Podcasts gives us the ability to allow several people to share information and interact with each other online. All that is required is an internet connection. Podcasts are especially convenient for those who have hand held devices, in that they could download and watch podcasts, while on the go. The big advantage of a podcast is that it is available for download and viewing at anytime. This is a great resource for teachers to use for recording activities, lectures or instructions that could be viewed by students and/or parents at their convenience and repeated times. This is a great tool for the student who perhaps was absent from a class or needs to revisit information about and assignment or project instructions. Podcasts could be useful for students who are easily distracted in the classroom, to revisit the lesson when they are in a place that would allow for better concentration.
While podcasts are similar to Web 2.0 applications, such as blogs and wikis in that they enable multiple people to interact and respond online, they would also appeal to learners that prefer an auditory delivery of information, as well as a visual. With a blog a student can read about a lesson, read instruction for an assignment or a project and interact by typing reponses. However, with a podcast a student could not just read the information but see and hear the recorded version. I would think that most students would find this to be a more entertaining way of obtaining the information. The best part of podcast is it is available to everyone worldwide for viewing, free of charge. The ability to perhaps communicate with another classroom across the world using podcasting, is lesson in itself and would be very enlightening to students.
I personally don't own an iPod or a MP3 player (of course all my children have them) but I have seen them utilized in the classrooms for instructional use. Both seem to be effective methods for instructing students in a way they appeals to their interests and learning styles. The students are using the technology in their personal life, why not use it in their academic life?
The disadvantage of using technology is that it tends to take away form the personal connections that students make when they work face to face with other students. While technological advances may allow students the ability to communicate with multiple people at various times of the day , it doesn't allow students to practice interpersonal skills such as working face to face with a partner or team. This could contribute to poor social skills, lack of communication skills and the inabilty to learn to work with others.
