Tiana Tibbs

FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

Title of Unit: Podcasting

Grade Level: Adult (Professional Development)
Time Frame: 4 hours

Stage 1 – Desired Results

NETS-T 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning: Teachers exhibit knowledge,
skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and
digital society. Teachers:
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current
knowledge to new technologies and situations.
d. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate,
analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and
learning.
NETS-T 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership: Teachers continuously
improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in
their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective
use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:
a. participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative
applications of technology to improve student learning.
Understandings
Students will understand that:
• Podcasts has many educational benefits.
• Podcasts will increase the communication between the school and our
community.
Essential Questions
Overarching Question(s):
• How can we promote communication in the educational setting?

Topical Question(s):
• What are some characteristics that determine an effective podcast?
• What are the ways that podcasts can be used in our classrooms?
Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge
Students will know:
• Key terms that relate to podcasting
• Tools that are available for podcasting
Skills
Students will be able to:
• Use Audacity to create a podcast
• Playback their podcast using an mp3 player
• Distribute podcasts for public use
• Use podcasts as another tool for educational purposes

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 Tiana Tibbs
FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

Stage 2 – Acceptable Evidence

Performance Tasks
• Podcast Planning – Learners will use the Podcast Planning sheet to develop an
idea for a podcast that they would like to create. See Peer review – Podcast
Planning for additional information. Following completion of this sheet, learners
will present their ideas to the class and allow fellow learners the opportunity to
ask questions or give suggestions for improving the podcast design.
• Podcast – Learners will use their planning document along with feedback from
their classmates to create their podcast.

Other Evidence
• Podcast worksheet (pre-assessment) – There are many concepts and terms
that are used related to podcasts and podcasting concepts. It is very important
for learners to know some of the language in order to best grasp the guiding
principles in developing and using podcasts. This sheet will serve as a pre-
assessment to determine the level of the learners as well as a template for
introducing podcasting. Students will work on the sheet followed by a discussion
that introduces the terms.
• Podcast practice – Learners will re-create the given example of a podcast by
using the software, Audacity, a script, and the appropriate resources.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

• Peer review - Podcast– This will be used as an opportunity for learners to
present their podcast idea to their classmates. Their fellow learners will ask
questions or give suggestions with the goal of improving the overall design.
• Self-Assessment – Podcast Evaluation Rubric – Learners will use the rubric to
evaluate the purpose and overall content of the podcast to determine if it will
effectively meet the stated need for the podcast.

Stage 3 – Learning Experiences

1. Introduce the essential question, “How can we promote communication in the

educational setting?” Discuss the podcast planning document and performance
tasks that will be the culminating tasks for the course.

2. Give Podcast Pretest to learners. Learners are to answer questions and fill in
definitions for words that they know and leave the rest blank. Answers will be
revisited and discussed as they relate to the current activity.

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FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

3. Discuss what a podcast is and how it works. Discuss the related terms: podcast,
vodcast, screencast, iTunes, and rss feed.

4. Discuss the benefits of using podcasts in education and give ideas for the
different subjects.

5. Discuss how iTunes play a role in podcasting. Learners will look at the program,
iTunes, and look at the different podcasts that are available for free in iTunesU.

6. Discuss the many programs and equipment that are available when putting
together a podcast. Discuss in more detail the computer, mic, headset, Audacity,
and the mp3 player and how it relates to podcasting.

7. Discuss how to use Audacity when creating a podcast.

8. Distribute the “Podcast Practice” handout. Learners will create the given
example podcast using Audacity.

9. Distribute the “Podcast Planning” handout. Learners will work individually to

design a podcast of their choice. They will then create their podcast using
Audacity.

10. When all learners have finished, each will be given the opportunity to share their
designs and take suggestions for change/improvement. Learners will then self-
assess themselves in regards to their podcast.

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 Tiana Tibbs
FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

Name _________________________

Podcasting Pretest

Part 1 Directions: Take a few moments to answer the following questions. If

you don’t know the answer, just leave it blank.

1. What is podcasting?

2. Is iTunes the only program that you can use for podcasting?

3. What kind of electronic formats can you make into a podcast?

4. What are the three different kinds of podcasts?

Part 2 Directions: Write definitions for each of the following important terms
as they relate to podcasting.

5. podcast

6. vodcast

7. rss feed

8. iTunes
Podcast Practice
Using an mp3 player

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FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

1. Turn on your mp3 player and go to “More”  “Voice Recorder”  “Record

Now”

2. Say: “My name is _________and I’m learning how to make a podcast.”

Once you are finished recording, connect the mp3 player to your computer
and save the file on your computer.

3. Open up Audacity
*Note:
If you don’t have Audacity, you may download the program and the MP3
Converter, LAME from this site:
(Audacity) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

(LAME) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3

4. Go to Project  Import Audio and open the file you saved on your
computer.

5. We are going to add music to our file. Go to Project Import Audio and
select the “Kalimba” file.

6. We are now going to trim the music and play with the volume to get it to
our liking.

7. Once finished, go to File  Export as mp3 and save it in your folder.

8. Congratulations! You are finished! You made a podcast!

*Note: These are directions if you plan to use Audacity and your mic from
the computer to record.
Recording Setup
Go to Edit Preferences Audio I/O tab
Make sure the correct playback and recording device is selected based on
your computer settings. Also make sure your Channel is set to 1 (Mono)

Go to the File Formats tab and make sure “Make a copy of the file before
editing (safer) is selected.

Also make sure the MP3 Library Version is LAMEv3.98

Hit record

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 Tiana Tibbs
FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

Name: _________________________ Date: __________

Podcast Planning

1. What will your podcast be about?

2. Who will listen to the podcast? (Is it everyone in the school? Is it parents?
Is it students in another state or another grade level?)

3. Who will actually be heard in the recording?

4. What segments are you planning for your podcast?

5. Outline for your podcast show

6. Podcast Script

Peer Evaluation Form

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 Tiana Tibbs
FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

Evaluator:_________________________________________ Date:___________________

Name/Title of Podcast:___________________________________________________________

Use the scale below to rank the quality/content of the podcast Excellent Good Fair Poor
by checking the appropriate box. Items for Evaluation

The podcast was interesting and/or enjoyable

The podcast program was well organized

The speakers on the podcast were clear and easy to understand

The audio quality of the podcast was….

The overall quality of the podcast was….

1. The thing I liked best about your podcast was….

2. Something you could do to improve your podcast is….

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 Tiana Tibbs
FRIT 7738
Staff Development Unit

Self Evaluation Form

Evaluator:_________________________________________ Date:___________________

Name/Title of Podcast:___________________________________________________________

Use the scale below to rank the quality/content of the podcast Excellent Good Fair Poor
by checking the appropriate box. Items for Evaluation
I communicated the goals I wanted to communicate through
the podcast

The podcast program was well organized

The speakers on the podcast were clear and easy to understand

The audio quality of the podcast was….

The overall quality of the podcast was….