Podcast Reviews

The Nutrition Diva: Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous

This podcast is great for quick tips about nutrition. I listened to a cast titled "Pass the Guacamole" and found out that in order to get all the nutrients from the fresh vegetables I eat I actually need to eat them with a bit of fat! I thought this link could be great for teaching a unit on health- students could listen and report their findings to the class. They could also see if they can find other research to back what the Nutrition Diva says. Unfortunately the language is a too high for the immigrant and refugee parents I teach who are second language learners- but I can still get the content for myself to create ESL lessons. I would recommend this website.
www.quickanddirtytips.com


Better @ English

This podcast is for English language learners. They record real life conversations about different topics (I listen to one about opinions on watching TV). Before the conversation the hosts describes the conversation for the learner and asks questions to focus the learner on the grammar and content. The learner can also find a copy of the script online. I thought this site was just okay. I think there are probably better podcasts out there for learning English if I had more time to look. Again it is not helpful for my students because the language is for advanced English language learners.

www.betteratenglish.com


Sesame Street Podcast

This podcast also has a video. It is an excellent podcast for younger elementary students. it is also good for parents and perfect for English language learning parents! I listen/ watched the podcast they created all about running! This podcast is perfect for focusing on learning new vocabulary or one narrow topic. I recommend it!

www.sesamestreet.com

NPR: Latino USA Podcast

This is a great site for listening to issues that relate to the Latino population in the US. The podcast is in English and it focuses on news happening in the US and in Spanish speaking countries. It is a great site for getting news from another perspective and to learn more about important issues for one of our fastest growing people groups in the US. I recommend it!


SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast

This is a podcast all about fast and easy professional development for teachers. There are two hosts who discuss topics that are relevant for teachers. However, the first five minutes or more the two were talking about there own lives and stories that have absolutely nothing to do with other teachers. Maybe they are trying to make it seem more like a conversation but instead it just seems like a waste of time which is what they said their site is trying to avoid. They do give a lesson each time that related to their topic (if you get past all the extra banter) and they provide links on their websites.
http://pdtogo.com/smart/