Podcasting

www.apple.com/education/digitalauthoring/podcastin.html


Podcasts are video or audio files that are automatically delivered over a network and then played back on an ipod, Mac, or PC. You can subscribe to them or download them.
In the education world they can be used in projects by the students and teachers. If the student is absent they can get the lesson via a podcast. Teachers can deliver content to students, information to and from administration, distribute homework, and even create lessons. A narravtive of a book can be recorded and listened to while reading along or just by itself if the book(s) is unavailable. Parents can even get in on the act by downloading podcasts to keep them informed of class activities, assignments, or any other bit of information.
While all this technology is good, efficient and amazing the downside is always the lost human touch. If we get used to hearing a narrative of lessons, or books, what will happen to the reading and writing skills? Writing the traditional letter is almost a lost art.