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Utilizing a Podcast to Immerse High School Students in Literacy
in MLA format, editing in small writing groups, and preparing the oral presentation component for their final. If I would have followed the traditional method of assigning a research paper with an oral presentation to the class, the students would have felt the task was overwhelming and, most likely, many would not have even made an attempt to complete the assignment. However, when I modified the framework of the assignment to fit the podcast format, the students' attitudes and motivation were transformed as well.
The best part of this whole process was that I witnessed my students find their strengths.
Some students gave excellent, detailed instructions on advanced automotive repair, while others explained how to properly set up a milk barn. Others explained how to use a slice to your advantage in golf or simply gave the steps needed to make quesa-dillas. All of my students realized what it meant to have situational literacy like Vacca and Vacca (2005) demonstrated in their com-parison with the workplace--they were using task-specific terminologies and jargon to their professional advantages. It was exciting to see my students discover they were suddenly an expert in a capacity they had never dreamed, but it also taught their teacher something-- students (and teachers) need to be open-minded to situational literacy.
During the students' presentations, I heard terms and procedures of which I had never known. I did not know that a person must first sterilize an udder before milking or else the bacteria could contaminate their yield. I did not know that a tarantula would shed its hairs as a defense mechanism and a person should use caution when handling one. My students helped me understand that we must develop skills to be literate in all aspects of life, and one of the first ways to do this is to listen and to keep an open mind. There is always some-thing new to learn and there is always some-one to teach us. My students figured out they had something to contribute and thus listened to others. Honestly, though, I think I learned more about listening and learning from others than they did, and I learned the very important lesson that using technology with today’s technology-minded students can cause them to get involved in literacy in ways I had not experienced before. Technology and situational literacy were the keys to unlocking my students’ interest and involvement.
References
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers:
Maximizing impact on learning. London, UK: Routledge.
Vacca, R.T., & Vacca, J.A.L. (2005). Content area
reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
"Reading is as situational in
the content areas as it is in
the workplace, where the
demands placed on a reader
will vary from subject matter
to subject matter."
(Vacca & Vacca, 2005, p. 7)
Josh Cantrell taught English at Marshfield High School for five years before moving to Central High School in Springfield. He has worked with the Missouri Writing Project and is a two-time presenter at the Missouri Write to Learn Conference, teaching other teachers how to bring podcasting into their own classrooms.