"I believe that podcasts are a great opportunity for the kids to share their work with others and broden their horizons while learning more about technology."
~Parent at Salem Middle School, Apex, North Carolina
I have to admit, before Friday's class I had not had much experience with podcasts (listening to them or creating them), but I now see how beneficial they are. They offer so many possibilities for student learning, from students listening to an author discuss his new book, to recording their own podcasts that summarize or argue an opinion from a reading. I had so much fun writing and recording my own podcast- selecting music, deciding if and when to crack a joke, and putting inflection on certain words and sentences.
In some ways, podcasts give students the opportunity to ease themselves into being comfortable with public speaking. Most of us, including myself, don't look forward to standing in front of a large group of people and giving a speak. Some don't enjoy watching videos of ourselves or listening to our voices. Podcasts allow students to practice their "speeches," hear themselves talk over and over again, and build confidence by giving them multiple opportunities to re-record their voices before they publish their podcasts. Listening to every student's podcast as a whole class would help students feel confident about their prepared talks because, unlike a live speech, they won't stumble over their words, forget a line, or get red and embarrassed from standing in front of a group of their peers.
I can't wait to do more with podcasts, as both a student and a future teacher!
"I think the most radical thing about podcasts is that you put them on iTunes!! This is so cool!"
~Student at Salem Middle School, Apex, North Carolina
I hadn't even thought of how podcasts would keep students from being embarrassed! That's a really good point. Using recordings would give them a chance to show themselves at their best.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely one of those people who hates hearing or seeing recordings of myself. To be honest, I was terrified at the idea of podcasting, which I thought always required a video. I was so relieved when Kristin announced that we would only be recording our voices, but still apprehensive. But after I found out that we could write a script for ourselves and re-record as many times as it took, I wasn't nearly as nervous. All by way of saying, I agree with you 100% that podcasts are a great way to help students learn to embrace public speaking, and a way of helping them form more coherent arguments.
ReplyDeleteMary makes a great point about how forgiving podcasting can be -- it's easy to rerecord. That being said, teens do get very embarrassed about their voices (just as we do!).
ReplyDeleteI like your point (and Mary's) about how podcasting provides a safe place for students to practice public speaking. It will be a nice tool to use to hear all our students talk and share their opinions - even the quieter ones.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I, too, am one of those people who doesn't really like getting up in front of a large group of people and speaking. Weird that we want to be teachers, huh? ...but I do feel differently with kids than I do with a bunch of adults. =)