Ch 8 Response

Podcasting is very easy to do, and as we explored in class, there are many, many ways you can use it in the classroom. When we made our own podcast in class, I was able to see how easy it was, and how it could be used for anything. The book talks about how accessible podcasting is, because all you need is a computer, microphone, and a blog. I also discovered that you can subscribe to podcasts via iTunes; I had no idea how popular and widespread they were!

Some ideas mentioned in this chapter for podcasts in the classroom are very interesting. Foreign language teachers create podcasts of daily practice lessons. They can be used in the classroom or at home. I really liked the idea of recording daily lessons and archiving them on a class website. This would allow students to refer to past lessons when preparing for a test and reviewing material, and it would also be helpful to students who missed any lessons to go back and hear exactly what was said in the lesson they missed.

This chapter also introduces screencasting. This is where a visual goes along with the podcast. I think this would also be a useful tool in the classroom. You could record a lesson, and have any visual you would like them to see at the same time up on the computer as well. If you were trying to explain how to work a math problem, for example, you could have the problem on the screen for them to see while your voice explains how to work the problem.

I think podcasting is something I will use in my classroom, regardless of the age group I end up teaching. There are so many uses for it. I would definitely want to record any important lessons for students to be able to refer to, and I would love to have students record a review or material for everyone to listen to and use to study. I think podcasting and screencasting are great tools, and I was glad to see that they are not only easy enough for students to use, but easy enough for me to use effectively as well.