I believe that the greatest problem with podcasting with students will be the amount of time spent away from traditional learning. I don't know that students will walk away from a podcast experience with any further knowledge gained than they would doing other exciting methods of learning. Further, it would be very challenging to keep a classroom of podcasters on task and focused. One way to address this problem could be to have a student "checklist" for them to follow as a guide as they work through the project. Teachers can also learn student needs and anticipate questions before starting the podcasting activity. Further, following the podcasting activity, teachers can provide some sort of assessment that reveals student learning throughout the podcasting experience. If podcasting is not an option in class, than teachers can allow interested students the opportunity to make one by allowing for a variety of options for a final semester project. Some groups may choose making videos, others may choose podcasting or something else. However, podcasting should be a suggested option for interested students.
What do you perceive are the greatest challenges to successfully completing a project like this with students?
Editing is definitely the most challenging part of creating a podcast. If a teacher is dealing with high schoolers or competent middle-schoolers, then the teacher could count on his/her students to edit their own podcasts. For the elementary school teacher, he/she has a lot of editing work to do after the students are done recording.
What are some things a teacher could do ahead of time, during the project and after the students have recorded to make this process more efficient in class?
Teachers could break the project down into segments such as: researching, organizing, writing the script, recording. After the students are finished recording, they should inform the teacher on exactly how to edit it and which song to use (send the teacher the song!).
If doing a podcast in class is not an option, what are some other ways you could give interested students the experience of making a podcast in school?
You can start a pod-casting club/organization which meets after-school. You can assign podcasts as extra-credit work.
I agree with a comment previously made. While I can appreciate the way in which podcasts enable the student to utilize and minipulate technology in a new and different form, I have to wonder about its actaul educational value. In terms of technology, yes I think students will learn a lot about a new medium, but in a core classroom does this really enhance learning? For me, one of the greatest challenges using podcasts presents is making it applicable and appropriate to the class topic. While I do think our podcast was educational and interesting, I think perhaps if I were to use a podcast in a classroom I would use it during a section about interviews or family histories - for me this is just a more appropriate topic in terms of recording. To make the podcasting project more efficient, a teacher could should just emphasize preparation (similar to how we wrote scripts and picked out music ahead of time). I think if you know what you are recording, there really isn't a great deal of additional preparation involved. If podcasts are not available, I think videotaping students' presentations or readings of their work could be a comparable practice. Most schools have video camaras, they are also commonly built into phones, so this could be easily done. Either way, the student feels more accountable for their work if they are reading it aloud and transferring it to a medium where it can be watched/heard multiple times.
I love the idea of creating a narrative that's not just a boring old essay. Podcasting is one venue to do that. But there are many constraints to consider. This project would require significant time to both plan the project and teach students how to use the technology. If we're going to devote this much time to this project we should be sure that it is truly (as Rachel said) applicable and appropriate for the content and class. I think it really requires to you think, as a teacher, what am I trying to accomplish by using this medium. Also, you would need the equipment and software to create the podcasts (and probably more than one set if we're being realistic...) which might not be feasible in some classrooms. Finally, using technology like this can be FRUSTRATING because it's time intensive and the novelty of "mixing" and "recording" wears off pretty quickly.
The fact of the matter is this is a time-consuming project no matter what the teacher does. Obviously giving students very specific guidelines and constraints and overseeing their planning phase like a hawk would cut back on time at that end. Giving students a specific rubric at the start of the project might also help focus their ideas and planning.
If students are clamoring for podcasting but it's not feasible in the classroom then, as other people suggested, maybe making Radio Story Time Fun Show Club Fest would be a good idea. Giving podcasting as an OPTION for a project and then having an after school workshop on how to make it might be a good alternative.
I believe that the hardest part abotu doing the podcasts is editing. Although there are many tools on the web that can assist in this, I feel it is very time consuming. Perhaps for one project a year it would worth it, but I think it would take time away from real lesson. I like the idea of having a newscast on a podcasts, or perhaps using it as an alternative project to a paper, but I don't believe it should replace written lesson.
