CountyPodcastProgress

=**Internal Multimedia and Podcasting Distribution Methods**=


 * VISION:** Embrace/authorize two podcasting solutions for use in the Baltimore County Public School system.
 * INITIATIVE:** OIT will present a solution to Tech Liaisons at the August 28th kick-off meeting. //This did not happen--it is presumably still under development/negotiation.//

**SOLUTIONS**
1. **Administrator Solution** (content generation and broadcast capabilities) for school-home communication of things like 2. **Classroom Solution** (content generation and use within and out of system) for things like
 * morning announcements
 * sporting events
 * band concerts, etc.
 * homework and assignment broadcasts
 * "how to" remediation lectures
 * classroom news
 * student-generated content

**Tools Under Consideration**
> + //easy to use > + phone in conference > -// "garageband.com"--streaming media--gets blocked > //**NOTE**: As an// **Administrator** //(content creation and broadcast only for home-school communication) solution, this would be an acceptible limitation.// > - pricing unclear for district-level solution (//Mike Fort will investigate)// > representative uses of VoiceThread for education: [|reflection/story related to visual], [|picturebook], [|guided lecture,] [|book reviews and discussions], [|lab reports], [|guided remediation (example: citing digital sources)], [|group study (collaboration on math assignment)] > - inappropriate ads > - lack of control over changes to site > - Websense filtering workaround required > - protection of student privacy and "digital footprint" > - not //really// podcasting > + for elementary schools on August 20th, //this may be a temporary solution// > + existing investment of hardware and software > + support by Office of LIS > - lack of CreationStation training and availability in all schools > - out of system access not possible //at this time//
 * 1) ** Gcast **
 * 1) **VoiceThread** or **Ed.VoiceThread** **for teacher use**
 * 1) **General Concerns for Third-Party Hosting**
 * 1) **Internal Hosting**
 * 1) **Safari**
 * 1) **Additional Solutions which need exploration**
 * **ISTE -** Ryan Imbriale has agreed to use his contacts with ISTE to see if there are any non-profit Podcasting hosts that are ad-free that may be uses by BCPS staff.
 * **Other MSPS Technology Leaders -** Thea Jones is going to reach out to see how they are handling external Podcast hosting
 * **Safari:** Jim Holden will follow-up to see if they may have a solution that can be used.

Areas of Consideration / Concern
> //NOTE: Over $15,000 requires solution to go through Purchasing Bid process.//
 * Pricing**
 * school-sponsored not equitable for county-wide solution
 * "pay-as-you-go" could be risky for a long-term investment
 * //Redirect:// Is our assumption that a paid solution is not feasible too limiting?
 * staff development plan (//which office(s) will provide funding and resources)//
 * scholarship--might OIT or another office sponsor 2-3 classrooms per school, similar to software licensing?

> Example: Safari Live! Videoconferencing sessions: require Office of LIS to setup session, and email link (//requires teacher/administrator pre-planning)//
 * Who gets access, when?**
 * names of other BCPS employees
 * David may be sending that have an interest in Pod/Vodcasting one computer per classroom
 * Who manages access?


 * Bandwidth**
 * **evaluate for each solution:** (total time) / (total file size) * (# of simultaneous users) = **_?_ kbps**
 * any proposed solution must be thoroughly justified...//bandwidth __already__ at capacity!//

