Podcast

Podcasting is not a weird word meant for iTunes alone. Rather, it is a radio broadcast of sorts that can be downloaded for listeners to enjoy whenever they desire. There are many different ways to use podcasts. Some of my favorite suggestions were to record lessons or lectures as podcasts so that students can download them later to study. However, I fear that this system may easily be taken advantage of by lazy students who discover they don't have to go to class or pay attention because they can just download the information later. The second idea I liked for use of podcasts in the classroom is to make them available especially for visually impaired students. My mother works with visually impaired children and I suggested this to her almost as soon as I'd read about the idea. I imagine that teachers could read their worksheets, stories, or lessons aloud for the students who need to hear them rather than see them. However, braille transcribers make a living out of brailling worksheets for students, so I'm not sure how this could be used. Mother is the necessity of invention, however, and when the need arises I'm sure a podcast could be one option. Finally, I envision using podcasts to reach the parents of students, especially during the beginning of school. Teachers can introduce themselves, give some background, and explain very generally what the goals are for his/her classroom.

Podcasting is different from some of the other forms we have discussed because it is an audio file. Not only that, but it can be downloaded and listened to as if it were a music track. The other forms can be downloaded, but they can't be played so easily, as if they were a song. Podcasting is similar to voicethreads, but I believe that voicethreads require images. I'm not sure if podcasts have to have video. Regardless, all the forms we have discussed so far share information and can be used in a classroom setting (if the teacher is creative). Thankfully podcasting is a free "program" which makes it convenient for classroom or personal use.

I do own an iPod touch, but I don’t think I would use it in the classroom. I think about how it would appear to the principal or any other superior who walked in while I was staring at it and searching for tracks. If I did use the iPod in class, I suppose I could hook it up to some small speakers and play podcasts from NPR or another educational sort of resource. It could be a great way to engage students and get them thinking about a topic. For some students who retain information better when it is presented in an audio format this would be a very valuable resource. Online communication tools generally are very helpful, but they can also be distracting. There really is nothing like face-to-face conversation between students or students and teachers. I think it is a very valuable skill to be able to approach people and talk to them without embarrassment or shyness, and technology is making it more difficult to be physically social. There are great advantages, however, we need to keep in mind that human interaction is the most important form of communication.

References

Grenier, Brian. "Podcasting." Classroomtech /. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.