Student Reporters: Blogs, Podcasts, Newspapers, Websites, and Film

[Janis Michael]

"Reporting" and "Journalism" can cover many things--from a would-be high school student muckraker trashing a teacher online to a charming first grader describing a cookie-baking activity. Technology provides a bewildering number of choices for student journalists and the teachers who support them in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities.

This is the place to let me know what interests you most. We can't possibly learn the technologies of every type of presentation medium in one workshop. Are you looking for "how to" for specific technologies? Guidance on how to choose? A combination?

Current plan:

A look at use of different presentation technologies. For which types of reporting are they best suited?

Illinois standards--what are the strengths of different presentation technologies in terms of the skills they teach or reinforce?

Try some reporting--let's test out a couple of these methods and see how they influence what we learn from the job of reporting.

My emphasis will be that it is not, generally, the final product that is most important. What is important is how the process fits our curriculum and standards.

What are your priorities? This is your place to let me know what you hope to gain from this workshop. Please post here, or, if you are more comfortable, send me your suggestions via email at [e-mail].

[Deborah W.Lawson]

I am interested in creating a literature blog to use with my students (mainly grades 4-5). Which blog hosts do you recommend and how can I protect my students? I'm also excited about learning the how-tos of podcasting, both audio and video. My kids would love to know more about creating websites as well. Again, what hosts do you recommend and how do we keep the students safe? What are some great examples of podcasting (besides Radio WillowWeb) and, more importantly, what are the mechanics of taking the kids' audio (mp3 files created in Audacity) and turning it into a real podcast?

Thanks. See you on Friday.

[Bob Barboza]

Kids Talk Radio

Our program is free. It is designed to motivate students in grade 3 through 8 and 9 through 12.

We want student and teacher stories for Kids Talk Radio. Maybe this will give your students a reason to write. We are teachers located in Long Beach, California. You can follow Kids Talk Radio at the following websites.:

www.KidsTalkRadioLA.com
http://web.me.com/bobbarboza2/KidsTalkRadio/Welcome.html
www.KidsTalkRadio.PNN

If all else fails, you can use Google and type: Kids Talk Radio or Bob Barboza.

Bob Barboza
[e-mail]