What is a Podcast?
Podcasts are online audio files recorded on a computer that
can be played on any MP3 device. The
term is derived from combining the terms broadcast and IPOD. IPOD was chosen due to the popularity
of the IPOD device. The term broadcast
refers to the existence of online radio.
Hence the terminology of “podcast” was created.
What is a Booktalk?
Booktalks can be compared to movie trailers. Movie trailers are used in a video form to
stir interest about a movie. Booktalks
alike can be developed to inform prospective readers about book titles that
they may not learn about otherwise.
Booktalks are a great motivational tool for Media Specialist and are frequently
used to with reluctant readers. They can
be used to entice and to “tease” a reader into picking up new titles.
PODCASTS and
Booktalks
Traditional booktalks or booktalks of the past may have been
done in the presence of a small group of students where just a few students may
have been witness to the advertising form created by the media specialist. Those few students may pick up the title and
actually have enough interest and desire to read the book. Eventually that booktalk is forgotten from the
mind of those few students and the interest if that book or series of books is
seemingly forever gone but does it really have to be “gone”? With the creation of podcast booktalks can
be recorded, saved to an online application and used over and over again. Podcast could easily be accessed by teachers
from the classroom and allow students to related books to lesson materials
without actually leaving the classroom.
Students can create their own podcasts to discuss the books that they are
reading or have read. Media specialist
can collaborate with classroom teachers to have their students create their own
podcast to share booktalks. Many
students may be more enticed to pick up a title if a peer shares their interest
than when another adult provides the same information.
For more information on podcats, please visit the following websites. http://lis5313.ci.fsu.edu/wiki/index.php/Podcasts_and_Booktalks%2C_a_Match_Made_in_a_School_Media_Center
I was required to conduct a booktalk last semester and I can certainly see how students can forget what titles were talked about. I think that an elementary school teacher can create an assignment where each student has to choose a book and create a podcast to be shown to other students. She could then archive them on a class website (or the school's website) to be viewed on demand. This would be an excellent tool for the media specialist to use when introducing new books to classes or when a student wants to try a new genre, etc.
ReplyDeleteA high school media specialist can also ask students once they have read a book to do a quick review of it via podcast and publish it electronically.
ReplyDeleteI love the ideas of creating Booktalks though podcasts. I love that you mentioned having students create booktalks. It would be a even more effective tool to have students create podcasts about their favorite books to entice their fellow students. I had never seen the WebTools4U2Use wiki before. This wiki provides tons of ideas for using podcasts in the media center. This is a link that I plan to share with the teachers in my school. Hopefully, they will see how effective podcasts can be for student engagement, and it will getting them as excited about using podcasts as I am! Thanks for all the information you provided.
ReplyDeleteI think students would love to record a booktalk on a podcast. Often students get nervous when everyone is looking at them when they are trying to talk in front of a group. This would allow students a calm, safe environment to record their thoughts (and erase and start over if needed) and then share them with the teacher or group later.
ReplyDelete