With popular shows like Serial, Dirty John, and Doctor Death, podcasting has really solidified as a media outlet. It’s important for students to understand the importance of radio, and to be up on what is the newest form of radio: Podcasting. You can find Podcasts that cover nearly every topic, and discover long form interviews with very or not so very famous writers, researchers, celebrities, for wherever your interests lie.
What do you need to start a classroom podcast?
- Recording device (phone, microphone, computer
microphone).
- Headphones
- Sound Editing Software (Audacity or
Garageband)
- Place to host your Podcast: Libsyn, Anchor, or
SoundCloud
- Space on your computer hard drive (Podcasts
take a lot of space)
What is Podcasting good for?
- Recording lessons and posting them for absent
students to catch up on.
- News and updates in the classroom
- Student projects
- Interviews with students, teachers, and
parents
- Full experiential sharing
Because podcasting has become so
popular, it is easier and easier to create and share podcasts. A handy new app
for sharing podcasts is Anchor. Anchor is as easy to record, edit, and share as
on Youtube. You simply install the app on a phone or tablet, create your
profile, name your podcast, and get recording. From Anchor, your podcast can be
seen on iTunes and Google.
Another way to create a Podcast is by
creating a Youtube video, and separating the audio from the video. Now your
podcast can be available on two platforms! With Google Hangouts, you can record
meetings and interviews with multiple people, send it directly to Youtube, and
then take the audio for your podcast! The Audio can be added to Anchor,
SoundCloud, or wherever your podcast is hosted.
If you want to keep it simple, another
free audio platform is SoundCloud. Like with Anchor, you can record directly
into SoundCloud. Or you can record and edit your Podcast, save it to your hard
drive, and upload it into SoundCloud. It’s a little complicated getting your
podcast from SoundCloud into iTunes, but it can be done. Just follow the
instructions here: https://blog.soundcloud.com/2018/05/30/host-podcast-soundcloud/
Depending on the quality of your
podcast, it is important to get some audio editing software. A free and easy to
use software for editing is Audacity https://www.audacityteam.org/
When you first look into podcasting, it
can be a pretty daunting endeavor. Depending on how deep you want to go,
podcasting can require a lot of technical understanding or little. If you want
your podcast to show up on major platforms like iTunes, Stitcher, or Google
Play, then you may have to invest in a hosting service like Libsyn (for at
least $5 per month). Here is a good tutorial on setting up a podcast in libsyn http://www.podcastersunplugged.com/how-to-setup-podcast-hosting-with-libsyn-podcast-tutorial/, and here is a Youtube video doing the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NySz8OFMvSM
Ideas for Podcasting with Students
The easiest Podcast form is the
interview. Have your students do a project where they interview someone about
something, record and edit the audio, and then place it in the class podcast
wherever you decide to host.
There you go! You did it! The class has a podcast! Have you tried Podcasting yet? I'd love to hear about it.
There you go! You did it! The class has a podcast! Have you tried Podcasting yet? I'd love to hear about it.

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