Report

Our task was to analyse videos “In the kitchen“, “Hobbies“ and “The Cheese Slicer“. To start with, all these videos are exceptional and innovative. Of course, there are some shortcomings but at least two of these three videos are equal to the task.

IN THE KITCHEN
The educational goal of this video is to present new vocabulary and to widen pupils’ vocabulary involving activities in the kitchen using their visual memory. It is nice to see that they have used different opportunities to refer to new words. In this video are used small arrows and the extra column to point at new words. I would add phonetic symbols and pronunciation. The students should hear the pronunciation too. Then it is easier for them to remember these new words.

The educational purposes are not completely approached. I would use it if I want to teach such kind of new words but I would add phonetic symbols and pronunciation of these words.

The pupils have more passive than active role but it depends on that what the teacher gives them as a while-viewing task. They are passive until they have to solve some kind of exercises.

If you are creative, you can use this video in a lot of phases of learning situations. You can use it to present new words, to practice new words, to revise new words, etc. You just have to think about an extra work and different tasks that are situated with this video.

The technical quality of this educational video is good enough. It is great that even all the smallest details are clear and easily recognisable. Music in the background is not a bad idea but this video still needs some conversation and voice. The music choice for this video was incorrect. First music track did not match the represented situation where family is at home and is preparing to sit around the table to have a meal. Music did not support the spirit of described idyll. There were many disturbing shadows. I could improve that video technically by improving lighting and focusing.
There are any misuses of English. The chosen music is original. There is one song that is more fast-paced and catching and another, which is more slow and warm-hearted. It is more like animation and it seems suitable for the target group of the video. It is good that there is any unsuitable vocabulary.

HOBBIES
The educational goal of this video is to develop vocabulary related to hobbies and a number of different activities. Also, it shows that hobbies can be fun.
The educational purposes are approached. They presented new words; there were also phonetic symbols, pronunciation and example sentences. It is a good idea to use these example sentences and activities on the video but it would be practical to pronounce these sentences too because then there is a meaning for these sentences.

The pupils have passive role when using the video but the worksheet based on the video changes the situation and the pupils will have active role when using the video.

The technical quality of the educational video is good but it can be better. In some episodes, the picture was too dark and picture quality was below average. Seemed like the video was shot with poor camera or a mobile phone. Learning video should be with better quality. In some cases background music and the activity does not fit together. The music itself was good, but I would replace some music with other songs. Some activities should last longer.

THE CHEESE SLICER
Unfortunately, it is not the customary educational video. We tried to think about the educational coals of this video but we cannot see any educational purposes of this video. We have to admit that we did not get the picture! What should the pupils do while watching this video? Is it a silent film?

Our favourite educational video was “Hobbies” because it was eye-catching and exciting to watch. All the new words were correctly presented and the music was alternating.


Maarja Tuul and Meliita Proosa

Õppevideo "Computer parts"

Mailiisi, Maarja ja Kaie videot näeb aadressil:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mailiistammeveski#grid/uploads

Using iPods podcasting to learn English

Introduction

The development of technology permits educators using different kind of gadgets for educational purpose. IPods do have educational uses and many teachers have discovered the possibilities that iPod offers. This article describes how to use podcasting to learn English, what podcasting is and what are the advantages of using podcast.

Uses of podcasting

Youngsters want to learn through hands-on experience, action, interaction, identity in cyberculture and connectivity with the world. Educators have implemented different ideas of social software to afford social learning. Podcasts, blogs and wikis belong to the category of social software (P.P. Panday 2009).

A podcast is series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication (Wikipedia 2007). The word “podcasting” comes from “ a portmanteau” of Apple's 'iPod' and 'broadcasting' and is a method of publishing files to the Internet, enable users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually for free (P.P.Panday 2009).

Creating a podcast you have to follow these steps:

• Thinking about the topic to podcast
• Creating a podcast:
1. Recording podcast episodes (mp3 format)
2. Uploading the podcast episodes on a webpage

• Creating an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed for the podcast
• Subscribing to the podcast
• Listening to the podcast:
1. Downloading the podcast
2. Transferring the podcast to an mp3 player/iPod (P.P.Panday 2009).

Teacher using podcasts

Practice with pronunciation, listening, and speaking are specific ways that foreign language teachers and learners can make use of this technological tool. Podcasting allows teachers to contextualize pronunciation and create meaningful tasks (L. Ducate & L. Lomicka 2009).

To dispread the extra information (such as useful tips, project guidelines, feedback, motivational quotes) that teacher cannot cover in the class can be done by teacher's podcasting. Lectures that are podcasted might prove helpful for slow learners and learners with English as Second Language to apprehend information in their own tempo (P.P.Panday 2009).

Students using podcasts

One of the most valuable tools on the iPod is note taking function (D.L. Vess 2006). Taking complemental notes and re-listening to lectures from the audio recording is reassuring activity to transmit knowledge and learning (S.Scutter, I.Stupans, T.Sawyer & S. King 2010).

Creating podcasts teaches students to do research, to communicate successfully, to speak effectively, and to catch an audience's interest with sound (D. Sparague & C. Pixley 2008).

Students can go to the library with their iPods, look for the demand resources, and then work through assignments or review important materials with their iPods. The voice memo function of the iPod allows students to record oral presentations (D.L. Vess 2006). The students can record an event, their experiences of real-life, interviews, or anything they want to share with others in the classroom (P.P.Panday 2009).

Podcasting gives students opportunities to create and publish for a real audience and facilitate recording and distributing news broadcasts, developing brochures, and providing oral history archiving and on-demand distribution (L. Ducate & L. Lomicka 2009).

Advantages of podcasting in education

When some students are absent, a podcasting gives them chance to review or learn material for the test. Podcasts can be downloaded to any computer or MP3 Player. Also they can be burned to a CD (D. Sparaque & C. Pixley 2008).

Experts show that students who read their work aloud often correct their written errors as they go. Repeated practice in reading papers aloud improves students' abilities to notice mistakes in written text (D.L. Vess 2006)

Podcasting helps students to use different learning strategies. While some students learn most effectively by taking notes, others learn better by active listening (S.Scutter, I.Stupans, T.Sawyer & S. King 2010).

Conclusion

The iPod is playing an important role of the language learning process. It helps students to learn more effectively and helps to organize teacher's work. Soon this “little tool” becomes a part of teacher's or students' school life. 

References

Ducate, L. & Lomicka, L. (2009) Podcasting: An Effective Tool for Honing Language Students' Pronunciation? Language Learning & Technology,Vol. 13-3. Retrieved January 9, 2011, from http://llt.msu.edu/vol13num3/ducatelomicka.pdf

Panday, P. P. (2009) Simplifying Podcasting. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Vol. 20 -2. Retrieved January 9, 2011, from http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE271.pdf

Scutter, S., Stupans, I., Sawyer, T & King, S. (2010) How Do Students Use Podcasts to Support Learning? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 26-2. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet26/scutter.pdf

Sparague, D & Pixley, C. (2008) Podcasts in Education: Let Their Voices Be Heard. Computers in the Schools, Vol. 25 (3-4). Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/717633_751311464_906683598.pdf

Vess, L. D. (2006) History to Go: Why iTeach with iPods. The History Teacher, Vol. 39-4. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30037068?seq=9

Wikipedia (2007) Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting