EDM310 Podcasts

I listened to four EDM310 podcasts for this assignment. Two of the podcasts were from Dr. Strange's class and two were from Ms. Averitt's class. Because my podcast was one of the first to be uploaded to the site, I listened to the podcast I did with Jennifer about Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture". I also listened to Anne and Kim discuss four websites for technology sources for teachers. The two other podcasts I listened to were "Technology Used in the Classroom" with Nicholas, Gretta and Sarah and "ACCESS Distance Learning" with Henryetta, April and Ashley.

As I listened to these I remembered how nervous I was about sounding stupid, scripted and uninteresting. We all spoke clearly and there weren't too many ums. All of the podcasts had great insight and were well worth listening to, although most of us sounded nervous and scripted. I imagine if we had a few weeks to get together and chat about our topics maybe it wouldn't have been so nerve-wracking. This was for a grade and we all wanted to do well, obviously none of us are going into the radio business anytime soon. I did enjoy hearing about the many different websites and the technology available to teachers and students. The information was detailed and given clearly, just too scripted. The podcast I participated in sounded pretty decent, just scripted as well. We should have had more of a discussion than just reading the written words. Dr. Strange's class was equally as good, but I liked how Nicholas kind of took over and seemed relaxed with his part. The ACCESS podcast was insightful with the three ladies giving a section of information. They all were read by people who want to do their best and teach our future podcasters!

I believe podcasts can be useful in the classroom with some material. Although, video podcasts keep my attention. I need to see someone speak to keep me tuned into what they are saying. Some children need a visual speaker and video podcasts are a better way to keep the students mind on the information presented. Podcasts can be an exciting way for students to connect with each other and learn certain curriculum. Some of the podcasts I have listened to(not EDM310) could put a person to sleep in minutes. So, if you are putting information out there for students to hear, make it so they can visualize what you are saying. Humor in some situations can make a podcast much more enjoyable. Even educational podcasts can be funny and intellectual at the same time.