Journal#8: Podcasting- NETS 5

The idea of podcasting really caught my attention because of the abundance of distraction tools available for any student, such as an IPod. However, educators have now learned how to use the IPod to their advantage! A podcast is defined by wikipedia as "a series of digital media files, usually sound and/or video, that is made available for download via Web syndication". Podcasts make a new type of teaching available. With podcasts, teachers can allow students access to an RSS feed where podcasts of lessons have been created by teachers and/or students. Students can download these podcasts right to their IPod and watch and listen to the video and audio feed on their IPod. There are a variety of resources on the internet that assist in creating these podcasts such as Camtasia.
From reading the threads on Podcasting I learned that this is the way some teachers are conducting their lessons. They are sharing the tools they use to create their podcasts, and even their podcasts! I also learned that there are other uses of an Ipod besides to listen to music and watch videos. I also learned that teachers are teaching students to create their own Podcasts as a means of learning the material. Not only do the learn but they create, all the while engaging multiple senses and strategies!
I find this idea to be magnificent! Two of the three types of learning are used simultaneously, the visual and auditory. As far as the kinesthetic learners, I think that they would be engaged in the material because they are 'doing' the learning. As a plus, students love to use their Ipods and their technology trinkets, why not use them to learn!