NETS and Podcasts

Podcasting is an audio and, sometimes visual, recording of a person's views, ideas, etc... that is available for anybody with a computer to access. Podcasts are used as educational tools and as a form of expression for many students, teachers, and parents.

In the classroom students can recap what lessons were for the week by creating a podcast which explains what they learned in their own words with examples provided. These podcasts could be used to check student comprehension. This assignemnt follows NETS 1c (promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.) Another way podcasts can be used in the classroom is as study material. If the teacher podcasts lessons with examples and problems then the students can go back to those casts and interact with them. This would be especially helpful for students who miss class. These problems could be collected and graded for credit and used as a check system for the teacher to see what the students have learned. This form of podcasting would follow NETS 2d (provide students with multiple and varied formative and sumative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.) A final assignment podcasts could be used for is to describe personal views of what is currently going on in the world. It allows students to express their opinions about current events and allows the teacher to know who is keeping up with current affairs on the global level. It also allows students to see the bigger picture and develop their own world views. This sort of assignment would be most beneficial for older students. This assignment would follow NETS 4c (promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.)