iTunes and Podcasts. Fantastic.

Finally some familiar ground! I have actually used these two technologies before and I am a huge fan. However, I was not familiar with podcasts, which I am now a fan of. This is a brilliant tool to use in (and outside) the classroom. When I was a high school student, we had a student in my class who had an illness and was in and out of hospital all the time. I am sure that this student was sent textbooks and subject notes, but this may not have been too engaging. Podcasts would have been perfect for this situation. They are not hard to use, and with an Ipod, this student could have listened to them anywhere at anytime. Podcasts would also be a good tool for tutoring and simply furthering students knowledge. If a student is struggling with a particular section of a subject, they may like to listen to the lecturer/class over again at their own pace. It gives the student the opportunity to catch up in their own time and at their own pace. It also caters for teachers who would like their students to do further reading/research on a particular topic. I believe today's students are more likely to listen to a podcast then they are to read a text book. It's the convenience and portability that makes the podcasts so attractive. Students can listen to them anywhere and at anytime. Podcasts certainly encourage independent learning, give students control of their learning and provides up-to-date information (Blackmore et al, 2003). Podcasts ensure that learning is not confined to the walls of the classroom. By encouraging our students to learn outside the classroom and learn independently, we are setting them up to become life long learners.
The particular podcast I listened to was on teachers teaching teachers. I chose this podcast as I believe that at this point in time, with all the knew ICT's and new concepts floating around the world of education, teachers really need to pull together to ensure that education is consistent across the board. I am sure that at times, there may be a bit of an 'us and them' feeling between students and teachers. Teachers can try and overcome this by collaborating with each other. After a teacher has experimented with an ICT in (or outside) the classroom, they could discuss their results with others. What worked, and what didn't? As I have not had any teaching experience as yet I am unsure of the attitudes and practices of today's teachers. However, I would hope that teachers are working together to ensure that students are getting the best education possible. " we have to find how to present our curricula in ways that engage our students" (Prensky, 2005) Podcasts may not be the most engaging way of presenting information to our student's, but by using them in our curricula, we are at least starting to speak our students language.

References

Blackmore, J., Hardcastle, L., Esme, B., & Janet, O. (2003). Effective use of information and communication technology to enchance learning for disadvantages students. Commonwealth of Australia. Retreived August 14, 2009, from http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/publications_resources/profiles/effective_use_technology_enhance_learning.htm

Prensky, M. (2005) Engage Me or Enrage Me - What today's learners demand. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf