Podcasts in Education
Technology is advancing at fascinating rates, so much so that computers people buy today will be outdated within a year or two. However, even with this fast paced advancement of technology some things seem to take hold and last for periods of time. Podcasting is one of these technologies that may be around for a while. Simply put “Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. The distribution format of a podcast uses either the RSS or Atom syndication formats.The term podcast, like "radio", can mean both the content and the method of delivery. The host or author of a podcast is often referred to as a "podcaster.” (Wikipedia, 2006). This has definite implications for educators as it offers another medium of getting information to students.
One way that educators can use Podcasting is by simply recording what they have said during a specific lesson and allow this to be downloaded for people to hear. This would work best, for example, in the age group that I teach, Intermediate, for review classes. If students are away for whatever reason but want to hear what was reviewed in class they could listen to the podcast. The apple computer website, (http://www.apple.com/education/resources/podcastingvideos/?cid=CDM2589A-1) is a great site as to learn how to use this technology and apply it your daily lessons.
The options with this technology are endless for educators, it really opens up the door for what can be learned in the classroom. D’Arcy Norman suggests that we open the door even further and do “Interviews with external resources - an instructor could interview a scientist, or someone practicing whatever the subject is, and add that recording to the RSS feed for the class - making it available to all students. Something like a Campus iTunes Music Store could do something similar, but everyone would have to go to it and grab the files, rather than have them quasi-pushed out to them.”( http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education).
Steve Solan (http://www.edupodder.com/) offers up the idea that Podcasting could be used to allow students to pace their learning, that they could stop and rewind lessons if they have to too make sure that they understand content being taught. This idea fits really well in the setting that I currently find myself, an At Risk school where many of students need extra time to get projects done or could use the technology as a way of going back over key ideas. He further suggests that we could use this technology not just for students whom are having difficulties in class but as an enrichment by allowing for extra content to be taught. Steve Sloan offers several very interesting ideas that could be used with this technology.
Another idea that was brought to the table was that of students creating a sports or news show weekly and reporting on world events and posting them in the form of a podcast for others to hear. Allowing for students to hear news from other students may be what they need to really understand and interpret information. (http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/New%20York%20Times%20podcast%20article.pdf.) The options are endless with this technology for educators, it adapts technology and offerings differing forms of gathering and presenting.
However educators choose to use this technology the fact remains that this form of technology has great potential. Educators have to harness it and allow students to experiment with it in-order for it to become successful. I just hope that the fear of technology that many have doesn’t get in the way of what could be with preogressive technology such as podcasts.
References:
Apple Education Downloads. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
Darcy Norman (2006). Podcasting: Uses for the Technology. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education
Halton District School Board (2006). Blogs, Podcasts. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/New%20York%20Times%20podcast%20article.pdf.
Steve Solan (2006). Podcasting: Educational Uses. Retrieved May 6, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.edupodder.com/
Wikipedia (2005). Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling
One way that educators can use Podcasting is by simply recording what they have said during a specific lesson and allow this to be downloaded for people to hear. This would work best, for example, in the age group that I teach, Intermediate, for review classes. If students are away for whatever reason but want to hear what was reviewed in class they could listen to the podcast. The apple computer website, (http://www.apple.com/education/resources/podcastingvideos/?cid=CDM2589A-1) is a great site as to learn how to use this technology and apply it your daily lessons.
The options with this technology are endless for educators, it really opens up the door for what can be learned in the classroom. D’Arcy Norman suggests that we open the door even further and do “Interviews with external resources - an instructor could interview a scientist, or someone practicing whatever the subject is, and add that recording to the RSS feed for the class - making it available to all students. Something like a Campus iTunes Music Store could do something similar, but everyone would have to go to it and grab the files, rather than have them quasi-pushed out to them.”( http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education).
Steve Solan (http://www.edupodder.com/) offers up the idea that Podcasting could be used to allow students to pace their learning, that they could stop and rewind lessons if they have to too make sure that they understand content being taught. This idea fits really well in the setting that I currently find myself, an At Risk school where many of students need extra time to get projects done or could use the technology as a way of going back over key ideas. He further suggests that we could use this technology not just for students whom are having difficulties in class but as an enrichment by allowing for extra content to be taught. Steve Sloan offers several very interesting ideas that could be used with this technology.
Another idea that was brought to the table was that of students creating a sports or news show weekly and reporting on world events and posting them in the form of a podcast for others to hear. Allowing for students to hear news from other students may be what they need to really understand and interpret information. (http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/New%20York%20Times%20podcast%20article.pdf.) The options are endless with this technology for educators, it adapts technology and offerings differing forms of gathering and presenting.
However educators choose to use this technology the fact remains that this form of technology has great potential. Educators have to harness it and allow students to experiment with it in-order for it to become successful. I just hope that the fear of technology that many have doesn’t get in the way of what could be with preogressive technology such as podcasts.
References:
Apple Education Downloads. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
Darcy Norman (2006). Podcasting: Uses for the Technology. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education
Halton District School Board (2006). Blogs, Podcasts. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/New%20York%20Times%20podcast%20article.pdf.
Steve Solan (2006). Podcasting: Educational Uses. Retrieved May 6, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.edupodder.com/
Wikipedia (2005). Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling
posted by Darwin Diebel at 4:13 PM
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