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Integrating technology into your instruction is easier than you think!

Teenagers rely on technology to function in their everyday lives, so they are very motivated to use technology in the classroom to create meaningful products for an authentic audience that goes beyond the classroom walls.  Even if you have little or no experience integrating technology into your instruction, it is relatively easy to learn how to create digital stories and podcasts through free software and tutorials that are available on the web.  You can also get help with technology integration by asking other teachers in your school who regularly utilize technology in their classrooms.

Technology will enhance instruction for all students, but it is especially valuable for ELLs who often cannot comprehend the complex academic language that is found in textbooks.  A video or podcast will make the topic you are teaching more comprehensible to ELLs because it provides a context for ELLs and conveys meaning through sounds and pictures instead of words.  The process of creating a podcast or digital story is also a great way for ELLs to develop their language skills while utilizing technology to create a product for an authentic audience.

Click on the link below to access articles about blogging, digital storytelling, and podcasting 

Technology Articles

Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling is a good site to get started wtih digital storytelling.  It contains tutorials and information about the tools you will need. 

Center for Digital Storytelling is a good resource to show students examples of digital stories.  The Resource link contains a list of helpful resources, including articles on digital storytelling.
Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling is organized really well.  It contains tutorials and resources related to digital storytelling. 
Tech Head Stories contains a comprehensive list of digital storytelling websites, educational programs, resources, tools, and archives.

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Podcasting

ESL Podcasting Project at ISU is a great resource for finding and creating podcasts.  The tutorial was helpful when I created my first podcast with Audacity.
Podomatic  is a flash-based tool that allows you to record audio or video podcasts with no specialized software and store up to 500 MB for free.

Learning in Hand is a user-friendly site that explains how to find, subscribe, listen to, and create podcasts.  The Find link contains a good list of of directories to browse for podcasts.  The Create link explains the four steps of creating a podcast:  preproduction, recording, postproduction, and publishing. 

The Education Podcast Network is a website that brings together a wide range of podcasts on various topics that teachers can incorporate into their instruction. New podcasts are continually being added to this resource.
Learn Out Loud is a directory of podcasts that listeners can learn from. The podcasts listed are screened so you can expect higher-quality content.

The content of these links is not controlled by the Ankeny Community School District.

Ankeny High School
1302 N. Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50023
515-965-9630
Copyright 2008