Podcasts

Podcasts are quite a useful tool for the classroom and library. There are so many ways to use this amazing medium. They are easy to create, unique for many students, and add an element of surprise to the unsuspecting listener.

As a classroom teacher, it is wonderful to let students create their own podcasts. They get to talk about an assigned topic or read fluently and share it with others. Activities like Reading Idol, campaigning,and dramatic readings encourage students to create their own podcasts to share with others. Teachers can record lessons and assignment explanations in their own voice so students can go back and listen over and over as needed or get caught up if they were absent.

In the library, librarians can add a voice to upcoming announcements, start contests with Name that Book snippets, and record procedures to help non or struggling readers know the expectations. There is no end to the creative and engaging ways a thoughtful librarian could utilize this tool. Some ideas Tony Vincent suggests in his 2008 article  "Podcasting for Students and Teachers" include book reviews, classroom news, class discussions, interviews, and curricular content.

I created the following podcast in about 10 minutes. I outlined the ideas I wanted to cover, logged on to Soundcloud, used the help menu to refresh my memory about how to record, and recorded my audio. It was that simple. I lucked out and did it in one take.



See? It didn't turn out too bad. The kids loved it in class and now want to make their own podcasts to share their book reviews and opinions. I'm not sad that they have a new tool to use to share the content they are learning on a regular basis.