"NPR" Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace, Any pace! Listen to Radio Broadcasts on any Cell Phone.

Lately I have come across a few different websites where you can listen to your favorite radio shows for free on your cell phone. You dial in a number (for example you can call Lexy radio at 415-692-4933), where you can select from a menu of shows OR you can create a "playlist" online or by phone and listen to your favorites at anytime. Additionally, many of these sites (such as http://cellecast.com or http://foneshow.com) allow you to stop listening, hang up, and when you dial in again you can resume listening to your show at the place where you stopped! Nice.

I think listening to radio shows at anytime, from anywhere (waiting at the DMV or in the doctor's office...), at any pace (stop and start on the go) works well for the 21st Century student. Teachers can have their students create playlists of NPR, CNN, or other news-worthy shows.

One additional feature that many of these sites has is the ability to send segments of a particular show or Cellecast calls them "cell grams" to anyone else on their phone (recipients do not need to be registered with the service to do this). Teachers could send students segments to listen to as homework, or they could ask students to send them segments as a homework assignment. For example, teachers could ask students to find a broadcast that debates a historical issue or event. While waiting in line at the bus stop, students could listen to radio shows that focus on history using Cellecast, Foneshow, or Lexy and send the segment via phone to their teacher. The best part is that you do not have to register with Cellecast or Lexy in order to listen to the programs.