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2006 Knowledge Bank Rich Picture Case Studies
Epsom Primary School - Podcasting Living Histories

 

Name: Jenny Ashby and Damien Jenkyn
School: Epsom Primary School
Postal address: PO Box 632, Epsom, 3551
Telephone no: 5448 4318
Email: ashby@epsomps.vic.edu.au

 

Podcasting Living Histories

Damien and Jenny worked with students to interview past teachers, parents and students about their memories of their time at Epsom Primary School. The interviews were published as podcasts and a supporting profile page was published as a webpage. The project created an authentic task for Epsom’s 125th anniversary in October 2006.

 

Case study focus

The subject of the case study is podcasting in the classroom for teaching and learning.

This case study communicates how podcasting can be used by teachers and students to engage students in learning. The case study focused on podcasting of living history for our 125th school anniversary. Students in the middle years and in particular grade 6 were involved.

 

 

 

1. Type of activity undertaken through Knowledge bank case study

This case study will describe the implementation and results of using podcasting in the classroom. The students after creating a podcast of their own choice and in a group of their choice will design questions and conduct an interview with a past teacher, student or parent and create a webpage that has a profile of the interviewee along with a podcast of the interview.

2. Context of school or schools

Epsom Primary School
Loddon Campaspe Mallee Region
Semi- Rural
Size: 120 children
Grades Prep-6
5 classrooms
Class involved-mainly Grade 6 however all grades were exposed to
podcasting.
2 teachers-one specialist ICT and one classroom teacher (also principal)

Hardware used
Apple iBook laptops, emacs, Logitech USB microphones, iRivers, scanner, digital
Cameras, iPod

Software used
iTunes, GarageBand, iPhoto, Powerpoint, Kidspix, iWeb, Dreamweaver,
Fetch (uploading to internet), Appleworks, Word, Firefox, Safari.

3. Areas that case study addresses

• Integrating many VELS into one learning activity (VELS domains covered in this podcasting case study [PDF 29KB])
• Engaging middle years students. (POLT 2)
• Producing a product to be used at the 125th anniversary and to be added to on the day. (Authentic learning)
• Changing classroom pedagogy to include more use of ICT across the curriculum.
  (POLT 3.4)
• Taking part in the making of history i.e. Living History
• Using rubrics as an assessment tool. (POLT 5)
• Setting the stage for student digital portfolio’s to be created with the skills learned.
  (POLT 3)
• All the Principles of learning and teaching (POLT) have been targeted but in particular principle 6 was our focus.

Learning connects strongly with communities and practice beyond the classroom. In learning environments that reflect this principle the teacher:

* 6.1 supports students to engage with contemporary knowledge and practice
* 6.2 plans for students to interact with local and broader communities and community practices
* 6.3 uses technologies in ways that reflect professional and community practices.

4. What you are trying to do or improve?

• Improve the learning culture and engagement of the students.
• Share common goals throughout the curriculum areas.
• Include more ICT in the curriculum.
• Bring community links into the classroom.
• Provide authentic learning tasks.
• Include the use of rubrics as an assessment tool.
  
  

5. What has been achieved?

• The publishing of a Living History website with podcasts and webpages of the
  interviewee’s profile.
• Technical skills in creating podcasts.
• English skills in reading, writing and listening to have the interviews and record them.
• Higher engagement of students in learning.
• Students working in teams.
• Greater teamwork by teachers across the curriculum.
• Authentic learning environment provided to students.
• Rubrics used and modified.

6. What has been learnt?

• How to publish learning as a podcast.
• Working in a team and taking on various roles within the group and supporting each
  other.
• About our school history.
• Tech skills iPhoto, iTunes and GarageBand, taking screen shots.
• Saving work in various places on the network.
• Changing preferences of files.
• Navigating the network.
• Questioning skills - open and closed questions.
• Editing skills.
• The development of rubrics as the project continued.
• Time management.
• Reaching deadlines.
• Creating rubrics.
• Team teaching to complete the task.
• Searching on the internet for suitable sites for specific topics.
  

7. How this learning has been applied (or intended to apply) to practice?

• Podcasts and webpages have been created.
• Rubrics created were used in the assessment.
• Podcasts can be a choice for students to publish their learning.
• Podcasts and webpages to be launched at the 125th anniversary.
• 125th Blog to be accessed by many and read by students.
• Further use of blogs and rubrics with the students to improve learning.
  

Feedback from teacher and students

To date, the enthusiasm and positivity displayed by staff and students, has been very encouraging. Here are some excerpts from emails sent to me during the case study

"When we do our podcasts it is really fun. I can't wait every weds and Thurs to do the podcasts. My first 1 i did was Netball then I did make-up 4 both of them I went with Ellie and I chose her because me and her work really well together. From doing those podcasts I have learnt a lot about those subjects. If I got to choose another 1 I would probably choose Home + Away because I no a lot about it and I enjoy talking about it. Thank-u so much 4 the experience."

"I would like to do animals like dogs or pigs or any type of farm animals. I would like to always work in partners so we can work as a team and so if I get stuck they can help me."

"I really like podcasting. My best subject would have to be electronics."

"I was emailing you to tell you that I think podcasting is fun as!! If I could I would have done AFL for my podcast because I know lots about AFL."

"Podcasting is ÄWËSÖMË!! I really like doing it and it is fun because you are working with your friends."

"Its really fun. I enjoying do it. I find it really fun trying new things out. I like working in groups because it gives me a chance for other people to teach me things."

"I really like how we got to choose what the podcast was about. I enjoy making the music for GarageBand too because I got to be creative and use the new software. I think you are great at explaining it too. I really like the opportunity to do such a fun task, so thank you!!"

