After completing our live broadcast I had planned to attend the Teachers Teaching Teachers broadcast via EdTechTalks, but due to a slight misunderstanding (pregnancy brain) I didn't catch the program. In my head I was sure the broadcast was scheduled to start at 8pm, so I logged on with my account only to watch 15 minutes of a 30 second loop of technical difficulties.... Later I discovered that the broadcast was scheduled to start at 9pm. Ooops!
Luckily, I've attended many live broadcasts throughout the years, and have genuinely enjoyed all of them. As part of this degree program I have participated in three live broadcasts or conversations, and the other broadcasts were hosted by Discovery Education.
For the purpose of this blog post I'll focus on the most recent live broadcast I attended which was Discovery's Fall Virtual Conference: Tech or Treat. This broadcast is one of two annual broadcasts (Fall and Spring) that lasts for 6 hours on a Saturday. Discovery always puts together a great group to share ideas, tools, and products for teachers to use in the classroom. It was actually one of these broadcasts that introduced me to the Instructional Media degree program. :)
Time to address the questions:
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the show format?
The strengths of this type of broadcast are numerous! The program used to broadcast is called WebEx, and it allows users to share their desktop screens, videos, multimedia projects, audio, and interact via chat messages. Being able to share images and video helps participants get a true picture of what is being discussed. The chat aspect allows participants to ask questions and interact with others that are learning. This discussion is always helpful as more ideas can be shared and explored while the presentation is taking place. In addition, live broadcasts allow users from all over the globe to attend a conference, and that's pretty darn awesome.
The weaknesses of this format are the same with any type of presentation: technology. Sometimes the technology isn't always reliable. Sometimes users have incompatible versions of software, or lack necessary programs or equipment. This difficultly can be frustrating for many, and especially those who are not techie to begin with. Patience is a necessary component in using these broadcasts, usually the problems can be resolved with patience and a level head.
Would you participate in future shows of this nature?
Of course!! I love to learn, and these types of broadcasts about technology are both interesting and informative!
How could this type of webcast be incorporated into the classroom? And what would you use it for with students?
Teachers can use this medium in order to assess students' mastery of a standard or topic. Students could use live broadcasts to share opinions of a book or concept, and broadcasts could be saved, viewed and reviewed by others for critiques. This could also be used for a public speaking course, classroom "television" broadcast, or drama/acting.
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