A teacher could do all the necessary prep work to make the process easier. He/she should go through the exact steps of making a podcast and make sure that everyone understands. He/She should monitor as the podcast is being made, and help with any questions.
If making podcasts are not available, a classroom could find one online that has been done by another classroom. This way, they can have some sort of sense as to what one sounds like and how the information can be presented. They can also do a "fake" podcast where they just record their voices on a taperecorder and put it all together.
* what do you think are the greatest challenges to successfully completing a project like this with students?
Probably the technology itself. Sure, a lot of students today are more tech-savvy than their teachers, but it's still easy to get bogged down in the complexities of audio editing.
* What are some things a teacher could do ahead of time, during the project and after the students have recorded to make this process more efficient in class?
I think a lot of efficiency in this project comes from just having everyone prepared well in advance and being on the same page. Making sure everyone knows how to make a script and then just get kids through the recording process.
* If doing a podcast in class is not an option, what are some other ways you could give interested students the experience of making a podcast in school?
If it's not an option in class, you can tell them about it and offer it as extra credit. There's always kids who want extra credit and this would be a pretty cool extracurricular learning opportunity.
Having gone through the podcast experience I would say the most difficult part about using it in a classroom would be time. Because I'm not fully comfortable with it, I can just picture me wasting countless hours doing just basics. I think content wise it's a great opportunity for kids, but I would just hate for them to go through all this work and then have it actually be ruined by me!
A better way this would personally work for me is if I had it as one of many options for a final project. That way its kids taking the project into their own hands, the hope being that it's the technologically savvy ones who choose it. In a high school setting this is actually realistic, and students could do it without needing much oversight or input. Especially if I had a tech person to throw them at:)
If doing one in class is not an option, the only alternative I can think of is to show students some of the same podcast videos we were shown to initially get familiar with it. Beyond that I could refer them to sites and materials needed, and perhaps this is something they could use in that multi-choice final project I mentioned earlier. Not every school is going to have the technology, and its really practical to have some other alternative for those not well-equipped or tech savvy.
One of the greatest challenge for me as a teacher would be the amount of time that would have to be spend on teaching the students how to use the material properly. Keeping students focused on the task would be another challenge. When everybody is into small groups, it is quite difficult monitoring whether the students are doing the appropriate work or not, and if they are doing the work, are they all sharing it equally. Also, another problem would be with helping them if they all have questions or problems at the same time. If you are helping a group while another one also has a question, then chances are that group will start getting off the podcast task until the teacher comes and helps them. A teacher who is planning on having his students make a podcast needs to be knowledgeable about the program(s) used and needs to have set clear guidelines for the process, so that students know how to get to the final product. If the podcast material is not available during class time, students could make their ‘podcast’ through videos, such as enacting the role of a reporter in the news. Joining another class or extra-curricular activity that has the material and time for podcast would also be a possibility.
For me, starting a podcast with my students would be a big challenge. I know there isn't a lot of equipment necessary, but if I'm at a school taht doesn't have anything it could limit what I'm able to do with podcasting. Another issue is time. Teaching students how to use the technology, having them come up with the idea, write the script, pick out the music, record, and edit would take up a lot of time. If there is a big chunk of time, doing a podcast might be a fun activity, but I feel it could get stressful during most of the year. Maybe it could be done after the SOLs? Also, another question is, who would do the editing (me or my students)?
To make the podcast process more efficient: 1. Teach how to use the technology beforehand 2. have the students write their scripts/pick out the music before class 3. before the students come into the classroom, have the equipment/software ready to go 4. have an outline for the students to follow 5. give students a time limit on the recording and editing stages so that they're done in the class period 6. have the teacher do the editing of the podcasts
Like many people have mentioned, I think having a podcast club before/after school would be a good idea. If students were interested, I could be the sponsor. The podcasts could be used as announcements, school news, or even as a school radio.
