Running head: PODCASTS AND COMMUNAL NOTE TAKING 1

Podcasts and Communal Note Taking: A Technology Use Plan

Jessica L. Garner

Arizona State University

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Section 1: Context

This instructional plan was designed for senior undergraduate degree-seekers at Arizona

State University in their year long student teaching program. During class that is held one day

per week, students come together to examine best practices, reflect on teaching, and learn new

concepts. Instructors all hold a masters or higher in education or some related area and spent

time in the classroom so can provide expertise. Students are grouped in learning communities

based on the district in which they are placed, and groups have between ten and thirty

learners. Most learners are between 22 and 35 years of age, with majority being women with a

few males interspersed. Connecting back to Rogers’ diffusion of innovation, many are early

adopters/early majority with the remaining withholding until they see the value of the

technology use which classify as late majority (2003). The content of the lesson is instructional

strategies, but learners should also take away technology integration of podcasts and

communal note

While this program is predominantly made up of young adult individuals who may be

seen as adept in technology, the goal of this program is to introduce new ways to use

“classical” technologies such as Google Docs as well as introduce a valuable learning tool in

podcasts. This technology use plan focuses on one three-hour class period for student

teachers, but could be adapted into a professional development course for teachers looking

to integrate technology into their classrooms. Arizona State offers an extremely competitive

education degree, with student teaching being a year long in comparison with other

universities that only require a semester. Additionally, courses offered provide students the

opportunity of exposure to many teaching strategies and focus areas. Courses focus on
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sustainability, literacy, technology, language learners, teaching math with manipulatives,

and more. Because of this colorful variety of experiences and learning opportunities,

students come out well-rounded and well-prepared for their first and usually difficult year of

teaching. Courses occur in-person and via the online learning tool called Canvas, however in

this case, learners will be participating in an in-person learning session. While textbooks

may be required for the course, the resources used here are free (Google Docs and

podcasts). However, students in the course should already have a Gmail through the

university and will access the communal note-taking document via this email. Further

directions and information are detailed later in this document. No part of this learning

session will result in homework, however students in the course may choose to utilize either

the instruction strategy from the podcast, the idea of podcasts, or communal notetaking in

later assignments in the course. So, while this learning activity is in-person, it utilizes

technology and has a lot of implications for other areas of teaching and learning. To be clear,

though, students will be learning together, in-person and simultaneously, portions will use

online learning technologies to solidify both the new instructional strategy and to

experience the value of podcasts and communal note taking. The instructor will create the

communal notetaking Google Document so students will not be responsible for creating,

sharing, or turning in the notes but will be for the digital one-pager. While some learners

may prefer online or digital, senior student teachers meet one day per week anyway for

classes and reflection. In the event of the instructor being unable to attend, class should be

rescheduled. Students will not need to do anything before class in order to be prepared, but
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should plan on utilizing the instructional strategy, the communal note taking, or podcasts in

their placements.

Section 2: Standards

There are a multitude of standards at work throughout this activity, coming from two

distinct sources. The first set of standards is Instructional Design Competencies from the

International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI).

Secondly is the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Standards for

Educators. Learners will interact with instructors, technology, and one another in order to

satisfy the objectives.

1. IBSTPI

a. Professional Foundations, 1: Communicate effectively in visual, oral

and written form

b. Planning and Analysis, 7: Identify and describe target population and

environmental characteristics.

c. Planning and Analysis, 9: Analyze the characteristics of existing and

emerging technologies and their potential.

d. Design and Development, 15: Develop instructional materials.

2. ISTE

a. Leader 1a: Set professional learning goals to explore and apply

pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on

their effectiveness.
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b. Leader 1c: Stay current with research that supports improved student

learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.

c. Citizen 3b: Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and

critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and

media fluency.

d. Collaborator 4c: Use collaborative tools to expand students’ authentic,

real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams

and students, locally and globally.

e. Designer 5a: Use technology to create, adapt, and personalize learning

experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner

differences and needs.

f. Analyst 7a: Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate

competency and reflect on their teaching using technology.

