iPods and podcasting technologies to support talking and listening experiences of grade 4 students

Traditional primary classrooms (Kindergarten to Grade 6) have been characterised with chalkboards, books, pencils and pens for decades. However, the range of technology available for use is ever increasing across educational sectors; including primary classrooms. Teachers are under increasing pressure to include new technologies into learning experiences and to also consider ways to present curricula content. In 2006 12 x 30GB 5th Generation Video iPods were provided for use in a Grade 4 classroom. This paper explores how one primary teacher integrated iPods and podcasting into learning experiences with emphasis on the Talking and Listening strand of the New South Wales English K-6 syllabus (Board of Studies, 1998) and captured these within a web-based environment to support the teaching of literacy.