Podcasts

Podcasts

Today we will be discussing podcasts and different ways they can be utilized in the classroom/library. I will be sharing three programs that I like to use to help create podcasts – Podbean, Audacity, and SoundCloud.

Podcast - a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device.

Podbean

 The first program I tried was Podbean. I really liked how easy it was to download my file into podbean. I did not have to convert my m4a file into a wav file. It was very user friendly, I was also able to attach a picture, title, and description to my podcast.

Here is a link to a podcast that I created with a student. Victoria is looking for a particular book, based off her likes, I tried my best to help her find a book. Download this episode (right click and save)

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-c6c4n-6d2191

Audacity

 The second program I would like to talk about is Audacity. Audacity was not as user friendly as I thought it was going to be. First I downloaded their free software, then I couldn’t import my m4a file, I had to convert it to a wav file. In order to do that I had to download FFmpeg library version, that was a task in itself. I was finally able to convert my file.  I’m not that tech savvy so this program was not good for me.

Podomatic

 The last program I tried was  Podomatic. This was also very user friendly. I was also able to add picture and description to my podcast like in Podbean. It guides you through the process, very helpful. I did not have to convert any files which was a plus.

My Recommendation

The podcast I would call my favorite is podbean. I had used it before in one of my other classes. It was very easy to use. The other two I tried weren’t as simple. Podbean is very user friendly, if you have never created a podcast, I would recommend this program you can create/upload file, add picture, and description to your podcast.

Uses of podcasts in classroom/Library:

Reading Radio: Have your students make short radio broadcasts summarizing the books they are reading.

Celebrate Culture: Have your students’ record podcasts about important cultural months like Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month and then present them to the school or parents to commemorate the events.

Podcasting Library: Have your students collaborate to create a library of podcasts from which future students can learn.

Current Events Newscasts: Practice nonfiction reading skills by having your students do weekly or monthly podcasts on an interesting current event.

Sources

Macpherson,E. (2017). 10 Podcasting Projects Teachers Should Try in the Classroom. Retrieved July 19, 2017, from https://www.weareteachers.com/10-podcasting-projects-teachers-should-try-in-the-classroom-2/