Prompt #8

Issue #3 Podcasting

   It's a big "NO" to podcasts for me. I agree with the idea that podcasts limit the amount of students a teacher can reach. Students who aren't audio learners struggle with podcasts. Podcasts that are introducing new material, like the pro-podcasts stance had suggested, are particularly tricky. These podcasts often aren't going to have notes or homework assignments that a student could refer to if they're having trouble, nor can they stop and ask questions. Podcasts form a difficult medium for students to find supplementary material to aid them. There's no graphs, no written out examples of technical jargon, and only a part of their teacher for reference.
   After all, isn't that what a podcast is? It's like a small sound bite taken from an interview with a teacher. When we communicate, only part of communication is verbal, the rest comes from body language and interaction. A teacher essentially risks turning themselves into a textbook reading when they use podcasts. For a podcast to be used effectively, a teacher would have to be an excellent speaker and truly know their audience and material.
  When podcasting a teacher will need to be sure to speak in a way that will captivate and make up for the lack of body language. They also need to be completely certain that the microphone and system they're using doesn't produce annoying feedback sounds. Simultaneously, the teacher must be anticipating what kind of struggles and questions the students will have while recalling from prior knowledge what challenges the material naturally gives. All of these potential problems just lead to the simple fact that teachers are human.
   A teacher can't always anticipate what parts of a subject each new generation of students will struggle with. They might not have access to quality technology or know how to use it. Similarly, not every teacher is a fantastic speaker. Some have teaching styles that are better suited to live demonstrations or student-lead discussion. Just as every student has a different style of learning, every teacher has a different style of teaching. This leads me to say that while podcasts might occasionally be successfully used as supplementary materials, they are not the main teaching tool of the future.