Social Networking

Social networking programs are one of the most up and coming technologies being used in schools today. Teachers are beginning to see that the educational benefits of social media far outweigh the risks. By incorporating the tools that students already know how to use, students are staying more engaged and are learning more. Safe social media tools are now available at no cost, which allows teachers to control an online environment while still benefiting from the use of social media. Using social media as a teaching tool not only motivates students to write, but provides a natural collaborative environment which encourages students to critique and comment on each other’s assignments and to work on teams to create content. This aspect of social media allows students to make new connections with other, whether they are shy, unpopular, or just plain unlikable.
Schools and libraries are working to integrate social networking into their classrooms, programs, and services. The use of these technologies provides students with the opportunity to learn how to be safe and smart when participating in online social networks. It also teaches them about a valuable life skill, as many of these technologies are used in colleges and in the workplace. The use of social media gives students meaningful ways to use and improve their reading and writing skills by creating profiles, posting and commenting on blogs, adding or editing content on wikis, and consulting with peers online as a part of research.
Our school has recently purchased a program called Gaggle. Gaggle is a program that allows safe online learning. Its purpose is to facilitate collaboration in and out of the classroom. It allows students and teachers to collaborate on projects and assignments through the use of the Gaggle Office Suite, much like Microsoft Office, and share and store those documents through email, digital file storage, and homework drop boxes. Gaggle also provides an integrated calendar which is updated by each teacher as well as blogs, message boards, and chat rooms. This is the pilot year of the program and we are all still adjusting to the software, but have received great reviews from students and parents about the possibility of this becoming a powerful tool.
The possibilities and uses of social networking in schools and in the classroom are virtually endless. Here are a few that I have found:
•Have students post notes, visuals, formulas, activities, reflections, and comments related to the days lesson on class blog.
•Publish the school newspaper on the blog.
•Create a joint wiki with another class for a unit of study. As students find information on the topic, have them post their findings.
•Use Facebook to connect with students in the school. Provide quick and easy links to the library catalog and other research tools. Include information on programs and services the library offers.
•Have students create a Facebook page for a character from literature that you are studying.
•Follow famous people on Twitter. Have students follow President Obama when studying government.
•Use Skype to bring the field trip to the classroom when it is difficult for students to go to the source.
•Conference with parents. Stay connected through social media to communicate their child’s progress.
•Tweet famous conversations. Have students tweet imagined conversations between famous figures.
•Bring your students together with a social media page.
•Share book reviews. Students can post their book reviews for the instructor to grade and other students to read on a class Facebook page.
•Poll the class. Use polls as an interactive teaching tool in class using the Poll app for Facebook.

What is Social Networking and How Can it Be Used in School Libraries?

Social networking is defined as an online service that focuses on building and maintaining social relations among people who share similar interests. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks. Social networking sites share some conventional features. Most often, individual users are encouraged to create profiles containing various information about themselves. Users can often upload pictures of themselves to their profiles, post blog entries for others to read, search for other users with similar interests, and compile and share lists of contacts. In addition, user profiles often have a section dedicated to comments from friends and other users. To protect user privacy, social networks usually have controls that allow users to choose who can view their profile, contact them, add them to their list of contacts, and so on (Wikipedia, 2011).

Although, networks such as MySpace and Facebook are associated with friendship, we are learning that there are many applications of social networking that can be used in school settings. Social networking sites are giving teachers and school librarians new exciting tools for teaching and reaching students. According to the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, n.d.), “schools and libraries are working to integrate positive uses of social networking into their classrooms, programs, and services. By integrating social networking technologies into educational environments, teens have the opportunity to learn from adults how to be safe and smart when participating in online social networks. They also learn a valuable life skill, as these social networking technologies are tools for communication that are widely used in colleges and in the workplace.” With these new tools also comes a need for guidelines for proper use to ensure safety. Some ideas for guidelines include:

• Use your first name only or a pen name.

• Stay anonymous (i.e., avoid school name, street name, places you hang out).
• Limit your friends list to people you know
• Rather than posting your photograph, create a cartoon avatar of yourself.
• Avoid posting photos that associate your name and face.
• Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your friends, teachers, or parents to read.
• If you feel uncomfortable or threatened, talk to a teacher or parents.
• Treat others and yourself with respect (Lamb, 2007).

As with anything, I want to know the benefits of “new innovations” in the classroom. After a little research, I found an article entitle 100 Inspiring Ways to Use Social Media in the Classroom. Below are a few ways/ideas to try in your K-12 classroom.