Documentation Supporting Instructional Validity
> 2c** - Teachers customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. > //Podcasts target students with various learning styles, according to// [|Felder and Soloman's descriptions]//. Specifically, **VoiceThread** targets both **visual** and **verbal** dissemination of content. **G-cast** primarily aligns with **verbal** learners; however, embedded into a multimedia-rich class website, it could supplement existing **visual** information, providing needed support for students who struggle decoding long blocks of text. As such, podcasting might serve as a valuable **accommodation for 504/IEP students** who may not have access to screen-reading software at home.// > **3c** - Teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. > //Podcasting is certainly a unique digital-age media which is not currently supported in a usable format for teachers and students by exisiting BCPS hardware, software, and networking solutions.// > **5a** - Teachers participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning. > //Many professional organizations provide podcasts as a way to communicate with their local and global network of professionals. Consider, as an example, the International Society for Technology in Education (**ISTE**)'s [|CASTS], the National Council of Teachers of English (**NCTE**)'s [|Podcasts and Videos], or any of the other resources listed on the [|Education Podcast Network]. If made available to teachers inside of the Baltimore County Public Schools network, many of these **professional** **development** podcasts could be used within teachers' planning periods.// > **1a** and **1b** - Students apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes, and students create original works as a means of personal or group expression. > **2a** and **2b** - Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media, and students communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. > //Writing a great argument and having it published in the Student (or even local!) Newspaper just isn't good enough for 21st Century learners. Students need to have the option of recording a reading of their argument, and making it available to their peers, and the world. Podcasting also provides a way for outside experts to "guest lecture," without the complications of scheduling a visit.// > **6d** - Students transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies. > //There are so many 20th Century technologies with which students and their [|digital native] parents are familiar, that were not previously available to be modeled in the classroom due to prohibitive production costs. It was previously impractical, for example, for each school to host its own radio station. Now that podcasting through the web is a reality, every school, every class, every student can create and broadcast audio.// > 893.508.9B Technology and the New Science of Learning > Instructors: Dr. John Castellani, Beth Poss > > **Required Reading:** Richardson, W. (2006). [|Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web 2.0 tools for classrooms]//.// Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. > > "As with most other technologies, it's not hard to see how podcasts might make inroads in schools. One way to get the flow of education-related podcasting is to visit the Education Podcast Network (http://epnweb.org/) ...Not only is there a growing director of educators who are doing personal podcasts, there are links to suggested classroom uses broken down both by grade level and subject" (pg. 115). > > "Podcasting doesn't have to be just edu-radio... **World language** teachers could record and publish daily practice lessons that students could listen to at home... **Social Studies** teachers could have their students do oral histories or interviews or reenactments of historical events. **Science** teachers could have students narrate labs or dissections or experiments to record their processes. **Music** teachers could record weekly recitals or special events as podcasts. **All teachers** could record important parts of what they do in the classroom that can then be archived to the class [website] and used by students who may have missed the class or just want a refresher on what happened" (pgs. 117-188). > 893.508.9B Technology and the New Science of Learning > Instructors: Dr. John Castellani, Beth Poss > > **Assignment:** Students must prepare to demonstrate how models of teaching and learning can be integrated with existing or new technologies. > 1. Each student will be responsible for developing one ISTE standard in the electronic portfolio. > 2. Each student will identify one standard from ISTE, write an interpretation of that standard > 3. develop an appropriate artifact (our lesson or a Blog) > 4. complete the artifact, > 5. link the artifact to your portfolio and on Blackboard, > 6. explain the link to the identified standard, and present online before the last night of class > > **Sample Assignment:** [|Jumping off the 'text': Connections to ideas in IB Psychology] > > **Interpretation of Standard** > Just what qualifies as a “digital-age learning experience,” may be more complicated than it first appears to a diligent teachers attempting to meet ISTE NETS for teachers. Consider, for a moment, what Karl Fisch (2007) noted in his fascinating //Did you know 2.0// presentation: “it is estimated that 1.5 exabtyes (1.5x1018) of unique information will be generated worldwide this year.” Even if only a small portion of that information relates to new learning experiences, the number of possible resources teachers can utilize in their lesson plans is beyond the scope of a lifetime of investigation, much less a single school year or assignment. > English literature teachers are familiar with the conundrum of this standard. Similar to the way teachers much select from the entire literary canon only a few texts, teachers looking to create valid digital-age learning experiences should select a few examples of each type of tool for students to examine. Just like in selecting literature, where works with similar themes or techniques can be grouped together to reinforce understanding, teachers should select complimentary tools to achieve broader understandings, and congruous ones to suit students of diverse learning styles to achieve a more narrow objective. > > **Assignment Rationale** > ...Writing essays can become extremely monotonous, especially if done throughout the entire year. As another way of examining the ideas in the course, besides writing essays, students will be encouraged to create Web 2.0 presentations using tools such as Sketchcast, VoiceThread, and Slideshare. Because their finished products can be easily posted to the class wiki, and are simpler for their classmates to share, I’m hoping that their creativity will serve both to reinforce concepts and to inspire each other to consider the narrower perspectives of the IB psychology course in the broad context of their world, something integral to the IB experience. > The wiki is meant to be a year-long project for the class; however, the Jumping off the Text presentations are a small component meant to encourage students to use the wiki, and to synthesize the information gathered in the wiki.
 * 1) **ISTE NETS for Teachers
 * 1) **ISTE NETS for Students**
 * 1) **BCPS OIT / Johns Hopkins University Cohort Course**
 * 1) **BCPS OIT / Johns Hopkins University Cohort Course**