Podcasting in Education

Podcasting is a great educational tool. Any different way that information and education can be delivered to maximize the audience and its ability to access and comprehend new learning has to be a positive thing. If we are trying to educate more people and a more diverse set of learners, we must look for a variety of methods for teaching. We still seem to be stuck in the archaic teaching method of lecture to static sets of chairs in rows. I think our data on underperforming students speaks, in part, to the need for alternate ways to teach.

The FAQ lists cost, ease of creation, and RSS protocols as reasons that motivate podcast makers. Cost (free), number, and access are motivaters for users. I actually could follow Danny Sullivan's instructions on how to create an RSS item. If I can, everyone else can participate and facilitate the distribution, sharing, and integration of ideas and information. Integrating podcasting in educational settings would help the classroom look and feel more like the way students are communicating and connecting outside the classroom. Development and extension of ideas and learning could be expedited in a more flexible and interesting way for many students. For teachers, scaffolding, pacing, and differentiation is inherent in the format whether watching or creating.