Thing #17. Podcasts: No iPod Needed!

I looked at several different podcasts and saw differences among them. Podcasts that cost money, I went no further. I’d rather explore the free sites before I invest money into this. I found that the podcasts that were fully audio could not keep my attention. I guess I’m not an audio learner. Podcasts that included print with audio as in Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips were a bit more interesting and have value in the classroom. It was the podcasts that included visuals that really made this use of this technology effective for me.

Jamestown Elementary Podcast Project collaborated with the Smithsonian Institute to create podcasts in celebration of 400 years of the first settlement in Jamestown, Virginal. Students had a Tech Team and the entire school was involved. Ms. Blake's 4th Grade Class, Jamestown Podcast #53 has prepared an ABC book on Virginia and geography. They drew pictures and wrote about different geographical locations around Virginia. Then they made a podcasts reading what they had written and displaying their writing with a picture. There were many more interesting podcasts across grade levels. Jamestown Elementary is a great role model for schools making gains in keeping up with the future of technology in education.

Dragonfly TV Podcasts was a very interest site with podcasts, using video and images, interactive technology, science games, and much more. It looks like a professional website teaching science to students across the globe. Creators model their website using an approach that reminds me of Bill Nye Science Guy. Looks like high interest for students with lots of fun and learning going on.

I have several ideas for using podcasts this coming year, starting with Hispanic Heritage, September – October. In the past, I’ve had students work in groups to research a famous Hispanic, create a visual display, write about their chosen person, and presenting in front of the class. I can easily integrate podcasting into this project. Other similar projects could include planets in our solar system, presidents of the United States, and Earth Day.