Podcasts. Are we over them?
Podcasts were quite the buzz a few years ago during their coming out period. Everyone was podcasting, talking about padcasts, dowloading podcasts, listening to them on the way to work or school on an iPod... When is the last time that you heard about podcasting? When is the last time that you listened to a podcast? Or, the last time that someone you knew talked about a podcast?
Podcasts were more popular when people had iPod-ish technologies without video capability. Now that people have smartphones, when is the last time that they bought iPods? My freecycle group gives away iPods like people give away cans of kidney beans during food drives.
Podcasts lack what most people want, which is video. I think a vodcast, or even just a student made video, is much more appropriate in today's media world. The content is simialr at the base (a script of information). A video format has a much greater chance to convey information.
A student (non-driver) on a car trip can just as easily watch a video (and get more information, since imagery is added) on a smartphone device (iPhone, iTouch, Droid, etc.).
In a classroom setting, educators must be able to show how what is happening in the classroom happens in real life (authentic learning). I can think of many more possibilies for video than for audio only. Sure, students know what the radio is, but how many of them listen to the radio? They watch TV, movies, and videos instead.
An important thing about podcasts is that they are episodic. (Why, you may ask? Well, would you go to a webpage if it is updated yearly?) A student (or student group) who creates a once a year podcast for one unit or lesson is not true podcasting. An educator who wants to set up an entire YEAR with podcast tasks on a regular basis needs to plan this far out and make sure that all the supplies/equpiment as well as skills are taught in advance. It makes more sense to me to teach students video skills to make videos (with the same elements of audio only skills, like intro music and such).
What do you think?
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
A Blog about Wikis
Today's topic is another Web 2.0 Tool - a wiki. A wiki is a tool which much more collaborative than a blog. (A blog of course is a weblog, or online journal written by one person. Other users may comment, but it it not meant to be user-to-user interactive.) Wikiss let users CREATE content for the internet, rather than users passively reading content on the internet.
Wikis ARE meant to be interactive between users as they are written collaboratively. It is a giant knowledge base written by multiple users. (See wikipedia.org as an example).
Wikis could be used in with students. Using wikis brings the social aspect (Vygotsky would have LOVED wikis!) to working at one's computer. Students can collaborate to write wiki entries, both face to face and through the wiki itself.
Since students are writing the wiki, they are creating a work that shows their knowledge - it is a way to make them experts on the subject in order to create a "knowledge base" about it.
Teachers have the ability to see what students posted to a wiki, of course with a date and timestamp, to check for participation (both quantity and quality). Often, it is difficult to assess a student's level of particpation during group work. Using a wiki that tracks the aforementioned information is very useful!
I suggest wikis to teachers as a way for students to collaborate on writing a knowledge base that knows no bounds of time or space.
Wikis ARE meant to be interactive between users as they are written collaboratively. It is a giant knowledge base written by multiple users. (See wikipedia.org as an example).
Wikis could be used in with students. Using wikis brings the social aspect (Vygotsky would have LOVED wikis!) to working at one's computer. Students can collaborate to write wiki entries, both face to face and through the wiki itself.
Since students are writing the wiki, they are creating a work that shows their knowledge - it is a way to make them experts on the subject in order to create a "knowledge base" about it.
Teachers have the ability to see what students posted to a wiki, of course with a date and timestamp, to check for participation (both quantity and quality). Often, it is difficult to assess a student's level of particpation during group work. Using a wiki that tracks the aforementioned information is very useful!
I suggest wikis to teachers as a way for students to collaborate on writing a knowledge base that knows no bounds of time or space.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
A Blog about Blogs - Two Important Blog Rules
As we saw during our viewing of a clip of "Julie and Julia" last week, blogging is all about "Me, me, me!" (Or, the quote was something to that effect.)
Although that statement is amusing, and largely true, I would argue that it is also slightly misleading.
My view is that bloggers must adhere to two major rules. The first is to declare a topic and stick to it. The other is to update the blog.
My view of blogs, especially when educating young people about blogging, is to point out that blogs are not "all about me" but rather they are topical.
Sure, the TOPIC of the blog could be "me" (meaning, the author), but it could also be about one specific topic like hockey, or baseball, or Buffalo sports teams, or gardening... the most important thing about a blog is its TOPIC. The authors of blogs just need to be clear on what the topic is, and stick with it. That is how blogs gain a following.
The same with micro-blogging (like Twitter), the authors need to stick to one topic in order to collect followers that will keep reading.
And of course, after the topic theme, the next most important is keeping the blog updated. The authors must update their blogs regularly. If there is not a "schedule" for updating, how will readers know when new posts will be there? Readers will not keep returning unless there is new information.
Although these two guidelines seem easy, they are not followed well by many bloggers. I would argue that this group of rule-breaking bloggers are not very well read by internet users!
That would be an interesting study....Hm.....
Although that statement is amusing, and largely true, I would argue that it is also slightly misleading.
My view is that bloggers must adhere to two major rules. The first is to declare a topic and stick to it. The other is to update the blog.
My view of blogs, especially when educating young people about blogging, is to point out that blogs are not "all about me" but rather they are topical.
Sure, the TOPIC of the blog could be "me" (meaning, the author), but it could also be about one specific topic like hockey, or baseball, or Buffalo sports teams, or gardening... the most important thing about a blog is its TOPIC. The authors of blogs just need to be clear on what the topic is, and stick with it. That is how blogs gain a following.
The same with micro-blogging (like Twitter), the authors need to stick to one topic in order to collect followers that will keep reading.
And of course, after the topic theme, the next most important is keeping the blog updated. The authors must update their blogs regularly. If there is not a "schedule" for updating, how will readers know when new posts will be there? Readers will not keep returning unless there is new information.
Although these two guidelines seem easy, they are not followed well by many bloggers. I would argue that this group of rule-breaking bloggers are not very well read by internet users!
That would be an interesting study....Hm.....
Friday, February 3, 2012
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