Module 5

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Digital Storytelling

While I enjoyed this module, it seemed to take quite a while to get through it all. It explored a range of practical technology tools including:

Podcasts

The definition which was provided clearly explained what Podcasts are and how the term "Podcast"came about. Podcasts are Portable (you can listen to them on your computer or transer them to a portable audio/video device, e.g. iPOD, iPhone, MP3 player) and On-Demand (because you can listen to/watch them when you want and where you want). The file is sent to you over the Internet, in the way a broadCAST comes to you over the radio or TV airwaves. The 'Podcasting in Plain English' video raised an interesting point about podcasts:

We no longer have to depend on traditional medium to communicate.

Everyone can now have a voice that shows their true colours.

'Podcasts in the Classroom' emphasised that podcasting is handsfree, portable, informative and engaging. It is participatory, interactive and great for group dynamics. It also allows students to become "minor celebrities" and to take more responsibility for their online work. This link thoroughly explained how to access, subscribe to and create podcasts. It also discussed the educational value of podcasts and gave some great examples of how to use them in the classroom environment, e.g. students created audio tour style podcasts about artworks in a gallery.

Vodcasts or Vidcasts
These are simply podcasts that contain video content. The terms "vodcast" and "vidcast" are derived from the combination of the words "video" and "podcast". I am a very visual learner, so personally, I generally prefer these to podcasts. I actually found it quite difficult to listen to the above podcast without any corresponding visuals. At other times, however, such as when driving or cleaning the house, a podcast is a fantastic option!

iTunes

iTunes is a digital media application used for playing and organising digital music and video files. I am quite familiar with this application and use it quite regularly outside of work. (I have downloaded a very substantial music library! I have also used iTunes from time to time to download electronic books, TV shows and movies). However, it is not really an application I have used at work as we currently don't have a school account or system in place for downloading and using files from this application. It is something we have been discussing and will hopefully find a solution for in the near future.

Video Sites

I have used the You Tube video site quite a lot within the classroom. I have found it to be an excellent, informative and highly engaging technology tool among students. It is something that I would like to use and integrate more in my lessons though. For example in Religion, I have been used the Animated Children's Bible videos. It helps to bring the stories to life, put them into context and make them easier for students to understand. I recently used the following video in a Year 5 lesson about God's new covenant with the Israelites. The video also gave great background about Moses and the enslavement and freedom of the Israelites in Egypt- all in less than 7minutes!

A downside to the You Tube website is that it often takes quite a significant amount of time to find the video that is "just right" for your particular teaching need. There is often also quite a substantial amount of inappropriate material for students that pops up during searches. For these reasons, I always conduct searches and select the desired video when planning for my lessons, i.e. when students are not present! Other sites listed in this module such as Teachers TV, School Tube and Teachers Tube may help to eliminate some of these issues.

Phew! A mammoth blog! I hope I haven't bored you to tears! I almost forgot to mention our breakfast today-a scrumptious array of croissants, muffins, fresh fruit, yoghurt (delicious, but 100% fat free of course!), muesli and fruit toast. Thanks for looking after us, nana!