A podcast in its simplest form is an audio MP3 file, and to make one is as easy as falling off a log. The term podcast refers to a production that has regular episodes on particular subjects which require certain amounts of planning and preparation and after-recording editing, depending on the production. Podcasts require more effort than just falling off a log, but they are well worth the effort and can be a great teaching and learning tool.
Podcasts can be utilized in myriad ways in the classroom The teacher can use audio to give assignments, to provide feedback on assignments, put out announcements, save in Google Drive and make a link for it. A podcast can have as its focus correct pronunciation, book reviews, newsletters, just comments in general. The teacher can disseminate the audio file(s) to the students individually or to groups by sending or embedding the link(s) to the MP3 file in an email or hyperdoc or blog or online newsletter or whathaveyou. And students need to get in the act. A good in-depth how-to tutorial series on how to start a podcast on YouTube by Pat Flynn is here; a good article on the how-to of it is here. Learner’s Edge has a good article here; Education Week has one here. And –Heck! while I am at it, one more by The Edublogger is here! Two more fantastic resources: The Teacher’s Guide to Podcasting in the Classroom and Equipment for Producing Classroom Videos and Podcasts.
The online voice recorder app “is completely free. No hidden payments, activation fees, or charges for extra features.” The free version allows you to cut from the beginning and also from the end — anything in between stays. I have used it to make four mini-podcasts on four course-reflection questions below:
What have been my most important takeaways from this course?
Where did I struggle most and why? What did I learn from that experience?
What was my favorite module — and why?
Describe 2-3 things I plan to do with the skills I learned in this course.
As you can hear, they are not as good as they can be. This is testament to one of my favorite adages: The best practice is practice. I will redo these but keep them to illustrate to my students that you have to start someplace.
Focus: the Truer the Aim the Sweeter the Life
