Integrating Podcasts into the World Language Curriculum

1
Integrating Podcasts into the World Language
Curriculum

• Donna and Richard Shelton
• Northeastern State University
• Tahlequah, OK

2
Introduction

• Short version of a workshop sponsored by the
  Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers Association
• Handouts include all workshop information,
  including instruction in Windows Movie Maker to
  add images and video to podcasts
• Due to time constraints we will cover some topics
  more thoroughly than others
• Examples will be in English with a China theme
  supported by photos and video from our trip
• Rick will be joining us later

3
Session topics

• The basics of podcasting
• Finding appropriate published media
• Creating podcasts inexpensively
• Using Windows Movie Maker
• New online services and tools
• Standards-based tasks using online media
• Assessing student performance in podcast

4
The Basics of Podcasting
5
The basics

• Podcasts are digital audio files available online
  for downloading or subscription
• Vodcasts have a video component
• Subscription capability necessary for true pod-
  or vodcasts
• RSS application makes subscription possible
• Listen on a computer or an MP3 player
• Podcasting software such as iTunes needed to
  subscribe
• Online directories list podcasts available
• Podcast or digital audio file creation is simple
  and inexpensive

6
The basics

• The subscription feature of true podcasts can be
  difficult to achieve
• IT staff can obtain open source RSS application
  for use on institutions server
• We will use the term podcast for any kind of
  online audio file and vodcast for any kind of
  online video/audio file
• Subscription or not
• Available from a website or wiki
• Stored in a course management system
• Accessed via link provided to students

7
The basics

• Advantages of using online audio and video files
• Support a range of content and/or tasks
• More accessible than or substitute for a lab
• Listening options and portability
• Addresses needs of auditory learners
• Content can be available to a wide audience
• Appeals to digital age students
• Students can record themselves

8
The basics

• Lets listen to an example related to our China
  theme
• Think and Talk Like Chinese, http//ttchinese.blog
  spot.com/
• Episode Eleven Chinese New Year/Spring Festival
• Posted by Cathy Lu on February 2, 2007

9
Finding Published Media
10
Finding published media

• Tremendous growth in podcasting in many languages
• Content for educational purposes can be difficult
  to find
• Various categories
• Language lessons created by other instructors,
  businesses, or agencies
• Audio and video files intended for target
  language audiences

11
Finding published media

• Podcasts created specifically for world language
  students
• NCLRC , The Language Resource Podcast,
  http//www.nclrc.org/about_teaching/podcast_traini
  ng.html
• Notes in Spanish, http//www.notesinspanish.com/
• Learn French by Podcast, http//www.learnfrenchbyp
  odcast.com/
• ChinesePod, http//chinesepod.com/
• Some sites charge for access or particular
  services

12
Searchable directories

• Yahoo! Podcasts, http//podcasts.yahoo.com/
• PodcastDirectory.com, http//www.podcastdirectory.
  com/
• Education Podcast Network, http//epnweb.org
• Podcasting News, http//www.podcastingnews.com/
• Podcast.net, http//www.podcast.net
• Podcast Alley, http//www.podcastalley.com
• The Podcast Network, http//www.thepodcastnetwork.
  com
• iTunes Podcasts, www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts
• Podfeed.net, http//www.podfeed.net/
• Odeo, www.odeo.com
• Digital Podcast, www.digitalpodcast.com

13
Creating Podcasts
14
Easy creation methods

• The least expensive
• PC software microphone
• In the middle
• Digital recorder PC software
• The most expensive
• iPod with recorder microphone PC
• Were going to review the first two methods

15
The least expensive method

• Your PC
• Windows Movie Maker
• Part of Windows XP operating system
• A microphone
• Available at large discount stores
• Plugs into the computer
• Total expense
• If you already have a PC with an XP operating
  system, about 8-10 for the microphone

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The least expensive method

• Plug the microphone into the computer
• Open Windows Movie Maker
• Click on the microphone icon
• Click on the Start Narration button and talk
• Click on the Stop Narration button
• Save the recording
• Creates a WMA or Windows Media Audio file

17
Windows Movie Maker
Click on the very small microphone icon here
18
Windows Movie Maker
Click on the Start Narration button here and
begin talking
19
Windows Movie Maker
Click on the Stop Narration button when you are
finished talking
20
Windows Movie Maker
Save the file as you would any other. Movie Maker
creates Windows Media Audio files.
21
The least expensive method

