Lesson/Review 3: Evaluating Podcasts, Videocasts, and Digital Stories

Lesson for Students: BookTalks

Over the last few weeks, you have been reading a book that you will share with your classmates. We have looked at book reviews, and as you know, it is important to share enough about the book to “hook” the reader, but not too much that you will ruin the ending. Today, you will listen to two podcasts on the computer that will effectively share book information with you.

1. Use the internet browser to go to the website www.bookwink.com

2. Use the play (a sideways triangle) and the pause (two parallel lines) buttons to start and stop the podcast. You can also drag the moving circle on the bottom of the video screen to watch part of it again.

3. Listen to the entire video without stopping.

4. Listen to the video again from the beginning. On your worksheet, record the main characters, the problem, and at least one (1) other main event. You might need to stop and start the video if it goes too fast.

5. Use the same format as your worksheet to outline the characters and main events of your book choice that will “hook” your reader but not give away the ending.

Review of Lesson and Website Resource

How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes?

This lesson will act as a model for how students can share the main information in their upcoming book talks. It is often difficult to model how to hook the listener with interesting or entertaining details, but both of these book talks on the website are concise and clear. It works as reverse pre-writing since the students must take the final product and extract the information that they need. It also reinforces the elements of a story map with characters, problem, and main events.

Why is this application and format appropriate for the lesson you plan to create (e.g., level of authenticity, relevance to target language, register, accuracy, interest level, and motivation)?

This format is applicable because it is a direct model of what I expect from them in class as they prepare their book talks. It is talking about books that are available to them in the library, and hopefully their interest is piqued.

I will be videotaping their book talks as well, and if I can figure out how to post it on the blog or class website, it will be taken to a new level of authenticity and motivation.

What handouts or directions will you provide students to focus learning

and adapt this resource for your instructional resources?

The students will have a basic graphic organizer. The graphic organizer will be a truncated story map including a spot for characters, problem, and main event(s).

There will be three copies of the same graphic organizer. The students will use two of the copies for the two books in the book talk, then they will use the same format to outline their book talk.

What are the potential problems, either language based or technical, that

you may need to troubleshoot or prepare for?

The speaker on the video speaks relatively clearly and slowly, but there is the possibility that it is too fast for some of my lower language learners. Hopefully the ability to pause, rewind, and re-listen will help with this process.