Blog Assignment #4

Langwiches Blog

    

      Ms. Tolisano, World Language instructor, collaborated with first graders at her school and created several highly imaginative, detailed podcasts centered around their books. I listened to "Under the Volcano" and "Dinosaurs Before Dark." The sounds of their little voices will melt your heart. The effort and inflection of their voices will impress you. These first graders did not simply read a book aloud. Instead they worked together creating a script as if the characters in the book were being interviewed. Ms. Tolisano explains how many of her students made creative decisions about reading vs. reciting. Several students changed their register, speed, and inflections during the editing process.
  What started out to them as a project for their voices to be heard by the masses ended up being much more complex. They learned and practiced several skill sets such as: storytelling, speaking voice, fluency, listening, plus media and technology. Ms. Tolisano made her student's dreams come alive! Other sections of her blog deal with student blogging and digital media. This blog has many useful ideas and concepts that can be incorporated into a lesson plan.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

     Joe Dale's podcast is presented through a podcast. He begins by stating that today's student, the millennial, is already well adapted to many varied forms of technology. Using the podcast to deliver extra instruction, and communication is a valuable tool for the classroom. Sharing relevant information between school and home, teacher to student, and student to student reinforces higher order and thinking skills beyond the mastery of the technology and is a small window into the life of a student. Outside of the classroom a podcast can be uploaded and used to refresh the day's lesson or as a catch up for an absent student.  The podcast can easily enhance a lesson plan in or out of the classroom. Mr. Dale's blog has links to getting started with podcasting, and using sound for enhancement with Garageband.
     With a little digging into his blog I found a site that explained the importance of social networking, or crowd-sourcing, as it relates to teachers. Twitter can play a huge role in the PLN. Collaboration from around the world with many ideas and perspectives can be shared almost immediately. Technology essentially shrinks the scope of the world down to the click of a mouse. Assistance, fresh ideas, and ongoing communication is at the teacher's fingertips. One just has to look and ask to receive.

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection


     Ms. Sharf has created a "how to" manual as it pertains to podcasting. Her blog explains what it is, and why it is important and it's use within the classroom. She very effectively walks through the steps of making a podcast that the student, parent, and teacher will be proud of and find useful. The further breaking down of time frames, topics, grading rubrics, and posting sites rounds out her instructional blog.
    The audio example podcast : "An African Adventure" demonstrates knowledge of an African safari, features students using accents common to Africa, and appropriate sound effects. Besides learning podcasting technology the students also work on storytelling, comprehension, and speaking skills. Many different skills can be mastered with a podcast. And the use of technology enhances that learning curve.