By: Katie Mitchell
Podcasting is a valuable tool for anyone who wishes to disseminate a presentation, lecture, tutorial or lesson in a manner that is not limited by distance, lack of funding, or time of day. Podcasts are used to deliver content online and they are not only accessible at any time, but they are also portable. Podcasting creates a way for individuals to make information available to people who cannot be physically present or to those who wish to review content they’ve already been presented with. Podcasts also provide a method of information sharing that is not rendered nearly impossible due to cost. Since many students are already familiar with using podcasts outside the educational setting, podcasting is a way to gain students’ attention via usage of a tool that interests them.
Podcasting is a valuable tool for anyone who wishes to disseminate a presentation, lecture, tutorial or lesson in a manner that is not limited by distance, lack of funding, or time of day. Podcasts are used to deliver content online and they are not only accessible at any time, but they are also portable. Podcasting creates a way for individuals to make information available to people who cannot be physically present or to those who wish to review content they’ve already been presented with. Podcasts also provide a method of information sharing that is not rendered nearly impossible due to cost. Since many students are already familiar with using podcasts outside the educational setting, podcasting is a way to gain students’ attention via usage of a tool that interests them.
Teachers can create podcasts of lessons for students who have extended absences from school or students who are struggling with a specific concept and are in danger of falling behind (i.e., podcasts aid in differentiation of instruction and are effective with auditory learners). Media specialists can create tutorials via podcast that give examples of how to use certain tools and resources available in the media center. The media specialist could also create a podcast explaining library policies and procedures or giving an overview of how to use the Dewey Decimal System. Technology specialists can present computer troubleshooting tips via podcasts for teachers and media specialists to access any time they need tech help. These examples are only the tip of an “iceburg” of possibilities for using podcasting in an instructional setting.
I think it is paramount for media specialists to learn as much as possible about newly emerging technologies, especially when they are cost effective and build on student interest. If a teacher approaches the media specialist with questions about a certain tool with which the media specialist is unfamiliar, it is the media specialist’s role to acquire some knowledge about that tool in order to provide assistance to the teacher. Ideally, the media specialist would discover information relating to that technology and develop a working knowledge of it. At the very least, the media specialist should offer the teacher some resources to help him/her with using that technology.
My comments are related to your last paragraph. This really resonates within me. Having worked in a media center for almost six years, I have seen teachers regularly (almost constantly) approaching the media specialist for help with various technology and/or technology tools. Most of the time the media specialist was glad to help, but with the vast and increasing duties of the media specialist, their enthusiasm for assisting with “the latest techie tool” was dampened. I don’t want to become that dampened spirit. Now that I am a media specialist, I love to help teachers. I admit that I sometimes have to put them off temporarily depending on what task is on my plate, but I am determined to provide assistance. My point, I guess, is like you said - I must be willing to be proactive, learning about emerging technologies. I don’t have to be an expert on everything (impossible!). I think it is necessary to carve out some time each week to explore and learn about “the newest technology tools” for education. Podcasting is not new of course, but when it comes to my school, it’s pretty new. A site I have discovered this year that keeps me aware of some of the newer technology useful to the education world is Technology and Education Box of Tricks. http://www.boxoftricks.net/ They send out a monthly newsletter with some tips for five or six resources. Edutopia also has a ton of technology-rich resources and ideas. http://www.edutopia.org/
ReplyDeleteYour suggestion of using podcasting to aid students when absent from school is an excellent way to implement podcasts in the classroom. Because educators are so limited on time, this task could be easily be completed by students. At the beginning of the semester or unit, the teacher could assign each student a week in which he/she is responsible for providing an update/summary of what was learned that week via a podcast. Every Friday, the teacher posts the student-completed podcast to his/her Website and students absent that week can get better caught up on the material by downloading the podcast and learning about what they missed. Not only does it help better prepare students who had to miss class, but it also gives the student who creates the podcast another opportunity to re-familiarize himself/herself on the subject matter highlighted in the podcast. This archive of podcasts will also be a great reference to students at the end of the semester wanting to prepare for the class final and provides a peer-to-peer learning opportunity.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the media specialist should be a resource for all teachers looking to take advantage of this technology. The media specialist should be proactive by submitting suggestions, like your idea, to teachers frequently about how to incorporate podcasting, and other emerging technology into the classroom. He/She should then follow up with workshops and quick reference guides on how to create podcasts and upload them to Websites.