Podcast Reflections

I read too fast and stumbled over my words when I made my own podcast.  But what a relief to know that a podcast doesn't have to be perfect. 

I've got several ideas brewing regarding the use of podcasts.  In my 4th grade Junior Great Books group we are studying the book A Door in the Wall.  In the book there is a fight/escape scene.  In the past, I have had the students set up a mock TV station; one person takes on the role of the interviewer and goes out and interviews the various characters and their reactions to the fight scene.  I plan to use the podcasting format to turn it into a podcast presentation.  I think I'll have the students write out their interview questions/answers but also allow for spontaneity in their responses.  I actually like this possibility of the podcast.  It is similar to Voicethread in the way that it allows for extemporaneous thinking and verbalizing.  This is important for what we do in Junior Great Books because our efforts are not about developing writing skills as much as they are about interacting with the literature.

One issue I continue to have with using technology in my school situation is publication.  I have set up a website for our class and have published some of their work on it but I am limited in file size.  As it is set up right now, I'm not sure if it would take a large podcast file.  So, other than directing parents/students to my blog, I'm not always sure where to publish our work.  And that is really part of the point, isn't it, publishing so that others can view and interact with?

I suppose that's another reason I like the idea of podcasts - they're more easily anonymous.  They don't have the same privacy issues associated with them as photos and video.

Other uses I've thought about for podcasts include poetry readings and sharing stories.  I think if a student  has written a piece, it becomes so much more meaningful when it is heard in the writer's voice.   I think my favorite use of the podcast for students, however, is intereviews.  Another book we read in Junior Great books is Call it Courage, by Armstrong Sperry.  Students could set up mock interviews with Mafatu, the main character.  This would help them personalize his experience.

Switching gears from literature, I wish I was more of a rapper.  I'm coaching our Math Masters group this year and am trying to come up with raps that help make sense of mathematical equations.  It would be pretty cool if the students could then make a podcast of our rap.