Podcasts were a big part of my life for several years when I had a long commute and a large library fine. They helped me through those months by accompanying me in the car on my way to anywhere. My favorites were: This American Life, Stuff You Should Know, and Radiolab. Each of these podcasts have things in common; they offer a great story centered around a theme, interesting and educational facts, and a compelling narration. Each week a different topic is discussed and examine through a variety of lenses. What a great way to learn something new! If I could teach students how to use this tool half as well it would be a resounding success.
Podcasting can be a fun tool for both students and educators. This would be a great way for students to create original, meaningful content that also tests their knowledge. Incorporating this into lesson plans could be a simple task for either individual or group projects. Podcasts have a great versatility because they can be used for many different assignments and purposes. Book reports, informational tutorials, journal reflections, and reviews can all be done through podcast and then posted to the schools webpage.
Creating online work, as we've discussed in previous weeks, can be beneficial for several reasons. The first is that it increases the sense of accountability for students. If their work is posted online for anyone to see, they may put more effort into the final product. Greater access to online projects can create 24 hour access to the classroom learning. It also gives students exposure to a different technology that could be useful in the future. This is definitely a tool I will consider using in the library. Hopefully there will be opportunities to collaborate with classroom teachers to create podcast projects.
Searching the internet has always been a tricky thing to teach in libraries. This is on reason that pathfinders have been created, to cut down on endless possibilities and wrong turns. Students need to have the skills to search successfully and evaluate websites for merit. Google is an important force on the internet but it's at the judgement of the teacher how they want to incorporate it into their lessons. A cursory lesson on safety and searching practices should be preformed at a very young age. Online school databases might aid in finding relevant materials that are also safe for students.
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