Podcast

Making Use of Blogging, Podcasting, and Wikis in the MFL Classroom by Joe Dale
Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom

This podcast discussed blogs, podcasts, and wikis. There were a few points that stood out to me about each subject.
When the speaker talked about blogs, he reminded his audience how we used to use floppy discs. Of course, technology has come very far since then. He mentioned that social networking is a very important part of everyone's life, and that nearly everyone has a Facebook, Myspace, or other social networking account. At his schoo, they use blogs to motivate students. He considers a blog sort of an online diary or publishing site. He said it allows students to follow up on or extend work. Blogs open the doors for thousands to share, and this entices the students.
He moved on to speak about podcasts. In short, he described podcasts as a way to record and publish audio online. He explained how podcasts are made. The student uses either an MP3 recorder or a microphone to record their podcast. They then go to a site called Audacity to create their podcast. He explained that it really is a simple task, and the programs on that site make it easy to use.
Lastly he spoke of wikis. Wikis allow you to be collaborative and to assess your peers. Wikis are essentially policed by the students, and they can stay on top of eachother's work. Wikis are interactive, and thus very beneficial in the classroom. The particular school being talked about uses wikis in the classroom for students to submit their homework assignments. He said it creates sort of an online community. Furthermore, it helps the weaker students learn, and ensures that students stay on top of their homework.
Overall I found this podcast to be very useful. It gave me ideas of how to incorporate these things into the classroom. I love the idea of using wikis for homework. All of the students can see who has and who hasn't done their work. Therefore, if someone hasn't done the work, it may drive the others to ask why. This opens up the doorway for group work and helping one another out. The blogs are definately a great idea as well. I think the podcasts would be cool to incorporate. Students could record their presentations, and they could be listened to by the classroom via podcast. It would allow the students to hear and evaluate themselves. This would help them decide what they did well on and what needs improvement.
I chose this podcast, because it seemed to cover all aspects of technology in the classroom. I am still new to all of this, so I really wanted to educate myself. I would recommend this podcast. The speaker gives great examples, and he even gives step by step instructions on how to do some things. I always thought a podcast would be hard to do, but once he explained it, it seemed so much easier. The only negative thing I found with this podcast is that the speaker has a bit of an accent, so some parts are a little difficult to understand. I really enjoyed it.