Podcasting

Podcasting is a useful resource in the classroom for any audio assessment or audio recording project.  In my classroom I can see using podcasts for building fluency, creating audio books, as a prewriting strategy, and presenting information in an informative, explanatory, or persuasive manner.  

For fluency, my students can choose an on-level book to practice each week.  At the beginning of the week they can do their “draft” podcast.  By Friday they should rerecord their reading of the book so they can hear the improvement.  If improvement is not significant, it will be evident that the text is either too difficult, or they are truly not practicing.

So many students struggle to write because they can’t get their thoughts on paper.  Using a podcast for students to gather their thoughts or to get initial thoughts organized will a powerful tool for the students who get lost somewhere between their thoughts and the paper.

Audio books could be a great brainstorming activity.  Given journal topics, or story starters the students can create stories as a stress free way of expanding their imaginations.  Also, if the students made audio recordings of the books they create, they can be used for struggling or emergent readers in other settings.
Finally, podcasts can be a tool for assessment.  By allowing all children or students who struggle with writing to share their knowledge via audio recording teachers can get a clear idea of what his/her students really know. Students can also create persuasive arguments and informational presentations.

See my first podcast below.  These will give you an idea of what podcasts are like!  just click on the link.
How to teach your dog to play dead. 

Ways You can use Microsoft Resources in Schools or at Home

I have used programs such as Read Write Gold for students with reading/comprehension disabilities om the past, but this program appears easy and user friendly. I would use Narrator in my classroom to assist struggling readers. Or, I can have the students listen to the word documents they create being read back to them. Many times I find that students do not actually read what they write. In fact, when they read their writing to me they always read the document as they think it is written. By listening to their work they will catch more mistakes. Another way I can implement this program is to have non-readers listen to stories or direction in this manner. If I really wanted to save some time in repeating myself I could also make written directions of tasks for students to re-listen to if I am not available to chat with them.

Finding the narrator software is quite simple. If you have Windows 7, all you need to do is find the Windows icon at the bottom left hand side of your screen. Once you have located the icon, left click it. the viewer will notice a blank search box at the bottom of the selection page. In the search box, type "Narrator."

Once you have found the "Narrator" tool, you can use various keyboard combinations to control the functions of Narrator. The most useful keyboard combination I can see a student learning to use is ctrl+shft+spacebar;This combination reads the entire text of the page you select as a reader. If a reader needs to walk away from the reading or pause their work they can simply hit ctrl. Using insert+f6 allows the reader to hear the current paragraph. Lastly, insert+f8 will read an entire document.

Microsoft narrator

This Link will give you access to more in depth instructions.

Podcasting Tutorialsand examples

Here are tutorials on making Podcasts.  Podcasts are audio recording that anyone can do!

Youtube videos for Podcasting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3LSRevfnGk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOtyPfLdoHo


Examples of podcasts: