Oral and visual language underpins the development of written language and promotes effective listening and speaking alongside reading and writing programs.  Purposeful talk should underpin all language activities. 

Children solve practical tasks with voice as well as eyes and hands (Vygotsky).  Talking is the most natural form of communication and the only one that some will use after they leave school.  Oral language is the most important skill to be taught in the classroom.  Children with language difficulties achieve lower than peers.

Research from the I Can Talk Series provides evidence that children with persistent language difficulty achieve lower academically.  Oral communication is also related to math achievement – vocabulary, sequencing, and concept formation.  Poor conversation skills also hinder social development that carries over through adult years.  “Oral language is vital; we need to do more.”

Podcasting provides children the opportunity to think, communicate, and it supports literacy.   

Developing a podcast includes four basic steps – planning, producing, publishing, and promoting. 

  • Planning
    • Determine the content / curricular application
    • Research / gather information
    • Write a script / storyboard … plan what you will say; consider the attention span of your audience
  • Producing
  • Publishing with RSS feed capability (www.gcast.com)
  • Promoting – let your audience know how to access your podcast

That said,

Podcasting is a tool for our generation of learners that has practical application in the classroom.  It is not intended to be the panacea; however, effective and appropriate use engages students and makes a meaningful impact instructionally. 

Take advantage of what speaks to this generation of learners and put podcasting into your arsenal of tools.