• Heres Rick with an audio file well hear again
  later
• Now well try it! Any volunteers?
• For podcasts without a subscription capability
• Upload WMA directly to a website or course
  management system
• For podcasts with a subscription capability
• Convert the WMA to MP3 format with iTunes or
  other software
• RSS software such as Drupal needed see your IT
  staff

22
What if I have an Apple?

• Modify this method by using an Apple-compatible
  recording application
• GarageBand, the basic version, comes with current
  operating systems
• QuickTime 7 Pro, around 30
• An upgrade to GarageBand, is part of the Apple
  suite called iLife, which is around 80

23
The middle of the range

• A digital recorder
• Depending on features, 50-120
• A microphone, if desired
• Your PC
• Conversion software such as iTunes
• For podcasts with a subscription capability

24
The middle of the range

• Plug the microphone into the recorder, if
  necessary
• Record the podcast
• Upload the file to the computer
• Process depends on type of recorder
• USB device recorders are the easiest to use
• Convert the file to MP3 format if necessary
• Upload the file to a website or course management
  system

25
iTunes
In iTunes under Edit, select Preferences. Go to
the Advanced tab, then the Importing tab. Choose
Import Using MP3 Encoder. With this setting you
can import all audio files into iTunes as MP3
files.
26
iTunes
In iTunes under Edit, select Preferences. Go to
the Advanced tab, then the Importing tab. Go to
Setting. Choose a Stereo Bit Rate of 48 to 64
kbps. Your file size will be more manageable.
27
What if I have an Apple?

• For this second method
• Digital recorders must have a USB connector, or
• Digital recorders must have Apple-compatible
  software

28
Adding video

• Use a digital video recorder
• A webcam or handheld camera
• Use an external microphone for the best sound
• Upload the video to your computer
• Edit the video with Windows Movie Maker for PCs
  or iMovie for Apples
• Upload to the website or course management system

29
A word about file size

• Audio and video files can be very large and less
  than user-friendly
• iTunes can compress audio files
• Windows Movie Maker can compress video files
• Camtasia, a multimedia editing application, is
  great for both audio and video

30
Lets watch a vodcast

• Ricks vodcast on using Windows Movie Maker to
  combine video and audio
• Screen capture functionality of Camtasia
• Two vodcasts available on NSUs podcasting server
  at http//ctl.nsuok.edu/drupal/?qnode/245
• This version
• Another using photographs rather than video
• Here are Ricks instructions
• Heres the vodcast he created

31
New services and technologies

• Podcast hosting
• MyPodcast.com, http//www.mypodcast.com/
• K-12 Podcasting Solutions, www.k12learn.com
• PodBean.com, www.podbean.com
• Audio forum and online podcast recording
• Odeo Studio, http//studio.odeo.com, allows
  podcast recording through your web browser
• Vaestro, www.vaestro.com, audio forum software
  accessed through your website
• Educational video and vodcast hosting
• TeacherTube, www.teachertube.com

32
Integrating Standards-Based Tasks Using Online
Media
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Standards-based tasks

• Three options for incorporating podcasts into
  curriculum
• Published podcasts (authentic or produced for
  language learners)
• Instructor-produced podcasts
• Student-produced podcasts
• Applications for all three communicative modes

34
Instructor-produced files

• Instructor-produced files
• Community members or campus visitors
• International students or heritage speakers
• Instructional content
• Pronunciation exercises
• Mini grammar lessons
• Other practice or review exercises
• Interpretive listening tasks
• Culturally appropriate
• Real-world language tasks
• Simulated authentic materials

35
Student-produced files

• Presentational speaking tasks
• Story telling
• Radio shows
• Advertisements
• Newscasts
• Audio pen pals
• Interpersonal speaking tasks
• Interviews
• Informal debates
• Recording facilitates testing logistics and
  evaluation

36
Standards-based tasks

• Focus on interpretive listening
• Published or instructor-produced media files
• For both language and content courses
• Preparation, background building, modeling
• See Lend Me an Ear Teaching Listening
  Strategies for World Language Learning at
  http//www.nclrc.org/about_teaching/topics/lang_le
  arn_strat.htmllend_ear
• Tasks should cross proficiency levels
• Interpersonal or presentational extension
  activities

