Video Podcasts

The idea of a video podcasts as taken an old idea and turned it into something very effective. When I was in middle school and high school I remember watching a film on various subjects. They often were extremely long and the quality of the film was adequate at best. The video podcasts I watched all had great picture quality and all wasted no time getting to the core subject mater of the video. I watched a few movies under grades 9 thru 12. I watched “How the body responds to exercise, marathon challenge”, “The Function of Sleep” and “Homo sapiens versus Neanderthals”. All of which were very clear, concise, and short in length. None of the videos I watched were over about 8 minutes. That time is just long enough not to lose the interest of students. T find out more about these video podcasts click on Videos.


The video podcasts can sere as a great teaching tool. One way that the video can be used is as an introduction to a discussion on the topic of the video. It would be a great way to get students minds working and possible have them asking questions. Another advantage is the ability to show more than one video with a few clicks of the mouse. A teacher doesn’t have to reserve any materials from the library or take time to change film out. There are a variety of different subjects a teacher can choose from.
The subjects are limited to science and exercise. There weren’t any video on math or history lessons so there are some limitations to its use. I also was unable to bring up any videos in the section for grades 6 thru 8, and the topics seem to be the same for K thru 5 and 9 thru 12. Of course it’s up to the teacher to check the videos for appropriateness of the content. Another advantage of video podcasts is that they are free. Many schools do not have the funds for any type of technology, and nothing is better than free resources. Overall I think the video podcasts are very good resources for teachers.

Ipods....Should or Shouldn't I

At Duke University back in 2004 the Center for Instructional Technology department issued 1500 ipods to incoming freshmen. The concept was centered in integration of technology and education. The uses for the ipod included the following: access to course content, a recording toll of lectures, field recording tool, a study report tool, and for file storage and transfer. Some of the courses that students used the ipods in included economics, religion, education, and Spanish just to name a few. Overall the ipod was rated as extremely useful according to the study, and I think that it is an excellent idea. Go to http://cit.duke.edu/pdf/reports/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf to read more on this study.

For many educators the willingness to embrace technology has led to some creative lesson plans using ipods. Many users of the ipods in classrooms are as young as pre-school age. The increase use by educators and students has encouraged Apple to provide educational content for ipod users. Today so many teachers and students are encouraged to multitask, and the ipod device allows individuals to have a tool to help them do that.

Dr. Christie's Impact

As a future teacher I found Alice Christie's website very insightful. There are a number of topics that are covered on her site. For my future profession as a physical education teacher I found a few topics that I felt were relevant. The first was articles and podcasts, which I feel are great ways to quickly learn about current trends and subjects. These particular sources are great when a teacher is taking a break or has a moment during their planning period.
Dr. Christie has taken a constructivism approach to teaching which I identify with. My approach to teaching has its core in constructivism. My philosophy is that we learn by doing. This is especially true in physical education. Another topic of relevance to me on this site is Dr. Christie’s web searches and researching. It’s a very good guide to using the web properly in obtaining information for professional work.
The next topic that I found very interesting was virtual field trips. This is a great way for me to allow my students to experience new subject matter in an inexpensive way. The opportunity to expose students to some things that they otherwise would never have is great. This site allows you to do that. There is a small fee involved, but it seems to be worth it and your students will appreciate it hopefully.
The last section that I really found interesting was the one for online publications. There were a number of different topics to choose from. Under each of the topics there is a vast amount of other information and links to more articles. Not every teacher will find information under publications, but this website can offer at least one thing to all teachers. This site is put together very well.

Wikipedia Anyone?

The information that I read about wikipedia was very interesting. Mr. Virgil Griffith has made those that contribute to wikkipedia second guess any dishonest intentions. The program that Virgil wrote that traces the IP addresses of individuals and companies that change information on wikipedia. Those at wikipedia seem to not have any problem with changes that are made. They have taken the stance that it is up to the “people” concerning content on the site. With that being stated an individual should be cautious when obtain information. The information that one obtains should only be a start to information that one needs. When someone is researching online for a paper or a project it is in their best interest to leave a “paper trail”. This means that you should have verifiable sources for the sake of your grade or even job.


Virgil Griffith