Lakewood High teacher incorporates technology into psych class

Until recently, the words podcast and blog were only part of the ultra tech-savvy vocabulary. Blogs, or online journals, now number in the tens of millions around the globe, and iTunes alone boasts thousands of podcasts, which are downloadable audio shows.

Lakewood High School teacher Adam Ronscavage has delved into this technology, incorporating both a blog and podcast into his classroom, accessible to not only his students but students across the globe.

He started the blog in fall 2005 as a place for his AP Psychology students to exchange ideas about the class and incorporated the podcast as a way to highlight points of interest about psychology.

Ronscavage, who grew up in Wheat Ridge, received a BA in psychology from CU-Boulder and got a masters in educational technology from Lesley University.

He said he started listening to podcasts in their infancy, on his first iPod.

"I started thinking, how cool would this be for class - I could interview people, such as instructors from other universities," he said.

For his podcast, Ronscavage has interviewed - or at least tried to interview - a 2-year-old for a unit on child development, as well as psychology experts from around the country.

When Ronscavage started his podcast, he didn't know what to expect - and has been amazed at the feedback.

For instance, Ronscavage received an e-mail from a student in Istanbul, Turkey, who said he liked to listen to the psychology podcast on the subway. Feedback has also come in from experts across the nation, such as therapists, just to say, "Hey, I like what you're doing," Ronscavage said.

"It's a neat way to get out in the world, and I plan to keep doing it," he said.

The number of subscribers to Ronscavage's podcast has varied; right now it is about 167, and he has had as many as 250. Although the majority of his students don't listen to it, it is beneficial to some, especially audio learners. Some students report they burn the podcast to a CD and listen to it in their cars to review.

Although students are still catching on to podcasts, most of them participate in the class blog, where Ronscavage poses questions and asks for their response.

"With a topic like psychology, sensitive topics are discussed, and I wanted a forum for kids to exchange ideas, a safe environment that was anonymous and moderated by me," he said. He reviews all students' comments before they are publicly posted and participation counts for class credit.

Topics range from New Year's resolutions to phobias to dream analysis. The interactive aspect of the blog makes it appealing to students, said senior Samira Kadam, AP psychology student.

"Even if you don't like English or writing, it's a great way to incorporate lessons and relate it personally in our lives - in a context we are familiar with," she said. "It goes beyond perusing a textbook or taking notes and creates a new way to study."

Kadam said she has listened to Ronscavage's podcasts as well and found them enjoyable.

"I think he seems so at ease as a teacher in general," Kadam said. "This is the most valuable class I've ever taken because of the way Mr. Ronscavage teaches. He's not some distant adult you can't relate to."