Video Podcasts

I watched, A Night in the Coral Reef. The podcast video was about life in the coral reef at night. It was a very short video but gave tons of great information. It told about the ecosystem and how thousands of species reside in the reef like a city. It explained how the species protect themselves, feed themselves, and even what and how they eat. The video produced real life images of the reef and its many inhabitants.
I absolutely love the fact that these kinds of videos are able to be accessed from itunes. This is so helpful to the students' education and the teachers' resources for education. I like how the video was short and sweet but it also gave tons of useful information. It also was very interesting because it showed real life scenes from actual life.
I will use these kinds of videos almost daily when I teach. If I am hitting on a certain lesson or topic for example, I could very easily pull up one of these videos and show it to my students. The video was free and easy to access so therefore I could have my students watch these for certain assignments as well. These videos will be of great use to me.

the Edible Schoolyard and A Night in the Global Village

First I will discuss, The Edible Schoolyard. The Edible Schoolyard is an outdoor classroom where children harvest, plan, and even eat what it is they grow. It started out as a way to improve on the school lunch program but has involved into a major teaching tool. The students learn about harvesting, planting, cooking, and agriculture in general. They even learn all of the other subjects as well such as science, social studies, math, history, etc. The students are involved in their education and are able to become engaged. They are able to learn in a hands on and kinesthetic type of learning.

I feel that the edible schoolyard is a fantastic idea. It allows the students to become physical and engaged in all sorts of subjects. It offers a great reward system and sense of pride for the students. They are able to learn while working and in the end they are able to enjoy all of their hard work and gain of knowledge by feasting and cooking what it is they have harvested. I feel as though it is a great educational tool and idea in this day and age.

Now I will discuss, A Night in the Global Village. A Night in the Global Village is a program where children spend one night in the Global Village and focus on poverty and hunger. They learn and become emerged in the lifestyles of those less fortunate who live in poverty and hunger. The Village offers living conditions like that in Guatemala, Thailand, Zambia, as well as, Appalacia, and Refugee Camps. The students are seperated into these groups and must stay the night in these simulated types of areas. They are to speak to no one else in the same language and some are even to pretend that they are pregnant or disabled. The groups are provided with a bucket of resources, but no one is given everything that they need. They have to go to the other "village groups" and bargain for what it is they are lacking. The refugee camps however, are given nothing. The students have to cook their own food and do chores such as cutting and preparing wood for the next group.

I feel as though this program is outstanding. I love this idea. As a teacher it is one thing to teach your students about poverty and hunger and those who experience it on a daily basis. But, it is another thing to be able to have your students actually experience what it would be like to be one of those people. I feel as though EVERYONE should have an opportunity to experience how these people who suffer with hunger and poverty live. I feel that the world would be a better place if everyone was able to actually realize what others go through in their lives.

About iTunes University

Apple states that iTunes U, works for colleges, universities, and any other type of educational organization. Users become able to search or download educational content from iTunes University. This website is available if you click here. The iTunes University can access all of these from basically any type of media technology. There are over 100,000 educational audio files and video files from the Unites States' top universities, museums, and other educational organizations around the world. And that figure is rapidly growing on a daily basis. There is an instructional and educational video that tells about iTunes University and it is available for you if you just click here.

I feel that the iTunes University is a great tool for students and teachers. Basically anything you could want to learn about education wise is available at your fingertips. Pod casts, instructional videos, informational media, etc, all of it is made available to everyone. All you have to do as a teacher or a student is download it. You can even share it with a classroom or any other type of audience.....It is quick, easy, and educational.