Before this project began, I was unsure of how it would be received. As a huge technology advocate, I believe in its use. I try to practice what I preach. I attempt to infuse technology into as many lessons as I can. I try to allow my students to see how I use technology to make teaching more effective and motivating. Often, I find people are resistant to change. When I present new technologies to professors or teachers, some want to see and learn more while others simply do not.
After thinking about what I wanted to do, I knew I need to focus on Web 2.0. Wait-- what is Web 2.0? According to Steve Hargadon ,Web 2.0 is "simply the use of the Internet as a two-way medium- - -that it is a platform upon which content is not only consumed but also created." He claims that students today use the Web entirely revolving around content that they and their friends have created, and within Web frameworks or scaffolding that facilitate that creativity rather than providing the content for them. "They build profile pages, upload photos and videos, and interact with each other and that content through active commenting systems."
I knew podcasting was something *I* wanted to learn more about. So, in a way, this project was a personal journey as much as it was for my students. From reading my students' blogs and talking to them in class, I have found they are enjoying this project because they are doing something. They are using computers. They are using microphones. They are making mistakes. They are getting frustrated. They are succeeding. They are doing something! THEY ARE PODCASTING!
It got me thinking about this article that I have my students read in other courses (mostly technology education courses): http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech005.shtml
I think this project has allowed students in my EE-204 to reach the following stage if they continue using the Web 2.0 skills they are learning:
Stage 4: Techno-constructivists --These are the teachers who integrate technology into the curriculum so that it not only complements instruction but redefines it. The true techno-constructivists have come through the previous three stages and have realized the full potential of technology to help children build on their own experiences, construct their own meanings, create products, and solve problems successfully.
