Of all the technology that I thought I would be using in my classroom, Podcasting was probably going to be the last one that came to mind.  I was thinking of Podcasting in the wrong context.  Listening to a podcast doesn’t seem to be that interesting and I don’t think students would be all that impressed.  On the other hand, having students create a The possibilities for podcasting with students is as wide and varied as the teachers imagination.  Recently in my class I had my students write a newsletter on ancient and contemporary Africa.  They wrote the newsletter using Microsoft Publisher.  The hard part was already complete.  The students had their thoughts written down and all we had to do was record their voices.  The students had a mixture of anxiety and excitement during the project.  Once we started recording though all of their fears were washed away.  They had the comfort of knowing that the material was already finished.  All they had to do was practice reading it a few times and when their time came, read aloud into the microphone.

            All you need to get started is a computer, a microphone and a software system for recording.  There are many software systems out there.  Audacity is an easy, user friendly  program.  The hardest part of podcasting, however, are the intangibles that come with any project.  Even though my students were prepared to record their voices, there were many times when the students stuttered, laughed or just plain froze.  To be honest, that was the only frustrating aspect of podcasting. podcast would open up many possibilities for enhancing students’ learning. 

            Once the students get over the embarrassing aspect of having their voices recorded, they will hopefully see that it can be very motivating and easy to accomplish.  Students need to be communicating their ideas and thoughts in different modes.  Podcasting allows students the opportunity to use technology in a manner that enhances their understanding of real world applications.