February 2008 — News
Print this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
Podcasting Basics: Simple Steps for Introducing Podcasting into Your K-8 Class, Part 1
Although the $20 model Pearl prefers--the iRiver iFP-890--is no longer for sale, he says to look for an alternative with these features:
- A line-out plug that lets you attach an external microphone, if you have one;
- A built-in mic for those times you don't have an external mic;
- The ability to record audio;
- The ability to record directly into the MP3 format;
- Compatibility with the type of computer you're working with, Mac or PC.
Make sure the model you choose has a sturdy build to withstand the rigors of student use. Yes, they'll get dropped, said Pearl, but that doesn't mean they should break.
Choose a First Assignment
For his initial podcasting project, Pearl chose to do a class radio show. The first round consisted of the students writing and recording a paragraph about themselves. Each student had to come up to the mic to read his or her text, which, said Pearl, "creates this sort of cognitive dissonance in the kid. 'Speaking into a microphone? Are other kids going to hear me?'"
The teacher's job at this point, he said, is to calm them down and work individually with each student to gain confidence in speaking in front of a group and into a microphone. "Remind them that everyone is going to do it, so, therefore, everyone is going to hear everyone else."
If the group concept is too overwhelming, Pearl suggested doing the first round of recording in a more private setting, off to the side of the class.
The second round involved doing teacher interviews as additional segments for the show. As Pearl explained, "Somebody took a personal recorder, interviewed their teacher, asked them several questions, then brought that back to me."
Younger students will work from scripts they've created rather than go out into the "field" for audio material. Since many of Pearl's students are English-as-a-second-language speakers, he considered this work a major undertaking. "They have to write something up correctly, so you've got the whole grammar aspect," he said. "Then they have to practice reading, and they're very self conscious, so they had to read and rehearse."
In fact, he believes that the English language learning was ultimately the content for the class because the kids had to write, read, edit and work on their pronunciation skills.
Pearl would pair the students up so they could read to each other and practice their scripts. Some took the scripts home to practice in front of parents.
When he saw the effort being put out by the students, Pearl knew he was onto something. "This whole energy was created, all because we were doing a podcast and it was going to be published up on the Internet for the world to hear… The excitement around it is phenomenal."
Get School and/or District Permission
That last point--having an audience--is critical, Pearl believes. "If you know that your friends are going to hear something or your parents or whoever the audience is, I think you're going to put more passion into it and it's going to be better," he said.
