Monday 27 February 2017

Podcasts as Tools for Genius Hour

Today in tech class we were provided with some great online resources to explore using the jigsaw method. Our class was divided into colour groups who each had a selection of resources to work through. Each student was also given a number between 1-5. After our colour groups had explored the resources we met with our classmates based on numbers and shared the resources that we had explored in our original colour groups. This allowed everyone to get an overview of all the resources shared in an efficient way. The jigsaw method is a useful technique that can be used in our own classrooms to foster collaboration and sharing amongst students.

One of the resources I looked into was HowStuffWorks. This website provides links to podcasts on a variety of topics ranging from animals to auto and everything in between. I was immediately intrigued by this resource as I felt that it could be used as a great tool to help students conduct research for their genius hour projects. HowStuffWorks provides opportunities for students to explore and demonstrate their learning, as well as being a great instructional tool for teachers.



With such a wide variety of topics there is something for everyone to explore. When I searched my genius hour topic of baking I was provided with many podcasts including baking methods, questions, tips and much more. These podcasts could be very useful to me in completing my genius hour project as I could reference them to learn more about the topic.

HowStuffWorks can also be used to spark student interest when brainstorming topics for their genius hour projects. By browsing through podcasts that interest them, students may be able to identify a topic that they are passionate about or want to learn more about.

I am excited to use this resource in my own classroom and to include it in my future genius hour research!

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