Commentary: Sotir: Syncing Technology Effectively

An instructor stopped into my office this morning to borrow a digicamcorder, and said she was having some problems with the video output of the CDs that she burns for her students. Students record their speeches using a digicamcorder, and then she reviews them and adds comments. While she has a clean recording (using Windows Movie Maker) at home, there are clicks and pauses when it is played back on other computers. I suggested that she look to the Web as a better tool and upload the videos to a site such as Teacher Tube (www.teachertube.com). There is a new video on Teacher Tube discussing just that subject:

TeacherTube Tips: Creating and Uploading Reliably! (http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=385758d31890a4bca996)

Here is the Teacher Tube intro:
Having trouble uploading to TeacherTube? I do. But I found a couple of things that make both creating and uploading far more dependable.
- Using Windows MovieMaker, choosing the right settings to save your movie will make it much more likely to upload smoothly to TeacherTube.
- Long uploads tend to timeout on TeacherTube. But logging in in another tab of the browser keeps you logged in to finish your upload!

For her purposes, I suggested she create a class Blog to allow students to easily view the finished portfolios as a group.

Another option, if video is not always necessary, is to use a simple podcasting site like Gabcast (www.gabcast.com). This will give the students an opportunity to listen to and review their pronunciation and only requires a telephone and a computer. It's quick, easy and effective.

The advantage of both of these methods is that students would have access to the speeches on the Web, instead of via a CD or DVD. It's great that instructors are moving more into 2.0 but the key is syncing all of the technologies used effectively. There are new Web tools being developed daily, and if older technologies are proving problematic, it pays to search for more effective solutions. I'll keep adding the to list this on the 'Tech Tools Recommended' listing in the right hand column of this Blog.

CESOL: Computers for English and Speakers of Other Languages

http://tech.worlded.org/docs/cesol/index.htm

update 11.5.07: American TESOL Institute launches two Websites http://www.tesolabroad.com/ and http://www.tesol-jobs.com/ .

The Computers and English for Speakers of Other Languages website is for teachers who are interested in integrating technology into primarily the adult ESOL/ ESL/EFL classroom. We are advocating a computer-mediated approach that includes but is not limited to:

* teaching computers to ESOL / ESL / EFL students in a way that integrates technology into the curriculum; *using computer technology as a tool for improving teaching English language learning;
*developing project-based, cooperative use of computers and the Internet;
*utilizing software appropriately in the computer-assisted language learning (CALL) lab.

Note: Although there is some links to topics related to distance learning, there are many other sites that cover this topic in greater detail. Do, however, see the new articles on Podcasting.

This is packed with good information and lesson plans and is geared for adult ESL in particular. Very useful.

Podomatic: World News for ESL Learners

http://esl.podomatic.com/ World News for ESL Learners


World News in Slow and Clear EnglishFor English as a Second Language (ESL) listeners.The English is spoken very clearly at about 80% the speed of regular news announcers.

Contact Info
podMail: esl@podomatic.com
Can also be used to find and create podcasts. Excellent for early listening levels.

Gabcast: Audio Podcasting

As you know, I am always looking for new and easy ways to do the things we want to do. Here's a method of creating an audio podcast using only a phone. This is the Gabcast address: (http://www.gabcast.com/) To hear my first Gabcast (and don't I feel like calling Watson...), click on the underlined phrase "Using Podcasts #2, Using Gabcast" that is above the Gabcast icon located in the right hand column of this Blog. It will take you to my channel. Click on the 'PLAY' button to hear my podcast.

Obviously I need practice, but the process was simple. I called in to the 800 number from my office phone, gave them my channel number and password, and then read my script. When I was done, I could listen to it and accept or change it. Then I hit the # sign to upload. I then went to the Gabcast page and found the code to add the script I read to this Blog, copied it to my 'Add a Page Element' and I was done. Here are the steps involved:

Creating Gabcast episodes
Recording your own Gabcast episodes is a breeze!
Signup & Login
signup and login to the website (it's FREE!)
Create a channel
visit your My Account page and create a new channel
Use a phone
call one of the Gabcast access numbers listed on the right side of this page
Record
start gabbing - tell the world what's on your mind!
Publish
publish your recording, either via the phone, or via your My Account page
Tag
tag your episode to make it easier to recognize and to make it searchable!
That's it!
subscribers to your channel will be notified via this website, iTunes, web portals, rss clients, and email

The Gabcasts are saved into an MP3 format, which can easily be inserted into a PowerPoint if you want. Kristy suggested this would be great for dictations for students to listen to and transcribe. Since the only equipment you need to create it is a phone (and a script), it should be simple to use. I'd like to have several of you try it out and let me know the results. Try both a college phone (land line) and possibly a cell phone to see the differences in audio quality. I'd also like your ideas on how this could be used. Effective podcasts are usually quite short and have a narrow topic.

