E

Differentiation & Podcasting

Staff Development Unit

Christie Edwards Durden

 Titl Differentiation & Grade Level School
e of Podcasting Staff
Unit

Essential Questions

Overarching Questions: Topical Questions:

1. How can differentiation benefit my students? 1. What is differentiation?

2. How can technology be used to implement 2. When is it appropriate to use
differentiation within my own classroom? differentiation?
3. How can podcasts be used in my
classroom?

Stage 3

W Where are your students headed and Why?

The media specialist will explain to teachers that they will be learning about
differentiation. She will explain that differentiation is a valuable tool that can be used to
engage students. She will also explain that they will be learning about how technology
like podcasts can be used to apply differentiation in their own classrooms.

What is required of them?

The media specialist will go on to explain that teachers will be required to learn what
differentiation is and how podcasts can be used in differentiation. They will also be
expected to produce their own podcast.
 How will the students be hooked and held in this unit?
H The media specialist will explain to the teachers that they will be learning new skills that
they can use in their own classrooms to help motivate and engage students. They will be
learning how to use the technology that today’s students find fun and exciting.

Authentic Performance Assessment

Goal: Your goal is to create a podcast that can be used for differentiation in your own
classroom.
Role: You will play the role of a teacher who is given the task of creating a podcast that
can be used in your classroom.
Audience: Your audience will be your students, your administrators, and fellow teachers.
Situation: You recognize students’ varying readiness for learning and learning
preferences. You want to provide students with instruction that they find appealing. To
provide this instruction, you will be creating a podcast.
Product Performance and Purpose: Today, you will gain an overview of what podcasts
are and how they can be used in differentiation. After today’s session, you will be
expected to use what you have learned and the tools provided to create a podcast for your
classroom. You will create an audio or video podcast using the resources at
http://creatingpodcasts.pbworks.com/ . You will post your podcast to a hosting site. Once
your podcast has been posted, you will request access to
http://creatingpodcasts.pbworks.com/ and post the URL of your completed podcast to the
PLU page.
Standards and Criteria for Success: Your success will be determined by your finished
product.

What activities, instruction, and guidance will be provided to enable and

E equip students to explore and experience the important ideas in this unit?

1. The media specialist will use a Powerpoint presentation to provide teachers with
an overview of differentiation.
2. The class will read an article from the Washington Post about podcasting to learn
 about how they can be used in schools.
3. The class will practice accessing a podcast and using various features such as
pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding the program as well as other technical
aspects of using the podcast.
4. Participate in a class discussion about podcasts and how they can be used for
differentiation.
5. The class will be asked to generate a list of typical classroom assignments. Then
they will be asked to provide a way that podcasting could be used to differentiate
those assignments.
6. Use content from online resources to learn about the steps necessary for producing
a podcast.
7. Use various software applications to produce their own podcasts.

What activities, products and performances will be designed to provide

R students with the opportunity to reflect, rethink, and revise?
During the class discussion, teachers will be asked to reflect upon how they can turn a
typical classroom assignment/activity/lesson into a differentiated lesson using podcasts.
Before teachers plan their podcasts, they will visit Internet sites devoted to educational
podcasts that will allow them to reflect upon their own plans to use podcasts in their
classrooms. During the planning and production of their podcasts teachers will be actively
engaged in reflecting, rethinking, and revising as these will be the necessary skills needed
to complete a podcast.

What self-assessments and self-evaluations will students participate in to

E allow for reflection and transfer of learning?
After completing their podcast, teachers may use the self assessment rubric for podcasts
provided at http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/podcastrubric.html . Teachers will post
their complete podcasts to the PLU page of http://creatingpodcasts.pbworks.com . Once
they have done this, they will be asked to evaluate and provide feedback to other teachers
who have posted podcasts.

Peer Evaluation Form

Name:_________________________________________ Date:___________________
Title of Podcast:___________________________________________________________

Use the scale below to rank the quality/content of the podcast by checking the appropriate box.
Items for Evaluation Excellent Good Fair Poor
The podcast was interesting and/or enjoyable
 The podcast program was well organized
The podcast had a clear goal
The intended audience could easily understand the intended concepts
The speaker(s) on the podcast were clear and easy to understand
The audio quality of the podcast was….
The video quality of the podcast was….
The overall quality of the podcast was….

Complete each sentence:

1. The teaching goal of this podcast was….

2. The thing I liked best about your podcast was….
3. Something that you could do to improve your podcast is….

T How will instruction and activities be tailored to provide for the various
learning needs, styles, knowledge and interests of students?

Because teachers will be able to choose their own topics to create a podcast, they will be
tailoring their own instruction based upon their interests. In addition, they will be
employing their knowledge of their subject material and content area to create their
podcast.

How will learning experiences be organized/sequenced to provide

O for greatest acquisition/understanding
1. Hook:
The media specialist will introduce the unit with the “hook.”

2. Introduction to Differentiation:
The media specialist will lead a discussion of differentiation using a Powerpoint
presentation.

3. Introduction to Podcasts:
The media specialist will provide an overview of what podcasts are and how they are
created using a Powerpoint presentation. The class will read and then discuss the
Washington Post article on podcasting.

4. The class will use a personal computer to explore various educational podcasts.
 5. The class will discuss how podcasts can be used in the differentiated classroom by
generating a list of typical classroom activities/assignments/lessons and then they will be
asked to provide a way that podcasts could be used to differentiate those assignments.

6. Explanation of Expectations: the class will review and discuss the website:
http://creatingpodcasts.pbworks.com/ which they will use as a guide to complete their own
podcasts.

5. Application, Interpretation, Explanation, Perspective and Empathy:

Students will:
• Demonstrate understanding of and effective implementation of
differentiation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the various learning styles and interests
of students.
• Demonstrate an understanding that all students are different and have
unique learning abilities.
• Demonstrate the ability to find and utilize an educational podcast.
• Demonstrate the ability to plan, organize, and produce a podcast.
• Demonstrate the ability to access and use technology to create and host a
podcast.

Self Knowledge:
Students will:
• Demonstrate the ability to self assess their own work for quality, accuracy,
effectiveness, and completeness.

Conclusion: Students will complete a final self evaluation and peer evaluation.

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (Entry Points)

A narrational entry point – Students may chose to do their research paper in the form of a story or
narrative that depicts one person’s or group’s view.

A logical-quantitative entry point – Students may choose to do their research paper in the form of a
scientific review.

A foundational entry point – Students will choose artifacts that demonstrate a mature understanding
of the values and beliefs of many cultures.

An aesthetic entry point – Students will use their artifacts to demonstrate what other people or
cultures feel about their chosen topic.

An experiential entry point –Students may choose to create an original piece of art out of various
materials as one of their required artifacts.
 Resources

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/media/podcasting.html

http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/differentiationmodule.asp

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/18/AR2005101801670.html

http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/podcastrubric.html