February 2008 — News
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Podcasting Basics: Simple Steps for Introducing Podcasting into Your K-8 Class, Part 1
But that means putting student material onto the public Internet where it will be accessible to all. For that reason Pearl recommends checking with the school principal and explaining what the podcasting project will be. The challenge, he said, will be in "convincing the people in charge that the time it takes to do a podcast is educationally relevant and it's going to benefit the kids."
He acknowledged that podcasting will be more time-consuming, because the students need to learn technical aspects of it. Also, since speaking isn't an important part of the mandatory state tests in Texas, called the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, that requires an additional level of justification, he said.
"Now, a savvy teacher understands, these kids are engaged, having [fewer] disciplines problems," Pearl said. "Kids are excited. They're taking ownership. Their writing probably will improve because they care more about their writing."
If a problem comes up regarding the use of student names in the podcast, Pearl suggests not having students say their names. "You can just say, 'I'm here reporting live at this…' and just read it off," he said.
What if the school doesn't grant approval? You can still create podcasts, said Pearl, and simply host them on your computer or on the school's intranet.
In the next installment in this series, we'll look at how to edit and publish the podcasts your class produces. Plus we'll provide advice for managing a classroom where it seems like every student is going off in a different direction in pursuit of the perfect podcast.
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About the author: Dian Schaffhauser covers high tech, business and higher education for a number of publications. Contact her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.
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