Podcasts in the Classroom

Online learning has become popular because of its potential for providing more flexible access to content, as well as providing instruction at any time from any place. As a teacher I would find podcast to be quite a useful tool. By increasing the learning availability, it will allow for me to connect with more students instead of just relying on face-to-face time with them. I really liked the ideas presented in class about using them as speakers corner, or as radio plays, time capsules would be a really cool thing to do with a class as well.

I came across a blog on podcasts that offered a lot of info on how useful podcasts can be in the classroom. It had examples for math, science, English and music teachers.

For example, “Some math teachers are using podcasting to demonstrate how to solve problems step-by-step using their students ideas and creativity. They then post the podcasts on the web and students could use them as an online tutor any time they need one”. Here is an example of a math podcast: Math Mutation Podcast

In a typical school system students receive the lecture content in class and then are given homework to practice at home with. Problems arise when the students have no one at home to help them out. This is when podcasts come in handy. They deliver content to students at their convenience. It is also helpful for helping students catch up on missed classes.

Podcasting is a great way for students to get extra practice too, but there is a downside to them as well. If students become too reliant on podcasts, they could place less and less value on the face-to-face time with their teachers, which could impact the effectiveness of the teaching strategy, which is why I would really stress the role of the podcast as a supplement to the classroom material.

From personal experience with podcasts; online classes, and personal development sessions with work at lululemon, I find them to be on par to that of face-to-face instruction. Obviously, they will never replace the value of a teacher in the classroom, but I do think they are a great follow up post lecture. It gives the students the opportunity to access parts of the lecture they may not have understood or had a chance to scribble down the notes on. As far as how I would incorporate them into my classroom I am undecided mainly because, I am very challenged when it comes to technology, but I am sure there is a podcast on how to make a podcast J.

The IRPs' Impact on a Beginner Teacher

The IRP and Me

As a beginner teacher when reading the English Integrated Resource Package (IRP), my thoughts shifted from viewing it as a hindrance to actually finding it quite helpful. It provides an overview of the key elements, and acts as a quick reference tool for curriculum information and resources. The best part is the opportunity new teachers have to use their own professional autonomy to meet the Prescribed Learning Outcomes (PLO’S).

When I first began reading the IRP for Language Arts I was overwhelmed by all the information. I found it to be very broad, and could be taught in multiple ways. After going over the readings, and the class discussions on finding that “hook” to get students engaged I was quite excited to be given this independence. It will allow me to create a classroom that I am excited about, and as long as the expectations set out by the IRP are met, I would feel successful in teaching the curriculum.

Another reason I find the IRP to be beneficial has to do with the age group of students I would be teaching. Adolescence is a hard time for both students and teachers, and many challenges are brought into the classroom at that age. Nancy Atwell, author of In The Middle, brought up many crucial points when teaching the middle years students, one being the shift from “skill and drill based curriculum's to responsive teaching”, (Atwell, 1998). It touches on what I find to be the most relevant approaches to teaching in middle years. She states three principals that will make the most of middle years learning. One in particular being “that teachers accept the reality that middle school students are volatile and social.” She continues to say that teaching can take advantage of this by finding “meaningful ways to channel their energies and social needs instead of trying to legislate against them”, (Atwell, 1998).

I find this strongly relates to the section of the IRP called “Considerations for Program Delivery,” specifically the part on making meaning through the integration of  “writing and representing, speaking and listening, reading and viewing”, (IRP, 2006). A student can use their strength in one area to “facilitate and support learning” in the others. For example in fostering development teachers structure opportunities for students to talk about their reading, writing, and thinking, and involve them in challenging, open- ended tasks through which they create and demonstrate understanding. This is exactly what I would coin as “responsive teaching”, (Atwell, 1998), and what a middle years English Language Arts classroom should consist of.

            At first my impression of the IRP was that it was broad and overwhelming. The introduction where I was told that the “development of the IRP has been guided by the principles of learning, but It didn’t really say how these were taught. Further into the IRP I began to draw links to the teaching approaches we have been learning in class and the readings from Atwells’ text, and actually began to find it quite informative. It was a framework on what to do, what to look for and what to keep in mind when developing my lessons. The IRP doesn’t say exactly what to do, but as a new teacher it would definitely point me in the right direction. It allows me to be open minded with lessons, while keeping me on track.

References:

Atwell, N. (1998). in the middle : New understandings about writing, reading, and learning. second edition. Portmouth, NH: Heinmann.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2006). English Language arts K to 7: Integrated Resource Package. Victoria, BC.

URL: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/irp ela.htm