Future Educator

As an online student at FullSail University Online I’m very familiar with interacting with my teachers via podcast, vidcast, iChat, and virtual classrooms like Wimba. If you are a teacher in a more traditional classroom setting you can augment your teaching with podcast using either audio or video. I will be the first to tell you that audio is much easier to edit and the file sizes are easier to deal with. Also, if your students are listening to these on their iPods it is much easier to listen to a lesson and do something else at the same time. Video requires you to only be watching that video and you have to set aside time for it. The small screen size of many iPods also leads to problems if you are prone to putting lots of information on your slides.

If you think that it’s not possible to create podcast you need check out Podcasting for Teachers Using a New Technology to Revolutionize Teaching and Learning. This book is written by educators for educators. The authors understand the unique challenges that teachers have when trying to create a podcast for their students. The link above is to the paperback version and it is significantly cheaper than the hardcover. If you are one of those people I mentioned earlier that have a challenge creating simple but effective slides you may also want to pick up a copy of Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. This is an awesome resource and will teach you how to make presentations that will not only engage your students but it will wow the other teachers the next time you present at a conference.

*the links to the books I recommend above have my Amazon affiliate link in them. If you purchase using them it doesn’t cost you anymore and I make a dollar or two. If you don’t want to help me out I understand completely.

I came across this at The Wild Classroom. It’s a lot like another video I posted and it makes you think about the tools you are using in the classroom to reach your students.

Although I am primarily focused on outdoor education I do not discount the power of Web2.0 and it’s implications in education. We cannot deny that we live in a global world and we are educating kids for a future that we have no clue what it will look like. This kids in class today are living in a digital world and if you want to engage them you will have to use digital tools. If you haven’t seen this video and you disagree with some of what is in it that is fine but ask your students what they think. Even better show it to your students and then ask for comments.