PodCasts I will use

I found all sorts of useful sites with ideas for podcast uses in the classroom as well as actual podcasts for my students to use.
Yesterday I did a lesson with my TOEFL class using the following podcast at NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128514329


My students really like to do current events so we have chosen stories together to ready and discuss from various online news resources. Yesterday we listened to 3 podcasts which are part of a 5 part series on the stat of the European Welfare State. The podcasts were a wonderful way for students to listen to a topic of interest and then to discuss as a class. I also had them listen to the final podcast and write their thoughts about the economy in their own words.

Here are other PodCast sites which I joined:
The Podcast Directory Here is a wealth of information on podcasts.
http://www.podcastdirectory.com
http://www.podcastalley.com/
http://recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/info/podresources.php

The World Language Classroom and English as a Second Language classroom can certainly benefit from the possibilities of the use of the IPod for podcasting, video capabilities and audio recordings. Students are already tuned in to their MP3 players, so why not explore the use of these devices in the language classroom? Teachers can create pronunciation guides, audio books, lectures, notes and many culturally authentic audio recordings as a way to provide more meaningful learning experiences for their students. Students can use their cell phones to record messages and incorporate their recording into a podcast for the classroom as well as beyond the classroom.
Podcasts allow students to extend their learning time beyond the face-to-face classroom. For example, a podcast can be posted on a website for a student to listen to and share with anyone. Imagine a student in a language class speaking in the target language and sharing his or her interview with a native speaker of the target language. Podcasts give learners a chance to “learn out loud”
There are many learners that also benefit from an audio version of notes or a story. to provide the learner with a MP3 version of a story being read for a course. Students could hear as well as read the story, providing another dimension to learning to enhance understanding. Their “coolness factor” would also still be intact, because they will simply be using their MP3 players to listen to what they want just as all their peers!
Opening up the use of electronic devices that students already use for entertainment opens up the possibilities of enhancing students learning. Incorporating the use of MP3 files and players creatively will provide more options for student motivation and active engagement in their learning.

I plan to use all of these resources for authentic podcasts to listen to as well as audacity for my students to create their own podcasts. We already use Audacity in the classroom but i have not used it yet with students to create podcasts.