A Partnership for the Future
By Brady Gunnink

The past decade has seen a revolution in the creation and accessibility of new technologies, from personal computers to Palms to digital music players. Almost all students in the United States have access to the Internet at school, home or both. Educators across the nation are starting to realize and utilize the potential these technologies have for enhancing learning.

John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights and Township High School District 214 have caught this wave early, implementing a new pedagogical tool that in 10 years may be used in every school: podcasts.

“When (JHHS English teacher) Dan McDonnell asked me 18 months ago if we could start doing them, I said ‘Yes!’” enthusiastically asserted Anne Penstone, Academic Technology Coordinator and Webmaster at Hersey. “Back then, people had never heard of podcasts. Now, it’s a whole ‘nother ball game.”

Podcasts, short for iPod broadcasts, are audio and video files available for viewing on a personal computer or media player. The name podcast is a bit of a misnomer; while iPods were the first technology used to view the podcasts, they are by no means the only way to do so. Podcasts are also not technically broadcasts transmitted over the airwaves. They are recorded, uploaded onto a web server, and plugged into a feed, where they are available for anyone to view via website or podcatcher (a program such as iTunes that automatically downloads podcasts which the user subscribes to). Podcasts are most popularly used for watching episodes of shows such as “Desperate Housewives” and “The Colbert Report.” Now, schools are using them for slightly more enlightening purposes.

All that basic podcasting requires for the teachers at Hersey is an iPod with an attached mic. They teach their lessons, and Penstone uploads them to an RSS feed, where students can access the podcasts using the school website or a podcatcher. Other teachers choose to incorporate video, adding a slideshow or a video recording.

Podcasts at Hersey have ranged from Kyle Marquette’s lectures on The Great Gatsby to Bruce Janu’s interviews with Sudanese refugees (soon to be produced into a documentary) to a review of writing significant figures in Chemistry. Teachers from every high school in the district have podcasts available at the JHHS website.

“If teachers have a lesson that they really want their students to see or hear again, podcasts are perfect,” said Penstone, “They’re great for review. Plus, now parents can see and hear for themselves what their kids are learning. Podcasts allow teachers to showcase their best lessons and record them for posterity, making them accessible to other teachers as well.”

The podcasts are also helpful in allowing sick students to keep up with their assignments. Penstone relates the story of a student who was ill for weeks, yet was able to stay on track by listening to podcasts of his English teacher’s lessons on To Kill a Mockingbird.

Once a radical experiment, podcasting is gaining massive popularity in District 214. Dozens of teachers and administrators have already used it, and more and more ask about it every day. The gymnastics coach at Hersey wants to make a podcast of his students’ routines. The football team will have exclusive access to game footage via podcast. Even the school newspaper, The Correspondent, records a weekly news podcast.

With all of its convenience and accessibility, will podcasting eventually replace traditional classroom teaching? Anne Penstone thinks not. “The relationship between teacher and student is irreplaceable,” she says. Podcasts and other educational technologies will always be a supplement rather than a replacement, but District 214 intends to use them to their fullest.

Arlington Heights Memorial Library bookmobile to the rescue!
This mobile extension of the library transports books and other items all round the area, making borrowing more convenient for residents. For those who can’t make it to the library, the bookmobile saves the day.

With 29 scheduled stops all over Arlington Heights, the bookmobile transports an array of library materials around the community. Hauling bestsellers, large print books, paperbacks, audio books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and children’s items, the bookmobile provides a convenient and helpful way for patrons to get the media they need.

Borrowing items from the library has never been easier. Reserved books can be picked up from any of the bookmobile stops. When reserving a book be sure to indicate from what stop the book will be picked up. Checking out and returning can be done both at the library and on the bookmobile. If an item was loaned out from the bookmobile it may be returned to the library and the reverse.

Extended DVD rentals are a plus. If a DVD is checked out of the bookmobile it will not be due until the bookmobile returns to that location. Luckily, if the bookmobile cannot make it to a scheduled stop because of a change in schedule, mechanical problem or issues with severe weather, borrowers are safe from overdue fines. Questions about the bookmobile can be answered by calling the library at 847-392-0100.