Podcasting

This week I looked at some podcasts. Though I must admit I don't care for podcasting, as I prefer the written word over the spoken or projected word, I did learn a lot from this experience. Podcasts are great for use in the classroom. There are many diverse subjects and great ideas, most for free, that will probably appeal to some students who love auditory learning.

I looked at a podcast put on by the National Public Radio. It was created for the purpose of education and it talks about a high school that implements a great idea. They teach students digital literacy by using the super bowl ads and breaking them down to discuss advertising and effectiveness. As we're a world of consumerism, the media knows how to work different ideas into advertising to get the message across a wide variety of platforms. Some people don't even know the Superbowl for the actual game; they only know it by the commercials and the food. Advertising is so big in our culture that everyone gets messages they didn't even know they're getting. By helping students see the advertising behind the Superbowl, we can help them become better consumers in the real world.

If I were to use podcasts in a classroom or library setting, I might consider finding some about popular book authors. It would be preferable to keep them under 30 min, but I did find some great podcasts that were an hour or longer. You can listen to them in the car, in your house, while you shower, or even when you're just bored. With so many awesome and diverse topics, it's possible to find one that suits any student's need.