Podcasts

Reflect on how you could use ‘Podcasts’ to distribute your lessons.

I currently don’t have any experience with using Podcasts in the classroom. I have used Podcasts for personal use, but never for educational purposes. After reviewing some online sites I can definitely see the benefits Podcasts could have for students. This use of technology could have tie-ins to any subject, particularly in the area of Language Arts and Social Studies. Students could listen to speeches or clips from history and then write about what they heard. This would be very useful for students that are auditory. I have found that in many cases there is great emphasis on meeting the needs of visual and kinesthetic learners. Auditory students are many times pushed aside. Because of this I feel that students have lost the art of creativity and the use of imagination. Why imagine what something would look like if a picture or video clip is right before your eyes? For students that are more visual, video podcasts (or vodcasts) could be used.

What do you expect are the students’ affective outcomes when the students use this form of technology to learn?

It is a given fact that all students learn differently. What works for one student may not for another. As mentioned before Podcasts could be of great asset to auditory students. They could actually hear what they have been reading and studying about in class. Teachers could find clips that go specifically with their units. Unlike movies or films, Podcasts could save time in the classroom. They could be a quick and easy way to keep students interested in a particular content area. I also feel Podcasts would be a good way to get parents involved in their child’s education. Teachers could suggest particular Podcasts for parents to look into at home. This would give parents access to what is being discussed at school.

On another note I discovered in my research the ability to create your own Podcasts. Having used a Flip camera in my classroom over the past few weeks, I have seen the effectiveness of students being able to view themselves presenting material to the class. Back to the first question Podcasts could be used by the teacher to assist students that will be away from the classroom for an extended period of time due to illness or other issues that may arrive. In our cohort’s small group we have discussed the use of Blogging in the closing of a school (such as in the case of an outbreak of H1N1 or bad weather). Podcasts could be used in the same way as blogs to keep students up to date on their studies.