PODCASTING IN THE CLASSROOM

Lesson Plan:

Learning Goals:
• Improve literacy skills: Improve overall levels of reading proficiency, reading comprehension, class discussions, and reading-writing connections.
• Develop and improve collaborations skills through work in small groups.
• Utilize current technology, including Ipads, Tablets, or other electronic devices to create a podcast.

Student Objectives: Students will be able to:
• Implement digital literacy practices to improve reading and writing skills.
• Collaborate in the production of podcasts with students through teamwork and sharing.
• Create their own podcast by demonstrating creative thinking, constructing knowledge, and develop innovative products using technology.

Materials:
• Software for recording podcast (free from http://audacity.sourceforge.net)
• One (1) Ipads/tablets with video and word-processing capabilities per team. Three (3) teams per class.
• One (1) Green Screen to be used as background to create interactive podcasts.

Lesson Activities:
After reading novels in Language Arts, students will create their own podcasts consisting of short questions, discussions, and presentations. Students will apply digital tools to gather and evaluate material.

Novels to be covered:
The Time Machine
The Boy on the Wooden Box
The Crossing
If You’re Reading This
To Kill a Mockingbird

1. Assess students’ prior knowledge of podcasting.
2. Show students an example of podcasting.
3. Distribute podcast Rubric Evaluation
4. Students will evaluate sampled podcasts as prep for evaluating their own podcasts.
5. Handout Steps to Creating a Podcast to students.
6. Discuss and facilitate podcast script writing with students. Students will write their scripts prior to starting the podcasting process. This is the foundation of the podcast creation and reinforces critical thinking.
7. Walk students through creating a podcast:
• Step 1: Review all elements of the Podcasting
• Step 2: Record a narration using students’ scripts
• Step 3: Add music or sound effects using Audacity or other podcast tool.
• Step 4: Add images.
• Step 5: Publish.
8. Students will showcase their created podcasts with the class.
9. Students will evaluate each team’s podcast using the Podcast Rubric.

Podcast Assessment Tool:
Formative: Observe and facilitate student learning.
Summative: Quantitative – Rubric based
Qualitative – Discussion and reflection.