My students probably thought I was just exaggerating when I demanded they do an excellent job on their podcast because it would be broadcast to the entire world. Well, much to our surprise, about six months after our podcast was published, I received a phone call from Berlin, Germany! On the other end of the ocean was someone who had heard our podcast The call was to request permission to include our podcast on their website. (http://www.across-the-ocean.org/)
I must tell you that my fifth grade students, who had created the podcast as fourth graders, were amazed. (I didn’t explain to them that I was pretty amazed, too!)
But I really shouldn’t have been surprised – the power of technology really can open up the world. The audience for students’ work is no longer limited to the other students in the class, or to their parents. A real audience is waiting to see and hear what they’ve accomplished.
Since then, my students have created a number of podcasts. Topics have ranged from the ancient Greek Olympics to “Stars Who Give Back.” Not only are they sharing what they’ve learned, but they are also using a number of skills: planning, organizing, group/teamwork, writing, and speaking, just to name a few.
If you’re a beginner, there is a lot of help out there and a variety of tools to use.
I would start with Tony Vincent’s website, http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/.
Tony has a wealth of resources for everyone, including step-by-step directions. You can also visit the Our City page to hear podcasts from around the nation and world. You can even stop by and hear my students’ work at http://learninginhand.com/storage/ourcity/kanasas_city/index.html.
So give it a try – with podcasting, “the world IS your stage!”
Cindy Sheets, Vice President: Advocates for High Ability Learners (AHA-Learners.org)
Elementary Gifted Facilitator, Shawnee Mission, KS
Other resources:
http://www.apple.com/education/podcasting/
http://stager.org/podcasting.html
NAGC Computers & Technology Network 