Week 10: Video Podcasts

As I explore the different podcasts, I see more and more that podcasts are a really good tool to use for teachers, students, principals, and counselors. I reviewed several podcasts and there were two that I chose. They were Mathtrain TV and Electronic field trip Webisodes. These podcasts are a great resource for teachers to enhance the subject that is being taught. In the Mobile County Public School System, on the elementary level we have to set up educational centers in the classrooms for the students. The centers are design to increase classroom participation and to raise the students’ awareness on any topic. As an educator, I think that these two podcasts will greatly improve the students’ academics.

Mathtrain Episode 39 is a wonderful video podcast for sixth graders who are struggling with math. This podcast is done by students who have mastered the skills that are taught; sometimes students learn well from each other. In this podcast, the viewer can actually see how the problems are being solved step by step. It is great for visual learners and for parents who cannot afford to pay for tutoring. Almost, every household has a computer or have access to one.

The way the economy is going the educational budget has been cut tremendously; therefore, money for field trips has been cut. The video podcast Electronic field trip Webisodes will be a wonderful tool for teachers to use to further enlighten students on social studies topics. I presently work as an Instructional Paraprofessional and at the beginning of the school year I had to help assist the fifth grade teachers in their classrooms. Sometimes, I helped with reading and social studies. If I would have known then about this podcasts I know it would have helped those students in a powerful way. This video podcast will allow the students to go places they have never gone. For instance, it has a field trip topic on The settlers in the new frontier. The students can actually see how things were then and how things came about and they will be able to process the information through visual learning. In the future, through podcasts and other technology resources I will be able to help students develop academically.