Several concepts discussed in this chapter intrigued me. First of all, I felt this chapter did a very thorough job of simplyfing the idea of a podcast. When many students (including myself) hear the word 'podcast,' they are prone to thinking of it as a sophisticated project by adults that discusses major modern issues. However, that is not the case. Podcasting is something for people of all ages and interests. This chapter provides vital information about how to set up a podcast, and also how to find a specific kind of podcast. One vocabulary word that is essential to podcasting is 'genre.' Podcasts aren't limited to being about a certain topic, such as politics or religion. They can be used for educational purposes, communication and simply for becoming more comfortable with technology.
Another concept from the chapter that I found interesting was the connection between podcasts and RSS. After becoming familiar with RSS in the previous chapter, this made my feelings stronger about the positives of RSS. People can search for podcast genres of their choice using RSS, to find something of their interest. One huge positive I found about podcasting, is how it can inspire students. By viewing various podcasts online, students will learn that people of all ages and backgrounds are involved in podcasting. Page 116 discussed the 5th grade podcast in Thailand, "Students Teaching Students." I thought that was remarkable how those students are conducting a project that they enjoy and are teaching fellow students at the same time. This is just one of the many examples of student podcasts that are available online. The great thing about these students podcasts is that students can learn from them, but also can be inspired to create their own podcasts. The fact that podcasting is simple, and anyone can do it, is emphasized throughout the chapter. Even if students are not comfortable with using technology or recording their own voice, witnessing these various existing podcasts can inspire them to step outside their comfort zone.
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