I think one of the major problems teachers would face with podcasting would be the issue of time. The podcasts could take up way more time than necessary, creating a situation in which the students spend more time trying to perfect their podcast rather than actually learning something about the topic. Also, the teacher would have to offer many sessions offering help for the students with their podcasts because some of the technology can be tricky and frustrating at times. In order to prepare before the podcast project, the teacher could create specific assignments and topics for individual students and offer places to research them. During the recording, students who didn't have an available headset/microphone should have another assignment to complete during the downtime. For the organization of the podcast after the recording, the teacher would have to set aside a specific time for the students to work on these podcasts every day. It would probably make the most sense for the students to have 30-45 minutes each class to work on the podcasting project, that way they wouldn't get sick of it in one class or have to worry about meeting up outside of school. If doing a podcast in class is not an option, the teacher could set up a podcasting club. Students could stay after school to create podcasts that the whole school could listen to. My high school had a little version of a news station. The group would interview students in the school about issues and would discuss sports and other school news. Every friday morning, the recording was played in the cafeteria. Students could use audacity and other podcasting equipment to make a similar situation.
Like most people have said, one of the greatest challenges I will face when attempting to incorporate podcasting into my teaching is time. The podcast was fun to create, but it took my group a long time to figure everything out. In my high school, access to computer labs was limited, and it was difficult for a teacher to reserve even entire class periods in the lab. Also, since this would have to be an in-class project, and I wonder what would happen if a student were absent one day of the assignment. It would be almost impossible for that student to catch up to the rest.
To make the process more efficient in class, a teacher could download audacity beforehand, download a selection of mp3s for students to choose from, and do an in-class tutorial of Audacity before going into the lab. It might also help to turn off access to the internet while the students are working so that they don't get distracted with websites during the recording and editing process.
An alternative to podcasting would be to prepare an oral presentation in the style of a podcast, and allow students to bring in accompanying music to play during their presentations. Also, students could watch the video about podcasts and I could teach how to make podcasts on Audacity, then assign a project in which one of the options for presenting is making a podcast. That way, students that are tech-savvy will be able to express themselves in a comfortable way and other students will get to see what podcasting is like.
The greatest challenges to podcasting are the length of time it takes to create a podcast and the editing process. Although script-writing and introduction to podcasting technologies are somewhat beneficial and related to other areas (composition; computer use), the amount of time it takes to instruct students about these subjects could take away from class time which could be directed to better use. The editing process, which is the most time-consuming part of the whole project, may also cause difficulties among younger students and detract from other learning opportunities.
A teacher could take actions before and after the project to make more efficient use of class time. Script-writing could be made into a take-home assignment to be reviewed by the teacher before recording takes place. Before class, the teacher could set up recording materials (computer, mic, recording software). Depending on the age of students, the editing process could be done by student groups or the teacher. The teacher should do the editing for younger age groups, but older age groups would benefit from learning to use that sort of technology application.
If a teacher cannot spend class time on podcasting, he or she should create a special before- or after-school activity event or group which would be dedicated to further exploration of podcasting and the applicable technologies. The event or group would include detailed instruction on subjects such as the use of audio-editing softwaremethods of script-writing, and would generally incorporate more student input and action.
Like many before me, I think the problem will be find enough time during class to do podcasting projects. High school is very curriculum oriented and not a lot of time to cover all the material. Since podcasting is an in-class project there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. Limited technology is one obviously plus students missing class.
I do not know if you meant to comment on our own podcast we had to create, but along that line, I felt weird talking as if I was talking to someone but was not. I thought it was kind of awkward. I thought the process was kind of neat but it really reinforced how time consuming the whole process is and how it would affect class time.
There are many alternatives to podcasting like oral presentations. Since I am in English education, rewriting scenes in plays and acting them out or what have you are all alternatives to podcasting. I am not very technology savvy, so it would take a lot of prep time plus class time, plus out of class time. This project seems to be very time consuming. I like the idea but time is alway the issue.
