Podcasting for Content Delivery

Podcasting, originally coined because of iPods and broadcasting combined, proved to be a tool I will use again and again. Quickly I realized the greatest application of all for me, as you have not needed an iPod to view (if using video) or hear (if using audio only) for quite some time, is twofold. I have multiple classes of the same grade level. So first of all, due to interruptions such as fire drills, assemblies, and let’s face it, sometimes I forget to tell one group something, etc., it is difficult to deliver content uniformly. Therefore, by simply playing a podcast to the various student groups, I can make sure I deliver the same lesson consistently to a large audience. Secondly, if students are absent, don’t understand or remember a point, they can access the podcast and see it allowing them to receive the content and freeing me to assist the rest of the class instead of teaching a lesson to a small group while the rest of the class works independently. Not an easy feat when you are teaching grades 1-5. Not only could I place the podcast on our shared network drive for students to access, I could put it on my teacher site as well.

I tried using Audacity for an audio podcast. It's great because there is no time limit and you can cut and edit a music track with it. You can easily edit any mistakes you make during the recording. Since I am teaching computer applications, I felt my students may need both audio and visual. You do need to consider the audience when deciding how best to deliver a podcast. In the past I had played around with Jing but never used it much. I like it because you can share it as a Screencast link, where you can get a free account. The two are used in tandem. Once you make your video using Jing, you can click 'share' and it will build as a link that is stored on Screencast. They allow you to capture what is on your desktop as an image or a video and add your voice to it. Jing does have the option of saving your podcast as an .swf file, but not every student has a device for viewing that file type especially if they were using a device of their own choosing, which my district allows. There is a time limit of 5 minutes and you can not edit out any mistakes, only start anew. This product is made by TechSmith and you might be able to apply for a grant for a product they make called Camtasia. You can add introductions, music, edit mistakes, and you can save in a format viewable on all devices as well as have untimed limitations. If less than ten minutes long, you can upload your Camtasia podcast to YouTube as another option for viewing.

Since my district is migrating towards becoming a Google Educational Domain, I try to explore as many Google apps as possible. Recently I came across Gone Google Story Builder and thought it would be fun to share a podcast for both students and colleagues. Story Builder allows students to correct each other’s work in real time but the fun part for them besides writing with a classmate is to add music that is built into the app. 

I hope you will try Audacity, Jing for audio or video podcasting and Gone Google StoryBuilder for writing. They are not only fun to use but fairly easy. There are many videos and even podcasts available on the internet for all of these products to assist you with their use. Here is my sample video on how to use Gone Google Story Builder. You will find mistakes, but that is one of the charms of podcasting. NETS-S 1, 2, 4, and 5.