Podcasting

I had heard of pod casting but until now did not have an understanding of exactly what it was and the benefits it can have in any class room across any key learning area. I followed the instructions through itunes and subscribed to Sean Martinson podcast titled The educators health and listened to him express his hatred for paper and love for his iphone, his main message was "suck it up and get healthy". I also subscribed to Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger's podcast, Teachers connecting pod casts which they gave together but were 1000km apart.
Pod casting is a technology which could be used in classrooms as a form of presenting information. Jmango (2006) listed the following ideas podcast's can be used for in the class rooms:
. Reviewing a book
. Reading a play and adding sound effects
. Interviews
. Running commentary on school activities or news
. Public speaking forum
. To listen to and talk to students from other schools or countries.
Pod casting can also supplement the teacher's lectures and assist students who miss work or have special needs. Lynne (2007) states children diagnosed with ADD can have the advantage of being able to listen to class lessons individually without distractions or a student with a hyperactivity disorder may benefit from listening to music while completing tasks. Lynne (2007) also recommends podcast in music lessons, the teacher has a class objective but each student could choose their preferred music. In addition if a child is absent, they can download and listen to the missed information or students who are weak readers can listen to novels and follow their hardcopy. Podcasting can also be beneficial to auditory learners.

I do like the sound of the benefits teachers are finding regarding pod casts but Dale's cone of Active Learning (ACU 2000) illustrates verbal symbols i.e,. listening to spoken words the least effective method and the most effective to be direct, purposeful hands on learning experiences. I would therefore use podcast in conjunction with other teaching strategies. Kesley's and Shneiderman's (1999) engagement theory corresponds with an English lesson where the students have to collaboratively write their own play with regards to the unit topic, (the reef for example; the play could portray the environmental concerns for the future)and it could be pod casted for others in the community to view. The students are intrinsically motivated to learn due to the meaningful nature of the learning environment and activities. (Kearsely & Shneiderman, 1999).