1. Implementing projects like this can be a real challenge for teachers. Based on your experience creating a group podcast, what do you perceive are the greatest challenges to successfully completing a project like this with students? While on one hand, podcasts offer a great opportunity for group work because the script can be equally divided to include everyone. On the other hand, as mentioned many times before, the tricky part to a podcast project is the editting. Only a couple students can fit behind a computer screen and some will inevitable do more than others, esp. the "tech-savvy" ones, so those who aren't as tech-savvy aren't getting the experience with the equipment that would be a secondary learning objective. Also I would be intimidated to take the editing upon myself as a teacher. Although if it were a single class podcast, perhap it wouldn't be too bad.
2. What are some things a teacher could do ahead of time, during the project and after the students have recorded to make this process more efficient in class? I would definitely assign a lot of the prep work before hand. Assign that proof of research be shown to me. That a division of labor be shown to me. That scripts be shown to me. That way when it came time to record, that's all we would have to focus on.
3. If doing a podcast in class is not an option, what are some other ways you could give interested students the experience of making a podcast in school? I think it would make a great extra credit assignment. Or even just an option for a project. If I were going for a performative project, options could include skits in class, videos, or podcasts. Podcasts could even be accepted as another form of "text" in place of a traditional essay as long as they convey the same amount of information.
Dealing with the degree of work it will take to get all students comfortable enough with the platform is a challenge. Students show up with different skills. I would split the class up into groups of two, one being someone who is proficient with technology and the other being the person coming to the technology for the first time. There are always the technophobes who are intimidated by any sort of technology, so giving them an experienced partner will help. The teacher should not try to use a technology tool that he or she is not comfortable with. Nothing makes students more nervous about using technology than when the instructor can’t do it. Being prepared, and having an easy to understand example to provide students with is an important preparation. Having the work compartmentalized into easy to accomplish steps and clear instructions helps as well. All work completed should be reviewed with a record kept of what individual help can be given to a student. Also, a part of the post class work will be for the teacher to put it all together in a way that will be pleasing to the students and reinforce the goals of the assignment. There are times during the day, lunch or study hall, that could be devoted to podcasting. A teacher could also provide the students with a tested, easy to follow guide for outside use.
I believe that the greatest problem with podcasting with students will be the amount of time spent away from traditional learning. I don't know that students will walk away from a podcast experience with any further knowledge gained than they would doing other exciting methods of learning. Further, it would be very challenging to keep a classroom of podcasters on task and focused.
ReplyDeleteOne way to address this problem could be to have a student "checklist" for them to follow as a guide as they work through the project. Teachers can also learn student needs and anticipate questions before starting the podcasting activity. Further, following the podcasting activity, teachers can provide some sort of assessment that reveals student learning throughout the podcasting experience.
If podcasting is not an option in class, than teachers can allow interested students the opportunity to make one by allowing for a variety of options for a final semester project. Some groups may choose making videos, others may choose podcasting or something else. However, podcasting should be a suggested option for interested students.
What do you perceive are the greatest challenges to successfully completing a project like this with students?
ReplyDeleteEditing is definitely the most challenging part of creating a podcast. If a teacher is dealing with high schoolers or competent middle-schoolers, then the teacher could count on his/her students to edit their own podcasts. For the elementary school teacher, he/she has a lot of editing work to do after the students are done recording.
What are some things a teacher could do ahead of time, during the project and after the students have recorded to make this process more efficient in class?
Teachers could break the project down into segments such as: researching, organizing, writing the script, recording. After the students are finished recording, they should inform the teacher on exactly how to edit it and which song to use (send the teacher the song!).
If doing a podcast in class is not an option, what are some other ways you could give interested students the experience of making a podcast in school?
You can start a pod-casting club/organization which meets after-school. You can assign podcasts as extra-credit work.
I agree with a comment previously made. While I can appreciate the way in which podcasts enable the student to utilize and minipulate technology in a new and different form, I have to wonder about its actaul educational value. In terms of technology, yes I think students will learn a lot about a new medium, but in a core classroom does this really enhance learning?
ReplyDeleteFor me, one of the greatest challenges using podcasts presents is making it applicable and appropriate to the class topic. While I do think our podcast was educational and interesting, I think perhaps if I were to use a podcast in a classroom I would use it during a section about interviews or family histories - for me this is just a more appropriate topic in terms of recording.
