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New Technologies Expand the Health Classroom

Donna Lloyd-Kolkin, Ph.D., Health Communication Specialist

As the new school year begins, you and your students may be using a new vocabulary: blogs, vlogs, wikis, podcasts, MP3, RSS, Skype. Is it all Greek to you? If so, it's time to join the technology revolution. Liven up your health education program and take your students beyond classroom walls into the twenty-first-century learning environment.

Not only do these new technologies enable you to build communities of learners across physical boundaries, but they also actively engage your students, who are card-carrying members of Generation M (for Media).

To begin, a few definitions are in order:

Blog Short for weblog, a blog is a type of Web site where entries appear in reverse chronological order, similar to a diary. Often, blogs will include a place for readers to post their own comments about each entry.

Vlog A blog that includes video entries.

Wiki A type of Web site that allows users to add, remove, or edit content; thus, it provides a tool for collaborative writing.

Podcast Audio or video programs that can be downloaded from a Web site and played on a computer or mobile device, such as an MP3 player.

MP3 Music is distributed to computers and mobile devices through this digital audio compression format, which reduces large data files to a more manageable size while maintaining an acceptable sound quality.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) A type of Web feed that many news organizations, blogs, and podcasters use. If your computer has news reader software, you can get updates each time a new item in your field of interest is published.

Skype A peer-to-peer Internet telephone network that allows for voice and videoconference communication.

An excellent place to explore these new technologies and experience them firsthand is on Andy Carvin's blog entitled Learning Now on the PBS Web site. Check it out—and join the discussion—at PBS TeacherSource.

Find out more about how teachers across the country are using these technologies to build communities of learners in Into the Community.