I really enjoyed looking over the podcasts that this class has created. To me, for instance, history has never been the most exciting subject. I've always felt quite disconnected from it and was completely uninterested in simply memorizing names, dates, and important battles. I was so far removed from it I didn't see why it mattered. I love the idea of using podcasts to put life back into the history classroom (and all others). Students can learn so much more by doing! If they are simply required to memorize names and dates they will let that information fall out of their heads and onto a test paper never to remember it again. However, if they are actively engaged in a sort of recreation of past events through a podcast the information will stick with them for years to come.
I LOVE this idea! One of the things I have noticed among my peers as I have come up through the public education system is that the majority of people are terrible at reading aloud! Not only is this a great idea to introduce children to chapter books and make them less intimidating, but it allows the children to hear themselves reading and notice things that need to be changed with their tone and inflection. By following along, their listening comprehension skills are developed which will help them get more out of class lectures, seminars, and even business meetings when they are adults. Like the post said, students truly become engaged in reading and learn to experiment with fluency, pitch, emotion, volume, speed, etc. This will greatly benefit them all throughout school and even into their adult life. It will surely have a positive impact on things like public speaking. I can't wait to try something like this in my classroom!
I was pretty much sold on using podcasts as a learning tool in my future classroom after viewing the first two sites above, but this really cemented the idea for me. Not only do podcasts reinforce what is taught in the classroom and foster creativity among students while helping them retain more of what they are learning, but it also can foster a link between parents of students and what goes on in the classroom. By creating a class blog or other website, not only could I keep the parents up-to-date using text, but podcasts could be used to really let them experience what is going on in the classroom in a more "three dimensional" way. Parents could be aware of what their children are learning, but they could also align themselves with the teacher to really reinforce and encourage the learning process in their students. Podcasts would also be helpful for absent students. If they were motivated enough, even if they were out for some illness or another (or even if they were student athletes), they could remain on tract with their academic progress regardless of what situation kept them from class that particular day. Not only that, but if they didn't understand something in class that day they could review their podcast to help complete any homework assignments and to better understand the lesson.
This was a very helpful and informative article. I really wish that I had stumbled upon in earlier in my college career. I will definitely be adding this page to my PLN. I am particularly interested in The Education Podcast Network and iPod Lesson Plans. I also think it's quite funny that this article includes Podtender 3.0 as a learning tool - it teaches you how to make cocktails... I suppose to some people that is an important part of college?
While I have listened to various podcasts for several years now, I have never created one myself. I think that Judy Scharf's collection will be a valuable resource as my group and I create our podcast assignment this semester.
"I've always felt quite disconnected from it and was completely uninterested in simply memorizing names, dates, and important battles." Why do we teach history that way? You are not the only one with this complaint!
ReplyDeleteThorough. Thoughtful. Well done! Thanks!
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ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'm really not sure why we teach history this way. Recently for another class, I was assigned to read John Dewey's "My Pedagogic Creed." Mr. Dewey takes the stance that we should have a more student-centered curriculum and focus not only on academic subjects but also things that will benefit the student socially to make them more well rounded.
ReplyDeleteI found this quote particularly interesting and have sort of taken it as my stance on history as well, "I believe once more that history is of educative value in so far as it presents phases of social life and growth. It must be controlled by reference to social life. When taken simply as history it is thrown into the distant past and becomes dead and inert. Taken as the record of man's social life and progress it becomes full of meaning. I believe, however, that it cannot be so taken excepting as the child is also introduced directly into social life.
I believe accordingly that the primary basis of education is in the child's powers at work along the same general constructive lines as those which have brought civilization into being.
I believe that the only way to make the child conscious of his social heritage is to enable him to perform those fundamental types of activity which make civilization what it is.
I believe, therefore, in the so-called expressive or constructive activities as the center of correlation."
John Dewey is my hero. He preached and practiced learning by doing.
ReplyDeleteSometime soon I will write up my reactions to the seminar described in the latest post on the Class Blog. The Chairman of the History department at South and I had a vigorous discussion yesterday. He probably would use a different adjective before discussion. Or maybe even a different noun!
I would LOVE to read that! I wanted to attend the lecture, but I had to be at work at that time.
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