Podcasting Basics Welcome! Podcasting was the 2005 New Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year. It’s been around…
A podcast is a MULTIMEDIA file that may combine sound, visual, and textual information, distributed over the Web via syndication feeds. The user can play the files back either at a computer or on a mobile device such as an iPod. http://www.wilsonweb.com/newmedia/watlington-why-podcasting.htm
A “casted” message from me….. “Sometimes the discipline determines format…”
IDEAS (In Discussion, Everyone Authors Synchronously) for Podcasts *Book Talks - Summarizing a reading by Instructor or Students Causes students to reflect on reading Develops the ability to express or articulate
*Literature Circles – Discussion Separate small groups can have concurrent discussions on the same book and then exchange recordings to see how different groups addressed the same topics. Groups may read different books by the same author and then compare the recordings to find similarities or patterns.
*Process Drama/Role Play Historical Roles Interpretation of Literature through vocal reading and recording *Science Logs Recording observations in the field; Digital Notes Recorded investigation notes can be used to facilitate a peer review of data
‌Using video or still pictures in podcasts gives instructors another flexible and robust way to distribute material for observation and investigation to students. For instance, an instructor could supply students with video of a chemical reaction that would be too dangerous for students to observe directly or photographs of events in remote locations with an accompanying audio description. While nothing can take the place of direct experience in the science classroom, podcasting offers many ways to supplement the students' experience‌ (Extracted from: http://fcit.usf.edu/podcasts/science_logs.html)
*Foreign Language *Interviews *Group Discussion *Story Telling *News Reporting *Interpretation of Art; Field Notes Others???
What makes an effective podcast…… (single speaker) • Podcasts should be short o15 min or less • Be “chunky” oShort, diverse segments oBreak ‘em up with an audio “bumper” • Be organized oInterviews – questions ahead of time oWrite down talking points
• Pack as much “good” stuff into a recording as you can and move quickly oUnlike a blog, you can’t really skim oListeners trust • Be regular, but only if you’ve got quality • Get a decent mic…a little money will make a big difference • Leave some references or “to find out more” links in your podcast • Be “natural”; no need to be a radio personality • Learn some basic editing and add a little music • Identify your podcast • Subscribe and listen to others – you’ll learn a lot!
Subscribing to Podcasts/Blogs Consumption vs. Creation
Some Stats! (Take them as they are‌) Total US podcast audience reached 18.5 million in 2007. That audience will increase by 251 percent to 65 million by 2012. Of those listeners, 25 million will be "active" users who tune in to podcasts at least once a week (eMarketer 2008).
Growth in Educational Materials • Portable mobile players are no longer just entertainment devices • Educational materials as it relates podcasting is increasing The Need for Readers and Aggregators Feed reader software that automatically checks for and download any new audio to the listener's device
Specific Aggregators/Readers: Google Reader NetNewsWire (MAC) FeedDemon(PC) And Many others…………… Aggregating podcast and blog feeds are becoming integrated into Browsers and OS’s…
In Sum,
Primary Benefits of Podcasting: • Can facilitate organization and delivery of information tailored to users' individual preferences and learning styles. • Asychronous: accessible in various formats and available at anytime • Allow for infinite review and reinforcement of skills: repeated learning • Enables Communication – can reach far and wide • Preference for auditory learning, sight and/or auditory impairment
"Podcasting's essence is about creating content (audio or video – vodcasts) for an audience that wants to listen when they want, where they want, and how they want� (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/6/41/#B35)