Post 11

Hey everyone!

So we are getting so close to the end of our semester and the end of this course! Its crazy how fast the semesters fly by! It has been such a great experience learning about new digital programs, and digital literacy and responsibility! Alright, enough with the sentimental stuff.. On to week 11!!
So this week was focused on podcasts and screencasts!
While before this week I had hear of podcasts, and had a general idea of what they were all about, 'screencast' was a new term to me! So lets break it down!

Podcasts: A podcast is considered any audio file that is embedded on a website!
Screencasts: A screencast is a short video that shows what is happening on your computer screen.

After reading the definition of screencast, I realized I have indeed used them before! While I have never made a screen cast (until this week anyways), I have seen some! I have viewed and used many people screencasts via youtube to learn how to do things, or fix things.
This is what is great about screen casts, it is a great teaching tool when you cant have the person right beside you following along with the steps!
Podcasts can also be extremely useful tools! What I love about podcasts, is that the author can portray things, like emotion, or sarcasm that wouldn't be possible (or very challenging) to portray within online text! The idea that you can portray to your audience how you feel, while still being able to reach a large audience is such a great opportunity!
This week I used a tool called SoundCloud, a podcast creation tool! It's great because it allows you not only to upload already recorded items, but also record directly on your computer, right onto SoundCloud! I highly recommend checking it out!
So how can these fit into my PLE?
Well, for me the screencasts will be super helpful for me with future students. The idea that I could create a screencast talking about a lesson a student missed, or for online resources they are learning, will allow me to help students on a larger scale, as well as encourage self directed learning! This is also a great way to tech others how to use programs, or teach them about a specific online tool. I hope that I can use screencasts for group projects when a group member is confused or stuck on a specific task, or step!
In regards to podcasts, I think that the same idea of future use with students applies. Creating a short podcast to go along with a slideshow can greatly improve the understanding of a student, and I look forward to using this strategy! While I don't intend to keep blogging after this course, I think that a podcast can greatly add to a blog, and perhaps this can fit into your PLE if you have a blog!
Is there a space for podcasts and screencasts on your PLE? Let me know in the comments!

That's all for this week!

Thanks for learning with me... digitally!

~ Hannah