My
exploratory readings have taken the mystery out of podcasting. While the phenomenon is in no way new, I am
surprised – after realizing how easy it is – that it receives little to no use
in my own school. The term podcast is a
hybrid of the words iPod and broadcast. Podcasting
grew out of blogging. It is an audio - or in the case of an enhanced podcast or
a vodcast is an audio-visual - recordings. Podcasting is often serial in
nature. Users may subscribe and (thanks for RSS 2.0 feeds and podcatchers) have
podcast automatically downloaded to computers or other devices. One of the most
used sites for podcasts is iTunes.
As
a production vehicle, podcasting is highly democratizing. It requires minimal
hardware, software options include free programs or those inexpensively
purchased online, and the process requires the merest tech savvy. Podcasts may
be recorded on devices such as computers and cell phones. While microphones include a variety of
options such as noise cancellation and intelligent speech, inexpensive
offerings abound. According to Kristen Fontichiaro’s article, Podcasting 101,
PC users can procure microphone/headphone combos for under $10, while the
investment for Mac users may be closer to $40. A quick search on Amazon
validated Fontichiaro’s claim and returned a Logitech model on sale for $1.35*.
While multiple articles recommended
Gabcast (which allowed users to phone in podcasts and eliminate the need for
ANY equipment), an attempt to further research this option revealed the Gabcast
site no longer exists. A similar site, Podlinez allows users to listen to
offerings for free and record for a monthly subscription fee. Software options
for recording podcasts include Camtasia, Audacity (a free download), and Garage
Band for Mac. For those using Audacity’s intuitive interface, editing,
multi-tracking, and adding background music or sound effects requires very
little expertise.
The
real beauty of podcasting lies in the accessibility of recording once produced.
Podcasts may be accessed via virtually any personal audio device. “Podcasts
aren’t restricted to iPods since they can be uploaded to a web space, linked on
a blog, burned to a CD, share with parents and staff via email, downloaded to
an mp3 player, or fed automatically into podcast-retrieving software like
iTunes.” (Podcasting 101, Fontichiaro)
Applications
in the educational setting are endless. Podcasts double as both production and
distribution tools and provide both instructional and evaluative applications. Teachers
can use podcasts to record content for absent students, mini-lectures to expand
on topics for which class time is limited, and provide differentiated
instruction for students in need of scaffolding. Foreign language teachers can
produce tutorials. For Flipped Classrooms, teachers can podcast lectures,
demonstrations, and background information in preparation for deeper classroom
discussions or student projects. Teachers can motivate struggling students with
messages recorded and emailed to parents.
Libraries
can provide story time podcasts, promote circulation with easily produced book
talks, and provide technical support to staff and students with “TechHelpCasts”.
For example, Cobb County School District’s server includes a U-drive accessible
for all students and teachers. However, the newly established security measures
in place to protect teacher documents and the privacy of student work makes
utilization of the U-drive by students less
than intuitive. Tutorial podcasts on
the LMC webpage for this and other topics such as printing or CVL access and
effective search strategies would both assist users and free media staff from
repetitive assistance in these tasks. Special focus exhibits such as Banned
Books, Hispanic Heritage, Women’s History, and Black History Months can be
augmented with podcasts providing deeper background and generating more
interest.
Student
use of podcasting inspires and motivates students, develops research, writing,
and speaking skills, activates higher level thinking, builds confidence,
excites creativity, provides an alternative method of presentation, and
increases authenticity. Student applications include news broadcasts, book
reviews, audio plays, interviews, and debates to name but a few. Students can
demonstrate, solidify, and share their learning by creating vodcasts of science
experiments, “broadcasts from the past” / “you were there” history features, or
demonstrations solving math equations and word problems. Elementary school creative writing students
can produce individual CDs of their stories and high school poetry students can
create an audio book of their collected works.
It
is important to note safety and legal considerations of podcasting. Students
should use only their first names or pseudonyms and avoid personal identifiers
such as team affiliations. Student permission slips should be obtained. As with any use of copyrighted materials,
permissions should be sought. Consult
the legal department for your school system before commencing podcasts that
include copyrighted materials or students recordings. Finally, be aware that the podcast ethos can
become quickly integrated into your school culture. Consider carefully the time
commitment before establishing the expectation.
On
a personal note, I am a faithful listener of NPR and fan of the **StoryCorps
oral history project. The StoryCorps project is a function of the Library of
Congress. Since the establishment of a
permanent recording satellite in Atlanta for the program, I have encouraged
students to participate. I have often contemplated the idea of creating our own
StoryCorps at Floyd tied to the social studies standards with topics such as 6th
grade Hispanic culture, 7th grade U.S. involvement in Southwest
Asian Wars and September 11th, and 8th grade with the
Civil Rights Movement and juvenile justice system. I am ashamed of how intimidated by technology
I was before beginning this degree program. With what I’ve learned I now know
such a project for Floyd is easily realized. I plan to start this year.
