Podcasts

A podcast is a series of audio files that are released episodically and downloaded. This tool is new to me as I was unaware of what a podcast was until I started this course. I searched a number of sites to explore what type of podcasts are out there and I pretty much found a podcast on anything and everything I could think of it. One interesting podcast I found provided "kids world news" and was particularly suited to upper primary students. Click here to listen. I thought this podcast could be used effectively in the classroom as part of a unit about 'our world today' as it provides relevant, update and accurate information to students.

Another podcast I found was here, which was an interview with a cartoonist and author. There was a number of different podcasts on this website that interviewed different writers, actors and artists that would appeal to primary school aged children. This type of podcast would be relevant to students interests and could be used to learn about interviews with students eventually creating their own series of podcast interviews. These particular podcasts could also be used to lead on to book or film reviews.

I think this would be a useful tool in the classroom, particarly for students with vision difficulties. It provides a different method of delivering content while enhancing students listening skills as well as their oral skills if they are creating their own. Being able to access a wide range of podcasts anywhere anytime creates a convenient tool to share information.