Podcasting and Music on the Web

A podcast is an audio file that can be played in MP3 format. This means that is can be played on a computer, mobile phone, mp3 devices (such as I Pods) ect. To understand exactly what a podcast and how they work a program called I Tunes can be downloaded of the Internet (Apple, 2009). You should be aware when downloading this program to your computer to adjust the option to sort files, it will move and arrange them for you and make it a little daunting not knowing where everything has moved to. Using I Tunes as a RSS Aggregator you can download and share Podcasts with the rest of the world.

Podcasts can have many uses in the classrooms. Children can enjoy the experience of making their own Podcasts and sharing them with others. Teachers can use them as a tool to provide revision material or new material (Department of Education and Training, 2009). Using voice recording, adding music and making music could be incorporated into valuable learning experiences. Students need to be made aware of music copyright laws when using making and using Podcasts. Perhaps as a lesson the teacher could design an experience where the students create a podcast about copyright laws.

There are many websites available to download music on the Internet. This has caused much animosity between producers, artist and consumers over the last decade. Australia has clear laws about the copying, resale and use of other peoples creations (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005). However, there is some great websites that offer copyright and royalty free music, not to mention software packages available with editing equipment have similar qualities.

Professor Ron Oliver, a prominent researcher of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) learning, discusses his learning design as a framework that supports students learning. Oliver's key element to his learning design are; tasks that learners are required to do, resources that support learners to conduct the task and support mechanisms that exist from a teacher implementing it (Oliver, 2003). Using this framework to design learning experiences and incorporating Podcasts can offer students valuable learning experience. To illustrate a brief overview;

• Learners will be required to create a news report (Podcast) about recycling in Australia.
• Resources such as educational Podcasts that can accessed. For example, ABC Radio National, ABC Edpod and CSIROpod.
• The teacher can use explicit teaching to elaborate and demonstrate to the student what is required. Showing them how to use equipment correctly and extending their knowledge and learning.
  

Reference List

Apple. 2009. I Tunes the entertainment capital of your world. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Commonwealth of Australia. 2005. Copyright law in Australia. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/rwpattach.nsf/VAP/(CFD7369FCAE9B8F32F341DBE097801FF)~Copyright+Law+in+Australia+-+A+Short+Guide+-+June+2005.pdf/$file/Copyright+Law+in+Australia+-+A+Short+Guide+-+June+2005.pdf

Oliver, R. 2003. Learning Design. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

Department of Education and Training. 2009. Podcasts in the classroom. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/podcasts/