Chpt. 8 - Podcasting, Video and Screencasting

Before this class I had limited experience with downloading a few podcasts to my iPod and that's about it. I love that I can have access to these programs because I am usually working when the programs are on the radio. However, I never realized how easy it was to do a podcast until taking this class and I know that I would not have thought to use it in the classroom either. I think the appeal of podcasts are that they are inexpensive and easy to do which Richardson states in the chapter as well. Another thing that he says (and I agree with) is that podcasting is the 'creation and distribution of ameteur radio' and I think that is the appeal.....you don't have to be a professional radio person to do podcasts. Richardson even talks about a 13 year old who did podcasts from his bedroom. Hey, if a 13 year can do it so can educators! Podcasting has caught on with more than teenagers and educators.....businesses, churches, governments, etc. are using podcasts for many things.

What I didn't know until I read this chapter was that on the iTunes store homepage (which I have loaded on my computer) there is an "Education" selection under the podcast categories. Who knew?? They have the top podcasts for K-12. Another reason that I could support using the podcast in class or school is that it is relatively safe. I would use it to record my lectures or reviews so that absent students could access them from the school website. I also like the idea of allowing the students to use them in the lab to record their experiments, observations, etc. to possibly share with other students in the class or other labs. I think using podcasts as audio newsletter could be very effective and I would even let the students organize it, just like they do the yearbooks. Video publishing could also be a good tool for students to record their work like students doing labs....the words from a podcast are helpful but a visual can be even more effective. Any time we, as educators, can make learning more enjoyable/interesting for the student will result in a greater understanding of the lesson by the student.