Section 3: Affordances or Relative Advantages

Podcasts and communal note taking both provide many advantages to learners, and

while they are used in conjunction in this example, it is possible for each tool to be used as a

stand-alone. Advantages will be fleshed out in categories: first podcasts, then communal

note taking, then digital one-pagers. One sentence in each has been bolded, as it sums up

the affordance or advantage.

1. Podcasts

a. While pretty much anyone can start a podcast, most people that begin a

podcasts do so because they are an expert in the subject. In the case of

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the podcast being used for this learning activity, Cult of Pedagogy, this

rings true—the information provided on these podcasts are researched,

up-to-date, and useful information related to different areas of

teaching, some of which include technology, instruction, engagement,

and classroom management. By using podcasts, learners have access to

a knowledgeable expert.

b. Using podcasts keeps instructors from having to stand in front of a

room and lecture, freeing up their time to provide individual support

and answer questions without stopping class and addressing questions

one at a time.

c. Most podcasts are free, and able to be accessed through a variety of

platforms including Patreon, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play.

In order to listen to podcasts, a person would need access to a phone,

computer, or tablet. Most people have a smartphone, but podcasts are

accessible at the public library where computers are available. Learners

in this activity will likely all have a computer, as they are college

students in 2020. They will additionally have an ASU Gmail account

where they can access the communal note taking.

2. Communal Note Taking

a. Collaboration: While communal note taking is not a novel idea, it is not

one that has been frequently used. So, what is communal note taking?

An instructor will create a single page of notes for a group (be it whole
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group or small groups) and share with each person. In this situation,

Google Docs is being used; however, there are other platforms. The

structure of the notes is up to the instructor, but a sample has been

included in Appendix A. Once the document has been created and

shared, each member of the group should pick a different, but clearly

legible color. (This in itself provides advantages – allows instructor to

see who knows what, and accounts for participation). Then, as students

listen to a lecture (or in this case, a podcast), they take notes and can

answer each other’s questions and address points of confusion in real

time. Learners develop understandings individually and from one

another.

b. Communication: Students are working together, communicating

answers to questions and sharing new ideas, and are able to access the

document once class has concluded to look back and reflect on new

ideas.

3. Digital One-Pagers

a. Synthesis: Digital one-pagers help make connections to prior learning and

summarize learning to share with other learners. This allows students to be

exposed to a lot of content without taking so much time to study in-depth

each new idea. This is known as a jigsaw, where an expert group gets to know

a concept really well, and develops a presentation to take back to home

groups. At home groups, each expert will share information about their topic.

An example of a one-pager and the AVID rubric is found in Appendix B.

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Section 4: Learning Environment

There are several learning goals for this activity. By the end of the session, students

should walk away with one new instructional strategy acquired through the podcast, but

also gain knowledge of communal notes, one-pagers, and podcasts to take back to their

placement and try out. So, while the podcasts, communal note taking, and digital one-

pagers are, in this case, vehicles for learning content, there are essentially four strategies

that can be taken away from this learning session. Learning details are explained below.

In order for the communal notetaking to be as powerful a tool as it can be, this

activity will be done in-person and at the same time. Typically, university classes are 1-3

hours, so assume a 3-hour block is the format being used. A brief introduction on podcasts,

AVID (a collection of best practices) notetaking and one-pagers, and communal notetaking

will give learners the background they need to be successful in this activity.

Session Progression:

Students will come into class and begin by sharing some successes and frustrations in

the classroom as an icebreaker activity. One way to facilitate this discussion is to have chart

paper hung up with two columns—one for successes and one for frustrations. Another way is to

provide learners with the discussion prompt (successes and frustrations in your student

teaching placement) and open the floor up to volunteers. Next they will take a brief survey/pre-

assessment on what they know on what they know about note taking (see Appendix C).

