Using Podcasting in the class

    When I first heard about podcasting, I wondered why it’s so popular since there’re so many audio files on the internet. After browsing some information about it, I found it is unique because people can not only find a huge variety of new and interesting content but also can listen to what you want, when you want, and how you want. In addition, the audio files can be automatically downloaded to your computer and synced to your MP3 play. You also can create your own “radio”-style show and broadcast it to the world. It is really interesting.

    I chose one episode of podcasting English Café 498  in ESL Pod  as my teaching material. This audio material contains three part: introducing a famous movie, sharing a popular website, and answer some questions. When listening to the introduction of the movie Mary Poppins, we can not only hear the content of the movie. We can also know about the background of the movie. For example, women had no right to vote until 1920. Moreover, some words are spelled slowly and explained in detail such as nanny, nursery and so on. When listening to the question what the meaning of “oblivion” and “overwhelm” are, we can hear that the words were repeated twice and explained by a lot of examples.

    This is an interesting listening material that are suitable for students whose listening ability is “L.3.4.c Listen and respond appropriately to presentations and performances of peer or published works such as original essays or narratives, interpretations of poetry, or individual or group performances of scripts” according to Michigan EnglishLanguage Proficiency Standards. 

    I don’t think I will use all of them since it is so long that students cannot finish the listening and understand the content of the audio in the class. I can choose part of them such as the movie as my teaching material to teach my students how to get the main idea, how to get details and how to take notes when listening. In the class, I can ask my students to listen to the material and take notes. Then, I can talk with them about the movie to assess whether they get the plot of the movie, that is, the main idea of the listening. In addition, I can check them the words that are mentioned in the listening to see whether they can get the detail of the listening. I can ask them to explain the meaning of the words or ask them to make sentences using these words. Finally, to know whether they can take notes when listening, I can ask them to hand in their notes and score them.

     As a matter of fact, I think podcasting is very useful for students to improve their listening after class. They can choose what they like and listen in their spare time.

Polleke’s Blue Room

http://www.freakinrooms.com/games/pollekesblueroom/

    Since I like to play escape game when I was a student, so I chose Polleke’s Blue Room. It is a house with four rooms (four images), and you have to escape the house according to the clues you get. Maybe there is something wrong with my mouse, or maybe I am not familiar with this game, it took me nearly an hour to play this game.

 

    Even though the image is simple, the game is complex since not only should you be careful about every detail but also you should think about the relationship among the clues. I think it is a good game that can be used to teach students who are at early intermediate level. According to Michigan English Language Proficiency Standards,students who are at this level can start short conversations on simple topics,can understand basic narrative text and authentic materials,and can write simple notes and write short reports using basic vocabulary,and common language structures.I can make use of this game to teach them some vocabulary, try describe the procedure of a task (learn to use imperatives to give instructions and learn to express order such as first, next, then, finally…), and follow the instructions to complete a task.

     In the class, the teacher can be an instructor and assistor, and the students can be the game player and center of the class. My class can be divided into three stages. First, I will introduce the game to the students and ask them to play the games without the walk through in a limited time (about 40 minutes). Meanwhile, I will ask the students pay attention to the vocabulary on the top left corner. Students can memorize some words when they click on the objects in the game.

 

    It is impossible for all students to finish the game in the limited time. At this time, ask two or three students who perform better in the game to describe how they play the game to other students who fall behind. At this time, students must make use of the images of the game to explain the procedures of the game and use the word that appeared in the game. If students have difficulty in explaining, teacher and other student can give them a hand. 

 

    Finally, show students the walk through and ask them to finish the task according to the walk through. I don’t think all students can finish the game in the class because it requires extreme carefulness and patient. So they can play the game after class and discuss how they play it in the next class. Meanwhile, I can check whether they master the vocabulary, the imperatives by describing part of the procedure of the game.
    I think that assessment can be informal and formal in many different ways.  I can check their words according to their description of how to finish the game as well as giving them a quiz such as fill in the blanks or multiple-choice. When checking whether they can describe the procedure of the task, I can ask the students discuss the game strategies in the class or write short notes when they play the game.

    It is really an interesting game. It can help students learn something new as well as having the sense of achievement. I can still remember the great joy when I put the numbers I collected together.