Module #4: Digital Story Telling: Podcasts, Vodcasts, videos and Web 2.0

Podcasts: I really like the idea of podcasts in the classroom. Viewing the web link ‘storynory’ made me think… ‘here’s an opportunity for students to record their and upload their own voices that we can utilise in a magnitude of ways’.

-       checking for fluency

-       verbal and grammatical skills.

-       Commentary/ reflection on class activities (instead of always writing them down.

Itunes: it was easy to explore iTunes as I use it almost daily. But I had never fully explored the podcast element. I rendered it just for radio shows. My exploration found so many different podcast that could be used in many ways.

Grammar Girl has a catchy  presenter, while obviously from the states, would definitely catch the attention of my students… perhaps more so because they are using technology than listening to my voice.

Bedtime stories my kids love & The Songtree by BBC – are great junior class resources.

Old Time Radio Drama – is great to show case how things were done before television. Also would support students in developing their own ‘radio’ skills. I had a particular giggle when I listened to ‘Vanity Fair’ I thought it was funny to hear an older perspective about teachers and students.

My immediate question is can I embed podcasts into my blogs for my students?

Animoto is a terrific application to use, not too dissimilar to Photopeach but with a few additional features. I used to be more of the mind set that I would have to set up the accounts, but I can see how it could so easily student driven.

I created a very simple video about cooking using food we grew in our kitchen garden… namely because they were the images on my computer. However there is so much scope to use this not only as a reflection tool but as a teaching tool. You could create a purpose built video demonstrating hoe to… complete a multiplication problem. Something that students and parents could refer to via the class blog.

I thought the YouTube clip: New literacies for a new Age – quite poignant. It speaks volumes of those of us, myself included, in the teaching industry that try to keep technology to the side, bringing it out for special occasions. Imploring students to treat it with respect so that we don’t damage these precious items. Should we not give them what they crave so desperately… a way to communicate that speaks to the heart of their culture and allows them to express themselves more definitively???