Podcasts and The Classroom

Podcasting is another of my favorite activities to complete in the classroom with my students.  We currently create podcasts as book reviews for future students.  We then link the podcast with a QR code that we print and tape into our classroom library books.  Audacity is an amazing program  to work with when creating podcasts!  My 3^rd and 4^th graders are able to easily create and record a podcast episode, without any help from me! And I think one of my favorite teachers was the lack of a required microphone when using the iPad! So simple to use.

My students are also looking forward to a creating video podcast this year that will be based around their research units.  The classroom will be writing research reports, but will present their materials through a podcast session using Windows Movie Maker and Audacity.  These will then be uploaded to our classroom website for parents to enjoy!

Since I sadly lack permission from parents to post student podcasts online, and is required in our district, I cannot share their student samples.  Therefore, I’ll share two of my favorite podcasts that I subscribe to as an educator.  I tend to listen to podcasts during my runs or off my Nook.  Therefore, I use the links a lot more than I do the iTunes access:

http://techlandia.podomatic.com/

Techlandia is a teacher generate site that promotes not only technology integration into schools, but provides instantaneously useful skills that can be directly applied to your classroom instruction the very same day.  One of the best notes about this podcast series, is the fact that it’s styled after late-night tv shows, which makes for a great and humorous listen normally!

http://edreach.us/channel/googleeducast/

Another of my technology downfalls is my obsession with everything Google.  I use Google Drive to store all my materials, Google Maps to go on virtual field trips, Gmail as my daily correspondence, and every other Google tool in between.  I was exposed to the Google Education Podcasts this summer through a Google Teacher Summit that I was invited to.  The Google Educational Podcasts are soley based on Google technology in the classroom, and was to actively implement Google into your everyday use.