Podcasting

Podcasting is a very interesting and useful tool for todays classroom. It allows the class to be focused on the lesson content and helps the teacher determine the progress a student is making in the class. It is an evaluating tool to know where the students knowledge begins, its progression through research and study and also allows the students to learn from the information the other students are presenting.

After attending many field trips with my son's already this year I became personally interested in podcast #53. I am now wishing their teachers used this technology for their advantage and truly believe the students would have retained more knowledge from the field trip. By using podcasting on field trips, students are asked to think about and record what they think they are going to experience on the trip and what they may already know about that particular subject. They are then asked to record their experience at different times during their field trips and what they have actually learned. This is a great way for students to learn more and retain more knowledge of the field trip and things they may not have known.

The Smartboard Lesson #149 was also very interesting. The smartboard allows the teacher to to post notes about the content of the lesson. It is a great way for the teachers and the students to use a hands-on technology approach in the classroom. By having the smartboard connected to the computer it allows the teacher and students to use a large screen projected on the wall for easy use and readability. They use a touch screen on the computer to manipulate the system for it to be projected on the wall for everyone to see and use with ease. This technique also allows students and teacher to use video conferencing with other schools around the world to expand their knowledge and views on many different subjects and areas.

Podcasting is definitely a very useful and informative tool to use in today's classroom. It is one of today's technologies that will help expand the students thinking, interactive and communication skills like we have never seen before. Students and teachers can reach each other and classrooms around the world to experience areas that would otherwise be impossible. I can only hope that our schools and classrooms will take advantage of the technology that is now at our fingertips.