Why You Should Use Podcasts in Your Classroom
The Benefits of Podcasting
When it comes to the Common Core Standards, one of the areas we find that the most growth is needed is in the speaking and listening strand. One strategy that we have introduced into our curriculum over the past few years to help build those skills is adding podcasts into our classroom instruction. There are many benefits to adding podcasts into your classroom instruction. If you’ve ever wondered about how podcasts could benefit your instruction, read on dear TTD followers, we have got some ideas for you!
Podcasts help build schema
Students that are avid readers usually do really well on standardized tests. One of the reasons why is because they have a vast knowledge of many different subjects. In essence, they have built their schema. One way to build schema, aside from reading, is listening to podcasts. If you have opened up the Apple Podcast library any time lately, you would see that they have podcasts on almost any subject or topic. With so much knowledge out there to explore, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?
Podcasts are convenient
The Apple Podcast App is absolutely free and so is all of its content. If you have access to iPads or if your students have an iPhone, they can listen to a variety of podcasts in your class that are not only educational, but engaging. Also, most podcasts have a website, so if you do not have access to technology for each student, you can upload a podcast on your computer that you can play for the whole class.
Listening stamina is much greater than reading stamina
Many students can sit and listen to a podcast for a much longer period of time than they could sit and read silently. For students still working on building their reading stamina, Podcasts are a great exercise in sustained silence. Also, because students are actively listening to a podcast, they are free to use their hands to do other work, like complete a Podcast reflection sheet, draw as they visualize the story unfold, or analyze the various components of the podcast, like plot, theme, and mood and tone. If the Podcast is covering informational content, you could have students analyze their connections to the content, or find the main idea, evidence, and note familiar or unfamiliar vocabulary.
Podcasts can build empathy
Like reading, listening to podcasts can be a great way to introduce students to individuals and events that may lead very different lives than their own. Seeing another’s perspective is a life skill that most students will need for college and beyond. Listening to a variety of podcasts can help expand a student’s understanding of the world around them and the struggles some people may face.
Student created content
There are some amazing podcasts out there, and some of them are even created by students. NPR even has a full curriculum guide if you wanted to have your students create a Podcast. If you want to hear some fun podcasts that are student created, check out the link from KQED News’ Mind/ Shift. They have listed their favorites, and they are pretty good!
They are entertaining
There is nothing like binge watching an amazing television series on Netflix or blowing through an awesome book series. Podcasts can be just as entertaining. Um hello, Serial Season 1, My Favorite Murder, Dirty John, and pretty much any and all episodes of the Goop Podcast… you all, I think I have a serious Podcast problem! While these podcasts are most definitely for adults, (although Serial is an excellent podcast for high school), you get the idea. Podcasts can entertain your students. It will become something that they enjoy listening to in class or at home.
Your class will be silent!
Okay, I’m not going to lie, the first time that I played a podcast for my students, I almost cried with sheer joy. One of the most rambunctious groups of 7th graders I have ever taught in my life was silent for thirty whole minutes. It was simply amazing! Not only were the students silent, they were engaged. When the podcast was over they had the most amazing class discussions and wanted nothing more than for me to play the next episode. That was when I knew I had to add podcasts into my curriculum.
What are you waiting for? Just do it already!
Just throwing this out there, since you have read this awesome post this far, we also have some pretty awesome podcast lessons on our Teacher Pay Teacher store that are awesome for analyzing podcasts. Whether they are informational podcasts or entertaining serial podcasts, we got you covered!
Add listening to podcasts to your curriculum today! We promise, you won’t be disappointed. For some awesome podcast series ideas, check out the post by We are Teachers. They have a great list of podcasts for Middle and High school students that we have found to be really useful. In addition to the podcasts mentioned in the link above we love:
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
Until next time teacher friends!
Bottoms up!
