Podcasting in the Classroom

I was recently discussing with a teacher the power of incorporating podcasts into her junior high English classes. And this got me thinking...what can students be doing either before, in the midst of, and after they listen to a podcast? So here are some suggestions:

1. Today's Meet - This online backchannel discussion board can be utilized as students listen. Students can post interesting tid-bits, ask questions, respond to questions posed by the teacher or their peers. 
2. Poll Everywhere - With this data gathering tool, teachers can conduct brief surveys before and after listening to see how ideas may have changed from start to finish. Showing survey results can also be a great way to introduce discussion.
3. Google Forms - This tool could also be used as both a pre/post assessment.
4. Google Drawings - Students could be instructed to complete some sort of graphic organizer as they listen.
5. MindMup 2.0 - This is an additional app found in the "connect more apps" section after clicking on the red NEW button within your Google Drive. Students can build mind maps collaboratively as they listen or even better, afterwards.
6. Padlet - After students listen to a podcast, they can conduct additional research about the topic and find websites, videos, images, or other content and post it on a shared Padlet.
7. Plickers - If a teacher is looking for a way to assess student comprehension, using Plickers is an interactive way to gather data.
8. Blogging - If students have access to a blog, whether it be their own student blog or a classroom blog, they can write out their ideas and share them with a wider audience. The conversation continues when reader's post comments making the learning experience relevant. 
9. Twitter - If writing a full blown blog post isn't in your agenda, then consider having students use your class Twitter account to write out their big take-aways to a global audience. It's quick and requires students to be concise with their thinking.
10. AnswerGarden - Tweeting still too big of a task? Then try AnswerGarden. The teacher asks a question, students respond with a single word answer. The responses are then generated into a word cloud. Seeing which words are most popular (or not) can generate a wonderful class discussion. And then, when the teacher has a moment to breathe, the word cloud can be posted as part of a teacher-composed blog post. 

As with any new learning, students need to be able to hear or interact with the concepts multiple times. If the podcast is short enough, students should be given opportunities to listen at least twice. Each time, students can be asked to share what new learning has taken place.

Offering my BEST to you,

Bethany.

How have you used podcasts in your classroom? What benefits do you observe? How do you hold students accountable for what they are listening to?

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5) Many thanks to Tracy Watanabe for these directions to post. 

And thank you for commenting!

Technology Badges

As the new Technology Integration Specialist in my district, I was looking for a way to recognize teachers who are already doing an outstanding job integrating technology into their instruction. 

In my research, I kept coming across badge programs. The more I researched, the more I found really great ideas in how to organize such an endeavor. And so I got to work and was ready to introduce the Badge program at the beginning of February. 

Photo by @BethanyLigon (February 2016)

Our district has just around 200 certified classroom teachers. And in the first two weeks I've handed out 120 badges. Because I'm the only TIS for our K12 district, this has kept me busy in reviewing the artifacts that teachers are sharing - which happens to be some very cool stuff. I can do walk throughs and see what happens on a daily basis. But with teachers submitting their best evidence to me, I am seeing some super fantastic ideas that I am now able to share with other teachers. 

Teachers are able to earn badges in the following categories:

• Google Tools
• Active Engagement Tools
• Assessment Tools
• Presentation Tools
• Blended Learning Tools
• Social Media Tools
• Communication Tools

The best part for me, is that teachers are able to request training on exactly what they want. It's not a one size fits all professional development setting anymore. But it's me meeting with one teacher or a small team of teachers who want to grow their instructional toolbox in a specific area or with a particular tech tool/app. And because I now have documentation on which teacher is proficient on each tool, I can use them as a resource as needed.   

Another "best part" for me is the teacher's reaction when I walk into their rooms on a Thursday afternoon to hand them their badge. Yesterday, a teacher literally jumped up and down and clapped her hands because she was so excited and then her little first graders started cheering for her. That totally made my day.

Offering my BEST to you,
Bethany.

Has your school/district implemented a badge program? How has it been working for you? What's the best part? Anything you'd do differently?

Directions for posting a comment:

1) Choose "Comment As" first. If you don't have a Google/Blogger account, you can choose Name/URL and type in your name, then place the web site that best describes you in the URL (i.e. www.ajusd.org). Or, you can choose "Anonymous".

2) You may need to press "Post Comment" more than one time.

It is always wise to copy your comment before pressing "Post Comment" just in case something happens. 

3) Type in the word verification.

4) If you did everything correctly, it will state, "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval." If you do not get that message, please try again. 

5) Many thanks to Tracy Watanabe for these directions to post. 

And thank you for commenting!