Podcasting

So this week my group and I did a presentation to the class about podcasting. My only experience with podcasts before I started my research on the topic consisted of me coming across a free download for Japanese pods, which were a series of podcasts on learning Japanese. These were broken up into small manageable pieces from which I could listen to and practice saying the words. Other than that podcasts in my mind were located in a separate section at the iTunes store.

What are podcasts exactly? Well the definition comes right from the word. Pod comes from "iPod" and cast referring to "broadcast". The name is really just as creative and explicit as macaroni and cheese. I mean, how much simpler can it get? Well, it can't get much simpler, but it can get more complicated! Don't worry though it's not too bad, there are the regular audio podcasts which I mentioned above, and then there are vidcasts which have video along with the audio, and finally there are enhanced podcasts with still frame pictures that go along with the audio.

Lastly, how is it going to relate to you as a teacher? Well, this is a great resource if you have a projector or a smartboard in your classroom. Instead of listening to you explain a topic for the third time, you can show a vidcast of another teacher, or even other students explaining a topic. You can even get the students more engaged and involved in the whole idea if you have the resources to have your students create their own vidcasts or podcasts. This is a great way for students to showcase their knowledge, and be creative and have fun with it in the process.