To make the podcasting project more efficient, a teacher could should just emphasize preparation (similar to how we wrote scripts and picked out music ahead of time). I think if you know what you are recording, there really isn't a great deal of additional preparation involved.
If podcasts are not available, I think videotaping students' presentations or readings of their work could be a comparable practice. Most schools have video camaras, they are also commonly built into phones, so this could be easily done. Either way, the student feels more accountable for their work if they are reading it aloud and transferring it to a medium where it can be watched/heard multiple times.
I love the idea of creating a narrative that's not just a boring old essay. Podcasting is one venue to do that. But there are many constraints to consider. This project would require significant time to both plan the project and teach students how to use the technology. If we're going to devote this much time to this project we should be sure that it is truly (as Rachel said) applicable and appropriate for the content and class. I think it really requires to you think, as a teacher, what am I trying to accomplish by using this medium. Also, you would need the equipment and software to create the podcasts (and probably more than one set if we're being realistic...) which might not be feasible in some classrooms. Finally, using technology like this can be FRUSTRATING because it's time intensive and the novelty of "mixing" and "recording" wears off pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteThe fact of the matter is this is a time-consuming project no matter what the teacher does. Obviously giving students very specific guidelines and constraints and overseeing their planning phase like a hawk would cut back on time at that end. Giving students a specific rubric at the start of the project might also help focus their ideas and planning.
If students are clamoring for podcasting but it's not feasible in the classroom then, as other people suggested, maybe making Radio Story Time Fun Show Club Fest would be a good idea. Giving podcasting as an OPTION for a project and then having an after school workshop on how to make it might be a good alternative.
I believe that the hardest part abotu doing the podcasts is editing. Although there are many tools on the web that can assist in this, I feel it is very time consuming. Perhaps for one project a year it would worth it, but I think it would take time away from real lesson. I like the idea of having a newscast on a podcasts, or perhaps using it as an alternative project to a paper, but I don't believe it should replace written lesson.
ReplyDeleteA teacher could do all the necessary prep work to make the process easier. He/she should go through the exact steps of making a podcast and make sure that everyone understands. He/She should monitor as the podcast is being made, and help with any questions.
If making podcasts are not available, a classroom could find one online that has been done by another classroom. This way, they can have some sort of sense as to what one sounds like and how the information can be presented. They can also do a "fake" podcast where they just record their voices on a taperecorder and put it all together.
* what do you think are the greatest challenges to successfully completing a project like this with students?
ReplyDeleteProbably the technology itself. Sure, a lot of students today are more tech-savvy than their teachers, but it's still easy to get bogged down in the complexities of audio editing.
* What are some things a teacher could do ahead of time, during the project and after the students have recorded to make this process more efficient in class?
I think a lot of efficiency in this project comes from just having everyone prepared well in advance and being on the same page. Making sure everyone knows how to make a script and then just get kids through the recording process.
* If doing a podcast in class is not an option, what are some other ways you could give interested students the experience of making a podcast in school?
If it's not an option in class, you can tell them about it and offer it as extra credit. There's always kids who want extra credit and this would be a pretty cool extracurricular learning opportunity.
Having gone through the podcast experience I would say the most difficult part about using it in a classroom would be time. Because I'm not fully comfortable with it, I can just picture me wasting countless hours doing just basics. I think content wise it's a great opportunity for kids, but I would just hate for them to go through all this work and then have it actually be ruined by me!
ReplyDeleteA better way this would personally work for me is if I had it as one of many options for a final project. That way its kids taking the project into their own hands, the hope being that it's the technologically savvy ones who choose it. In a high school setting this is actually realistic, and students could do it without needing much oversight or input. Especially if I had a tech person to throw them at:)
If doing one in class is not an option, the only alternative I can think of is to show students some of the same podcast videos we were shown to initially get familiar with it. Beyond that I could refer them to sites and materials needed, and perhaps this is something they could use in that multi-choice final project I mentioned earlier. Not every school is going to have the technology, and its really practical to have some other alternative for those not well-equipped or tech savvy.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne of the greatest challenge for me as a teacher would be the amount of time that would have to be spend on teaching the students how to use the material properly. Keeping students focused on the task would be another challenge. When everybody is into small groups, it is quite difficult monitoring whether the students are doing the appropriate work or not, and if they are doing the work, are they all sharing it equally. Also, another problem would be with helping them if they all have questions or problems at the same time. If you are helping a group while another one also has a question, then chances are that group will start getting off the podcast task until the teacher comes and helps them.
