School 2.0 in SA

Podcasting can be a powerful tool to use in the classroom. Let me “count the ways”… (just a few…please add….)

• Storytelling. Let the learners record their own “stories” about whatever theme you are currently engaged with. eg instead of having to stand in front of the class to “do a speech”, they can record their speech , upload it as a podcast and the class can then go and leave comments, suggestions as peer review. (learner centred)
• Homework: Instructions for doing an assignment. The learners can download the podcast to their cell phones/ipods or access it from your class blog and use it to assist them to do their homework. Let them take “your voice” with them.  (teacher centred)
• Interviews with specialists: Get the kids to do the interviews, edit it (using audacity) and upload it to the class blog (eg careers in LO) (learner centred)
• School radio station. Now this is one that everybody can have fun with! Why not start a daily/weekly “radio station” for the school where the fun and spirit of the school can be captured in audio format and showcase some of the anecdotes? (uhmmm just make sure that their is some adult supervising) (learner centred)
• Capture field trips in audio format to feature on radio station……

So how do I do it?

There are quite a few nice tools that we can use….but let me start at the beginning in a step by step way (us older folkies did not grow up in the constructivist era!)

• Record the podcast (use a cell phone, which is the easiest, or a mike connected to a computer or a dictaphone)
• Download the recording onto your computer (bluetooth connection or USB)
• Depending on if it is in MP3 format (most podcast requires this format), first turn it into an MP3:
  • I tried Switch, which has a free easy to use version for download
• Create an account with Gcast (http://www.gcast.com/) There are very clear tutorials on how to set it up there.
• Create podcasting channel (eg, you can create a channel for each of your classes)
• Hit the Upload button!
• Embed you podcast in your blog/school website/Facebook/Myspace…where ever! Just copy the code given and paste it in your “code-html” on your blog.

This blogpost was inspired by a post by Wesley Fryer, where he gives other options of how to do it!

Some more resources:

• My Delicious podcasting bookmarks
• An Audacity tutorial (Audacity is a free programme that you can use to record and edit audio)

Here is my ICT4Campions channel embedded into my blog:

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And here is the quick option using the google player (see Wesley’s blog)