she founded called The Democracy Group.

We hope you enjoy listening to this wide-ranging and relevant conversation about the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education.