Using Audio/Video Podcasts to Enhance 21st Century skills

By: Samantha Gamble

QuestionWhat is a podcast?Have you ever listened to a podcast?Have you ever made a podcast?

What is a podcast?The New Oxford American Dictionarydefines

a podcast as “a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player.”

Podcasts are audio (sometimes video) programs on the Web which are usually updated at regular intervals

New episodes can be listened to on the computer, or downloaded onto an MP3 player or iPod for later listening

Radio Podcasts• Podcasts based on radio programs produced by

radio broadcasting corporations• Examples:

www.bbc.co.ukwww.rthk.org.hk

Independent Podcasts• Web based podcasts produced by individuals

and organizations • Examples

http://firstpersonshow.net/ http://www.shakespearecast.com/ http://www.frenchpodclass.com/

Teacher podcastsPodcasts produced by a teacher for his/her

own studentsEducation Podcast Network

http://epnweb.org

Student PodcastsPodcasts created by students

Willow WebRadio 103.3Mr. Jaffe's 6th GradeRadio Cambridge

Where to find Podcasts?Podcast directories

www.podcastalley.comhttp://podcast.com/

How to create your own podcastWhat you need

A microphoneAudio editing software

Download Audacity Download MP3 Encoder

A website or hosting service that you can upload your podcast to Podango

An RSS Feed Easypodcast

All in one solution MyPodcast

YouTube Tutorial: How To Create a Podcast

Connecting iPod to projection equipment: iPod can be connected to projection equipment in

classroom, and then audio and video clips can be played for listening and viewing.

Listening on the go…Download clips in your podcatcher (iTunes)

to an iPod1. Open iTunes2. Connect iPod to computer.3. The new episodes will download themselves

automatically.

Listening on the go cont.Download to MP3 Player

1. Open “My Documents”2. Open “My Music”3. You will see a sub-folder named “iTunes”4. The downloaded clips are all there

Activities for Student PodcastsReading aloudListen to classmates’ thoughts and respondDiaryGroup presentations on a completed projectOral book reportPicture descriptionStory tellingChained story tellingCreating riddlesRole playDebatesDramatic monologuesRadio Drama

Benefits of Podcasting:CheapInvites a global audienceInvolves few privacy concernsCan educate about copyrightInteractiveCreativeFun

Podcasting is cheapYou need a microphoneAudacity

http://audacity.sourceforge.netFree podcast publishing toolsPodifer

www.podifer.com

Podcasting invites a global audienceGives students motivational power for student

writing

Podcasting involves few privacy concernsStudents speaking during a podcast do not

have to identify themselves by name If they do they identify themselves, they can state

their first name onlyImages of students are not included in

podcastsIt is a good idea to solicit parent permission for

student participation in a classroom podcast

Podcasting can educate about copyright lawsDownloading music to enjoy or reuse in a

podcast is not an unconditionally illegal and punishable offense

There are copyright-friendly music files which can be legally used in classroom podcasts

Podsafe Music Network http://music.podshow.com

Free Play Music www.freeplaymusic.com

Podcasters can also learn about exciting, legal developments in online music publication and sharing

Podcasting can be interactive The essence of web 2.0 is interactivity

Podcasting can be creative Podcasting can be a creative outlet for students and

teachers to express ideas, share perceptions

Podcasting can be Fun!!Fun and engagingIt can be used as a tool to further motivate

student writers and more effectively communicate with a broad community about great things happening in the classroom

Find a podcast:Use one of the podcast directories to find a

podcast of your interest www.podcastalley.comhttp://podcast.com/

Podcasts for Teachers and KidsPoem of the DaySixty-Second ScienceMy German ClassRadio Willow WebWild Animal ChroniclesESL Teacher TalkBookwink Click on one of these sites. Listen to a

podcast. Reflect on what you heard. How would you use this podcast in your classroom?

Conclusion:Classroom podcasts can provide engaging

opportunities for students to develop 21st century skills

Review:What is a podcast?True or False: You need to buy software in

order to create a podcast?Name one benefit of using podcasts in your

classroom.Name one activity that can be used by

creating a podcast.

References: http://

www.wtvi.com/TEKS/05_06_articles/classroom-audio-podcasting.html www.scholastic.com www.bbc.co.uk www.rthk.org.hk http://firstpersonshow.net/ http://www.shakespearecast.com/ http://www.frenchpodclass.com/ http://epnweb.org www.podcastalley.com www. podcast.com/ www.bookwink.com/ www.eslteachertalk.com/ www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/ www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/ www.sonibyte.com/rssfeed/poem/4.xml www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/ www.mygermanclass.com/