We Podcasted Today! So, Did you Learn ANYTHING?
Second graders at my school are studying animals in their science unit. They learned about the different characteristics of mammals, reptiles and birds.
If their parents ask them tonight at the dinner table if they learned anything today, the students probably will tell them that they recorded a podcast today!
Will the parents know that they practiced:
- Collaboration skills : working in groups on different segments of the podcast, tying in and back to a story that was developed by the entire class.
- Writing skills: creative & descriptive writing, sequencing, editing and revising scripts
- Speaking skills: speaking slowly, fluently, clearly and with expression in their voices
- Presentations skills: being able to express themselves orally
- Communication skills: being able to convey and teach information to others (not only in their physical location and presence, but also in virtual time and from places around the world.
- Oral fluency: increase awareness of their voice, speed and its rhythm.
- Auditory skills: practice listening skills, address auditory learning styles
- (Digital) storytelling skills: being able to weave information and facts preciously learned into a creative story, form a “relationship” with the content presented, entertain others through creative narrative.
- Media literacy: different types of podcasts (narrative, informational, storytelling, conversational, collaborative, interview style, etc), understanding different components of a podcast episode, being able to express themselves in different media.
- Information literacy: integrating, expressing and transmitting information in a variety of media.
- Technology skills: exposure to sound editing software, such as Garageband
Their teacher and I had planned to produce a podcast episode integrating the learning of that science unit. As a class, they brainstormed and decided on a storyline for their podcast. Then they were divided into 4 groups:
- Narrators
- Mammals
- Reptiles
- Birds.
We listened to several podcast examples, I created in previous years with other elementary school students.
Each group worked together to write a script that would collaboratively make up the class’ podcast episode.
They were allowed to be as creative as they wanted to be within the parameters set by their teachers and the storyline the class had decided on:
- Each segment could not be longer than 3 minutes long
- Each group (except narrators) decided on a particular animal within their animal group
- They had to integrate the characteristics of the animal by taking on the role of that animal
- Their script had to includ:
- characteristics of themselves
- as many vocabulary and descriptive words as possible
After they wrote and rehearsed their script we started recording. Paying special attention to:
- Is there interest and enthusiasm in their voices?
- Is there learning in their voices?
- Is there pride in what they are accomplishing in their voices?
Observations:
- Some groups worked better together than others. Collaboration skills are as important than ever in the classrooms. In this particular case of working on the script (pre-recording stage), technology tools and skills HAVE NOTHING to do with learning how to work together.
- As we were working on recording individual groups’ segments, not necessarily in order as they were going to appear in the final podcast, students excitement grew and we heard “I can’t WAIT to hear it” over and over again.
- Several students did not like the way their voice sounded and asked to re-record their part.
- There was definitely learning going on as the “weaker” students listened in to the “recording” voices of some “stronger” students. They copied their intonation and “acting” voices.
- Some students struggled reading their part from the script. I asked them to split their part up into shorter segments and “speak” it, instead of reading it. Once each shorter segment was recorded and we listened to all their segments, we could compare the sound of their voice (fluency) to the one that they had “read” off the paper. What a noticeable difference for everyone to hear.
- While recording individual group segments, other groups were getting impatient and antsy in their seats. Although important to allow them to learn from the recording process of others, I would have them work on other components in the future. Ex. illustrate their podcast story, typing their script, etc.
Check out some other posts I have written about podcasting in the past:
Listen to the podcast of our second graders.
Leave students feedback here in the comment section. Let them know too where in the world you are from. Comments will surely will be appreciated and be motivating for future podcast episodes by this group. These students worked hard!
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Hello grade two students!
I am a teacher in Edmonton, Canada who helps other teachers and students use technology for learning. I want to congratulate you on an excellent podcast about animals! I love so many things about this podcast:
- First off, I love how you have used the knowledge you have about animals to tell an interesting story. This takes much more thinking than just telling back facts, and I’ll bet you’ll remember this knowledge for a longer time by doing it your way also.
- Secondly, I can tell that you all had to work together and cooperate in making different parts of this story and come up with ideas. It’s not always easy working with other people, but I bet that working together helped the podcast ideas become even better!
- Thirdly, the story itself was really great! You came up with clever ideas, you used very descriptive words so that I could almost imagine myself there seeing, hearing, and feeling the story, and you used your voices really well to keep me interested and help me understand the story by speaking clearly, smoothly, and with a lot of feeling. I bet that took a lot of practice.
I would love to be able to work with teachers and students to do podcasts like these, just like Ms. Tolisano has worked with you. Do you have any advice for other students that might want to do this that you would share with me that I could share with other students? If so, please feel free to share them with Ms. Tolisano who can pass them on to me.
Thank you and congratulations again!
Mr. Maas
Edmonton, Canada
(Here’s a link to Google Maps to show you where Edmonton is in Canada)
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Edmonton,+AB,+Canada+(edmonton)&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=83.14038,227.636719&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Edmonton,+Division+No.+11,+Alberta&t=h&z=11
Hey second graders. This is very cool. I love the sound effects and how you worked together to create a script that told a story. By the way, I love eating gummies. I am going to share this with our second graders and see if they can do something similar. Congratulations on a great job.
