Blog post for November 6th

The Teacher's Podcast
http://www.teacherspodcast.com/
I found this podcast while searching for teacher wisdom. Or, I suppose I was just trying to find podcasts that included relevant information, were accessible, and enjoyable to listen to. This podcast included the first two, but I can't go as far as to say I enjoyed listening to it. There was a good conversation about technological resources in the classroom, but it seemed very scripted and very dry. What was meant to be a conversation did not keep me drawn into the topic; I found myself zoning out often. There were no "extras" to this podcast - music, sound effects, banter. Clearly well planned out from the rhetoric side, but not real engaging from a listeners point of view.

The Wicked Good Podcast #78
http://cdn1.libsyn.com/wickedgood/WGP_2008-02-20.mp3
With this podcast, I may have found my new favorite procrastination excuse at work. They had it all in this podcast - music, sound effects, banter (ok, clearly this may not be "all" in everyone's world but, let's face it, I am pretty easy to please). The commentators had a great repetoire of one-liners and interacted with one another casually and comfortably. Topics ranged from eBay to Baby Gap, taking multiple perspectives on issues and making them accessible to listeners. I will definitely be checking out this podcast again!

The Memphis Edge
http://www.commercialappeal-web.com/theedgepodcast/audio/edge-2007-04-10-63318.mp3
If I were from Memphis, maybe this podcast would have been more interesting. Dry, scripted, and, at times, inaudible, this podcast will not be will soon be forgotten. The main announcer was conducting an interview with someone who sounded as though he was on the phone, calling in. Almost impossible to understand, I quickly found myself frustrated with the quality of the podcast and tuned out almost as quickly as I tuned in. Not recommended...unless you are a diehard Memphis fan with no standards for information quality.


Podcasting is a phenomenal tool to use in the classroom. The multiple literacy elements that are involved in creating the podcast are challenging, interdisciplinary, and engaging for students who are creating them. One way I have used podcasts is with my two journalism groups. In the beginning, both journalism groups wanted their big project to be creating a final printed newspaper. Instead, I have convinced one group to use blogs and podcasts to create an interactive and multimodal news and information page that can be accessed at any time. The students have started by writing articles for the blog and then creating scripts and/or interviews related to their articles and recording podcasts to post for enhancing their articles. Additionally, with Garage Band they are able to add digital images to their podcasts to enhance the experience of the listener. This has been a powerful method for engaging students in a variety of literacies while using research methods to produce a very unique project.