"You are pretty good at showing us how to use GarageBand, if you are learning how to use it too. I am REALLY enjoying doing the interviews and webpages for the
125th Anniversary, because it is something different and fun."

Damien Jenkyn (team teacher in the project)
"By the way, the grade 6 kids and I have really enjoyed working on the podcasts/webpages project. I’m really enjoying getting into using the technology more in my room and my teaching. It’s a hell of a lot of work but the kids and you and I have had a ball. The project has been very rich in literacy, thinking and children working together successfully. I thank you for the support you’ve provided me with. I’ve enjoyed working with you on this project. We must do MORE!!!!"

8. How the application of the new knowledge/skills has impacted on student learning outcomes and teacher inclusion of ICT in the classroom

Impact	Measures used
Improved Report Writing and question writing	Rubrics. Editing of writing. Each draft was collected.
Improved communication and team work skills	Observation of team work Listening to podcasts and use of rubric
Improved use of network	Work saved in the global shared folder, own folders and on desktop
New software successfully used	Garageband, iphoto and itunes and iweb. Podcasts and webpages created successfully
Engagement of students	Emails to verify student opinions • Observation of students at work • Completion of work on time • Students plan for further podcasts and webpages to be made
Increased use of ICT in the classroom	More frequent borrowing of laptops and use of computer lab out of specialist timetable.

 

9. Unexpected outcomes

• Teamwork between students became one of the most important features of the case study. We realised that we need to work more in this area and plan to create a program in teamwork for our school to follow in the future. We will be investigating further activities and workshops that are available about developing teamwork with students.
  
  
• Students have chosen webpages and podcasts to publish their presentations of their time at Epsom PS for the Grade 6 graduation at the end of the year.
  Other grades are wanting to create podcasts from hearing about the podcasting case study and the grade 6’s podcasts.
  
  
• The use of rubrics was interesting as the rubric kept changing as we developed our skills. On reflection I would have liked the rubric to be used more by the students. We looked at it at the beginning half way through and at the end. I would like students to use it more as a working document daily as they completed the project. Also I would like more feedback from the students as to the validity of the rubric and how easy or not it was understood. Lastly I would like the rubric to be created with the students and in their language totally.
  An electronic whiteboard would be good for this as we could edit and create the rubric together. At the end I printed 3 rubrics one for the students (blue) one for peers to evaluate the students' work (green) and one for the teacher (white). Different colors were used to enable the students to see easily who had used the rubric to assess their work.

10. What you hope to achieve in the future, drawing on the case study

• Over the next three months we hope to build on skills that will develop our student’s ability to work in teams.
• Students will create podcasts and webpages to present at graduation night about their time at primary school.
• Reallocate the laptops in the computer lab so that each class has 6 computers all day everyday to allow for greater ICT use in the classroom.
• Students to coach other classes in podcasting and other classes to create podcasts.
• Podcasting will be used to record student oral reading twice a year and attitudes towards reading, writing and maths.
• Rubrics will be further investigated so they are used regularly and include a Self-assessment and peer assessment component.
• 125th Anniversary to be the stage for our websites and interviews along with the blogging site.
• The 125th blogging site will be used for reading practise by the students. A blogging site is to be set up for the class to record their learning.
• Further planning strategies will be investigated for use with podcasting
• A further development in a sense of history of our school from reading the blogs.
• Students to feel proud of their work and gain self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Teachers creating podcasts and working in teams.

11. Difficulties

• Time, many other extra curricular activities were on at the same time. I.e. school concert, athletics and gymnastics and bookweek celebrations.
  
  
• Selection of electronic equipment for recording, microphones, irivers and an ipod. What should we buy? What would be the best value and user friendly?
  
  I first purchased iRivers (after 4 visits to the electronics store as they didn’t think the iRivers would be compatible with the Apple laptops and I had to persuade them to let me try one.) and we used them to record our first podcasts. The iRivers then had to be downloaded to the laptops via itunes (mp3 files) and then put into the podcast. Also the iRivers were too good at picking up sound like the inbuilt microphones in the laptops. The microphones were half the price of the rivers and they had the ability to be turned down to try and eliminate background noises. As well the microphones recorded straight to GarageBand which was easier than downloading and handling files. The iRivers have greater portability and will be good for recording on the run during excursions and outside activities. (Perhaps during the 125th anniversary celebrations) An iPod was purchased and the podcasts have been downloaded so the children can listen to them and see how their graphic looks on an iPod. The iPod will be loaned to students to take home and show their parents their work. As well we can show the podcasts on television via a cable and the iPod. The iPod will be used for further instructional and listening activities for the students. Teachers and students will make Podcasts.
  
  
• Students working on various tasks at one time can seem daunting.
  
  
• Only seeing the class twice a week. (I would have liked to develop questioning and listening more along with the use of follow up questions that may have not been planned Also I would have liked to view interviews on television and radio with the children to learn about interviewing).
  
  
• Storage of files and easy access for everyone, also to enable easy daily backups.
  
  
• Uploading of files to the internet – bandwidth issues and software issues.
  
  
• File paths for linking files for rss feeds.
  
  
• Communication between teachers due to time constraints.
  
  
• Recording in a quiet place, eliminating background noise, there always seems to be noise in schools.

12. Conclusion

Podcasting in the classroom provided engagement for the students and put everyone including the teachers on the same learning platform. Students learnt from teachers and teachers learnt from students. The students wrote with willingness not a “have to” attitude. All aspects of literacy were used in the one project, speaking and listening, reading and writing.

Podcasting is another choice for students to use to publish their learning and to communicate with the world. It also caters very well for group or teamwork between students and creates an authentic task for students.

The Living History case study has been very successful in providing engagement in learning for students and for learning not only of the technical aspects but for team work and team teaching to occur.

 

 

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