Blog Post #4

Flat Stanley Podcast
The first podcast I listened to was about a first grade class that had just read the book "Flat Stanley". Each student shipped of their own Flat Stanley to family members all over the world. The teacher and her students saw what a success that was, and wanted to make their own "Flat Stanley" podcast. The students researched to what part of the world that they would like to travel, if they were flattened. The podcast consisted of the students telling about their adventures while being flat. These kids had the cutest stories of their "flat" adventures. Each child did a great job explaining scenery, sounds, and feelings of where they were shipped. I kept finding myself smiling while listening to each story. This is such a cute activity! It is something I want to try once I have students of my own. I have never read the book Flat Stanley, but after listening to this podcast I definitely will.

Podcasting With First Grade
I found it intriguing how excited the first graders were to make their own podcast after listening to the second grade podcast. Langwitches made a great point when she said "Believe it or not, having an audience matters....even to 6 yr. olds". This is very true. The first graders were eager to make a podcast in hopes of getting a lot of views and responses. These kids were so excited to learn and do something new. I loved that each student was featured and students were coming "out of their shells". When children are young, I think it is great to introduce new forms of interaction and technology. They were having so much fun creating a podcast, and not even realizing they were being taught in the process.

Podcast Collection
This link was so beneficial! I think that many people my age were deprived of technology. I am 21 and have never created a podcast. To be honest, I did not even know what a podcast was before this activity! Students now have so many opportunities. In the first part of my post I talked about a first grade class creating a podcast. Interaction in the classroom is definitely growing, and podcasts are a large part of that. As a future educator it is important for me to be knowledgable about more ways to interact, including knowing how to podcast. I will definitely keep in mind the "Tips to Succeed" that were mentioned. I will give a background of podcasting and what is included in podcasts. Making things relevant is very important. Creating podcasts on your own version of a book just read is great for students. It gives the ideas and gets them excited to create their own story. I feel working as a class, step by step will help the podcast succeed, especially when it is just being introduced. Also, having an audience is powerful! It gets the students excited to have people care about what they have worked so hard on, and encourages them to do more. Each link I explored will help me become a better teacher one day.