If orange is the new black, podcasting is the new oral report. And now that teachers have easy access to tools like Garage Band and iPods that make recording a breeze, podcasting is quickly becoming the latest creative mode of learning and presenting in schools. Here are 10 ideas to try in your classroom today.
- Current Events Newscasts: Practice nonfiction reading skills by having your students do weekly or monthly podcasts on an interesting current event.
- Reading Radio: Have your students make short radio broadcasts summarizing the books they are reading.
- Roving Reporters: Send your students out into the “field” (a.k.a. the school) to interview key players in important school events.
- Celebrate Culture: Have your students record podcasts about important cultural months like Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month and then present them to the school or parents to commemorate the events.
- Bring Your Teacher Home: Send a little bit of yourself home with your kids by podcasting important parts of your lessons.
- Podcasting Library: Have your students collaborate to create a library of podcasts from which future students can learn.
- MusicCasts: Have band or orchestra students create podcasts for each instrument, detailing specific notes, sounds and characteristics of each instrument.
- Awesome Audio Tours: Give your students the chance to be tour guides for new students at your school by having them podcast school tours that kids can listen to when they enter.
- Podcasting Pen Pals: Record interactive or encouraging podcasts and then send them to another classroom in another state or country.
- Reenactments: Have your students reenact important events in history using period language and vocabulary.
Question for you: Do you use podcasts in the classroom? How?
