Using Podcasts in the Classroom

Kidcast #46: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This podcast is about getting kids to go into a more in-depth look at writing narratives. Included in this podcast is an activity designed to get kids to do just that. The activity is basically like 20 questions. The teacher brings pictures into the class and asks the students to make up 20 questions about the picture. Then the class answers them. This activity can also be broadened into an activity using podcasts where students make a podcast of their 20 questions, including the pictures.

Driving Questions: Online Safety

This is a podcast about a guy who travels to different schools to speak with students, parents and teacher about online safety. With so much of the world online today, it is important for children to understand that the internet is not a playground. Students need to be careful when they are online. The author of the podcast does not go into specific strategies of how to talk about online safety but he does give lots of ideas for topics of discussion on online safety. This podcast would be a little dry to use with students in the classroom but I would definately show this podcast to parents.

Based on these two podcasts , I would definitely use them in the classroom. While listening to them, I was able to get into what the authors were saying. Also, the Online Safety podcast includes a video so I can see how that would also get students more involved in what the authors are saying. Podcasts can be used for tutoring, for a way to get reluctant learners involved and to produce amazing class projects. In order for students to create podcasts they must be able to coherently organize their thoughts into narrative essays and presentations. If I were to say this to a students they would not be so enthusiastic about podcasts but that's the beauty of it. Students will enjoy making podcasts and build their skills without even realizing it. There are so many ways that a teacher can use podcasts in the classroom to build on skills in a way that students have fun at the same time.

5 Ways to Use Podcasting in the Classroom

1. I would definitely use the idea that Dan Schmit presents in the KidCast podcast that I used for this post. The 20 questions idea stimulates students' creative thinking and engages them in more in-depth analysis of the information that they are presented with.
2. I would also use podcasts to help struggling students get a different perspective on a lesson that we are going over. Sometimes, all a student needs to excel is a different perspective on the same information. This would be a great way to tutor struggling students.
3. Podcasts can also be helpful with giving information to parents. The students and I could create podcasts for their parents to listen to that tells them what we are working on in class and how their child is learning. Podcasts can also be used with parents to impart important information such as online safety.
4. Students could also research podcasts on their own to present to the class. If we are working on a unit that is widespread students could pick a topic within that unit and find a podcast that works with their topic. Then they can share what they have found with the rest of the class.
5. A variation of the last use of podcasts could be that students make their own podcasts of the research that they have done on their topic. Then they can share these podcasts with the rest of the class.