Podcast #1

A podcast is a combination of an ipod and broadcasting. It is something that can be broadcasted to many people, all over the world. You do not have to use an ipod to listen to a podcast, you can easily listen on your computer. Podcasts are similar to Tivo except in a radio form, as in you can record something to listen to later. Podcasts are compatible with any computer, not just macs. They are very affordable and a subscription is all that is needed.

Podcasts can be used in the classroom for students to correspond with students in another country both visually and audibly. They can be used to record songs, poems, or messages for an assignment or specifically to family members. Also, podcasts can be used to simply listen to in class. The presenter in this podcast that we listened to traveled to Europe and recorded some of the sounds she heard during her trip so she could play them for her class when she returned.

Teachers would benefit from using podcasts in their classroom because students tend to be more motivated to do their work when they know it may be broadcasted and potentially shared with students around the world. Teachers would want to use podcasting in their classroom for that reason, and because it is a new technology that can create many ideas for projects.

Some teachers may choose to not use podcasts in their classroom because they may have a lot of learners who podcasts wouldn't appeal to. Students who are kinesthetic or visual learners may not be able to sit for a long period of time to listen to a podcast that you can only hear and not see. Yes, podcasts are a great step up for technology in the classroom, but there are always going to be a few students whom it won't completely appeal to.

Now that I know much more about podcasting, I think it's a neat invention that could be very effective in the classroom. I personally do not own an ipod nor do I use itunes, so if I were a teacher right now, would I use podcasts in my classroom? Probably not. Right now I feel as though I would have to learn more about podcasts and, in a way, get motivated to use them because currently I have no desire to use them. Like I said, however, I think they're great and they can indeed be used in some very creative and effective ways, I just don't see podcasts as a tool I would use in my classroom very often.