It can be very difficult to try to find new and exciting things to do in class especially ones that are creative and get the kids interested in the lesson. Podcasts and digital stories is one of the best ways to defeat this rut. They create so many different activities, lesson plans, and general conversation in any classroom.
Here are a couple websites to check out if you are interested and what to find out more about podcasts and digital stories:
Photo CC- By Millereccles
The benefits of using podcasts and digital stories in the classroom are endless. First and foremost it provides a great way of getting the students interested in the lesson. That may be one of the hardest things to do as a teacher but students seem to automatically be drawn to these two things. They promote critical thinking and creativity in the students, which helps achieve the Common Core standards. Organization and planning is must for both the students and the teachers, which these two things help develop. They encourage deep conversations in the classroom that may be otherwise difficult to develop.
Photo CC- By Taruam
Of course with everything there is always disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage for incorporating podcasts and digital stories is the amount of class time it takes up. Depending on what the teacher chooses these could occupy multiple class days. Time is can be a hard to come by but when it comes to lessons that get the students excited and wanting to come to class, it is worth the time it takes away.
Of course you don’t just have to listen to podcasts and digital stories you could create your own in class. For example in my 5th grade science class we made a short podcast about the weather for a specific state. It may have not been much but I remember that being one of my favorite projects in school. Putting students in groups and having them create their own short video about a topic of choice would be a great activity for any grade and for any subject. It would be a hands on activity which many students learn best at and it would something that gets kids working together instead of just doing homework by themselves all the time. After a while everyone needs change and podcasts and digital stories is one way to get change.
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I was surprised with the amount of people who listened to the popular podcasts called “Serial”. I myself have never heard of it but after reading the explanation of it I can understand why it would be so popular not only with adults but with students. Everyone seems to be interested in murder mystery and since “Serial” took place in a high school setting the students could possibly relate a little to the series.
Overall I see podcasts and digital stories as a fantastic tool to incorporate in the classroom, whether you are just listening or creating your own. I would highly recommend looking into these for your classroom!
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promisedaisy 
That is really cool that your teacher incorporated a podcast in your own classroom! I have never done anything like that so I think it would be really cool to try it. I also didn’t think about time being a disadvantage.
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I loved that project, it was definitely one of my favorites!
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Having kids create their own podcasts instead of just listening to ready-made ones will bring the learning to a new level. When they can publish and share something they worked on, the assignment becomes far more important than a simple grade in a gradebook.
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I completely agree, sometimes teachers focus to much on entering grades in the gradebook instead of the overall outcome.
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A great thing about podcasts is just how many activities, lessons, and conversations can stem from each unique podcast! Great post.
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I totally agree, thank you!
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