I can’t lie.
This assignment has filled me with dread.
I am not a luddite but I do find my self apprehensive (and, as mentioned previously on my blog, ambivalent) about using the on-line tool as as major focus in my teacher-librarian plans (outside the usual research and composition issues).
When reading the list of possibilities, one really stood out and that was the idea of doing a podcast. I am, like many I am finding, absolutely addicted to this new form and have been since discovering NPR’s Planet Money back during the financial crisis (still an amazing podcast – https://www.npr.org/sections/money/).
Despite it clear possibilities as a form to help educate and inform, I thought before I jumped in, it might be best to do a bit of a survey exploration about what others have thought about this form being used expressly as a teaching tool and, perhaps, some hints about how to do so.
The first thing I discovered is that there is an IMMENSE amount of material on this subject. When searching the UBC library’s holdings using the search terms ‘podcast as education’, I was surprised to see that most of the first page of links was taken up with articles about using podcasts as a form of medical training (Young (2020). Eyes for Ears – A Medical Education Podcast Feasibility Study, Abirmai (2021) RE: Development of A Medical Education Podcast in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Berk (2020) Twelve Tips for Creating a Medical Education Podcast are some samples for anyone really needing to see what’s happening in this field). Who knew this was a priority? Surely if they are being used to train those who keep us alive, they would serve my humble aims.
The upshot of more germane sites to my plans ranged but all mirrored my experience as a podcast listener. They are a flexible delivery system that can be experienced on your own time and in many environments (dishes, driving on my own and running being my regular times for podcast listening). They also emphasized the creative possibilities and ability of podcasts to jump over common issues for some students – students who struggle with reading have a new medium through which to experience classroom material and ELL students can listen a number of times and even slow down the podcast. Most of the post were also quick to point out that podcast are an excellent way to add informational sidebars to your class.
Sites I found accessible and interesting:
https://www.emergingedtech.com/2017/08/how-teachers-can-leverage-podcasts-as-a-learning-tool/
https://www.podcast.co/reach/podcasts-in-education
https://www.comparethecloud.net/articles/9-ways-to-use-podcast-as-a-learning-tool/
All of them cover similar ground but do a wonderful job of laying out the value of this form as a way to educate.
For my podcast, my intention is to create a resource for teachers and teacher-librarians dealing with graphic novels. More on that in my next blog.
References
n.a. (n.d.). Podcasting in Education: What Are the Benefits? The Podcast Host. https://www.thepodcasthost.com/niche-case-study/podcasting-in-education/
Abirmai, K. (2021). RE: Development of A Medical Education Podcast in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Canadian Medical Education Journal, (12)2, pp. e126-e126 (Really just a brief response piece).
Berk, J. (2020). Twelve Tips for Creating a Medical Education Podcast. Medical Teacher, (42)11, pp. 1221-1227.
Buckler, L. (2017). 8 Ways Teachers Can Leverage Podcasts as a Learning Tool. Emerging Ed Tech. https://www.emergingedtech.com/2017/08/how-teachers-can-leverage-podcasts-as-a-learning-tool/
Douse, S. (n.d.). 9 Ways to Use Podcasts as Learning Tools. comparethecloud.net. https://www.comparethecloud.net/articles/9-ways-to-use-podcast-as-a-learning-tool/
Logue, A. (2020). 7 Reasons to Use Podcasts in Education, podcast.co. https://www.podcast.co/reach/podcasts-in-education
Young, B. (2020). Eyes for Ears – A Medical Education Podcast Feasibility Study. Journal of Surgical Education, (78)1, pp. 342-345.