Assignment #4 Part 1

I am really excited about this technology project. There are so many possibilities as far as technology goes for the classroom, which made it extremely difficult for me to decide on what I wanted to use. However, I think I came to a decision. I want to create the following…

A website that is lively and interactive. It will contain a calendar for the class, the main overarching ideas we will be discovering, a list of books that relate to those ideas, ideas for research projects, etc. I think I might even create a list of popular books among teenagers, as well as a list of books that are popular for each genre.
I would also like to create a podcast. I am not quite sure what it will say, but will probably have to do with what we are studying at the time. I will change the podcast with each unit of study.

I do not know how to create either a website or a podcast. It will be exciting to learn. In addition, I really feel like these are two practical things I could actually use within a class. They are fun, visual, auditory, and give clarification to the students. A website will be able to convey information to students in a way a handout never could. They can access a multitude of material in a couple clicks of a button, while seeing visually alluring layouts and designs. At least I hope they will be alluring. A podcast, on the other hand, can be downloaded to their iPods or iPhones with little effort. It can allow them to listen to the message at hand rather than just read it. This is almost second nature to students now.