Podcasting

Introduction

Guides and Tutorials gives a concise description of podcasting. They ask you to "Think about listening to a radio show on a topic that you're interested in, but instead of having to tune in at a specific time and station, you can listen to the show at the time and place of your choosing. That's what podcasting enables you to do." they explain.


Podcasting, like so many other web tools, has a tremendous amount of content. It has content on almost any subject or topic it seems. And of course, if you can't find a podcast with the content or topic you are looking for you can always create your own.

There are two main options to podcasting. The first option is to listen to podcasts created by others. The second option is to create your own podcast. Both are interesting journeys.


Reflection on the Process of Learning About Podcasting
I have had very little experience with podcasting other than listening to a podcast I had stumbled upon last year called Revision Quest produced by CBC Radio. I began my learning of podcasting by reading articles I had found through the ProQuest Database at the University of Alberta and through the Trailfire links provided by Joanne.

My first impression of podcasting was it is a tool to make audio recordings. For the longest time I worked on preparing to podcast. This included downloading several software items, some of which I am sure I didn't need, deciding what I wanted to record, actually recording and editing and finally figuring out how to upload it to the Internet.

The software that I did download and actually use was Audacity, which "Is a free, open source software for recording and editing sounds" and Lame, which is a "plug-in" that creates and exports MP3 files. These MP3 files than can be listened to on the Internet.


After working through the software and figuring out how it worked I managed to create about three podcasts.

I had hoped to be able to list a number of my podcasts on my blog, but I didn't quite accomplish that. I did manage to create several podcasts and upload them to my blog. I was able to listen to my podcasts on my blog but they play continuously one after the other but doesn't allow for any listening selection options.

Podcasts are used to make audio recordings was my first impression of what podcasting's purpose was. I realized you need to have a real purpose for creating podcasts. Having a real purpose for creating podcasts, like teaching and learning in the classroom, makes the learning more authentic.

It took me sometime to realize podcasting is also about listening to podcasts created by others. I decided to, rather than make more of my own, search for podcasts I could use in the library or for my personal use.

There are literally thousands of podcasts to listen to out there! I didn't realize this. Some of the podcasts you have to download to your computer to listen to, some you can listen to right on the site your at, some you can subscribe to by RSS feed and many are on iTunes. I was getting a bit frustrated trying to listen podcasts and it kept wanting me to save the podcast to a file. When I did save a podcast to my computer I was then able to listen to it on my Windows Media Player. Other podcasts had little podcast icons and when I clicked on that I was able to listen to the podcast without having to download them.

I also subscribed to a few podcasts through an RSS feed, just to see how it worked, and the three which I subscribed to showed up in another little window on my iGoogle page. This was very cool! I now have on my iGoogle page feeds from Moving at the Speed of Creativity Podcasts, The Official Ryan McMahon Comedy Website, and Denver Public Library Podcast.

Never having used iTunes before I was worried about having to download yet another software tool. Well, I never actually downloaded myself but used someone else's account to check out the podcasts available there. There are a huge number of podcasts at iTunes and most of them are free!

My learning of podcasts has been tremendous. I've learned how to make a podcast, how to upload it to a blog (well I kind of know how) and how to go about finding podcasts to listen to. Although many of the articles I read about podcasting stated that it was "easy" Berk,Olson & Atkinson (2007), Riddle (2010), I didn't find it particularly easy at all.

My Personal Learning

If I ever invest in an iPod I think I can definitely make use of podcasting. I noticed on iTunes there are several selections of Jane Austen's books available through podcasts that I would like to listen to. I also noticed there is a series of podcasting for meditation, which I think I would use. My husband would enjoy listening to the comedy podcasts found on iTunes. There are so many podcasts available in any one given genre, such as comedy, one would have to listen to a few before finding one that fits your personality or sense of humour. My son has downloaded a favorite comedy podcast onto his iPod and I think I could share with him Ryan McMahon's podcasts.

Teaching and Learning with Podcasting

Esther Kreider Eash (2006) states in her article Podcasting 101 for K-12 Librarians, "There are two basic types of podcast use , each valid in the K-12 library (or classroom) setting: to retrieve information (accessing podcasts created by others) and to disseminate information (creating and sharing podcasts)." In this article she also discusses how educators should consider the reasons for the use of a particular form of technology. Simply because it may be new to you and your students, she says, is not enough of a reason to use it. Rather you must ask questions. Is this the best format for the task? How does this tool support my goals? How does this tool enhance student learning? Very good questions to ask before using any new social tool.

Using podcasting in the classroom to retrieve information allows teacher to supplement their instructional material and provides the opportunity for students to access information through one more format: audio. Having this option allows students with varied learning styles such as the auditory learner, to have tool which may help him to learn more easily. Providing instructional material through a podcast would also allow a student to replay the material as many times as needed to understand or ponder the material.

Students using podcasts to create and share information brings into play a whole array of skills. As Riddle (2010) states, "Podcasting by students requires they use many skills including research, reading, writing. It also uses editing, oral reading, and presentation skill." He also concludes that, "This bonanza of traditional skills further interfaces with technology, problem solving, creativity, and collaboration."

I would love to provide an opportunity for some of my colleagues and students to use this tool. The possibilities of enhancing and reinforcing learning in the "traditional" learnings such as as reading and writing but also in important life skills such as problem solving, creativity and collaboration would be tremendous.

One thing to keep in mind when creating podcasts is copyright. Kathy Fredrick (2008) reminds creators of podcasts to make sure any books being read aloud are in the public domain. Sebastian Dorok, an English language and music teacher in Germany (Riddle 2010) states that "As a teacher, it is my directive to teach them about copyright." He goes on to state, "Because they themselves are producing original work, they understand the value of protecting creative rights."

Podcasts are a great tool for not only retrieving information to supplement one's learning or instruction but it is a great tool for teaching and reinforcing traditional skills as well as important life skills.

Conclusion
Podcasting lets you listen, learn and create at your own pace, and at your own time and place. Podcasting is a fun and interesting journey and I would encourage teachers to take this journey and to give the tools to their students so they may also take the journey.

References

Berk, J., & Olsen, S., & Atkinson, J., & Comerford, J. (2007). Innovation in a podshell: Bringing information literacy into the world of podcasting. The Electronic Library. 25. 409-417. Retrieved from ProQuest database.

Kreider Eash, E. (2006). Podcasting 101 for k-12 librarians. Computers in Libraries. 26. 16-21. Retrieved from ProQuest database.

Fredrick, K. (2008). The web is alive with the sound of...podcasts. School Library Media Activities Monthly. 24. 46-48. Retrieved from ProQuest database.

Riddle, J. (2010). Podcasting in the classroom: A sound success. MultiMedia & Internet @ Schools. 17. 23-27. Retrieved from ProQuest database.