Podcasts

I have been subscribing to a podcast for years through itunes. I have been listening to a radio show that I love from Philadelphia. It is one of the things I miss from my hometown, and now thanks to pocasting, I can listen to the show every day.

I had never really thought about using podcasts in the classroom, but now that I have started to think about it, I think it could be a really great tool to implement into the curriculum. It can be used in all subjects and for many different reasons. I like the idea of the students reciting their own poetry via podcast. The students could also create tutorials for math procedures, explain science concepts, or give out book recommendations.

It would be truly great if on the school website or on the classroom wiki, you could download the podcasts for parents to hear at home. They would be able to hear what their children are learning.

I was wondering if this was something that teachers use if they know that they will be out for a day. Do teachers leave instructions for their class via podcast that the substitute teacher could play?

What are your thoughts on using podcasts in the classroom?

Using Video with Kiddies

So I am about to start my second practicum unit, which involves the end result being a video documentary on different animal adaptations. I love the idea, but am very nervous about it. I have some, shall we say, "rambunctious" children in my class, and I am worried about the quality that I am going to get. I think I am going to ask some parent volunteers to come in and help film, but does anyone have any suggestions on managing 25 4th graders creating a video documentary?

More Wiki Thoughts

I was thinking about what else I could use wikis for in the classroom. I think someone said this before, either in class or another blog, but I like the idea of using a wiki as a book discussion spot. Either myself or the students could add discussion questions, thoughts, predictions, etc. Students could answer questions, debate, and just talk about the book they are reading. Of course, there would need to be some serious modeling involved! I wouldn't just let them loose with this.

I'm also trying to think of ways to incorporate wikis in science besides a discussion. Anyone have any ideas on how a 4th grade science curriculum could be enhanced by a wiki?

Wiki Wiki Wiki

I like the idea of wikis for the classroom. I have a little experience with wikis. I am a member of a book club that meets for dinner and book chat once a month. We maintain a wiki through WetPaint about our book club. The wiki contains information about our next meeting, recommendations for future reads, a list of past reads, a polls section to rate the books we read, and everyone can post discussion questions and RSVP to the meetings. I love using the wiki because all of the information is in one place.

I think it would be a great way to edit writing in a classroom. I was thinking about the struggle the fourth graders are having this year with writing. They are struggling with adding detail, staying organized, and just basic editing (spelling, punctuation, etc). It would be great to put an essay on a wiki and have the students edit to make it better. They are always willing to tear apart someone else's work and point out mistakes, so why not let them have the opportunity?

I would love to hear more ideas! Anyone have any for using wikis in the classroom?

Searching for Ideas

So I was perusing the Internet for some ideas for blogging with elementary school children. I haven't come across too much yet. I did find one site that listed a bunch of blogs by elementary school students, but it seemed like they were more like online journals. I didn't check them all out yet, so maybe there will be something. Here is the link....
http://neccposter2007.googlepages.com/linkstoclassblogsandstudentblogsattheele

The students from this site seem to enjoy the blogging. I haven't found too much with elementary blogs. I wonder if no one thinks to use them, thinks that it is too difficult, or just doesn't know enough about them. If anyone finds any blogs that show more than elementary school children just journaling, please let me know!

My First Blog

I have never used a blog before. I have also never really read any blogs. Yes, I have read some just in passing, but I don't read any daily, weekly, or even monthly. But after reading the first few chapters in Will Richardson's book, I must say that I am intrigued about the place of blogs in education. I think that it is a very interesting idea, and I would like to learn and explore more about how they are used in the classroom. Richardson gave some ideas in his book, but I would love to see some current blogs that are being used in classrooms, especially elementary schools. I would love to find a blog where young children are blogging away, even if it is not school related. I think that it would be interesting to see what they have to say and how they write in a totally different format. Has anyone seen any blogs like this? Are there any blogs that you frequently go to just for your own enjoyment?