The Teachers’ Podcast is a great resource for teachers, as it fuses technology with teaching tips in every podcasting. Each podcast is made by Dr. Kathy King and Mark Gura, and lasts for about thirty minutes. The Podcasts discuss topics that pertain to ways technology can be used effectively in the classroom; topics include: how social media can be used in the classroom, how teachers can effectively give virtual presentations in class, how ebooks can be used in the classroom, and etc. The educators mention in episode 53 that e-learning reaches more audience than the traditional method. Of course, information such as these is similar to what we have learned in class. One thing is that podcasts on this site are very lengthy, therefore making them a bit difficult to follow. However, they do provide useful information. What I like about it is that it’s very simple to navigate, since all the podcast episodes are at the left.
After searching some more, I also found a site on Wikia education that lists strategies which teachers can use in the classroom with podcasting. In the classroom, teachers can record the lecture or assignments for the class and post it on the class website/blog. When students do interviews for certain assignments, it would be a great idea for them to record them as podcasts to share with the online community. Also, teachers can tell students to record their oral reports and post them on the class website, then after students have listened to the ones made by classmates they can respond to them.
As mentioned by Richardson, teachers can also make podcasts for parents. Of course, those making podcasts are not limited to teachers and students only, but also school administrations as well. Chapter 8 also talks about video publishing, screencasting, and web TV and their uses in the classroom. I think that strategies pertaining to podcasts can also apply to these mediums of the read/write web.
Podcasts provided by the teacher (Dr. Dail) that interested me were Grammar Girl (Quick and Dirty Tips) and the CNN podcasts. The two have different characteristics to like about each, so I’ll start with Grammar Girl. Her podcasts are very organized, and she seems very credible because of the way she speaks and also because of a book she had written. Also, she does demystify myths and answers what the audience wants to know. Most of all, I like the conciseness of her podcasts, and they are also very informative. One thing I realize is that Grammar Girl seems really prepared when podcasting, meaning that she must has a written script. The CNN podcasts are amazing as well; I’ve heard so much about it and have just now begun to see how time-saving it really is compared to watching it on cable. Now I can listen to the news and work at the same time. How convenient is that! I also searched Fox5News Podcasting, and it seems this news agency has one as well.
Also, podcasts and other online mediums for sharing ideas and information, have given a great advantage to the reader. I can rewind something and play it again if I missed something or if I thought it was really important, something students aren’t allowed to do in class. So then overall, podcasts, screencasts (emerges video with sound explanation), web TV, and video publishing can all add a creative and engaging dimension to the classroom.
