The Power of Podcasting

The Power of Podcasting

The amount of educational activities that are linked to technology is increasing – whether it’s in classrooms, libraries, or computer labs. Wherever there are school computers or smartphones, chances are students are on them for a variety of reasons.

Some students may be using computers so they can practice their reading and vocabulary skills, wearing headsets to learn how to carefully pronounce words while they record themselves and play back their responses. Others may be learning an entirely new language altogether, be it English or a foreign tongue. And on some occasions, using MP3 players in conjunction with computers comes into play as their use has also increased. While the Califone MP3 player/recorder can also be used for language learning and phonemic awareness recording and playback, its features open up a wide array of opportunities for students to get engaged with their education.

In addition to having dual headphone jacks and other features, the built-in microphone on the MP3 player allows students to create vocal recordings that can be then used for podcasting and sharing with other students near and far as well as with the public in general if so desired. Portland, OR-based Southwest Charter School eighth-grade student Safire Delgado shares that “it’s fun to get to do something that a lot of people are going to hear.” She, along with fellow students, create podcasts for a variety of educational assignments that has them going beyond the classroom environment and out into their community to learn more about the city as a whole. The voice recordings, which are saved on the MP3 player as digital audio files, can then be uploaded onto a computer for the purposes of keeping a historical inventory of each podcast or simply for transferring from one computer to another. If the need arises to download multiple podcasts from a single computer to different MP3 players, the 7-port USB Hub makes it easy for students to carry out.

The MP3 player is not the only means by which these podcasts can be created. The 3064AV headset has dual 3.5mm jacks that plug into the USB jackbox which in turn connects to a computer. Up to six students can listen and record themselves for podcasting purposes using the headset’s boom microphone and save their recordings for future use on a computer. Shares Aron Sterling, technology specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax,VA: “The 1216USB ties microphones, headphones & computers together to create learning centers which encourage students to develop and use their own critical thinking skills.” With the MP3 player and the USB jackbox available to students, the possibilities are endless and students’ critical thinking skills can take them as far as they want to go with the freedom to share their creative podcasts with others.