What is podcasting?
Podcasting refers to audio and video files made available online via RSS feeds for your listening and viewing pleasure. A podcatcher, such as iTunes, collects the podcasts you subscribe to and makes them available off line to listen from your computer, or to download onto iPods or other similar devices. Here is a quick video on podcasting for a more concise overview.
Where can I find podcasts to use in the classroom?
I generally go to iTunes, click on podcasts and do a search on a particular topic. If you find a podcast you like, such as NPR, you can have the episodes automatically downloaded to your iTunes account. Don't worry about breaking the bank, podcasts are free.If you do a google search for educational podcasts on a particular topic, you may find additional podcasts ideal for the classroom.
Here are just a few educational podcasts we've come across:
Education Podcast Network- k-12, many age groups
Grammar Girl- A fun way to boost your grammar skills
Edtechtalk- 12 podcasts regarding education and integrating technology at one convenient location!
Read Write Think- Resources for reading, K-12, divided by age
Who can make a podcast?
Anyone! All you need is a microphone (most of us should have a built-in microphone on our Macs), audio production software such as Garageband or Audacity, and a place to host the podcasts online. Once the podcasts are done, students and/or the teacher can download them onto an iPod or mp3 player at school or at home. They can also be viewed on your podcast website. For inspiration (or just a laugh) check out "Rose and Trout- Downeast, Maine: The Way Life Is" podcasts (note: for your enjoyment, not suitable for all students.)
"What?!? I don't know where to start." It's okay, we'll break it down:
1) Microphone- Our Macbooks come with built-in microphones. These work fine, and we've made some great recordings of students reading and singing. However, if you want crisp, clear recordings with less background noise, consider a headset with built-in microphone or a podcast microphone. The headsets with built-in microphone start at about $20. Crisp, clear podcast microphones are also available. We have a couple Samson C01U podcast microphones at school, but I just read that a smaller version is due out soon for $50. We also have two Snowball microphones which seem to work well with small groups, these also fall around $100. Consider pairing up with another teacher or your team if you decide to purchase a podcast microphone or two.
2)Audio Production Software- The two biggest names on the market right now are Garageband, which is only available on Apple computers, and Audacity, which can work with PCs or Macs. Audacity (tutorial)is a free download, Garageband (tutorial)comes already installed on Apple computers as part of the iLife Suite. If you have a district or MLTI computer, chances are Audacity has already been installed on your computer. In the beginning, I was a Garageband freak. I loved the versatility of Garageband, the way it effortlessly connects to iTunes, iPhoto and iMovie, and the visual connections students were making to sound waves, rhythm patterns and volume. The built-in loops are fun for the kids and make their recordings sound, well, professional! However, I was saddened every time a student came back to me and said, "but Mrs. Smith, how do I get Garageband on my computer at home?" Many of our students had PCs at home, and so now I think I will start modeling how to use Audacity with my students so they can go home and keep creating and playing with sound regardless of their computer. With the addition of new netbooks in the district, it will be all the more important to be familiar with Audacity for audio production as they are not an Apple product. Here is a link to an article comparing Audacity and Garageband. It was written in 2008 so slightly outdated, but still valuable.
3) An Online Location to Host my Podcasts- There are actually quite a few places to store your podcasts, and many of them are easy to maintain, have a clean, attractive layout, offer a built-in blog for podcast comments, and the cost ranges from free to "reasonable". Central School has two podcast sites they rely on, they are Podbean and Podcastpeople. There are many others out there, if you use one and would like to comment on its value for educators, we would love the feedback. Meanwhile, here are our two cents.
Podbean- Podbean offers free (but limited) accounts. Our school has the basic plan which costs les than $3 a month for 1 GB of storage. We have found Podbean to be user friendly. If you have a blog or wiki, it is very easy to link your Podbean podcasts. Your parents and students can subscribe to your podcasts and the layout templates are attractive and easy to manage. We found loading audio and video podcasts to be a breeze. Here is a You Tube Video on how to upload files to Podbean and a Quick Start Guide for step-by-step familiarization. See our blog post on Video Capture for info on how to create and edit videos.
