Podcasts for the Classroom!

A podcast is a series of digital media files, usually either digital audio or video, that is made available for download usually via web syndication. A podcast usually takes its name from the combination of “iPod” and “broadcasting”. However, podcasting does not actually require the use of an iPod. Different types of podcasts include radio programs, news shows, and museum audio tours. Podcasting is the creation, management and promotion of podcasts on the Internet. There is special client software applications called podcatchers which automatically identify and download new files in series. Podcasting is another media tool that can be used in the classroom for both adults and children.

These links are useful podcasts that our group has found.
For Early Childhood Education:
http://www.sesamestreet.org/podcasts/?gclid=CJfK-e2fg54CFVw55QodT1hApQ
Here you can find free Sesame Street podcasts. These are episodes of an educational television show that teaches letters and numbers. This can be used to reinforce learning of said concepts in the early classroom in an enjoyable way.
For Middle Childhood Education:
http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail?pid=7425
This website offers a link to the CNN Student news. This podcast gives current events in a way that is understandable and applicable to middle school and high school students
For all Educators:
http://www.epnweb.org/
This is the website for The Education Podcast Network. This website is a collection of podcasts for every grade and subject. Educators can go here and look for podcasts in their discipline.

In our future classrooms, podcasts can have various uses and enhance learning greatly. One use that was brainstormed was the use of podcasts as a supplemental, out of classroom learning prop. A teacher can assign a podcast to the whole class and have the students listen to the podcast on their own at home. The students will have the freedom to listen to the blog on their own time. After listening to the blog, the students will be expected to show their learning in some way, such as writing a response to the podcast or being prepared to share the information in class discussion.
Another way to use podcasts in the classroom is to play snippets of the podcasts in class as a supplement to the lesson and have the students discuss the information that is presented. This method would take up class time while the previous use of podcasts would not cut into class time and would increase the amount of learning time inside and outside of the classroom.