Students will then be directed to take notes while listening to a brief podcast. No further

instructions will be given other than “use your favorite note taking strategy”. Instructors will

wander the room, getting an idea of styles of note taking different students prefer. After this
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activity is completed, the notes will be compared, highlighting the differences and similarities in

the notes. Questions will lead to the understanding that learning from each other can be a

more effective way of learning. After that, podcasts to deliver content and communal

notetaking will be introduced (See Appendix D for example slides). The podcasts being used for

this session, Cult of Pedagogy, will be introduced and navigation of the website will be briefly

explained (See appendix E for a screenshot of the website for Cult of Pedagogy). At this point,

learners can either choose groups of 4-6, or instructors can have groups prepared. Once groups

are formed, documents created by the instructor will be shared and each person will choose a

color specific to represent themselves. Colors and names should be recorded at the top of the

document (See Appendix A for sample communal note taking document). Once the document

is established and shared with every group member, each group will choose a podcast to listen

to in the “Instruction” category in the Cult of Pedagogy website. Podcast should be right around

an hour long. While listening, students will take communal notes using the provided template

(See Appendix A). After taking communal notes, students will create a digital one pager using a

chosen platform such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Prezi (see Appendix B for an example of

an AVID One-Pager). Then, one group at a time will split up and instruct other groups on their

chosen instructional strategy, using the one pager as a presentation/teaching tool. Depending

on the number of groups, there may be one or two presenters per. Finally, students will take

another survey/pre-assessment on note taking.

Section 5: Integration Strategies

Two key theories informed the decisions made regarding this technology use plan. First

is Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, centering around the idea that “people learn from each
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other” (Spector, p. 80, 2016). Second is Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory’s four stages of

learning (Spector, p. 81). Learner motivation is also a factor here, with learners being motivated

by choice in that they decide upon which instructional strategy they most want to explore.

Finally, instructional strategies in use are modeling, grouping, rubrics, learning from peers,

exploratory instruction, feedback, and reflection.

Beginning with Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, this is a driving theory for this learning

module because communal note taking requires learners to note take as a group in order to

improve understanding and address misconceptions in real time. The drawback is that, with this

module and in connection to Bandura’s theory, the learner must be engaged in the learning

situation in order to fully benefit from others’ experiences or knowledge. In some cases, it may

just be that a participant was momentarily tuned out or finishing notes on a previous idea and

missed a concept, and other learners are able to fill them in.

Now to address Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. The most important connection to

make is “that learning is grounded in experience--learning involves the transformation of an

experience through internal processes into active knowledge that will inform future decisions”

(Spector, p. 81). Learners are experiences each of these tools (podcasts, communal note taking,

digital one-pagers, and a new instructional strategy) and are expected to use these strategies

(or at least try them) as they “inform future actions” (Spector, p. 81) in their student teaching

placements.

Section 6: Evaluation

Learners will primarily be evaluated using a survey similar to the one given before

starting the learning session (See Appendix C). Some questions may need to be changed to
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make it more appropriate for a post-assessment. This is mainly a reflective tool to gauge each

learner’s likelihood of using any of the strategies (podcasts, communal note taking, AVID one-

pagers, or the chosen instructional strategy) learned in this session in their student teaching

placement.

A rubric will be used to assess the learner’s digital one-pager. In Appendix C, the AVID

one-pager rubric can be found, and is a good starting point for evaluating one-pagers.

Additionally, though not graded, instructors will have access to the communal note taking

document for each group. As mentioned in the affordances section, this document gives

instructors an insight into how well students were able to use this strategy, as well as

participation.
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References

40 Free Cornell Note Templates (with Cornell Note Taking Explained). (n.d.). Retrieved March 2,

2020, from https://www.wordtemplatesonline.net/free-cornell-note-templates/#free-cornell-notes-templates

Drumright, M., Pengra-Anderson, K., & Potts, T. P. D. (2016). Avid elementary foundations: a

schoolwide implementation resource. San Diego, CA: AVID Press.

Instructional Designer Competencies. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2020, from

https://ibstpi.org/instructional-design-competencies/

ISTE Standards for Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2020, from

https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

Spector, M. (2016). Foundations of educational technology: Integrative approaches and

interdisciplinary perspectives. (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.

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Appendix A: Sample of Note Taking Structure - Cornell Notes

Appendix B: One Pager Example and AVID One-Pager Rubric, p. 253

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image from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/one-pagers/

Appendix C: Pre/Post-Assessment Survey

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Appendix D: Example Slides of Communal Note Taking and Podcasts for Content Delivery
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Appendix E: Cult of Pedagogy Website Screenshot