Journal 7 : Podcasting

Podcasting is recording lectures, extra materials, or study materials and putting it into an mp3. Once this is in mp3 it is made accessible by the instructor for downloading by the student to upload to mp3 players or to play from media players on a computer. There are many ways in which podcasts can be used to make learning a much more rich experience. Teachers can record their own lectures, additional supporting materials, present alternate perspectives, used as study guides, and can bridge the gap for disabled students.

I remember my first experience with podcasting, and I enjoyed it immensely. It was such a relief having the class lecture in a downloadable format so I didn’t have to strain myself during lecture. I could just enjoy the conversation and topic, and then go back and revisit areas that weren’t as clear the first time.

In my own classroom I would use podcasting especially when talking about a particular assignment. Some of the most important days of school are those when a major assignment is given, and those opening explanations and clarities by students are vital. I would like to record myself and the class during these critical moments.

To incorporate podcasting into my classroom, I would use Atomic Learning to put in on the web or in a place very accessible to my students. I am a fan of video tutorial but it’s also nice to be shown how to do things as well.