• Make literature real. Create a Facebook page for a character literature you are studying.
• Follow famous people. Have students follow someone related to what you are studying, such as following President Obama as his job relates to government, the economy, policies, etc…
• Study Geography. Use a combination of Twitter and Google Earth to help teach geography-based lessons.
• Connect with classrooms. Collaborate with another classroom, no matter where they are in the world, to expand learning opportunities.
• Field Trips. Use Skype to bring the field trip into the classroom when it is difficult or impossible for students to go to the source.
• Conference with parents. Stay connected with parents through social media to communicate their child’s progress (Online Universities, 2010).

Lamb, A. (2007). Intellectual freedom for youth: social

technology and social networks. Retrieved October 26, 2011

from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjourn

als/knowledgequest

Online Universities. (May 2010). 100 inspiring ways to use social media in the classroom. Retrieved October 26, 2011 from http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/05/100-

inspiring-ways-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom/

Wikipedia. (2011). Social networking service. Retrieved October 26,2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking

Young Adult Library Services Association. (n.d.). Teens & social

networking in schools & public libraries: a toolkit for      librarians & library workers. Retrieved October 26, 2011

from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/3621844/Teens-Social-Networking-in-the-School-Public-Library-Social-Networking

    

Webpage

Linda, you included some good background information and some very good tips. I like the idea of the media center's webpage being seen not only as the information center for students, but as an "advertisement agency" for parents as well. I would like to have an active webpage for my students and parents. However, I feel that it would be under utilized. The school culture is not ideal and the main focus is rigorous and direct instruction because of test score scrutiny. But even aside from that, I find that the students are more interested in internet gossip than actual research that would benefit them academically.

Librarians 2012: You shouldn’t judge a Media Center by Its Web Page...

Librarians 2012: You shouldn’t judge a Media Center by Its Web Page...: There are lots of wonderfully innovative things happening in school library media centers all over the country, but you wouldn’t ...

You made a lot of good points about developing and maintaining a LMC website. It is a good idea to peruse other schools sites to get ideas for you own. I have found some interesting ideas doing this for UWG classes. Knowing our website is the main attraction for the media center should motivate the media specialist to keep it attractive and current. There is a lot the media center has to offer and the community needs to know it!

Lucidity: Websites Can Be a Great Opportunity for Media Spec...

Lucidity: Websites Can Be a Great Opportunity for Media Spec...: As media specialists, we must always look for ways that we can …shall we say… market ourselves and our services; websites/blogs offer us exc...

You made some key points about web sites.Web They do offer users the ability to communicate information in an easily accessible manner. Teachers can use them to post assignments for absent students, notes from lessons, links to helpful sites, and maintaining communication. Media centers can use them for collection listings, event planners scheduling, notices, communication and as compendiums of general information and paths to it. It is important to maintain an aesthetically pleasing website with useful information for the stakeholders to use.

Lucky 7: Media Center and the Webpage

Lucky 7: Media Center and the Webpage: by Linda Morris Media changes drastically over short periods of time. Just in the past ten years it has become much more advanced and use...

It is true that the possibilities are endless for a media center webpage. It does provide a collaborative teaching tool for the student learner and educator. Webpages are an important tool for promoting the media center. You were correct in saying maintaining the webpage is an innovative part of public education and use through libraries and the media center.

Media Center and the Webpage

by Linda Morris

Media changes drastically over short periods of time. Just in the past ten years it has become much more advanced and useful for people all around the world. There has been an extreme advance in media technology. This includes the creation of analog-to-digital converters, technology convergence, and the changes in the media industry and audiences. There have been advances in the way gatekeeping and content filters are handled. The rise in the technology of books has even been so great that there has been a decrease in the annual sales by 44 million books. With the ascending spiral of technology the world of media will be a great place for the future.

Analog media has been used originally for audio recording for media that was analogous for the sound that it was creating. Recently analog media has been used to refer to non-digitized media, such as film, audio, and print media. Since technology has advanced and become dependent on computers analog has been translated into digital media so that it is in computer and machine-readable form. It is put into binary digits so that computers may read and comprehend it. This process in which media is translated into computer-readable is called digitization.

Communication of media has been transferring from the traditional analog media to the newer aged digital media. This is much more convenient in this new age because people have learned to depend on their computers to do work. When dealing with audio and video an analog-to-digital converter works at an extremely high rate. Digital media is a great advancement in media technology.

