Podcasting Reflection

What challenges and potential benefits can you see in utilizing podcasting technology in the classroom? Although we often use podcasts to convey information to our students, what are the benefits of having students develop their own podcasts? How can you incorporate the concept of long term student podcasting in your curriculum: students' recording a series of podcasts over the course of a semester to display growth or mastery?

I definitely see some challenges in using podcasts with my first grade students.  Usually, computer time at home is monitored by an adult (at least, in my opinion, it should be!), and therefore it would be used more for my parents than my students.  I do not really see this as a useful tool for my students to create podcasts at this point in time.  I could see the use in introducing it to them and having them try it out, but then I see it as an activity that they could get silly with quickly.  I know that hearing my voice on a podcast as an adult is an uncomfortable feeling for me, so I can only imagine my young students' reactions as they hear their voices come back to them.  I see this resulting in more laughs than valuable learning.  I believe that podcasting may be a great way to share information for older children, especially auditory learners or students who struggle with writing.   I could see this as an alternative to writing reports and I do think that older students would find podcasting to be a more engaging way to report and share information with their peers and teachers.