What is a quick, entertaining, inexpensive, and
simple way to distribute information out to the patrons of your School Library
Media Center? You guessed it, the Podcast. True fact, people love the ability
to listen to information on their time. True fact, people love to talk. True
fact, put those together and you’ve got the Podcast.
So, how can one use the Podcast in the School
Library Media Center? As explained by Lamb and Johnson (2007) in the article Podcastingin the School Library Media Center Part 1: Integrating Podcasts and Vodcastsinto Teaching and Learning,
podcasts can focus on collaborative projects, current events, a reading of
government documents, interviews, instructional “how to” lessons, radio
programs, reviews, virtual tours, et cetera. The beauty of a podcast is ones
ability to tell a story and talk about any number of subjects (in this case
books). Lamb and Johnson explained, “Like cassettes, audio CDs, and DVDs,
podcasts provide yet another powerful media to enhance the informational and
instructional resources of your school library media collection” (p.9).
It is true that book talks and podcasts go
together like Pumpkin Pie and Thanksgiving. Podcasts give the School Library
Media Specialist the ability to promote a good book and thus literacy but there
is so much more a School Library Media Specialist can do with the podcast.
Podcasts are a way for the School Library Media Specialist to reach out to the
classroom teacher and collaborate on any number of projects including subject
(important people from all curriculum areas) studies and author (important book
folk) studies. The School Library Media Specialist could also use podcasting to
promote clubs, make announcements, et cetera. The possibilities are limitless.
Not to mention the resources online. Beyond
those supplied by Dr. Cooper, there are several online including the “High Tech| Libraries & Learning” website. Here the School Library Media Specialist
will find a plethora (got to love this word) of guides, hints, articles, et
cetera on the podcast.
When making your own podcast start with
“Podcasting 101” (a great source from Dr. Cooper) as well as following a few
suggestions from Lamb and Johnson (2007) on choosing a project, identifying
your audience, selecting a program format, writing a script, recording your
podcast (locations, microphones, audio software, sound effects), and editing
your podcast. And first and foremost, “Look for activities where audio adds a
dimension that wouldn’t be available with another medium such as the intensity
of voice found in a commentary, interview, storytelling, or oral music. Where
does voice and sound make a difference?” (Lamb & Johnson, p.1).
Just remember, when podcasting have fun!
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Resources
Lamb, A. & Johnson, L. (2006,
December). Podcasting in the school
library media center part 1: Integrating podcasts and vodcasts into teaching
and learning. Retrieved from http://eduscapes.com/hightech/spaces/blogs/podcastingpt1.pdf
Lamb, A. & Johnson, L. (2007,
February). Podcasting in the school
library media center part 2: Creating powerful podcasts with your students.
Retrieved from http://eduscapes.com/hightech/spaces/blogs/podcastingpt2.pdf
I think podcasts are a great addition to any teacher's lesson plan. Really, anyone can use them including Library Media Specialists. I listen to many podcasts on a weekly basis because I can absorb a lot of information in one sitting. Library Media Specialists could have multiple podcasts going at once. One podcast could be about book review club while there could be another about history. Really, if you can talk about it then you can make a podcast about it! Finding out what interests the students really helps attracts listeners. After finishing my readings, it is apparent that students would benefit from creating their own podcasts. They could make it their own radio show and help their fellow students learn in a fun way.
ReplyDeleteKirk,
ReplyDeleteFirst off I have to say I loved reading your blog post. It has so much personality that kicks up the information you give. You are so on point, podcasting is awesome and it can create a new dimension of learning for students. Like you said, an interview isn't the same when read from a piece of paper, hearing the person's tone and enthusiasm makes the interview special and intriguing. I think that podcasting is a great way to get students involved in the school as well, they have the power to show their peers that reading and learning are fun and podcasting is a great way to get those "testimonials" out there, through book reviews, student interviews, and so much more. I bookmarked the websites you suggested, you can never have too many bookmarks of great pages.
Kirk,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your posts, I am convinced that podcasts should be used more with middle school students and high school students. Now, I am not disputing the fact the elementary school students can't benefit from using podcasting. I am quite sure these little ones will enjoy the process of recording themselves and then listening to what has been recording. I do believe that students at the elementary level are more visual learners and tend to bore easily. However, the true effectiveness of podcasting can probably be recognized in middle and high school students because their attention span should be much longer now. Thanks for shedding the light on how to make podcasting more interesting by using the voice in ways to express emotions. This is the same premise that I use when teaching my students to read fluently and with feeling. I always tell them that you will not keep an audience's attention by reading in a monotone voice without any enthusiasm. We must remember this when creating podcasts and having our students create them as well.