Jessie Holtzman-Rich

LITR 630
Podcast Assignment Written Component
November 24, 2014
Introduction

The podcast lesson I have created for my fifth graders addresses International Reading
Association Standards (IRA), International Educational Technology Standards for Students
(NETS*S), the Kentucky Teacher Standard #6 (KTS6), and Common Core State Standards in
English Language Arts (CCSS). During two to three 70-minute class periods, fifth grade students
will have an opportunity to 1) self-select a childrens book that is suitable for a kindergartener, 2)
record themselves reading the book aloud using the program Audacity, and 3) while practicing
and making the recording, demonstrate their understanding of pace, accuracy, enunciation and
expression when reading. The podcast lesson is designed to help students learn and improve the
necessary strategies and skills needed to function in the 21st century and beyond.

International Reading Association Standards

The podcast lesson addresses IRA standard 2.2, Candidates use appropriate and varied
instructional approaches, including those that develop word recognition, language
comprehension, strategic knowledge, and reading-writing connections. The lesson asks students
to record themselves reading a piece of childrens literature aloud. By allowing the students to
practice and record again and again until they feel comfortable with the way the recording
sounds, the lesson builds students language development and proficiency, not to mention

confidence. In order to demonstrate pace, accuracy, enunciation and expression, students will
also need to comprehend what it is that they are reading. Giving students the opportunity to
record their voices for an authentic audience also addresses IRA standard 5.1, Candidates design
the physical environment to optimize students' use of traditional print, digital, and online
resources in reading and writing instruction. Students will learn how to use Audacity and then
be given time in the computer lab to record themselves.
National Educational Technology Standards for Students
At the end of the lesson, each student will have created a recording that has never existed
before. In this way, the podcast lesson addresses NETS*S 1: Creativity and innovation, students
must demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and
processes using technology. When making the recording, some students may choose to add
appropriate sound effects and music to enhance the end product. Creating the recording helps
students build their reading skills and proficiency. To create a recording worth sharing to an
authentic audience, students must practice and show their understanding of pace, accuracy,
enunciation and expression. They will have to understand the book and story line and the
characters, so that they can modify their voices accordingly. Students will have to ask themselves
if, at any point in the story, their voices should be soft or loud, fast or slow. Making these
decisions will deepen their own understanding of the book, and the more they understand and
demonstrate that understanding the more their kindergarten buddies will understand the book. By
sharing their recordings with their kindergarten buddies, the lesson also supports the
kindergarteners reading skills. In many ways, the fifth graders will be modeling what it means
to be a good oral reader. In these ways, the lesson meets NETS*S 2: Communication and
collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work

collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the

learning of others. In addition, students can share their recordings with their peers, which can
promote further learning. Together, the teacher and the students can point out what each student
does well in the recording and turn it into another learning opportunity.
Kentucky Teacher Standard 6
The podcast lesson supports KTS 6. The lesson relies on technology, and more
specifically Audacity, for the lesson to be carried out. Both the teacher and the students need to
understand out to use Audacity effectively. In this way, 6.1, Uses available technology to design
and plan instruction, 6.2, Uses available technology to implement instruction that facilitates
student learning, and 6.3, Integrates student use of available technology into instruction are
being met. After the recordings are completed, the teacher must listen to the recordings in order
to assess each student, which addresses 6.4, Uses available technology to assess and
communicate student learning. Finally, through modeling and guidance, the teacher is addressing
and reinforcing 6.5, Demonstrates ethical and legal use of technology.
Common Core State Standards
The lesson addresses Common Core Language Arts State Standards. Students not only
need to learn how to read published literature silently, but they also need to be able to
confidently read text aloud and show awareness of pace, accuracy, enunciation and expression.
Before making the recording, each student must practice; they must make sure they understand
how to pronounce each word in the book. They must understand what each word means in order
to communicate the right tone and convey meaning. They need to become familiar with the text
in order to read it well. By doing the necessary preparation and the recording, the students will
be addressing the following Common Core Standards by the end of the lesson:

Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end
of the grades 45 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and

morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in
context and out of context.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

How the Lesson Connects to the Literature

Podcasts are effective instructional tools for a multitude of reasons. Creating podcasts
encourage students to self-monitor and self-correct. Students may think they are reading well and
fluently, but actually hearing a recording of themselves may tell them otherwise. The process of
completing the assignment may draw their attention to something that they need to work on. The
podcasting engages two senses: hearing and seeing (Davis, 2009). By making a recording,
students can see for themselves if they are being clear, loud enough, pronouncing words
correctly, and if the story they are reading is flowing and engaging (Davis, 2009). It takes
practice for a student to read a text correctly word-for-word (Davis, 2009), but many students
wont take the time to practice, and thus, they wont improve. A podcast assignment that will
later be listened to by a real audience does give the students the opportunity, place and
motivation to practice in order to get a good result. Many schools have banned podcasts and
similar technologies because they consider them distractions, but research as proven otherwise.
When used intentionally and effectively, podcasts can be great learning tools. One of the

attractions of podcasting as a learning tool is that learners can create content relatively quickly
and easilywith the intention and capacity to reach an authentic audience (Smythe, 2010).

Lesson Demonstrates an Understanding of the TPACK Model

So often students are asked to show their reading proficiency to their teachers by being
asked to read a text aloud in class, but students do not often get a chance to hear themselves read
and evaluate themselves. By asking students to practice and record themselves reading a piece of
published childrens literature, the students are being asked to be more reflective learners. They
will be able to listen to their own recordings and decide for themselves if they need to redo it.
They will need to ask themselves if their recording demonstrated pace, accuracy, enunciation and
accuracy. Pedagogically, I know students are motivated when they can use technology and when
they are doing something for an authentic audience. In all of these ways, my podcast lesson
combines technology, pedagogy and content knowledge. TPACK is achieved.