Easy Classroom Podcasting
Have
you ever felt like you just can't reach your students? They speak the
language of technology while you speak the language of, well, teachers. But
what if there was a bridge between the two? In this professional training
course for teachers, you'll learn how to make a podcast that creates a
memorable learning experience for your students. You'll find their interest
reignited when you start using their favorite formats: audio, images, and
video. You won't even need an iPod or a big budget to harness the power of
podcasting in your classroom.
Over the next six weeks, we'll create three podcasts: one audio, one
enhanced, and one video. As we make our masterpieces, we'll talk about the
four steps of podcast planning, the best free software to use, common
pitfalls and problems, and smart ways to integrate this exciting medium into
your everyday curriculum. You can expect students to be more engaged and
retain knowledge longer if you teach them in this exciting digital format!
As an added bonus, there's nothing quite like helping students discover the
pleasures of putting their favorite gadgets--like headphones and
computers--to work for school projects!
To enroll in this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end.
Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course.
You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must
complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each
month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to
space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
| Have you heard about classroom podcasting and
wondered what the big fuss is about? Well, get ready to discover a
new way to marry your students' interest in technology with their
schoolwork! Whether you're recording lessons or your students are
recording their own projects, it's a win-win situation. In today's
lesson, you'll learn what podcasting is, why it's transforming
everyday teaching and learning opportunities, and how to communicate
with your tech-savvy students in their language. |
| Friday - Lesson 02 |
| Podcasting began as a great but humble idea: to
record audio programs and make them accessible to people around the
world at any time, day or night, present or future. As soon as it
caught on, people started wondering, "Why can't we also make
graphic, text, and video programs that are available round the clock
for subscription?" Today, there are three types of podcasts: audio,
enhanced (audio, text, and images), and video. We'll talk about the
characteristics of each in today's lesson. |
| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
| There are four steps to building a solid
educational podcast: planning, recording, producing, and publishing.
Today, we'll tackle the first and most critical step: planning. As
we talk about theme and purpose and the best ways to align our ideas
to our curriculum, we'll plan an audio podcast to share book group
with one of our students who is out sick. You'll get a lot of
hands-on planning practice as you learn techniques the pros rely on. |
| Friday - Lesson 04 |
| With a plan in place, we're ready to record our
podcast. Are you ready to discover Gcast, a powerful audio podcast
recording application? I hope so! It's free, it's easy to use, and
it's always effective for turning great ideas into wonderful
podcasts. As we work with Gcast, we'll discuss helpful tips for
recording podcasts the right way the first time. |
| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
| Now that we've recorded our audio podcast, we
have to produce and publish it for mass distribution online. After
all, people are clamoring for our content! In this lesson, we'll use
Gcast to produce our recording, add a musical introduction, and
package it for sharing. Once we're packaged, we'll upload our
podcast to iTunes. I know you're going to be impressed with the
final podcast when you see it up on iTunes. |
| Friday - Lesson 06 |
| Well, we've recorded our first podcast. Can it
get any better? Oh yes, it can. Today, we're going to plan and
record an enhanced podcast using PowerPoint slides and PowerPoint's
own recording feature. If you don't have PowerPoint, don't
worry--we'll walk through a free trial download. Enhanced podcasts
are a terrific step up, allowing us to punctuate our message with
images, text, and fun transitions. |
| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
| Now that we've made our PowerPoint podcast, we
have to produce and publish it for the world to see. This is where
the process can get a little confusing because we need another free
program to turn our PowerPoint recording into a podcast. But don't
worry--with authorSTREAM and a few helpful tips, you'll soon be
podcasting to your heart's content. Learn the secrets in today's
lesson. |
| Friday - Lesson 08 |
| We've tackled audio and enhanced podcasting. Now
what? It's time for the video! I know what you're thinking:"But I
don't have video equipment!" Well, you won't need it. Today, we'll
plan a simple video podcast and then use stock footage to bring it
to life. Once you start experimenting with video podcasts, you'll be
hooked. It's a blast! |
| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
| In this lesson, we're going to turn our stock
video into a video podcast masterpiece. We'll produce it with skill
in Windows Movie Maker, a free program that's already on your PC.
Soon, you'll be using it to make cuts, add music, and edit your
video seamlessly. Once you've produced this podcast, you'll publish
it so others can examine your handiwork. |
| Friday - Lesson 10 |
| Now that you've made some podcasts, you're
probably itching to start using this technology in your classroom.
Well, that's what we're going to do today. Get ready for lots of fun
integration techniques that will have you on the right track the
first time. Whether you teach first grade or twelfth, you'll enjoy
the variety of ideas in this lesson. |
| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
| It's a wonderful educational experience to make
your own podcasts. But what if you don't have time? Not to
worry--thousands of teachers are sharing their podcasts with the
educational community online. Today, we'll talk about smart
searching techniques you can use to locate and then evaluate
ready-made podcasts. This takes less than half the time of making
your own podcasts but doubles the learning power. |
| Friday - Lesson 12 |
| Podcasting is surely here to stay, but as with
all things technological, it's sure to undergo some changes in the
near future. In our final lesson, you'll discover what's on the
horizon for classroom podcasting and how to stay abreast of
classroom technology trends. Hey, it wouldn't be so bad to be the
school's podcasting guru, would it? |
To enroll in this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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