Teacher's use of podcasts as a teaching tool!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amy Cobb on August 9, 2008 at 11:55am

Hi Sue!

I create podcast study guides for my students to listen to the night before a grammar test. Then I host an online question/answer session should they still have concerns. I create my "Cobbcasts" in Garageband and upload them directly into each student's mp3 file which I put on their desktop in the school email system. Most love it, and I have the parents listening too!

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Permalink Reply by Paul Anderson on August 9, 2008 at 8:48pm

I think podcasts could be one of the best tools available today. The only problem that I see, is that most are missing the best use of Podcasts (IMO). I think the best use of Podcasts, is for Teachers to be able to deliver content to their students! We have one teacher, who records his math lessons during his prep period the day before. He then plays the video podcast during all of his classes the next day, stopping it when appropriate, asking questions, making sure students understand. This method can also ensure that each class receives the same content. He then makes the Podcasts available off of his web page on our district server. I have also helped him put all of his lessons onto DVD's for use in a DVD player, so he can let students who don't have internet access or access to a computer at home, be able to check out the DVD. The files are also available on the school network, and on test day, their are plenty of students who review lessons in the computer lab.
This is what I think the best use of podcasts is, and whether or not students created any podcasts, just doesn't seem to important to me. I think Podcasts, mp3 players, mp4 video players (IPods and others) can be used to help us extend the school day beyond the "traditional hours" and allow school to be anytime, anyplace and anywhere. Which is what I think is needed in todays world. Podcasts along with other sites like hippo campus (http://www.hippocampus.org/), can be used to help deliver content, lectures, etc. and free teacher's time to work more one on one with the students who need help. These things are part of what will make up the 21st century classroom of the future.

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Permalink Reply by Sean Nash on December 3, 2008 at 8:47am

I have to be honest here in saying that there is nothing about this:

"We have one teacher, who records his math lessons during his prep period the day before. He then plays the video podcast during all of his classes the next day, stopping it when appropriate, asking questions, making sure students understand. This method can also ensure that each class receives the same content."

...that sounds interesting to me. This person seriously stands there, playing a video of himself talking to kids? That seems so very odd to me. Again, not to be overly critical, but this is one of my biggest criticisms of podcasting. Like any other technological tool... it can serve to revolutionize the learning process and drive our classrooms toward a more learner-centered place. However, as any tool... they can also be used to perpetuate the problems associated with the status quo... only making them shinier.

In my opinion, what most of our students do not need is more... standardization. What they need is an instructor who can make critical decisions about a group of disparate learners... very quickly... and then act accordingly.

What I do agree with here, is that podcasting can increase access and extend the learning beyond the four walls of the classroom. If done well, it could also allow valuable class time to be taken up more by teacher facilitation of collaborative work, individual conferencing, focus groups, etc. The problem is, I have just seen few examples of this type of use of the tool.

I too, would love to see more examples of this. I am not a pro "podcaster" by any means, and this post will likely give that away.
;-)

Thank you, drive through...........

Sean

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on December 3, 2008 at 8:59am

Sean, I agree it seems like a disconnect kinda "big brotherish". Our students did podcasts as passengers and crew on the Titanic--I thought that was a good idea. I've seen other good podcasts but having students read reports or teachers recording lectures doesn't cut it in my opinion.

I see so many people using the tools when it doesn't enhance teaching, learning, thinking, discussing or reflecting--like some how the tool itself is a magic bullet to enlightenment. That won't last long though--IMHO 90% of the tools will be gone and the other 10% will charge a fee in a few years.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Borgert on August 10, 2008 at 12:56am

I have just started podcasting with my kids - they are on my blog http://simonborgert.blogspot.com/

I have been setting the "lecture" type presentations as homework so that the kids can spend time in class working on application of the concepts. - so far it has gone over really well with my kids

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Permalink Reply by Paul Anderson on August 10, 2008 at 9:59am

Very good. These are great example of how podcasts can be used to help deliver content, (and very well done!) which is what I feel the most valuable aspect of podcasts is. These type of podcasts could be used to help lecture, be used for students who missed class and for studying. They could also be used by parents, who wanted to help their children at home, but have forgotten some of the concepts. In my opinion, Podcasts and Math go very well together. I think one of the other things that should be mentioned, that it should be content that matters most (if you cough, sneeze, etc. It just doesn't matter.), you don't need production quality podcasts. After you do many of these, they will just start getting better and better.

Good work SImon, do you mind if I tell some of our math teachers about your site?

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Permalink Reply by Simon Borgert on December 2, 2008 at 11:32pm

Yeah no worries Paul - I will be updating soon there are more on my new blogsite http://www.stepbystep.com.au/SimonBorgert

Soon I will be setting up a Moodle based interface as I do more and more vodcasts - curently I struggled to keep up with doing the vodcasts and uploading to the school intranet as well as the web! So will primarily base my work on the web!

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Permalink Reply by Jennie S. Malonek on December 9, 2008 at 7:55pm

In classes that need more time for application using podcasts to go over lab procedures for instance the night before, saves precious instructional minutes

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Permalink Reply by Sean Nash on December 3, 2008 at 8:50am

Interesting discussion forming around this issue on this blog.

Check it out.

Also: here's my side bet: you will revisit that blog again after today.
;-)

Sean

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Permalink Reply by Chris Miraglia on December 3, 2008 at 12:52pm

Sue,

I have my students produce podcasts (from seven of my different US History classes) on the week in review. The podcast focus on key concepts and terms that were used in the weeks instruction. I then upload the podcast and at times have selected students upload the podcast to each classes blog page. The students then listen to the podcast and take an in class quiz that week.

Chris

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Permalink Reply by Jennie S. Malonek on December 9, 2008 at 7:48pm

First you don't need to create a podcast for students to learn. There are lots of great content already out there. I teach science and I have found anatomy and physiology and chemistry. I have a colleague who uses one of the language podcasts with her world languages class. My AcaDec team once found info on Chinese history. I make brief chapter summaries and tutorials that I link to my blog so kids can download. Kids can make cool podcasts as well. I have had them write original poetry and record it with Garageband music. I have had kids make enhanced podcasts of dissections. I gave extra credit for extra languages since our school has 13. I had another class make a radio talk show based on characters from a chapter in a book. I am only now looking at screencasting and how it can be helpful. Another way to use mps players as teaching tools is for classroom management: pass up papers music, clean up music, content music etc.... The other day I played the muscle song. My classes than had 10 minutes to "choregraph" this song. There is some good content available in music. The brain folks say we should be using music 1/3 of the time.

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Permalink Reply by Carole Burd on July 29, 2009 at 2:00am

Hi, everyone,
In addition to the value that teachers can add to the learning experience with podcasting, there is also the added value of students using this facility themselves. If not a full blown podcast, just being able to record notes themselves and to save these as.mp3 files can be extremely valuable. We (we are a Further Education College - ages16-19 predominantly + some 14+ and many adult part-time learners) use a program called Podium http://www.podiumpodcasting.com/ which has a simple interface and enables ease of use for the novice. It allows for podcast production or just recording of individual mp3/wav files. I have attached feedback from an 18 year old student who used this to record her revision notes in preparation for her advanced level exams (before entry to University). We intend to promote this heavily to students in the coming academic year.

Attachments:

• Podium student feedback.mp3, 2.3 MB

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