Module 5

I love this stuff!

I love my iTunes and my iPod, and have been using it for years. The best way to learn about it is to play around with it. I actually learnt lots about this tool by talking to some of my students. They enhanced my use of a tool I already found useful. I have used my iTunes to create CDs for Retreats and the like. It is easier to create CDs if you have downloaded CDs you already own as there are limitations on how many times you can copy songs that you have bought from iTunes, eventhough you have paid for them. This can be a little frustrating. Also changing computers because they break or something else means you lose your rights to iTunes - you are only allocated a certain amount. But I love it! Just make sure you buy the gift vouchers and not pay by credit card.

Youtube is also terrific, but after it became more difficult to use it hasn't proved to be so handy. Not being able to save it to Keep Vid is a little annoying, but maybe there are ways around that now that I don't know of yet. Its a good tool to show classes, either to introduce them to something or to give them an experience of something. I showed a Jewish shabbat service to Year 11 the other day. All they could do was giggle - boys! I tried to get them to see it as an 'experience'. It can be like anything else though - students can get bored with it.

Vodcast and podcasts are definitely a new way of doing things. They get people involved, but like everything some people enjoy them more than others. Not all people are creative and gifted. It is another way of doing tasks, but we have to be sure that content and knowledge do not suffer at the expense of IT skills. The best students will always be able to do the right thing.

Podcasts can be handy in the same way iTunes and Youtube are - a resource that can be used from radio stations and the like. They can also be created by us. The dual purpose is exciting.

I have seen some vodcasts created by our Yr 9 students this year and their skills are excellent (the majority of them anyway)! Sometimes, some think that because it is an online medium they do have the same restrictions with use of language and so on.

All of us will learn over time and the use of these skills will become more valuable and more worthwhile. We will hopefully see the educational benefits.

I commented on Miriam Gascoigne's blog; see below.

Miriam