Nina Sanchez-Flores

LITR 630
8 July 2014
Podcast Written Component
Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.10 - Read and comprehend complex literary and

informational texts independently and proficiently.
CCSS-ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 - Integrate and evaluate information presented in
diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS-ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and
communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
Grade Level

9th-12th grade English Language Learners

Time Allotted

70 minute class period

Materials

Computers

iPads

Podcast

Garage Band

Headphones

Where the Wild Things Are children's book

Where the Wild Things Are readers theater script (for each student)

Teacher-produced podcast of Where the Wild Things Are script

Multidimensional Fluency Scale

Student-friendly version of Multidimensional Fluency Scale

Edmodo

Learning Targets

Students will utilize repeated reading of Where the Wild Things Are in a reader's theater
format in order to develop reading fluency.

Procedures (Steps)
1. On Monday, students will listen to my podcast of Where the Wild Things Are and read
along with their part. We will discuss different elements of prosody and how we can
"read with feeling." Students will also look at the pictures in the original book to get a
sense of the tone of the story.
2. For homework, students will practice their part of the reader's theater script.
3. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the class will practice reading their script,
concentrating on developing vocabulary and reading fluency.
4. On Friday, the class will record Where the Wild Things Are. The podcast will be sent to
them through Edmodo and they will evaluate themselves on the rubric.
Assessment

Formative Assessment - Using the Multidimensional Fluency Scale, I will evaluate the
students on their reading fluency. This can be done both for individuals on their selected
part of the script and also for the class as a whole.

Self-Assessment - Students will self-assess their fluency on the student-friendly version

of the Multidimensional Fluency Scale.

Accommodations

Bilingual dictionaries/use of Google translate

Student pairing when needed to practice

Explicit instruction in pronunciation where needed

STANDARD
IRA 1.2

IRA 2.2

IRA 2.3

IRA 4.2

IRA 5.1

KTS 6.1

KTS 6.2

HOW THE LESSON CONNECTS

Audiobooks and podcasts have become a new
way for readers to consume literacy. This
format is especially helpful for English
Language Learners, who benefit from hearing
the spoken words to learn the pronunciation.
This lesson focuses heavily on fluency. While I
also incorporate vocabulary activities, the
primary focus is fluency. Students are trained
on how to self-assess their own fluency and are
aware of what is expected of them for the
podcast recording on Friday.
When utilizing this lesson in my classroom, I
often use a variety of texts. While many
readers theater scripts are narrative, there are
some that are a bit expository and poetry can
be an excellent source for a script.
This lesson reaches both auditory and visual
learners. Some students benefit from hearing
my reading of the story multiple times before
reading on their own. Others listen once for
the correct punctuation and then practice
reading the script on their own.
This lesson is constantly modified. Some
students need more teacher direction while
others can practice nearly independently.
Because of the technology component, many
students are able to practice with the podcast at
home or on the bus.
This lesson is not one that can be implemented
on the spur of the moment. I had to create the
podcast over the weekend in order to have it
ready for the class on Monday. Familiarity
with voice-recording apps on the iPad is also
necessary in planning the lesson.
There is no dispute on the use of readers
theater and repeated reading for the
development of prosody. Furthermore,

KTS 6.3

KTS 6.4

KTS 6.5

ISTE 1

ISTE 2

ISTE 5

ISTE 6

TPACK

prosody is a key component of fluency, a

necessary bridge to comprehension.
Students are encouraged to use whatever
resources they have available to them. Laptops
are used to access Edmodo and listen to the
podcast. Ipads are also used to access Edmodo,
listen to the teacher podcast, and record the
student podcast at the end of the week.
Students are encouraged to download the
teacher-produced podcast to their smartphone
so that they can practice at home.
Using Edmodo, I am able to communicate with
students about their progress on the fluency
rubric. Students are also able to self-assess
themselves through this medium.
Prior to recording student podcasts, I ensure
that I have a photo/video release form signed
by the parents of each student.
After developing their reading fluency
throughout the week, students create a podcast
that demonstrates their progress in prosody and
fluency.
The readers theater strategy involves student
interaction and collaboration. The finished
product can also be shared with others via the
internet.
It is important for students to learn to
collaborate with their peers. Furthermore,
students need to learn to use podcasts in
responsible ways and not to share another's
work without permission.
In order to implement this lesson, I needed
knowledge of Edmodo, Garage Band, and
iPads. Perhaps most useful was being able to
troubleshoot how to download the podcast on
the various devices that students own.
Necessary in the knowledge of technology is
the ability to troubleshoot with various apps
and changing technologies to develop the
podcast. While audio recording devices were
once limited to microphones and tape
recorders, there are now a wealth of apps and
software, yet these technologies must also be
appropriate for the level of students. Garage
Band has both simplistic controls and more
advanced controls for learners at all levels of

TPACK

TPACK

technology proficiency.
Readers Theater is a research-based reading
fluency strategy for struggling readers.
Repeated reading is also a research-based
strategy for improving fluency. Utilizing these
approaches creates the pedagogical framework
that can then be linked to technology use.
Content knowledge in this case relates to the
development of reading fluency and
vocabulary. Students must develop the ability
to read fluently in order to properly
comprehend a text. In addition, students will
increasingly need Tier II vocabulary to
comprehend advanced text across content
areas.

Connection to the Literature

Perhaps the greatest aspects of integrating podcasts into literacy instruction are the
relative ease of use and the ability to broadcast to projects to the world via the internet.
According to Smythe and Neufeld (2010), "One of the attractions of podcasting as a learning tool
is that learners can create content relatively quickly and easily, often collaboratively, with the
intention and capacity to reach an authentic audience" (p. 489). Furthermore, the use of podcasts
creates a way for teachers to reach students outside the school building and traditional class time
(Putman & Kingsley, 2009, p. 101).
There are a variety of ways to implore podcasts into the literacy classroom. First,
students can create audiobooks to share with family or other students. Additionally, podcasts can
be used for "proof-revising," in which teachers create podcasts of student writing for students to
listen to and revise (Davis & McGrail, 2009, p. 522). Finally, podcasts can be used to develop
vocabulary as students are given multiple exposures to key content vocabulary through podcast
listening at home (Putman & Kingsley, 2009). Ultimately, however, the use of podcasts in the
classroom and literacy instruction is only limited by the creativity of the reading teacher.

Resources
Davis, A., & McGrail, E. (2009). "Proof-Revising" with Podcasting: Keeping Readers in Mind
as Students Listen to and Rethink Their Writing. The Reading Teacher, 62(6), 522-529.
Putman, S., & Kingsley, T. (2009). The Atoms Family: Using Podcasts to Enhance the
Development of Science Vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 63(2), 100-108.
Smythe, S., & Neufeld, P. (2010). "Podcast Time": Negotiating Digital Literacies and
Communities of Learning in a Middle Years ELL Classroom. Journal of Adolescent &
Adult Literacy, 53(6), 488-496.