Podcasting

     In the article “Podcasting and Performativity: Multimodal Invention in an Advanced Writing Class” by Leigh Jones she talks a lot about centering the classroom around the use of technology, her choice being podcasts. Podcasting seemed to have brought out emotions in the students that formal writing never hit upon. By turning to multimodal learning, “writing was placed in a context outside of the academic setting”.

     Podcasting is becoming extremely popular, and it offers an alternative way of communicating. It is a fun way to express emotions that regular writing can skip. Podcasting envelopes all of the things that make up the English cirriculum, such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking. One f the the most popular podcasts, This American Life, truly shows how podcasts can affect the viewer.  

     I think that podcasts can be a powerful tool used in the classroom. I think this kind of learning can really benefit those who learn best through auditory means. There are no images involved so it forces the students to really listen in and pick out the important parts. I have had to listen to podcasts for some of my other courses, and everytime I notice different things going on. For today I decided to listen to a This American Life podcast entitled “What I Did For Love,” in honor of Valentines Day. I had some interesting thoughts about it.

     One nice thing about the podcast, is its convienience. Podcasts can be listened to at any time of the day and through many different means. These hour-long episodes can be listened through the radio, through the web, mobile apps, downloads, or through cds. I like the set up of the podcast, because unlike other radio programs or television shows, these podcasts can be paused or completely stopped and the listener can come back and finish it in their free time.

     I also enjoy these because there are so many different topics that these broadcasters discuss. They have shows on love, loss, education, money, business, etc. Depending on your mood, or the day of the week, the listener can pick something that peaks their interest. The announcers on this show also seem very real and relatable. They do not try to talk above their audience, instead they use examples and tell stories that everyone has experienced.

     I think podcasts can be an excellent addition to any classroom setting. By allowing the students to use this application hands-on, it can help them discover things they have never thought of before. Although some may find it boring at first, once they realize all the possibilities out there they will be able to navigate their way around and choose topics that interest them. I think this technology will allow them to be creative and successful throughout their years in school.