Silent Blathering
Hi everyone. I tried to do the podcast as well to no avail. What do they say about radio? "You have a face for radio."? I guess I have a voice for silent movies. I don't think my work computer has a mic, but Odeo did not NOT detect one, so I am stumped.
I liked the comment that spurred Mr. Curry (the first lame host of Headbanger's Ball?) to pocasting glory, "..what people really want is the ability to take the Internet away with you and listen to it on headphones." Podcasting seems to be kind of a guerilla on-demand radio; low-tech (though too high-tech for me, evidentally!), low-cost, under-the-radar of the FCC (which must be frustrating for them--I'm looking at my watch to see when they will step in), and through its nimbleness, very versatile.
Drawbacks? For me, sound is not what draws me to a computer, and is not what I would sink good money into. So I don't think it is a good use of this particular medium. I'm stuck with thinking of computers as a visual medium. Maybe because I don't have an iPod, I don't see the value of downloading to another vessel that will sound better. As my 16 year-old-nephew has said, "If you want to talk to someone, just call them on the phone!"
Educationally, I think podcasting would be especially good for language (no more having to go to nasty language labs of my college years) and English literature, as the article by Campbell suggests. I guess I fail to see the point of having a professor discuss outside reading in a podcast when I am on my way to her class, as the student in the Campbell article was doing. From the administrative side of things, I am kind of skeptical. It is hard enough to get professors to provide us with usable syllabi each term, which, by the way, are the single best and least expensive ad for any course. Could we ask them to also post blogs or podcasts?
I do like the idea of expanding the 'reach' of the classroom with podcasts and other course materials. Does that make education less personal? Yes, but I think that is preferable for some students, especially when the information is free. Go MIT! When I was starting my undergrad here, there was controversy about a beginning psychology course that featured videotaped lectures from the professor. Now there are dozens of distance learning courses, with taped lectures from the teachers.
I have listened to podcasts posted on Bravo websites or from the BBC. Sometimes it is kind of relaxing to listen and work on something else at the same time. Radio does have its allure, and Campbell did have good points about making engaged listening a skill. Will I be going to the trouble to subscribe podcasts or transfer downloaded podcasts from my computer to the MP3 player that I do not as yet possess? I will when my computer sounds as good as my boombox.
Comments
I see your point about it being difficult to convince professors to do extra work to produce supplementary materials like podcasts. I had been thinking about how wonderful it would be to be able to use the same podcasts from semester to semester, but I guess the initial creation (and making sure the content is still relevant) would be a lot of work. I suppose it also depends somewhat on the course... a history podcast must have a much longer life than one on issues in the Middle East, for example.
Posted by: e_rose | April 28, 2007 12:09 AM
I agree with your thoughts on computers and visuals. I just bought a shuffle and so I'm not real versed in it yet. Truthfully, I have music on it and it probably won't change for months as I can listen to the same stuff forever. If I'm at my computer and run across a podcast, I would listen to it but never download it for later. It's nice to have the option but doesn't matter to me.
Posted by: JuliaT | April 29, 2007 12:19 PM
I thought it was hilarious how you said that you had a voice for silent movies. Very clever. I agree with you that podcasted lectures would be really good for learning languages. I also think that podcasted lectures should be part of "expanding" the classroom and not replacing the classrooms.
Posted by: Natalya Goncharova | April 29, 2007 08:35 PM
I like the point you touched on about the FCC coming down on the podcast revolution. I wonder how and when that will happen. For some reasons, it'd be good, at least for keeping children away from explicit material. But like anything else, censorship could destroy the very characteristic that makes podcasting great, it's complete freedom and anyone-can-do-it ease of use.
Posted by: Andrew | April 29, 2007 10:22 PM
Hey...don't feel bad about not being able to get this thing working. I spent hours trying to figure it out, and was not successful. Anyway, I really liked how you mentioned the use of Podcasting being extremely useful for learning of languages. I never even thought of it being applied in that sense. I agree with you completely.
Posted by: Scott Szesterniak | April 29, 2007 11:05 PM
I completely agree with you regarding seeing computer as a visual medium rather than for sound. I don't own a IPOD either, so maybe I'm missing out on something but I've never found problem to the way things are already. Podcast is a great option for a lecture but definitely takes away a more personal learning.
Posted by: May | April 29, 2007 11:27 PM
I agree with you about extending our reach with podcasts to enhance our academic success. I think I have said this before, when a new technology is introduced in society, people will use that technology in all different ways, for all different reasons to exploit it as much as they can. I think that is a good thing.
Posted by: Harpal (Paul) Thind | April 29, 2007 11:53 PM