Podcasting+and+Blogging

Podcasting and Blogging Students today are in a world filled with technology whether they are exposed to it at home or not. Students are filled with creativeness and enthusiasm when given something they are interested in. Most students are interested in technology. Some students prefer to write, others talk, and others through art or music. Two types of Web 2.0 tools I will discuss can address the needs of many students. Podcasting is a tool where students can record audio and sound that is published and shared online. Blogging is a form of communication online which can include word, pictures, videos, etc. Through using these Web 2.0 tools students can receive comments on their work.

Podcasting can be used across all grade levels and curriculum areas. Students can record themselves reading a poem or something they have written. Students can reflect on what they’ve been learning or questions they still have. When these reflections are shared, teachers, parents, and other students may become part of that child’s learning community and provide them with feedback. When completing projects where students are given choices on the type of presentation they provide, some students would prefer to record their information. For these students, podcasting would be a great tool. Podcasts can also be downloaded and used as re-teaching methods for students who may need extra support. Recently, I have found some math podcasts explaining basic concepts. Students who are ELL or with a learning disability may need more practice in an area and providing podcasts for them to listen to at other times is a valuable resource for them.

Blogging in the classroom is another valuable tool that can be used across grade-levels and subjects. For those students who love to express their thinking through writing, blogging is a great tool. There are no rules to how long or short a blog post can be, so even your students who don’t like to write a lot can benefit from the collaborative sharing of blogging. Students can be given something specific to blog about or you can just ask them to reflect on their own topic. Since blogging is not a formal type of writing, students sometimes do not feel as threatened to write. Students with disabilities or language barriers don’t have to feel uncomfortable sharing their thoughts for fear of not writing correctly. There are so many possibilities when it comes to podcasting and blogging in the classroom.

Resources: “Blogging?...” [] “Active Learning through Podcasting” [] “Podcasting in the Classroom” []