Technological convergence is the coming together of computing, telecommunications, and media in digital environment. It can be used in different types of media, such as print, audio, and video to converge it all into one digital media. Convergence makes mass communication digital for networked media so that it is not a necessity to communicate through words, images, and sound. This is very useful when dealing with multimedia situations when there is more than one type of media. For example, web pages combine several different forms of media together to create a web page with text, video, audio, and several other media forms. Technological convergence has been a very useful factor when dealing with the steady rising of Internet use. Without this it would be much harder to communicate through the Internet because there would be no digital environment for computing. The use of hyperlinks has been a huge advancement in convergence and communication. A hyperlink is an HTML code that is used to link to another webpage or element within a website. Technological convergence has been a main benefactor in making digital media what it is today.

A huge technique used in sending media to massive audiences is known as gatekeeping. This is the way that editors decide what is important in what an audience will see on a webpage. This is often used to sort through massive amounts of media information to carefully select what is important for the audiences to see and what is not. The gatekeepers are people who decide what messages are absolutely necessary for the audiences to read. They put out the messages in the correct content and for the masses to read and understand. In the high school media center, the Media Specialist is this individual. Being the person who disseminates information to both faculty and students is a huge responsibility.

Along with distribution of information, the Media Center webpage has become an advertising agency. Advertisements include upcoming events, schedules for both academics and athletics, and announcements that interest parents. The Media Center webpage has become the center of communication and link for the community, both inside and outside the school. Posting pictures from past events is another popular way the Media Specialist can help advertise and disseminate information.

Through the webpage the Media Specialist is able to influence and enhance instruction. Students learn to become information literate and learn to use Internet tools appropriately with the help of the webpage. Creating summer reading lists and links to help parents stay on top of content assignments and previewing work is yet another way the website can benefit the student learner.

Many school districts have taken the approach of creating the base or foundation for the page so all schools in the district have a similar look and style. As students move from elementary to middle to high school, the webpage changes colors and the information is certainly updated to reach the appropriate school level, but the layout and design may remain the same. This gives parents a familiar comfort zone with the school’s webpage. 

Collaborative teaching is enhanced through the use of webpages, wikis and blogs. The possibilities are endless and exciting for both the student learner and the educator. The Media Center is the heart of learning in the school and the webpage is the extension of that heart into the community. Maintaining the webpage has become an innovative part of public education and use through libraries and media centers.

Franklin, Pat, Stephens, Gatrell. (2011). “Creating Webpages for the 21^st Century Library Media Center.” School Library Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2011 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7729/is_200711/ai_n32243004/.

Trinkle, Catherine. (2011). “Teaching the Use of Informational Text is Information Literacy.” School Library Media Activies Monthly. Retrieved 20 October 2011 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7729/is_200711/ai_n32243007/.

Media Center Web Page by Lisa Meisel

            When creating a web page for the library media center, it is important to keep your goals in the forefront.  The library website is the point of access to electronic resources the library subscribes to or owns, the way to find print resources; and a place to share news, information, policies and other documents (Jurkowski, 2010).  The website can be used as a model of communication for your community.  Some media specialists may use web pages, Wikis, blogs or other formats to create a format for a media center page.  Although, new technology to create media pages is available, a media specialist should choose one that works best in their situation.  Some school districts determine which format should be used.  There are costly programs and free programs.  According to Jurkowski, the tool itself is not what's important, what important is how you use the tool (2010).

            

Some important things to remember when creating your site are:

• Make sure the web site is prominently featured or linked from the school site.
• Convince teachers to link to the media center site from their classroom web pages
• Feature your site URL on all handouts, policy manuals, and other documents.
• Create a template files for teachers to use on their handouts that include the media centers URL.
• Record your URL on your voicemail message suggesting that the caller may find the answer to their question online.
• Create a business card with your URL.
• Create a section on the website that lists important programs to support the curriculum along with their channels.
• To help families and communities, list popular media technologies that are popular such as laptops and camcorders.
• Offer suggestions and reviews of popular vacation destinations.

You want to encourage stakeholders to come to your site often by creating interesting links to sites such as homework help, Destiny and databases.

      You have many options to include when creating your site, but it should include key points such as the school's mailing address, librarian email address and phone number, media center employees, the hours of operation, overdue/lost book policy, reading lists, educational videos and games, showcase new materials and also include the date the website was last updated.  You can also opt to post your schedule and have a sign up sheet for teachers and volunteers. Your page can be used to share your future goals, dreams and current topics such as reading bowl information or author visit.  One feature I would like to implement from a site I visited is a teacher's recommendation and book review.  The kids will be motivated to read a book a teacher has read and recommends!

