After reading about podcasting and the various ways it is utilized, I am reminded that ‘everything old is new again’ because podcasting at its simplest emulates radio broadcasts. Even though Podcasts differ from the old radio shows in that they contain urls and video clips; while listening to some episodic podcasts, I think of the radio broadcasts I listened to as a child. To this day I still love to borrow old radio broadcasts from the library.
The stories, comedies, soap operas, and so on were overly dramatic by today’s standards, but were so entertaining. There was an element of mystery that kick started your imagination that is not present in movies plus they were all presented live. Any and all mistakes were included in the broadcasts. And, the weekly shows left everyone eagerly waiting for the next episode.
Here is just one of many websites that has old radio shows on MP3:
http://www.radiolovers.com/
Online classes are a great way for people to continue their education, and features such as podcasting offer online students a chance to hear and relate to both instructors and other classmates. When all learning styles such as aural, oral, visual, and textual are incorporated into online courses, students are able to select whichever style or combination of styles is best suited to their learning needs.
Now, in regards to all things technology, I am barely keeping up, but am keeping up.
I think it helps a lot to be in classes where others are at different skill levels in the various technologies. It seems the ones who are way ahead of others are very gracious about helping those who need help to catch up.
Now I do have a better understanding of how frustrating it can be for the general public when they come into the library and have one technological need or another, and don’t know where to start. And these are the patrons who can get to the library. We still have to figure out how to help the ‘digital divide’ people too.
Hopefully the upcoming funding will be used wisely and not wasted like some of it has been recently. I am a little concerned that people will react too fast causing careful planning to be forgotten.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I really like the last line of your post, "I am a little concerned that people will react too fast causing careful planning to be forgotten." I think this kind of impatience typifies the modern mentality, largely escalated by the proliferation of technology in our lives. If we don't receive a text message back in about a minute we grow anxious, yet people in the old days used to wait months for a letter to be returned in the mail. Such is life...
ReplyDeleteI sometimes forget that there are patrons who haven't crossed the digital divide. What I think seems basic and obvious is new and confusing to some. Just today, I had to help a lady figure out how to access a flash drive. With all of the talk and obsession over the digitalness of changes libraries are facing, it is good to step back from it and realize that as much as I do or don't like it, there will always be some who will be completely left behind.
ReplyDeleteI guess what I find so amazing about Web 2.0 technologies is that they allow everyone and anyone to become a writer, director, and producer. Radio and tv shows used to be unimaginable for most people to create. Now elementary school children are cranking out videos!
ReplyDelete