PODCASTS IN EDUCATION

Is all the effort worth it? Why not just record narration in PowerPoint and e-mail the slide show to whomever you want to share it with?

Many educators have found that students who create content for real audiences (not just other students and teachers) constantly are pushing to create better content. By creating and publishing podcasts, students share their work with the world, increasing interest in -- and improving the quality of -- their work. Moreover, the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that more than 50 percent of U.S. teenagers have created "digital content". That includes creating Web pages and blogs or publishing original photography and music. These new content creators see information not as a five-page book report, but as a multimedia product. Why not tap into this generation's interests and skills? They still learn the facts and themes of your topic, but they do so in a way that engages them.

Want concrete proof that podcasts are moving into the school in meaningful ways? Check out David Warlick's Education Podcast Network. Simply scroll through the menu on the left and double-click any topic of interest. You even can hear many of the podcasts without opening iTunes.

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