Podcasts

What: The technology of the week is podcast and vidcasts. Wikipidia says, "A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication". They are also called , vidcast and vodcast. Many are homemade, but they can also be new event clips from tv and movie. To watch some check out YouTube or Teacher tube.
Now What: Both of these technologies came with great warnings, especially vidcasts. Like everything there is good and bad video podcast, you can learn everything from math formulas to science concepts, but these are mix in with porn and violence. Another problem is that many of the vidcast are homemade. How do you know the person making the video knows anything about the subject matter? Careful Internet surfing and an understanding of subject matter are important before using any vidcast found online.
I have not used these technologies in my life as a student much. I may have use YouTube once to get a video clip for a class, but that about it. When I think about YouTube vidcasts I do not think educational. When someone says YouTube images of Fail Blog, Harry Potter Puppet Pals, “Charlie Bit My Finger”, and Fred flash through my heads. If you have never heard of these, ask a ten year old. These are not exactly videos for the classroom. I know there must be some informative videos a the site, because my twelve year old was able to learn everything about the care and feeding of Chinese Water Dragons from watching YouTube and for the most part the info was accurate. I guess it is not completely useless.
So What: Though there might be educational material on YouTube. As a teacher I will have to be very careful to wade through the muck to find educational and accurate videos for my class. I guess I could make my own. That is my assignment for this week. My team and I have to teach a concept with a podcast or vidcast. Then post it on YouTube. This assignment could be a good one for an upper elementary grade to try. They might make short news casts, teach a scientific concept, or record an oral book report. The possibilities are endless. I “WOULD NOT” have them post it online, because of liability and safety issues. But by acting out the information they have learned it will become embedded deeper in they brains for ease of recall later on.
Video: Why Let Our Students Blog?
I like how she said that students should blog for their digital future. Children today live in a computer age from the time their born they are playing on some form of computer. The IPhone even has apps for babies to use as rattles. This makes for an ever changing classroom, with new technologies popping-up every day. As a future teacher I need to stay informed about all of them. Will I let my students’ blog? I do not know. Like most things attached to the Internet there is good and bad in blogging. If I can give the children good round rules to keep them safe then maybe then will my students blog.