Saturday, September 17, 2011

Blog Post #4

Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog

First, let me start by saying that listening to this podcast, I would not have thought it was done by 3rd graders! Kudos to the little guys for doing such a great job and keeping me interested in what they had to say! Kids never cease to amaze me, and these sort of things are exactly the reason why I am looking forward to becoming a teacher!

Prior to this class, I hadn't listened to many podcasts so I did not know much about them or how to even make one. My idea of a podcast was listening to someone ramble on and on about a topic. It didn't interest me very much. However, after listening to the Eagle Nest Radio's podcast titled "All Roads lead to Rome," my thoughts have certainly changed. I loved how the students used different approaches to delivering the information. The podcast was very interesting, while also informative at the same time. They made it fun for the listener, and I think that's very important! This inspired me to try to think of a new and creative approach to delivering my group podcast. I also liked the music in the background, which made the podcast sound much better and easier to listen to. It also added to the theme of Rome and helped my mind to travel to the time period that the students were referring to. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast and look forward to incorporating some of their ideas into my group podcast.

third graders dressed up as ancient Romans

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

After watching "The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom" by Joe Dale, I learned so many techniques and ideas that I could use in my future classroom. I never realized how helpful and convenient podcasts could be. It is not only helpful to students to receive extra study materials for test, but podcasts can also be used for projects to help students interact with each other and think outside the box. It is not a traditional method that has been used in the classroom, but it is definitely an aspect of technology that should be implemented in every classroom curriculum!

Podcasting is also a great tool for the classroom because it is something students are familiar with and can relate to. Just think, how many students listen to the radio on a regular basis or own a ipod or mp3 player of some sort? I would say 90% of students. So why not implement podcasting in tue classroom as a way to connect with your students in their daily lives? I wish I would have had podcasts of my lessons available to me when I was in middle and high school. It would have been so helpful. Another important topic that was discussed in the video was the fact that students who have missed class because of an illness could have a way to interactively be a part of the class without physically being there. The process of creating and uploading a podcast is one that is simple and easy for students, and provides a new way of learning that is fun and memorable. Another great thing about podcasts is that it also allows parents and other family members to see what is being done in the classroom.

100 Ways to Use Your Ipod to Learn and Study Better

iPod Touch

After reading through the site and glancing at all the tutorials and information that was provided, I was a little overwhelmed at all the different tools that could be used on the iPod. I do own an iPod, but I honestly only use it for music purposes. I am definitely going to start to use it to it's full potential now, since I know all the academic tools that I can use. It can be very helpful for me in EDM 310 as well as my other classes.

I read one of the articles that was linked on the site, titled "Learning Podcasting" by Carolyn Wood. The site gives a quick overview of what a podcast is, how to create one, and what type of podcast can be created. There are many varieties of podcasts, and can be about anything from music to lectures on academic subjects. I learned something that I didn't know from reading the post: the word podcast came from the word "iPod" and "broadcasting" but a podcast can be created on any computer, not just an iPod. Creating a podcast is as simple as having a computer or mp3 device, a microphone, and the appropriate software to edit and convert the file! Also, podcasts range from simple recordings to more advanced and complex podcasts that are heard by hundreds of thousands of people. I learned so much that can be useful in creating my group podcast. The article gives overviews of the Audacity software and also how to turn your podcast into an RSS feed so that listeners can subscribe and be updated when new podcasts are available. This is such a phenomenon that I had no clue about, but it seems very interesting now and I am so excited to start on my podcast with my group to see what creative ideas we can come up with!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Kayla,

    I also thought podcasting would be a bore, but Eagle Nest Radio certainly proved me wrong. I learned so much from that podcast alone, like how important communication skills are and how background music can help create visuals. I hope to include some of their ideas as well.

    I'll also admit that I don't use my iPod for much besides music and a couple of games. After looking over the list of 100 ways to use my iPod, I hope to incorporate some of them in my learning experience. We live such busy lives that a lot of times we are taking our work wherever we go. How convenient is it to have all of these tools at our disposal everywhere we go, and on such a small device?

    I think you did a great job with your summaries and reactions. You are very detailed in your writing and you touch on multiple aspects of each resource. Keep up the good work!

    Lana

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  2. I am glad you will become a podcasting teacher!

    Thorough. Thoughtful. Well writte. Enthusiastic.

    Thanks!

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