Audio/Video Podcast: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

I would like to start out with a short podcast on podcasting and education and its advantages.

I am an instructor with a passion for literacy and technology integrations to help improve educational advancements. Working with dyslexic children we recommend audiobooks as a resource for added vocabulary exposure. “Podcast offer opportunities to introduce or reinforce information from the classroom.” (Putman & Kingsley, p. 101) By having students listen to books two to three reading levels above their reading level gives them more exposure to vocabulary otherwise they would not hear. Continuing with the advantages of the podcast if downloaded to a MP3 player, computer, or smartphone the cast is available 24/7, not dependant on wifi access. Classroom instructions can be listened to over and over again not just limited to classroom notes. The convenience of not having to be in a classroom at a certain time or day the lecture is available at your availability. Another great tool that many dyslexic individuals will use is the Echo Smartpen by Livescribe, this pen records audio while also taking video notes. The significant advantage of this pen is that if you have a smartphone with Bluetooth capabilities the notes and audio go directly to an app and can be shared. https://www.livescribe.com/site/livescribe-2/echo/ “Podcast created by teachers represent one such tool as they provide a method to address the needs of the 21^st-century learner through access to educationally sound, class-related content like never before.” (Putman & Kingsley, p. 107) The greatest advantage of podcasting is the cost which is rather inexpensive for both instructor and student.

Podcasting does come with some disadvantages as well but is minor and adaptable over time and exposure.  The volume level of a podcast can be a problem if a microphone is not placed correctly or the recording software is not utilized correctly. Background noises can become a problem as well if you are not familiar on how to scrub out the noises. Your podcast can become to lengthly, and your audience may lose interest in the topic. All technology much be learned, and if the instructor is not familiar with how to use podcasting then the effectiveness of the technology will not be used to it’s potential and most likely be pushed aside. An educational concern with podcasting is how to judge educational acknowledgment of content with video/audio lectures. 

Audacity is a popular platform used to create a podcast, so I inserted a How-To YouTube Tutorial. It shows just how easy a podcast can be created. 

References

Gray, C. (Producer). (2013, March 7). Podcasting in education: how a podcast can benefit your teaching. In The PodCast Host  [Video podcast]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/nLnjWDS9nKw

Putman, S. M., & Kingsley, T. (). The atoms family: using podcasts to enhance the development of science vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 63(2), 100-108. https://doi.org/10.1598/gt.63.2.1

Taylor, D. (Producer). (2015, March 8). Audacity: a complete tutorial guide to Audacity for beginners. In  [Video podcast]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/aCisC3sHneM

Multimedia Interview

I interviewed Robin Meyen, M.S. Ed, CALT-QI, Director of Distance Training for Fundamental Learning Center. Robin works in the teacher training department for the organization where I am currently a Certified Academic Language Therapist. I chose to interview Robin for multiple reasons first being she works with technology and has the master’s degree I am currently working towards. Second, she had great influence on my master’s degree choice. Lastly, I want to work alongside Robin and Tammy her partner in teacher training. FLC is currently in a capital gains project to raise money to build a new school and teacher training is the main focus.

The areas of focus during the interview where:

1.      What types of technology do you use on a daily basis?

2.      How does technology give people the opportunity to take classes otherwise not available to them?

3.      How does technology open opportunities for adults to use discovery learning?

4.      What other technologies would you like to implement into your program if funds where available?

If you are interested in learning more about Fundamental Learning Center or Rolph Literacy Academy you can visit www.funlearn.org

As per the request of Robin my video can be viewed on the classroom canvas message board. https://k-state.instructure.com/courses/82935/discussion_topics/518939 This is a password-protected site username and password are required to view the video.

8 Week Wiki Lesson Plan

Wiki 8 Week Lesson Plan

I do not currently teach adults so these lesson plans where created based on my training as an Alphabetic Phonics Instructor. They are based on multisensory teaching of the Orton-Gillingham Approach using a sequential and systematic approach to teaching reading and spelling. The learning and training objectives of the lessons are informative of children with dyslexia and how systematic and sequential teaching approaches incorporated with multisensory techniques develop reading skills. This class would target anyone working with children from the ages of six to twelve.

The rationale for the wiki within the curriculum is to use a process map to visualize the process of phonological awareness, alphabet, reading practice, handwriting practice, spelling practice, reading comprehension, listening skills and quality lesson planning contribute to teaching the struggling reader to read. I included video links to help in creating the wiki, suggested weekly updates, zoom meetings, included a wiki collaboration process check week four and final team and self-evaluations after completion of the wiki project. A rubric was included for clear grading expectations.

References

Birsh, J. R., & Carreker, S. (2018). Multisensory teaching of basic language skills (4th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paulh Brookes.

Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print Language essentials for teachers (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paulh Brookes.

West, J. A., & West, M. L. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration The power of the read-write web. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 Wikis in Adult Learning

“We shall never know how many adults desire intelligence regarding themselves and the world in which they live until education once more escapes the patterns of conformity.” (Lindeman, 1961, p. 18) Wikis give adult education the ability to create learning communities to share information and experiences. Information is gathered, organized, and created into educational projects. The control of the Wiki can be shared by the administrator to those who are trusted to improve the format of content. Wikis give individuals of common interest the ability to work together to create a form of data continually building and changing. “The powerful function of wiki collaboration is history aspect. Teachers can track the progress of the project and determine the contribution of each participant through history-version list.”  (Zhou & Gong, 2008, p. 2) Theoretical foundations are widely used and supported in wiki projects in adult education such as constructivism for critical thinking, social experiences, multiple perspectives, and encouraging ownership. (Hazari, North, & Moreland, 2009)

“Each adult educator has to define for himself the community he intends to serve and then undertake to assess its educational needs.” (Knowles, 1974, p. 106) The assigning of wikis by adult educators comes with its challenges of forming groups, grading content, and need of the students. The ability to monitor or evaluate the motivation of your group members the instructor must have an evaluation of peers in mind. As an instructor of a wiki assignment, you must be familiar with the function of wikis and have an established rubric.

Wikis are widely becoming used among education leaders, business schools, and higher education studies. The way in education is being approached in the Web 2.0 I believe we will see more and benefit significantly from wikis.

References

Hazari, S., North, A., & Moreland, D. (2009). Investigating the pedagogical value of Wiki technology. Journal of information systems education, 20(2), 187-198.

Knowles, M. S. (1974). The modern practice of adult education andragogy versus pedagogy. New York, NY: Association Press.

Lindeman, E. C. (1961). The meaning of adult education . Norman, OK : Oklahoma Research Center for Continuing Professional and Higher Education.

Zhou, Y., & Gong, C. (2008). Eduwiki: an effective teachers’ knowledge management platform  [4th International Conference on Wireless Communications ]. Networking and Mobile Computing , 1-4.

Blogging for Adult Learners

Today’s technology learning resources such as blogs, wikis and, podcasts aid in the change from the classroom setting to a digital community learning style. “As new technologies emerge, educators seek guidance on how to use these technologies to enhance teaching and learning and build a sense of community.” (Martha, 2009, p. 48) As stated by Blelacyz & Collins learning communities gives an individual the ability to support individual knowledge while interacting with others to advance collective knowledge. (Martha, 2009) Blogs are a way of interacting to expose one’s personal traits. “Significantly, rather than alienate a readership by exposing one’s personal traits and idiosyncrasies, this adds to the very popularity of a blog.” (Williams & Jacobs, 2004, p. 234) Blogs can be used as a resource of categorizing material in a contextual setting of information of links. Blogs are becoming popular within the business industry increasing pressures on college graduates to becoming familiar with such technologies. (Kaplan, Piskin, & Bol, 2009) Common threads among blogging and adult education are experimental learning, educational use of blogging, and academic literature on blogging.  Consistent research among journals of different vocations indicates that blogging is well accepted and encouraged.

            We have generations of technology-savvy students who are lacking in communication skills, ability to critically think and cognitive skills. Growing up in front of the television and electronic devices has hindered these abilities we need to adapt and incorporate back into education. (Kaplan et al., 2009) Riper states text messaging and instant messaging is the preferred communication over face-to-face for Generation Y. The use of these mediums is done while using shortcuts which can weaken written and oral communication skills. (Kaplan et al., 2009) Blogging can bring a certain threat to the journalist profession and cause some animosity about amateur capabilities. (Williams & Jacobs, 2004)

            In conclusion I feel blogging is an advantage to adult education. It brings a community environment while incorporating critical thinking but maintaining one’s individuality. Blogging does bring the challenge of written and oral communication skills that may require one to improve learning in the area of grammar, syntax, and spelling. Overall the pros outweigh the cons and even make you a stronger student. 

                                                                    References

Kaplan, M. D., Piskin, B., & Bol, B. (2009). Educational blogging Integrating technology into marketing experience. Journal of Marketing Education. Retrieved from http://jmd.sagepub.com

Martha, S. M. (2009, January/February). Instructional-design theory to guide the creation of online learning communities for adults. TechTrends, 53(1), 48-56. Retrieved from http://online-educator.pbworks.com

Williams, J. B., & Jacobs, J. (2004). Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology , 20(2), 232-247. Retrieved from https://eprints.qut.edu.au