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Jul 22 2007, 7:21 PM EDT (current) lawtona 221 words added
Jul 22 2007, 7:21 PM EDT lawtona

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Some concerns and difficulties, albeit manageable ones, with regards to podcasting in the classroom are web safety, ethical publishing and technical problems. With regards to the technical challenges, Lydia Lum describes how her students find that ambient sounds are picked up easily during recording. Noises including the scraping of chairs, coughing and even air-conditioning are problematic. (Lum p. 34) One way to reduce these noises while recording in a noisy classroom is to purchase a few high-quality USB microphone headsets. In an elementary school, it is not always possible to send students out to find a quiet room to record in. In order to ensure that the process is beneficial and to secure a quality final product, students need specific lessons on how to storyboard, or script and revise. Unless the time is taken to teach them these skills, technical problems could mar presentation. Teachers also need to invest a reasonable amount of time reviewing web safety issues with students before they publish webcasts or even audio-only podcasts. There are ways to teach safety without causing alarm and without stifling creativity with endless rules. Finally, as with blogging, there is potential for cyber bullying while podcasting. A class discussion, perhaps during a class meeting, is necessary to review expectations. All student podcasts should be viewed attentively by a teacher before publication.