Podcasts & Vidcasts REFLECTION

WHAT?: This week in class we learned about making Podcasts and Vidcasts. Before this class I honestly had no idea what either of these were. I knew that there was a feature on my ipod called podcast, but I had no idea what it was or how to use it. Our assignment for this week is to create a podcast OR vidcast as a group teaching/talking about something educational.

SO WHAT?: I think that these two features will become very handy to me as a teacher, because they are very easy to make. I think that as a teacher they would be very useful and make it easier to teach some concepts to the children. I think that podcasts could come in handy for all the children and very accessible because almost all children have an ipod or computer to download the podcast to.

I personally like vidcasts a little better because not only can you hear the instructions but you can also see them as well. I know that as a teacher or colleague I could use vidcasts to teach different lessons to my students or even share my ideas with my fellow coworkers. I think that these two options would come into play a lot to switch the way I teach things in my classroom. It would definitely be a change from just lecturing to my students all the time. It might keep their attention better.

NOW WHAT?: I think that these two features will definitely have an impact on my future students, because I know that I will now use them in my classroom. Before learning about them I would have never used them. I think that as a teacher it will make me more "round", meaning I will not always just stand up and lecture. I can teach my lessons different ways now, and through different sources.

Through these features I could even have my students put together a project like we are doing in EDEL 2200. It would help them use the technology around them, and also help them work together in groups and come up with ideas as a group. I think that it is essential that my students learn what podcasts and vidcasts are, and that they learn how to create these different projects. As a teacher it is going to be my job to make these things accessible to my students and even to my colleagues. I really think that podcasts and vidcasts are very useful, and that you really do see more and more people referring to them nowdays. It is important to stay up on the different technologies like these ones.