Podcastpeople- I was first introduced to Podcastpeople through a former district tech guest speaker, Bob Sprankle. He was able to set up attendees with free (but limited) accounts to play around. I loved the site, and even though the school already had a Podbean account I could have used, I went ahead and upgraded my Podcastpeople account and now post almost all of my podcasts on this site. The biggest difference between the two is this: podcastpeople has the capability to record the podcast directly onto the site. This eliminates steps to creating a podcast. Otherwise it has the same features as Podbean. I pay $8/month for the Basic Account which gives me 50o MB of storage a month and unmetered bandwidth (the only restriction is what is currently available at school.) I've never needed the full 500 MB, even when loading student videos. Both Podbean and Podcastpeople allow visitors to comment on posts, which has been really fun for the students. Our school's Hike Through History video post had over 200 blog responses from students, a few teachers and parents. I was able to easily moderate these comments before making them accessible on the web. (this is a feature that is also available with both podcast sites). Here are the links to Kate's podcastpeople site as well as our principal, Vicki Stewart's podcastpeople site. We also have them linked from the district website. Here is the link to Sally Gilbride's podbean site. For simplicity's sake, we will use Podbean in the workshop.
How would I use podcasting in the classroom?
*Podcasting student learning connects your classroom to the world. Students are anxious to receive feedback, share their projects and respond to questions posed by visitors.
* Create a podcast about a topic your students are learning. Simply record a student or students reading their reports!
*Share current events.
*Share student stories and poems.
*Podcast your weekly parent letter.
*Have students practice their French or Spanish by writing and producing their own podcasts.
*Find podcasts that are already made to share with your students. These can be "professional" or podcasts made by other schools around the world. Ask them questions and give them your reflections. You just might make some new friends!
How would YOU use podcasting in the classroom? We want to know!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Uploading Audio- iTunes
To upload audio files to Podbean, the file must be in mp3 format. If you are trying to upload a tune from your iTunes library, it first needs to be converted from aac to mp3 format.
I. Launch the iTunes program
A. Setting Import File type preference
1. Select Edit > Preferences
2. Select "General" tab
3. Click “Import settings"
4. Set Import Using > MP3
----------------------------------
From now on, when you want to change the format of a song:
Highlight the song
Go to "Advanced"
Click on "Create mp3 version".
If you scroll to the right, you should be able to see the format type. If you cannot:
Go to View
Select "View Options"
Click on Kind.
Now the format type will show up to the right of the name of the song, artist, etc. You may have to scroll to the right to see it.
Finding mp3 music for Podcasting
Here are some websites you can visit to find music for your podcasts:
Simply the Best http://simplythebest.net/sounds/WAV/WAV_sounds.html
If the music is copyrighted, such as music found on iTunes, you may use 10% of the music but no more than 30 seconds. You can use Audacity or Garageband to edit the music. Let us know if you have found other sites to download free mp3 files!
Simply the Best http://simplythebest.net/sounds/WAV/WAV_sounds.html
The Free Site http://www.thefreesite.com/Free_Sounds/Free_WAVs/
Free Kids' Music http://freekidsmusic.com
Movie Sound Central http://www.moviesoundscentral.com/
Frogstarhttp://frogstar.com/wav/index.asp
Find Sounds http://www.findsounds.com/
If the music is copyrighted, such as music found on iTunes, you may use 10% of the music but no more than 30 seconds. You can use Audacity or Garageband to edit the music. Let us know if you have found other sites to download free mp3 files!
Video Capture- iMovie and Jing
Depending on availability, we have several options available to us for video capture. The most accessible is the built in camera in the MacBook. Open iMovie and click on the camera and you can record video. The camera is at the top of the screen. Video can also be imported from phones, video cameras, flip video cameras.
Once you have your video you will probably want to do some editing before it is published. iMovie is a video organizing and editing program that comes with all Macs. You can add titles, music, audio, and much more. The Apple website has some great video tutorials to help you get started. Finished video can be sent to iDVD for a very finished project, or you can export your video to a blog or podcast.
The Flip video cameras have a built in program, FlipShare, that will do basic editing and titles. You download it to your computer when you attach the Flip camera to your computer through a USB connection on the side of your computer. Flip video can also be sent to iMovie for editing with that program or including video shot from other sources.
Another video capture source that I love is Jing. Jing allows you to make a video of what you do on screen. This is great for teaching tasks that are easy to forget, like saving to the server. Jing is free, but the pro version allows you to save in an MP4 format and is easily uploaded to podcasts or YouTube.
How would I use this in my classroom?
