Consider this, to a lesser degree, "Toot! Toot! (part deux).
Anyway, in preparation for a course I'm teaching this coming semester -- and thanks to the generous grant of an iPod from Virginia Tech's Faculty Development Institute -- I've put together some podcasts on medieval texts. Mainly, this is a pedagogical experiment. The idea is to deliver essential material on our readings outside of the classroom, so as not to waste class time, and so the students have the material readily available to them just before/ while they're doing the reading. Hopefully, this will stimulate better discussion and reading comprehension. We'll see how it goes. My poor, guinea pig students...
If anyone's interested, you can subscribe by clicking here. There's also a list of other podcasts here.
I'm very interested to hear people's thoughts on this, so comment early and often. Thanks.
(NB: The above links will open Apple's iTunes. You can download the software free.)
PS -- ht to Lars Brownworth's "12 Byzantine Rulers."
7 comments:
This looks amazing -- I'm really interested to hear how the format works. I'm also really looking forward to listening to your podcasts! What a fantastic idea -- I could see this being quite useful in a number of contexts. What level students do you have? I'd imagine this will be invaluable, no matter what level they are...
I'm thinking that it would be particularly useful for seminar format classes, even at the graduate level -- to be able to disseminate a basic level of knowledge to all of your students on each text you're to cover -- imagine how much time that could save in-class!
Thanks, Mary Kate. I'll definitely report back on how things go. Classes start tomorrow...
Anyway, the class I'm trying this out on is freshman-level (although I have a lot of non-major, non-humanities upperclassmen too), but I think, as you say, it'd work on a more general upper-level course.
Just to let you know, i gave this some linking in the latest carnivalesque:
http://highlyeccentric.livejournal.com/242435.html
Thanks, highlyeccentric. It's a good collection for this Carnivalesque!
Dear Professor Gabriele,
I would like to let you know that I have reviewed your podcast on medieval texts at: http://anneisaman.blogspot.com/2008/03/texts.html
My blog is dedicated to reviewing quality podcasts, especially history podcasts.
I like your podcast a lot, your choice of subjects and the questions you fire at the audience. I can appreciate your students have to take it further on their own, but I sincerely hope you will entertain the rest of the podcast audience with the answers you would give yourself to the questions you have raised.
Should you like to see what other podcasts are reviewed at my site, pelase vist. Mind the label http://anneisaman.blogspot.com/2007/08/history-podcasts.html listing the history podcast reviews with among others History 5 from Berkeley.
Yours,
Anne
Thanks, Anne! Great blog too.
Good article. I found great contents about the medieval period, it is at The Medieval Crusades
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