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Podcasting

With the nights getting shorter, Christmas already seems months ago. I wonder how many of us used the internet to avoid the queues or get the early bargain at the sales? The role of technology has become embedded in our lives, even to the sad extent that the papers were reporting that 3.1million people attended church on Christmas day, whereas, 4.6 million logged on to the early sales. The internet has brought the world closer together - on Christmas Day I sat and watched my friend chat with his brother in Dubai, via Skype. With students immersed in this world of technology, it is no wonder that they demand it within schools. In 2004, the web changed with the development of a new code called Web 2.0 Termed ‘Social Networking’ (due to its advancements to social sites), it has started to have huge implications within schools. The technology allows for greater sharing, communicating and exchanging of information and ideas—surely aims for any productive lesson!
A good place to start is the use of Podcasting. The Pod comes from IPOD (though any Mp3 player or computer works) and the Casting is short for broadcasting. So essentially you or the students can broadcast lessons for others to listen to. There are already hundreds online. Just type podcast and your subject into Google, or check out; www.shirelandclc.co.uk/podcast/ for some examples. Why not have a go yourself or with a class? Download Audacity free from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ which enables you to import music, record voice-overs and make mp3 files. For more innovation using Web 2.0, including Blogging and Wikis, see http://greatbarrschool.blogspot.com/ . The BETT school technology show occurred last week and is a another great source for innovative ideas http://www.teachers.tv/video/24216

BETT 2008

What is Bett?
Bett is the British Education Technology Show (Not sure what the extra T stands for!). The purpose is bring all the relevant and leading companies, educators, ministers and teachers under one spectacular (it's held at the famous London Olympia Center) roof for four days. As the worlds biggest event it allows a platform to look ahead at the technology that will shape the learning from tomorrow.

Whats New?
The main themes are actually not new, but instead, how current technologies can be incorporated together, especially in the form of smaller mobile devices (Mobile phones, pocket PCs and ultra thin mobile pcs). 2008 will continue the revolution of taking learning out of the hands of the school and placing it in the hands ( literally in the case of Hand held devices) of the student. These children's lives are enriched with high end media, from Digital TV, consoles to Mp3 mobile phones. Social Networking (or Web 2.0) technology saw a boom in 2007 with sites such as Facebook and Myspace user number exponentially increasing. It is therefore of little surprise to see Microsoft presenting how its Learning Gateway linked with Windows Vista can meet this demand for a slick media interface.

The other key term of interest which is starting to spread around developers and again made it into the Microsoft Presentation is "Push Technology". Consider the example of looking for a holiday online. Up until recently the web utilised "pull technology" where upon using a search engine to look for some sites, the search engine pulled the information to your screen. The difference with push technology is that the computer has made decisions for you, and pushed only relevant information (based on your preferences and prior decisions). Where this gets exciting within education is that a student could be pushed information based on their subjects or even more specifically their weakest areas of a subject. This information would continually change based on their performance in online tests or exercises.