In the Air: Students podcast their reading choices for extra credit

MARION - Fifth-grader Emily Wolfe learned about the novel “The Ghost's Grave” by Peg Kehret from her friend Katie, and decided she wanted to pay the favor forward by recommending the book to others.

Indian Creek Elementary in Marion has a podcast for just such an occasion.

The Book Talk podcast was created by teacher-librarian Sally Reck last year to encourage students to do read more often.

“Every now and then, they have to demonstrate that they're reading independently. They can do traditional book reports but the podcast is just another option,” said Reck.

Students write their own scripts and narrate the plot of the book and why they thought it was a good read into a computer microphone. The audio is then edited by Reck and uploaded to the school's website for anyone to download. The recording isn't live, so students can make mistakes without much pressure.

“If you mess up, Mrs. Reck just hits delete and we can start again,” Wolfe said.

The podcast currently is optional extra credit, but it's one the students have enthusiastically embraced, creating more than 17 episodes so far this school year.

But the biggest fans for the podcast are students' family, according to Reck. Because the podcast is on the open Internet, it makes it easy for families to share and appreciate students' work.

“Families tell us that now their grandparents who live on the coast can know what they're doing,” Reck said.

When Kamryn Hahn, 10, recorded her episode for the book “Because of Mr. Terrupt” by Rob Buyea, her entire family downloaded the podcast to listen. Hahn said her younger sisters liked the podcast the most and couldn't wait to become fifth-graders so they could do it themselves.

“They think it will be really cool to hear their voice on the computer screen,” Hahn said.