Blog #4 what is a podcast? How do we use podcasts?

​A podcast is a form of digital media used to stream audio and visual feed to other multiple media devices. It  a way to communicate with another person who is at a different location and still be able to see and hear them. Typically, the pod or camera is set on top of a screen to where the person's upper body is visible. The pod pics up the audio feed so both parties can hear each other. Some computers and other devices have built in cameras.  Podcast are not just for a two way conversations ; multiple people are able to join in. Podcasts are often used for business meetings where employees are in different locations. This way, a meeting can take place with several people present without employees ever having to leave their desks.

​Podcasts can be used in many different ways. The example I gave earlier where podcasts are used for meetings is a great use of podcasts. In the education field, podcast are being used as a teaching tool. For example, the website Langwitches has a blog post about  7th grade students learning to develop a story that will be shared with their entire community. The students' teacher set up a Skype session between the classroom and another teacher named named Christine Weitbrecht, who is a story telling expert, to answer questions from the students and help them with their story line. This Skype session enabled another teacher to help students without her having to travel to the actual classroom. Podcasts are a very useful tool and will hopefully be used in every classroom in the near future.