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 I checked out Adrian Bruce's class podcast "Ace Kids" from Australia. I loved it, you could see skills being developed as you listened to the first podcast to their last creation. They had a news show format and took opportunities to describe their town and the types of activities they like do as well as share other class work like their poetry. They've connected with a class in Mississippi and had included a 'shout out' to them, wishing them the best having not heard from them since a Hurricane had hit Mississippi. Making those kind of connections makes the world so much smaller and brings people closer together. What a great way to learn about another country or culture rather than just reading from a text! Can't wait to try it myself!

I checked out a few of the podcasts. The one I liked the most was Mrs. Gamache's Kinderplayers. I thought she was very creative in using the podcast with a video to display the work the class had been doing. You can tell by the enthusiasm in the kid's voices, they enjoyed it too! As number 10 in the article states, "Podcasting can be fun!" I also like the idea of podcasting because it adds an extra level of security by only broadcasting the student's voices. Parents might be concerned about having their children's faces broadcast over a school or class website. This alleviates some of those concerns, although getting permission first is always the preferred practice. For the students, those on the "shy" side might be more comfortable with voice only. I also checked out the podcast for teachers site. Although it is boring, compared to the student's sight, I think it can be a valuale tool in the future when you want some ideas or for updated information on podcasting. I listened to the cast on Facebook since I've gotten dozens of request recently (although I haven't really done anything with them!). The point is, this is the way of the future and if we want to really connect with our students, we have to be able to speak their language. And their language is technology.

I checked out a few of the links. As many have said, I liked Mrs. Gamache's Kinderplayers. I also enjoyed looking at Bob Sprankle's class. They covered a varitey of topics and you could tell they put in a lot of work with their "shows". One of the shows outlined the history of their town, some local weather, and a bunch of other topics. They also give a bunch of directions to links they are interested in as well as links that they have created as well such as their class website and other things. It definately sparked ideas about making different type of shows with your classroom. You could do almost anything...talk shows, interviews, weather, news... I can really see the possibilities and also feel more confident that it is possible to apply these types of things in classrooms.

I loved Mr. B's blog from Australia! His students are excited to be involved. They are able to communicate with other students across the globe, which is great. They are able to experience how big and diverse the world is!

After reading Mark Gura, it is very true we have come a long way from early Stone Age of communication to the technology of the present day. For example someone like myself can learned better by visual. I've believed so does many other adult and children. With technology such as podcast, blog, and wiki incorporating in the teaching field it will makes learning and teaching much more exciting and enjoyable for everyone.