Podcasting is a project that can bring a lot of benefits to the classroom. Yes, there is some benefit in the technological skills students and you will develop. However,the most important benefits come in the creation and building of content for the podcasts.

Among those benefits are giving students a voice (literally as well as figuratively). Students have the opportunity to express opinions, argue points of view and share ideas. All things that students do in the classroom, but podcasting can expand their voice to a much larger audience. How much more powerful for a student to get feedback from someone across the country or the world in addition to what they receive locally. Other benefits include building research and communication skills. Through the process of creating a podcast a student learns to rely on many of the skills they work on daily.

During this class you will learn about podcasts. You will learn how to find and listen to podcasts. You will learn how podcasting can become a form of professional development for you. You will learn how podcast, both listening and creating, can enhance your classroom. You will learn the technological aspects of creating a podcast and publishing it to the world. More importantly you will gather ideas for podcast topics, develop some of your own and share those with others.

This will be a high participatory class. By the time the class is finished you will have participated with a group in developing and producing a podcast. That podcast will then be published to be shared with the world.

The requirements of this class are as follows:

1) Attendence (all 14 hours of the class)
2) Completion of a podcast (5-10 min.)with a group to be published
3) 1/2 page reflection on the use of podcasts (both listening and publishing) in the classroom
4) Completion of the class evaluation

Class Schedule (for 5 meet class)

Meet One October 24, 2007

What are podcasts and how can they be used in the classroom? 

4:15 pm Class Introduction
4:45 pm Group Activity
5:15 pm What is this podcasting stuff?
6:00 (10 min break)
6:10 pm Where to find podcasts and how to listen

Meet Two November 14, 2007

How do you create podcasts?

4:15 Tools used to create podcasts
5:00 Introduction to Garageband
5:45 (10 min break)
5:55 pm More with Garageband

Meet Three November 28, 2007

Podcast creation process, and group work

4:15 pm A podcast creation process
5:15 pm Group Organization
5:35 pm (10 minute break)
5:45 pm Group planning/Podcast pre-production

Meet Four December 5, 2007

Work on Podcast 

4:15 pm Podcast recording and editing
6:00 pm Break
6:15 pm Finish Editing

Meet Five December 12, 2007

Broadcasting to the World

4:15 pm Publishing (work on reflections and evaluations)
5:30 pm Presenting to the World--Your Podcasts
6:30 pm Oral Reflection-Question and Answer

Sites to learn more about Podcasting

Jordan District Teachers–Please Read This Before Starting a Podcast
Apple's Creating Your Own Podcast Tutorial
Tony Vincent's Podcasting Guide
Kidcast
Kelly's del.icio.us Podcasting Page
T4 Publishing Your Podcast Page

Class Schedule (for 2 day class)

Day One

8:00 am Class Introduction
8:30 am Group Activity
9:15 am What is this podcasting stuff? (10 min break)
11:15 am Introduction to Garageband
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm More with Garageband (10 min break)
3:00 pm A podcast creation process
3:50 pm Review of the day and preview of tomorrow

Day Two