Since the media center is a central part of the school, the site is an essential component of the media center.  It will be used frequently by parents, students, teachers and administrators.You should integrate images to add color, build animations to express complex concepts, use sound to communicate with emotions, and use video to tell a story (Warlick, 2005).  When developing your site, make it stand out!

References

Jurkowski, O. (2010). Technology and the School Library. The Scarecrow Press, Plymouth, UK.

Warlick, D. (2005). Retrieved October 15, 2011 from http://aasl.metapress.com/content/gk552k173l82j1l0/.

What is a Wiki?

Blake, I agree with your comment about wikis being extremely complicated for non-computer users. I am still learning to navigate some of the newer technological tools. If it wasn't for this course or the last course I took from Dr. Cooper, I would still be in the dark about a lot of the tools available for classroom use. I'm learning a lot although I am easuly frustrated, but I'm excited at the same time about the endless possibilities. 

Lucky 7: What is a Wiki?

Lucky 7: What is a Wiki?: Wiki is a website that allows users to create and edit web page content using any web browser. Wiki is unique in that it allows content to...

You made many good points about Wikis. I too am learning about them through UWG classes, especially this one. There are many good uses for them and word needs to get out. Most of the teachers at my school have never heard of them. Wikis do have many advantages and disadvantages. Some people like using them and others would rather use other tools. Finding the right one for you is the key. But people should give Wikis a try.

What is a Wiki?

Wiki is a website that allows users to create and edit web page content using any web browser. Wiki is unique in that it allows content to be edited by anyone at anytime. The first wiki was created by Ward Cunningham.

There are many advantages in using wikis. Wikis offer teachers the ability to manage a classroom course and its activities. It allows teachers to provide interactive information for their students. Wikis also allows teachers to work collaboratively with their students. Students like the use of wikis because they are actively engaged and are allowed to take control of their own learning. Some other classroom uses for wikis include, but are not limited to:

• Creating a class webpage;
• Collaborating on a project with teacher or pen pal from another school;
• Use in a class discussion to list comments or ideas;
• Post book reviews;
• Collect links to good websites or news articles;
• Post group assignments or writings;
• Create a portfolio of selected work;
• Understand the writing process through the use of brainstorming, revisions, etc..;

The initial thought of using wiki as a collaborative tool is intriguing. However, there are disadvantages as well. The information can be edited by anyone. This can easily cause the wiki to become disorganized. Another disadvantage is that because anyone is allowed to contribute, it leaves the wiki open to vandalism. What may be the biggest disadvantage however is that internet connectivity is required in order to contribute information; leaving those students who do not have access to the internet outside of school without an opportunity to contribute from home.

I personally like the idea of using wikis as a teaching strategy to capture students’ attention. They are easy to use. They serve as collaborative tool. They are interactive and inexpensive. They are technology based and fall in line with what is interesting to students and they go beyond traditional paper and pencil activities. 

What are your thoughts? 

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wikis make me a little sickie by Michelle H.

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wikis make me a little sickie by Michelle H.: When I saw this topic, I was excited to tackle the subject of wikis. The reason why isn’t quite so obvious. As you can tell from the ti...

I had the same feeling about Wikis so your title drew me in. I had such trouble with one over the summer, I am completing my tech tool on Wikis to learn about them. You make a lot of valid points especially about students editing and changing the content. I work in an elementary school so I hadn't thought about that happening. You made me see it from a new perspective. I will have to try out google docs and see if I like using that more.

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wiki Wiki Quickly: by Kim George

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wiki Wiki Quickly: by Kim George: Wiki Wiki Quickly Did you know that “wiki wiki” means quickly in Hawaiian? And staying with the wiki theme, Wikipedia defines a wiki as ...

I like that you gave background on where the word Wiki came from... Who knew! It's amazing they have so many educational uses and I am looking forward to learning how to use them at school. So far, I've only used them for UWG classes. I will try to introduce them to the teachers for the reading bowl. That's a good idea. Your strengths and weaknesses pointed out some key points. I agree as you mentioned as a weakness, they are structured. I haven't figured out how to add the creativity yet. You had good insights about using Wikis.

