Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog
I enjoyed listening to this class podcast. Before hearing it, my ideas on how to do a podcast were pretty vague. I loved that they put music to the whole thing. That definitely made it more interesting and easier to listen to. For instance, if they were talking about a battle scene at a Roman coliseum the music would become intensely dramatic so that you could easily picture in your mind two men about to fight. Next, the topic changed to talking about Cleopatra's life and with the change in subject, the music also changed. The music became softer so that the listener could further distinguish this change. The music made the podcast much more interesting and easier to follow. I look forward to using music in my own podcast to come.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This video brought about many good points of not only how podcast can be used in a learning environment but also why. A very essential point that the video makes in the beginning is that students today are apart of the Millennial generation. This generation has been raised to use the advanced technologies in their everyday life. So, it would only make sense to put those to use in the classroom. Podcast can be used to enhance their learning experiences for many reasons. For example, if a student has been sick for an extended period of time, the teacher could assign them podcast to listen to and watch from home so that they are not getting behind on their work. Secondly, the information given in podcast is very relevant and it is easy to find podcast that are credible. iTunesU has many free podcast that come from university professors all over the world. But not only are podcast available to listen to, students can also make their own podcast as a group learning project. This is a fun idea for students because it gets them involved with the technologies that they are already using today. Furthermore, podcast can be kept up with on a class blog, such as our own. This allows for students to keep up with their school work from home, comment on the blogs which could lead to an online class discussion, and even a way for parents to check in on how the class is going. Therefore, podcast are extremely beneficial to the classroom. They offer nothing but benefits!
100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better
Before looking over this article, I had never realized how many things my iPod can be used for outside of listening to music. You can also download novels to the iPod if you were assigned to read one for a class. But not only just novels are available, but also Bibles for seminary students, you can listen to tutorials on how to speak different languages and even take an iJourney. I thought that the iJourney was pretty neat because you can listen to tours of different cities all over the world.
iPods are also great for putting study information on so that you conveniently have it with you anywhere you go without hauling around bulky books and notebooks. On your iPod, you can get Sparknotes, an SAT vocabulary builder and even a Kaplan SAT prep guide. After reading the article, I was surprised to find out how much you studying can be done with an iPod.
The downloads are great but the applications are even more immense. There is an application for just about anything that you would want to do with your iPod. From playing games and reading jokes to fixing a cocktail or surfing the web. It is true that the iPod is a powerful tool that you really can do just about anything with.
Kellie, you really hit the nail on the head in this post. I like how you noticed how the type of music influenced your enjoyment level of the podcasts. Not to mention how you picked up on the most important aspect of using technology in the class room. Technology, like you said, allows students to extend their learning experience beyond classroom walls and class periods. It gives them more time and means to express themselves in a way that teachers and peers can understand them which may even do something to improve character education.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried any neat apps on your ipod yet?
GREAT great work, keep it up!
Anthony
Hey Kellie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, when you said that music makes the podcast more interesting and helps you keep focus.
I also think that podcast is a good way to motivate students and make them work. Using podcast takes their mind off books and writing papers. This lets them be "free" and be creative and have fun using technology. I think that teachers should think about using technology more in their classrooms to keep students on task and at the same time they are gaining more knowledge while having fun.