Very coooool podcast! I learned a lot about animals today and listened to your fun story! Thank you
Opps forgot to tell you where I am! I live in Long Beach California. I teach third and fourth grade.
great stuff you guys, really enjoyed the podcast, a great story that with the sound effects really does come to life. Brilliant.
I am a 6th grade teacher of science in England and will encourage my children to listen and produce their own podcasts.
Excellent work, Grade 2! I live in Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. I am a teacher who helps other teachers with technology in their classrooms so I love the podcast you have created. My son is also in grade 2 so I will let him listen so he can learn more about mammals, reptiles, and birds!
Hello 2nd graders. I’m from SW Florida. I love your podcast! I learned so much about the different kinds of animals. I could tell you were excited about sharing what you learned because I could hear it in your voices. Great job. Keep up the good work.
Love your podcast! I’m writing from Malaysia but I’m from Canada originally. I teach Grades 1, 2 and 3 Technology. I love using GarageBand as well and love how you used effects in your voices. Keep up the great work!
Hi second graders. I’m a retired teacher living in Brooklyn, New York. I used to teach at Parsons School of Design where our students made videos, wrote music and designed books, posters and newspapers.
I bet that lots of 2nd graders would love to hear your podcasts. Thanks for the hard work and congrats on the great results.
Your project was awesome! I think you picked out some great music and I really liked the sound effects. This was a really good podcast.
I am a high school teacher in Columbus, OH. I teach podcasting too.
My 6 year old makes birthday music and tells stories for her grandma this way.
Great job!
Hello 2nd Graders,
I am from Geraldton in Western Australia (can you find this town on a map?). It is really hot and sunny here at the moment.
I really loved listening to your podcasts. What I loved most was that you had lots of descriptive words and you used lots of great sound effects to keep your podcast sounding interesting.
I teacher children who are 12. I hope you don’t mind if I share this with them as I think they would be AMAZED at what you have done.
Keep up the great work – and be nice to your teacher!
Bye for now – from Hayley in Australia
Hello, class! I’m from Bishop, CA
I love your voices and the sound effects. The music is great. You did a wonderful job in working together to create an exciting script and story to teach us about animals.
I’m in college to learn to become a teacher and I will definitely remember your podcast as an example of what I can do with my own students someday. Thanks for sharing this!
Hello everyone. This is the 2nd grade class who recorded the podcast!
Thank you for all the nice comments. Thank you for listening to our podcast. We were very surprised to find all the comments on the blog today. It made us very happy to know that so many people from all around the world were listening to OUR voices. We are so excited and proud that you enjoyed it. Thank you for recognizing our talents.
@Mr. Maas Here is some advice from us to you:
* Listen to several examples of podcasts before you record, because it will help you know what you are doing.
* You have to work at being a good team member, because if you are not you might not finish on time. You have to cooperate.
* You have to concentrate to get the job done.
* You have to use an interesting voice, so people would want to listen. Nobody wants to listen if it is boring.
* You have to very quiet when others are recording, because other sounds will be picked up.
* You need to work hard on your scripts with your team, because otherwise your writing won’t make sense.
* Practice reading, practice speaking, sometimes you have to re-do it because it does not sound right.
* Use a lot of interesting words and think a lot about your script.
* Before you start recording, rehearse your lines.
* You will have a lot of fun and you will learn a lot.
What an AWESOME podcast! I can tell you learned a lot about animals! How lucky you are to have such a talented teacher to guide you through the process of producing such a great podcast! Keep up the good work and keep reading and learning! I am a computer teacher in Gadsden, AL. I am going to be starting a study of animals with my third graders soon and would like to share your podcast with my students to kick off our unit of study. Have a great school year!
Nice work! Your excellent work will be a model for students and teachers that I work with. I hope to see more podcasts from y’all this year.
Mr Martins Class – Austin, Texas
You students did a wonderful job with the podcast. It was the next best thing to being there. I hope you don’t mind but I am going to show your site to some teachers that I get to teach about podcasting!!
Keep up the good work!
Ms. Adams
Great job, second graders!
I am a college professor from Rochester, NY and will share your example with my own graduate students when they begin learning about podcasting and what their own students will be able to achieve with podcasting.
I can tell that you did a great deal of thinking, research, planning, writing, revising, editing, practicing/rehearsing, and that you probably really enjoyed the whole process. I really like how your voices are clear and you are speaking with enthusiasm and good expression. I love the snake voice!
I hope you learned not only about your animal, but about yourself and your classmates. Working with others to get something done is not always easy, is it. And, when you are making something that perhaps people all over the world will hear or read, it really makes you want to do your best, doesn’t it.
Well done! I hope to hear more things that you learn about this year.
Dr. Ransom
Nazareth College of Rochester
Rochester, New York
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Hello 2nd graders.
This is lovely work you have done. I wish that all my pupils would be just as good at working together!
I will show them your advice on how to work together to make a really great podcast. There are a lot of sensible thoughts in that and not only for making podcasts.
Great work!
Mrs H Corper
Norrköping
Sweden
great job, I loved listening to your descriptions of the zoo. I really enjoyed it, thank you for sharing all this wonderful information
Hi,
I have pasted a slightly edited version of your article on a website I am creating as part of my Graduate Diploma in Education.
It is all about Web 2.0
I have linked back to your website.
If you have any problem with this then let me know.
Great article which show cases what can be done with ICT which is why I am borrowing it!
Thanks
Nic