Educational Podcasting

Are you podcasting?

The fifth-graders Jamestown Elementary School in Arlington, Va., made recordings of their poems and book reports. ‘ We could read parts of books, to show why we like them. We could do interviews. If there's a field trip, we could make a recording of it and post it,’ said Mohamed El-Sayed, 10 . ‘ Kids anywhere will like to hear about us.’ The Seattle Times, Oct 20, 2005

Teachers say the benefits of making podcasts are clear: The trendy technology and the possibility of a wider audience motivate students.

‘ My students research better, read more, write better and understand the material ,’ said Beth Sanborn, a fifth-grade teacher at Willowdale Elementary School, near Omaha, Neb., where students have been making podcasts since last spring.

The Seattle Times, Oct 20, 2005

Podcasts at the school are not only filled with kid humor and snappy music, but they are also loaded with facts. Teachers hope they'll be used as supplementary curriculum material by future students.

‘ We want our podcasts to be timeless ,’ said Tony Vincent, technology specialist at Willowdale. ‘ We want teachers to play them for their classes . ’

Teachers are also finding other uses for portable music players in the classroom. In Carrollton, Texas, kindergartners are taking ‘loaner iPods’ home to practice ( sic) their vocabulary words, and English as a Second Language students are using them to practice English. (Shen in The Seattle Times, 2005)

( Can we use that for our lower primary pupils as well as those weak in reading? Is that a possibility?)

So what exactly is a podcast?

Put simply, it is an audio recording placed in the internet for anyone and everyone to listen to it.

It came from the words ‘ i Pod ’ and ‘ Broad casting ’  Pod – casting

(But we do not need an iPod to podcast nowadays)

Let’s listen to a few first:

1. Willowcast #12 ( from Willowdale Elemetary School in Omaha, Nebraska) ( http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/shows/Willowcast12.html )

2. The Downs FM (The Downs CE Primary School, UK)

( http://www.downsfm.com/ )

3. Mills Murfee podcasts ( http:// millsmurfee.blogspot.com / )

As done 2 nd graders’ ( equivalent to our primary 2s! ) 

http://www.educ.ttu.edu/online/wfryer/millsmurfee/2006-02-16-millsmurfeepodcast.mp3

What can we do with it?

* Listen to this first:

http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/MP3/boy%20lit%20curriculum.mp3

(by Shaun Else, a Grade 5 Teacher in Maple Grove Pri. Sch., Halton District Board of Education, Canada)

A) Uses for teaching/reinforcement

Teacher can use it as a read-aloud for the pupils to listen to and then as a quiz show (Compre)

Pupils summarize texts/passages they have read (summarizing as comprehension)

What can we do with it?

Pupils can record their reading with dramatization (modulating voices - Oral)

Teacher can have pupils listen to recording and read along with text (print-sound relationship)

B) Uses for Management/Communication

Teacher can use it as a reminder for pupils to listen to at home!

Teacher can use it for short lessons if teacher is on MC.

How to actually do it?

1. Technical stuff (what you need)

Listen to this  http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/MP3/techstuff.mp3

2. Detailed Instructions

http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/Make_Podcast_Blogger.html

3. Free software

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Wavepad http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/masters.html

(records in mp3 format immediately)

Only if we try, will we know its efficacy;

Only if we embrace technology, will we not be afraid of it;

Only if we share, will we learn to master it;

So, go forth and spread the word – that podcasting can be used and that there’s no limit to the way it can be used.

 We are limited ONLY by our imagination and fears .

Finally, let’s give it a try!

Shen, F. (2005, Oct 20). Teachers see iPods as educational tool. The Seattle Times . Retrieved 1 Sept, 2006 from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2002571859_podschool20.html

Borja, R. (2005). Podcasting Craze Comes to K-12 Schools. Education Week , 25(14), 8. Retrieved 1 Sept, 2006 from http://www.mec.edu/algonquin/ipod.htm

References