Podcasts and Videos

Listening skills are important and the podcast can be an excellent method for honing these skills. Create a worksheet to go along with a podcast and you have just given your students a reason to "listen". Towards that end off I went to see what's available on iTunes. While there I learned that some of these podcasts are available from an accompanying web page. (You don't have to load itunes onto your workstation) . The hyperlinks below go to the webpage - not itunes. Simpler, I thought.

I'd like to know your thoughts on this concept. If you like it and want more, let me know! Here are a few I found today:

Grammar Girl - Found these podcasts first on itunes then went off to explore the website. "Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules". quote from iTunes

Byzantine Rulers - Parts 1-16 - Available on iTunes - no web page. History was definitely not my favorite subject, but this podcast is really interesting. From iTunes "This history of the Byzantine Empire is a lecture series written and presented by Mr. Lars Brownworth who teaches history at The Stony Brook School in Long Island, New York. Join him for an engaging look at the history of the Byzantine Empire through the eyes of 12 of its greatest rulers". quote from iTunes

The Princeton Review Vocab Minute - Short songs for life-long learning. Like Schoolhouse Rock
The Wild Classroom- I found these videos on iTunes, but then wandered over to the website. I suggest that you check out the web first. "A new science video podcast that explains science topics in a fun and exciting way. Great for science teachers todownload to show in the classroom. Most videos come with lessons plans or acompanying informational web pages. All hosts and filmmakeers are also trained biologists." quote from iTunes

Love the BBC

Just spent some time exploring the BBC site specifically for children ages 4-11. I found so many interesting activities! Go to numeracy for math interactives, literacy for ELA practice, science, history. Search the site from the top right corner of the window or simply click on the various topics on the right side of the screen.

Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/ for English, maths and science activities.