0.6 Podcasts in the language arts classroom  (Page 2/2)

Another free place to begin the podcasting process is (External Link) . Simply name your podcast, fill in a few simple details such as name and e-mail, and one can begin podcasting rather quickly.

Classrooms in All Grade Levels and Subject Areas have created a wide array of podcasts. Many of which can be found at the site I had mentioned earlier (External Link)

Examples of Podcasts:

Podcast produced by college students:

This is a podcast about young adult literature, produced for an english methods class that studies adolescent literature. althought this is produced by college students, middle or high school students could just as easily produce this podcast, because several of the books are appropriate for adolescent and tennage readers.

This particular podcast could also be used in middle and high school classes that are studying the same texts. The podcasts could serve as a hook to get students interested in the text, or as an example of how college students summarizations are different than a middle school student’s.

(External Link)&podcast=YA!%20Cast&program=The%20Absolutely%20True%20Diary%20of%20a%20Part-Time%20Indian%20by%20Sherman%20Alexie

Other episodes can be reached at : (External Link)&openpod=4#anchor4

Room 312 – a view into the vortex: podcast produced by an english teacher

“Discovering Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Literature.”

(External Link)&openpod=4#anchor4

Here, another teacher creates his own podcast to instruct students in all sorts of things, including, in one case, coordinating and subordinate conjunctions. Although the material is rather dull, the teacher makes attempts to use humor and movie clips to appeal to students. For instance, the voice that introduces the podcast sounds like a high-brow British professor, although the teacher himself has no such accent. He uses an audio clip of star wars to illustrate independent clause usage. The podcast is certainly informative.

The teacher also elaborates on students’ in class assignments in some podcasts.

8th grade students talk about edgar allen poe: mabry middle school

A great example of the kinds of podcasts that Language Arts students are capable of creating. Students capture the macabre element of Poe’s works very well.

(External Link)

Mrs. sanders’ class podcast: westfield middle school, texas.

I particularly enjoy mrs. sanders’ take on justin timberlake’s “sexy back”, which she entitles “i’m bringing vocab back” in this case mrs. sander’s produces the podcasts for her students to use as educational tools and for fun.

Definitely check this out:

(External Link)

As you can see, Mrs. Sanders uses the site podomatic.com to host her podcast.

Pro’s:

1. The potential uses of podcasts are limited only by you and your students’ imaginations.

2. Podcasts can be simply downloaded and used as educational supplements, or they can serve as a whole class or small group project.

3. A student could make a podcast about their favorite book, or they could act out a scene from their favorite play. Teachers can create podcasts on their own for use in the classroom, or for students to use while at home.

4. Podcasting is relatively easy, and, except for the few pieces of equipment necessary, nearly free.

5. Podcasting is an easy way to incorporate cross-curriculum instruction. History classes can tell a story from the perspective of Benjamin Franklin, or English classes could explore the 19th century society of Huck Finn.

Con’s

1. A lack of time, on the part of both teachers and students is probably the biggest usage constraint. Learning the basics how to’s of podcasting may consume a whole class period. In a school environment increasingly obsessed with standards, if may be difficult to justify the class time that podcasting requires.

2. Teacher created podcasts also consume time, and time is certainly precious in the teaching profession.

3. Before publishing student podcasts, a teacher would need to be sure that nothing inappropriate was being published.

4. Not all schools or classes have access to even the most basic computing equipment necessary to make a podcasts.

Considerations for teachers:

As a teacher of any subject and any grade level, you are capable of producing podcasts or having your students produce one.

A podcast can serve many functions: a class project, a group or individual project, an educational supplement, a place to share your interests in your subject area, a way to allow your student’s work to reach a larger audience, and a way to allow student’s creativity to thrive.

Certainly, an activity such as this can help students who do not learn well through lectures or other traditional class activities.

Some students prefer a more hands on approach to learning, and podcasting fulfills that requirement. It also allows student to learn collobarative skills that will serve them will in other classes and in college.

You will need detailed explanations to students before you begin a podcasting project.