Podcasting

Not so long ago, little more than a decade, I remember thinking that cell phones were for rich people and I would never own one. Ha! Now I’m watching videos on my MacBook (via wireless connection) of the major technological changes in store during the next couple of years, and…wow! I never cease to be amazed at what the human mind has accomplished and how much our society has changed because of these feats.

As a teacher, I am well aware that my students know as much or more than I do about technology and I must keep up, especially working in a standards based school where students are continually asking me how they can fulfill their technology standards. I have no choice but to stay ahead.

• Podcasting - To help answer the question of how podcasting will impact my classroom, I asked several students if they knew what it was. Blank stares. So I'm guessing podcasting won't have much of an impact out here. Until a teacher, administrator or the district decides it is something that might benefit the students, podcasting could be much farther in the future than 2015.

• Online News – Unlike podcasting, online news is already impacting my life and possibly my student’s lives. With no print version readily available and a limited, outdated library, we are constantly seeking online information sources. It’s a little scary, but exciting, to think that we could have personalized news. Perhaps in several years, the new technology standards will include the following: Creates personalized news site and posts links to relevant information on classroom blog.