Digital Tool: Podcasting
Podcasting in the classroom
A podcast can be simply described as a sound file that is shared with others. Podcasts can be accessed online, created by others across the web. They can be accessed online as files that you create for your students. But importantly, they are also files that your students create and share by uploading online.
Aural literacy, together with visual literacy, is becoming very important in 21st Century literacy. As an educator, it is extremely important to develop new literacies in your students. Podcasting is not just creating recorded information for easier broadcasting to your students, it is about literacy and ways of communicating in a contemporary world.
Throughout my research on podcast this week I found that this tool has much educational value. These include”
1. Students and teachers can create podcasts
2. Exciting podcasts can be downloaded
3. Students’ engagement in creating podcasts gives them ownership of their learning
4. Allows them to share their knowledge and understanding with other
5. Provides students with a worldwide audience making learning meaningful and assessment authentic
6. Teachers can use podcasts to provide revision material to download and receive at a time that’s suits them
7. The flexibility surrounding podcasts makes them as extrmenly valuable educational tool in the 21st century
Adapted from: (Department of Education, 2011)
Podcasts can be effectively used in the classroom. Here are some ways
· self-guided field trips or tours
· music composition
· interviews
· promotional clips for productions
· simulated talk shows
· storytelling and training.
The important thing to remember with podcasting is that your teaching focus is not about delivering information to your students, but rather for your students to be creating themselves. Therefore, your core focus should always be on your students creating their own podcasts and sharing them.
Throughout researching and exploring podcasts, I discovered that podcasts not only have many benefits in the classroom but also can be very helpful to Learning Managers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
Below are some benefits of podcasting which supports why they are a valuable educational tool
· Allows students to share learning experiences
· Provides students with a world-wide audience that makes learning meaningful and assessment authentic
· Enhances students' educational experience
· Teachers can use the technology to provide additional and revision material to students to download and review at a time that suits them.
To help me analyze and critically reflect on podcasts I decided to complete a PMI, which I have inserted below.
Plus | Minus | Interesting |
-Hands-free -Portable -Informative -Engaging -Caters for auditory learning style -Suits busy lifestyles | -Access to technology and compatibility -Quality of recording -Ability to save -Time to download -Doesn’t cater for a range of learning styles -Risk of technology failing -Reliability of information being presented | -The different ways they can be used -Accessible -Ability to be self-paced and re-visited |
Educational Podcasts
Below are some links to podcasts that I believe to be relevant to my teaching context
Nasa Products
I would use a range of podcasts and video podcasts from this site to inform learners about a range of science topics. For example, if we were focussing on planets we could engage with podcasts about the solar system.
Healthy Eating and Nutrition Podcasts
I would embed podcasts from this site to facilitate learning about the human body, healthy eating and nutrition
Math Podcasts
I would use these Math Podcasts to reinforce and complement direct teaching of maths concept such as, timetables
ABC Podcasts
The Educational Podcast Network
EPN has a wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century
All of the above sites offer a great range of podcasts which could be effectively used to enhance learning experiences and their flexibility. All in all, I am excited to use and create podcasts in my future practice
Check out my podcast about podcasting at
http://podcast9264139128.podomatic.com/entry/2011-12-05T16_15_24-08_00
http://podcast9264139128.podomatic.com/entry/2011-12-05T16_15_24-08_00
Google image retireved from http://socialmediamagic.com/blog/business-applications-podcasting/
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