Podcasting ( a teacher tool and a student motivational tool)

Hi,


There has been a plethora of information published recently about podcasting in the classroom. Even the Wikipedia definition of "podcasting" states the uses of "podcasting" in Education.
Podcasting is becoming increasingly popular in education.

^[7] Podcasts enable students and teachers to share information with anyone at any time. An absent student can download the podcast of the recorded lesson. It can be a tool for teachers or administrators to communicate curriculum, assignments and other information with parents and the community. Teachers can record book discussions, vocabulary or foreign language lessons, international pen pal letters, music performance, interviews, and debates. Podcasting can be a publishing tool for student oral presentations. Video podcasts can be used in all these ways as well.

Research has shown that when students have to post their work to the Web or create a Podcast or Video interview the quality of their efforts is greatly improved in comparison to the regular old write a report hand it into the teacher (maybe if were luck read or share with the class).


Generally, teachers have found when students know their work will be posted on line and viewed by their peers, friends, relatives, and even in some cases the general public, the quality tends to be much better.


I am busy preparing for an upcoming workshop for teachers on "Podcasting". During the workshop I will be teaching teachers how to get things rolling their classrooms.

Topics for the workshop will include.

1. Samples of Student performed teacher facilitated podcasts. This wikispace contains work prepared by students based on

http://greatmindsthink.wikispaces.com/Project+ECO-Fuel+-+The+Whole+Story

2. Tools necessary for Recording

• Some form of software such as "Audacity" and , a microphone/headset,

or a Web 2.0 supported application such as "Voicethread or the Podcasting Firstclass application.

3. Project ideas for Podcasting

• Merging original soundtrack music introduction music and soundtrack music along with the voice files.

4. Uploading and Posting your podcasts to Blogs, Webpages, Wikis,

5. Setting up Podcatcher and RSS feeds.