ReplyDeleteA teacher who is planning on having his students make a podcast needs to be knowledgeable about the program(s) used and needs to have set clear guidelines for the process, so that students know how to get to the final product.
If the podcast material is not available during class time, students could make their ‘podcast’ through videos, such as enacting the role of a reporter in the news. Joining another class or extra-curricular activity that has the material and time for podcast would also be a possibility.
For me, starting a podcast with my students would be a big challenge. I know there isn't a lot of equipment necessary, but if I'm at a school taht doesn't have anything it could limit what I'm able to do with podcasting. Another issue is time. Teaching students how to use the technology, having them come up with the idea, write the script, pick out the music, record, and edit would take up a lot of time. If there is a big chunk of time, doing a podcast might be a fun activity, but I feel it could get stressful during most of the year. Maybe it could be done after the SOLs? Also, another question is, who would do the editing (me or my students)?
ReplyDeleteTo make the podcast process more efficient:
1. Teach how to use the technology beforehand
2. have the students write their scripts/pick out the music before class
3. before the students come into the classroom, have the equipment/software ready to go
4. have an outline for the students to follow
5. give students a time limit on the recording and editing stages so that they're done in the class period
6. have the teacher do the editing of the podcasts
Like many people have mentioned, I think having a podcast club before/after school would be a good idea. If students were interested, I could be the sponsor. The podcasts could be used as announcements, school news, or even as a school radio.
I think one of the major problems teachers would face with podcasting would be the issue of time. The podcasts could take up way more time than necessary, creating a situation in which the students spend more time trying to perfect their podcast rather than actually learning something about the topic. Also, the teacher would have to offer many sessions offering help for the students with their podcasts because some of the technology can be tricky and frustrating at times.
ReplyDeleteIn order to prepare before the podcast project, the teacher could create specific assignments and topics for individual students and offer places to research them. During the recording, students who didn't have an available headset/microphone should have another assignment to complete during the downtime. For the organization of the podcast after the recording, the teacher would have to set aside a specific time for the students to work on these podcasts every day. It would probably make the most sense for the students to have 30-45 minutes each class to work on the podcasting project, that way they wouldn't get sick of it in one class or have to worry about meeting up outside of school.
If doing a podcast in class is not an option, the teacher could set up a podcasting club. Students could stay after school to create podcasts that the whole school could listen to. My high school had a little version of a news station. The group would interview students in the school about issues and would discuss sports and other school news. Every friday morning, the recording was played in the cafeteria. Students could use audacity and other podcasting equipment to make a similar situation.
Like most people have said, one of the greatest challenges I will face when attempting to incorporate podcasting into my teaching is time. The podcast was fun to create, but it took my group a long time to figure everything out. In my high school, access to computer labs was limited, and it was difficult for a teacher to reserve even entire class periods in the lab. Also, since this would have to be an in-class project, and I wonder what would happen if a student were absent one day of the assignment. It would be almost impossible for that student to catch up to the rest.
ReplyDeleteTo make the process more efficient in class, a teacher could download audacity beforehand, download a selection of mp3s for students to choose from, and do an in-class tutorial of Audacity before going into the lab. It might also help to turn off access to the internet while the students are working so that they don't get distracted with websites during the recording and editing process.
An alternative to podcasting would be to prepare an oral presentation in the style of a podcast, and allow students to bring in accompanying music to play during their presentations. Also, students could watch the video about podcasts and I could teach how to make podcasts on Audacity, then assign a project in which one of the options for presenting is making a podcast. That way, students that are tech-savvy will be able to express themselves in a comfortable way and other students will get to see what podcasting is like.
