To Podcast or Not to Podcast

What on earth is a podcast? As educators and life-long learners would this be a valuable tool in our own quest to make knowledge easier and accessible for everyone and should it be used in educational institutions?

First, podcasting is an automated technology that allows people to listen to digitally recorded information that can be downloaded to a computer media player and listened to throughout the day.

Podcasting has compelling uses for learners of all ages. As an adult learner myself, I see many possibilities. I remember taking an anatomy course many years ago. I had a deck of cards with body parts and correct spelling on each of them and I would keep them in my pocket. Every time I had a few minutes to sit and relax, I would take out this deck of cards and study them. With the arrival of podasting, I would no longer need to find a few minutes to sit and review my cards, I could just simply record the information I need to learn, download it to an ipod and listen to it throughout the day and repeat it as many times as necessary. Another wonderful benefit to podcasting is the ability to listen to information at my convenience. I could be running the children around, making dinner, doing laundry, all the while learning something new.
While studying for test, I thought it might be a great idea to just record and download to your ipod, only the information that you don’t know. Instead of listening to all the information, just target the information that may be giving you difficulties. If you listen to it over and over again, eventually you may remember it.

On Monday morning when I arrive at school, I go right to my mail box and I find a “What’s Up” document. This document tells me what is happening during the week. Who is doing what, who is away, who is responsible for what. Every morning when I walk into my school, I need to go straight to the teacher’s room and look on the white board to determine what is happening that day and who needs to do what. A more efficient idea would be for the principal to record the required information for the staff on a Friday evening and staff could listen to the podcast during the weekend or turn on their computers Monday morning and listen to the weekly update at their convenience.

I also thought that the Board Office can disseminate updates, announcements, daily messages and news through a podcast. Perhaps at lunchtime, teachers could listen to this information. Schools are situated all over the peninsula and information that we get (if we get any information at all) is often distorted by others who pass it along. It would be great to get a regular podcast direct from the Board Office. It seems to me, that this technology could improve and facilitate better teamwork and communication.

I spend a lot of time after school going to inservices. I thought another great idea would be for the trainers to create a podcast of the required information and we could listen to it at our convenience. This is a good idea because the information would only have to be recorded once and teachers could listen to it over and over again if they chose. A knowledge database could be created for all these inservices and seminars and teachers could download the podcasts if they need refreshers, if they missed the inservice, or all podcasts would be available for new teachers. Valuable resources could be used in other areas instead of a continuous string of the same inservice. Best practices could also be recorded and downloaded as needed.

For students, podcasting is an excellent and exciting tool for many reasons. It can make learning a new language easier. Students can hear the correct enunciation of words and listen to it over and over again at any place or any time. This is also an excellent technology integrating foreign speaking students into the classroom.

Information can be recorded for field trips, homework, research, notes, interviews, lectures, and downloaded anytime for students to work with. Lectures can be recorded and students can listen to them over and over again, if they so chose. Speeches can be recorded for students to listen to so they can hear if their pace is correct, if they have fluency, if they need to slow down or speed up, if they are loud enough, or if they need to enunciate my clearly.

This technology is wonderful for all students. Information can be easily modified for special needs students or the information can be extended for those that have mastered the curriculum. For special needs students, they could have the opportunity to pre-learn information or listen to the information as many times as they need to feel confident with the information. Just a simple download would give them the ability to listen and learn.
For those that missed a day or two of school, again they would have the ability to download information and get caught-up right from home. This technology is great for younger students or those that have difficulty reading, or seeing, all they have to do is listen.

This brings me to another point. Often children have difficulty with listening skills. Students can download information and listen for instructions and directions. This is a great way to practice many activities especially mapping. Often in life we have to stop, ask for directions, then listen, to ensure that we get where we are going.

An on-line agenda is also a great idea. Have students record assignments, due, homework, to do lists, etc and parents can download and listen to them in the evening in order to prepare students for the next day. In fact, as a busy teacher, I could record my own to do lists and download them in the evening, so I too can be fully prepared for class the next day.
I also thought a daily audio journal would be really neat. Often when children arrive home from school, parents ask them what they did all day, and of coarse, you know what their usually response is, “nothing.” Students could record their daily activities, and keep track of good moments, difficult moments and ha ha moments. Parents could listen to their child’s journal every evening. Also it is a wonderful keepsake for later in life.

Upon reviewing the internet for podcast uses, I discovered that there is a wide variety of educational uses. The list never seems to end. Of course the list begins with downloading music, practice interviewing skills, creating your own biography, recording and listening to your own and other student’s stories, sound clips from educational movies, listening to field experts, listening to current events, weather reports, this technology also provides immediate feedback to students, and can provide supplementary information to students. The list goes on and on.

It is my firm belief that podcasting is an excellent tool to integrate into one’s own life, into the lives of students, and into the classroom. As with any new technology, it can be scary and intimidating but with the time, desire and practice, most anyone can become familiar with this technology. I know that this technology will definitely be useful in my own quest for learning and knowledge and that of my students.