Blog reflection #6

It is difficult to speculate what the future of podcasting is in education, and the reason is because of how quickly technology changes.  When I was in college, I used microfiche to read articles and slides to review artwork and for me, the technology did what it was designed to do-provide me with information to improve learning.  The only bad part about using these tools was the fact that I had to go to the library to use them, and the irony is that now I am a librarian!  One of the greatest benefits of technology such as podcasting is the fact that it is portable and accessible at a remote location. The portion of the Podcasting article that stood out to me was on p.10. The author states that educators too often start with the technology and then determine what kinds of activities that tech can support.  The reverse should be true, and educators should be centered on meeting educational goals, then “determine whether technology can play a role in helping achieve those goals.”   Too much time is probably devoted to the technology itself and not to learning goals—“technology for the sake of technology.”

The article discusses in great length the uses of podcasts including the creation and distribution of lectures, but in K-12 education, the best use of podcasts is to supplement the instruction. Podcasting is not popular at my school, most likely because of barriers such as lack of funding for mp3 players and iPods, but I still believe it is a great way to engage and motivate students.  One way to use podcasts in class is a means for students to share what they have learned with others.  For example, in history class, a student could interview a grandparent or parent about a historical event such as 9-11 and share it with the class. In the library, I would like to have students create their own podcasts of book reviews to share with other students.