Coming Of Age: An Introduction To The NEW Worldwide Web
What the students said Feeling particularly pleased with this new knowledge, it was time to talk to the people who would benefit most from podcasting. I began with my 18-year old student intern; I asked Brandon his thoughts on podcasting. Just as I suspected, he said it was a great idea and would gladly listen to his teachers’ lectures again. He was however, disappointed when I told him it would be difficult if not impossible to have podcasting fully implemented in his high school before he graduates, (three months from now). I was so pleased with his responses, I asked him if he would be willing to interview some of his classmates about the topic of podcasting. Armed with my Olympus Digital Recorder, Brandon became my number one reporter. The following day, he entered my office with 7 minutes of audio from his classmates expressing why they thought podcasting was a great idea. Some of their reasons include: •
Listen to past lectures / review for tests.
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Improve grades.
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Audio would allow better understanding than reading the PowerPoint slides or worksheets.
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Remediation or clarification.
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Second chance to hear the information due to the speed the teacher speaks or students inability to keep up while taking notes.
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When absent, audio would be better than trying to decipher a classmates notes.
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It’s mobile and on demand.
As educators, we continually strive to improve our teaching for the benefit of our students. When we speak to our classes, we expect them to listen and learn. We should also keep in mind this: if it was important enough to say to the class, it is important enough for the class to hear it again. Podcasting gives the class that opportunity.
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