Chapter eight explores the area of audios and videos that are published to the web, most of which are amateur, home-made productions, and can be shared with an almost infinite number of people. Because video cameras are found in almost all technology, people have the ability to record events and other people almost anywhere, under almost any circumstances. This can potentially invade the privacy of all of us - an issue that I expect will be settled in the courts at some point in the future.
One of these capabilities is podcasting, which is how non-professional audio is broadcast to the masses. Another is video publishing, the most popular being YouTube. Another technique, that allows you to add audio to what's being seen on your computer, is called screencasting. Finally, live streaming TV provides a live audio-video account so that anyone not able to be present at the event can watch it from their home computer or cell phone.
How can these be helpful in education? Well, certainly videos have been posted on YouTube that give detailed explanations of content taught in school. This can be a boon for students who need a second look, or who may have been absent. Live streaming TV can bring more viewers into the audience, thus allowing a parent or relative to view what he would have otherwise missed. As a teacher, I'm not sure that I would have the time myself to get involved in the creation of any of these, but I can readily see that they could augment classroom learning, and I believe that they already do.
I agree that it is difficult with time constraints and all the content that we are expected to cover as teachers to always do this,and as we become more familair with new technology it will also become easier for us. I'm not sure how EASY it will ever become for me having been teaching for 35 years.
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