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Podcasting in Class: Using Audio to Enhance Student Voice in the Liberal Arts

Brandon Hall, Director of Instructional Technology

Pembroke Public Schools

Google Certified Trainer

@HallsHomework

Disclaimer: I’m not a paid sponsor of Anchor. I don’t know anyone at Anchor. Names, characters, and events are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Pod·cast

ˈpädˌkast/

noun

1. a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.

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Popular Podcasts

Serial Stuff You Should Know

Radio Lab This American Life

Pod Save America Revisionist History

Get a CUE (MassCUE) How Stuff Works

TED Talks Daily MyHockeyLive (mine!)

Basic Equipment Needed

A device with a microphone

A recording app like Anchor or Garageband��OR! Google Slides Insert Audio feature and 123apps.com

The Internet

More Sophisticated Equipment

Microphones, extending stands, pop screens, XLR cable, monitoring headphones

Four-channel sound mixing board

Computer with programs like Audacity or GarageBand

RSS Feed from SoundCloud or other hosting services

iTunes Podcast app

How can I use this in the classroom?

I use podcasts as part of project-based learning. It’s great to capture student discussion and publish to the web, or for students to create a show to share with others. As with other podcasts, the format is completely dependent on the creator of the content.

Potential Lessons

Small-group debate

Book discussion and review

As a check for understanding

As an assessment

Deeper dive and discussion into material that can’t be covered in class

TED Talk-style lesson

More Potential Lesson Ideas

Teacher Podcast - Introduce / Review / Present

Collaborative Class Podcast - Students submit audio & teacher publishes

Rotating Hosts to Class Podcast

Podcast as a Student Portfolio & body of work

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Podcasting in Liberal Arts layout

1. Create topics (at least 3)
1. Be more specific than general
2. Create a group claim - what are you attempting to prove?
3. Create 4 - 5 questions you would like to be asked about the topic*
• ** make sure all of your research is included***
4. Answer each question - change the font (questions in bold, answers in regular font)
• Be sure you are including citations and direct evidence:
1. “According to an article from The Guardian, ….”
5. Format and arrange in a synthesis organization --
• Does it flow? Does it make sense? Is it a natural conversation?
• Make sure there are no monopolizers -- everyone speaks equally.

6. Conclusions from each side

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Potential Topics

The New York Times’ resource for education, The Learning Network, created a list of 1,225 writing prompts for students. Any of these would make for great podcast or essay topics.

• Can a GIF work better than words?
• Do Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time?
• What Makes HQ Trivia So Popular?
• Is Pokémon Go a Positive Cultural Force? Or Is it Just Another Excuse for People to Stare at Their Phones?��

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Requirements

* think of this as a research based essay.

* include a minimum of four sources: your text and three other outside sources, such as news outlets, educational institutions, or government organizations

*proper integration of evidence from all sources.

*MLA format /citations – see Purdue Owl MLA Citations for help.

*Clear outline with a proper Works Cited page, part of any good research assignment.

* 5 - 7 minute dialogue each for discussion about your topic.

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Nitty-gritty

• Give students a prompt
• Have students create a thesis
• Work with students on creating essay-style outlines
• Allow students to do a “dry-run” to practice
• Record and publish!

Things to keep in mind

• Be aware of copyright law - use Creative Commons licensed music only!
• Be sure students are citing facts and attributing quotes properly
• Allow the discussion to sound organic - contractions are cool!
• Offer suggestions, but let the students find their way through the process.
• It’s ok to fail with the technology...the conversation is what counts!

Grading

PVLEGS Podcast Rubric and other PVLEGS rubrics from Erik Palmer’s book Well Spoken. He also includes these great student score cards for student eval. Here’s a Common Core Speaking and Listening rubric if that’s more your thing. Here’s a podcast from some 9th grade students as an example.

* Poise * Eye Contact

* Voice * Gestures

* Life * Speed

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Google Slides

Use the website www.123apps.com to record and save your audio.

Using the new “Insert Audio” Feature, you can take podcasts offline.

Click on the “Insert” tab, and scroll down to “Insert Audio” to put in your audio file on a Google Slide.

Anchor.FM

Anchor makes the easiest podcasting tool I’ve ever seen. ��Everything is mobile, and it saves each piece of audio like block coding.

Anchor distributes to all of the major hosting sites (if you want to), or you can keep it local by just sharing the link via email or Google Classroom.

13+ tool

There is also a web-based platform that’s simple to use on Chromebooks.

So let’s give it a try!

Download the free mobile Anchor app on either the App Store or Google Play

Sign up and create a free profile

Click the “+” button to get started.

For best results, hold the phone up to your ear like a phone call.

Topic:

In a three to five minute recording, discuss ways we can use technology to enhance student learning and engagement.�

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If you want to try the app in your class...go find a quiet place to record! (be sure to come back with questions)

To publish, follow these six steps:

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Publishing a podcast as a series

This explainer from Apple is great and has saved me a ton of time

Simply, you need to record your podcast and have it hosted somewhere, like Anchor or Soundcloud, because they create an RSS feed (which is like a web address for your files).

Apple Podcasts and others will constantly search for updates to your RSS feed to distribute your podcast.

Now that you’ve recorded, publish your podcast or share it with me!

Brandon.Hall@pembrokek12.org

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