Educational Media and Applications

Thankfully there are a number of sensory stimulating options out there for education to take advantage of.  I like the possibilities that are taking place with regard to podcasting and video streaming.  For podcasting capabilities simply log on to http://audacity.sourceforge.net.   Live streaming personalized videos can be completed with the help of Ustream (http://www.ustream.tv).   Both can be used with iPhones or computer equipment.  Launching on these sites allows the user to edit or enhance their initial product.

These tools spark my interest simply because, what Richardson attributes to podcast can be the same for either of these techniques, “podcasting is one of those technologies that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be” (2010, p. 117).   Authors: Sutton-Brady, Scott, Taylor, Carabetta, & Clark, provide a few additional positives for podcasts in general but also pertain to the growing abilities of multimedia in today’s education environment.  In short, they mention the benefit of enabling students to revisit covered material at their comprehension or language level, the visual appeal that can added by educators to classes of heavy content, the ability for students to take a class and personalize it for their learning style or again for a more detailed processing, and similarly the ability it can provide students to have their learning on their person (2009, pp. 220-221). These reasons speak directly to my education style.  In a higher education environment, I prefer student interaction, however I would allow and even encourage students to live stream or podcast the session for others who may be absent or may learn in a different manner.  Second, as I practiced in secondary education I would incorporate podcasts and or video streaming into a course by encouraging collaboration to complete a audio or video project and share with the rest of the adult learners. What also really draws me to these multimedia tools is the fact that they can be done by anyone anywhere with something as simple as an IPhone.  Who know what was once a nuisance in class is now a sought after educational approach.   

References:

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Sutton-Brady, C., Scott, K. M., Taylor, L., Carabetta, G., & Clark, S. (2009). The Value of Using Short-Format Podcasts to Enhance Learning and Teaching. ALT-J: Research In Learning Technology, 17(3), 219-232