WBGH Podcast

Well, my video podcast I watched was probably not the best for me...but it was probably one of the most useful. It was called Backyard Bugs. And no...I don't think I will ever jump at the chance to watch it again just because of the fact that the pictures of the bugs, especially spiders, were very close and I do NOT like bugs. The whole point of the video though, was to not only teach kids a little about all the different types of bugs we have out there and a little about their habitats, but also how to be safe around them. I think it is good for the simple fact that I don't think a lot of kids, especially city, would ever have the chance to not only learn about all the different types of insects we have, but how to behave safely around them. Plus, because of podcast like these, we can show kids a different side of life that they may otherwise never get to see.


The main thing I liked about this web-site, FULL of podcast by the way for every subject there is, is that it does not provide a video and then leave the teaching part up to you. In my classroom management class we have learned that you are suppose to give the kids a brief outline of what they are suppose to be looking for in a video before you ever even hit play. This is suppose to help them pay attention better and not get side tracked. Something about having heard what they need to be looking for and then hearing it during the video is suppose to spark their attention again and help them retain the information better. This site, under Teacher's Domain section has the objectives or subjects available for you to click on by grade, and then when the video comes up for you to click on to watch it, it also gives you some help for what you need to tell the kids to look for, and then some questions you can go over with them so that they are repeating the information back to you in a way that should let you know they understood what they watched.

This video is not only available to use in a science lesson, but it tells you that this is also a good one to use in language arts. The fact that they are doing this is a big plus in my opinion; they are teaching two subjects with one video. With the limited amount of time teachers are finding available to them, this is a GREAT thing! It is taking the time to "double up!" The language arts portion comes in with the descriptive words being used to discuss the insects. You can have your children listen out for the words to concentrate on that area, or you could have them really trying to pay attention to the habitats of the insects for the science aspect of the video. Either way you go, the children are getting some of both subjects at once. Again, what a great way to use your time wisely. This is going to be the biggest lesson I took away from this assignment...Learn how to kill as many birds with one stone as possible.

Something else I saw that was extremely helpful was that with the videos, not only do they have a short outline of kind of what to ask before, after and during the video to help the kids get the information you expect them to retrieve from it, is that there are also lesson plans to the side for them to continue the lesson with. With this one, the students can draw their own bug and fill it with descriptive words to help explain their insect. Again, they are learning skills they will need in life, along with having fun. In my opinion, having a fun idea planned to follow up with the lesson or video is a great way to have the children put their skills to use. This will help instill the knowledge they need better than just repeating a few words back to you and moving on to something else.

Along with giving you the activity, they also give you several handouts to use as well along with detailed instruction from how long to a lot for each activity, to the instructions you should give to the children. It tells you in depth exactly what skills the activities are going to improve for the students. I know I have said this on so many other sites we have been assigned before, but I really think THIS ONE is the best. Especially for all of us who will be going into the teaching field brand new. This site is wonderful in that it is providing us the information and knowledge that it has taken other teachers years and years to acquire.... All right here waiting for us to use it. All you have to do is log in, click and print. IT IS GIVING YOU YOUR LESSON PLANS. Not only am I going to use this in my classroom, but I guarantee you that this site is going to help me get through my education courses I will be taking. A lot of our assignments in our classes want us to find fun things to do with the children that will teach them as well....it is all right here. Also, when we start student teaching, we will have days that we are told to go and find things to do with the children for certain subjects for the next day, etc. This one site can take all of the stress and worry off of us when that time comes! I encourage EVERYBODY to use this site, just as I will, to help us out!