PODCAST WRITTEN COMPONENT

Joe Rice
LITR 630
July 2, 2015
Podcast Lesson Written Component
Purpose
The purpose of this lesson is introduce students to Readers Theater and Podcasts. I will
be teaching students the process of Readers Theater and that the purpose is that students are able
to improve their reading fluency and comprehension of text. The students will read a story, learn
parts to replay the story, then be recorded onto a podcast as they play their parts. Students will
be able to replay each podcast they make throughout the year so that they can self-assess their
progress on their reading and voice fluency.
ILA Standards
This assignment meets Standard 1.2 Candidates understand the historically shared
knowledge of the profession and changes over time in the perceptions of reading and writing
development, processes, and components because by using podcasting to engage students in
Readers Theater they are improving their reading fluency and comprehension. I using current
and relevant technology in education to show that I understand that times have changed and
technology is a new tool to use to help students meet standards. It also meets 2.2 Candidates use
appropriate and varied instructional approaches, including those that develop word recognition,
language comprehension, strategic knowledge, and reading-writing connections because I used
varied instruction approaches such as read aloud, choral reading, readers theater, whole-group
and small group instruction, and a gradual release framework. All of the strategies worked
toward engaging students in a technology enriched lesson to help them improve both reading

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fluency and comprehension. Standard 2.3 Candidates use a wide range of texts from traditional
print, digital, and online resources is demonstrated because in the lesson I use traditional and
digital texts such as when I read aloud the book Five Little Monkeys, project the readers theater
script on the SMART board, and provide the students with printed out copies of the script. 4.2
states that candidates uses a literacy curriculum and engage in instructional practices that
positively impact students knowledge, beliefs, and engagement with the features of diversity.
This standard is met because by intentionally grouping students into groups of mixed levels and
personalities, I provide students with opportunities to experience the knowledge and beliefs of
their peers in the contexts of literacy. Standard 5.1 candidates design the physical environment
to optimize students use of traditional print, digital, and online resources in reading and writing
instruction is met because as previously mentioned, I use both traditional print outs of the script
and the projected script on the SMART Board for a choral reading. Students will be set on the
reading carpet for whole-group parts and be able to spread around the classroom for small group
practice.
ISTE Standards
Students are meeting ISTE Standard 1.a apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,
products, or processes because they will be using their creativity to produce a readers theater
performance and ultimately a podcast. Also, 2.a interact, collaborate, and publish with peers,
experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media is met because students
will be working in groups to interact, collaborate, and publish a podcast with the help of the
teacher. The podcasts will be published on the class website. Students will engage with standard
4.d use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions because they
will be working every week to focus on how they can improve their reading fluency and

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comprehension. Through continued readers theater practice and other literacy activities, such as
guided reading groups and shared reading lessons, students will use multiple resources and
perspectives to learn strategies and processes to improve their reading fluency and
comprehension.
KTS6
This lesson meets the KTS standard 6.1 uses available technology to design and plan
instruction because we will be using computers, audio recording software (like Audacity and
iTunes), and our classroom website to publish podcasts for all students to monitor their growth
throughout the year. Standard 6.2 uses available technology to implement instruction that
facilitates student learning is demonstrated through using the SMART Board to project the script
for choral reading as well as providing students with their own podcasts through the class
website. I think that the element important here is that students will be able to self-monitor and
self-assess their own learning and growth in reading fluency and comprehension as well as
providing incentive and motivation to work had due to the inclusion of parents, peers, and other
school staff having access to listen to the podcasts as well. Standard 6.5 demonstrates ethical
and legal use of technology is demonstrated because I am modeling to the students some
appropriate ways to use podcasting and websites as tools to grow as learners. In addition, all
students will be turn in permission from parents before their work is published online and the
website will be restricted to individuals that are given access online such as parents, students,
and other school staff.
Literature and Technology
Putman & Kingsley (2009) discuss that students are now already immersed in technology
through various ICTs in their daily lives. It is a natural fit for teachers to integrate this

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technology into instruction such as using podcasting (p. 100-101). Podcasting is a way to record
a students voice and provide them with opportunities to listen to that recording multiple times.
Students can listen to their own recordings and hear how their voice (such as in the context of
reading fluency) sounds to other listeners. They could then be able to create goals and focus on
improving their reading fluency. Podcasting can also be a useful tool in helping student within
the writing process through hearing how another student reads their writing, enabling them to
hear areas that need revision and editing.
Vasinda & McLeod (2011) discuss how readers theater is a powerful tool that engages
students in repeated readings that result in comprehension gains (p. 486). They also discuss how
integrating podcasting into readers theater, keeping it an auditory activity, is a way to introduce
concepts of new literacies that can be learned through using technology (p. 487). Technology
can be a powerful tool in motivation and engagement but it can also provide an authentic and
meaningful purpose for students to create and work on goals to improve their literacy. Through
this lesson, and throughout the year, students will know that other adults and their peers will be
looking at their work and celebrating their growths.
TPACK
In designing this lesson, I demonstrated all three areas of TPACK to show that I can use
technology, content knowledge, and pedagogy. Creating a podcast was new to me, however, I
was already familiar with listening to podcasts. Through the readings in this course I have
learned how powerful podcasting can be even for the youngest students. Within the technology
component of TPACK, I will be using podcasting to help students gain a lasting motivation to
improve their reading comprehension and fluency. Students will create podcasts weekly (with
the help of the teacher). Parents and other school community members will be enlisted to

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encourage students. In regards to the pedagogy, I will be using the gradual release framework of
modeling, guided practice, independent practice, and publishing their work. Students will
engage in whole-group and small group instruction in which they will practice reading fluently in
collaboration with their peers. Technology is important here because it is the end goal that the
students are working toward as a piece of publication. The content knowledge comes in with
mini-lessons on comprehension, guided reading group focused lessons, and interactions with
their peers all for students to learn strategies and tools that help them to comprehend text they are
reading as well as improve their own reading fluency with speaking and listening. All three parts
play important roles in that the podcasts will be a product the students create after learning the
process of readers theater to help them increase their reading fluency and comprehension.
Common Core State Standards
The CCSS RF.K.1 Follow words from left to right, top to bottom and page by page is met
through the choral reading as a review of the skill that students must be able to read a text
following the pattern of reading. RF.K.4 Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and
understanding is demonstrated through the script that students will be reading. The script was
written intentionally for kindergarten students to be able to read on their reading level. Students
will be purposeful in the readers theater activity of practicing the reading fluency. RL.K.10
Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding is demonstrated
through all students being engaged in whole-group and small group instructional activities with
clear expectations and directions. Students will know from the beginning of the lesson the
purposes of the activities and what the end goal is (creating a podcast and improving their
fluency). SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly is
demonstrated through the final product of the podcast. Students will be practicing and

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collaborating with each other helping one another improving the sound of their voices and
understanding of the text through portraying the characters in the scripts appropriately.

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References
Putman, S. M., & Kingsley, T. (2009). The atoms family: Using podcasts to enhance the
development of science vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 63(2), 100-108.
Vasinda, S., & McLeod, J. (2011). Extending readers theatre: A powerful and purposeful match
with podcasting. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), 486-497.