I have used video to record student projects, either with the video camera or by having the student record directly into the computer. I have my students record their "memories" of high school students who have come to help in our classroom. The finished video makes a great thank-you gift and my students get practice with interviewing and public speaking. Last April I took the video camera in to the American Museum of Natural History in New York. I narrated (complete with mispronunciations...) a little tour of the dinosaur wing for my students who couldn't be with me. A short version is posted on my Podbean page. During our after school program a group of students created a "Reading Rainbow" -like program in 4 sessions. They planned the program, collected still shots, video and audio for reading the book the program was focused upon. Kate and I did the editing. Another year students created a video that described what our after school program was all about. They got a lot of valuable experience with interviewing during that project. Several years ago my class did a project on the granite benches that are around South Berwick. Interviewing and research were a huge part of that project. We also collaborated with a Girl Scout troop on that project.
Video is a fabulous way to record and share the wonderful learning that is going on in your classroom, but also a relatively easy way to expand the scope of your teaching.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Flickr and Creative Commons
Flickr and Creative Commons
Flickr is a popular website where you can store, sort, search and share your photos and videos online. It is very easy to organize photos into albums. These photos can be tagged by location, the people in the photo and/or date and time for future retrieval. Flickr is also an excellent source when looking for pictures to add to an existing slideshow or presentation. However, this is where Creative Commons comes into play. In order to explain Creative Commons, I need to back up and explain some netiquette (internet etiquette). In need of a photo for a project? With our Macbooks, it is very easy to capture a photo using Open Apple, shift 4. However, we've just taken this image without permission from the owner. While easy to do, it is not the right thing to do. If we composed a poem, we wouldn't want others to take it and use it as if it was theirs. It is the same with photography. But wait! What if I don't mind others using my photo, as long as they give me credit or promise not to use it to make money? This is where Creative Commons comes into play. Creative Commons has many different levels of copyright licenses. When you search for an image on Flickr to for personal or school use, be aware of these symbols and what they mean. It is important that students understand what these symbols mean as well. The different levels of copyright licenses are as follows:
Flickr is a popular website where you can store, sort, search and share your photos and videos online. It is very easy to organize photos into albums. These photos can be tagged by location, the people in the photo and/or date and time for future retrieval. Flickr is also an excellent source when looking for pictures to add to an existing slideshow or presentation. However, this is where Creative Commons comes into play. In order to explain Creative Commons, I need to back up and explain some netiquette (internet etiquette). In need of a photo for a project? With our Macbooks, it is very easy to capture a photo using Open Apple, shift 4. However, we've just taken this image without permission from the owner. While easy to do, it is not the right thing to do. If we composed a poem, we wouldn't want others to take it and use it as if it was theirs. It is the same with photography. But wait! What if I don't mind others using my photo, as long as they give me credit or promise not to use it to make money? This is where Creative Commons comes into play. Creative Commons has many different levels of copyright licenses. When you search for an image on Flickr to for personal or school use, be aware of these symbols and what they mean. It is important that students understand what these symbols mean as well. The different levels of copyright licenses are as follows:
Attribution means:
You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your copyrighted work - and derivative works based upon it - but only if they give you credit.
Noncommercial means:
You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your work - and derivative works based upon it - but for noncommercial purposes only.
No Derivative Works means:
You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of your work, not derivative works based upon it.
Share Alike means:
You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.
You can also learn more about these by going directly to the Creative Commons website.
Voice Thread
Voice Thread is a free (with limits) online application where you can upload your own photos, videos, or documents, and comment on the images using your computer's built-in microphone, keyboard, a cell phone, or home phone to create amazing slideshows and opportunities for 24/7 collaboration. You can even doodle on the images and videos. When used as an extension of the classroom, Voice Thread can encourage collaborative conversations that might not otherwise occur with such success. You can read an article recently published in Edutopia regarding the use of Voice Thread in the classroom. Voice Thread is also ideal for digital storytelling. Here is a link to resources on digital storytelling found on Wes Fryer and Karl Fisch's blogs.Voice Thread has subscriptions for individual users or for educators. Accounts can be made private or public. See the site for more information.
How would I use this in my classroom?
I have many colleagues in Maine who've made good use of this site. Admittedly, I have not used it as much as I would like. However, here is a voicethread I created with the students as a reflection on art class with our marvelous art teacher.
Other examples:
The Foot Book Kindergarten students
Community Storytelling 2nd grade students
Milkweed 8th grade students
History of the Toothbrush High School Student
Go to voicethread.com and click on Browse to find other examples or visit the library for extensive examples of how Voicethread has been used in the classroom.
Some ways Voice Thread can be used in the classroom:
*Digital Storytelling- have the students write a story and then draw pictures to accompany the story. Upload the photos on voice thread. Record the students reading the story.
