Podcasting

By: William King
=Overview:= "Podcasts" are like radio and T.V. programs. They can be in the form of audio clips or videos. In addition, they can be easily downloaded from either specific websites or from RSS (Really Simple Syndication) digital feeds. Podcasts can be listened & viewed on a wide variety of devices--such as desktop/laptop/tablet computers and iPods (from which their name is derived). In general, they are free to download and can be accessed 24/7.

=Educational Uses:=
 * Self directed tutorials (learning new vocabulary terms and with providing additional academic support for English Language Learners), listening to stories, music appreciation, and in creating/establishing necessary background for daily subjects.
 * Unleashes student creativity and encourages participation.
 * Adds deeper content to book reviews and in classroom presentations.

=Enhances Learning By:=
 * Providing immediate access to school related matters, such as class/school bulletins, test scores, and worksheets.
 * Being generally affordable and easy to use.
 * Serves as a reliable asynchronous learning device.

=List of Applications:=

[|Animals & Nature] [|Daily Poems] [|Literary Mainstays] [|Language Arts Enrichment/Story Time]

[|Science/Mathematics with Neil DeGrasse-Tyson]

=Web Article List:=

[|A Renaissance of Audio: Podcasting Approaches for Learning on Campus and Beyond]

Basing their conclusions from IMPALA (Informal Mobile Podcasting And Learning Adaptation), the authors made the case for including podcasts in the classroom/lecture hall. After reviewing their efficacy, they went to to promote how podcasts can:
 * serve as educational support tools (in reviewing subject matter and the clarification of terms).
 * help students to produce higher quality assignments.
 * provide needed support to help students master new software programs (Edirsingha, Hawkridge, and Fothergill, 2012, p.3).

[|Effects of Primer Podcasts on Stimulating Learning from Lectures: How do Students Engage?]

This study tests the hypothesis of how podcasts can affect retention and student performance for the better. It argues that with having brief, engaging audio files at their disposal, students were able to better appreciate and get more out of traditional lectures (Popova, Kirschner, and Joiner, 2014, p. 7). In addition, the authors endorse the use of podcasts with dyslexic students.

[|10 Podcasting Projects Teachers Should Try in the Classroom]

This site offers:
 * Ways to instill student accountability through requiring daily entries (Macpherson, 2014).
 * Encourages student engagement and participation.
 * Including art and music into daily lesson plans.

[|What are the Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom?]

It includes many unique ways podcasts add value. The ability to access them at any place/time, ease of locating them, and with stressing student creativity all contribute to the practical inclusion of podcasts. Perhaps the most unusual way they contribute to learning is through teaching kids to be organized and accountable (We Are Teachers, 2013).

[|Should Your Podcast be Audio or Video?]

With weighing the pros/cons:
 * Audio podcasts are easy to create, can be played back on any digital device, and are user-friendly.
 * Unfortunately, they cannot go "viral" and are not applicable to the hearing impaired (Lewis, 2015).
 * Video podcasts offer easy options for audience feedback, but require additional expenditures for editing equipment and software.

[|Smithsonian Education-Podcasting with your Students]

Kids can contribute by creating their own podcasts (with an affordable recording device for their audio players). This can attract their unique perspectives and creativity (Smithsonian Education, 2013). In addition, this site suggests that students who are not up to class writing standards serve as "editors" to their fellow students.

[|How to Use Podcasting In Your Classroom: 4 Podcast Lesson Ideas and Tips]

This site offers some very useful ideas on how to include podcasts in an elementary class. Some suggestions were:
 * Vocabulary enrichment exercises (Bright Hub Education, 2012).
 * Embedding realistic sound effects with field trip podcasts.
 * Having classmates reenact famous historical persons for podcast "interviews."

In addition, this website suggested that students simply use their smart phones to record their podcasts, and then download them to their home computers or classroom hardware.

References

//Bright Hub Education.// (2012). [website]. 4 Podcasting Lesson Ideas and Tips. Retrieved on September 15, 2015, from http://brighteducation.com /teaching-methods-tips/37199-four-ways-to-use-podcasting-to-teach/

Edirsingha, Palitha, Hawkridge, David, and Fothergill, John. (2010). A Renaissance of Audio: Podcasting Approaches for Learning on Campus and Beyond. //European Journal of Open, Distance, and E-Learning 1,// Retrieved on September 15, 2015, from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ911751

Lewis, Daniel, J. (2014). [website]. Should Your Podcast be Audio, or Video? Retrieved on September 17, 2015, from http://theaudacitytopodcast.com/should-your-podcast-be-audio-or-video-tap163/

Macpherson, Erin. (2014). [website]. 10 Podcasting Projects Teachers Should Try in the Classroom. Retrieved on September 16, 2015, from http: weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2014/08/07/10-podcasting-projects-every-teacher-should-try

Popova, Anguelina, Kirschner, Paul, A. and Joiner, Richard. (2013). Effects of Primer Podcasts on Stimulating Learning from Lectures: How Do Students Engage? //British Journal of Educational Technology.// Retrieved on September 15, 2015, from http://wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.2 12023/full

//Professional Learning Board.// (2015). [website]. What Are the Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom? Retrieved on September 15, 2015, from http://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/what-are-the-benefits-of-podcasting-in-the-classroom/

//Smithsonian Institution//. (2013). [website]. Podcasting With Your Students. Retrieved on September 15, 2015, from http://smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/podcast/index.html