Day 2 Reflections

Day 2: Today we worked with podcasts. We also learned how to embed a podcast on a website. I created an audio file in GarageBand welcoming parents and students to my science class website. Then, I embedded that audio file into my website. It actually sounds pretty cool, and I'm excited to have added it to my website! It adds a little something extra. Also, I think students will get a kick out of it when they hear my voice (accompanied by some music) on the webpage. I am excited to hear student feedback in the fall. What a great application for a web 2.0 tool! Later today, I hope to learn more about digital pictures and how to make movies and slideshows. Many of my students already know how to do this, so I'll be glad when I can provide them with more support while they're working on these types of projects.

In addition to creating a podcast, I also enjoyed the article "What Has Podcasting Done for You?: Great Things Often Begin in Small Ways" by Jim Moulton. In the article, the author discusses an example of how podcasts were used in a school to increase student engagement. Instead of having the principal read the "Words of Wisdom" at the end of the daily morning announcements, a different student each day recorded a podcast to be played at the end of the announcements. I think this is a great idea. It gets students involved in the announcements, and helps them "buy in" because they are responsible for the content. They can hear themselves and their peers, and will be more likely to listen to the "Words of Wisdom" than if the principal reads them day after day. I would love to implement something like this in my school.