Podcasting Pointers: Building Student & Staff Engagement and Excitement in Learning

Purpose & objective

Educational or infrastructure challenge/situation:
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to set up professional development for staff and use podcasting in the educational realm. This session will include: using podcasts for professional growth, assigning relevant podcasts to students to align with their curriculum, and guiding students to create their own podcast showcasing their own voice and choice in learning.

Technology intervention:
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to use "Spotify for Podcasters" (https://podcasters.spotify.com/) to easily create and publish a podcast. The program is free for users. For recording podcasts participants will need a tablet or phone.

Models employed:
During this presentation, participants will first see examples of how professional development for podcasting could be implemented using a "I Do, We Do, You Do" approach in which the educators will take back ideas and directly implement in small doses. Then resources will be provided for rich, educational podcasts for both educators and students. Finally, participants will have a hands-on experience in creating a simple podcast using the app, "Spotify for Podcasters."

Lesson plans or instructional activities/strategies employed:
During this session, a slide show will be provided that includes direct links to educational podcasts. Also included will be time to build a unique podcast using the free app, "Spotify for Podcasters." A link to "Common Sense Media" will provide a resource for participants to vet student podcasts based on a specific topic and age appropriateness.

Evidence of success:
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to select educator podcasts to further their professional learning, assign students relevant podcasts as another modality to learning, and be able to create their own podcast with their students. Participants will be given rubrics to use with students to assess their completion and quality of their published podcasts.

Outline

This session will dig into using and creating podcast in education. The sequence of events will be as follows:
1- Overview for Digital Learning Coaches on how to provide professional development in small sessions with follow through for participants. The professional development sessions discussed will be in a "I do, We do, You do" format. A flyer will be shared to advertise the sessions to staff. (5 minutes)
The sessions presented for professional development will then be presented for the remainder as the session as follows:

2-Podcasts for Educators professional growth: Specific podcast will be shared. (10 minutes)

3- Educational Podcasts for Students: Participants will be introduced to vetted podcasts for students and the benefits surrounding oral listening skills. Common Sense Media will be shared and participants will be given the opportunity to use the website and search podcasting topics that would be relevant for their students. "The Walking Classroom" program will be shared and participants will have the opportunity to use the MP3 players to listen to samples. They will also be given a resource that will allow them to apply for a grant to access a free set for their school/district. (15 minutes)

4-Creating Your Own Podcast: Participants will be introduced to "Spotify for Podcasters" app. They will be encouraged to download the free app on a device of their choice and set up an account. Several graphic organizer templates will be shared that will help students plan their very own podcast. A sample pre-created script will be shared allowing the audience to work with a team of others, or alone, to create the podcast. This will allow the participants to have hands-on practice with the features of the app and the ease of use. There will also be rubrics shared for students/participants to use as they use their own voice and choice to create a cohesive podcast to be published and for teachers to access learning. (30 minutes)

Supporting research

There is a wide variety of research that shows the value to both listening to and also creating podcasts in the classroom. Some of the research and/or documentation that supports this is listed below:

In this Education Week article, https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-podcasts-did-for-student-engagement-in-these-schools/2023/07 , we are told about the uptick in engagement and motivation from both students and staff who are listening to or creating podcasts in the classroom.

This article out of Santa Clara University articulates the benefits of using podcasting in the classroom. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=engl_176

If those weren't reasons enough, CommonSense.org gives additional information regarding how podcasts can improve literacy in the classroom. Check out that information as this site: https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/how-podcasts-can-improve-literacy-in-the-classroom .

Podcasts, whether listening to or creating, is a free source of information that has the opportunity to educate us all if we learn to embrace it. This session will share valuable strategies on how to expose your staff and students to podcasts of all kinds while keeping the information relevant and age-appropriate.