Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
CONTENTS
FOREWARD 2
Podcasting in the Classroom ABSTRACT 3
Stephen Fessey
INTRODUCTION 4
BACKGROUND 5
MAIN REPORT 6
FOREWARD CONCLUSION 11
REFERENCES 12
Central Birmingham City Technology, by its very nature, is
Learning Centre is proud of the a constantly changing force and
work it does with its network the pace of change today is as
schools and wider partners. We fast as ever. Emerging web
are constantly testing new technologies and online learning
technologies and their potential will shape education in the future
use in education and using and it is essential that these
established technologies in new developments are used for sound
and innovative ways. pedagogical reasons.
Mohammed Ishaq
Central Birmingham CLC Manager
“Podcasting ABSTRACT
This research looks at the use of
is best kept podcasting in the classroom. It
simple” results from numerous sessions at
CBCLC where staff taught pupils
and teachers to podcast. This
document brings together and
shares the best practice that was
generated.
5
3. PODCASTING IN THE Suggested websites to sample
CLASSROOM podcasts:
6
“Podcasting 3.2: Creating a podcast As a result we moved towards
3.2.1: Technology used podcasts, created using low cost
is all about headphones with a microphone
There are numerous ways to attachment. These have proved
simplicity and create a podcast. CBCLC has highly successful. They focus
trialled a number of different pupil attention and allow real
lo-tech independent work. A drawback is
methods, outlined below.
that only one pupil can hear the
solutions.” audio at a time. Headphone
To begin with, CBCLC invested
in “radio kits” which were splitters would help solve this
distributed to partner schools. problem.
These consisted of a mobile desk,
computer, mixer, music keyboard, 3.2.2: Software used
MP3 player, headphones and
microphones. CBCLC have used a variety of
software to record podcasts.
This kit could then be set up in a There are two which have proved
quiet area to be used to record most effective: Garageband on
“live” discussions with the Mac computers and Audacity on
microphones or to edit recordings. PC.
7
Garageband also allows the The screen shot on this page gives
freedom to add video content if an idea of how Audacity works -
users want to take a plunge into when sound is recorded it shows
vod casting (like pod casting but as a wave form which can then be
with images/video). More trimmed easily. When the user
information can be found on records another piece of sound it
Apple’s site at: appears as a new wave form
http://www.apple.com/ilife/garage underneath the existing one.
band/ Recordings can then be shifted
around to make a time line.
Audacity is a free, open source
sound editor and is the software As Audacity is free CBCLC
we use when podcasting on the recommends that schools
PC. It is simple to use and download and install it across
recordings can be easily trimmed their network. As a learning tool
and edited. Projects can then be it is versatile and can be used
exported as an MP3 - the standard creatively by teachers.
for podcasting. More information
can be found at: With both pieces of software and
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ with podcasting in general
CBCLC recommends using
Soundsnap to find sound effects.
This is a free online sound library
that allows people to share and
download samples in the most
common audio formats.
http://www.soundsnap.com/
Footnotes
8
“Publishing a 3.3: Publishing a podcast 3.4: Subscribing to a podcast
9
3.4 Podcasting in the curriculum Because of the ease of podcasting
many pupils are now creating
Podcasting is a relatively new tool them [Ishizuka, 2005]. With
for education and research on its both software titles highlighted in
benefit is sparse but emerging section 3.2.2 it is an easy process
[e.g: Abtl and Barry, 2007]. to create a discussion, talk show,
radio play, soundscape or any
Podcasts are being used in two other type of podcast.
main ways: teacher created
content and pupil created content. Ideas for podcasts include:
- a local survey
Teachers are beginning to use - an audio tour of the school
podcasts for revision purposes - an interview with their family
and to help students who are - create an audio resource for
absent. These podcasts work very visually impaired users
well when the lesson is in a - foreign language podcasts
“lecture” style format [Seattle - storytelling
Times, 2005]. - music shows
10
“Teachers and 4. CONCLUSION
In general it was found that
pupils can use CBCLC has seen a steady increase in the podcasting is best kept simple
number of teachers coming to the centre with podcasts working well when
podcasting to for podcasting training. Teachers in our they are short and precise. A
network are following the global trend clear purpose (revision,
create [New York Times, 2005] by making discussion etc) is needed.
podcasts that are innovative and
genuinely educational. Podcasts were seen by teachers as
innovative a valuable educational tool and
There are countless ways to create by pupils as engaging and fun. It
and and publish podcasts but CBCLC is clear that as online learning
has found that it is best to choose takes a bigger role in education
educational one method and use that across all [Downes, 2007] that educational
curriculum areas; the software and tools such as podcasts, blogs and
content” hardware recommended in this wikis will become increasingly
report would be suitable across all important.
subject areas.
Teachers and pupils can use
Although there are numerous podcasting to create genuinely
tools and site available, CBCLC innovative and educational
is able to recommend Garageband content. Combined with a sound
and Audacity as software to pedagogical purpose they have
create podcasts and Podbean to the ability to transform lessons
host them. and learning.
11
REFERENCES
Abt1, Grant and Barry, Tim “The Quantitative Effect of Students Using
Podcasts in a First Year Undergraduate Exercise Physiology Module”
http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal/vol10/beej-10-8.htm
December 2007
DCFS, “Secondary National Strategy”
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/secondary/keystage3/ April 2008
Deal, Ashley “Podcasting: A Teaching with Technology White Paper”
http://connect.educause.edu/files/CMU_Podcasting_Jun07.pdf April
2007
Downes, Stephen “Learning Objects, Metadata, Blogs And RSS: The
Future Of Online Education”
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2004/12/12/learning_objects_me
tadata_blogs_and.htm 2007
Ishizuka, Kathy “Tell Me a Story A media specialist promotes reading
with podcasts”
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6253062.html
2005
New York Times, “New Tools: Blogs, podcasts and virtual clssrooms”
http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/New%20York%20Times%20podca
st%20article.pdf 2005
Plunkett, John “People listen more and more via mobiles, digital TV
and the net”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/apr/30/mondaymediasectio
n.radio April 2007
Seattle Times, “Teachers see iPods as educational tool”
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2002571859_pods
chool20.html 2005
About the Author
Stephen Fessey has taught for eight years and has used ICT in his lessons and
planning across many curriculum areas. His work at Central Birmingham City
Learning Centre has allowed him to expand and develop this interest by using
state-of-the-art equipment and sofware. This work is then shared with teachers
and educators across the centre’s network. Stephen is currently pursuing a
Masters in Education focusing on Elearning.
CLCs were set up to be innovative practitioners of ICT and therefore most of what we provide
has an ICT focus. Central Birmingham City Learning Centre is a state-of-the-art technology
centre set up for the benefit of central Birmingham schools. Our key work is with pupils and
staff. We offer sessions and work with departments on most curriculum areas and to most
Key Stages. We also offer a varied CPD programme.