Using Podcasts as Learning Tools for Students and Teachers

Podcasts are powerful tools that are useful for teaching and learning in the classroom, professionally, and personally. I am selecting resources to add to my current materials in an upcoming summer workshop (see the last two weeks' posts and here) to help the workshop participants understand the value and benefits of podcasting.

Podcasts Anywhere Anytime / Francois / CC BY 2.0

I have created and used podcasts made with Garageband, Audacity, iPadio, and VoiceThread. The tools available today--these four and many more--make it easy for teachers and students to create podcasts with computers and/or mobile devices.

I searched for additional appropriate resources in my Delicious account, my educational sandbox (a customized search engine for a select set of blogs... see How Do You Search for Information on a Topic?), LiveBinders, Pinterest, Scoop.it!, Twitter, YouTube, and on the web.

These new workshop materials fit mainly in these categories:

• creating podcasts,
• mobile apps,
• listening to podcasts, and
• ways to use podcasts in the classroom.

I will also suggest that the workshop participants follow @iTunesPodcasting on Twitter and that they search Pinterest for podcasting ideas. And, of course, I will continue to recommend iPadio (a free site to create audio podcasts by telephone) and Odiogo (a site that automatically converts text to audio files but not currently accepting new users) for podcasting.

Creating Podcasts

Students Creating Podcasts / Susan Hersh / CC BY-ND 2.0

Teacher’s Guide on the Use of Podcasting in Education… http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/12/teachers-guide-on-use-of-podcasting-in.html 
overview with links for creating and using podcasts in education… includes list of podcasts to listen to

Create a Multi-Track Radio Show (Podcast) with Audacity… http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2013/04/16/create-a-multi-track-radio-show-podcast-with-audacity/ 
use Audacity, iTunes, The Levellator, AudioBoo, and DropBox via Wesley Fryer… 
links to instructions for podcasting with an iPad

Can’t Afford Podcast Hosting? Try These Free Alternatives… 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cant-afford-podcast-hosting-try-free-solutions/ 
how to host podcasts for free

How to Start a Podcast – Pat’s Complete Step-By-Step Podcasting Tutorial…
http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-start-a-podcast-podcasting-tutorial/ 
video tutorials

Making of a Video Podcast on #iPad… 
http://www.mguhlin.org/2012/11/making-of-video-podcast-on-ipad.html 
how to make an enhanced or video podcast on an iPad… apps used are listed… not free

Simplify Enhanced Podcasting on #iPad - Sonic Pics via @allanahk @wfryer… 
http://www.mguhlin.org/2012/11/simplify-enhanced-podcasting-on-ipad.html 
introduction (simple, well-explained) to how to create a podcast on an iPad

5 Great Video Tutorials on How to Create Podcasts Using Audacity…
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/05/5-great-video-tutorials-on-how-to.html 
how to use Audacity

10 Creative Uses for Audacity That You Probably Haven’t Thought of… 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-creative-audacity-havent-thought/ 
ways to use Audacity

5 Ways to Use AudioBoo in Your Classroom… 
https://blog.edmodo.com/2013/08/13/5-ways-to-use-audioboo-in-your-classroom/ 
ways to use AudioBoo

Learn Podcast Editing Basics with Garageband [Mac]… 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learn-podcast-editing-basics-garageband-mac/ 
how to use Garageband for podcasting (2012)

How to Video: Create Classroom Podcasts with Voki… 
http://learnitin5.com/how-to-create-classroom-podcasts-with-voki 
how to use Voki for podcasts

How to Turn YouTube Channels into Subscribable Podcasts… 
http://lifehacker.com/how-to-turn-youtube-channels-into-subscribable-podcasts-496976976 
just what the title says… gets a bit geeky

The 27 Steps to Get Your Podcast into iTunes… 
http://schoolofpodcasting.com/the-27-steps-to-get-your-podcast-into-itunes/ 
how to workflow from beginning to end

Copyright Friendly Music & Sounds… 
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=431466 
audio resources for digital media projects in schools

Mobile Apps

Home Screen / David Herrold / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Best Podcast Apps for iPhone and iPad: Podcasts, Instacast, Downcast, and more!... 
http://www.imore.com/best-podcast-apps-iphone-podcasts-pocket-casts-instacast-downcast-stitcher

4 App Showdown: Which is the Best Android Podcast App?... 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-app-showdown-which-is-the-best-android-podcast-app/

Listening to Podcasts

Listening / Tom Carmony / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

What is the Best Way to Find New Podcasts… 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/what-is-the-best-way-to-find-new-podcasts/ 
iTunes, of course, and many more are listed

5 Essential Technology Podcasts that Geeks Should Listen to… 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-essential-technology-podcasts-geeks-listen/ 
list of techie podcasts

10 Educational History Podcasts to Subscribe & Listen to… 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-educational-history-podcasts-subscribe-listen/ 
list of history podcasts

Educational Podcasts and Videos… 
http://www.cencoos.org/sections/classroom/edu_links.shtml 
ocean podcasts

The Wild Classroom: Education for the Next Generation… 
http://www.thewildclassroom.com/ 
science podcasts

+ plus magazine… living mathematics… 
http://plus.maths.org/content/Podcast 
mathematics podcasts

The Internet Radio Show for Every Teacher: Every Classroom Matters… 
http://www.coolcatteacher.com/teacher-podcast/podcast series (Internet radio show) 
hosted by Vicki Davis

Personalized Learning Resources for Mobile Educators… 
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/personalized-learning-resources-mobile-educators-joe-mazza 
list of podcasts for educators

Ways to Use Podcasts in the Classroom

Classroom Podcasting / Cole Camplese / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

10 Podcasting Projects Every Teacher Should Try… 
http://www.weareteachers.com/community/blogs/weareteachersblog/blog-wat/2013/05/22/10-podcasting-projects-every-teacher-should-try 
ways to use podcasts with students

Field Trip to the Art Institute of Chicago… 
http://drydenart.weebly.com/fugleblog/field-trip-to-the-art-institute-of-chicago 
art field trip podcasts

In the Classroom: Live Oak Elementary School Students Produce Audio Podcasts… 
http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2012/08/17/in-the-classroom-live-oak-elementary-school-students-produce-audio-podcasts/ 
students create podcasts

Listening to Themselves: Podcasting Takes Lessons Beyond the Classroom… 
http://www.edutopia.org/podcasting-student-broadcasts 
students create podcasts

Podcasts… 
http://www.schrockguide.net/uploads/3/9/2/2/392267/evalpodcast.pdf 
checklist for evaluating a podcast


Will I use ALL these resources in the workshop? Most likely not. However resources that do not become part of the workshop activities may find themselves in a list provided for the participants to access on their own during the workshop or later.

These sites should help facilitate some interesting and useful discussions. How do you help other educators discover the benefits of using podcasts?