Web 2.0 and Podcasts applications are both communication tools that allow technology to be a gateway to students knowledge capacity. Podcasts and Web 2.0 give multiple perspectives of any given objective and allow for opinions and individual experiences to be shared using technology. It allows students to reason with one another and actually feel apart of the learning process. When a teacher just stands at the front of the room lecturing all day it tailspins the class to a state of boredom, which then the material loses its effectiveness. That is why utilizing these tools is so important to the educational well being of children. Podcasting does differ from Web 2.0 in that it is an audio tool that allows people to capture different shows or sounds to listen to that are created by anyone. Anyone can create a podcast with simply a microphone, access to the web, and a computer. The most popular form of podcasting is through itunes because so many people have some sort of Apple accesory, whether it be the Iphone, Ipad, Ipod, etc. Web 2.0 gives us the opportunity to read and write to one another through the web using many social networks. While both use technology, one is an audio tool while the other is a reading and writing tool. The combination of both along with the teacher's help form a successful educational experience for youngsters.
I own an Iphone and use it in many ways because smart phones now give access to several beneficial apps. I use it to listen to music, research when a computer is unavailable; use it to check the ESPN app to see how my favorite teams fare, and to play games. I would use this device in the classroom because so many kids can relate. I know for a fact that my little 4 year old brother already knows how to utilize an Iphone. Many kids under age 2 know how to unlock and get to my games at the daycare I work at. By incorporating this into the classroom we could make an outreach to children by something they often use, and that is fun for them. Ipad could be used to play an innovative math game to settle kids back to a classroom environment after an energetic class such as P.E. or recess. While many advantages exist such as quick communication, access to a variety of information, and interactive ways to learn by communicating with people across the globe; it also has its' downfalls by limiting face to face communication.
Go Rangers!!! Colby Lewis let's win Game 6 and Bring our first championship back to Arlington, Texas:)