18-+odeo

 **// __Group 4__: Roxana Corigliano Editor: Touluc

AUTHOR AND EDITOR SAY IT IS READY. FINISHED - SUSANA //**

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**__WHAT IS ODEO__?**
​ ** Odeo ** is a website which contains a directory and search destination for audio and video. It also has tools for the users to create, record and share postcasts. It is an easy way to find, play and enjoy audio and video from around the world. The website includes millons of postcasts and media sites classified in ** different categories **:
 * Arts, business, comedy, education, entertainment, hobbies
 * Lifestyles, people, politics, science, sipirituality, sports, technology

For better understanding, I will define Postcast.

Postcast is a series of digital media files ​ which are released in episodes. What differentiates postcasts from other ways of acceding to media files is the fact that postcasts are delivered episodically.

When a new episode is downloaded, the website automatically identifies the new file of the series and associate it with existing related files. This procedure gives the user a simpler access to episodic content.

The use of authentic material in ESL classroom is worthy because it provides opportunities for them to interact with the real language. Learners feel that they are learning the language as it is used outside the classroom.

Odeo can facilitate listening skills supported by authentic audio and videos.

Teachers or students may choose a topic and search for an appropriate video from the website. Teachers can also do vocabulary and comprehension activities connected to the video.

Furthermore, the website has a category about Education and Teaching languages with audios and videos about everyday situations, suitable for students learning English as a second Language.

The following examples have been selected from the website:

__**A HERO**__ //__ [] Language __: "__THE ENGLISH DESK__"// This episode consists of an audio material which tells the story about Terry Fox, a Canadian, humanitarian athlete and cancer activist. This young athlete became famous because he promoted a cross-country marathon in Canada, "The Marathon of Hope", in order to raise money for cancer research. Terry ran with one prothestetic leg.

The material provides an opportunity of listening to authentic, comprenhensible speech. Teachers can extend the resource by providing the students actitvities to evaluate how well the students understand the story.

Example of this kind of activities are: comprehension questions, listening to the recording and putting sentences in order, saying if the sentences are true or false.

Furthermore, advanced students, who are able to listen to details, can do a "fill-in-the-gap activity" concerning specific words that the teacher would desire to teach.

To support the activity, teachers can show the students a picture with the main character of the story.

__Reference__: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/featuremedia/feature113/fox_terry.JPG

These episodes are audio comedy/adventure stories about teddy bears that come to life. They tell us about their hilarious experiences in the city.
 * __LOST BEARINGS EPISODES__**.

The material simulates the sounds that can be listened to in different places and situations in town (cinemas, bars, streets or taxis) giving the appearance or feeling of being real.

This listening tool can enhance the listening experience for our students. The setting provides contextual input for better understanding.

There are many things teachers can do with this material. Before listening, teachers can preview difficult vocabulary with students. They can also select some key phrases or sentences from the episodes for the students to predict the story. After listening to the episode, teachers should consider some questions to check comprehension. Moreover, students can create diary entries for the different characters.



A selection of short stories originated from live perfomances on stages in New York City.
 * __UNLIKEY SITUATIONS. SHORT STORIES__**.

The material is valuable since storytelling gives meaning and context, invokes imagination and creativity and enhaces listening skills. Moreover, the perfomance skills of the narrator involves the listener.

Many activities can be done before and after listening to the story. The teacher can pause the story to check comprehension, wherever she thinks it´s necessary. Students can act out a free version of the tale, or draw a cartoon representing the main events in the story.



** __LINKS__ **
__**ODEO. VIDEOS AND AUDIO FROM THOUSANDS OF SITES**__ [] This is the address of the web site that has been described before. It is possible to find videos and audios. All the material is classified to facilitate the search. Although it is not an educational site, it is possible to find and select material for teaching to different age groups and interests. __** ABOUT.COM. TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE **__ [] I t is an educational site which has good activites for listening and comprehension that can be used as complement to the audio.

__** TEACHER´S NET **__ [] This is another educational site which gives teachers the opportunity to access to a variaty of activities and lesson plans. I found an interesting description of activities for before, during and after listening stories.

__**BRITISH COUNCIL BBC**__ [|http://www,teachingenglishorg.uk] I recommend this site because it is very useful for teachers. There is a range of material from classroom activities to ideas for development. There is also a subcategory "Think" with very interesting articles about education and learning.