Blog Post #4

I got the opportunity to listen to 3 podcasts from first graders. At first I was wondering what could this teach children besides how to read a script and act? BUT as I dug deeper and listened to all three podcasts, I realized that this activity would teach the students the following skills: listening, speaking, presenting, comprehension, storytelling, performance, voice acting, media and technology.

The first podcast I listened to was "Langwitches 1st Graders Create Own Read Along Book". The first graders read "Dinosaurs Before Dark" and you could hear the excitement in their little voices. They were getting so into the story and you could really tell how much they were enjoying themselves. This book was pretty long, but the kids kept up and the same energy through out the entire podcast. The script would help the other students follow along with the voices. It sure helped me.

The second podcast I viewed was "Langwitches Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting". The first thing that you notice if you listen to this podcast is that it is in a different language. A lot of the reading are in Hebrew. I personally don't know Hebrew, but it was very fun to listen too. These second graders really surprised me with their ability to speak Hebrew. I wondered if they were in a Hebrew class for Jewish beliefs or if they are learning to just learn it? Either way it was very exciting to hear this!

The final podcast I viewed was "Langwitches Flat Stanley Podcast". The children told a story about Flat Stanley who travels the world. The imagination behind this project was astounding. These little kids put so much enthusiasm in this story and kept their energy levels up the entire time! The student, Emily, who visited AL was absolutely adorable. She talked about Tuscaloosa and learning how to say Roll Tide. She talked about our beautiful beaches and the whole time I listened to their stories I couldn't help but to smile.