The greatest challenges to podcasting are the length of time it takes to create a podcast and the editing process. Although script-writing and introduction to podcasting technologies are somewhat beneficial and related to other areas (composition; computer use), the amount of time it takes to instruct students about these subjects could take away from class time which could be directed to better use. The editing process, which is the most time-consuming part of the whole project, may also cause difficulties among younger students and detract from other learning opportunities.
ReplyDeleteA teacher could take actions before and after the project to make more efficient use of class time. Script-writing could be made into a take-home assignment to be reviewed by the teacher before recording takes place. Before class, the teacher could set up recording materials (computer, mic, recording software). Depending on the age of students, the editing process could be done by student groups or the teacher. The teacher should do the editing for younger age groups, but older age groups would benefit from learning to use that sort of technology application.
If a teacher cannot spend class time on podcasting, he or she should create a special before- or after-school activity event or group which would be dedicated to further exploration of podcasting and the applicable technologies. The event or group would include detailed instruction on subjects such as the use of audio-editing softwaremethods of script-writing, and would generally incorporate more student input and action.
Like many before me, I think the problem will be find enough time during class to do podcasting projects. High school is very curriculum oriented and not a lot of time to cover all the material. Since podcasting is an in-class project there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. Limited technology is one obviously plus students missing class.
ReplyDeleteI do not know if you meant to comment on our own podcast we had to create, but along that line, I felt weird talking as if I was talking to someone but was not. I thought it was kind of awkward. I thought the process was kind of neat but it really reinforced how time consuming the whole process is and how it would affect class time.
There are many alternatives to podcasting like oral presentations. Since I am in English education, rewriting scenes in plays and acting them out or what have you are all alternatives to podcasting. I am not very technology savvy, so it would take a lot of prep time plus class time, plus out of class time. This project seems to be very time consuming. I like the idea but time is alway the issue.
1. Implementing projects like this can be a real challenge for teachers. Based on your experience creating a group podcast, what do you perceive are the greatest challenges to successfully completing a project like this with students?
ReplyDeleteWhile on one hand, podcasts offer a great opportunity for group work because the script can be equally divided to include everyone. On the other hand, as mentioned many times before, the tricky part to a podcast project is the editting. Only a couple students can fit behind a computer screen and some will inevitable do more than others, esp. the "tech-savvy" ones, so those who aren't as tech-savvy aren't getting the experience with the equipment that would be a secondary learning objective.
Also I would be intimidated to take the editing upon myself as a teacher. Although if it were a single class podcast, perhap it wouldn't be too bad.
2. What are some things a teacher could do ahead of time, during the project and after the students have recorded to make this process more efficient in class?
I would definitely assign a lot of the prep work before hand. Assign that proof of research be shown to me. That a division of labor be shown to me. That scripts be shown to me. That way when it came time to record, that's all we would have to focus on.
3. If doing a podcast in class is not an option, what are some other ways you could give interested students the experience of making a podcast in school?
I think it would make a great extra credit assignment. Or even just an option for a project. If I were going for a performative project, options could include skits in class, videos, or podcasts. Podcasts could even be accepted as another form of "text" in place of a traditional essay as long as they convey the same amount of information.
Dealing with the degree of work it will take to get all students comfortable enough with the platform is a challenge. Students show up with different skills. I would split the class up into groups of two, one being someone who is proficient with technology and the other being the person coming to the technology for the first time. There are always the technophobes who are intimidated by any sort of technology, so giving them an experienced partner will help.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher should not try to use a technology tool that he or she is not comfortable with. Nothing makes students more nervous about using technology than when the instructor can’t do it. Being prepared, and having an easy to understand example to provide students with is an important preparation. Having the work compartmentalized into easy to accomplish steps and clear instructions helps as well. All work completed should be reviewed with a record kept of what individual help can be given to a student. Also, a part of the post class work will be for the teacher to put it all together in a way that will be pleasing to the students and reinforce the goals of the assignment.
There are times during the day, lunch or study hall, that could be devoted to podcasting. A teacher could also provide the students with a tested, easy to follow guide for outside use.