Podcasts - are they a sound project-based learning tool?

I've just read Tim Holt's discussion on podcasting and as I'm in the midst of investigating web 2.0 tools for my ARP, I'm very interested in the variety of opinions surrounding the tools. My main focus is teaching my high school classes with a sideline of tech integration. My question is mainly this... Is podcasting a tool for increasing high school students' engagement? With my limited insight so far, I could see it as another form of "summarizing" and a way to utilize project-based learning strategies. Am I misguided in this? Thanks for any feedback on this.

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Permalink Reply by Sylvia Martinez on April 17, 2008 at 8:29pm

I think audio production goes well beyond summarizing. It's akin to the writing process, but allows students to use skills other than writing. If you do the whole process, you start with a script, edit the script, practice it, record it, edit the audio, and then you can add a lot or a little of sound effects, mood enhancement, tension and drama, and then sharing with others.

I think each step offers opportunities for reflection and for students to become engaged in different ways. For example, some students might spend more time on sound effects. For the teacher, I think the challenge there is to support academic interests with probing questions about any stage that a student shows interest in. It might not be the whole process. In the sound effects case, the student can be thinking about how sound is tied to emotion and mood. How can you manipulate these things to create different impacts on your audience?

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Permalink Reply by Birgit Bonham on April 18, 2008 at 9:58am

Do you know of any resources I could share with teachers interested in this process?

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Permalink Reply by nlowell on April 18, 2008 at 12:07pm

Send them to http://community.podiobooks.com or http://ipodeducators.ning.com

The first is a community of people who are engaged in producing podcast versions of audiobooks.

The second is a community of educators interested in using portable media for education.