Just Vocabulary Podcast

The Education Podcast Network has a plethora of educational podcasts availabe in all content areas. As a secondary English teacher, The Just Vocabulary Podcast was most meaningful to me because it provided tier 3 vocabulary words that are required and often difficult for secondary students. Each podcast was short and consisted of two vocabulary words that are "taught" by saying the word, providing example sentences, and synonyms and antonyms over a five minute span (give or take). After a brief introduction to the word and its definition, the podcast asks the listener to participate by defining the word and uses a musical transition to signal the listener to pause the podcast. Throughout the podcast, the vocabulary word is said multiple times to help register the word on the listeners lexicon. The podcast "extends learning beyond the traditional school schedule" and reachs "outside school walls" so that learning can take place at home with parents or outside in a park (Putman & Kingsley, 2009, p. 101). What a wonderful idea because learning does occur outside school and connecting the two worlds may help further motivate and enhance student learning. Furthermore, this type of podcast could be used to teach tier 3 vocabulary words in the ELA classroom, or content specific vocabulary used in science, math, and social studies. Students could also create a vocabulary podcast using popular slang (with teacher approval of certain words, naturally) and how the English language has evolved. Finally, English Language Learners could become familiar with basic vocabulary through such a podcast and use it as a reference on an Ipod throughout the school day. In this light, podcasting has the potentional to transform literacy teaching and learning by making it more interactive and student-centered. Students are still listening, reading, and speaking, but using digital technology to enhance their knowledge.

Check out the Education Podcast Network for more podcasting examples! Great site!