Welcome to: Podcasts,
Blogs and Wikis, Oh My!
Jason Noble,
Spanish Teacher, Ogden HS, Ogden, IA
E-mail: jasonoble@gmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/senornoble
Website: www.srnoblepresenta.wikispaces.com/
Blog: www.senornoble.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/senornoble

Podcasts, Blogs, and
Wikis, Oh My!
Jason Noble Ogden H.S. Ogden, IA
2009 AATSP Conference

“To be a teacher you must be a
prophet - because you are trying to
prepare people for a world thirty to
fifty years into the future.”
- Gordon Brown, MIT -

"Technology is anything invented after you
were born, everything else is just stuff"
-Alan Kay

Podcasting

What is a Podcast?
The Official Definition:
A podcast is an episodic program delivered via the
Internet using an XML protocol called RSS. Podcast
episodes can be audio files, video files, documents, or
any combination of the three. The publisher or
broadcaster podcasts the program by posting the
episodes and the XML document to a Web server. The
consumer subscribes to the podcast using a client
application, such as iTunes, which regularly reads the
XML file and downloads new episodes.
Taken from Apple iTunes website.
http://www.apple.com/itunes/whatson/podcasts/fanfaq.html

What is a Podcast? (cont.)
The “Plain English” Definition:
A podcast most commonly refers to an audio file, but
can also be a video (vodcast) or text file, that is
subscribed to via a web format known as an RSS feed
(Rich Site Summary). Whenever the podcaster updates
or adds content, the RSS feed sends the new content to
an aggregator like iTunes or other sites.
Taken from Jason Noble’s brain (2/26/09).

How To Begin Using Podcasts
Beginner
- Listen to/Subscribe to World
Language Podcasts/Vodcasts.
- Create a list of Podcasts for your
students.

How To Begin Using Podcasts
Intermediate
In addition to the beginner ideas…
- Create a podcast for your class or to
share with other language teachers.
- Listen to a podcast as a class activity.

How To Begin Using Podcasts
Advanced
In addition to the beginner and
intermediate ideas…
- Have your students create a podcast.
- Collaborate with other classrooms via
podcasts.

So What do I need?
Necessary: Optional:
- Computer with - iPod or other mp3
internet connection Player (to listen on
- Computer the go)
Microphone * - Audio editor
(Audacity.com is a
* You can record from your free web tool)
phone using the website:
www.drop.io

Getting Podcasts
You can subscribe to “podcasts” in the
generic sense through any number of free
aggregator sites, including iTunes.
Free Aggregator sites:
- Podcast Ready
- Miro
- Juice
- iTunes

Some Podcasts to Check Out
Chato, El Chico Peruano - vodcast
Notes In Spanish
Cody’s Cuentos
Coffee Break Spanish
Spanish News Bites
Spanish Podcasts
Extraviados – “Lost” recap in Spanish

Chato, El Chico Peruano

Misc. Podcast Links
 Sample rubric for Podcast activity.
 Poducate Me – Online guide to
Podcasting

Uses of Podcasts in a FL
Classroom
Student Uses: Teacher Uses:
- Listen to authentic - Listen to authentic
content/speakers content/speakers
- Creating audio - Pronunciation Guides
activities - Oral Assessment
- Using language outside - Home Communication
of the classroom - ACTFL “Communities”
- Listen to teacher Standard
created audio.
- Technology Integration

Questions or Comments?

Blogs

What is a blog?
A blog (a contraction of the term
"weblog") is a type of website, usually
maintained by an individual with regular
entries of commentary, descriptions of
events, or other material such as graphics
or video. Entries are commonly displayed
in reverse-chronological order.
- Definition taken from Wikipedia 6/24/09
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

An Example (My Blog):
Date, Title RSS Feed
Blog Post
Profile
http://senornoble.blogspot.com/

Where can I get a Blog?
 Class Blogmeister. Created as a blogging platform specifically
for educators, this free service will get you and your students
blogging in no time. An added bonus to this service is that it is
rarely blocked by school filters due to it’s specific safety
features.
 Edublogs. Another blogging platform made just for educators,
this service is based on WordPress, so comes with all the
features of WordPress. Another benefit of Edublogs is the short
and simple URLs for the blogs that make it easy to share with
parents.
 WordPress. Get a free blog with WordPress and you will also
have access to plenty of tools such as spellcheck, integrated
stats tracker, and spam protection. This is one of the more
popular blogging platforms.
 Blogger. Another popular blogging publisher, Blogger is teamed
up with Google and offers lots of tools to make your blogging
experience easier. You will need a Google account to create a
blog with these folks.
 TypePad. TypePad lets you select from thousands of
designs and has lots of widgets, custom banners, and
more. However, this service is not free. You can take
advantage of a free trial before you decide to pay the low
monthly fee or annual subscription, though.

