A new phenomenon is sweeping the internet. David Baugh investigates how
podcasting could soon be arriving at a classroom near you. Read the full story.
Musselburgh Grammar School in East Lothian has been using podcasts to
keep pupils informed with audio files containing entertainment,
achievements of the school and news on forthcoming whole-school events.
It is also used in the modern foreign language department to get audio
recordings of vocabulary and listening tasks to pupils.
French and German teacher, Ewan McIntosh explains, "I can force-feed
vocab to pupils every week when they synchronise their MP3 player with
the latest Britney Spears or Slipknot. They can then practise the vocab
or listening material on the bus, in the park or in their bedroom."
The idea of force-feeding perhaps needs some explanation. "A podcast
can't be left in the bottom of a schoolbag, like a conventional vocab
sheet so it will always be there in the music library on the computer
and on the iPod," says Ewan.
The other exciting aspect of podcasting is the chance for pupils to
create their own podcasts. This could take the form of a virtual school
trip to Normandy, an idea used at Musselburgh Grammar School or, say, a
radio station.
