January 31, 2010

Podcasts
I listened to 6 different podcast found on iTunes. I chose MacBreak Weekly, EdTechTalk, KidCast, SMARTBoard Lessons, This Week in Photography, and Connect Learning by David Warkick. For this class, EDM 310, I will have to create my own podcast, and the goal of this assignment is to try to find tips to make my podcast better. So, let's see what I found out from listening to a few minutes of each of the podcast I listed.

The Connect Learning Podcast and the SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast had a lot going on in the background that made listening to the podcast distracting. Having to concentrate on the conversation is already difficult for me because I am very visual, I like videos and visual aids, and when extra noise is thrown into the mix I want to concentrate on what's going on in the background. In the Connect learning Podcast it sounds like the interview is taking place in a restaurant which doesn't seem to be the most ideal place for a voice recording, and in the SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast, he stops to order a coffee, which makes me automatically forget what he is talking about and I started thinking of coffee.

The EdTechTalk Podcast that I listened to was an interview with three individuals. The two women I could hear fine; they spoke loud enough and articulated in a way that could be understood. The man was difficult to hear, I could understand what he was saying it just sounded like he was too far away from the microphone.

I did have a chance to listen to MacBreak Weekly, KidsCast, and This Week in Photography. I really liked the way they sounded, and they had an attention getter at the beginning. MacBreak Weekly and KidsCast started with music, and This Week in Photography had a couple of ads and noted their provider which is interesting to me. Also, it sounded as if they were carrying on an actual conversation during the podcast and not something that was rehearsed. So, when I do my podcast I will try to make sure everyone is heard, maybe by doing a test run first. Definitely will rehearse my questions and thoughts enough so that I'm comfortable with what I want to say, but not enough to where they are memorized. And, make it appealing to others by adding music or something of that sort.

Media Literacy in the First Grade!and Little Kids...Big Potential
I would have loved to be in Ms. Cassidy's classroom when I was a first grader! What she has made available to her students is amazing! I mean this is where classrooms should be. All of them! It's fantastic, they have supervision, creativity, intelligence, and technology. She is using the tools available to help make her students technology literate.

The way she involved her students in her video was really impressive. I wonder how much she had to go through to be able to post her students on the web. It's worth it, but it could also cause a lot of problems if you aren't careful and follow the guidelines. I would love to have a classroom like this! Kudos to Ms. Cassidy and her students!

iPhone used by a 1 year old baby Part 2
It's an awesome video! Kids love playing with mommy's and daddy's toys. Especially the toys that are used all the time, like a cell phone. Children are smart too! If they want to learn something or if you can hold their attention long enough to teach them then it doesn't take long for them to get it. I showed my 3 year old nephew how to turn on my camera, and he figured the rest out. I mean if a can use an iPhone, what's stopping everyone from embracing technology. It is built for accessibility not to confuse you, and i think that is where many are mistaken.