What?
What did we learn this week? We actually learned quite a bit. We covered two weeks in one class period and still had time to work a bit on our PowerPoint project with our group. We covered podcasts/vidcasts and also video simulations. Again, I am amazed at how much information is out there for us to use as teachers! I love it!
So What?
I will start with the podcasts and vidcasts. We discussed what podcasts and vidcasts are. I felt a bit dumb for not knowing what they are but there were several other classmates that were in the same boat. I knew that you can download podcasts onto your iPod from iTunes but that's about all that I could have told you. I, now, know that a vidcast is a video recording of you or anything that can be put onto your iPod or anywhere else. A podcast is the audio part that you can record and then download.
There are great uses for both podcasts and vidcasts as a teacher, student and colleague. In class on Thursday, we discussed the ways that we can use the podcasts and vidcasts in our future classrooms. Some of the things that we came up with are, for the vidcasts, we can create short lessons on a vidcast so that the student can learn by watching a short video of a lesson and he can do it at his own pace. Some of the things that were suggested were sign language lessons where they can learn at their own pace by pausing the video when needed, etc. We can also create step by step activities that they can follow on their own time. It seems like it will be quite simple. Many phones, computers and video recorders are able to record the short video and then they can be downloaded to the computer desktop and then added to youtube or teachertube.com or even on our UEN site.
Podcasts are kind of the same idea. They consist of the the audio part. You can record things like sound, simple instructions, a song that your class may be learning or a read aloud book. Doc Waters informed us that podcasts are popular for those learning a foreign language. That makes tons of sense! It never hurts to know more than one language and being able to listen to it on the go. We are such busy people now days that it would be ideal.
As colleagues we can share the different vidcasts and podcasts that we make and collect with our teams and other colleagues. More than one person working toward an idea will give us other avenues to follow and new ideas to pursue. I think that it's a great way to work as a team.
Now What?
Everytime I go to class I learn more ways that technology enhances our class and teaching. I love the idea of podcasts and vidcasts. They are still personal because you are on there and are their teacher. I am excited to learn how to do vidcasts and podcasts. I would also like to make one with my children so that they can see how things work in the classroom and we can also do it for fun to use in our homes. I may be able to use this technology for other classes as well. I think that it opens up a whole new bunch of ideas for me and for my students. I think that it would be a great independent study activity to have the students learn on the vidcast or podcast rather than drill information into their heads all of the time. They can go at their own pace this way too because they can pause or stop the video or podcast. It opens up new opportunities to use technology in the classroom that I hadn't thought of before.
I also plan to use these different forms of technology in my teams with my colleagues at school. We can brainstorm and pick each other's brains so that we can help the students to be the most effective learners. I am always excited about new ideas on how we can work together since that is such a vital part of teaching. I look forward to learning how to use this new technology in my own classroom!
Video Reflection
I really enjoyed the short but sweet video for this week! It answered the question, "Why Let our Students Blog?" Allowing our students to blog allows them to be creative and express themselves in writing on the internet. It also allows them to voice their opinions and have a "voice" in our society. It allows them to reach out to other students their age as well. The video showed students blogging and having friends in other parts of the world that follow their blogs. I think it's such a great idea to open up their eyes to other cultures and ideas by doing this. It's also a great way to keep a journal. I for one, am terrible at this and try to do a better job by doing it on my blog.
It also engages the students in other types of learning besides that traditional way of sitting in your desk for hours on end. They can be creative with their blogs and I will definitely encourage blogging with my students!
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