*Document the sequence of events, such as the growth of plants, the steps to make something or create a timeline of historical events.
*Take photos (or have students take photos) and have others comment on them.
*Upload student artwork, allow student or parent comments.
*Create a digital ABC storybook, it could include student poems or short stories.
*Practice storytelling as the basis for small moment writing.
*Create a voice thread sharing what you love about your school, community, town or state.
*Create a voice thread of math problems. Have students share how they solved each problem using the doodling tool.
*Comment on other people's voice threads.
*How would YOU use this in your classroom?
How would I use this in my classroom?
I have many colleagues in Maine who've made good use of this site. Admittedly, I have not used it as much as I would like. However, here is a voicethread I created with the students as a reflection on art class with our marvelous art teacher.
Other examples:
The Foot Book Kindergarten students
Community Storytelling 2nd grade students
Milkweed 8th grade students
History of the Toothbrush High School Student
Go to voicethread.com and click on Browse to find other examples or visit the library for extensive examples of how Voicethread has been used in the classroom.
Some ways Voice Thread can be used in the classroom:
*Digital Storytelling- have the students write a story and then draw pictures to accompany the story. Upload the photos on voice thread. Record the students reading the story.
*Document the sequence of events, such as the growth of plants, the steps to make something or create a timeline of historical events.
*Take photos (or have students take photos) and have others comment on them.
*Upload student artwork, allow student or parent comments.
*Create a digital ABC storybook, it could include student poems or short stories.
*Practice storytelling as the basis for small moment writing.
*Create a voice thread sharing what you love about your school, community, town or state.
*Create a voice thread of math problems. Have students share how they solved each problem using the doodling tool.
*Comment on other people's voice threads.
*How would YOU use this in your classroom?
Animoto
Animoto is a web application created by music and video producers that allows you to create your own slideshows from personal pictures and add music from your music collection or theirs. The slideshow is more like a music video with a wide variety of transitions and the transitions match the rhythm of the music selected. Each video can be remixed as many times as desired, resulting in a wide variety of eye-catching videos. Currently, 30 second videos are free. To create longer videos, you need a subscription which runs at $30/year. Animoto now offers free education accounts for schools.
Here's another Animoto, "Be a Buddy, Not a Bully" that delivers an important message.
How can I use this in my classroom?
We've used Animoto with second and third grade students to create educational vodcasts, podcasts with video. The lesson plan is listed as a separate blog post. Here is a vodcast created by one of our third grade students. It took him four-five hours, split into 60-75 minute sessions. I posted this vodcast on my classroom podcast site, hosted by podcastpeople.com There are other examples on the podcast site.
Here are some other ways Animoto could be used in the classroom:
*Quickly review a unit through photos and music
*Empahsize sequence, the life cycle of a catepillar or seeds/plants for instance.
*Help students learn each others' names.
*Pair with a student podcast to emphasize their topic.
*Celebrate a holiday- show photos of how a holiday is celebrated around the world and pair with appropriate music.
*Share student artwork
*Pair photos of a geographic location with music of the region
*Get students excited about their next field trip- create a podcast describing where they are going and pair with pictures of the location
*Introduce a new unit- add text boxes, asking questions, see how many the students can answer.
*Or give hints about the next unit in text boxes and add close-ups or blurry pictures and see if they can guess.
*Students can easily use this application to create their own projects to share with the class. These could include final projects, sharing about their family's culture or a recent family trip.
* Your turn, how would YOU use this in your classroom?
Here's another Animoto, "Be a Buddy, Not a Bully" that delivers an important message.
How can I use this in my classroom?
We've used Animoto with second and third grade students to create educational vodcasts, podcasts with video. The lesson plan is listed as a separate blog post. Here is a vodcast created by one of our third grade students. It took him four-five hours, split into 60-75 minute sessions. I posted this vodcast on my classroom podcast site, hosted by podcastpeople.com There are other examples on the podcast site.
Here are some other ways Animoto could be used in the classroom:
*Quickly review a unit through photos and music
*Empahsize sequence, the life cycle of a catepillar or seeds/plants for instance.
*Help students learn each others' names.
*Pair with a student podcast to emphasize their topic.
*Celebrate a holiday- show photos of how a holiday is celebrated around the world and pair with appropriate music.
*Share student artwork
*Pair photos of a geographic location with music of the region
*Get students excited about their next field trip- create a podcast describing where they are going and pair with pictures of the location
*Introduce a new unit- add text boxes, asking questions, see how many the students can answer.
