A teacher from PA is using podcasts to help get her students more involved and out of the monotony of paper-based projects. She had students place themselves in a historic moment and act as though they were happening live. She had each group gather information through research first so that they could truly understand what their mood should be like when reenacting. They next were able to prepare a script and begin to record their podcast. They saved them as an MP3 file. Students were able to use these podcasts to eventually study for their final exam and to help review important material in a way other than reading a textbook or notes. Another tool that the teacher has used is a virtual business simulator that allowed students to create their own businesses and analyze why certain things happened to their profit and other portions of their business when certain decisions were made. These new virtual tools help to engage students that would otherwise sigh at the idea of “another research project”.
Why do you think these tools are so helpful to students?
With technology now being a part of each and every student’s everyday lives, it is important to incorporate it into the classroom. Many young adults gage their lives around technology including e-mail, e-music, social networks, etc. Instead of the old “poster projects”, digital tools now substitute for marker and poster paper. Students can create videos, podcasts, and other various digital projects that keep them engaged because they are now so in-tune with technology.
How would you incorporate this into an activity based on your content area?
As a future math teacher, I would have students act out situations in which they might use a concept we learned that year in the real world. For example, one group could say they were an architect trying to build a building and use Pythagorean’s Theorem to help solve an issue they had building it, etc. They would then create a video using this knowledge and following up by explaining the concept to the class. Each group would have a different concept so right before finals, they would be able to review all the concepts from the year using a real-world application.
Shein, E. (2008, Ocotber, 1). Making History. T.H.E. Journal, Retrieved November 07, 2008, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23394_1
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