Podcasting in the classroom could be used for many purposes, and I think will become even more used than it already is once people get to know the concept better and the technology for making them more readily.
I've been to most of these sites before, pulling useful tidbits here and there to share with my classes. This time I went first to The Education Podcast Network and pulled off a couple of podcasts: a couple of episodes of "Shakespeare-Upon-iPod" from the new biography "Shakespeare by Another Name," the life & times of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who researchers think wrote under the name of William Shakespeare; and also "I'm Bringin' Vocab Back!" a podcast segment from "Podcasting with Mrs. S."
Second, I went to NPR.org and chose "The Poet's Weave" poetry reading podcast hosted by WFIU in Bloomington, IN, so that I could share live reading of poetry with my Modern Poetry class.
I have used many podcasts in my room as accessories to learning. They cannot be the central source of learning because of the lack of visual and textual layers, but they are certainly good adjunct pieces to further enhance the learning process. If students learn best by using all of their senses, then this sort of auditory information, especially when put into a format that is interesting and that can be put on their computers or iPods and listened to again and again at their own paces is truly an advantage over traditional learning methods.
I have only made a few podcasts myself, not for lack of desire, but more because of time constraints. I'm a perfectionist and tend to want to use GarageBand or other more complicated software. I need to get past that.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thing 23: Reflections . . .
This Voicethread reflects on what I've learned through my K12learning2.0 class (in a very small way). What I will pursue from here is very definitely is keeping current with the many Web 2.0 programs that are coming out all the time. I'm like a child at Christmas every time I visit that website. I also want to keep finding ways to share that technology both with peers and family; it can only enhance lives.
The thing I have to keep cautioning myself about, however, is not to allow technology to take over my classroom. My one techno-weakness is to introduce so many new technologies or websites to my students that they sometimes feel overwhelmed, and even say, "Not another new login?" When a teenager complains about too much face time on a computer, I know that I've overloaded their circuits.
The thing I have to keep cautioning myself about, however, is not to allow technology to take over my classroom. My one techno-weakness is to introduce so many new technologies or websites to my students that they sometimes feel overwhelmed, and even say, "Not another new login?" When a teenager complains about too much face time on a computer, I know that I've overloaded their circuits.
Thing 22: About Classroom 2.0
I signed up tonight for CR 2.0, and found immediately that I was able to point a fellow teacher to a site I'd just learned about myself called Evoca--a very rudimentary, but easy, podcasting site that is perfect for teaching students how to podcast:
http://www.evoca.com/started/podcasting_4_steps.jsp
There were many other interesting things to learn on this social networking site for educators, so I can't wait to delve deeper!
I also found a site called Ning in Education that directed me to SlideShare where someone had posted a slide presentation entitled "Literatuer in Second Life." I had all but given up on Second Life because I felt that the majority of it had become so sleazy, but after looking at the plethora of literary sites available within Second Life, maybe there is yet hope. Of course, I haven't yet gone "underground" and visited those "literature stores," so I can't vouch for their validity or quality, but at least this source seemed to think they were worthwhile. If you haven't heard of Second Life, all I can say is that there's a whole other world out there. Literally.
http://www.evoca.com/started/podcasting_4_steps.jsp
There were many other interesting things to learn on this social networking site for educators, so I can't wait to delve deeper!
I also found a site called Ning in Education that directed me to SlideShare where someone had posted a slide presentation entitled "Literatuer in Second Life." I had all but given up on Second Life because I felt that the majority of it had become so sleazy, but after looking at the plethora of literary sites available within Second Life, maybe there is yet hope. Of course, I haven't yet gone "underground" and visited those "literature stores," so I can't vouch for their validity or quality, but at least this source seemed to think they were worthwhile. If you haven't heard of Second Life, all I can say is that there's a whole other world out there. Literally.
Thing 19: New Way to Video Conference
In reading "The Fischbowl," one of my Google Reader entries, I was happy to find a website called MeBeam, a video conferencing site used by classrooms and other folks. This site led me to Adium, used by Macs (my true love), a free download you can use with Jabber to video chat -- something I will share with my oldest daughter next week when she visits before taking off to live abroad for several years. Between this, Skype, and other new technologies, life with be the next best thing to being there . . .
Thing 18: Meditations at Lagunitas
This is a podcast I created as an introduction to poet Robert Hass and a reading of his poem, "Meditations at Lagunitas." Learn more about Hass at www.poets.org. There are also two questions to answer at the end.
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