Blog Post #5

What is a Podcast? from Judy Scharf's Podcast Collection is really helpful for someone who has little knowledge of what a podcast is. According to Scharf, a podcast is a "radio- style" talk show that is a cross between a broadcast and iPod. Podcasts convey information about any subject and can be listened to on the computer or an mp3 player. Scharf also explains that podcasting shares information to millions of people via internet, is extremely easy to do and costs very little. All you need is a microphone, a computer and software that can be downloaded for FREE! Scharf provides links to YouTube on How to Create a Podcast. She gives us some benefits on podcasts in the classroom and tips on how to succeed such as, giving students a choice of topics and to include a list of criteria for the students. Students will be proud of their work so allow administrators and other teachers to view the podcasts. Judy Scharf's Podcast Collection is really helpful when thinking about my own podcast my EDM 310 group will be creating. This was a great resource to resort back to when considering podcasts in my future classroom. I think this is a great tool for students to work together and they can teach each other how to use the technology needed to create one.

Langwitches- Flat Stanley Podcast was really interesting to me because I could hear the excitement in the students voices in their podcast. After reading "Flat Stanley" by Jim Brown, a first grade class created their own podcast based on the book. As a class they brainstormed with their teacher and made a plan so every student would have a chance to speak on their podcast. Each student was able to pick a location of their choice. The students spent time researching their locations and with the help from their parents, wrote a short script following the guidelines from their teacher. In the podcast, each student had a chance to describe their location. They were reminded that the audience would only hear their voice so they needed to think about the sound effects to help portray the mood. One girl chose Alabama and described visiting Tuscaloosa and the football stadium. She also told us she learned to say "Roll Tide", smart girl! Hearing the excitement and eagerness in the student's voices when it was their turn to speak, shows how much fun they had with it while learning a new tool.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale is a video on his blog highlighting the benefits of podcasting in a classroom. One of the benefits that I find most effective, is that students and parents can access the podcast and stay up to date with what is going on in the classroom. If a student has an illness or needs to be absent from class for a long period of time, podcasting is an easy and effective way to stay caught up. By having the students create podcasts, it is allowing them to use their creativity and improve their communication skills. Another benefit of podcasts is how easy to use they are. I can obviously see fourth and fifth graders using them, but I would love to have my first and second graders using them also.