Assignment 3

Podcasts

I enjoyed listening to these six podcasts and I even learned some things along the way. I found some pros and cons from each one and think they were very helpful for when I have to do my own. During my podcast, I hope to be professional and involve the people listening to me. While I want the podcast to be entertaining, I want it to also be informative. The main thing I hope to do is choose a topic that my audience will be able to relate to.

SMARTboard Lessons Podcast
Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger

I found this podcast very distracting, but entertaining. Ben Hazzard from what I could understand is from Ontario, Canada and he conducts his Podcasts from a coffee shop/cafe. He would frequently stop his podcast and order coffee or soup and stop to give the waitress money or talk to her. I found myself more interested in what kind of soup he was ordering than the tip he was trying to get across. The point of this podcast was to let you know about an online web conferencing site called DimDim.com. Most of the products on this site you have to buy, but now they have an area that allows you free access to a virtual classroom. This tool allows full functionality use on an interactive whiteboard and SMARTboard. You can collaborate with other classes from anywhere in the world. This would be especially useful if you wanted to learn more about a topic being studied, you could use it as a virtual field trip. Some of the functions include: browsing web pages together, web cams, free audio conferencing, you can even record a meeting then embed it later. Sounds like a really useful tip for any classroom and of course I love that it is free. Just as a note of caution though, after hearing this podcast you will have a terrible craving for Italian Wedding Soup.

Kidcast 62 - Some Thoughts on Video Podcasting
Dan Schmit

Dan Schmit discusses video podcasting and whether or not teachers should start with it versus audio podcasting. I liked his podcast he was much more organized with his thoughts than the first podcast I listened to and seemed to fit much more information into ten minutes. He starts out by saying that he prefers people not calling it Vodcasting - unnecessary term we should take the extra second and say video podcasting. Next he wants to dispel a myth - should video podcasting be progressive: audio only then video. He said that it takes a higher level of production expertise to pull a video off and it really depends on the audience as to whether you choose to do an audio or video podcast. Audio is the best choice best for commuters and for use in education - challenges students to use more descriptive language to visualize points. Indicators to use video include: showing subjects non verbal actions - motions on face, reactions and showing something with moving demonstration - saves time in way you explain something. If audience is most likely to access content on computer or ipod then you might use video. Video gets students to use body language, expressive voice, look into camera and communicate to audience. Audio is faster and only contains one element - audio. Video has many elements and takes much more time - audio, adequate lighting, visual sets and clothing. With video you have to practice non verbal elements that accompany video performance and you have more pressure for smooth error free performance in one shot. Audio is easier to slice and dice and edit. Video much harder to edit for errors. Will multiple takes take away from purpose? When making any podcast he said to keep the 80/20 ratio: 80% content and 20% production. This podcast gave me something to think about : How does video podcasting fit in my world as a teacher and how might I start implementing this?

Connect Learning Episode #96
David Warlick

David Warlick starts out with some very pleasant music to introduce his podcast. He is asking questions at a workshop with over 9,000 educators in San Diego, California. The educators are from peculiar schools that have a large transient nature with a wide range of programs and needs. He asked them about blogs and web 2.0 and what are the potentials of these social information experiences in terms of student performance. How can they change the information experience? These were some of the teachers responses. One said the students come with knowledge of social technologies, they are fearless will try anything. In his case blogs could keep in contact with students and students could keep in contact with class. Another said his 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders would be so excited to communicate with blogs and podcasts. They would be more motivating than paper and pencil. They are more occupied with gadgets and don't realize they are learning. You can apply these to all standards that are in the textbook. To them it's not technology, they see it as another opportunity to learn, more relevant. Another teacher said a majority of students have truancy issues and this type of technology will excite them by having engaging materials. Students will put more effort into it because they know everyone will read it with blogging. They become more responsible for their learning and it's empowering. They also felt that these social technologies were more personalized - speaking the students language. I liked the format of this podcast in which Mr. Warlick was interviewing current teachers and getting their opinions and ideas. The fact that it was a live interactive conversation helped keep my interest.

