Blog Assignment #4

Langwitches Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting
One word to describe this video: EFFECTIVE. This video basically focuses on grade level instructors who utilize podcasting and vodcasting. These two terms may seem the same but vodcasting involves video. In the video, I learned that podcasting can be beneficial to students whether he or she is in class or not. Teachers can put these voice recordings of the lecture that day online for students to go back and listen to. I recall while at Auburn University, one of my professors used podcasts via iTunes for students because he was going on a conference trip and would not be in class. I recall a history professor doing the same.

Although they are effective, podcasts can make a college student lazy. If a student knows that podcasts or notes are available online, then classroom attendance will most definitely be on the decline. I would sugest that instructors be careful about how much information they put in these podcasts so to avoid the decline in classroom attendance. Podcasting and Vodcasting are exceptional ways for students to really learn because they can be used in projects! Projects can be quite boring sometimes but with the pod and vodcasting technology, students can bring projects to life! I honestly believe that they would be able to retain more information like that.

Podcasting with 1st Grade
O-M-G, these kids are adorable. This teacher took an idea and ran with it and it was beyond successful. Podcasting with 1st graders can be a tad difficult because 1st grade is the level where most children are just learning to read. My 7 year old brother is in the 1st grade at Fonde' Elementary School and he has difficulty reading and learning. I'm not saying that all students are like that but I do feel as though that is something to take into consideration when thinking about using technology at this age. As I have said many times in my last posts, using something that children can familiarize with will help them learn more effectively. For example, if a football player is having trouble in math, maybe some football lingo would help him or her (yes, there are female football players) to understand the material. The children were eager to record and if you go to the page and listen to them read....THEY SOUND AMAZING!

Flat Stanley Podcast
Well, there isn't much to say about this particular article other than the children used it to learn, not only to speak Hebrew but also to learn a history lesson. The teachers and students used podcast technology to teach students about "writing scripts, listening, comprehension, collaboration, speaking skills and frequency in the target language".  These are skills that these kids are going to take with them throughout their lives. As I have said before, children can lose interest in things fast but by the looks of how technology is integrating into classrooms...Well, those days of boring chalkboards may be over.