Podcasting in Education

Have you ever considered using podcasting in your classroom?  After researching the effects that sharing and creating podcasts can have, I am here to tell you a handful reasons why a podcast can be an effective tool for both you and your students.  As an educator, podcasting can add a different layer to your lessons.  You could use a podcast from someone else or even one you created.  With the click of the button, your students can hear key information, as opposed to reading it, which can useful for auditory learners.  Your podcasts don't have to stay in the classroom either!  Your students will also have access to these podcasts at home to help them with their homework or if they need to hear the information from class again.  As a teacher, podcasting may also be helpful to contact parents and give them updates on what is going on inside your classroom.  From a student's perspective, creating a podcast is an excellent assignment that will teach them a plethora of important skills.  Communication, speaking, oral fluency, technology skills, and presentation skills can all be involved in the making of a podcast (just to name a few)!  If students share their podcasts in the classroom, this will give an advantage to students who tend to not speak up as much. Podcasting gives you a chance to hear what your students have to say, and eliminates stress from those students who have anxieties about standing up and speaking in front of the classroom.

If you want to get started on podcasting, a wonderful educational tool called Spreaker, can help you get started!  It's free and easy to use!  A summary of this site is: Spreaker is a tool you can use to create and share your own podcasts.  You can even discover other podcasts that may be of interest to you.  One unique feature that Spreaker has is the ability to add music to a podcast.  This website allows you to search through a filter for music that may be fitting for your podcast.  A second unique (and fun) feature on Spreaker is the multitude of sound FX options you can add to your recording as well!  These sounds range from doorbells and crickets to airplane take offs and cheering crowds.  These special effects are bound to add character to your podcasts.  Spreaker also offers a mobile version of their website for Apple and Android, which are very convenient.

In a trial run for using Spreaker to make my own Podcast, I used the large variety of podcasts available on iTunes to search for some interesting educational resources.  I found a podcast called Grammar Girl and found it to be a perfect resource for my future English class!  After listening to Grammar Girl's podcast "Capital vs Capitol" on iTunes, I made my own podcast on Spreaker summarizing the podcast that I heard on iTunes.  I was sure to try out the music and sound FX tools on Spreaker's website, while relaying information from Grammar Girls podcast.  After I finished recording my two minute podcast, I published it on Spreaker.  Using the embed code, I was able to attach my podcast to this blog post so my viewers can listen.  The whole process was simple and very enjoyable to test out.  I can definitely see myself using podcasts in my classroom!

Below is my podcast summarizing Grammar Girl's podcast on a confusing pair of homophones.


Listen to "iTunes Summary" on Spreaker.