This document provides an overview of podcasting and how it can be used in education. It begins by defining a podcast as an audio or video recording that is made available online. It then lists several benefits of podcasting such as allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge, incorporating a variety of skills, and providing an authentic activity. The document provides examples of student podcast ideas and sample teacher podcasts. It outlines the stages of podcast production from preproduction to publishing. It also provides information on tools, editing, adding audio effects, and publishing podcasts. The overall purpose is to encourage the use of podcasting to allow students' voices to be heard.

1. Let Your Voice Be Heard! Jennifer Gatz Spring MACE 2010 www.letyourvoicebeheard.wikispaces.com jgatz@doniphanwest.org Follow me: jenngatz on plurk

2. What is a Podcast? iPod + Broadcast = Podcast AKA = Personal On Demand BroadCAST Podcast is simply an audio and sometimes a video recording that is made available online. Although some podcasts are one time productions most podcasts are a series of audio presentations that you can subscribe to via an RSS feed (to learn more about RSS click here) Spinoffs Enhanced Podcast or Slide Cast (Sample) Vodcast (Sample) Screencast Podcasting in Plain English

3. Podcasting is… Quick Easy Engaging Standards based 21st Century Learning

4. Why Podcast? Provides students with a voice Allows students to demonstrate what they know about a topic Incorporates a wide variety of skills writing, editing, public speaking Can hit a variety of learning styles Authentic activity that can extend beyond the walls of the classroom

5. Student Podcasts Ideas Individual Content: Oral reports Reading an original poem, story or any piece of writing (sample poem, sample poem 2) Book Talks Group Assignments: Recreating a historical event through audio Interviewing adults, other students etc… Classroom News – Weekly, monthly or daily content Create a Radio Show

6. Examples of Student Podcasts Radio WillowWebPodcast by students in grades kindergarten through five in Omaha, Nebraska all about things they learn in school. Coley CastColeyCast is the radio broadcast created by the students of Room 34 in Murrieta, California. Coulee Kids 7th Grade Language Arts students from Wisconsin Mathcasts– Variety of Podcasts, Vodcasts, Screencasts

7. Teacher Podcast Ideas Recording of class lessons/lectures Audio/Video study guides Tutorials Parent communication- Class News Daily/weekly Announcements Sharing knowledge with other professionals

8. Sample Teacher Podcasts Mr. Coley’s Study Cast – Podcast for studying for Social Studies and Science Tests Mr. Langhorst – Middle School Social Studies teacher that posts Studycasts and Podcasts on his website and blog Bud the Teacher- Reflections and ideas on teaching

9. Tools for Podcasting Computer w/production software- Mac= Garage Band or AudacityPC = Audacity ( Free Download) Microphone Or even just a telephone depending on the service you use Audio Recording Software – Garage Band – Mac - iLife Audacity – PC or Mac – Free Free Podcasting Booklet by Tony Vincent

10. Podcast Stages Preproduction – Scripting Production-Recording the podcast into Audacity or Garage Band Post Production – Edit the Audio, possibly adding sound effects and music. Save as an MP3 Publishing - Post to a server or Podcast hosting sight

11. Preproduction Script writing and planning- This usually takes the most time Mustang Minute Mr. Coley’s Podcasting Resources Radio Willow Preproduction Script Example Radio Show Production

12. Getting Started with 1. Connect your microphone. 2. Launch Audacity. 3. Click the Edit menu and choose Preferences. In the Recording section, select your microphone. Tip: It should automatically recognize it. If you plug your microphone in first it can cause problems with recognizing the microphone.

13. Production – Recording Click the Record button. Speak into the microphone. Notice the waveforms appears as you speak. Click the Stop button. Click the Play button to listen to the recording. Audacity Tool Bar Record Button Stop Pause Button Play

14. Audacity Tracks Your speaking was too soft or too far from the headset. Sound waves are flat which means that speaking is either too soft, loud or flatsounding. Sounds waves have peaks and valleys meaning that you’re a proper distance from the microphone.

15. Post Production After recording it’s time for editing! Trim, rearrange, etc. Add music and/or sound effects Audacity Editing Tools

16. Editing Tools 3. Envelope Tool– allows you to adjust the (volume) of different sections of a track 1. Selection Tool – click and drag over a section of sound on the timeline to select that section. Envelope Tool Draw Tool Selection Tool Multi Tool Zoom Tool 2. Time Shift Tool– allows you to move the selected sound along the sound track. Basic Editing: 1. Using the Time Shift Tool-

17. Using the Editing Tools The selection tool allows you to select any part of your sound wave. It will let you listen to only selected parts of your Recording and will allow you to select parts to edit/delete. To delete a portion of your recording: Use the selection tool to select what you want to delete. Go to Edit Cut or just hit the delete key on your keyboard. Before After

18. Working with the Tracks Naming Tracks: When you have more than one track it is sometimes helpful to name each track. On the left hand side click on the down arrow by Audio Track Click on name and then add a name to your track. Adjusting Volume: 1. To make the volume of any track louder or softer drag the selector to the + or -.

19. Royalty Free Music & Effects Free Play Music Be sure you preview Sound Effect Sites: Absolute Sound Effects Partner in Rhyme Sound Effects Ikeepbookmarks Sound Effects

20. Importing Audio 1.Download your favorite music (Remember copyright issues) 2. Go to File – Then Import – Then Audio Select your audio file. Once your audio is imported use the Time Shift tool to adjust the all your tracks

21. Adding Audio Effects 1. Select the audio that you would like to fade in or out. 2. I selected the beginning of my music audio Then go to Effect – Fade In You will notice how the audio now is softer and then gets louder. You can do the same thing with the Fade Out Effect

22. Resources for FREE Download audacity.sourceforge.net/download LAUSD Podcast Wiki Audacity Wikispaces- (Official) Learning in Hand Podcast Ideas How to Podcast Video Tutorials Audacity Ning Group Mr. Coley’s Podcasting Resources – Basic Audacity Tutorials

23. Perfecting the Sound Sometimes you have several students recording. To 1. Download and install Levelator from conversationsnetwork.org/levelator 2. Launch Levelator. 3. Drag and drop your exported WAV file onto the Levelator window. 4. Wait while Levelator processes the file. 5. Locate the WAV file with “output” in the file name and delete the original WAV http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator

25. In Audacity go to File – Export – Then you can enter information or click ok. Then save your file as a MP3.