Blog Post 4

Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog

    I was very impressed by this site. I watched the four podcasts that were on the main page. They included, "Totally Terrific Time Travel with Explorers," "Take a BITE Out of Shark Facts," "Roamin' with the Ancient Romans," and "A Shark-Tastic Interview." These third graders did an amazing job. The Skype interview with Mr. Ward was well-conducted. I could tell that the students were excited and attentive. The students asked questions that were well-thought and appropriate to content. The three other podcasts I listened to were also entertaining. The students used music and sound effects to enhance the podcast. Each of these podcasts were divided into segments, with each segment covering information related to the topic. The students sounded positive and enthusiastic. This is a great way to bring an activity into the classroom that leaves a lasting impression.
    I explored some other areas on the home page and noticed that this class also blogs. The teacher gives specific rules for her students, and I thought these rules were comprehensive and well written. Some of the rules included: never give out personal information, check for spelling and grammatical errors, use appropriate language, show and encourage thinking, and all comments must be approved.
    This site has given me some great ideas in terms of how to use podcasts in my classroom. In particular, I believe podcasts can be a valuable addition to our History lessons. The students are going to be excited, and I cannot wait to get started!

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection

    Judy Scharf's web page is a great resource to use when considering podcasting in your classroom. She gives many benefits to podcasting, including: it is a "cool" way to have interactive communication, parents can download student projects and other work, it is always available, students can make up missed classes, it appeals to auditory learners, it is portable learning, and students can use it to enhance communication skills. She goes on to explain exactly what a podcast is. A podcast is a "radio-style" talk show that can include music listened to on a computer or MP3 player. It enables information to be shared with millions of people via the Internet. It can be done on any subject. It is cheap, easy to do and students love it. Ms. Scharf also gives some tips on how to succeed, including: learn the software you will be using, give students a choice of topics and criteria for research, play some examples of podcasts to listen to, let the students pick their groups and allow for plenty of time, and invite the principal or other guests to see and/or listen to their work. She also provides links to use when making a podcast. In addition, she gives links to handouts with instructions and a grading sheet.
    This web page contains valuable information. It is one that I will include in my Professional Learning network. It is a good source to refer to when I do a podcast with my students. The only issue that I have a concern with is the amount of time she suggests to be spent preparing, practicing and completing a podcast. She believes that 17 periods, each lasting 42 minutes, is approximately the amount of time needed to complete a successful podcast. This is a lot of time to devote to one project when teachers are faced with time constraints in trying to cover all of their objectives.

Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom, by Joe Dale


    "Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom" is a video that demonstrates the advantages of podcasting. Students today are referred to as millennial, meaning anyone born after 1980. For these students, technology is a part of their everyday life. So, it simply makes sense to incorporate technology in their education. Participating in a podcast is one way to do this. Joe Dale highlights some positive aspects of podcasting that teachers should consider. They include: podcasting allows for differentiation and project-based learning, it is a form of learning that students are familiar with, it is an effective way for students to interact with the world outside of the classroom, it promotes creativity with higher order thinking skills outlined in Bloom's taxonomy, and it allows parents to see and hear what their children are doing at school. Mr. Dale interviewed students and principals about podcasting to support his opinion of its benefits. Both students and principals agree that podcasting has positive effects. Students find it interesting and exciting. Podcasting makes learning fun for them. Principals like it because it can involve parents, is project-based, and promotes higher order learning skills. He gave some suggestions on programs to use to create a podcast. He suggests Garage Band or Audacity to use in creating podcasts.
    Mr. Dale shows an example of middle school students working together to make a podcast. They are using geography skills. They appear to be enjoying the lesson, as well as learning. I currently work in a middle school and can see many possibilities for podcasts in the classrooms that I assist with. I believe that it could bring more meaning to the lessons for the students, and it should be something to consider.