Using SoundCloud (for poetry and other stuff)

The other day, I read about Poetry Foundation's new SoundCloud group, Record-a-Poem. Basically, the idea is that anyone can record themselves (or someone else) reading a piece of poetry and post it on the Record-a-Poem group. Here's a more detailed post on how to do that.

If I were still teaching English--grade school, high school, or college--I'd take this prime opportunity to get my students to appreciate the oral art of poetry. Imagine: you tell your students to join the group, pick a poem from the Poetry Foundation archive (of which there are a great many), record a reading, and upload it. Others get to listen to their poems, like, share, or repost it. I think it's a wonderful way to get students excited about reading and listening to poetry.

Alternatively, you can also do the following:

1. Create your own SoundCloud group.
2. Ask your students to make a SoundCloud account and join your group.
3. Have them upload whatever audio file you want them to upload (e.g., a podcast about your current topic, a song, a poem, reaction to a lesson, readers theater, etc.)
4. For added interaction, ask each student to listen to a few of them to give comments or reactions.

Doesn't even have to be for English class. I can imagine all the different subject areas

that can use this. The possibilities are exciting!