PODCASTS and DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

Podcasts are a very new concept to me. I have heard of them but have never done any further research on them. After reading chapter 8 from Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I began my search to get a better idea of what they are and how they can be used in classrooms. I started with one of his suggestions, the Radio Willow Web at Willowdale Elementary School in Nebraska. Once on the site, I was surprised to find that many teachers from each grade level contribute Podcasts!!! I feel like its usually hard to get all teachers on board with a new technology but teachers at Willowdale are really taking initiative and each contributing to their site. Teachers at Willowdale allow students to host the shows, which all have a different topic based on what the students are learning about. I listed to a podcast about matter, which was created by a fifth grade class. A podcast like this one is a great example of what can be done with students in school to motivate them. I love the idea of connecting the podcasts to the schools webpage and allowing parents and community members stay tuned in to what students are doing in school. Richardson says "podcasting is one of those technologies that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be" (2010, p. 117). I feel that this is important to remember when getting involved with technology, such as podcasts, because the initial thought of having to use them may be overwhelming, especially on top of state curriculum requirements. I believe that the motivation factor that podcasts can bring to student learning would overall have very positive results.  

Podcasts can be used in any grade and can be based on any content area. Richardson gives us many examples of how Podcasts can be used in different subject areas (2010, p. 117):

• Social Studies: Oral histories, interviews, or reenactments
• Science: Narrate labs, dissections, or experiments
• Music: Weekly recitals, special events

Teachers can also use Podcasts to share daily lessons with absent students! The possibilities seem endless!!

I really liked the study done by Figg and McCartney about digital storytelling. I am a hands-on learner and like to express my work in a creative manner, making digital storytelling right up my alley. Not only did their study use a Web 2.0 technology, it also shows how this way of learning positively impacts children. Their study also makes the connection between technology and literacy in a way that children made improvements in their writing and technical skills. In their article, Figg and McCartney state, "Digital storytelling was selected as the activity that would promote the development of writing and language skills while allowing individual expression and creativity...(2010, p. 41). Digital storytelling was used to motivate students, through the use of computer technology, and also to provide students with real-world skills. The model that is provided within the article also "suggests that video creation skills can be taughtin a sequence that supports the writing process" (Figg and McCartney, 2010, p. 42). This pyramid shaped model takes you from a descriptive digital story, which is the first and simplest, to an interactive digital story, which is the most difficult story to create. The process of making digital stories includes many literacy processes, such as taking digital pictures, writing scripts with dialogs, interviewing family members, researching topics, and discussing the process with peers and teachers. Figg and McCartney included a statement from one of the researchers; "They are writing on a daily basis and don't even know it!"  (2010, p. 54). Along with the improvement of student writing skills, this study also shows a greater awareness of future educational opportunities for students.