EdTechTalk conversation #62
Knee, Parisi, Adams

This is another live interactive conversation where the announcers welcome conversation, encourage discourse and enjoy discussions. They request everyone to remain respectful and join in chat room or through skype. They were supposed to be talking about iPod and iTouch applications for the classroom. This podcast has more of a talk radio show format. They start the show talking a little bit of their week. Amanda from Australia started by saying that she returned to school with professional development days. Friday was goal setting day and they did a twilight climb for three hours on a bridge in Brisbane, Australia. She said it was an amazing experience and she bonded with other teachers at her school. It was very interesting to hear about a teacher from another country and the fact that they spend so much time on professional development and do motivating team activities just for the teachers. They spent the first 15 minutes catching up with each other though and the podcast just dragged on. Twenty minutes later when they finally got to the point of the show I felt very confused because I don't have an iPhone and most of them were on skype and were able to see some of the links they were talking about. I felt like this would have been much more informative as a video podcast - the announcers and the topic were not at all descriptive enough for audio. I listened for 30 minutes and felt like I was eavesdropping into an uninteresting conversation. I really did not get a whole lot out of their ramblings other than them playing with their iPhones. Maybe if I were more knowledgeable about iPhones I could connect more with this podcast.

MacBreak Weekly episode #177
Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko

This podcast was very professional sounding with music and several contributors. The announcers were at an Apple conference and they were being introduced to the new iPad which is a bigger version of an iPhone and iTouch. They said the new iPad has more processing power than iPod touch. One of the announcers said it was amazing and everything you would want in a tablet. The iPad will be available in wifi version for 500 to 600 dollars and it has not even been released yet . It will go to Apple's higher end audience. The iTablet can do the same thing for less and is still more for the regular "Walmart" audience. Does it live up to the hype? It's pretty much what they thought it would be: a hyped up iTouch. They think it will sell very well this year and is made for reading the newspaper and will save the newspaper industry. Overall, I found this podcast very informative about the product they were selling. Now I wish I could afford such things as iPhones and all the other things an iStore has to offer.


This Week in Photography episode #126
Alex Lindsey, Frederick Van Johnson

This was a panel of about 5 people talking about their cameras and photography. They were also talking about cameras in the news. They have new face detection cameras that track peoples faces and can tell when they are smiling and blinking. The cameras are being accused of being racist because they are not working on people who are Asian because they are blinking all the time and the camera says there are errors. It also cannot detect darker skin. It is a feature that is on a lot of the cameras but a lot of people do not use them. I like the round robin type of talking and the show was fairly entertaining for a podcast on photography. I didn't know what to expect from an audio on a topic that is so visual like photography, but it turned out to be more informational than I thought.


Media Literacy in the First Grade



Wow! I love the way Ms. Cassidy has integrated technology into her room. I truly know what it means to be media literate now. It amazes me how well the students could not only use the computer, but also navigate the technology for learning. I was so surprised at the way they could communicate using technology terms. They are also applying their media literacy to everyday tools. Like when the students could evaluate and tell whether a book was fiction or nonfiction. Ms. Cassidy has also done a wonderful job in helping the kids use their own creativity with technology. I looked through several of the blogs the students created and the topics and pictures were very clever. My favorite part though was about responding. She taught correct procedures when responding to other blogs and you can really tell the kids are very motivated and like getting responses from other. I truly hope that I could do such a thorough job of integrating technology when I go back to the classroom.

Little Kids ... Big Potential



Ms. Cassidy's first graders already know more about technology than I do. I can't imagine what these students will be like just five years from now. It's surreal to believe that they are only in the first grade. These children have their own blogs, created a class wiki, have their own web page with learning games to use at centers, and they even skype with other classrooms from all over the world. I would like to think I could be ready for this when I finish this EDM 310 class. However, the one advantage this class has is that each child was able to have access to a laptop. When I taught just five years ago. Each classrooms was given one computer and that was it. I was able to get another computer donated, but they didn't work half of the time. Each child would sign their name to a list and could use the computer for accelerated reader or to publish their writing if we got to their name that day. They could also use it once a week at centers when it was their turn. I just hope that more money is being used to integrate technology than it has been in the past. Ms. Cassidy's classroom is the ideal room that any teacher and student could benefit from.

Here's What's Coming!



It is so cute how the little one year old is able to use the iPhone even though he is barely even able to say it. I can't say that it surprised me that much though that he could do all of those things. All babies are fascinated by cell phones that's why they make so many toy ones because the children are usually crying to play with their parents. I remember several times my kids calling people on my cell phone and taking hundreds of photos of their feet. I still don't have an iPhone, but I have a feeling that if I did my children could have done the same at that age. What this video really shows to me is how kids are not afraid to try new things and that they learn by doing. If they have access to and are given the freedom to explore it then they will most likely be able to teach themselves. My favorite thing about this video was the way the parents didn't interfere. They just held the phone there and allowed the child to do everything on his own.