Since our last in class discussion, I have researched the use of podcasts in education and have found one really creative idea. This idea is to use podcasts to record songs groups of students come up with to remember key formulas and theorems. For example, in calculus students need to remember the Product rule and one group of students could make up a song that is sung along to the melody of a common song students would know (for example, Christmas songs or childrens songs). The students could record their song as a podcast and it would be posted on a class website so that other students can listen to it. This method of learning is effective because using a song is a trick that will help students recall information that would otherwise need to be memorized. Using a song is also an engaging way to get students involved in learning the material. I received the idea to use songs in educational podcasts from the website: http://feeds.feedburner.com/PshsPodcasts

Still, while I think using podcasts in such a creative way is a fun and exciting means of bringing technology into the classroom, at this point in my teaching career I am more likely to use podcasts from an efficiency learning rather than constructivist learning standpoint. I fear that the above idea is too time consuming on the part of a high school student and that it may be difficult for all students to feel comfortable in participating. As a high school student, I would have completed an assignment such as that in agony. So, as a teacher, I'd still like to use podcasts along the lines of my first thoughts of using it as a review tool and study tool for student's quizzes and tests. I would create a podcast that reviewed key concepts and problems so that I could guide students in their studying and make them more inclined to look at the material sometime prior to the hour just before the exam. I would provide show notes so that my podcast requied a student's full attention, not just their ears.