Podcasts

I've been a fan of podcasts since I began commuting a long distance two and a half years ago. I download a lot of books read on podcasts. It's so helpful because books on CD are incredibly expensive and free book podcasts are plentiful on iTunes. Although sometimes I do sacrifice the quality for the quantity. There is definitely a wide array of readers out there. I've had to delete many podcasts because I can't stand to listen to some of the readers' voices. Since I am not an auditory listener myself, I need to listen to someone with some expression in his or her voice.

I read Seabiscuit with some of my ninth grade classes. Often this book is a hit or miss with students. They don't always relate to the horse racing. I think podcasting would work well with this unit. The radio was such a big part of Seabiscuit's success in the 1930s and 1940s. His races were broadcast all over the nation and his popularity sky-rocketed because of it. I don't think students quite grasp how popular Seabiscuit was at the time. It's hard for them to believe that he drew bigger crowds than the Super Bowl does today. Anyway, I think if students created their own "radio" shows to mirror the popularity of radio in the 1930s-1940s, it may increase their engagement with Seabiscuit. I'm not sure the type of format I would have them use. I could go a couple different ways with it, I suppose. I could have them emulate radio shows that were popular in the 1930s or have them create their own shows that would be popular today and have them incorporate Seabiscuit in them somehow.

I do really like the idea of writing and editing that goes along with creating a podcast. I think this is a great way for students to reflect on their writing and how it actually sounds when it's read aloud. Also, I think emphasizing editing with the podcast scripts is very important. I find that students often don't like to edit their writing but since these scripts will be broadcast, this might encourage students to be a bit more polished with their writing.