37
Standards-based tasks

• Interpretive listening task categories
• Individual podcast-based tasks
• Podcast-based tasks as the first phase of an IPA
  (Integrated Performance Assessment)
• Extended tasks involving a series of podcasts
• Students at lower proficiency levels might
  generally use instructor-created or
  learner-targeted audio files
• Students at higher proficiency levels might
  generally use published target-language audience
  podcasts

38
Novice to Intermediate

• Individual, podcast-based interpretive listening
  task
• Instructor-created or learner-targeted podcasts

Example During a unit about the family, you
post to your class website an interview you
conducted with a community member about his/her
family. You ask the students to listen to the
file at home and to complete a chart with the
family information provided by the community
volunteer. At this proficiency level the
students need to focus on extracting the main
ideas and most important details, and therefore
the chart asks them to match the names of family
members with their relationship to the speaker.
39
Novice to Intermediate

• Using a podcast or other online audio file as
  part of an IPA
• Instructor-created or learner-targeted podcasts

Example Take digital photographs from your (or
a colleagues) trip to a foreign country, and use
Windows Movie Maker to combine the photos with a
voiceover. Create several slide shows, each
focused on a different location, and then post
them to your website. As the first phase of an
IPA, assign each student one of the slide shows.
As they listen they fill in a graphic organizer
with facts about each location. After they
complete the listening activity, the class is
divided into groups of students who watched
different shows, and they share what they learned
using the graphic organizers to facilitate their
speaking. In the third phase of the IPA students
create a travel brochure about places of interest
in the country.
40
Novice to Intermediate

• Extended interpretive listening task based on a
  series of podcasts
• Instructor-created podcasts only or in
  combination with published podcasts researched by
  the instructor

Example You decide to focus on a particular
region during a unit. You assemble a series of
podcasts that describe various aspects of life in
that location a weather forecast, a restaurant
ad, an interview with residents, a description of
an important event, and so on. Students complete
an interpretive listening task over each podcast.
At the end of the unit students write a simple
description of the area based on what they
learned through the podcasts and other class
activities.
41
Intermediate to Preadvanced

• Individual, podcast-based interpretive listening
  task
• Instructor-created or learner-targeted podcasts

Example During a unit on daily routines, you
post several audio files of volunteers describing
a typical day in their lives in their home
country or hometown in the US. You divide your
class into groups and assign each group to listen
to one of the files and to complete an
interpretive listening task. Students have
already listened to a comparable audio file in
class and have concentrated on the higher-level
aspects of the task, particularly the use of
context to infer the meaning of new words. After
students complete the assessment, they share what
theyve heard with their group, and then engage
in a jigsaw activity that allows them to share
with the other groups and describe their own past
and present routines.
42
Intermediate to Preadvanced

• Using a podcast or other online audio file as
  part of an IPA
• Instructor-created or learner-targeted podcasts

Example You create an IPA for a unit over
holidays and family celebrations, and for the
first phase you have several audio files in which
volunteers share anecdotes about their favorite
holidays. Students complete readings and engage
in interpersonal speaking activities before the
assessment cycle. The unifying context for the
IPA is the following you and your team of
cinematographers (a group of students) are
creating a documentary for a target
language-speaking audience comparing holiday
celebrations in the US and other countries. You
begin by listening to the recorded anecdotes.
Each member of the team listens to a different
recording and completes an interpretive task.
After receiving instructor feedback, you exchange
the information youve gathered via email, a
discussion board, or a wiki. Your video
documentary consists of narration by team members
based on your research and interviews with
individuals from the US and other countries.
43
Intermediate to Preadvanced

• Extended interpretive listening task based on a
  series of podcasts
• Instructor-created podcasts only or in
  combination with published podcasts researched by
  the instructor

Example As part of a semester-long project in
which students research the politics, economy,
and culture of one of several instructor-selected
countries, you provide students with a
combination of native speaker volunteer and
published podcasts. They complete separate
interpretive listening assessments over each
individual audio file, and then toward the end of
the course they summarize what they have learned
in a PowerPoint presentation to the class. The
project could be supplemented by interpretive
reading tasks.
44
Preadvanced to Advanced

