According to the Podcasting Tools website, a podcast is, "online audio content that is delivered via an RSS feed. Many people liken podcasting to radio on demand. However, in reality, podcasting gives far more options in terms of content and programming than radio does. In addition, with Podcasting, listeners can determine the time and the place, meaning they decide what programming they want to receive and when they want to listen to it." The site goes on to say that podcasts can be used primarily for five reasons:
1. Self-Guided Walking Tours - Informational content.
2. Music - Band promotional clips and interviews.
3. Talk Shows - Industry or organizational news, investor news, sportscasts, news coverage and commentaries.
4. Training - Instructional informational materials.
5. Story - Story telling for children or the visually-impaired.
While I can see using these (possibly) for personal use for entertainment, I think I would have to search far and wide to find podcasts that could relate and be appropriate for my Secondary English classroom. It would be interesting, however, to have a someone with a British accent read a British poem or listen to an author talk about why he/she wrote something a particular way. On top of everything else in a school day, looking up podcasts might not be high up on my priority list. Oh well.
