Hello.....hello....is this thing on??

Podcasts....ever heard of them?  Just do a Google search and you will find hundreds of them.  Podcasts are basically a voice recording on a topic that's posted to the internet.   They are usually set up as a series of recordings all set around a certain topic.  They often have music and can sometimes have "guest speakers" or interviews.  The word podcast came from combining "broadcast" and iPod. 

I have used podcasts in the classroom a few times.  Many kids love to hear themselves on a recording, so it's a great motivator to get the assignment done.  We've used podcasts as interviews with famous americans, "experts" on a certain topic, or as book reviews. 

All you need to get podcasts started is a microphone and a recording/editing software such as audacity. It's free and simple to use.   :)