Podcasting for Educational Purposes

Many of you have emailed recently asking how the students record themselves reading. You've also asked how we turn those recording into podcasts. We use podcasting to give the students a real audience for their reading - I've found that students improve and work harder when they realize someone is listening to them. The first year that I started using this method, I saw the students' fluency rate jump alomst 20 words per minute in a month! We also use the podcasting so students can hear what they really sound like and to help them hear first hand areas that need improvement. I learned this method through our instructional media specialist, Sharon Thornton. You can learn more about the technical side of podcasting through one of my previous blog posts: http://bishopsblackboard.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-podcasting.html. This post links to Mrs. Thornton's website with more detailed information. Mrs. Thornton's page has so many great resources to check out!

"I Have a Dream" Podcast

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and as a part of our Social Studies lessons, the students wrote their own dreams. We discussed how Dr. King believed that all people should be treated fairly and judged not by the color of skin but by their actions. After writing their dreams, the students recorded them using Audacity software. You can listen to the podcast with the player below or download it from our podcasting site hosted by PodBean.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

If I Lived in a Snowglobe Podcast

Here is a podcast of the students reading what they would do if they lived in a snowglobe. The podcast was recorded using Audacity software and was then uploaded to our class podcasting site hosted by Podbean.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Humpty Dumpty Podcast

This is from about a month back but it is too cute not to share. When we were studying Nursery Rhymes, the students recorded themselves reading "Humpty Dumpty". We use Audacity recording software to record the readings and then I upload the to our podcasting site hosted by PodBean. You can visit the PodBean site to download the files to your computer, smart phones, or MP3 players.

Miss Mary Mack Podcast

This week we are learning about the different elements of poetry. Yesterday we read "Miss Mary Mack" to identify examples of alliterations and rhymes in a poem. You can listen to a recording of their reading visiting our podcasting site. The students recorded their reading using Audacity software which can be downloaded for FREE.