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.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thing 17: PodCasting
I have used PodCasts, created PodCasts, and taught a course on PodCasting last summer at our Summer Tech Institute. The great thing about PodCasting is that it takes so little technology: your computer, an inexpensive microphone, a free downloadable program like audible.com, and a little time to learn it. If you have a built-in video-cam on your computer, or would invest a little money in a USB camera, video PodCasts are possible as well.
Even on just the audio PodCasts, photos can be added on your website for an added dimension to liven up what your audience is hearing.
Even on just the audio PodCasts, photos can be added on your website for an added dimension to liven up what your audience is hearing.
Thing 16: LibraryThing
What's in YOUR shelves? LibraryThing is a much better way to catalog what's on your bookshelves than Shelfari as far as I can tell. And it has a better networking system, better cataloging, better groups, better searches, just better all the way around. They have over 30,000,000 titles in their system, which is amazing.
I could use LibraryThing to catalog my personal library; it's been far too large for too long. My husband is a retired Professor of English. We've actually begun to give away books to scale down. But what is left could stand to be catalogued so that we know what we have, whether there are duplicates, how old, etc.
But the TIME to do it? Now that's another thing . . .
I could use LibraryThing to catalog my personal library; it's been far too large for too long. My husband is a retired Professor of English. We've actually begun to give away books to scale down. But what is left could stand to be catalogued so that we know what we have, whether there are duplicates, how old, etc.
But the TIME to do it? Now that's another thing . . .
Thing 15: Is it delicious, or just tasty?
I've had my Delicious account for awhile, and I've added some new websites to it. For me, the problem is remembering it's THERE, and remembering to go back and utilize it. With all of the new technologies available, especially with Web 2.0, and being anxious to try every new technogadget on the web, I'm really terrible about going back and perfecting the ones that could help me the most in my classroom. I have not fully used Delicious in the ways I'm sure it could be used to its full advantage. Over Christmas I've going to revisit it and see if I can come up with a more meaningful way to visit it more often to remind myself of the value it can bring to my teaching and to my students. My Delicious account is:
http://delicious.com/vanderven1
http://delicious.com/vanderven1
Thing 15: A Kiva Christmas
In my Google Reader, under The Fischbowl, I learned about a great website that is just the charitable giving site I've been looking for during the past year. I've wanted to substitute some gift giving with global impact project, but hadn't found just the right site to do this through (Heiffer International is a good one, but I didn't feel connected enough to a person). Kiva, at www.kiva.org is a website where, for a minimum of $25 you can choose who you want your microloan to go to in the world. It gives an outline of the person, his or her project, the expected loan length, etc. They have a 97% repayment rate. At the end of the loan you have three choices: You can choose to put your money back into the loan pot again for another person, donate it to Kiva, or get your money back. Where else can you get that kind of deal?
If you do join, assign your gift to the Team called: SHIFT HAPPENS. Karl Fisch would just like to see how much impact his blog for teachers has had.
So, do the world a favor this year at Christmas--Look outside yourself (and maybe your family, too) and see the wide world in need. Give a gift certificate or a handful and help a neighbor across the ocean.
If you do join, assign your gift to the Team called: SHIFT HAPPENS. Karl Fisch would just like to see how much impact his blog for teachers has had.
So, do the world a favor this year at Christmas--Look outside yourself (and maybe your family, too) and see the wide world in need. Give a gift certificate or a handful and help a neighbor across the ocean.
Thing 14: Writeboard WriteNow
The Web 2.0 tool I chose to explore is called Writeboard. It is a collaborative tool, and where I think I would use it most is with student writing. We don't do a lot of prewriting because it's so laborious to read it. My students do all of their writing online, upload their papers online, and I have a grading program that allows me to mark their papers and reupload them. But it's all time-consuming. This may be a way around all of that.
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