I love making podcasts. I took a class in our district’s Academy to learn the process. We were able to make a podcast to use in our classroom. Since I teach To Kill a Mockingbird and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, I decided to create a podcast to provide background information on Jim Crow laws and life in the South during the 1930s. I added music and photos to enhance the audio and learned a few things: always use the LARGE photo option, as the images get distorted and bleary if you only use the thumbnail version and don’t go for perfection; just get going. I have put into practice the first, but am still working on the second.
I think there is a lot of room for podcasting in my classroom. Absences could be quickly podcasted, mini-lessons on any topic, or examples of reading fluency could be recorded.
Students could also podcast their book discussions and I could then evaluate the quality of their “talk.”
I have recently used my podcast as an example of a book talk for my students. They are in the process of creating book talks as individuals, pairs or trios about a favorite book. These can be played on our school news, so there is a real audience, and I would like to have them connected to our media center book search. How cool would it be to look for a book by genre or author (using tags from our podcast) and then be able to listen to a or many students reveal their feelings and thoughts about it?!?
My current podcast was fun to produce, but frustrating in uploading it to MM. I am quite happy with my enhanced podcast. It is a book talk about Thirteen Reasons Why, incorporating music and images, but I can’t get it to MM as my Garage Band creates an m4a file, which is not recognized by MM. I thought by stripping the music and images and leaving my vocal track, I could import it into iMoive, but no such luck. So I have added to my knowledge that if one uses images in a podcast and wants it to be viewed outside one’s laptop/PC, then one needs to record it in iMovie. I also learned that there is just a audio recording fuction (no isight camera required) in iMovie. So lesson learned. In the meantime, you can only view my enhanced podcast if I email you the file.
During our class, Pete noted the lack of need for images with a podcast. I disagree. I think middle school students would be more in tuned with audio supported by images. I know I am. Granted, I don’t need to look on my iPod to see the images, but if I am at a computer or in a classroom and just listening to a cast, I would prefer to listen and see something, too.
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Dixie,
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas for recording the background information of a book. That way, if people want to go back to the information (but maybe didn't take notes like so many of my students, they would be able to retrieve the information without having to look it up on their own). Also, as both you and I noted, it would be great for those that miss a day where you lectured, they would be able to go and listen, and not have to rely on another student's notes. I will have to think more about recording as I give the lecture, though, so that I don't have to do everything twice over (or sometimes more depending on how many classes I would give that information to).
I would be interested in hearing your book talk, so if/when you have the chance, send it to me. I want to know more about what you actually talked about.
Sorry about your frustrations when you tried to upload your information. That sucks. And you were only trying to better your podcast. I agree, while pictures may not be necessary, they definitely add to the information presented.
See you Tuesday.
Amy