Podcast

Podcasts give students an entirely new set of resources outside of the classroom, and I love that. When a student is not in class, they still are able to find the information that they need and get instruction when a teacher is not readily available. English poses a whole new realm of ways to use podcasts. Where other subject can use them to explain different concepts, English can do that and also create a new method for students to reiterate the literature material that they are learning. In my project I used several podcasts which incorporate listening to poems and short stories by different authors. These allow students to hear the stories and poems and understand how the author's words can come to life.

I would use podcasts in my classroom to demonstrate new English concepts as well as reiterating material. However, there is a new challenge that is brought up by podcasts. Teachers may have a student who is deaf, and therefore they are not able to hear the podcasts or the audio for the videos. Therefore it is important to make sure that they feel as though they are included. I included one video where a woman is explaining English concepts through American Sign Language. This would help the student understand the same concepts as the other students in the class were getting through regular audio podcasts. It is important to think of all possible situations when coming up with new ideas for the classroom.