Podcasting in the Media Center
Podcasting is a useful and viable tool for the Media
Center. My first introduction to
podcasting occurred when I assumed the position of Media Specialist. I received an email stating that various
teachers in my school, including me, were involved in a grant to produce
podcast for the school district. I had
to learn very quickly how to produce a podcast and assist the other faculty
members with their productions. I was an
exciting and stressful experience that produced over 600 instructional podcasts
for the district. The core academic
subjects as well as instructional “how to “podcast are now available for
viewing at on the district website. I
have used the podcast to teach classed and provide tutorials to students.
Out text, Courtney, list two types of podcasts: enhanced and videocasts. Both can be useful in a Media Center. My assumption is that the podcast would be
cataloged and made assessable on the Media Center, school or school district
website. This would ensure easy access for
the students, parents, teachers and administrators. Library instruction is the category that I
have used podcasts most frequently.
Providing visual and audio instructions on how to access Destiny from
the Internet was my first podcast. The
average length of 3 to 5 minutes ensures that the information is clear and concise. The various topics that are included in
Library instruction are numerous. The
podcast complements the visual screen shots to assist the view gain
understanding of the topic or process.
Listening to the podcasts on Radio Willow Web and Booktalks,
Quick and Simple exposed me to a new and different use for podcast in the Media
Center. Using podcasts to capture and
present student work is a unique and engaging tool. Many of the students in my school would be
very excited to participate in classroom projects that involved the production
of a podcast. Even more students would
listen and view the podcast that are created by their peers. Podcasts lend themselves well to encourage
academic credit recovery and independent learning. I think the students would be thrilled to
hear their own voice and the voices of their peer review books and express
their opinions in a podcast.
Courtney also suggests that the Media Center news could be
presented via a podcast. Announcement,
new books, DVD’s and other material can be promoted through this medium. Podcasting essentially makes the Media Center
available at any time. Library
orientation, book reviews and professional learning is just a few of the areas
that would benefit from podcasting.
Students and faculty can retrieve information provided by knowledgeable
and creditable sources.
School districts will need to allow the download of the
podcasts on school devices. Educational,
instructional and entertaining podcast are available to enhance and enrich the
learning experience. The use in the
Media Center is endless. I plan to
produce a podcast each month that features excerpts from the new books in the
media center in hopes of increasing circulation and the number of students who
are reading for pleasure. Podcasting is
a digital tool that I am excited to incorporate into the Media Center.
I was first introduced to podcasting in college. I had a basic understanding of what it was, but it wasn't until I had to listen to one for a class that I truly understood. A big part of the new Common Core Standards is informational texts. The textbook is very limiting, so I started looking for podcasts on NPR to use in class with my students. The best podcasts were those that I could find with a transcript to print. That way my students could read along with the podcast, and they can also gain further understanding.
ReplyDeleteThe next big revelation for me was understanding how easy it is to make a podcast. To tell the truth, that happened in this class when I downloaded Audacity and made my own. I have to admit, I was surprised at how easy it was. It's understandable why podcasting has caught on and spread so quickly.
I am in the next stage now, where I want my students to make and listen to each other's podcasts for projects. After all, listening and speaking are two of the language arts our students have to learn.
I think your plan to make a monthly podcast to feature new books is a great way to increase circulation and reading for pleasure. Talk to the English Department and see if you can make some sort of partnership with them. Maybe the teachers will give credit for students doing book talks? That would be great!
It must have been very stressful to be thrown into podcasting so quickly! I am sure now you appreciate your efforts now that you have all those podcasts done and can refer back to and use as much as needed. Having these podcasts premade makes planning lessons with additional resources so much easier. You will also have more time now to go back and update and/or redo any podcasts as needed. I, for one, am all about creating resources that can be used again and again! This is why I am so excited to be learning about podcasting. Honestly, I did not know much about it before this summer. Now, I am very excited to use Audacity to get my class started on podcasting. I am also hoping that as I begin to use this tool I can talk it up with other teachers and get them to try it out as well.
ReplyDeleteI can see using podcasting in the media center in many ways such as the media center news podcast. I have another idea to use podcasting to play book talks through the computer, projector, CD player, etc. while students are checking out books or as a class visits the media center for a lesson. This might get students interested in new books within the media center and would help the media specialists not have to give the same book talk many times. There are so many ways that podcasts could be used in the media center. I am sure that we will all think of many more as we become more familiar with podcasting.
The part about the media specialist doing the same talk over and over really hit me. I watched my mentor doing the same speech to four different classes in one day. How much more interesting could she have made if if she recorded it and added in some special effects, sound effects and pictures? Then she could have done a brief introduction and shown her library instruction vodcast to tell the kids the best ways to utilize the library and respect the books. Perhaps they would have even paid better attention. As it was, they kept interrupting her to tell her about their families or pets.
DeleteThe podcasts on the district website that offer lessons, are these specific to teachers' classes, or more like general lessons that everyone could use? It would be a great idea to have pages within the main school website that the teachers could use to post additional help. Students could access it after school or from home if they need more instruction. It would also be a good way to have extra review for exams.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea about using podcasts and vodcasts on the media center website. Another school used short videos on the website to promote new books. The students that read the book were allowed to make a short teaser for the book and the media specialist recorded it and posted it to the website.
Dolly, you did a wonderful job explaining the great ways podcasts can be used. You gave a very thorough explanation of what a podcasts is. There are so man ways podcasts can be used. I think as a media specialists, podcasting is a good way to get information out there to your students and teachers. Like you mentioned, Book talks, school news, displaying of student work created in the classroom. Awesome way to really get the students and teachers involved in within the school. I think students would love being able to create podcasts. It gives them a since of entitlement a chance to "show off" their academic achievements.
ReplyDeleteYour comment about how podcasts can be used to catpure and present student work got me thinking...I recently moved from an academic magnet school to a school with a high ratio of Special Ed students, and it has been such a challenge finding ways to help the students with special needs. I wonder if some of the students who have a difficult time with written expression, could do podcasts or vodcasts instead of standard, written reports. Some of them might be more comfortable articulating thoughts through speaking rather than writing, if writing is something that is a challenge to them.
ReplyDelete