Unlimited Information From Podcasts

I am starting to see a common thread with my blog posts. . . another piece of technology/information that I have tapped into for the first time because of Internet for Educators. This blog post is devoted to all that I have been learning and exploring in the world of podcasts! Podcasts are not something that I was unaware of. My husband religiously listens to sports podcasts to help him with his fantasy leagues. . .many road trips have involved me learning more than I ever wanted to know about football and baseball! However, I never thought of listening to a podcast for educational purposes for myself. I have found a couple of podcasts that I am finding interesting and informative, but the one that I have come across that I am enjoying the most is Teacher's Aid: The Best Ideas in Education.
This particular podcast deals with strategies, tools and techniques for the classroom. Although it is not marketed as a technology podcast, there have been a lot of technology topics that I have listened to, along with other tips and techniques for the classroom. The podcast that I listened to this morning was based on cellphones in the classroom and the debate that surrounds the issue. It was interesting to hear both points of view on the topic, although I agree so much more with devices being aloud and all the advantages that come with technology.
One thing I really appreciate about this podcast is that there are guests on each episode that are mostly teachers. It is nice to hear their opinions on the topics as they are the ones that have the first hand experience in the situations that are being discussed. Some of the topics that have been discussed that I have taken a lot of information and tips away from are: appropriate dress for teachers, why inquiry based project learning are successful, how to deal with angry teachers, dealing with students that feel they are entitled, and how to adapt to the 21st century student.
Another aspect of the podcast that I really like is that in 10-15 minutes I can gain some expert knowledge in one area. It is not overwhelming as it is a short period of listening and it is engaging because I am listening to a question and answer discussion that a few people are having. I think this aspect of podcasts would be very beneficial in the classroom. Students could easily find a podcast on a specific topic that was being discussed in class. It is a great way to incorporate the use of their own device for learning. There are so many podcasts available, that each student could tap into a different one and as a result tap into a different expert's opinion on one topic. This would provide a great learning tool as the students could then report back to each other and share the information that they got from their podcast and in turn teach and learn from each other.
The information available on podcasts is endless! Now that I understand how podcasts work, how to find what I am looking for (or even things that I didn't know I was looking for) and how easy podcasts are to use, I think I will be much more drawn to using podcasts as a source of information. I know that this will become a great tool for me both in and out of the classroom!