*Logitech
Labtec Desktop Microphone 600 Retrieved
September 15, 2012. http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Labtec-Desktop-Microphone-600/dp/B000O7K4LO/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1347746340&sr=1-1&keywords=computer+microphone
I am like you in that I was so unfamiliar with the idea of podcasts that I never utilized them in the classroom. However, as you have pointed out, there are several resources available that make creating podcasts so easy, it is foolish not to use them. I really like the idea of creating podcasts for more indepth coverage of a particular topic as well as recording information for absent students. If that is too much work for one teacher, she can assign each student a particular week to be responsible for creating a "podcast agenda" for absent or absent-minded students to view.
ReplyDeleteI love your addition of a student production for absent classmates. On a rotation in pairs perhaps, it could be incorportated as a summarizer grade... or motivational as a rotating "job"... kids Love to help and take responsibility in class.
ReplyDeleteI, like you, was a bit afraid of certain aspects of technology before my course work. I think I was afraid of doing permanent damage to my computer. Once I realized that is probably not going to happen, I was able to really start learning.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have listened to podcasts in the past, it never occurred to me to make one, or better yet, have my students make them. I had to learn how easy it was before I could see the possibility in front of me. I am looking forward to implementing podcasts into my English classes later on this semester. I think it would be a great project for the end of a unit. I have to think on it, so the kids just get completely sucked into it though.
What I liked most about your post was the part that you included about special focus exhibits, like Hispanic Heritage Month. Where I work, the Hispanic population is roughly 45% of the student body. We already have an assembly where the students dance and make presentations about various aspects of their culture. A podcast or several podcasts would make a great addition to what the Foreign Language classes are already doing.
I am working on a small grant now to buy headphone/mic sets and video editing software! The ideas continue to multiple... but I remind myself of my own caution... to consider the commitment this may take.
DeleteMy school, like yours does not fully take advantage of this easy to use technology. Only about three of our teachers use podcasts/ vodcasts in their classrooms. As a media specialist, I must admit I am ashamed I haven't used podcasts/ vodcasts to promote new materials or give Booktalks, as I now see how advantagous this would be to my patrons. As a former classroom teacher, I see many benefits to using podcasts/ vodcasts in the classroom. The blog mentioned using a vodcast to record science experiments. I often encountered the problem where a student was absent on the day of a science experiment and I didn't have time to gather the equipment and materials, and allow them to do the process the following day. Using a vodcast to record the science experiment and then making it available to the student on our school website, would ensure that the student did not miss an important discovery. The blog also mentioned using podcasts/ vodcasts for storytime. This is one area where I feel a podcast/ vodcast can not replace the interaction and discussion of conducting storytime in person. Storytime is one of my favorite parts of being a media specialist. I love getting to know my students personalities through storytime. They often share their connections to stories and learn more about me during this time. So while podcasts and vodcasts are an excellent tool, I feel it should not replace live storytime.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePenny, it is very clear you did a lot of research on podcasting! Your ideas for use in the media center are great. I love the idea for tech help podcasts as well as podcasts for absent students. I am toying with the idea of using podcasts with my higher group of students who often finish tasks early. I could have them write and create podcasts of information we have learned to include on our class website. Students could use this for reviewing for tests, parents could see what we have been working on, and I could save these for next year to use as well. Another great idea is the book talk podcast. I could see a media specialist listing these on the media center website. Students could browse the podcasts and listen for something they are interested in. These book talk podcasts could also be used over the morning or afternoon announcements (especially for schools without video capabilities). Fortunately, podcasting is a very inexpensive and relatively easy thing to learn. I believe that if more people know about the capabilities of podcasting then more teachers and media specialists would use it.
ReplyDeleteI'd definitly say go for it. I'm so amazed at how easy it is. I've opened an account on SCHOOLTUBE to upload the student created Tutorials.
DeleteI love the idea of techhelpcasts!! I think they would be highly utilized. That would save so much time, especially for reoccuring problems that teachers have. I also liked the idea of storytime podcasts. I do agree with Kelly, though, that live storytime is probably better, because there is the interaction and connection that happens with a live storytime that can't be beat.
