Podcasts? Podcasts!

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A PODCAST? Podcasts are a relatively new form of media which samples elements of news, information, entertainment, music and technology. Basically, someone (anyone, really) can sit down with a computer and a microphone and record anything from a song to an essay onto a sound file called an MP3. These MP3s can then be downloaded for FREE off the internet and listened to on computers all over the world. These can even be downloaded onto your own MP3 player (sort of like a walkman). The most famous of these MP3 players is the iPod, so these files became known as "PodCasts" (iPod + broadcast = PodCast).

WHY HAVE STUDENTS MAKE A PODCAST? I decided to do this project because I read an article in NEA magazine about fourth graders on the east coast making podcasts. I thought "my sophomores would get a kick out of this". Another reason is that it combines what many students think of as "boring, stuffy, old history" with the cutting edge technology that a majority of students seem to have--MP3 players. My teacher brain ran wild with visions of students not just downloading the newest hit song, but each other's reports and other forms of projects worked on in class. I also liked the idea of students creating podcasts about historical events for other students to listen to--students teaching students. I also added the pressure of telling them that the whole world could listen to their podcasts and suddenly many of them wanted to put a lot of effort into the project. That sure beats making some big old report that someone reads once and then gets thrown away. I also like to think that this will help students to realize that there's some pretty cool educational stuff on the internet, and that they can contribute something to the internet, too.

WHEN WILL THE STUDENT PODCASTS BE ON THIS SITE? Student podcasts will be uploaded onto this very site (fingers crossed) by the end of the day, May 18th. If sooner, I'll post on here and let students know in class. I will also send home a handout with the website and directions on how to listen to the student reports.