Sunday, September 18, 2011

Blog post #4


Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog
This podcast was well organized. Each student had a specific role. Their scripted roles helped them achieve a good flow. The smoothness of their podcast enabled them to teach a knowledgeable lesson. I was impressed that third grade students knew this much about ancient Rome. When I was their age, we were not fortunate enough to study the ancient civilizations in such depth.

However, I thought the music was a little too loud at certain times. Meaning, some of the children have different tones, and I was unable to hear some of them due to the music drowning them out. When I do my future podcasts, I will certainly consider some background music. But I will be sure that my words are not muffled by the music or any other background noises.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
Joe Dale’s video on classroom podcasting was interesting. The one thing highlighted that caught my attention was using it as a remedy for the sick student. When a student having a difficult time keeping up in class misses a day, the results can be devastating. That day could make or break the student’s final grade. I believe this to be the best benefit of a classroom podcast.

But I do not think that every lesson should be taught by podcast. They are great activities for keeping kids engaged. They also teach collaboration, a skill that will be helpful in their adult life. However, learning is not always going to involve fun activities. Learning has to maintain a level of seriousness. As adults, they will encounter a serious world. Bosses will not have the patience to teach them the responsibilities of a promotion through a podcast. That is why I agree with the principal at the end of the video; she referred to podcasts as an “effective tool to utilize when appropriate.” I do not think my podcasts will be the keel of all my lessons, but I will use them to help students when necessary.

The Education Podcasting Network
This site has some great examples of how to incorporate podcasts into the classroom. It has full podcasts for lectures and many other activities. I found it especially helpful because there are many different categories of podcasts. For example, a high school history teacher wanting to do a podcast for a lecture can go to secondary education podcasts. Then the teacher can select history, and a list of podcast topics will show up. And elementary or middle school teachers can do the same thing. The site helps all teachers in many instructional areas.

This site will be quite helpful to me. As a secondary education history major, I can see exactly what a podcast lecture on a history topic looks and sounds like. I like that the lecture can be viewed by the student after the go home. If the student does not catch everything in class, the information we discussed is just a few clicks away. It is especially neat that they can pause the podcast; it is not always easy to pause the teacher. That single function will make studying much easier.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Kevin, my name is Faun and you are my C4C this week. It is great to learn a little bit about you. I read that you will be a secondary history teacher. History gets an unfair reputation for being boring in my opinion. There is so much to learn from the past. After reading your blog, I can already tell that you will be the kind of teacher to keep things interesting. Hope to read more from you. Good luck this semester.

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  2. Thorough. Thoughtful. Well done. use appropriately!

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