Using a podcast to discuss the chapters in the book was definitely a different experience for me. I am not sure I liked it, however. I enjoyed discussing the material with people that I haven't talked to before, but as soon as we got the microphone in our hands, we all got camera shy and couldn't think straight. We would lose our points and get distracted easily. However, as soon as the microphone was put down, we'd be able to figure out what we were trying to say. It's a good strategy for those that don't like to talk in class, but personally, I would prefer to discuss in front of the class than with a microphone. Also, it took a lot longer to get the podcast to actually work than it did to discuss the material, so overall, it was time-consuming.
Despite for my dislike of using the podcast for these two chapters, I would like to use podcasting in my classroom. I would possibly try the microphone, especially if it is with a younger group, one that doesn't have so many insecurities (ME!!), but overall, I would probably just use the microphone on the computer because all students have to do is talk, not hold a microphone, but just talk and discuss. This way, there isn't any camera shyness. On the contrary, using a microphone might help get people to open up more and use their shyness to their advantage (or learn how to), so I wouldn't be objected to using it all the time if that's what the students approved of.
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