Wikis

      To be honest, if you asked me a year ago, what a Wiki was, I didn't know.  How many of us in education do?  To prove my point, just today, I asked a general education teacher, if she knew and of course she didn't.  Therefore, I explained what a valuable tool they are.
      The classes at West Georgia have opened my eyes to many internet goldmines I didn't know existed. Unfortunately, using Wikis in my courses has left me feeling disappointed.  I'm usually computer adept, but I felt frustrated managing Wikis.  I was envious of other peoples' designs and it left me wondering why I couldn't figure out how to do more.  Therefore, I am taking on a challenge and am going to complete the tech tip assignment on Wikis as well as complete this blog.  At the end of this course I'm to become a Wiki Wizard!
    Learning how to develop and maintain a Wiki is important for future library media specialists.  There is a wonderful world of Wikis in store for educators. Libraries may use Wikis to promote internal communication, provide a virtual space for group collaboration, or create a dyanmic content for the user population.
     If you, as the LMS want to share the new titles the media center has to offer, you can display snapshots and titles on your Wiki.  You can also showcase students using the LMC too.  Another wonderful feature of Wikis is that others can edit the page.  Therefore, you can ask teachers to upload projects or pictures of their own students using the LMC. A wiki can enable and empower librarians and teachers to create and edit their own content whenever and wherever the need arises. The possibilities are endless!
     Another positive feature of the Wiki is that it is on the internet.  Therefore, it can be accessed from anywhere.  You may decide content should be added from home, another teacher's classroom or even just from another area of the library.  Just locate a computer, and it's done! Hosting and maintaining a Wiki is just one small way you can ensure the library is at the center of the learning community.
     Library Media Specialist are encouraged to collaborate.  This can be accomplished using a Wiki.  The LMS and teachers could work together to create lesson plans, track how the lessons are being implemented in the various classrooms and give suggestions. Teachers can also share school to school and find out how other teachers are doing on a similar unit. Wikis can also aid in research by allowing the LMS to create and manage dynamic content.
     As we are learning this semester, with the numerous opportunities to use our class Wiki, Wikis are a wonderful tool.  I'm looking forward to learning more about them and embracing them.  I will share my knowledge currently, as an Interrelated teacher with fellow teachers that I co-teach with.  When I become a media specialist I will create a Wiki for the media center and welcome the community to the Wonderful World of Wikis.

Courtney, N. (2007). Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies for Tomorrow's User.  Libraries Unlimited, Westport, CT.

Wiki in a K-12 Classroom. Retrieved October 11, 2011 from http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki_in_a_K-12_classroom.

Podcast Purpose

by Linda Morris

The Podcast is a digital video with unlimited capabilities for students and teachers alike. The Media Specialist and the Media Center are the hub of both technology and learning for school. To promote and enhance instruction, the Media Specialist now has Podcast-ability to share with teachers.

Historically . . .
Without the Internet, Podcasting would not be possible. The Internet has been moving at "light speed" since the 1990s. The increased use of technology gives the average user a wealth of information at their fingertips. Developing a Podcast evolved from the use of Blogging. Blogging gives the Internet user the ability to comment and share information at will. Users are able to become "experts" at the click of a mouse and upload of a video.  (Van Orden, 2011).

Very little equipment is required for creating a Podcast. The Media Specialist might use a laptop computer, microphone, and small camera (if the laptop does not have one installed). Most Media Center's are equipped with the basics needed to create a Podcast. Starting off slow and building to a professional or comfortable level is suggested by most experts in the field. Media Specialists should think of these four key areas when creating a Podcast with or for teachers: Plan, Produce, Publish and Promote. (Van Orden, 2008).


Planning is the most important part of the instructional task. Without a masterful plan, the product will not turn out as expected. One key aspect of being a Media Specialist is having the ability to work with teams of teachers to create instructional blogs and/or Podcasts to facilitate instruction in the classroom. Meeting, for example, with the science teachers to discuss a particular domain students find difficult to grasp, gives the Media Specialist a direction in which to go when preparing a Podcast. Working closely with teaching teams, the Media Specialist can have a huge impact on student success and achievement in the classroom.

Another area in which a Media Specialist can have impact with student achievement is working with the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) student. Practicing with a Podcast and having the ability through the use of technology to "repeat" instruction, will most certainly assist these students who know only struggle with the language, but learning because of the language barrier.

As the Center for Learning becomes more involved in classroom instruction through the use of technology, the value of the Media Specialist will increase throughout the educational system of the state and on a national level. Using Podcasts is not only an advantage for the teachers and students, but for the Media Specialist as well.

