Uses for Podcasts in the Classroom

Heather Ziegler

Fill in absent students – Student(s) are absent from school so I can give him/her the option to either listen in during the day or I can record it for him/her to listen to later on in the day. Having the student listen to the podcast always helps them to keep caught up with what is happening in the classroom. Works great with those that will be absent for long periods of time and also can serve as a recap to those students that want to listen to what happened in school again.

Inform Substitutes – Recording a podcast for a substitute is a great way to relay information and also helps the substitute to keep the classroom busy and know what is expected of them. It allows for the substitute to know the schedule and events of the day and what subjects to cover.

Interviews – Students can record an interview between them and another person or between them and another student or many other ways. Using a podcast for an interview helps the students to hear their own voices and revise if needed and it brings more character to the interview. Students tend to get more excited about a project when they get to hear their own voices.

Record Notes/Lectures- Podcasts are a great resource when it comes to recording notes or lectures. It helps to keep more organized and refer back to when needed. Recorded notes/lectures can be posted on line and sent out to anyone and also are a great resource to those students absent or wish to refer back to the podcast.

Get Parents/Guardians Engaged- Students have many events going on in the classroom and parents/guardians enjoy hearing about all that is taking place in the classroom. Podcasts can be useful with this to record projects, assignments and student work. Recording a newsletter or upcoming event is also a great way to get parents/guardians involved.

Record Assignments – Podcasts can be used to record upcoming assignments or projects and can be also used as a daily verbal agenda. It is useful in the classroom for anyone that may have been absent or forgot to write down the assignments. It can be a great resource to refer back to if an assignment is missing. Great tool for those students also with disabilities (ex. Hearing impaired).

Announcements – Students get really excited and want to get involved when it comes to them making announcements. Recording school announcements or even classroom announcements is a wonderful way to get students engaged and also work on their communication skills. Parents also enjoy listening to their child.

Testing Review- Podcasts can be used as a review for an upcoming test whether it be a unit test or a state test. Students tend to like to use many resources to study from and recording information through a podcast is a great way to do that and can also be used to stress the importance of certain subjects.

Digital Stories- Students love listening to stories and podcasts can be used to record either the teacher or the student telling the stories. Stories told through podcasts are a great resource for anyone and children of all ages. A lot of expression can also be used through story telling to bring the story to life.

Virtual Fieldtrips- Podcasts can be used to record a fieldtrip that is taken and capture all the sights seen. It also can be used in the classroom by setting up and disguising the classroom for a certain event and having the students follow what the podcast says to experience an adventure. Also is a great resource for those that are absent from the trip to almost experience the same adventure.

Step-by-step How To’s- Podcasts can serve as a great resource when it comes to explaining a procedure step-by-step. Can especially be used with Math and Science dealing with problem solving and experiments. Students can use as a study guide to reference back to.

Skit- Students can record themselves during a skit whether it be a whole classroom skit or with a smaller group or individual. Skits can take place with any subject and students enjoy hearing their voice and can also go back and make any corrections. It is a great form of practice and also the finished product can be kept for later in life.