Group 2 Technologies: Group 2 technologies refers to multimedia: images, video and audio tools. These tools have been labeled as the ‘new literacy’ of the 21st Centurary ( Lankshear & Knobel, 2003) New literacy recognises the move away from the focus on traditionally valued notions of literacy that focused primarily on the 3 R’s and incorporates technology tools as a legitimate and effective form of communication . Susan Marcuss (2005), states “ In surveying these decades of changes in relationship to the discussion of “new literacies,” several important factors stand out:
1. Images and sound are just as important (if not more so) than words and numbers in both their power to capture attention, communicate ideas, and change behavior.
2. The possibilities of using, creating and sharing images, words, sounds (talk/music)
via digital media are now easily imaginable by young people. They’ve adopted the
media and the mindset and they are collectively aware that it is “the future.” The
genie is out of the bottle.
3. It’s a global phenomenon.”
I have undertaken an in depth exploration and analysis of podcasting. An example of a podcast I have created, including a discussion of its use in the early years context is available below.
As Wes Fryer (2010) describes in Teach Digital a podcast is a file/publication that is stored online, it can be sound, video or other formats but the distinguishing feature of a podcast is that it is a feed that people can subscribe to. What this means is the file is accessed as it is required by the user through a subscription or file transfer via programmes such as itunes. A podcast is different from web-based audio in that the purpose of a podcast is for the file to portable – allowing transfer from net to a device such as an ipod or mp3. There are many available podcasts for education such as these.
Furthermore, there is easy to use software such as Podmatic that allows you or your students to develop a podcast. This is the uniqueness and educational value in this tool; unlike a streaming youtube clip whereby student ‘suck up’ the information, the capacity to develop a podcast as a tool in the classroom setting require both critical and higher order thinking. Murray (2005) outlines how the use of sound assists the student to moves through the taxonomy from the taking in of information such as hearing/learning speech, to the critical thinking stage such as identifying voices/animals to higher order thinking skills such as singing/composing or speaking ideas.
The value in this tool includes all the benefits of accessing a range of multiple intelligences (sound, music, words, sight, and pictures) and the capacity to store and access it for easy access in a portable capacity.
Some other benefits of podcast in the education setting include:
- it allows students to listen to specific material that they missed or did not understand multiple times. (Educational Technology Research and Development)
- - you can listen to a podcast whenever and wherever you want to, and you can subscribe to a podcast series so when a new episode is available, it automatically downloads to your computer. (Podcasting in Education)
- - teachers report that students enjoy the time that they spend using the iPods and have made significant learning gains within the talking and listening strand of their English curriculum. (Kervin & Reid, 2006)
- - information can be available ‘ on demand’ when students are ready to gear and absorb or create.
- - teachers also report they have learned more about the way their students learn within varying settings and experiences. (Kervin & Reid, 2006)
- - Allows of sharing of student learning outside the classroom, facilitating authentic learning opportunities.
Drawbacks to the use of this tool have been noted: these include:
- - “they [the children] focus on the technological side of things a lot rather than the language features of the audio text”. This was further supported by interviews conducted with the students where a consistent theme was the children identifying specific features and capabilities of the iPods rather than how they supported the creation of the radio show. (Hirtle & White, 2006)
- - Pedagogical frameworks to assist educators in the incorporation of this technology within educational contexts do not yet exist in the literature. ( Kervin & Reid, 2006)
- - technological ‘hitches’
- - “Student-encountered barriers include: unfamiliarity with podcasts, technical problems in accessing and downloading podcasts, and not seeing the relevance for their learning “(Hew 2008) .
Applications of podcasting in the early year’s context that I have been thinking about include
- - Rhythm and rhyme podcasts to play either in the classroom or load onto a wiki or website for student to access at home, that may assist with alphabet, counting, and phonics. On my first visit to my ELP classroom my Mentor teacher played a song about how to say hello in many languages while the students wrote. She used this to also let the children know how much time was left to finish their writing, but what I noticed was the children all knew the words, and sang along, knowing hello in at least 10 different languages. I suspect without the use of this podcast the learning outcomes would not have been so achievable.
- - LOTE: both students recording their language skills, and listening to the language. Using podcasts like a chain letter to other LOTE students.
- - Reading records
- - Assessment tool for use of tone control, pronunciation
- - Students story telling – either individually or in collaboration
- - Music – moving through Blooms taxonomy from recognition to creation – this could include composer, notes, songs, sounds and rhythm
- Field trip records
- Personal reflections
References:
Doran,H. (nd) The Helen Doron Early Childhood Education Podcast. Retrieved from http://www.helendoron.com/podcast.php
Doran,H. (nd) The Helen Doron Early Childhood Education Podcast. Retrieved from http://www.helendoron.com/podcast.php
Educational Technology Research and Development. 57( 3), 333-357, DOI: 10.1007/s11423-008-9108-3
Fryer,W. (2010) Podcasting: Teach Digital. Retrieved from http://teachdigital.pbworks.com/w/page/19791094/podcasting
Hew, K.F (2008) Use of audio podcast in K-12 and higher education: a review of research topics and methodologies. DOI 10.1007/s11423-008-9108-
Hirtle,J., & White,C. (2006) Pedagogy of Podcasting: mobilizing the tools of contemporary culture for a new generation of learners. Retrieved from http://www.iadis.net/dl/final_uploads/200605F012.pdf
Kervin,L., & Reid,D. (2006). A partnership for iPod pedagogy: Using the technology
of millennial learners across educational contexts Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney06/proceeding/pdf_papers/p111.pdf)
Marcuss, S. (2005). The New Literacies: What Is Basic Education now? Retrieved from http://archive.nmc.org/summit/New_Literacies.pdf.
Lankshear, Colin, and Knobel, Michele (2003) New Literacies: changing knowledge and classroom learning. Open University Press, Buckingham, UK.
Lesage,S. (2009) Podcasting as an Educational Tool. Retrieved from
Podcasting in education, retrieved from http://podcasting-in-education.wikispaces.com/
References
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