Question:
The rise of podcasting in schools has been a grassroots occurrence. Depending on what school you look at, podcasting -- if present at all -- may be introduced by teachers, administrators, students, media specialists, or technology specialists. At Willowdale Elementary in Omaha, Nebraska, the technology specialist Tony Vincent introduced podcasting and has taken upon himself much of the work of spreading the innovation and guiding the quality of the podcasts produced. At Beverly Elementary School in Birmingham, MI, the media specialist Kristin Fontichiaro podcasts (herself) and hosts a Podcasting Club for 4th graders. The podcast is disseminated through a blog. At other schools, no one is podcasting.
So, imagine a teacher approaches you and asks you if you can help him to start up a podcast for his class (something like Radio WilloWeb). In truth, you may know little about podcasting. So, how do you respond to the teacher? Do you tell him farewell and good luck? Do you tell him you don't know much, but you're willing to find out? What is your role? What are the reasons behind how you choose to respond to this teacher?
Thoughts:
As I explored the new world of podcasting this week I began to envision the many uses of podcast within a school. The scenario that has been given about a teacher approaching me in order to create a podcast could easily be true, as stated in the scenario I do not know much about podcast. The little I do know I have gained in the technology class by making a podcast. My response to the teacher however would be enthusiastic excitement as I think using a podcast is a wonderful learning tool for students. I would need to play with the software on an individual basis or collaboratively with the teacher but the result would be beneficial to the students. I would be eager to begin working on creating podcast with the students for several reasons.
Initially, it exposes the students to various forms of technology. The students use a microphone to record the narration for the podcast. The computer is used in various ways through recording sound, manipulating files, and possibly even manipulating images if it is taken a step father and produced as a vodcast. The use of different formats of technology or the same piece of technology in different ways allows for the students to improve their knowledge about the technology. We are all aware that the technology that people use on a daily basis is only increasing. Many of the students already are ahead of their teachers when it comes to using technology. For the students to be successful it is imperative that they are able to use technology so the logical step for teachers is to not only use technology in the classroom but teach the students how to use technology in the classroom.
Secondly, a benefit of having the students create a podcast is that it helps improve their academics. A podcast can be used for a variety of assignments such as reports, current events, foreign language practice,audio tours, and even accommodations for those with special needs. Kristin Fontichiaro points out these uses in her article Podcasting 101 (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7729/is_200703/ai_n32211230/?tag=content;col1). The students are able to research different topics or current events and deliver their information in the format of a podcast. Since a podcast is in a digital format it makes it easy to share with others. A podcast also provides opportunities to check the grammatical and mechanical aspects of their work as these errors can often be caught during the recording of a podcast. Podcast can be used with students who are studying a foreign language or those who are trying to learn English by providing extra practice in listening and speaking in the foreign language. An audio tour could be used to introduce new students to the school or all students to an art fair or book fair. I really liked the use of a podcast for accommodations for those students who are to have the test read to them. Having the test on a podcast eliminates the chance of the student feeling different.
Finally, I like the idea of using a podcast because it engages the students in their learning. Students are always excited to use technology in a lesson. The students are more likely to put more effort and would retain more information in assignments in which they are excited about using technology.
As I viewed sample podcasts, such as the ones created by Willowdale Elementary (http://mps.wes.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=cc17faa3b4b3cc4b4356056651b975f8&pageid=115312&sessionid=cc17faa3b4b3cc4b4356056651b975f8), I saw all the possibilities. They were able to talk about various subjects that related to content the students were learning or current events that were occurring. They successfully created podcast across grade levels and presented the information for all who visited the website. Podcast should be considered in every school as they have numerous uses and benefits for the students.
