More MFL teachers join the blogosphere

More and more MFL teachers are starting to blog. Moreover, they seem to be choosing Typepad as their preferred blog host. It's an exciting experiment which could encourage others to follow suit.

Have a look at the following blogs and see what you think:

• www.cms.typepad.com - Ruth Parker, French co-coordinator and AST at Cranborne Middle School, Dorset
• www.misssimmonds.typepad.com - Leanne Simmonds, a lover of languages and life
• www.eggdeutsch.typepad.com - Samantha Dernley, MFL teacher at Egglescliffe School, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees
• kings-spanish.spaces.msn.com/ - 'El Blog de Español' by Fiona Slater Yr 12 student and her Spanish teacher Margarita Payeras-Cifre at Kings School, Ely, Cambridgeshire

Sam Dernley has also started podcasting with her pupils. Here is our recent discussion with Janet McCann, from Bury CE High School, Bury, Lancashire on the MFLresources forum which can also be accessed through Yahoo Groups. You'll have to sign up though to have a look there.

Dear all

For those interested in having a listen to the podcast I made with my pupils as described in my TES ICT blog post Using podcasts in the classroom, I've made it available on my blog using a little embedded Flash player

The player is on the left hand side of the blog under the title PODCAST DE 7JD. To listen just click the play button a couple of times. You can download it too by right clicking the link below and selecting Save Target As...

I've found the player has had some teething problems with playing the recording too quickly. I think I've sorted this out now by changing the bitrate of the mp3 file, but if it plays too quickly (sounds like Mickey Mouse!), please let me know

Best wishes

Joe

My first attempts at podcasting can be heard/downloaded at www.eggdeutsch.typepad.com. Feel free to add comments for the students or e-mail me with feedback. Also watch this space for more podcasting fun in September. Schöne Ferien!

Sam

Dear Sam

Your blog looks really good. I particularly like your use of Flickr to present your pupils' work. The podcasts sound very clear. Did you make the recordings with a microphone and laptop or mp3 player with voice recorder?

Have you thought of adding music to your podcasts? I came across site Magnatune yesterday in del.icio.us and put it in my favourites list. The site has a collection of 'podsafe' music which Magnatune encourage you to use.

Here is the link for the Flash player I embedded on my blog www.joedale.typepad.com to automatically play 'Le podcast de 7JD'.

Dear Joe,

We used microphones and a laptop for these recordings. However we have a new mfl computer room as of September and I'm hoping to do some whole class recording sessions (in order to get larger classes involved) using individual headsets or microphones? ... not quite sure how that will work out?!?

Thanks for the tips! I was also recommended podsafe music network and will definitely be incorporating some music next year.Will also have a play around with the flash player.

Cheers

Sam

Dear Sam,

The website jamendo is also good for more podsafe music. As for advice on MFL podcasting, you could have a look at a recent post Feel like you are on top of the pods from my blog. There is also the Teachers TV programme ICT SOS - Internet Research and Podcasting which includes a showcase on MFL podcasting where language teacher Anne Peters from South Bromsgrove High School in the West Midlands helps her GCSE German students to prepare for their oral examinations by getting them to podcast model answers. See post: Languages on the move

Best wishes

Joe

Dear Joe and Sam,

Your podcasts look and sound great, but please just explain to me (being a bit behind the times) how you use these in lessons? Are the end products meant as a speaking exercise, or listening or both? Do the kids who haven't contributed use them? I really fancy having a go at these soon but just need to know what I'm aiming for!

Thanks!

Janet

Dear Janet,

When I asked my pupils to make 'Le podcast de 7JD', the plan was to practise their writing and speaking skills. They planned out their scripts first. We did a few demos and then we recorded them. The keen ones came to my lunch time French ICT club to choose the background music too. Finally, I did all the editing myself at home before playing them the finished product.

See my blog post Using podcasts in the classroom for more details:

The end product is an example of a creative and structured speaking performance. It helps listening too as the pupils actively want to hear each other's work. In my case, all the pupils in my form took part which was quite demanding in the time we had, but I think it worked nonetheless. Next year, I think I will probably record pupils 'on the fly' from time to time rather than intensely over a short period of time. I'll then upload the mp3 files to a school blog so they can hear each others' performance at home. I'd like to start a podcasting club as part of the French ICT club, but I need to give the pupils some time to get used to the idea of being recorded and having their work put up on the net.

I think it'll be a bit of an adventure for all of us.

Best wishes

Joe

Dear Janet,

The podcasts you hear on my blog were the result of three lessons- one spent writing, one recording and one editing. All done by the students with some help from me.They were the first student podcasts I did and I went into the task blindly, without really thinking of any 'learning' outcomes as such (just to have two podcasts recorded), but treating it as an experiment to see what the students and I would learn from it.

I initially said they had to write a script for a podcast involving personal description, as that was the topic they were studying recently. The task really broke free from the constraints of the text book as they were writing what they wanted to express. It really got them thinking about sentence construction in German and using the dictionaries well.

The recording got them to focus on pronunciation and intonation and gave them confidence in their speaking skills. As they did several different takes, they were repeating the language several times, which helped to improve pronunciation and embed certain structures- I doubt any of them will forget 'sie werden prima schmecken!'. I know I'll use that as an example of the future tense when I start to teach it.

The editing had the same effect- although it was rather time consuming and as they were working in two groups of five- quite difficult to keep all of them focused.

What did I learn? Next time I will have a clear and focused task for writing and use groups of 2-3 or with larger groups nominate chief editors to come to a lunchtime session for editing.

Personally I think the learning experience is in having them produce the podcasts - I am also hoping to encourage peer assessment through the blog- as I am sure that other students will be interested in listening to them- if not in class then from home. My year 10's have already asked to hear them in class.

I hope that answers your questions,

Sam

Comments

[Leanne Simmonds]

Wow, Joe - you really are a bubbling fount of ICT knowledge! I'll be pointing (shoving) my colleagues towards your site, this page in particular. I made a little foray into podcasting about a month ago and now feel sufficiently hyped up to get back into it. Well, I'll give it a couple of days - we haven't broken up yet and won't do so until Wednesday! Irrelevance is always lovingly supplied by Miss Simmonds.

[Joe Dale]

I'm pleased you are finding the blogs useful. We broke up on Friday, so I've had a bit more time to put up some new posts.

Thanks in advance for sharing the blog with your department and good luck with your podcasting forays. I look forward to listening to them on your site in the future.

Best wishes

Joe, the effervescent geyser/geezer and 'bubbling fount of ICT knowledge' who 'teems with ideas about using ICT in the classroom'

http://www.all-london.org.uk/talks.htm#Joe%20Dale

Any more gushing metaphors anyone?

[Alex Blagona]

Hi Joe,
Thanks for popping by, we've just got our blog off the ground. The trick will be convincing the students that it can become a useful resource, and a way of exchanging ideas...

[Joe Dale]

Hi Alex,

I've just started a couple of new blogs for school.

Two Stars and a Wish
http://www.nodehillfrench.typepad.com/

and Nodehill French vocabulary guides
http://www.nodehillfrench.typepad.com/podcast/

We've had a few comments already so that's good. We'll see how it goes. I wish you all the best with yours.

Best wishes

Joe