Thing 17

Podcasting=fun. My kids and I made our first podcast a couple of years ago. I couldn't believe how simple it was! I remember being so intimidated by the word and the software. I try to remember those thoughts and feelings when I teach the class! There are so many podcasts available. The biggest problem I see for educators is filtering the good from the bad. Although the quantity is there, the quality is not.

One of the podcasts I want to share about is one that I had subscribed to back on the google reader when we first added items to our feeders. It is called GeekSpeak. The first thing that was said is that we are welcome to use the podcast as long as we cite it! Thank you for giving us rights to use it! It's very Geeky as the name says, but has several podcasts about science and adding solar panels to the moon. The ideas they are expressing could be great story starters in the classroom and make GREAT conversation starters for first dates!

Another Podcast I chose to listen to was dansmathcast. His shows were fun and goofy. He included his reader by answering e-mails, ends with a joke, and gets through the content on the chapter he is covering. If you happen to be teaching this particular skill, it might make for a great site, but I was looking for something a little more exciting, I guess. It does serve it's purpose!

I remember when a friend of mine bought an iPod. Oh my. I just thought they were over priced walkmans. Ha! As a single mom, I could not fathom spending that much mone on one item! Now, I can't imagine life without them. I work in Children's ministry at church every week and download our services every week. I need my iTunes account desperately and use it every week!

Kids love using podcasting in the classroom. They amaze me with the cool stuff they come up with. They have a unique ability to be shown one time how to utilize the software, and are able to find every new trick in the latest update. I have used Podcasting in classrooms for reader's theatre, book reviews, telling research facts about particular topics, and even UPSL for math! I believe in it so much, I train teachers to use it in Staff Development!