POST #3 Podcast

1. Vidoecast Review

My assignment was to view past videocast and give my opinion on improvements that I would take during my own podcast. I first viewed the videocast that Dr.Strange and his students did on The Technologically Literate Teacher. I thought they did a great job. The students seemed a little shy at first, but once the conversation started they opened up more. They did a good job introducing themselves and the purpose of the videocast. I liked how they did not waste time, they jumped right into the topic of discussion.

I do feel if you are going to do a videocast that anyone can see then it needs to be a little more formal. I think the host should have dressed professionally. If you are presenting yourself to the world along with your topic of discussion then you should dress the part of an educator. I also thought that some of the hosts did not have adequate knowledge of the topic. After viewing the videocast and several podcast I realized that your personality needs to shine through in the podcast. Your tone of voice is very important to your audience because you want to keep their attention. Having adequate information is a must. You just need to relax, have fun, and share your information.

2. How to Produce a Podcast

The second assignment was to view several websites about preparing a podcast and then describe what I learned. I viewed the langwitches website. I thought it was a great website. It had a lot of great ideas on it. I liked how the website goes through the basics of how to produce a podcast. I found this very helpful since I will be doing one in the near future. The website was so easy to follow that it broke the process up into steps that even Kindergarten students could do.

The website provided many links to help with the auto recording of the podcast. One site that I viewed and thought was helpful was http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/what-is-a-podcast.htm. This link had free downloads for audio editing software. This may come in handy when doing our class podcasts. I viewed the other sites, but found this one the most informative. It gives you a guideline to follow when producing your own podcast. Having correct adequate information on your topic and enthusiasm in your voice seemed to be the keys to podcasting!


3.Mr.Stephen Sullivan Power Point

My third assignment was to view Mr.Stephen Sullivan's power point presentation and give information on various tools used for alternative web browsing. I viewed to powerpoint presentation and thought that it is wonderful that people with hearing, visual, or cognitive impairments have these great tools to help them in their communication with the world. It is amazing how far in we have come. I did not realize the different software available to those with disabilities. This is a great resource for teachers to look at and improvise into their classroom if needed.

I thought that the software Zoom Text and Magic were incredible. This software enables people who have low vision or learning disabilities the opportunity to learn. The software enlarges part or all of the computer screen for the viewer. The screen reader software JAWS is available for those who are totally blind. This software reads all parts of the screen for the individual. The voice recognition software is what I thought was truly amazing. It is for those individuals with limited hand use and it lets them enter commands by speaking into a microphone. I think it is wonderful how technology has advanced. Every person with or without disabilities has the opportunity to learn and express themselves. These softwares give people that chance.

4. PLAGIARISM

I viewed the websites on plagiarism and found them to be very similar. They all defined plagiarism, how to detect it, and how to avoid it. I liked the Indiana University Writing Tutorial Service website to be very helpful. It was simple and easy to understand. It gave a simple definition of plagiarism to a complicated subject. The website gave different examples of plagiarism and how to identify it. I liked how the website gave examples on how to take notes and make it clear where you got your information. If it comes from a quote then mark a big Q next to it or write the source name by the information given. These are great tips to give to middle and high school students.


The basic understanding of these websites is to define plagiarism, how to avoid it, and follow the copyright & regulation rules. It is important for writers to always cite their sources. These websites also offer information of what has to be credited or documented, and list of things that do not need to be credited. As a teacher I think this is a great tool to share with your students. You can clearly define plagiarism for them, how to avoid it, & how to credit their sources. If you approach this complex subject in an understandable manner then I think the students would appreciate it more.