Podcasts: Resources, Tutorials, and Classroom Uses

In January, I listed some podcast directories in this blog. Each one of the directories listed interesting podcasts in a variety of areas. This month I am sharing podcasts or information about them with respect to three categories: resources, tutorials, and podcasts that were either created in the classroom or for the classroom. Both students and teachers are producing some awesome podcasts which can be accessed on YouTube, TeacherTube, iTunes, and other directories. Some innovative, interesting, and exciting ideas are showing up in podcasting. Read on!


Podcasting Resources

Odiogo
http://www.odiogo.com/
This product automatically converts text to audio files which can be played on MP3 players, including iPods.

Skypecasting
http://www.cscout.com/blog/2006/10/02/trend-skypecasting.html
Millions of registered users make free phone calls over the Internet using Skype software. Users can now have conversations with up to 100 people using Skypecasting. The conversation can then be recorded and shared like a podcast. Some interesting uses for Skypecasting include mystery writer Michael Connelly talking about his newest book, networking calls for business, and a live concert by the Dutch band Johan. Moodle even has Skypecast as a new feature.

How to YouTube Podcast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNQLDgkUXvk&mode=related&search=
This video shows how to watch YouTube video subscriptions on an iPod.


Podcasting Tutorials…

Learning Podcasting
http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/podcast/
This tutorial provides an overview of podcasting with sufficient detail that you develop an understanding of what is involved with creating and publishing your own podcasts. The information is not geared toward educators. However, it is certainly well worth reading and following the provided links.

The Podcast Recipe: Producing a Successful Show
http://seminars.apple.com/seminarsonline/podcast/apple/index.html
Apple, Inc. has produced a three-part video tutorial for creating, producing, and promoting podcasts. You can learn about different types of microphones and how to use them, how to decide what content goes where in your podcast program, and how to use GarageBand, iWeb, and iTunes to help with the whole process. This series focuses on using Macintosh products; however, information and recommendations appropriate to podcasts created on any computer are included. Although not directed to educators specifically, all three sessions have good ideas that the classroom teacher can use.

How to Podcast
http://www.voxmedia.org/wiki/How_to_Podcast
This section of the VoxMedia wiki is not finished yet, but the links are enough to recommend it for individuals who are looking for introductory instructions.

Audio Podcasting
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c02f9902576ec55ebbe7
This video provides very detailed instructions for creating an audio podcast using mypodcast.com and mypodcast recorder.

Podcast Tutorial: How to Post a Podcast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBH9l_6iPEM
This video tells how to use PodOmatic to post a podcast to the iTunes Store. You can record your podcast directly to the web using this free service. It works with both Windows and Mac computers.

Creating Video Podcasts on Mac OS X
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/tutorials/videopodcasts.html
This tutorial provides instructions for creating a video podcast on a Macintosh and posting it to iTunes.

Podcasting for iTunes & iTS podcast directory
http://www.mvldesign.com/itunespodcast.html
This podcasting tutorial guides you through creating a podcast of your own (on either Macs or Windows computers) and posting it on the iTunes Store podcast directory.


iLife Tutorials for Macs

iLife GarageBand: Recording a Podcast (Part 1)
http://www.zoom-in.com/tutorials/Apple/garageband/recording_a_podcast/index.php?part=1

iLife GarageBand: Recording a Podcast (Part 2)
http://www.zoom-in.com/tutorials/Apple/garageband/recording_a_podcast/index.php?part=2

Creating a Podcast Page
http://www.zoom-in.com/tutorials/Apple/iweb/podcast/index.php


Podcasting in the Classroom

Frog Dissection and Technology
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3b337800875b5d382a07
Watch grade 8 students document their frog dissections.

Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c4d7336496819a46a1b6
A junior high school history teacher decided to teach the Civil War through a historical novel and a blog. In the book, the Civil War is seen through the eyes of two teenage boys. This video is an overview of the project.

Human Survival on Mars
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=923770b2c360eefa2674
The host interviews astrophysicist Dr. Devon Hamilton about how human beings will be able to live on Mars.

Poetry and Multimedia
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=f7736089c757404650e4
Junior high school students present poetry using multimedia tools.

Public Service Announcements in Health Class
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=2cea2f369918c5e1e12b
Grade 8 students produce public service announcements in health class.

Real Life Applications of Parabolas
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1daabe3de1d76a6739cc
Students explore parabolas in real life.

Student Animations
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e7c3f6f3f1f37029303c
Students create Flash© animations.

Venus: A Hollister View T7
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9ab842e05382dc235f69
Students share information about Venus in an effort to interest other students.

PBS Teachers

PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) has created a portal--PBS Teachers (http://www.pbs.org/teachers)--to all their educational resources and services. Through this web site, teachers can access free standards-based lesson plans, classroom activities, videos, on-demand streaming video, blogs, and professional development information. Resources are organized by subject, grade level, and curriculum topic. The portal started this month (April, 2007). This summer the ability to bookmark, annotate, and share the resources will be available.

In addition to accessing national PBS resources through this portal, you can localize the web site to your local PBS station and access resources from there.

Professional Development is available through PBS TeacherLine (http://teacherline.pbs.org/teacherline/). Teachers enrolled in PBS TeacherLine can earn graduate credit and CEUs.

The PBS Shop for Teachers (http://teacher.shop.pbs.org/home/index.jsp) can help you find DVDs and other education resources linked to PBS series and specials.

PBS has been an excellent source of information and materials for teaching and learning for a long time. This portal web site simplifies access to their educational resources for teachers. This will be very helpful.

Teacher Magazine: Lead. Learn. Innovate. Inspire.

Interesting articles. Great photos. Inspiring ideas. Best practices. Quick reads for busy lives. And--best of all--you can subscribe via RSS! Check out this web site / magazine...

Teacher Magazine: Lead. Learn. Innovate. Inspire.
http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/index.html

Teacher Magazine is available on the web and in print. It covers news--local, state, and national--and preschool through 12th-grade issues. The site offers content for educator-leaders, best practices, and encouragement for reflection by educators.

The articles are an interesting collection of projects that other teachers are doing, information about issues that affect all of us in education, activities that we might want to implement in our teaching, and stories that inspire. And great photos... teacher-submitted photos that draw you into the teaching-learning process.

The current web site includes three stories from the current print issue (March/April 2007), two stories from the archives, photos submitted by teachers sharing their learning communities, highlights of three stories, one from the web and two from print, blogs, an interview, a book review, a poll, and an interactive section: talkback, blogs, chat transcript, feedback, and jobs.

Topics available on the web site include instruction, profession, technology, school environment, students and community, sports and activities, non-traditional schools, and lifestyle. Several opinion options are present: first person, perspective, classroom tech, letters, and book reviews. Web Features are the web watch, blogboard, curriculum notes, trend tracker, audio, and photo galleries. The community area has talkback, chat transcript, blogs, calendar, grants, ask the mentor, and teachers with cameras.

Articles available on the current web site include…
• Marty Mentzer’s Basketball Poets club… student achievement levels have risen
• Some California students may be able to increase their grades based on their state test results
• The 10th annual survey of educational technology from Education Week
• Blog by a teacher who has just completed his portfolio for the National Board
• Bus duty
• Interview with a new congressman who is a former educator
• A field trip to test students’ practical mathematics skills
• Book review of The Hurried Child… the disappearance of playing
• Shakespeare’s sonnets for special education students
• Learning advanced mathematics via machining
• Year-round schooling
• Value-added measures
• Middle-school students
• Reaching gifted children

This web site has…
• articles to help you teach,
• articles to help you take care of yourself and meet your goals and needs, and
• articles to inspire you.

Check it out!