ESOL/Title III. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_iap_esol.aspx

Van Orden, J. (2008-2011). The history of podcasting. Retrieved from http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/history-of-podcasting.htm

techtalkinthemc: Podcasts

techtalkinthemc: Podcasts: I am relatively new to podcasting, but intrigued by how easy they are to create and the endless possibilities. Last year, I began bringing m...

You found such a neat way to inspire the kids to create podcasts. Seeing other kids halfway around the world and how they live can create such intrigue. Your students probably embraced the opportunity to start filming themselves. I like the ebook you created. I can imagine the adorable faces they made. I am also going to start implementing podcasts into my classes. It will entice the students to publish their assignments.

Peace, Love, Read: Thanks, Molly!

Peace, Love, Read: Thanks, Molly!: Thank you for setting up our group blog!

In keeping current with technology, it is time to bring podcasting to media centers and classrooms. Students will enjoy it, become adept and producing and it will create more student involvement and interest. Podcasts can be used for things such as readers theater or to summarize a project or presentation. Once a teacher gets over the initial fear of using them, the possibilities are endless. I am talking from experience. I was very fearful of creating our podcast for class, but found out it wasn't hard to do after all. Now, I hope to do more in the future. Podcasts will motivate your students to want to publish their projects. They will look forward to sharing them with family and friends!

Lucky 7: Podcasting

Lucky 7: Podcasting: In case you haven’t noticed, there have been just a couple of changes happening with technology in the past 5 years. Any of these words soun...

It is true, a few years ago, Podcasts were unheard of. I remember hearing of them only when I was using ITunes. I did not know what they were, or that in a few years I would have to create one of my own for this class. I was dreading the assignment and even shared my dread with whoever would listen. I waited for the last minute to record my podcast only to find out, it wasn't that hard after all and I worried for nothing. Typical me... I would definitely teach my students how to record podcasts. They would love it! As teachers, we do need to keep up with the technological times. This would be the perfect way to do it!

Podcast

Linda-  You illustrated and described each step very clearly.  I would be able to follow these steps to create a podcast.

Podcasting

In case you haven’t noticed, there have been just a couple of changes happening with technology in the past 5 years. Any of these words sound familiar: blog, wiki, social networking, RSS feed, podcasting? I feel like I am living on a strange planet. When did all of these things happen? What does it all mean? I have to integrate this into my classroom? NOW? I was working on my undergraduate degree just 4 years ago and not once was one of these things mentioned! I think I have must have missed this lesson in the graduation/wedding/first job/baby madness. Slowly and painfully, I have reemerged myself into the 21st century world of education. And you know what? It’s really not so bad. In fact, it’s pretty great.
One of these new, fantastic technologies is called podcasting. The word podcast is a combination of the words “iPod” and “broadcast”. In its simplest terms, a podcast is an audio file that you record on the computer and later share with others. I tell my kids it’s like a creating a radio show and sharing it with anyone you want. It’s one of the simplest technologies to have emerged and is one of the most useful when it comes to education. Students are excited to use the technology and don’t realize that as they are creating their podcasts, they are learning! They are learning ways to research, write, develop new vocabulary, speak effectively, manage time, and grab their listeners’ attention. What a great tool! Podcasts can also be used to differentiate learning for auditory learners, appealing especially to students who need remediation or extended support.
Podcasting is inexpensive and easy. A headset with microphone plugs into the computer and using free or inexpensive software you can record and layer tracks with music and sound effects. The finished product can be uploaded to web spaces, blogs, burned to CD’s, emailed to parents and friends, downloaded to an mp3 player, or fed into iTunes.
Podcasts are valuable to school libraries because it gives them the capability to retrieve and send out information. Media specialists can subscribe to feeds to support curricular needs or get news for current research. They can support teachers by creating their own podcasts, developing student interest, and then helping teachers to create their own podcasts. They can be used for professional development or to create tutorials for teachers. Podcasts can be used to promote the library by telling about reading and book promotions as well as library news. Student podcasts could include interviews, dramatization of students’ writing, readings of book passages, or sharing of school news. How exciting to be able to broadcast your learning for all the world to hear!
If you’ve never tried podcasting before, start small with an easy project. You will be amazed at the ideas that will surface and will be absolutely blown away by the quality of the student work. I hope that you will soon be as sold out to podcasting as I am now.