Podcasting, webcasting, and coursecasting have become quite popular on college campuses, and hopefully the craze picks up at the K-12 end soon. These course enhancements can be something as simple as an audio file or as detailed as a video production. These are quite useful tools to help students study or review lectures or presentations from class. They also benefit those that are absent or those of us in distance courses that can't always attend synchronous learning engagements. iPods have shown efficiency in my classroom by recording student reading fluency. Instead of reading in the classroom, they record on an iPod in a quiet place and I listen and grade later. It's pretty helpful for struggling readers too shy to read in front of classmates. I have also put powerpoint presentations or audio files on them to help students with tests. They are allowed to choose from a variety of resources in the classroom to aid them (cheat sheets, textbook, iPods) and hopefully improve their test scores. I also put this into effect for practicality reasons. How often are we in a position where we can't look up how to do something? I provide this sense of reality to my students and hope they take me up on the offer.
I, however, struggle with listening to just a podcast. I need video. I need visual stimulation. I attribute it to an undiagnosed case of ADHD. So video podcasts are the way for me. I also prefer to make these since I am typically making podcasts for math class. I could verbally tell students how to solve problems, but most need to see math visually.
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I hope it picks up in the corporate world too. There is such a big difference sometimes between the academics and the corporate world. I've been fortunate to have been employed in both arenas. These tools have always benefited me as a distance student. I have a busy schedule and so I need my classes to be as flexible as possible. Listening to podcasts and viewing recorded sessions helps a lot. I'm ok with just listening to podcasts if it doesn't involve envisioning a process or is mainly conceptual in nature. I don't think I could listen to a podcast for math however. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you're using these technologies in the classroom. I wish my elementary school teacher used these technologies. Oh wait, I guess they weren't around then. I agree with you regarding the use of podcast, it is difficult to stay focused when you're just listening to the audio. Maybe we are both visual learners or like to be visually stimulated?
ReplyDelete@ IUstudent -- I've only benefited from it as being in the corporate world. Great that you can have experiences on both sides.
ReplyDeleteLeesa,
ReplyDeleteI'm visual too. Videocasts work better for me for many of the topics I pursue. Videocasting is to easy today with simple electronic devices most people have, I've been advocating for greater use in my organization.
But I enjoy podcasts for times when I'm driving and can't visualize content. Glad for both options.
Steve Hoard
Leesa,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your posts both here and in the class discussion forums. Your comments echo what I hear in my district too. I created my first podcasts for my final project. I have attended short workshops on podcasting but never had the opportunity to create one. I think a vodcast may be my next venture :)
~Cyndi