There are probably two factors influencing my thoughts on this topic. First, I love NPR and books on tape. I enjoy long road trips as much for the opportunity to indulge in listening to hours of NPR (as available) and long, preferably unabridged, novels as for the destination. Second, the listening skills – or lack thereof – of students is a hot topic of conversation at my school. Teachers are finding it increasingly difficult to help students “hear” what they are saying. So while I certainly appreciate the merits of what the readings refer to as enhanced podcasts (images added) and vodcasts (video added), I’m most interested in how we might be able to use the traditional audio-only podcast to engage and teach students.
We know that many young people today have difficulty processing information that is only presented orally. To assist these students, and to appeal to all learning styles, teachers often incorporate multiple modes of delivery in their lessons. They support the information they are presenting orally with written and visual input in the form of handouts, notes on whiteboards or smart boards, power point presentations, video clips, etc. And while I largely agree with this approach, I think there is a definite place for audio alone, because all too often, students are still not “hearing,” even with all of this input. So maybe the solution is to occasionally minimize the input and help students learn to focus on the spoken word alone. This was brought home to me while working on this assignment. When I first started looking at the podcasts at Radio Willoweb, I keep looking at the screen and waiting for the images to appear. I knew they were podcasts, but I still expected images – and not just a kaleidoscope of colors – when the screen opened up and the audio began. It wasn’t until I accepted the fact that these were audio only (and I checked a few before doing so), and I stopped looking at the screen and just started listening to the voices that I really “heard” the students speaking. I heard their youthful accents, their spoken hesitancies, their building confidence – and their stories.
I think too often we become so accustomed to visual reinforcement that we rely on images to inform, to complete the picture as it were. As a result, we may miss the nuances of verbal communication.
Having students listen to podcasts might be one way to help them develop their listening skills, but having them create their own podcasts is an even better approach because it extends the learning process to encompass a wide range of skills, not just those of listening. According to Esther Kreider Eash (2006), “While creating podcasts, students learn to research, write, develop vocabulary, speak effectively, manage time, solve problems, and grab attention.” Wow. As a former English teacher, I can go for that. And I would add that working with written/spoken language without the aid of images or body language forces writers to be much more precise in their use of language. They also learn the importance of tone, inflection and pacing in oral communication and how to incorporate these factors in writing. I also think audio-only podcasting can have an impact on stimulating the imagination of the listener in a way vodcasts cannot. We’ve all had the experience of seeing a movie version of a book we have already read and saying to ourselves, “That’s not how I pictured that character.” Podcasts leave the picturing to the listener, and while, hopefully, the writer(s) and speaker(s) will have included enough detail to capture the “image” they are attempting to convey, descriptions based on words alone are subject to more individual interpretation than words accompanied by images. Audio-only podcasts – something to think about.
Now to close, a few random notes from my readings:
Fun Fact #1: “The New Oxford American Dictionary chose ‘podcast’ as its 2005 Word of the Year over ‘persistent vegetative state,’ ‘bird flu,’ ‘Sudoku,’ ‘rootkit,’ and ‘lifehack’ ” (as cited in Esch, 2006).
Fun Fact #2: A Google search of “podcast” done in September 2004 netted only 24 results (Eash, 2006). My Google search in October 2011 resulted in “about 314,000,000” results in 0.12 seconds.
Rubric Resource: If you plan on having students create podcasts and are looking for a rubric, the two listed on Dr. Bennett’s Resource Handout (the one included in Dr. C’s assignment) are both good. The first one is suitable for lower grades, the second for upper grades.
Reference
Eash, E. K. (2006). Podcasting 101 for K-12 librarians. Information Today, 26(4). Retrieved from http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/apr06/Eash.shtml
Reply to Liz Manguno
ReplyDeleteGroup 5
While reading this post, my inner voice was shouting, “Yes, yes, yes!” In an attempt to accommodate learning styles, cajole reluctant learners, and entertain the “bored” kids, we bombard students with images, colors, videos, and sound. Instead of learning and understanding (or as Liz put it, “hearing,”) students are either tuning out the cacophony and strobe-like visuals or relying on them too heavily. They don’t need to imagine anything; we give it to them on a silver platter. The idea of using only the simple audio podcast is—oddly—somewhat revolutionary, considering an often “information overload” approach to teaching. Occasionally, students should be able to relax, imagine, listen, “hear,” and inject themselves into a learning experience that becomes something personal to them.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI learned so much from reading your post. I am a bit late to the world of podcasting and have yet to incorporate it in my classroom. I do however download "books on tape" from my local library and listen to them on my iPod. I know I'm showing my age by still calling them "books on tape" but that's what they'll always be to me. I can totally relate to you when you write about listening to books on a long road trip. I also like to listen to sermons on the way to work and this is a great way to accomplish this task. While I like the idea of audio only podcast for leisure task, I don't agree that they should be used more in schools. I once read somewhere that the more senses we incorporate in a task the more we learn or retain information. So, I love the idea of using sound as well as visual aids to help our students process and retain information. I didn't realize how much I rely on visual aids until I started in this program. One professor had us listen to audio only podcast and then respond to the podcast. OMGoodness, I couldn't concentrate. I needed something to look at. My mind keep wondering and I had to rewind the podcast several times to gain a full understanding of the content presented. In conclusion, I think as educators we need to offer our students more choices in deciding how best they learn and acquire information. Some students may learn better with only audio while some students may need audio and visual aids. In the end, it's really all about helping our students succeed in the global market and be productive citizen of the Earth.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI, too, say books on tape all the time. So glad I'm not the only one "showing my age."
Liz,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog it was well written and interesting. I too like NPR and I love to listen to the segment “Fresh Air”.
I agree that students can improve several skills like vocabulary, writing, time management, tone, pitch and other skills as you mentioned by simply creating an audio cast. In today’s fasted paced, technology driven world filled with YouTube, TV, computers and iPods with screens to watch videos we don’t REALLY listen anymore, we just watch the world around us. Using podcasting is a great idea for students in the classroom or in the media center.
I thought the fun facts were great! Podcasting has come a long way since those 24 hits in 2006. ☺
Thanks for sharing your thoughts,
Heidi
Response to Group 5 Podcasting- Liz Manguno
ReplyDeleteThe author offered a different view/perspective on the utilization of podcasts-to help students develop their listening skills. Before, reading this blog, I admit, my viewpoint was one dimensional. I only thought of podcasts from the “entertainment” stand point and didn’t think about separating the visual from the verbal. The author pointed out that podcasts can actually be used to build students’ listening skills. The advantage of using podcasts is that with young students, they are exposed to sounds, patterns, and word order. The intermediate learner will be exposed to a variety of voices and authentic texts. The advanced learner will take it a step further and will be expected to learn from listening. During a listening activity, podcasts are most beneficial if they are relevant, authentic in language and context, and transferable to real life. The author finally pointed out that through the use of these types of podcasts, students “learn the importance of tone, inflection and pacing in oral communication and how to incorporate these factors in writing.”