Casting the Pod

Podcasting is inevitably getting more and more advanced and predominant in the United States almost daily. I for on did not know what podcasting really was until this lesson, I have become familiar with downloading, Google sites, Web 2.0, and others but pod casting is a new one for me as well. I find it interesting that there are both negative and positive things about pod casting and that they are so far from each other. The negatives about podcasting as stated in the lesson is that they can interfere with face-to-face contact, and even make families become more distance from each other. This is one of the daily problems teachers face in their classrooms with controlling the issue with cell phone usage and other such technological advanced items. The positives are however unwavering and bring families together over seas and expose different cultures, and make known the tragedies happening half way across the world. In a classroom environment I find pod casting’s availability helpful for students who may be very ill, missing school, or maybe even disabled. By using podcasting you can enhance the availability of your classes assists and make them easier to attain.

Podcasting differs from Web 2.0 in my opinion because of the magnitude of podcasting and how it can be accessed world wide and that Web 2.0 is more of just classroom enhancement and more activity based. Podcasting is more visually enhanced and deals greatly with the communication aspect of teaching and long distance accessibility. Web 2.0 is small scale and can be used for more small and interactive things such as blogging which helps with writing skills, vocabulary, research, and other such things to help enhance a students creativity. Creativity is however elevated with Podcasting as well due to the fact that it can help aid in anyone’s ability to share information in any form or fashion they choose weather through TV shows, Blog, and personal journaling.
I for one do not own a iPod, MP3 player, CD player, or any such technology advice other than my computer. If I did have one or more of one of them listed I would definitely use it for music because that is all I know how to get and put on there. My knowledge base when it comes to technological devices is very limited. I would use them in my classroom for cultural purposes and also allow the students to become more aware of their environment and city, town, or state politics and world domination that is going on with war, earthquakes and things that happen in the here and now that will change the course of their future. Like it is with podcasting and most things in life there are disadvantages, advantages, and consequences both good and bad. To name them all would be very time consuming and take quit a bit of time. I do however know that the use of any of these items needs to be limited and used with precaution because of the disadvantages associated with them. There has to be a line and it needs to be reinforced.