Podcasts...a Great Way to Share

Podcasts are everywhere.  There is a podcast for everyone, from education to travel to news...just about any topic you can think of.   Not only are there a variety of podcasts that students can listen to, but they can even make their own!  The ideas are endless!  If they have an idea for a podcast, let them run with it!  In my experience in education, the more a student is interested in something, the better the learning experience and product.

Here are three free apps I tried out on my iPhone:

1. PodBean:  I have used PodBean in the past and have found it very easy to use.  You simply record by pressing the microphone button.  Once you are done, you can then upload it to Twitter, Facebook, or download it on your computer and add to a blog.  There are three music selections that can be used as introductions before you begin speaking or as an ending.  This is an easy one for students to get started with podcasting.

2. Tess: Begin by creating an account through email.  Easy to use by simply pushing the record button.  However, I could not find a way to upload this to any social media platform or even to my computer.  I would not recommend this one, because I could not find how to share it, except on the Tess Podcast player.

3. Anchor:  This is by far my favorite podcast maker.  It even advertises it's the easiest way to make a podcast.  You can sign-up through email or Facebook.  Once you make an account, you can use either your iPhone to record your audio or your computer microphone.  I tried out both and you can play both types of recordings on either your computer or iPhone.  You can also add transitional songs or music already on Anchor.  Or, upload your own music from their phone.  Episodes can last up to an hour with as many segments as possible.  Once your podcast is finished, it can be shared through email, Twitter, Facebook, or on the Anchor podcast app.  I highly recommend this one!

I made my podcast through Anchor.  I thought this was definately easy to use, upload and share through a wide variety of social networks.  I emailed the podcast to myself, and then just cut and paste into the blog.

Click below to hear my podcast on podcasting for education I made on Anchor:

Podcasts: 5 Ideas for Educators

Ideas for using podcasts with students:

1. Book Reviews-students can share their thoughts about books they have read
2. Book Clubs-record a book club discussion and then play the podcast for classmates or others
3. Interviews make good podcasts
4. Discussing current events, news, politics, information, music, movies, sporting events
5. Storytelling-students can share fictional stories, narratives, short stories, poems, or jokes they have written.
6. Travel diary-students can create a podcast over a trip
7. Let students create their own ideas....they usually have great ideas to use.

Ease of Podcasts:

By using an app on your iphone, students can create a podcast by recording and then uploading, and finally sharing with others.  Anchor and PodBean are both easy to use and share.  With a little guidance, students can create their first podcast realatively quickly.  Podcasts are great for research and writing skills.

Challenges:

Educators may need to get permission from parents in order for students to create a podcast.
Also, before recording a podcast, it's best to have students write out what they want to stay.  It's pretty hard to just "wing it" , unless it's a book club recording.  For example, they may want to have interview questions already written, or write out news or information they want to share with others.  It may take some time to write out scripts, but this is going to produce a better podcast.

Educational Podcasts to Listen To

For Elementary Students:

1. Brains On: science podcast for kids.
2. Story Pirates: stories written by kids and persformed by actors/actresses
3. Wow in the World: lots of information on a variety of topics in science and technology
4. TED Talks for Kids and Family: inspirational TED talks appropriate for kids

See this post from Say Yes: 26 Podcasts for Kids We Love
Great podcasts for elementary age students.

For Tweens and Teens Students:

1. Book Club for Kids: kids review popular books
2. Stuff You Missed in History Class: interesting history facts
3. Pants on Fire: tweens interview grown-ups

See this post from Common Sense Media: 10 Must-Listen Podcasts for Tween and Teens

For Teachers:

Edutopia posted the best podcasts for education: Best Education Podcast 2017