Blog Post #5

I watched/listened to 5 of the 7 links provided and found some to be more informative than others. In the Benefits of Podcasting, I really liked watching how the students were using the podcasts to enhance their education. It was great to hear the student say " Now, I listen to more than just Beyonce!" I thought that was great! It really shows how technology that children today are familiar with can be incorporated into the classroom. Also, having just had a child at home sick for an entire week, I can definitely see the benefits of podcasting. We had hours of homework to complete that could be managed much more effectively had podcasting of the lessons been available on the internet.
In Langwitches Blog, I found the interview with Silvia Talisano to be very interesting. It provides a great explanation of the many facets of podcasts and the behind the scenes work that has to be done. I love that they allowed the students to try different "jobs" until the they found the one they were most comfortable with. I think that allowing the students to actively participate in the education process truly allows them to "learn" the material. I t promotes more creative and analytical thinking. And, like the video said, kids can handle a lot more than we think they are capable of when given the responsibility.
In "100 Ways To Use Your iPod To Learn and Study Better," I found the information to be good but very dry and at times hard to stay tuned in to. But, I had not been exposed to that side of the iPod and really didn't even know that those capabilities existed. i thought it was just for music! So, I definitely learned something there!
In the Judy Scharf Podcast Collection, I found the link to teachertube http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=100030- to be extremely informative. It was very straight forward and easy to understand. And, considering that I am new to the world of podcasting, I really appreciated it's simplicity!
In the Practical Principals, I found it interesting that it really sounded like I was just listening in on a conversation between two people. This was also informative because it allowed me to see that it doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to get the point across. There doesn't have to be a lot of fancy equipment, just a desire to make something useful and interesting! A lot can be said for the human voice and the emotion that it can portray.
So, how can I use all of this in my podcast and in future podcast? I think that it exposed me to the many forms that a podcast can have. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you want it to be. But I think the most important thing that I learned was that you should be knowledgeable and you should be prepared. You want to hold your audiences attention through the entire video or audio so you have to have emotion and passion for whatever you are discussing!