After listening to several podcasts, I have decided that I want the podcast to have its own identity. I do not want a podcast to be a radio show, such as some podcasts I found on New Jersey's Teacher's Podcast. The podcast I attempted to listen to was 45 minutes long (way too long!), and it wasted time in the beginning of the "broadcast" giving listener updates and other useless information for infrequent listeners. In fact, the podcast spent a few minutes giving itself accolades.
I also don't want a podcast to be "inaccurate" information titled under certain "attractive" euphemisms. For instance, Podcast Alley offers "sax tips" and "grammar girls quick and dirty tips to writing." I wonder how those titles could catch the unwilling student's attention... The latter claims that punctuation, grammar, and other English specifics can be learned within 5 minute podcasts through fun and friendly methods... It's a wonder that I would ever spend more than 5 minutes discussing these topics with my students when I could easily let the sensual grammar girls explain the information. Then again, they forgot to make girls possessive (girls' tips).
A perfect podcast should run for about 10-15 minutes (depending on material). It should also incorporate creative means to present the information (skits, songs, and variety!). Music is always a plus because it keeps the listener alert and peppy. Also, the best podcasts will provide an outline of the information being presented so that a viewer can follow along visually or refer to the information later without listening to the podcast again. Kudos to a 5th grade class on Radio WillowWeb who meets all of these requirements with their podcast titled "Writing Traits." Their podcast is 13 minutes and 50 seconds long, includes creative skits, incorporates music, and has an accompanying outline!!!
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Yes, Lorax, I would agree with you that the podcast would only be beneficial educationally if it were accurate. Those grammar girls have to check their p's and q's!
I agree about the addition of music for as Pablo Casals put it:
"Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart."
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