Here we are in 2013, and podcasting first appeared in print in 2004! Who would’ve thought that it had been around for such a long time? As the years progress, the use of podcasting has become more commonplace and more and more areas are using the podcast capability. Even though it’s name is a combination of iPod and broadcasting, it doesn’t require a specific brand of equipment to make it work.
There are many avenues which podcasts can be used within the library/media arena. Our textbook, Library 2.0 and beyond by Nancy Courtney gives many examples of these. Student scavenger hunts seem like a great one to use with students and could be used to teach the different areas/layout of the media center. Book Talks will always be one of the most entertaining and gratifying uses of podcasts to media specialists. What other way can a media specialist discuss a book and toot its horn and reach so many students at once? The idea of podcasting regularly a book within the media center to encourage a series or author seems so wonderful. I know that elementary students are always asking for recommendations, and I think the idea of placing a podcast on a website, maybe weekly, recommending new material would do wonders for circulation of a particular kind. Since the common core requires genre knowledge, maybe breaking down podcasts monthly to a certain genre and giving examples and book talks about certain books would encourage students to try different ones than they might normally attempt.
I also like the idea of using podcasting as a story time. So often in today’s classrooms, the teachers and the media specialist are so busy that they might not have time to bring their students to the media center only for story-time. If podcasting were available for students to listen to the reading of a library book this could be done in the classroom during a ‘center’ activity, and it would allow students to still hear adults read. I believe that in today’s world that adults are often too busy to read to their children and not enough students hear reading aloud. Hearing reading aloud is so important to children and helps them develop the nuances of public reading (the pauses, the voice inflection, the smooth transitions, etc.) and podcasts could be used in this capacity.
Truthfully, podcasting requires very little investment for equipment and can be completed from most any locations. The biggest commitment is the dedication to continue to provide new and updated material regularly.
Betsy,
ReplyDeleteYou've presented some great points that I had not ever considered. Being in a high school setting, my vision is often clouded with research and projects and trying to find new ways of getting the kids to graduate, and I don't always think about the ways technology is used in elementary schools. My mother is a pre-school director and is constantly stressing to her teachers about reading aloud and ensuring that the kids are hearing exactly how words and blends and letters sound. Podcasts are a great resource for this. You mentioned using it in centers and in the classrooms as a storytelling medium, but I can even see it being good for learning the sounds of words. The children could learn how to push the play and pause button on the computer (which most kids know how to anyway) and simply listen to the sounds. If they needed more practice, they could listen at home because the podcasts would be readily available on the website.
Thanks for the insight!
Betsy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post! Like Casie, I appreciate your ideas. I am particularly drawn to the idea of book talks via podcast. As an aspiring a media specialist, I know that igniting a love for reading will be a key focus for me, but it will be something that can easily get lost under the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day media center activities. It would be great to include book talks linked to book covers on the media center webpage. Book talks could be linked to QR codes in book covers. Book talks could be given by students and accessed via QR codes on bulletin boards or thematic displays. The podcast allows a book talk to be done after hours and be accessed numerous times! I like it!
I teach at an elementary school and the media specialist does book talks with a lot of the kindergarten and first grade students, but not many of the older students. It is not really her choice, but I feel that a lot of the teachers believe they do not have time for book talks with the intense demands of the curriculum. However, my school promotes the Accelerated Reader program. Our principal demands that we use it with our students and set high expectations for student achievement with the program. Classroom teachers are continuously looking for ways to get students excited about reading. Through taking tests using the AR program teachers are able to gage how many minutes their students are independently reading during the instructional day based on the data from AR. Teachers are always looking for ways to get students excited about reading. Students and teachers would benefit from podcast book talks. If a student does not know what to read they could access the schools book talk podcasts. It would be a way to get students excited about reading while making it easy for the media specialist to reach a large amount of students and classes at one time. Students do not have to visit the media center anymore for a book talk. It can be done trough the computer. Student could get involved in the process of creating the book talks. Teachers could use these book talk podcasts in their classrooms as a way to help students learn how to summarize and write. There are a many benefits to creating book talks through podcast that both teachers and students would benefit from.
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea you shared about podcasting story time. I teach at a school with a large ELL population, and I think this would help teachers tremendously. I love to read aloud to my students, but by using a podcast I can set up a center where my ELL students can sit and listen to a story while they follow along in the text. Sometimes in a group setting it is easy for a student’s attention to wander. Children love to put headphones on and listen to a story. It is a simple and easy way to engage learners.
I liked the idea of using it during center time. With differentating being such a hot topic now, this tool is great to use as a center activity. I could already prerecord the lesson/activity and students could view it on any device. I could also includes qustions that I want them to answer or they can fill out a survey on the podcast. I could also see this as a great tool for homework or project assignments. Many times, parents contact me regarding lost communicaitons. I could post a quick podcast that includes a question and answer session that could benefit both parents and students. One reason why I like podcasts so much because it can be viewed on most devices. For example, I could promote book talks, review previous lessons, and have parents and students go back to view it on the media center homepage, teacher's homepage, or on youtube. Most parents and students are comfortable and access youtube on a regular basis for entertainment purposes, why not educational purposes as well.
ReplyDeleteBetsy, after reading your post I came up with idea I would like to investigate...
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it is possible to place book talks on Destiny. I have been very diligent about getting my students K-5 to look for books on Destiny Quest. If there is a way to place book talks on Destiny Quest it might help, students look for and select other books. The most checked out books in my school are Captain Underpants, Graphic Novels, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and anything by Mo Willems. Podcasts can be used at onscreen advertisements to help students expand their interests. Any student could submit a book talk for review and then they would enjoy the authenticity of see their work produced all the whole school community to enjoy. Dr. Chris Moersch would smile on this LoTi level, it would at least be a Level 5 on his LoTi Framework.
I, too, like the idea of using and creating student-created podcasts for storytime and centers. Children love to make recordings of their voices and I'm sure recording themselves reading stories out loud would be no different. My 7 year old can often be found recording herself singing songs and talking on her tablet. Imagine students creating book reports as podcasts? They could add pictures of the text, research the author, and relate the story to others. Could make for some very interesting projects.
ReplyDeleteYour brief overview of the history of podcasting and how it was named is very interesting information. It has become popular in most schools, however I don’t think teachers are using them as much as they could. I liked the idea you mentioned about using podcasts for doing book talks. This would be a great addition and resource to promote books in the libraries for students to check out. It would be especially helpful to create the book talk podcasts for different grade level. For example, a book talk focused on books for Pre-k and kindergarten would support both these grade levels. This would get students engaged and interested in books they may normally not be interested in. Putting the podcast on the website would be additional reinforcement for students.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that podcasts are great tools to use for storytelling. Children thoroughly enjoy read alouds. This could be something that the teacher records reading the story or could also record others such as administrators or media specialist to read stories to the students. The more children are read to, the more they learn. Parents could also be made aware of the podcasts. For example, a teacher could make a podcast showing what the students are doing in class. This would go over well with parents to see in action what their child is learning in class and what they could possibly reinforce at home. Additionally, podcasting is easy to use and inexpensive.