*Or give hints about the next unit in text boxes and add close-ups or blurry pictures and see if they can guess.
*Students can easily use this application to create their own projects to share with the class. These could include final projects, sharing about their family's culture or a recent family trip.
* Your turn, how would YOU use this in your classroom?
Wordle of Our Blog
Animoto Lesson Plan
Title: Earth Day Documentaries with Animoto.com
Name: Kate Smith Content Areas: Technology/LA Grade Level: 2-3
The students will create a video documentary by researching a topic of interest, writing a script, recording a podcast, choosing images to accompany the podcast and assembling the documentary at www.animoto.com.
Targeted Maine Learning Results addressed:
Language Arts B3b – Students write to inform an audience on a specific topic. Record and share, in writing, information that has been gathered.
Language Arts C1 – Students engage in inquiry by developing research questions, accessing and verifying a variety of sources, communicating findings, and applying the conventions of documentation. Students present the findings orally, in writing, or using mixed media.
Targeted NETS-S standards addressed:
NETS-S 1b – Students create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
NETS-S 2a – Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of media and formats.
NETS-S 2b – Students communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
NETS-S 3b - Students locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
Technology resources needed (equipment and software)
1. computer(s)
2. digital camera(s) (optional)
3. Animoto.com Account
4. Flickr.com Account (optional) or a similar accessible photo storage site
5. Word or a similar Word Processing Program
Procedure:
1. Break the students into groups of three. Brainstorm an Earth Day topic for the documentary. Hand out rubric. (See below)
2. Research the topic using online sources such as earthday.gov/kids.htm.
3. Write a script, using persuasive words.
4. Record the script using Audacity or Garageband (available on Apple computers only).
5. Add music in the background. Adjust the volume as needed.
6. Find photos that support your topic. Students can do this in one of several ways: 1) take the picture(s) with a digital camera 2) use an existing digital photo 3) use a photo on an online photo site such as Flickr.com
7. Upload the photos and audio file to Animoto.com to create the documentary. Download the finished product, post to a website or email to parents.
Assessment Method
Students are assessed on their mixed media presentations using a rubric.
Accommodations
Consider partnering students who are less capable with more experienced. Also consider assigning roles to members of the groups, For instance, if there are enough computers, two students to research and write the script, another to find the photos. All three can record the podcast, splitting the script in thirds. When recording the podcasts, it may be helpful to do the recording in a separate room to eliminate background noise.
Name: Kate Smith Content Areas: Technology/LA Grade Level: 2-3
The students will create a video documentary by researching a topic of interest, writing a script, recording a podcast, choosing images to accompany the podcast and assembling the documentary at www.animoto.com.
Targeted Maine Learning Results addressed:
Language Arts B3b – Students write to inform an audience on a specific topic. Record and share, in writing, information that has been gathered.
Language Arts C1 – Students engage in inquiry by developing research questions, accessing and verifying a variety of sources, communicating findings, and applying the conventions of documentation. Students present the findings orally, in writing, or using mixed media.
Targeted NETS-S standards addressed:
NETS-S 1b – Students create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
NETS-S 2a – Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of media and formats.
NETS-S 2b – Students communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
NETS-S 3b - Students locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
Technology resources needed (equipment and software)
1. computer(s)
2. digital camera(s) (optional)
3. Animoto.com Account
4. Flickr.com Account (optional) or a similar accessible photo storage site
5. Word or a similar Word Processing Program
Procedure:
1. Break the students into groups of three. Brainstorm an Earth Day topic for the documentary. Hand out rubric. (See below)
2. Research the topic using online sources such as earthday.gov/kids.htm.
3. Write a script, using persuasive words.
4. Record the script using Audacity or Garageband (available on Apple computers only).
5. Add music in the background. Adjust the volume as needed.
6. Find photos that support your topic. Students can do this in one of several ways: 1) take the picture(s) with a digital camera 2) use an existing digital photo 3) use a photo on an online photo site such as Flickr.com
7. Upload the photos and audio file to Animoto.com to create the documentary. Download the finished product, post to a website or email to parents.
Assessment Method
Students are assessed on their mixed media presentations using a rubric.
Accommodations
Consider partnering students who are less capable with more experienced. Also consider assigning roles to members of the groups, For instance, if there are enough computers, two students to research and write the script, another to find the photos. All three can record the podcast, splitting the script in thirds. When recording the podcasts, it may be helpful to do the recording in a separate room to eliminate background noise.
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