TSPRA VOICE What’s this podcasting stuff, anyway? By Erin McCann
Used effectively in conjunction with other established strategies, podcasts can be very effective for school districts.
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s educators, we love a good buzzword. You’ve probably heard the term “podcast” thrown around. The world stood still in 2014 when Sarah Koenig, former producer for “This American Life,” launched “Serial,” an investigative journalism podcast questioning the possible wrongful conviction of Adnan Syed in Baltimore, Maryland. Overnight, thousands of people began exploring the realm of podcasting. The unexpected COVID-19 pandemic and the aftershocks and implications of distance learning in districts across Texas are still being felt today, and public schools are reassessing the best ways to teach and reach our constituents. Having innovative methods of reaching our audiences and connecting our citizens with our messages has never been more important. Podcasting, better described as audio content on-demand, has been around for years. Podcasts were actually invented in 2004 by two former MTV VJ’s who wanted to find a way to download internet-based radio broadcasts to their early edition iPods. Since that time, podcasts have grown tremendously in both content and production quality. It’s an enormous virtual space, and relatively inexpensive to produce. Truly, if you dream it, you can do it. The education sphere has really started connecting with the idea of podcasting in the last five years. In that time, audio content has grown exponentially, and it is rational to consider whether or not this is a logical vehicle for your district, and for your community. Heads up — podcasts don’t work for everyone.
Why do you want to start a podcast? When someone starts to question if they should start a podcast, there are a few questions they should ask themselves. “Why do you want to? Do you think it’s cool? Has your superintendent noticed his or her peers podcasting, and think that they are missing an opportunity? Does it align to a strategic goal or priority?” None of those reasons are wrong, but it’s important to begin with the end in mind and know exactly why you are starting down this path. Podcasts can be done at a very high production value, spending tons of time and money in sound engineering, or they can be produced very simply from just an app on your phone. Knowing the ultimate goal of your podcast can help you in the research stage to evaluate how much money, if any, you should invest in this venture.
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