Email the Gabcast channel and password to me so I can check it out as well. Sign up before using, but there is no fee. You will need to create a channel account before you begin your first Gabcast. When you have, you will get a screen such as the one below, which will give you the channel number, password (must be numeric), meeting password (if you want a conference channel) and then you can tag it to help with searching. This Web site also supports a link to add to a new or existing Blog (yes!) :

JSotir's channels
Create a new channel Manage your channels and episodes
(don't forget the importance of tagging your episodes)
channel number: 13724
channel password: 32256
meeting password: 312
channel type: Free space usage: 0 MB
Using Podcasts
Describing the process of creating audio podcasts using Gabcast Education / Higher Education http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com/
manage episodes edit channel delete channel

Commentary: Sotir: Podcasts

The one constant about technology is that it is always changing. One of the newer tools is podcasting. Sure, it's been around for a while, but nonetheless, academia is now getting on board in a big way. So what is a podcast? According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio or video programs, over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. The term gained wide popularity as a portmanteau of iPod and broadcasting, but was seen before that as an acronym for "portable on demand". The term podcast, like 'radio', can mean both the content and the method of delivery. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading feeds like RSS or Atom.

So what does that mean, especially to educators? It means the availability of on-demand video on your computer, web-enabled cell phone and Bluetooth technology, iPod or other MP3 players etc. MP3's and iPods are among the hottest tools for teenagers (and adults), and, in an average 2 minute period 2,100 new cell phones are added across the world. The newest cell phones can do video, text, music (many are MP3's too) and have browsers that can rival many computers. This ain't your grandparent's telephone...and they are used all day, every day.

To access, you view and subscribe to a series of podcasts using RSS or Atom feeds. These can be lecture notes made with PowerPoint or Keynote, video science experiments, seminars, conference information, orientation information and basically, anything your mind can create as a video. You can use programs such as Garage Band (Apple) or Quick Time to add things such as music or audio cues and data, animations, PDF files (for adding worksheets etc. to the podcast) and of course, videos. You can have a conversation with people who are in different places, and have the information presented through the podcast. Other high end programs such as Final Cut can bring multidimension tools to easily create the podcast itself. Photos? Sure, as well as diagrams, drawings and other printable resources can be added to the final product. Museums are using them to do the exhibit tours formerly done on audio tapes. It's as easy as plugging in a firewire or USB connection for simple transfer of data between the computer and the mp3 player. However, you need video capabilites like those on an iPod to store video. This could really revolutionize the presentation of 'What I did on my summer vacation.'

Since 80% of learners are auditory learners, this is a great tool for motivating students, and having it on a platform that most students have readily available is also a plus. For Adult Ed students, the concept of listening/practice and repetition is tailor made to this medium. Imagine ESL instructors creating specialized vocabulary lists. Duke University gives free iPods to each of their incoming freshman students so they can see how they will be used for coursework and lectures. Students given the lecture notes in the classroom ahead of the lecture can change the entire dynamic of the lecture: less time spent note-taking and more time spent interacting with the lecturer. Some colleges and universities are even giving i-Pods to parents with a pre-programmed orientation to the campus and other vital information. The beauty is that the podcasts can be updated quickly, so getting new information to those students or their parents is relatively easy.

I see this as a great tool for keeping boards and committees on track, and for students to access data with or without computer access. There are over 3500 free educational podcasts available, but the cost for subscribing to a podcast series is relatively inexpensive. Creating the podcast is simple. Write a script, create video/audio/pdf etc. content, publish the content to a webserver and make an RSS/Atom file to provide subscription to the podcast series. The application programs range in price from free to a few hundred dollars, depending on how sophisticated you need (or want) to be. Check out the following sites for more information and ideas:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/?engine=yahoosearchsubmit iTunes from Apple
http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ Yahoo podcast listing from across the Web, where you can find, listen and publish podcasts
http://www.podcast.net/ A directory of podcasts available on the Internet
http://www.podcastpickle.com/ Podcast and Vidcast community. Daily picks, forum, and Top 100. (Requires a free sign-up).
http://www.podcastalley.com/what_is_a_podcast.php Use Podcast Alley to find all your Podcasts, podcast feeds, podcast ... Pick a Podcast Genre
http://music.aol.com/radioguide/podcasting?sem=1&ncid=AOLRAD00170000000009 AOL's free podcasting site. Check out Podcasting 101.

That should get you started on understanding and using podcasts. Let me know how you are using them, and add new resources to the list. For a good educational program see Robin's suggestion for podcasts for ESL students (posted below).