Podcasts

I find this a little anoying - I cannot embed a Ted Talk into my Blog or a Prezi. 
But if you are interested, in astronomy, here is a link to an interesting talk by Lucianne Walkowicz
http://www.ted.com/talks/lucianne_walkowicz_finding_planets_around_other_stars.html
I like the way she has used images of what we 'know' to what we are trying to understand. 
The universe, and all it has to offer, is far bigger than I can comprehend.


Love this guy Professor Marcus du Sautoy, from the BBC.  His podcasts on

A Brief History of Mathematics

'Professor Marcus du Sautoy argues that mathematics is the driving force behind modern science. Ten fifteen minute podcasts that reveal the personalities behind the calculations from Newton to the present day. How do these masters of abstraction find a role in the real world?.   Follow this link Marcus du Sautoy maths podcasts to all 10 episodes to discover the full story about the people that created the mathematics we know so well today, and told in such a fun way.

These would be fun to have playing through those boring practice and drill times that are so often a part of a mathematics class.  I don't feel they would be distracting as most adolescence are very used to having lots of noise around while they are studying.  It is nothing to see young people watching TV, talking on FaceBook, and writting an assignment.  Wish I could do all this, and be successful.  Just old I guess.

I like podcasts.  It can put information across in ways that I had not thought of, using technology that I am either not aware of or familiar with.  It gives students a break from listening to just my voice.  A lot of podcasts come with background music that add to the feel, emotion, of the information being delivered.

I like podcasts as they are easy to access and upload, and can be stored and played back at any time.  Links can be sent to students emails, blogs, wiki pages etc.  I haven't tried yet, but I feel that I could probably upload a BBC podcast to a Prezi presentation - how cool would that be.

Now..........If I am to be away from my class, say for PD for a day, how much better for the supply teacher, and my class, if I could have the lesson prepared on a prezzi - with podcasts, and YouTube clips, images, and step-by-step procedure for that complicated maths problem, plus maybe a fun interactive webpage for students to link to................
Now that could a cool way to deliver a usually boring babysitting job!

I am not so sure, or confident just yet, on adding my own voice to a podcast.  Maybe when I have been teaching for awhile and have an idea of what it is that I really want to say.
My husband is now ROFL at the idea that I don't know what to say, or that I am not used to the sound of my own voice.  Hmmmmm

Podcasts...........Get into them