Thing 19

I have been wondering about podcast for quite some time now...I finally have my answer! I had also been thinking about students using and making audio books. After seeing and listening to some I have determined that many will need to be enhanced with pictures. But not all... If something is skillfully written (i.e. Harry Potter) one can fill in the blanks with your own imagination. If you are talking about specific events and people it is helpful to have pictures.

There were several on the list that did not work for me:
Jamestown Elementary
Radio WillowWeb
Long Elementary
Think Like a Leader (I really wanted to know how a teacher taught visually
impaired students to create their own videos!)

Two podcasts that I really enjoyed were:
Storynory http://storynory.com/
G.W.Carver. http://salem.k12.va.us/gwc/podcasts/carvercast.htm

Storynory obviously for the fact afore mentioned that it rpvides story audiobooks for children. I would like to see the same stories told with different voices and even accents. As a Music Teacher I realize that people are attracted to and soothed by different voice types. There is also a difference in how we respond to a male or female voice. It would be nice to have options. There could even be an unexplored emotional element involved. Let's say, Dad is on a trip out of the country (military or otherwise) and he decides to create bedtime story podcasts for his young children. Hmmm...

I really enjoyed the way that Carver Cast was set up. Walk through the toy section of your local department store and just observe what the toys for Fisher price look like. The Carver Cast site reminds me of the same! There is a definite appeal to the set up of the site and the work done by the students is terrific! The children used humor to help capture the attention of the learners. What child doesn't like humor!

I can see vodcast episodes of the Character Education videos that my Performing Arts class wrote and acted out. Wouldn't it be fun to have it first played without the visual aid, give a writing prompt and then watch it with the video feed? So many possibilities!

I do enjoy having some of our Professional Development online as well.