This week, our class focused on podcasts, webcasts, and webinars. Three of my classmates did a fantastic job creating a website that included a podcast and webcasts introducing the tools; then, they led the class in discussions of each.
The discussion on podcasts was of particular interest to me. My experience with podcasts has been limited thus far, but it's exciting to think about the ways in which they could be used in education. The discussion facilitator asked about the passive nature of podcasts, and while it's true that podcasts in and of themselves are passive in nature, it seems that they could be used to promote more active learning. Rather than using valuable class time to lecture, offering podcasts as "homework" for the class to discuss during the next meeting seems like a great way to flip learning. With this in mind, I am now eager to check out some different podcasts and examples of how they are used.
While I do have a little more experience with webcasts and webinars, I was glad to hear my classmates' tips for running them smoothly. Both webcasts and webinars (especially webinars) require a certain amount of multitasking on the part of the presenter (and sometimes on the part of the participants, as well). Ideas like having a second person present to work the technical aspects of the event and possibly field chat questions or addressing any unanswered questions via a follow up email to participants seem like great ways to prevent common webinar pitfalls. I look forward to putting these ideas into action in the future!
The discussion on podcasts was of particular interest to me. My experience with podcasts has been limited thus far, but it's exciting to think about the ways in which they could be used in education. The discussion facilitator asked about the passive nature of podcasts, and while it's true that podcasts in and of themselves are passive in nature, it seems that they could be used to promote more active learning. Rather than using valuable class time to lecture, offering podcasts as "homework" for the class to discuss during the next meeting seems like a great way to flip learning. With this in mind, I am now eager to check out some different podcasts and examples of how they are used.
While I do have a little more experience with webcasts and webinars, I was glad to hear my classmates' tips for running them smoothly. Both webcasts and webinars (especially webinars) require a certain amount of multitasking on the part of the presenter (and sometimes on the part of the participants, as well). Ideas like having a second person present to work the technical aspects of the event and possibly field chat questions or addressing any unanswered questions via a follow up email to participants seem like great ways to prevent common webinar pitfalls. I look forward to putting these ideas into action in the future!