Seeing as how today's students love to be online, podcasts are a great way to engage them in a lesson. Podcasts are digital recordings that can be shared over the internet. Podcasts can be used in many different ways in the classroom. Students could use them to turn in assignments, as well as use them as a resource when having a collaborative discussion. Teachers could use podcasts as a form of communication between students and parents, as well as to inform others in the community of what is taking place at the school.
I've used Podbean in the past for different lessons. I've also tried Soundcloud as well. Both of these sites are relatively easy to use, which is great for those who are first time users when it comes to podcasts. I enjoy using Soundcloud the most. This site allows you to upload different podcasts that you have already made on different sites, which I think is a great feature. The first podcast is one I embedded into Soundcloud from Podbean, just to see how it would work. There were no problems at all, and it didn't take long at all to download. Here is the link in case the video does not work for you:
https://soundcloud.com/kristen-jones-138482827/readers-advisory
The second one I did for fun with my almost 3 year old daughter. She enjoyed talking to me about her favorite book, and was so excited when she heard herself! She kept saying "I want to talk again mommy!" If a two-year old enjoyed making a podcast, imagine how effective this technology tool will be with the students we work with!
https://soundcloud.com/kristen-jones-138482827/kaysens-favorite-book
