Week 10- WGBH video podcast

In iTunesU, in the WGBH section there are many video resources for teachers. The section of WGBH we were referred to is called teacher's domain. The description of teacher's domain was as follows: " It is a free digital library featuring media adapted from NOVA, frontline, and other sponsors. The library helps educators enhance their students learning experience and advance their own teaching techniques." I agree with this statement 100%. The quality and quantity of the video podcasts were top notch. These are a great resource for teachers. I just hope that more become available.

For this weeks assignment I viewed 5 video podcasts. I am a science teacher, therefore, I checked out all the science categories. The subject of science was divided into the following groups: Life science, Earth and Space science, Physical science, and Engineering.

Earth and Space Video Podcasts:
The first video podcast that I watched was in the Earth and Space Science section and it was about solar eclipses. I remember teaching about solar eclipses and drawing all the diagrams on the board and doing demos using tennis balls. I wish I would have had access to this short little video clip. It used great diagrams, great examples, great visuals, and it covered the vocabulary associated with a solar eclipse. The video was only 3 minutes long and that its perfect to me because it would be the perfect size to reinforce what was covered in lecture and would help solidify terms and the movement involved during an eclipse. I also watched Earth as a system, observing clouds, and characteristics of the sun. The podcast about the earth was narated by James Earl Jones and I thought that made it interesting because you were listening to a famous person ( and who doesn't like to listen to Darth Vadar talk?), This podcast was more like a documentary and a little more lengthy, but it would still be very useful. The podcast about the sun had all the basic information students need to know about the sun and it put things in a perspective that the students could understand. The terms and definitions were present and easily understood. The observing clouds podcast was very simple. You sit and watch clouds float by and watch them move and change. This podcast would be great for elementary aged students or as a fun introduction to clouds for upper level students.

Life Science Video Podcast:
I watched one video in this section about the frozen frog. It was very interesting and could be used to explain several things. Camouflage was mentioned several times. A teacher could use this frog to start discussions of the topic survival of the fittest, or could use this video to get students thinking or should I say hypothesizing about why the frog freezes and what it accomplishes. Students would love this video because it has green slimy frogs and they freeze and then thaw out and hop away.

I am very excited to use this resource in the classroom. Looking back on my past teaching experience I wish I would have had these then. I can see the possibilities and learning opportunities these podcasts provide. To reach these podcasts you go to iTunes store, then click on iTunesU, then click on featured educational providers, and then click on WGBH.