In my opinion, the podcasts that I listened to would be more valuable to teachers. It’s almost like a pep-talk for a teacher when you listen to a certain podcast and use the information in your classroom. However, I think that a podcast could be a valuable resource in the classroom for students who learn by hearing information. So many of my students (5th graders!) have cell phones and ipods, why wouldn’t we take advantage of that outlet and share educational information via podcasts? Similarly to having a blog, students who have diverse learning needs would be able to access this information any time. Students with conditions that cause them to miss school would be able to listen at their home or anywhere else to hear what content was being covered in the classroom.
This semester I have utilized many tools from the internet and feel that I’ve gained a much better understanding of what will work with my students and what I would like to try with them as well. The internet gives the classroom a great range of knowledge from all sources. Knowing that people around the globe are considering or working on the same subjects is a humbling experience for my students. Understanding that people’s lives in the United States are vastly different than people in many other countries is a learning experience in itself.
Resources:
TEDTalks featuring Matthew Williams. (March 2016). Special olympics let me
be myself- a champion. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from
http://itunes.apple.com
National Public Radio: Two Guys on Your Head. (March 2016). Decision
making and happiness. [Audio podcast].
Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/podcasts/