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Wow! I have been researching podcasts and they are a great tool that students would love to use in the classroom. Just imagine how engaged students would be if the teacher helped them create a news cast on a weekly basis on the events happening in class or on the content that they have been learning for that week. If students were able to highlight the academics that they were learning that week that would be such a great review for them. They would also need to have the understanding of the content to be able to explain it in a news cast.
I was thinking about how I would use a podcast in a first grade classroom. I think it would be a great incentive for students to do a news report on the animal that they researched for their informational research writing project. Students would want to put in their best effort so that they could share everything they learned about the animal. Students would first research and write a book on an animal that they have chosen. Then they would need to publish their book. The last step would be to share their research with the class by creating a news report for the class.
I love the idea that Richardson (2010) tells about in his book Blogs, Wiki, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms, about the Willowdale Elementary school having their own radio show for kids by kids. They share some great things they have learned in class along with fun ideas like telling jokes.
There is so much you can do with podcasts and it is so much easier today with hand held mobile devices. "As with blogs, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination." (Richardson, 2010 p. 117)
Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Corwin A Sage Company, Thousand Oaks, CA
I agree, students would be extremely excited to create their own podcasts. Adding the publishing element to it gives even the most negative of students a strong motivation to learn material and present. Today, my students recorded me teaching the Partial Products Method in class while they verbally walked our "imaginary audience" through the problem (so they wouldn't be on camera). They were floored when I uploaded it to youtube!
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of having the students create their own podcasts. When I read this section of the book I was very narrow minded thinking that I could create these podcasts and have parents and students benefit from them, but what better way to have the students show they know the information than creating a podcast!! As I'm writing this, I'm thinking of all the ways that I could have high school biology students make one and it seems like the opportunities are endless!! We could have them summarize unit information in a review podcast, or present certain topics in genetics. Gosh! I love this post because now I'm thinking less on about me making the podcasts and more about having the students benefit from making them!!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely and was thinking of having my high schools do a similar project as the one that you outlined for your first graders. (Great Minds!) My English students could use podcasts a way to present their independent novel projects or share their research findings with their peers. My history classes could use podcasts when they research a new topic/person/event in history or as a way to highlight the work they have complete within any given unit.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of having the podcast as a tool for updating students of what is coming next in the class. It is a fresh and interesting look at the events going on in the classroom. Podcasting for this type of daily endeavor could refresh students that struggle to write in their planners consistently. Cool ideas!
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