Introduction to Podcasting

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!