Before this lesson on podcasts, I have to admit that I really didn’t know anything about podcasting. From our class discussion, and the little exploration I have done on my own, podcasts seem like an amazing way to incorporate technology and English language arts in the classroom. I imagine that it would not only assist in student learning, but also parent learning and community involvement. I loved the idea of posting podcasts online for student’s family members to be able to listen in, as well as the idea of having students interview a community ‘expert’ and make a podcast of it.
Voice threads are also an innovative way for students to participate in language arts through readings, discussions, etc. In particular, I thought the “2nd Grader Play I-Spy” on voicethread.com was a creative way of getting students to do representation, reading, writing, speaking and listening. This voice thread was modelled after the “I-Spy” book series where they took a picture with ten or more objects and added a few rhyming “I-Spy” lines correlating to their picture. The end result was a class compilation where each student had their own image, text and voice recording.
It would be fun to have a class get into groups and do research assignments, for example, each group could choose a different author and make a pod cast ‘lesson’ of their findings to share with the rest of the class. Many of the basic strands of language arts could be easily incorporated. Students could first write a report, take turns reading and recording their report, and listening to the finished product as well as other classmates projects. Allowing students to experiment and make suggestions about podcasts they are interested in would aid in making classroom learning more meaningful and student-directed. Students who are shy or have a difficult time reading aloud may also feel more comfortable if they know they can rehearse their recording a few times and play it back before sharing it with other learners. If students are unfamiliar with podcasting, the novelty of hearing themselves on a recording would probably create excitement around the lesson and allow them to share their learning with their family.
On a school website from Virginia
The only drawback to podcasting seems to be the issue of confidentiality. As a teacher you have a responsibility to proceed with caution, and parents would definitely need to be consulted prior to making any posts online. Perhaps a class-confidentiality agreement could be drawn up to ensure that students are aware of how to protect their identities online.
As a new teacher, I am excited to find ways to use technology to make lessons more memorable and engaging for students. Accessing technology in the classroom will undoubtedly make lessons more relatable for learners in the twenty-first century so why not capitalize on this potential? Since so many youth are already experts in today’s technology by the time they arrive in the classroom, I’m sure I will learn a few things from students in doing activities such as podcasts and voicethreads.
Sources
Canadian Podcasts – organized by subject, each has a brief description and a link: http://canadapodcasts.ca/
When you mentioned the confidentiality issue - it reminded me that many school divisions have portals that only members (ie. students and teachers) can access. Many people are still not comfortable about the whole wide world web - the portal allows sharing in the school community; but protection from the outside. I imagine it would also be easier to monitor.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts, Ashley!
I love the idea of having kids get into groups to create podcast lessons for the rest of the class! I had also never heard of podcasts and am very impressed with their potential for learning in the classroom. My only worry was confidentiality as well, but I noticed that Carol commented that you can create members-only access!
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