Vocab Lesson: Podcasting
Still one of the best sources for simple, to-the-point explanations of emerging tech concepts, Common Craft has now produced “Podcasting in Plain English.”
Podcasting in Plain English explains, in about 3 minutes, the essential hows and whys of podcasting. The process is pretty easy and really requires only a microphone and some free software in addition to the equipment you probably already have in your room.
(Reading this post via email? Click here or visit TeacherTube to view the video.)
From an educational perspective, what I like best about podcasting is not the actual recording and editing of the final product – that’s just a bonus. The real value of podcasting in the classroom is the research, writing, and revision process that goes into preparing for the production process.
Contrast this with a typical “report” assignment:
- Writing for an authentic, unlimited audience vs. writing for the teacher’s red pen
- Revision for my personal best before my audience vs. a better letter grade on my paper
- Working toward choosing key ideas to keep it to a reasonable length vs. meeting a minimum length
- Focus on a clear, well-paced delivery vs. ?
The production part of the podcasting process is relatively easy and represents the smallest portion of the time invested. The majority of the time commitment goes to solid writing processes. I’ve seen some unexpected students really shine in this type of activity.
Are you or your students podcasting? Post a link to your podcasts in the comments!
October 6th, 2008 at 10:09 am
My students are not permitted to show their faces due to security reasons. Can we still podcast internally.
October 6th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Policies regarding the publishing of student information are usually concerned with access by the general public and would most likely not restrict internal work.
In your particular district, I would recommend talking with your Tech Resource Teachers (TRT’s). They will be your best resource on this.
One other thought here: Unless you’re doing a video cast -vodcast- or enhanced podcast (which includes slide-like photos with the podcast), showing students’ faces won’t be a concern in a podcast project. Listeners would hear just the student’s voice which only poses a problem if the parent has specified that a student’s work should not appear online.
As always, keep your administrative team in the loop when doing anything like this. At best, it’s good PR for your classroom work. As worst, your administrative team isn’t caught by surprise if someone is unhappy with your posting.