I think that podcasts can be both a great way to engage adolescents with a large variety of topics, and an excellent forum for them to express their personal opinions and on topics covered in class. So much of media, from television shows to movies to advertisements, advance the sometime dubious agendas of large corporations, whose first concern is delivering a profit. These types of media also tend to follow strictly prescribed parameters for timing, content, etc. Podcasts, on the other hand, are non-profit entities, and rely on donations and sponsorships. The people who produce them often work for themselves and are passionate about a particular subject. Podcasts are as long or as short as the author wants them to be, and they can cover any topic. The result is free-flowing, serious explorations of a whole range of issues, done by interesting, engaging, and passionate people. Unlike other democratic media platforms like YouTube or Facebook, where posts and videos vary in quality and usefulness, podcasts generally tend to be of higher quality. There are certainly some podcasts that are not as strong as others, but based on informal observation, on average, podcasts deliver excellent content.

Educators can use podcasts in the classroom in two ways: they can both encourage students to consume podcasts, and require that students produce their own podcasts. Educators can require students to consume podcasts either to pique their interests in any number of subjects. Actively following a podcast on a topic is an enjoyable and educational experience. People who listen to podcasts often become quite devoted to their podcast, and form a sort of emotional bond with the podcaster. Given the seemingly infinite number of podcasts, I think it would be highly beneficial for adolescents to select any topic that interests them, and listen a high-quality podcast about it. I think of it as a sort of 21^st century version of the independent reading students are often required to do in earlier grades – pick any book of your choosing, enjoy it, and report back. It is certainly not the cornerstone of a class, but it is an important part of it. It allows adolescents to dig deeper into anything that interests them. Furthermore, enjoying one podcast might pique their interest in other podcasts. They might see podcasts as an effective and enjoyable way to learn something, and search out more. Educators can also use podcasts in a more focused way. Podcasts can serve as an excellent complement to any lesson plan. While audioclips of podcasts can be played as part of a lesson, again, I feel that one of the real benefit of podcasting as a particular form of media is its serial nature. You get the most out of podcasts when you listen to their every installment and get excited for the next episode. If you were to get a class hooked on particular podcast that’s pertinent to whatever the class is studying, then you’ve done something valuable – you’ve gotten the class as interested your subject matter as they would their favorite TV show.

The second way educators can use podcasts in the classroom is by having students produce their own. This approach has obvious benefits. It assesses student knowledge in a way that allows students to be creative. I can imagine that if you assign students to create a podcast, which can often follow the format of a radio show, many of them will relish the opportunity to sit behind a microphone and feel as though they’re broadcasting on the radio. I feel like this activity will be particularly meaningful to students if they already know and enjoy a podcast – not only will this give them a better sense of how to complete the podcast, it will also make the fact that they are now the one producing a podcast more significant and exciting.