Resources for Podcasts, Wikis, and Blogs

My idea for using podcasts were pretty generic, so I visited a host of cites, the majority of which only told about the benefits of using podcasts without offering any real examples. I found that Itunes has a podcast section with numerous teachers who discuss and give examples of podcast use in the classroom. Two of the podcasts and ideas I like are below:

Apple Distinguished Educator's Podcast Collection http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=11850

This link provides a multitude of examples of outstanding podcasts used for a variety of educational purposes. One of the podcasts (KidCast: Learning and Teaching by Podcasts, Episode#54) that discusses podcasting talks about using podcasting with field trips. The narrator, Dan Schmit, suggests setting a wider context for the trip by building some collective knowledge about why the site is an important place to visit. Kids are to create a podcast that tells of the significance of the site, which serves to make the trip more relevant and increases the student's ability to articulate concepts meaningfully. Dan suggests use of a WTWT chart--WHY we are going to do this; what we THINK we know; what we WANT to know; what we're ready to TEACH. He says this shows that learning is fluid and growth-based and that what we learn is important and should be shared or taught to others, in this case, through a podcast. He suggests students ask questions about each exhibit they see and record the tour guides answers to the questions. Students are, in this way, active investigators/researchers, instead of passive listeners. Dan also suggests reflective comments that are short and pointed and serve to help the listener feel as if they are there with the visitor. He gave the example of students at a zoo where students are broken into groups that visit and investigate specific locations or exhibits. In the end, students can reflect about what was good about the field trip, what was missing, what exhibit they would add if they had the choice. This can be put in a podcast that is shared with the institution. Finally, he thinks that creating a public service announcement that advertised the visited location is a good way of giving back. Due to copyright, he notes that it is important to check with the location first before doing video or audio recordings.

KidCast, episode #50, presents and interview with a writing professor who discusses arguments and point of view, the point that arguments are not verbal fights but words used to persuade. This episode has me thinking that a podcast could be created to explain and demonstrate the thesis-based, five paragraph essay. Examples of effective essays could be used and pauses could be made in the reading of the essay to show the effective elements or the effective elements could be covered before reading the essay in order to prime the listener. As a writing consultant as the IPFW Writing Center, I know that many writers have a hard time analyzing research in way that allows them to construct a sound thesis. With this in mind, a podcast series could be developed with episodes that explain critical reading, thesis construction, topic sentence development, and use of evidence or quotes to support the thesis and topic sentences. Students could create podcasts where they begin by voicing their thesis and topic sentences and then read their essay.