Fall 2015 Intern
In late 2014, a 12-part podcast focusing
on a high school murder case called Serial
became mainstream news. Serial reached
5
million downloads faster than any podcast before
it. But it wasn’t just radio and podcast fanatics who tuned in.
English teacher Michael Godsey decided
to use Serial in his tenth and eleventh
grade classes. Students were instantly hooked on the murder mystery. They held
mock debates, examined evidence gathered by Serial
host Sarah Koenig and even made their own podcasts.
Linda Flanagan writes for KQED, “Godsey is one of a
growing number of educators who are using podcasts like Serial to motivate their classrooms and address education
requirements set by the Common Core state standards. Improving students’
listening skills is one of the essential components of the new education
mandates, and using audio in the classroom can be an effective way to promote
listening.” Thanks to well-made, engaging podcasts like Serial, teachers like Godsey can make sure their students are actively
listening and absorbing the information. The students can learn while also
being entertained.
Other teachers across the country
have been using episodes from podcasts such as This American Life and Radiolab
to educate their students. I listen to these podcasts routinely, so I’m
glad to hear that educators are encouraging the audio world for their students.
Podcasts have made interesting topics more accessible than ever before. A world
of knowledge is at your eardrums. Here’s hoping Serial season two is just as gripping and educational!
DID YOU KNOW?
Earlier this year, PSG wrote about
educational podcasts specifically for children. There are podcasts for kids of
all ages focusing on a variety of subjects like reading and science—take a look
at the blog
post to find out more!
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