Podcasts

I had never listened to a podcast before, and in fact my only knowledge about them was that I'd occassionally hear on the radio how the program was available on podcast, so people from all the world were listening in to the show.

The major benefits that I could see of podcasts are that anyone with access to a computer, smart phone, ipad etc is able to access them.  You find information in much the same way that you would find any info online, by searching using a keyword or words.  The fact that they are audio only has it's pro's and con's.  Students may find it difficult to maintain interest in purely listening to someone speak, so I would not envisage that a lengthy podcast could be used, particularly in the lower grades.  However, the advantages are that they are free, and because they are audio only, you can continue doing other things while you listen, much like listening to the radio, except with a podcast, you've got your very own `call-in' line especially set up for what you're interested in listening to.

I've just had a quick look around some of the podcasts available, and I can see that if chosen correctly, a podcast could be very beneficial for use in the classroom.  Some of the podcasts I looked at were National Geographic, ABC Radio, the TED talks and ABC's indigenous podcasts.  I was interested in these particular podcasts, as I'm doing an assignment on indigenous students, so thought these podcasts could provide valuable information, and a different perspective.