PODCASTS IN THE CLASSROOM

Elena Spathis

Listening to Themselves:Podcasting Takes Lessons Beyond

the ClassroomBy Maya Payne Smart

http://www.edutopia.org/podcasting-student-broadcasts

What is a podcast? A podcast is an audio recording stored as MP3

file or in another file format The creator syndicates the recording via the

Internet, and the listener plays it using a digital music player on a computer, iPod, or a mobile device

As noted in the article... Podcasting used in Mr. Coley’s

elementary science & history classes in Murrieta, California, called “Coley Casts”

Class is broken into groups of 2/3 students so they can develop podcast scripts by discussing and summarizing what they've learned

Then, the podcasts are uploaded to iTunes and are published on Mr. Coley’s website

Highlights Minimal technology, global audience Easy to create Minimal cost Empowers students to be “content

creators” rather than “content consumers”

Reinforces course concepts

Highlights, continued Develops writing skills Improves speaking ability (oral

presentation skills) Can be easily accessed by students:

iPods/computers not necessary Helps parents stay current on classroom

activities

Pitfalls Make sure students don’t miss the

point: importance lies in communication, not in podcasting

Not designed for two-way interaction Still uncomfortable for shy, quiet

students Unexciting and tedious as a result of a

lack of graphics/visual aids Uneven production quality

My Opinion Great way to implement technologically

minimally Low cost epitomizes convenience Students as broadcasters: develops

writing and speaking skills However, podcasting on a weekly basis:

boring Two way interaction is important

Discussion Questions

Would any of you have your students create podcasts in your future classrooms? Why or why not?

For what grade level/what academic subjects do you think podcasting would be most effective?

Is it fair to say that podcasting develops presentation skills when the students are not actually presenting to a direct audience?