Podcasts in the Classroom

I've listened to a couple podcasts that were made by elementary school students before I made my own (which was pretty fun, by the way). The first one I listened to was a Willow Web podcast about energy. It was so cool! The kids talked about renewable energy and how it is used. The entire podcast was made by kids, and it was very well done. The kids were all working together, and it is obvious that they did a good bit of research. The podcast was broken up into segments, which made it flow really well. There was also upbeat music in the podcast. I can't get over how good it was. And Mrs. Huett said it wasn't one of their best; I'd love to hear what's considered to be their better work! The second one I listened to was a Coley Cast titled Early English Settlements in North America. Like the Willow Web cast, it had upbeat music, was segmented, and was done entirely by kids. The students clearly knew their stuff; they were using lots of vocabulary terms like colony, charter, cash crop, and indentured servants. The only complaint I have about it is that it didn't seem quite as well rehearsed as the Willow Web cast. The kids stuttered a little and stumbled over some words. I think that with a little practice - maybe running through the cast a few times or even editing out the stumbles - it would've been a lot better.
Podcasts are such neat things to use in the classroom. Like the digital stories, doing a podcast would be a great way to finish up a unit. It could also be used as a study tool; the kids could record things they've learned that could show up on a test and then listen to the podcasts to study. If the technology is available to me, I think I might actually use these in my classroom. I used to be so against technology in the classroom, but it's actually starting to grow on me. I'd still rather have textbooks, novels, paper, pencils and a blackboard than a bunch of computers and technology, but if I could have both, I think it could be very beneficial to my students.
Okay, a picutre for this time.... This one is of my little sister and my step-dad when he was in the hospital. He was in the ICU for 10 days because part of the membrane around his brain had started to rupture. It was over a year ago, and it was a really scary time. I thank God every day that he is still here with us. Now, it's as if nothing ever happened; he's totally healthy! :)