Where can I get a Blog? (cont.)
 LiveJournal. In addition to providing a blog, LiveJournal also
makes it easy to create a social network through the blogs. This
might work great for your class if all the students will have their
own blog as well.
 Moveable Type. Another free blog publisher, Moveable Type offers
many of the same features as the others with a spam blocker,
templates, and more.
 Tumblr. Not really a full-fledged blogging platform, Tumblr is
designed for smaller posts and a much more personalized
experience. If you aren’t ready to go the way of the blog, this
might be a good way to get your feet wet.
 Windows Live Writer. Get a Space in Windows Live and download
Live Writer to start blogging with this publisher. You can connect
with others, post video, and more with Live Writer.
 Thingamablog. All you need to get started with this blog platform
is FTP, SFTP, or access to a server. The setup wizard will guide you
through the steps of getting your blog in place.
From:
http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/07/21/50-useful-blogging-to
/
Check out this article for even more great tips on using blogs in your
classroom.

How To Begin Using Blogs
Beginner
- Read/Subscribe to Ed. Tech/World
Language Blogs.
- Connect with teacher bloggers.
- Create your own private blog.
- Play around with your blog.
…before you integrate technology into your classroom, you've
got to integrate it into your life.
- R. Richard Wojewodzki (@TeachPaperless) via Twitter
6/23/09

How To Begin Using Blogs
Intermediate
In addition to the beginner ideas…
- Make your blog public.
- Use your blog for posting class
assignments.
- Use your blog to post useful links for your
students.
- Have students read and then post a
comment on your blog or another blog.

How To Begin Using Blogs
Advanced
In addition to the beginner and intermediate
ideas…
- Have your students set up a blog for class.
- Have your students blog for an assignment.
- Have your students blog for multiple
assignments.
- Have your students post comments on each
other’s blogs.

Uses of Blogs in a FL Classroom
Student Uses: Teacher Uses:
- Expand your PLN
- Read authentic content
- Collaboration
- Student Journaling - Class Blog
- Place for reaction/ - Student/Teacher
Announcements
response to material
- Home Communication
- Individual and - ACTFL “Communities”
Collaborative Projects Standard
- Technology Integration

Questions or Comments?

Wikis
Hawaiian for “easy”

Wikis & Bulletin Boards:
An Analogy
A wiki is a website version of a community bulletin
board. Both are places where anyone within a
community is free to publicly post announcements,
ads, ideas, and/or solicitations. The main difference
is that wikis allow the items that are posted to be
edited, reworked, and remixed.

Wikis & Bulletin Boards:
An Analogy (cont.)
Imagine that you are looking at a
community bulletin board.
What if you could digitally edit a
misspelled want-ad, or add artwork,
music or other types of files to a
concert flyer to make it more useful
or aesthetically pleasing? Finally,
what if your bulletin board could be
viewed not only by local residents,
but by the whole world…?
That would be a wiki.

Teachers need to stop saying, “Hand it
in,” and start saying “Publish It.”
- Alan November

A FREE Wiki Site :
K-12 wikis fe ature all the be ne fits of
our Plus s e rvic e :
wikis pac e s . c om  full privac y , only the pe ople you
allow in c an s e e your wiki
- My s e rvic e of c hoic e .  no adve rtis ing , your online
Wikis pac e s is ve ry e as y to us e , c las s room will re m ain ad -fre e
it has be e n re liable , and the  unlim ite d us e , as m any us e rs ,
be s t thing is that K-12 te ac he rs pag e s , e dits , and file s , as you like ,
no lim its
c an g e t a Plus m e m be rs hip
upg rade for FREE!  a c us tom izable look and fe e l , s o
you c an m ake it fe e l like hom e
The offe r is worldwide and is available
for any wiki that is us e d
e xc lus ive ly for K-12 (prim ary and
s e c ondary ) e duc ation .

More FREE Wiki Site s :
In addition to - we tpaint. c om
wikis pac e s , - wikidot. c om
he re are s om e - pbworks . c om
othe r FREE (formerly pbwik i.com)
wiki s ite s that
you m ig ht want wiki . c om
to c he c k out. Search Wik is
wikim atrix . c om
Compare Wik is

Uses of Wikis in a FL Classroom
Student Uses: Teacher Uses:
- Student Website - Class Website
- Student/Teacher
- Student Workspace Collaboration
- Projects - Teacher/Teacher
- Collaborative Textbook Collaboration
- Announcements Home
- Technology Integration Communication
- ACTFL “Communities”
Standard

Questions or Comments?

THE END
View this presentation online:
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All pictures taken from Stock.xchng
(www.sxc.hu) or Flickr (www.flickr.com)

Podcasts, Blogs and Wikis,
Oh My!
Jason Noble,
Spanish Teacher, Ogden HS, Ogden, IA
E-mail: jasonoble@gmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/senornoble
Website: www.srnoblepresenta.wikispaces.com/
Blog: www.senornoble.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/senornoble