Podcasting

I would have to say I have never been one to listen to podcasts or even search to look for one.  I am not a big fan of books on tape either.  Maybe I am just a reader.  My iPod to my iPhone has just been for me to listen to music.  I can see the advantage to Podcasting. I just have not ventured there myself.  In the past, I have thought of making a podcast for study guides for my students but went the way of an animated video instead.  I have done screen casting for substitutes when I have been out school days for my students to watch. 

In reviewing podcast, I see they are podcasts for any and all topics and range from a few minutes to a couple of hours.  Podcasting could be used for all levels of the instruction and learning process.  Students who need additional support on a topic could review a podcast you created or someone else has a review or for additional instruction.  Pod casting could also be used for extension.  In social studies, many times we must cover a topic at a very minimal level so that we can cover everything.  Podcasting would allow providing the extension of letting a student delve deeper into a topic which interests them.

In searching in the education categories, there was a range of topics alone.  Education could be personal education, leadership, personal management and self help, but also be topics within the education field.  I prefer to search for a specific topic, which could be in multiple categories.  I searched for the Ottoman Empire and there were podcasts under education, history and government.

After searching through Common Craft , Teacher Cast and of course Learning in Hand, always have to go to my go to guy, Tony Vincent.   Tony Vincent mention CNN Student News, we have watch this in classroom but now I can have my students listen or subscribe to the podcasts as extra credit or additional assignments if we do not have a chance.  I can now see myself searching through podcasts to see if I can find anything for myself to learn something new.  I am one of those who like to figure it out on my own as opposed to sitting in a classroom.  But I do see the benefit to use as a differentiation tool in my classroom as well.

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