• Individual, podcast-based interpretive listening
  task
• Published podcast researched by the instructor

Example During a unit over a film from a
target-language country, you provide students
with a link to a podcast review of the film. They
go to the link outside of class, download and
listen to the review, and complete the
interpretive listening assessment that you have
created based on the podcast. Students have
previous experience listening to other film
review podcasts during class, and they understand
and have practiced the various tasks of the
assessment, especially the identification of the
authors and the cultures perspectives. After
completing the assessment, students engage in a
writing task to share their reactions to the
review.
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Preadvanced to Advanced

• Using a podcast or other online audio file as
  part of an IPA
• Published podcasts researched by the instructor

Example You create an IPA for a unit over
environmental issues in the target-language
country or countries and you find several
appropriate podcasts. Before the assessment
cycle, the class completes reading and listening
assignments on the topic. The unifying context
for the IPA is the following you and your team
(a group of students) run a website devoted to
the protection of the environment. You are
researching global warming for a new website
article. As the first step in this project, each
team member listens to a different podcast and
completes an interpretive assessment. After
receiving feedback from the instructor on your
results, you move to the second phase, in which
you and your team gather to discuss what you have
learned. After your research is complete each
team member writes an article.
46
Preadvanced to Advanced

• Extended interpretive listening task based on a
  series of podcasts
• Published podcasts researched by the instructor
  or by the student with instructor approval

Example In a content course you assign a
project of several weeks duration in which
individual students research a particular event
in the recent history of a target
language-speaking country or an event that
affected the target language community in the US.
The project requires that students listen to
several podcasts. Students are responsible for
finding some of the podcasts, although the links
to the files must be submitted for approval.
Students complete separate interpretive listening
tasks on each podcast, and at the end of the
course they prepare a summary of the history of
the event and an interpretation of their view of
the consequences of the event for the country or
community affected.
47
Assessing Student Performance in Podcast Tasks
48
Assessing student performance

• Sources of assessment criteria for podcast-based
  tasks
• ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners,
  1998
• ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of
  Foreign Language Teachers, 2002
• ACTFL Integrated Performance Assessment Manual,
  2003

49
Assessing student performance

• ACTFL Performance Guidelines
• Novice, Intermediate, Preadvanced proficiency
• Describe language performance in six domains
• Comprehensibility
• Comprehension
• Language control
• Vocabulary
• Cultural awareness
• Communication strategies

50
Assessing student performance

• From example rubrics in ACTFL IPA manual
• Interpretive listening tasks
• Identification of the main idea
• Identification of the supporting details
• Inferring meaning of unfamiliar words in context
• Interpreting authors intent
• Offering a personal interpretation of the message

51
Assessing student performance

• From example rubrics in ACTFL IPA manual
• Presentational speaking tasks
• Content
• Attention to audience
• Comprehensibility
• Language functions
• Language control
• Discourse type

52
Assessing student performance

• From example rubrics in ACTFL IPA manual
• Interpersonal speaking tasks
• Content
• Comprehensibility
• Language function
• Language control
• Communication strategies
• Discourse type

53
Questions?

• For more technical questions, we will try to
  contact Rick via Skype
• Please feel free to email either of us with a
  question after the conference

54
Resources
Podcasting http//www.podcastingnews.com/articles/
What_is_Podcasting.html http//www.podcasting-tool
s.com/what-is-podcasting.htm Podcasting for
Foreign Language Education, http//www.utm.edu/sta
ff/globeg/flpodcasting.html Podcasting in the
Foreign Language Classroom, http//www.etech.ohio.
gov/programs/action/research/northolmsted.jsp Lend
Me an Ear Teaching Listening Strategies for
World Language Learning, http//www.nclrc.org/abou
t_teaching/topics/lang_learn_strat.htmllend_ear
Assessment American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages. ACTFL Performance Guidelines
for K-12 Learners. Yonkers, NY
ACTFL,1998. American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Language. ACTFL Program Standards for the
Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers. ACTFL,
2002. Glisan, Eileen W. et al. ACTFL Integrated
Performance Assessment, ACTFL, 2003
55
Thank you! Donna Shelton, sheltods_at_nsuok.edu Richa
rd Shelton, sheltorw_at_nsuok.edu