ReplyDeletePodcasting was definitely a technology that took me out of my element and made me a bit uncomfortable when discussing it. I really never used a podcast nor created one until I began this class. I felt like the teachers I hear at my school who are too afraid to use new technology because of its unfamiliarity (even if it could make their lives easier!). Now that I have read a little about podcasting I feel silly for even being intimidated! You are absolutely right, Penny. Who knew podcasting was so simple? I was under the impression that podcasting required special equipment or programs. I would never imagine that so many different programs were available (and free!) to record podcasts and then it could be uploaded to a website or device. The ideas are endless to how this simple, yet, powerful technology can be used!
ReplyDeleteI love all of your suggestions on using podcasting in the media center (especially the book talks!). I agree that both the process and product of podcasting are equally important. Students are given a platform not only to share their work, but also the process of research and development of new ideas. It is definitely the perfect collaborative tool for students. I am not in a media center now, but I hope to use podcasting in my classroom and soon in a media center!
First off Penny, your writing style is phenominal! You make me want to podcast just by reading your blog! Maybe you should consider a career writing...
ReplyDeleteYou brought up lots of additional information about software and places to download the podcasts that are created. Another important point you made is for people to check on copyright information of things students will record and things like permission slips, etc.
I was not aware of StoryCorps so that is definitely something I want to check out after reading your blog.
Again, you made some excellent points and did a wonderful job as a blogger in drawing me into your story!
Marilyn Richardson
You make a great point about not utilizing podcasts like we should. I know for our school, it's the hosting of information that has been a challenge. We are not given any webspace and I have had to use blogs in the past to incorporate some of my technology ideas. With my recent explorations on our school's moodle site, I see greater opportunities rising up. I've actually suggested to students that they record the class notes time if they have trouble following along, but I could do that for them too. We had a tech savvy history teacher who did do his own vodcasts in all his history classes, but I don't think anyone in our school does anything like that any more.
ReplyDeleteWhile not a podcast, I also have grown to enjoy the use of programs like Show Me, which basically allows you film your iPad or computer screen while you write and draw on it, then upload for others to see. It works well with some of our more challenging topics in science class. Unfortunately, I do not know of a way to download just the audio so that anyone with an mp3 player could listen in.
I'd never heard of Show Me... sounds like something I should check out.
DeleteThis has probably posted three times in various forms - if so please forgive me. :)
ReplyDeleteLike you, I wasn't aware of the use Pocasts could offer. I teach at the elementary level and I know we don't use them in the lower grades. I'm not sure about the upper grades but I'm going to ask around. After reading your blog post the ideas for a Podcast is endless to me. I might have to see if I can get my first graders involved in this and use it as a way for them to express what they have learning in their own words instead of paper to pencil.
We have all of the resources at our school to produce podcast, but I must admit that I have been slightly afraid to try. I have always thought it would just be too difficult and confusing to do. I am so happy to see that it really is not as scary as I thought. I love the suggested uses for podcasts.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your idea of creating "TechHelp" Podcasts. At the begining of the year there were so many teachers with the exact same problem, and with a TechHelp podcast, I could have just pointed them towards that resource so they could help themselves rather than me having to go room to room to show the exact same fix over and over again.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've begun with a couple of Techhelp ppts and enhanced podcasts (screenshots/images with the podcast) already. Especially since the cuts to parapros (only part day) I can't leave the LMC to assist a teacher.
DeleteGracious, Penny. That was a great blog. You covered the technical side of podcasting very thoroughly. I am supposed to be getting a noise reduction head set for Dr. Goldberg's class, and now I know that it won't cost as much as I thought it would.
ReplyDeleteI think I could do a good podcast for the morning announcements about Box Tops. In fact, the students could script it and do it. I don't really want to go to the media center at 8:00 am and do a live announcement, but they kids would not mind doing a vodcast, showing everyone what products have box tops, and etc.
I wonder if there would be a way to translate and save voice to record podcasts for Spanish speaking parents?
I already do sight word CDs for my students to take home with them, and I could post vodcasts on my teacher website as well.
Your post got me thinking about a lot of possibilities. The tech podcasts would be great for continuing education for new teachers, for instance, right now, we have several new teachers who know nothing about I-Respond. I could make a couple of podcasts to send to them, rather that be in each of their rooms physically.
I think that though a lot of schools have yet to start using this technology option yet (based on everyones' replies), it would only take a few well publicized examples of students making them as performance tasks, and teachers using them in instruction, added to the fact that this is EASY and CHEAP, and everyone who saw an example or two would be quick to join suit and make their own.
iRespond is a nightmare... it is next on my Techhelp Tutorials list.
DeleteWe've begun small with our vodcasts for school events mostly still in the planning... banned books week (done), Hispanic Heritage (done), and the ThanksGiving Food Drive (upcoming), but it is already creating a stir.