Student podcasting

A few weeks ago in Ed Tech, we were treated to a truly excellent "Tech Tools in Use" presentation by the podcasting folks. I was quite skeptical going in because podcasts are something I struggle with personally a lot. There's only one particular type of situation in which I can fully focus on and enjoy a podcast: when my eyes are occupied in a fairly mindless task. The best example is when I'm driving. Driving is automatic enough that I can process the information in a podcast, but it requires my full visual attention so I don't let my attention wander. Another way I can listen to podcasts is by playing a fairly automatic game (Bejeweled is a favorite). But the fact is that podcasts are just not a very efficient or appealing way for me to gather information.

That said, I wish I did like podcasts more, because they can be really amazing! A series that I have particularly enjoyed is called the Naked Scientists, where some charming narrators (with delightful British accents) break down the latest science news by going straight to the source: journal articles and scientists. They talk about the actual data in the papers, and they often interview scientists directly about the work. This is aimed at a perfect level for me - I get the big picture without the horrible reductionism and hyperbole that goes into much of popular science media.

So that's the perspective on podcasts that I brought to this presentation: not the biggest fan of the medium itself, but really impressed by the ways it's been used. And I was immediately impressed as well by the creative ways the presenters chose to make example podcasts that could be used in the classroom. It was even more impressive that they had all just taught themselves the tools and created these polished, professional sounding productions. I can see easily how podcasts could be a really interesting tool in classes like history or English, where spoken narratives can be so powerful.

I do have to stretch a little more to think about how the tool could be used in a science classroom, but I think it's possible. I probably wouldn't go for making podcasts of lectures, just because so much of science (and math, my minor) is visual and needs to be seen while being described. But an application that I think could be potentially quite powerful is having students create their own podcasts. This could be a group project where students are assigned some topic and they need to create a podcast to teach their peers about the topic. This podcast could be played to the class and used to prompt a discussion in which material provided by students is the catalyst. Students love to talk and I think this could be a really cool way to harness that particular teenage impulse. It would also let those who are so inclined to tap into their creative sides and really get into the spirit of making a mock radio show or including sound effects. Given that I have students who are actually Radio/TV majors at Detroit School of the Arts, it would give them a chance to shine and perhaps engage enthusiastically with the material of chemistry. It also takes away the pressures of something like a class presentation; students have the opportunity to think carefully about what they want to say and then re-record if they mess up in some way. From a teacher's perspective, having a record to listen and re-listen to in order to closely and carefully evaluate their thinking could be quite valuable.

So thank you to Rachel, Griffin, Steve, and Mike for an engaging, entertaining presentation. You've given me some real food for thought!